The Rules - Please Read My Story

Group Admin

Quillian Inkheart #1 · Oct 12th, 2018 · 2 · ·

So, as our Group grows larger, I felt that it would be not only wise, but also kinda important to include a set of defined rules. Most of these are common sense, but some of them are actually rather precise. I'll be making a short and long list of the rules, so please, read away.

If you've stuck along this far, one of two things is probably the case: either you're curious about the rules, or someone told you to come here and read them. In either case, no worries. Here they are:

All threads have to either ask for help with a story, show support to authors, or promote stories from this site specifically. It doesn't have to be something of yours.
Wait at least a week before repeating a promotion, or making a similar promotion.
No direct links to mature stories are allowed. Embeds however, are.
Avoid starting flame wars and/or insulting other people or their promotions. Everyone has a right to promote what they want, within reason.
Don't troll. Don't bait. You know who you are.
Don't add stories to user-specific folders that aren't yours on purpose. (When we implement the folder system)
Obey all the site rules.

Quick, easy, and efficient. Now, it's time for the long list.

1.) All threads have to ask for help with a story, show support to authors, or promote stories from this site specifically. It doesn't have to be something of yours.

This is a multi-layered rule; like a cake. Once you're done drooling and thinking about pastries, here's a breakdown. This Group is specifically for the promotion of stories and asking for help with stories, with a side order of supporting others on the side. It also helps to remember that it's a Promotion Group, not one for idle chatter; though posts within a thread are free game for that. Secondly, the content of the promotion must be something from this site. However, you are not limited to promoting your own content exclusively. Feel free to support your friends and colleagues equally.

2.) Wait at least a week before repeating a promotion, or making a similar promotion.

This rule is both simple and complex. The 7 Day Rule, as it's easily called, is the basic chunk of this rule, but more complex is the second half. Nobody likes spam -- aside from the spammer, I suppose -- so the 7 Day Rule is broad. No making similar promotions or promoting someone else's work, when it's already been promoted within the past week. Keep the spamming to zero, people.

In rare cases, we might ask someone posting every seven days to wait a bit longer, especially if the thread is controversial or causes an uproar. I don't foresee this being a problem all that often, but it is worth putting in here.

3.) No direct links to mature stories are allowed, ever. Embeds however, are.

This is a site rule, but I feel like it's a good one to reinforce. As this group isn't labeled as a NSFW Group, links to NSFW content is prohibited. To promote these stories, use the embedding system; for those of you who don't know what that is, it's the icon between the picture and the quotation mark in the toolbar -- the one that has a little camera on it. Copy the link of the mature story in question into that, and you're free to post it.

4.) Avoid starting flame wars and/or insulting other people or their promotions. Everyone has a right to promote what they want, within reason.

Look, just because you don't like a ship that someone is promoting doesn't mean you can insult them. It's just not how things work in this Group. But that's not the only limitation. Whether you don't like the person in question or aren't a fan of a genre, we aren't interested. People are free to promote whatever they want on here. Now granted, this is within reason. Promotions designed specifically to stir up trouble might be shot down by the Admins, depending on the situation presented. I don't foresee this being a problem, but I felt the need to put it in anyway.

5.) Don't troll. Don't bait. You know who you are.

Yeah, you know who you are... This links directly to Rule 4, but is a little more specific. I assume that, if you're on the internet, you know what a Troll is. Don't be that guy. However, baiting is a little less known. Baiting is making a seemingly casual statement that you know is going to start an argument. For instance, if someone posts a FlutterDash Fic and someone call RariDash out as OTP, that's probably baiting.

6.) Don't add stories to user-specific folders that aren't yours on purpose. (When we implement the folder system)

This is fairly simple. At some point in the future, we'll be getting a user-themed folder system. Each person will get a folder to put their own fics into, as a means of self-promotion. This rule simply clarifies that putting your fics into other people's user-specific folders isn't kosher. Now, this can certainly be an accident and there's no issue there; just send an Admin a message to get it removed from the folder you accidentally put it into.

7.) Obey all the site rules.

This is self-explanatory. Any rules presented in the official site rules override anything here. They're the voice on high, as far as this Admin is concerned. Don't do anything you wouldn't want the site's staff to get too close of a look at.

Whew... I don't think I've ever written something this long in a thread before. And this is the first set of rules I've ever actually crafted... Kinda proud of myself! Even if I did swipe the base structure from the Shameless Self-Promotion Bureau. Given how much that Group has helped this one, I think they deserve a bit of a plug here.

Anyway, those are the rules; stick to 'em and we'll be fine! And remember: