rules, policies, and disclaimers
 

 

By scrolling down and clicking the “agree” button, you agree to:
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• adhere to the standards of behavior outlined in the Code of Conduct, whenever you are in a Vast Empire-related channel.
• remember that this is just irc; it is not real life.
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The Code of Conduct​ for the Vast Empire’s IRC chat:

The Vast Empire’s Code of Conduct is designed to provide a basic understanding of what’s allowed and not allowed in our IRC chat.  The following are the principles which underlie the CoC, and which guide its enforcement:
     • We want to ensure a friendly atmosphere for members and visitors alike

     • We want to ensure the privacy of our members and visitors alike
     • We want to comply with existing laws
     • We want to encourage responsible use of IRC chat, and discourage activities which disrupt our community and reduce the value of our services to members and visitors alike
     • We want to encourage freedom of expression and exchange of information in a mature and responsible manner, and we want to establish a safe, respectful environment for members and visitors alike.

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Section 1: Rules about the VE Command Hierarchy, which is always in effect on IRC

Rule #1: DO obey your superiors

If a member in a superior position gives an order to a subordinate, whether VE- or IRC-related, the order must be followed.  Similarly, if a higher-ranked member gives an order to a subordinate, the order must be followed.  Position always supercedes rank.

Rule #2: DO heed an op’s warnings/requests

If an op or “sub-op” gives a warning or asks a person to cease an activity, it should be treated as an order, and immediately followed.  After one warning, if the person continues to misbehave, defy the Code of Conduct, or ignore the chain of command, that person may be kicked or banned, depending on the offense.

Rule #3: Do NOT argue with your superiors or an op in public
If an op or a member in a superior position/rank gives an order, kicks a person, or sets a ban, you may not contradict them or argue with them in public.  If you disagree with the order or action, speak to them in private, or consult with their superiors.

Rule #4: Do NOT misrepresent yourself
If you pretend to be someone that you are not, whether by changing your nick to indicate a rank you do not hold, or by changing your nick to another person’s known nick, or by completely changing your IRC information (ident, hostmark, etc.), you will be subject to an immediate kick.  These actions are known collectively as “impersonating an officer,” and they are all unacceptable.
Section 2: Rules defining minimum standards of behavior​
Rule #5: Do NOT swear: profanity of all kinds is forbidden in VE channels.  You may not use swear words, whether from English (the default language of all VE channels) or any other language, and suggested swearing is also forbidden.
Rule #6: Do NOT insult others: insulting anyone in VE channels is absolutely unacceptable, and will not be tolerated.  This includes any and all insults about a person’s age, race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, religious beliefs, and/or creed.  The person who types an insult does not get to decide whether or not it “is just a joke”; that is the prerogative of others in the channel, especially any person(s) targeted by the insult.

Rule #7: Do NOT annoy others: different people have different triggers for annoyance, so err on the side of caution with your behavior, actions, and words.  Any ops or “sub-ops” present may decide what action is to be taken, and when, regarding violations of this rule.
Rule #8: Do NOT be aggressive in any way in VE channels: when chatting on VE-related channels, you may not confront other members in an adversarial manner, start arguments, or put others down.  In the event of a disagreement, anyone who escalates the situation, or who actively encourages fighting, will be considered in violation of this rule.  All people are on IRC for enjoyment and civil discussion, and anyone frustrating that pursuit will be removed.  If anyone is overtly aggressive, report them.
Section 3: Rules defining minimum standards of IRC-specific behavior​
Rule #9: Do NOT over-use colors: colors on an IRC channel are considered bad netiquette, but are allowed in specific cases.  Constant use of colors, or the use of garish colors that annoy other members, is impermissible.
Rule #10: Do NOT flood the channel, or flood people individually: flooding is the term for inputting a large amount of text in a short amount of time, to disrupt the chat or cause the channel to malfunction, and will not be tolerated.  Flooding members on the channel separately with text, pings, or any other method is also unacceptable, and can result in a kick or a ban from the channel.
Rule #11: Do NOT bring clones on a channel: cloning is when a person enters a channel when they are already present, resulting in two (or more) copies of themselves on the same channel.  This is not tolerated on any VE channel and all clones will be banned.  Caution should be exercised, though, to make sure a suspected clone is not a ghost.
Rule #12: Do NOT take advantage of a Service error or netsplit: when ChanServ leaves the channel, or a server is split from the Network and the channel is effectively in two places, members may mistakenly be given ops.  It is forbidden in these situations to op other non ops; only those who are meant to have ops usually may hold ops in these situations.
Rule #13: Do NOT use unauthorized bots in VE channels: all bots that are to be used in VE channels must first be approved by the HC.  This means you must send a copy of the script and any relevant information about the bot to the HC directly, and wait for approval, before use in a VE channel.  If an unauthorized bot is discovered, both the bot and owner will be banned.
Section 4: Rules defining minimum standards of behavior for ops.
Rule #14: Do NOT abuse ops or X-bot access: kicking or banning without reason or proper cause, or threatening to kick/ban without reason or proper cause, constitutes abuse of ops and/or X-bot access.  Changing the topic and/or channel modes unnecessarily is also considered abuse.  Remember Rule #3: if you disagree with the actions or orders of a superior or op, speak to them in private, or consult with their superiors.