Discussion Etiquette and General Forum Rules

Here at Captain Cynic we have a general Discussion Etiquette put in place to optimize the enjoyment of every person that comes to the site. We want Captain Cynic to be a welcoming place, where you can 'hang out' and enjoy the stimulus the site provides. However, being a discussion environment Captain Cynic threads can often become heated places as individuals passionately debate their beliefs and opinions - such is expected! In order to maintain a positive 'hang out' place and discussion environment for everybody, the following Discussion Etiquette and General Forum Rules need to be adhered to by all users of the site.

Please read through these rules and ensure you have understood them before you begin posting on the forums.

Failure to comply may result in post removal / post limitations / account suspensions / account closure. Rules may be modified from time to time and as the need for new etiquettes arise - users are responsible for routinely checking these these rules for updates.

No swearing/profanity is to be used toward another member of the site in discussion threads and other areas of the site

- If you find yourself opposed to another individual or their views, do not resort to profanity to express your feelings. If something really bothers you, step back, calm your thoughts before continuing with the discussion.

Be aware that this rule has not always been in place on Captain Cynic and you may find past posts that contain negative behaviour. The presense of these posts does not grant you permission to break this rule.

Do not degrade other users nor attempt to degrade.
- Any posts that contain attempts to degrade another user will be deleted. If you oppose another person's position in a discussion, confront them without the use of derogatory comments. If you find that you passionately oppose another person's arguement, fuel that into tackling/confronting the opposing opinion, not the person holding the opinion.

Be aware that this rule has not always been in place on Captain Cynic and you may find past posts that contain negative behaviour. The presense of these posts does not grant you permission to break this rule.

No urls/advertising in Personal Quote or Mini Bio. No unauthorised advertising.
- Please refrain from spamming Captain Cynic with unauthorized advertising such as third party websites or products. We want the discussion environment to be a place where individuals genuinely express their interests instead of using the forum for the hidden agenda of advertising. Users who create posts simply to advertise a product or third party website will have their posts and/or accounts disabled.

No uploading of nudity or pornography.
- Users are not permitted to upload nudity or pornographic visual material onto any areas of the site. Drawings that have nudity may be with posted but are subject to review and if deemed inappropiate will be removed. Pornography of any kind, including pornography through drawings, is not permitted.

Do not use all capitals in thread titles or posts.
- Using all caps (all capitals) for your titles, posts and quote submissions is strictly prohibited and users who do this may have their threads/posts deleted. All caps is unpleasant and unsightly and steals from the positive discussion environment that Captain Cynic provides.

Create succinct, accurate and non-misleading thread titles
- Users must create accurate and informative titles when posting a new thread. Do not create vague, misleading, inaccurate titles that fail to provide sufficient information about your post. Make your titles succinct and 'to the point' so that when others see it they have enough information to decide whether or not they are genuinely interested in the topic of your thread. Thread titles have a maximum length of 100 characters - more than enough room for an accurate yet awesome title.

Correctly formatted keywords must be added to all new thread topics.
- When creating a brand new thread topic, users must include 5 keywords relating to their post in the 'Keywords' field. Keywords must be descriptive and relate directly to the topic of your post. Keywords must be separated from each other using a comma. For example, five keywords relating to this Discussion Etiquette would be formatted like so:
rules, discussion, forum, etiquettes, threads

No user names that imitate the Captain Cynic logo or are derivatives of the Captain Cynic brand.
- Users are not permitted to use user names that can be confused with Captain Cynic. Any user names that represent the 'Captain Cynic' brand or which can be confused for Captain Cynic administration will be disabled.

No defamation or negative connotations towards the Captain Cynic site or it's administrators.

- Captain Cynic is a free service that provides unique features unlike any other discussion board available. We want every individual who surfs the net to feel welcome here and any negativity that prevents the positivity of Captain Cynic from flowing will not be tolerated. Captain Cynic is a progressive site and we are always open to suggestions towards improving the services offered. If there is an improvement or feature you would like to see on Captain Cynic, you can make a request through the 'Administrative Contact' forum or personally contact the Head Administrator. If you have critisism to share please present it constructively.

Be aware that this rule has not always been in place on Captain Cynic and you may find past posts that violate this rule. The presense of these posts does not grant you permission to break this rule.

We do not have a signature system here - what we have is a 'Personal Quote' that appears on the bottom left of every post you make. If you wish to add a personal quote you can do this through your User Center > Edit Account Settings.

Please do not add arbitary signatures to the end of your posts - any posts containing arbitary signatures may be edited/deleted.

Utter courtesy must be extended at all times (public and private) when interacting with Captain Cynic administrators. Whilst Captain Cynic is a free service for all of its users - the provision of that service is not free and nor is it without labor - it is provided, maintained and run solely by Captain Cynic Administrators. Users who display anything short of absolute courtesy towards Captain Cynic Administrators risk immediate account de-activation.

Please do not contact admin asking them for their personal information, such as personal contact / location / names.

Captain Cynic is a positive space where individuals can delve into their interests. Being a discussion site, the dynamic nature of interaction cannot always be positively facilitated by rules. As such, we ask that all users respect the positive aim of Captain Cynic's Discussion Etiquette and not derail the altruistic purpose of our discussion environment. Examples of derailing the discussion environment include:

• Hijacking threads - being disruptive to the purpose of the original poster's thread.
• Trolling another member - following another CC member for negative reasons i.e. disliking another user and venting that dislike by repeatedly posting negative comments wherever the other user posts.
• Harrassing another user.
• Not keeping on topic with a discussion.

These are just a few examples. If you are a member and you believe that another user is preventing your positive interaction with the site, you are encouraged to contact us and let us know about the situation. Depending on the validity of your arguement and the discretion of Captain Cynic administrators, the best course of action will be taken.

Ultimatelly, if you keep in mind the good will and nature of this site and respect our desire to create a positive and stimulating 'hang out' space for our users, then we will view you as a positive addition to our family. Anyone who demonstrates disruption of this aim risks losing membership to Captain Cynic's community. Anyone who demonstrates a lack of support towards the best interests of Captain Cynic will have their account disabled immediately.

Posts that are unreadable, illegible or gibberish will be removed. Posts don't have to be written perfectly, but they should be written in English, using appropriate grammar and readable word/sentence structure. If you do not speak English fluently, we advise that you spend some extra time ensuring that your post is readable, and understandable, by other people. Online tools such as Google Translate are freely available for everyone to utilize. Other languages may be included, but only as quotations that serve to suppliment your post.