[Guest]

That shouldn't be too tough, right? 

Oh yeah, if only "common sense" was enough. The general problem tends to be common-sense actually. Or the differences there of. And how much anyone should be penalized for differing!

The rules are meant to be scalable while users are given more freedoms than they might've perceived to have had otherwise or before. Rules are not something to be coy about. If you're not willing to be serious, you're better off disengaging yourself from the rule crafting process.

I'm dead serious.

I suppose what I posted in the other thread was a little confusing.     I'll make it simple.

The Rules Which Q Wishes To Implement:
-No Rules.  Just use your damn noggin and common sense.  That goes for users, mods, and admins all alike.     Users use their common sense to behave accordingly, and mods/admins use theirs to do the same, and take appropriate action against those causing mayhem.

That shouldn't be too tough, right? 

These rules actually promote "e-drama" afaik. What they deter is massive admin crack downs and suffocation of minorities. I think you're imagining a lot more here than there is, just because there is an outline.

Much better to prepare than work it out in bloody massacres along the way. I've followed Megaten communities for more than a decade. I think I know what to prepare for.

Once again, this is in your own personal interest, and not the site's...

This is a high charge. What is my "personal interest" then?

Our primary aim I think is for users to be free to express themselves (that is not as cut and dry as it sounds)

There are about 1/10th of the rules you'll find in any BBS's posting compact (if you actually read them) expressed so far.

Change them, then.

Duuude...  I'm member Atlus' official boards.  Been there a while.  I know EXACTLY the kind of closed-minded assholes there are on there.  And I can tell you this...it won't get worse than that, and all these rules and preparations...are simply unnecessary.

Personal Interest...?  That's easy.  Whenever someone gets power or control, they want to establish absolute control, and then means as to never lose it.  You may not know it yourself, but that's human instinct.  No matter where you are or what you're doing.  Establishing all these rules and guidelines who you DO NOT need whatsoever is simply you looking for a chance to exercise your power, then hold onto it even longer.

Dude.  What's the point of a message board if no more than 10 people post on it?  That's something for MySpace buddies, is what it is.

See, I think we're gonna try to setup the board so no one has to be afraid of anyone. Short of literal spamming (wasting board resources) any affront will basically be toothless as long as it is ignored. If it isn't ignored, then it's safe to say the community is interested in it, so there must be a need for it to exist.

The problem is I really don't have time to run this bbs on the social front or inspire any kind of cohesion. That will be up to the moderators if anyone. I'm just pledging to handle technical matters or delegate the responsibilities to capable and willing parties.


Basically you can imagine the board rules as one big Megaten game. Talk to people at your own risk, as if they were devils possessing god only knows personalities. We're not gonna tell people how to be, and incidentally that'll probably be karma rule#1 for users as well.

Dude.  Wrong attitude.

You're approaching this whole thing thinking all the members will automatically all be dicks, or spammers, or trouble makers.  Dude, those come once a blue moon.  All the big dicks and douchebags right now are way too busy playing Halo 3 and watching Nascar to care.  The internet...in a weird way, has become a more open-minded place...

Don't start preparing for some "surge" of annoying and mean cunt hairs.  Welcome everyone with open arms.

I know what you mean, but I don't think it'll fly here. We're planning on making this website open source, because there is no one persona interested in developing it, and no reason why any one person even should.

Plus I've seen tons of bbs where a lax common sense attitude eventually fucks everything up. There is almost a reason why there are no Megaten forums atm, specifically because so many have gone up in flames in the past. So from a purely experimental view of things, there no reason to assume the same approach won't yield the same results.

In the spirit of Megaten we won't everyone to be free to be themselves here I think. A lot of times that can mean hateful feuds, especially when the admin jump into the frey taking sides. So we're just going to define some laws of nature, and let chaos take its course from there. We will be able to back up most of these laws with technology, the remainder will be a grey area, we'll just cross our fingers and hope users don't venture there too stalwartly for now.

I don't think a flame war now and then disrupts a bbs as much as admin going about banning people. If that happens moderators will be able to excise any cancer with the split function for review and clearly document it so it can be merged back in if decided to.

Point is, we don't want to define what is acceptable behavior. But some behavior is very obviously unacceptable and hopefully we won't see any of that (the internet can be a weird place and Megaten can even attract extremely weird people)

As for file sharing, if something is brought to our attention by the intellectual rights holders themselves we'll remove, but otherwise we have no bone in this other than no particular area of the site should become a den of file sharing.



At any rate, this beta time is a fine time to discuss this stuff, because my thoughts on these matters are not well defined or suitably aired. I think soon I'll put a beta  announcement on the page currently at the old bbs address. Feel free to invite anyone you know to come back and use the site, with the understanding this is beta and it is still possible we'll have to reject this install. You can announce this address in forums as well. I'll make a sticky post if people start trickling in.

Once again, this is in your own personal interest, and not the site's...

If a feud breaks out...then you simply let them handle it.  You can pick a side, defend both, or just enjoy the drama from afar.  I've been doing this long enough to get a few points across:
1-96% of all people involved in e-drama and internet fights enjoy it.  30% of that 96% simply SAY that hate it and don't want to get involved in an attempt to put up a mature front; it's usually these people who fuel it even more, adding onto the wacky fun.
2-If it doesn't hurt anybody in any way, physically or emotionally, there's no need to get involved.

Using the term "acceptable behavior" simply makes you sound like an over-glorified school-teacher.  That's something the community neither wants nor needs.  And lastly...I never said anything about "lax" common sense.  In fact, I strongly encourage that common sense RULES the boards.  It's the rules themselves they need to be lax.

This is a law of nature, bro:  The more rules there are, the more of them would get broken.  However, if anyone tries to break common sense...well...they're up for a spanking, to say the least. 

I'm not inexperienced, I just intend to do my best to see this place is run differently than 9/10 social geek out boards -- which have a habit of getting really ugly and imploding, but mostly just being really unfair to too many users. Geeks can be really cruel when they're the majority 

Oh, duude...you haven't the faintest idea.     Spill, one of the geekiest boards on the net.  Filled with assholes that are 10 different kinds of special.  One simple misquote, and saying you'll get crucified doesn't begin to cover.

However.  Spill is also the best community I've ever been on with it's leadership.  You see, "ugly boards"...are always the best boards.  I honestly don't know why...but they're very easy to manage.  No one ever breaks the rules over there, simply because they're way too afraid of the other members to do so. XD

It's ultimately up to you on how you wanna run the site.  Just be sure to give everyone some elbow room.  No one wants a dictatorship.  (In Spill's case...it's anarchy XD)

You shouldn't pick these things apart so much. They are representative of extreme situations. For the record I believe "taste" can be objectified, and the threshold we are speaking of here is so very low you should not be concerned. But obviously child pornography etcetera isn't gonna wash. Mostly it's just a matter of atmosphere, spend more time in 4chan if that's your thing.


Btw, don't freak out. When it comes to admin I go into straight laced by the books mode. These things are better discussed cleanly and plainly so there are no misunderstandings.


I do think there can be a line drawn when it comes to Megaten games clearly marketed to young children. If a site caters to all Megaten games, then that will become an eventual topic to broach.  I do agree it's unrealistic, but there's no harm in erring on the side of official caution. Nothing wrong with covering your ass if you aim to deliver a premiere site (I mean that is basically what every are you 18+ yes/no splash screen out there amounts to right??)


PS: When I said "not gonna help," I was speaking literally.  It doesn't necessarily hurt either. I apologize for any confusion.

If that's the case...then put an age restriction in the registration process.  We already know they'll be lying about their age, but at least you won't be held responsible for any crap if it comes up. 

Anyways, I'll give you some advice regarding adminship!  Take it to heart.  Imagine I'm Holo, a wise wolf spirit; a very, very sexy and wise wolf spirit:  Don't even create laces, and don't even go "by the book."  The administrator shouldn't take into account his own interests, but rather the interests of the community.  What every community wants is common sense from their leader.  As such, you only need two rules for your board:  Rules against child pornography, and illegal content sharing.  Everything else...just takes a "common sense" approach.

Simple, yah?

You can help, just give us some time to sort things out. I know Jose really bungled the site for a long time, but you don't have to worry now that I've access to things. If you don't like me, that can't be helped, but it shouldn't effect operation of the website. It's not like I should have to pretend to be someone I'm not just because I can make things happen. If nothing else I'm fair, and you will see my actions will back that statement up every step of the way.

It's not that I don't like you.  It's just that Heat doesn't like you. 

Me personally, it's just easy for me to see that you're new at this sort of thing, and well, I wouldn't mind helping out a guy who's just getting hang of it.  I know I come off as strong, but...well.  Look at it this way:  I'm known as a complete dick at two other websites as well as in my office, but I still get da respek cause I try my best to lend them a hand.

Look on the bright side:  I ain't a dick in here. 

There are independent post level based titles. I erased the names, so you just see stars.

Btw, you can't declare yourself "DDDB Official" anything *points to your user title*

If user customizable titles become a problem I'll lock them so they must be changed by request.

Wow, are you kidding me? It's a stupid user title, and this is an internet forum -- who cares?!

Seeing as how the new ownership here kind of sucks, I guess I won't be wasting my time here. I'm also sure a lot of people don't appreciate the mass e-mailing and the public displaying of their e-mail addresses, by the way.

It isn't crappy leadership.  It's just newbie leadership.

Personally, I'd love to take over.  But as you can see, there's a certain amount of "paranoia" going around here regarding me...

[your]

I'll just take this moment to hint at the nudity in imagery policy.

Basically this will be an 18+ forum, though we might add a G rated forum for the children oriented Megaten games where anything that might offend childrens guardians will be prohibited.

Any nudity in images will basically be regarded as art, so if you wanna post your illustration of that vagina monster dream you had last night feel free. But anything that amounts to gratuitous pornography (without artistic merit) will be stripped asap and get you negative karma, which might eventually mean you can't post images. I will have the final say on what is pornography, but generally the stance will be very liberal. Anything like goatse.cx will be regarded as mischievous deception of users, which is a prime offense.

If you think your thread might have offensive content in it, put 18+ in your subject header as a courtesy.

As for avatars, no genatalia unless it's part of a mythical figure or is discreet. And no priapus et al avatars please. We might let you slip by if we can block you from posting in any G forums.

Your cat girl isn't gonna help you climb the admin/development community ladder, but it won't get any comments either. If it wasn't designed to look like anime porn the nudity would not be regarded at all. Even fully clothed figures or other kinds of 'depraved' imagery can be decreed pornography. It's just a matter of taste really.

PS: any hentai featuring child-like characters is a no no, especially for avatars (ie. 6, 8, & 10)

If that's the case, then pick a different avatar for me.  :)

I mean, there's Gyro Zeppeli...  EVERYONE loves Zeppeli!  Now, I'll take your advice and whatnot, but before that, let me get my piece out of the way:
1-"Your cat girl isn't gonna help you climb the admin/development community ladder."  First off, I'm not here to "climb the power ladder."  I'm simply here to help.  If you don't want my help, your loss, not mine.
2-This is a Megaten board.  And in Megaten games, we have Incubus.  And Succubus.  And Mara.  It's unrealistic to think anyone under 17 will be coming in here.  In fact, everyone under 17 shouldn't even be ALLOWED in here due to ratings policies.  As such, that approach is unrealistic.
3-Holo's not a cat girl.  She's a wolf deity with thousands of years of wisdom and experience.
4-If it's a matter of taste, why should your taste prevent others from enjoying theirs?  And vice-versa?
5-I, however, like the idea of content-labeling topic titles.  That should be a rule that's to be enforced with an iron hoof.

That said.  I'm not here to argue.  I'm simply taking a well calculated, intelligent, and realistic approach with the matters you presented.

Um...wow.  The both of you...

You can keep it for now, cause otherwise I wouldn't have realized users were able to do this

BTW! Please let me know if anyone sees anything in your normal account that could be potentially exploitive...

Do we get prize? 

Q's discoveries:
-User titles.  Most websites don't really allow custom user titles due to pre-set ones, or them having you earn the ability.

Can I seriously keep this for now...I think it's relatively easy to remember me...plus...everyone knows me as Q...soo... 

Okay.  So I found some cool pics, and framed them to use as my board avvies. Cause I was too lazy to photoshop an avatar.

In fact, so lazy and unmotivated...I can't pick my next avatar!  I'll be changing my avvie every week from this pile...and you guys decide!  Choose wisely, since you'll be seeing it for a whole week.  I also went out of my way to pick extra cool ones...!

Click: http://i34.tinypic.com/f4437q.png
Some info on these:

Row 1
-Holo 1 (currently wearing)
-"Hiiiii!"
-Holo's 2
-Action Scene
-Mithra Girl
-Diver Chick

Row 2
-Ninja 1
-Splashy Princess
-Shower
-Kitten On An Ass
-Hug
-Yuffie

Row 3
-Ibuki 1
-Ibuki 2
-Ninja 2
-Baofu
-Lelouch
-Mao

Row 4
-Gyro Zeppeli
-Mello
-Ulquiorra
-Kyouji
-Raidou
-Hacker

Row 5
-Wonsul 1
-Wonsul 2
-Wonsul 3
-Munsu 1
-Munsu 2
-Munsu 3

I think most of Tony's smilies were probably part of the vbulletin package, as other vbulleting forums tend to use them it seems.

Any smilie set all in one colour just seems racist. If you've ever been to Japan or any completely homogenous society, you can get an idea of how suffocating it can be to only ever see one face of one colour, that is not yours.

I DID go to Japan.  This is just your own personal paranoia... =/