HOW TO MODERATE THE CHAT


To be more tackful

Please refer to
Silence = as call it temporary silence
Rules = as game guidelines

Use as much of the auto-replies provided here as possible
Suggested auto-replies is in blue color

How to silence

Ask some of the players to click on `report abuse` (`More Chat` > `Report Abuse`) and click on the message to complain.

Login to the admin site, select Chat and you will see the reported message. Click on Send warning or silence. You can only silence the person after any moderators/admins issued 1-2 warnings.


Important reminders

Some players may take a couple of minutes to receive the warning (maybe due to lag on their end or something). So please be reminded that not everyone has a faster internet connection and may read your warnings immediately.

Only issue warnings or silence when there is reasonable prove of such, because the person who gets the warning/silenced may send some inquiries. If the player is warned or silenced with out proper prove then it is very hard for the admins to answer the player.

Players can file complain against Guides/Moderators/Admins. If this occurs you will have to get someone else to look into this complain, GMA can not at anytime look at complains filed against them. Since players can file complain against GMA be extra careful of the things you say in the Chat, PM or Forum.


When to silence ?

The main purpose of silence (please refer to everyone as temporary silence), is to ensure peace on the chat. There is definitely kids playing, and we wouldn't want their parents to see any offensive stuff on the chat. Like `101 ways to rape someone`, now what would the parents of the kid think.

Of course silencing should only be used as a last resort if the players do not listen warnings. Although it is not in our policy to warn players and to inform them what is offensive and what is not, it would be good that all moderators and admins do so as an extra line of precaution.

If any players were to ask why silencing and all that, an auto reply can be found below:-

Silencing is required to preserve the peace in the chat. The chat is a moderated chat, so you do not have the freedom to freely flame or flood the channel. We generally temporary silence any players who start or are involved in any topics that may cause arguments, flaming or may offend other players. I have personally seen many other games which newbies gets scolded for being a newbie and generally everyone flames one another. The purpose of playing games is to have fun and not have heated arguments and all that. This is where the moderators and admins comes in, to try to keep the peace.

List of the game and chat guidelines can be found at http://spacefed.com/gc/i.cfm?popup=help&type=rule


This is allowed

Asking someone to click on his/her enslave link, or buying stuff from market if the person is broke or something. Posting multiple times (flooding) is not allowed

Posting up links within GC, like in the forums, intel page link or others

General discussion (any topic, so long as it is not something which may cause an argument / flame)


Not allowed

Shouting
Shouting or typing in caps is annoying to other players but does not do much harm. Would suggest informing the player to turn off the caps lock. Of course silence only as the last resort
Please try to post in small caps or turn off your `Caps Lock`. It is hard to read if you type all in caps and some players may find it annoying and hard to read.

Stretching the chat
If player post long strings (ex: whooooooooooooooooooooooo) then give warning. If player continues to do this 3 times or more, silence
Please do not stretch the chat or mess up the chat. Players who messes up the chat on purpose will be temporary silenced

Posting multiple times
Only take action if done 3-4 times or more, 2 times can be a mistake
Please do not flood the chat. Flooding is when you post the same or similar messages multiple times. Players who floods the chat will be temporary silenced

Posting http links
Only spacefed or GC related links is allowed, posting link multiple times constitutes flooding
Posting advertisements on the chat is not allowed. Flooding is when you post the same or similar messages multiple times. Players who floods the chat will be temporary silenced

Discussing in non-English language
If the player post up 1-2 times only, then take no action. If the player continues to post more than that, please give warning. if the person complains, tell the guy no one understands that, so its considered rubbish (falls under posting rubbish)
Please try to talk in English, as most other players will not understand what you are saying and to everyone else its rubbish or non-understandable text. If you wish to talk in other languages please use the `Private Message`. Players who post rubbish continuously will be temporary silenced

Posting rubbish
Mainly unreadable stuff like machine code, junk codes, html codes, etc
Posting rubbish on the chat is not allowed. Players who post rubbish continuously will be temporary silenced

Sensitive issues
Discussing politics, religion, racial stuff or any other sensitive issues which may spark a flame war. Immediate warning, if continues silence all involved. Note that saying I am a Christian isn't that bad, but saying Christians is better than Muslims is sensitive. So try to figure out what may cause a fight and what may not.
We do not allow discussion of sensitive issues that may spark riots, arguments or flame war. Please be warned for the peace of the chat, all those who continues will be temporary silenced to end the topic

Offensive issues
Discussing offensive issues such as sex, drugs, torture, how to make your own home bombs, etc are not allowed. Think of what is offensive and what you should not talk in front of your parents (normally) or what parents will find really offensive. Note that discussion of drugs is allowed, but encouraging others to use is, is offensive. Someone saying they had sex is allowed but too detailed description of it is offensive.
We do not allow discussion of offensive issues that is against the law, may spark riots, accidents, or parents of kids to complain. Please be warned for the peace of the chat, all those who continues will be temporary silenced to end the topic


Flame / Scolding
If a person scolds/flame another player (any other player) give warning. If flame war starts between 2 or more players, silence all parties involved.
Please do not scold or flame others. Thanks for refraining yourself in the future. Players who continues to flame will be temporary silenced

Vulgar / Swearing
By passing the filter on purpose ex: player types in f.u.c.k, if the chat filters the word, take no action, unless if the guy is scolding someone else
Please no vulgarity and swearing on the public chat. There are kids here, so please refrain yourself. Players who continues to be vulgar will be temporary silenced

Overmind (UW) stacks
Players can post UW stacks up in the forum , but posting it continuously in the chat will annoy others. So suggest to the person to post it in the forum, that person can then post up links to that thread in the forum. Of course posting multiple times constitutes to flooding the chat.
Please post stacks in the forum not in the forum as it would be hard for players to see. Posting multiple times is considered flooding. Players who continues to floods will be temporary silenced


After silencing the admin may post this in the chat

For the peaceful reasons some players have been silenced

Some players have been silenced to preserve the peace in the chat