The "What Constitutes Being A Dick" thread

Vorpy

MISSION STATEMENT: I am not a mod. I have no authority on the forum. I am not an authority on authority, if that makes any sense. This thread is about the "unwritten rules." The purpose is to help tropers think about the more subtle elements of what makes for a civil forum, because these aren't rules that can be simply put in stone. People will often say "Well, I didn't know!" and it's not necessarily the mods job to make sure every potential banworthy offense is covered somewhere. But that doesn't mean it can't help to bring attention to some of the more subtle elements of appropriate behavior. Let's start: Rule Zero: Do not intentionally make more work for the mods. If you accidentally do something that causes the mods grief, that's one thing, but any indication of a "Clear and present intention to annoy the mods" is a pretty good sign that you're doing it wrong. Zero point one: Don't troll this thread, or any rules thread, expressing distaste for the mods or the rules. It makes you out to be an asshole, and if the mods think you're an asshole, you're more likely to be banned, regardless of cred. 1.) Subverting the rules: This doesn't mean breaking the rules. This means deliberately being clever to do something that is not technically against the rules, but is against the spirit of the rules. If you're posting something IJB Mish and then rewording it so it's not an IJBM thread, that's subverting the rules. 1a.) No matter what the rule is (formal or informal), being meta does not necessarily make it okay. I've learned this first-hand. It's too easy to fall into the trap of "I'm not trolling-I'm just parodying trolling." 2.) Subverting the rules: Really, I can't say that enough. So much of "being a dick" is really just "Breaking the rules despite following them." 2b.) Specifically, if you're saying something that's "TOTALLY NOT ABOUT TROPER X" but whenever anyone reads it, they automatically think of Troper X, then you're saying it about Troper X. If saying things about Troper X is against the rules, then you're subverting the rules. It's not really complaints that are a problem, so much as direct attacks on a suspiciously specific "type of person" which just so happens to be an exact description of another troper, e.g. Major Tom. That's considered a personal attack, and it is expressly forbidden in the rules. -Bobby G 2c.) By the same token, don't make a thread about yourself if it's critical in nature-that's a surefire way to start a flamewar. 3.) Deliberately subverting the intent: If you go into a thread with the intention of derailing it, you might be a dick. Let these things be organic; if a thread gets derailed because that's the natural flow of the thread, it's not a problem, but going into a properly railed thread with the intention of derailing it is essentially trolling. 4.) Don't pointlessly sow discontent: That's not saying you can't question the administration. It merely means that if you're going to do so, give it substance. Saying Fast Eddie is a tyrant is generally a bad idea. Explaining how forum culture tends to work in response to otherwise draconian policy is probably okay Unless Fast Eddie is a tyrant, in which case, no amount of helpful guidelines will be useful anyway, but we're sort of operating on the principle that everyone's at least reasonably ... reasonable. 5.) Know your audience: If you and Troper X are good friends by this point, you can probably get away with pushing the envelope in terms of "personal attacks" more than with Troper Y (That is to say, gentle friendly ribbing). Ultimately, what determines whether or not something is brought to the mods attention is usually whether someone hollers about it. Pay attention to what you say, and to whether or not by virtue of saying it, someone will holler-if not, you're probably safe. 5a.) Be nice to people you disagree with: This is just a safety precaution; if you disagree with someone and are arguing with them, there's a higher likelihood that witty comebacks will be interpreted as grievously offensive. I really hate to even suggest "Don't make fun of people you think are being stupid" because satire of bad ideas has a place-but to the extent that this thread is about "avoiding being a dick, " it really is an issue that can't be missed. If you're going to satirize people in arguments, do so carefully-it's easy for them to blow up in your face. 6.) Don't bring up Soulbonding. 6a.) Don't ask what it is. I mean, sure, people can explain, but it often turns into a big mess. ... Yeah, that's about all I've got, anyone else have anything more insightful? NOTE: This isn't really about "What do you think the unwritten laws SHOULD mean" but rather, in practice, what kind of general dickishness that isn't explicitly prohibited in the rules has a history of getting people banned or otherwise reprimanded. There's certainly plenty of things that can be done that are generally considered "bad" but unless they're likely to get the banhammer dropped, it doesn't belong on this list.

snowbull

I'm still not totally sure what I did!