There is one rule to rule them all:

Don’t be a dick¹.

Beyond that, there are four rules:

1. Do not spew FOIP (Esp. No True Names)
2. Avoid the Drama
3. No Physical Violence
4. Do Not Poke Balurian revoked

Most of the XKCD rules also apply.

Sometimes the other ones do as well.

Note that there are not many hard and fast rules, beyond The One Rule, and most that there are have fluffy squiggles around them. I do not want to have to treat people like five year olds.

On people who enforce the rules.

Currently, all Ops can be kicked by Aquarion or Sal. If you believe I ( Aquarion ) am breaking Rule One, Sal has the ability to kick me. I’d prefer it if you had a quiet word with me first – I am aware that I lose my sense of humour under stress, but occasionally don’t notice.

On the rules being on a wiki

The rules are on a wiki. This has occasionally been really useful, as it means that a statement made here like Iasus‘s article on Drama can be subsumed into an official rule. However, for the purposes of avoiding people playing Silly Buggers, the “official” version of a rule is the most recent version submitted by one of the Ops (Article histories can be seen by clicking on the “X Versions” link at the bottom of any article).

On reporting someone being a dick

PM an op. If in doubt as to which op, PM Aquarion. If Aquarion isn’t around, his email address is aquarion at maelfroth dot org.

On the enforcement of the rules

(This is Aquarion) I am not paying attention to main channel all the time. Generally, that’s the answer to “But you’re picking on me! Why didn’t you berate $foo”. If one or two channel members complain about your behaviour to me in PM, I will probably PM you about it. If a larger number of people do, or only a couple of people do, I may call you out on the main channel. This has no set boundaries, depends entirely on what you’re accused of and how, and the current level of background dickery in the channel. Occasionally, the background level exceeds my ability to be diplomatic at everyone at once. I’m nearly very sorry whenever this happens, and it’s hardly ever one specific person’s fault, but the nature of diplomacy is that when it runs out, the next person gets a lack of diplomacy. I generally try to leave before that point happens.

In conclusion, ops are human.

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¹ Unless it’s funny²

² If nobody apart from you thinks it’s funny, you’re being a dick.

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