Board Thread:Consensus Track/@comment-25075055-20140228200248

So as most of you know, the current chat rules that we have were copy/pasted directly from the MLP wikia and many of you have voiced opposition to those current rules because they are considered to be too strict and make the chat hard to use.

To that end, I have made a new set of rules for discussion. I have talked to several staff members about this to get their opinions and the final result is below.

THESE RULES ARE NOT ACTIVE UNTIL CONSENSUS IS REACHED

Please discuss and vote below

The chat is an area where users are allowed to take a break from editing the wiki and relax with the other editors. To ensure that the environment is suitable for all users, these rules are in place.

Guidelines

 * Please don't spam. This includes copy/pasting walls of text from articles, excessive linking to websites, abuse of the  tag to create blank messages and overuse of emoticons.
 * Don't swear with malicious intent.
 * No excessive gore or over-the-top sexual content. Sexual references are made in the TES games a lot, so we don't have any issues with people making some sexual references. However, please be aware that there is a limit to how much sexual content can be posted and we would advise that people do not take it to the extreme by linking to shock sites, pornographic content, excessive gore etc.
 * Don't harass / intimidate users. Please be welcoming and courteous to users. Harassing them or being intimidating is not OK. This includes private messages asking for things like phone numbers, locations etc.
 * Don't troll or insult users. This includes passive trolling and things that are designed to instigate a reaction, such as racist remarks. Repeated trolling will result in bans.
 * Don't roleplay in the chat. We have a roleplaying forum for this stuff, please keep it there.
 * Don't backseat moderate. Moderators are there to keep the chat in line: please don't do their job for them as it does not help solve anything.
 * Please don't cause drama. This includes bringing up real life issues with other chat users or arguing with other users who have an opinion that you do not like. If you have a problem with a user, take it to PM: please don't discuss in the main chat.

Sockpuppets
If you are banned from the chat, do not create alternate accounts to evade it. Alts will be banned indefinitely and your main account will have its ban length extended. Repeated sockpuppetry will result in a block from the entire wiki or potentially a global block from Wikia.

Moderators
Chat moderators are users who have the ability to kick and ban any user from the chat and to make sure that the chat is a friendly and welcoming place. Please note the following:
 * Any chat moderator decisions are to be respected and heeded. While their decisions are final, each moderator has different limits and will make an executive decision based on whether they feel the discussion is getting out of hand. If you ignore a chat moderator, you will likely be kicked or banned.
 * Do not discuss other user's bans. Bans are strictly between the moderator and the user who was banned.
 * If a topic in chat is making you feel uncomfortable, contact a chat moderator. If you feel the moderator did not adequately deal with the situation, contact a sysop or bureaucrat via their respective talkpage or through the private messaging system.
 * Do not ask to become a chat moderator. By doing so, you void any attempt to become one. Chat moderators are nominated by existing moderators based on your conduct.