Chat Box Rules updated - minor changes

[EpicNPC]

Some of the rules had to be updated as this new chat box does not behave in the same manner as the old one.

• The advertising posts can only be posted once (used to be twice) in the view of the chat window. Meaning once a post is below the fold and you have to scroll to see it, it doesn't count anymore.
• Each ad (post) can take up a maximum of 6 lines when the browser width is at the minimum. This is because the width of the chat depends on the member's screen size, so the number of lines people see can be different.
  • On the forum homepage, shrink your browser's width until the chat box no longer shrinks. At this width your ad can be 6 lines.

1) The first rule was changed from 2 to 1 because the max characters allowed before was 255, so members could not post multi-line ads without creating a second ad. Since they can now, it's been decreased to 1 so no one member can take up too much space above the fold.

2) 6 lines is now the maximum any one ad/post can take up. Since it depends on resolution size, I've setup a rule that bases the line count off of the smallest chat box size possible.

 

[xCommieKidx]

Banned - failed to resolve dispute - http://www.epicnpc.com/threads/658371-Scammed-by-xCommieKidx

Bravo

 

[OGEdge.com]

How about an example since mods like to kick or ban people from chat when it follows these guide lines.

 

[Geek]

This requires clarification for most people. In OG's case, he has 3 ads that each take up 1 line ish, and he posts them all together, does that apply to him or should he only be able to post 1 ad PER box, or just 1 ad per post per box with a total limit of 6 lines?

 

[Austin Powers]

the way i read the rule which is how its posted 1 ad which can take up 6 lines when the chatbox is as small as it gets ( minimise the webpage until the chatbox stops getting smaller ) which he clearly didnt do he posted 3 ads which earlier i told him that only 1 ad is allowed in view of the chatbox. This rule was created due to the fact that if we kept allowed users to have the 3 threads up taking the 6 lines etc it will just result in endless spam of the chatbox so we lowered the allowed ads to 1.

 

[Geek]

I personally like the idea of 1 TOTAL ad per chatbox, cut WAY down on the spam.

 

[OGEdge.com]

My single large ad takes up less than 6 lines when posted after making the chat box as small as it goes using chrome at 100% res. If I was ever warned for that then it makes no sense.

As for the multi-line one I was just banned for, it was 3 lines with automatically shortened urls making it about 1/3 to 1/2 a line per ad/post for a total of 3 lines, one for each post which according to the rule as written above would be allowed.

I assume if I go back to my large single ad which is under 6 lines, I will be warned/banned for that one too then?

 

[Austin Powers]

no as you will not be breaking the rules.

 

[Geek]

Again, this needs super specific clarification and examples to be properly enforced.

 

[OGEdge.com]

Apparently monitor size and screen res have an impact as I just demonstrated with another mod in a text lobby. He sees 7 lines, I see less than a full 6 @ 27" LED 1920x1080 using chrome or firefox at standard 100% size and then shrinking the window.

http://i.imgur.com/oJICGzV.png

 

[Geek]

I believe the rule is for the default smallest the chatbox can go? (Resize your browser till the chatbox stops getting any smaller, then measure/judge size of ad)

 

[Austin Powers]

I believe the rule is for the default smallest the chatbox can go? (Resize your browser till the chatbox stops getting any smaller, then measure/judge size of ad)

Not really the case geek as we were talking in the different chat room and with it minimized the smallest for me it showed 7 lines but with him it only showed 6

 

[Geek]

Not really the case geek as we were talking in the different chat room and with it minimized the smallest for me it showed 7 lines but with him it only showed 6

Ahh ok

 

[EpicNPC]

The reason it shows 6 lines for OGEdge.com and 7 for Doovalacky (really everyone else) is not because of monitor size. On OGE's screen it says "Me" and for everyone else it shows OGEdge.com, so the username pushed it to 7 lines. That will be changes soon so "me" will display the username for everyone.

As for the other rules.

1 ad - 1 post GOOD

username: this is my ad. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah BlahBlah v Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

1 ad - 3 posts - NOT GOOD

username: this is my ad. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
username: Blah Blah BlahBlah v Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah
username: Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Common sense says that it doesn't really matter if you make it all in 1 post or break it out into 2 or 3. However, I think this will just cause more problems. What happens if someone posts inbetween your posts before you finish your ad? Does that count as 2 ads now or still just 1? If it's 1, then why can't the user wait for 5 or 6 other people to post to finish his ad, breaking it up even more? It's creates more loop-holes which will eventually get abused leading to more rules, so I'm going to keep it simple.

1 ad for 1 post, no breaking it up with multiple posts.

 

[OGEdge.com]

This is why you get paid the big bucks

 

[Sanit1351]

This is exactly why I told you that your mods are useless 99% of the time. No one can agree on one thing.

Thanks for finally clarifying this though.

 

[EpicNPC]

This is exactly why I told you that your mods are useless 99% of the time. No one can agree on one thing.

Thanks for finally clarifying this though.

That's a completely unfair statement to make. Mods do not make rules and do not have the power to adjust or change them, they can only enforce the one's we have. If a rule is unclear or people have questions about it, that does in no way makes mods useless. Disagreements are bound to happen and once they are clarified and the rules updated, they can then better moderate the forums.

It's also very difficult to determine before-hand what type of issues members are going to have with a rule. I try to make them as clear as possible, but many times members come up with unexpected questions or loop-holes to rules, so the rules need to be clarified.

 

[Sanit1351]

Going to quote an old post of mine to show what I actually mean.

We're "qq'ing" because nothing any of you staff members say coincides with each other. Prior to today myself and various others have had no complaints when posting 1, 2 or even 3 unique ads, regardless of their length. Now all of a sudden we're being warned because we aren't following the rules.

That's all fine and dandy, just make it known when there are changes in the rules. Yes, Roflchops linked me a thread with the updated chat box rules, but that was posted February 13th. Up until March 4th we were allowed to do one thing and now you're going to enforce some rule that previously almost NO ONE knew about?

Then I ask a Super Mod to clarify a few things about unique ads and website advertisements. I got an entirely different answer than I would have gotten from any sort of normal Moderator.

tl;dr (i'm rambling and high, so bear with me.): none of you seem to agree with each other and then hand out warnings/infractions/timeouts/whatever when someone follows the word of another mod.



oh and inb4rules can change at a mods discretion.
that's crap.

 

[EpicNPC]

Some mods are more lax with rules than others and will allow some bending in the rules, while others will not. Just because you were posting 2-3 ads in a row and weren't being warned to stop, doesn't mean you can continue to do it.

The rules were also updated in the middle of February changing ads from two to just one. The reason being the old chat system had a max character limit of 255 while this one has no limit. Since members can now fit their entire ad into one post, there's no reason to allow multiple ads in a row.

Obviously when a rule gets changed not everyone is aware, which is why you probably continued to see members posting 2 and sometimes 3 ads in a row. If a mod didn't see it or was busy or just decided to let it go, consider yourself lucky in the same way when you're going 65 in a 55 MPH zone and don't get a speeding ticket. It doesn't change the law that the speed limit is 55, it just means you got lucky and didn't get a ticket.

As always if you believe you were given an infraction unfairly and weren't breaking the rules, just take a screenshot of the chat and contact me. However if you were breaking the rules and are just saying, "well before when I broke them no one said anything to me about it", that doesn't mean you can continue breaking them.

 

[Sanit1351]

Some mods are more lax with rules than others and will allow some bending in the rules, while others will not. Just because you were posting 2-3 ads in a row and weren't being warned to stop, doesn't mean you can continue to do it.

The rules were also updated in the middle of February changing ads from two to just one. The reason being the old chat system had a max character limit of 255 while this one has no limit. Since members can now fit their entire ad into one post, there's no reason to allow multiple ads in a row.

Obviously when a rule gets changed not everyone is aware, which is why you probably continued to see members posting 2 and sometimes 3 ads in a row. If a mod didn't see it or was busy or just decided to let it go, consider yourself lucky in the same way when you're going 65 in a 55 MPH zone and don't get a speeding ticket. It doesn't change the law that the speed limit is 55, it just means you got lucky and didn't get a ticket.

As always if you believe you were given an infraction unfairly and weren't breaking the rules, just take a screenshot of the chat and contact me. However if you were breaking the rules and are just saying, "well before when I broke them no one said anything to me about it", that doesn't mean you can continue breaking them.

Either you're completely oblivious to what I'm actually saying, or I'm saying it wrong. Oh well, at this point I could care less.