Academy Rules

Any and all rules listed here also apply to the Chat Box.

Our Academy uses a Warning System to distribute punishments to members. Your Warning Bar starts off at 5, and once it reaches 0 you are banned. After the set amount of Days, your ban will be lifted and your Warning Bar will be back at 5.
Once you are banned 3 times, you are put up for Permanent Ban, and the Admins will vote on the decision. If you are Permanently Banned, you will be incapable of having access to the site from that account. If you are caught making a new account, we will nuke your IP; which will prevent anyone from accessing our site from your computer.
Once a Staff member is bumped down to 3 points on their Warning bar, they are Demoted. If they are banned, they are permanently removed from the Staff Board, and will not have the opportunity to regain their position.
Our Moderators and Admins preserve the right to increase any listed Warnings by any stage.

Admins, please place any and all Warning Updates in the Admin Room.

A Stage 1 warning will make you lose 1 point in your Warning Bar. This will continue through the Stages 2-5, with the appropriate stage identifying how many points you will lose.

If a member is an offender of two separate rules, the Warning Stages will be averaged out, and then rounded up/down. For example, if a member is an offender of both a Second Offense Flaming and First Offense Spamming, they will be given a Stage 4 Warning. (3+2=5/2=3.5~4)

If a member would be banned for two separate rules, the Ban Days will be averaged out, and then rounded up/down. For example, if a member is an offender of Trolling (3 day), and of Illegal Content (5 day), they will be given a 4 day ban. (5+3=8/2=4). Should a member's ban time ever go over 5 days, they are instead permanently banned.

If a member would be banned because their Warning Bar was reduced to Zero, they will either be given a 3 Day Ban, or the minimum number of days possible for a ban from one of their offenses. For example, if a member was a first time offender of Flaming (3-4 days), but their warning bar was reduce to 0 by the first offense, they would be given 3 day ban.

Profane Language
Profanity is the use of curse words. Using them at an agreeable manner is acceptable, but going at it like a Sailor will not be tolerated. Also, you cannot direct such language towards other members.

Profane Language will be give a Stage 1-5 warning at the Admin/Moderator in question's discretion, then be removed.

Illegal Content
Examples of Illegal Content is Porn, Drug Sales, threatening ones life, etc. There is a zero tolerance policy about posting Illegal Content. If it is found, you will be in a heap of trouble.

Illegal Content will be immediately removed from the site, and the offender will be banned and immediately put up for permanent ban. Should the Admins vote that they will not be permanently banned, the ban will stand for 5 days.

Spamming/Trolling/Flaming
Spamming is the purposeful posting of content that falls under one of the following Categories:
A: Has absolutely nothing to do with the Topic,
B: Is complete, utter nonsense, or
C: Repetitive use of caps, or the repetitive posting of anything,

Trolling is the posting of something with the intent to get a violent reaction, or by trolling in a serious Site-Held Event involving dueling. Trolling during Duels, or on the site, will be completely not tolerated.

Flaming is the internet's form of hate. Evident posting of offensive content towards a member, towards content on the site, or towards the site itself, will be considered Flaming.

First time Offenders in Flaming/Spamming will be given a 2-4 Stage Warning, to the Admin's disclosure. Second time Offenders will be given a 3 day ban, and third time offenders awarded a 4 day ban. First Time offenders in Trolling will be given a 4 day ban, and second time offenders will be permabanned.

Malicious Content
Malicious Content can be considered the posting of anything harmful/offensive towards the site or members of the site. It can also be seen as disrespect towards members, or otherwise harassment.

Malicious content will be Deleted on the spot. First time offenders are to be given a verbal warning, and are then categorized. Second time offenders are give a stage 3 Warning, and Third time offenders are given a 4 day ban.

Arguments
Arguments disrupt the peace and put everyone in a sour mood. Religious Arguments and other disputes need to be kept away from the site. Friendly Debates are fine, but if an Admin/Moderator sees that it may be turning into an Argument, we hold the right to end it. Anyone continuing will be punished.

Arguments are dealt with differently than other rules. First, all involved will be given a Verbal Warning. Then, the Admin will document the members involved in the argument, as well as the base of the argument. Once the Argument is brought back up, all currently involved will be given a Stage 1 Warning. After that, the Stage will increase by 1 to all members who continue the argument.

Harassment
Harassment includes, but is not limited too, Sexist Jokes/Remarks, Slander towards one's religion (Or lack of), and offensive remarks about ones Ethnic Group/Race.

First time offenders will be given a Verbal Warning, and then will be documented. Second time offenders will be given a Stage 3 Warning, and Third Time offenders will rewarded a 3 day ban.

Backseat Staffing
If you are not a Staff member, do not pretend to be one. Allow us to do our jobs, and you sit back and relax. Any members attempting to impersonate a Staff job that they don't have will be punished. Do not attempt to threaten members with Punishments if you cannot give them out, and do not attempt to Test members if you are not a Tester.

First Time offenders will be given a Verbal Warning, and will be documented. Second Time offenders will be given a Stage 3 Warning, and Third Time offenders will be given a 2 day ban.

---

Posting Rules[list]
[*]Do not post or comment any message that contains only 1 Word.
[*]Do not excessively post the same message over and over again. State your point and be done with it.
[*]Do not Double/Triple Post. This is posting in a manner in which no one else's post separates your latest post from your previous one, or posting something to correct your previous post. Use the Edit Button.
[*]Please place any posts/topics where they would best fit.
[*]When asking for Help/Suggestions, get straight to the point. Admins are not required to offer help if the subject is vague.
*Posting rules DO NOT apply to the Chat Box, unless the final rule is the one in question.
Admins/Moderators will, in the Case of 1 Word/Double/Triple Posting, Delete the post.
In the case of Vague requests, we will simply ignore it, or ask you to be more specific.
In the case of Placing Posts, we will move any posts to the appropriate Forum. Just because we will do this does not mean that you can post your posts anywhere.


Special Notes
Any rules specified around Malicious content towards another member is completely up to the Member in question. If Member A was joking around and Member B felt offended, the Punishments will apply.
Admins/Moderators hold the right to increase the Stages of Warning as they deem fit.
If a rule is not placed here, but is clear that doing what that rule would entail is wrong, do not attempt to enact an action that would violate it. Admins/Moderators hold the right to apply the Warning System to any action on the site.
If you feel that an Admin/Moderator has wronged you in some way, please report it to a member of higher Stature.
Any rules specified here can also be applied if the Rule was broken by a member towards another member on Dueling Network, although we are not responsible for any Rules broken that isn't considered ill will towards another member on DN. Please, be courteous on Dueling Network; you represent our Academy.