Sonic Wiki Zone:Policy/Discussion Board

This page is the full guidelines and policy for the Sonic Wiki Zone Discussion Board (SWZ D.B.). All users are expected to follow these guidelines (admins and mods included). If you are unsure or confused about anything presented here, don't be afraid to consult our administrators or moderators. If you need help, just ask!

Code of Conduct

The SWZ Discussion Board expects all users to speak, act and interact in a civil and safe manner to each and everyone in regards to all types of topics.

• All users are expected to be tolerant of others on the SWZ D.B. which includes people from different age groups, countries, genders, sexualities, religions, and social/political alignments. Be courteous and considerate.

• Direct personal attacks, racial slurs, discrimination, threats, racism, and profanity are not tolerated in the SWZ D.B. As a rule of thumb, if you do not have anything nice to say, then do not say anything at all.

• Deliberate efforts at trolling or derailing threads are prohibited.

• Be cautious when discussing controversial topics, and do so in a polite and respectful manner. Do not berate others for their opinions. If you know you might state something that could cause controversy, then keep it to yourself. This includes but is not limited to stating personal affiliations and beliefs. When things begin or do go out-of-control, it is expected that an administrator or moderator will request for all users to drop the subject.

• Avoid discussing sexual or profane topics. Inappropriate topics include, but are not limited to: sex, drugs, excessive violence, illegal conducts, and vulgar language. Please do not share links that contain any of the above topics or similar. If you need to, please warn users before sharing the link. However, the following topics will not be tolerated even with a warning:

• Pornography or any graphic nudity
• Extreme violence and gore
• Criminal activity
• Links containing and/or promoting discrimination, racism or threats towards anyone.

• Mild profanity (damn, crap, piss, hell) will be tolerated as long as it is not used in context to direct at anyone personally. Using mild profanity with users who would prefer specific, or all examples to not be used when speaking to them directly will be seen as a violation of this policy and be dealt with accordingly. If you feel the need to use vulgar language, please censor the word using symbols. Here are examples of strong profanity -- use of these words for any reason, unless used in specific contexts, will first be met with a warning, then a potential ban if usage of these words persists despite any warnings given.

• Abusive profanity, (directed at another person for the purposes of insult)
• Sexual profanity,
• Slurs based on specific identities, (racial, sexual, cultural, profanity referencing specific religions or religious figures etc.)

• If you're having emotional or social problems outside of the internet, do not use the SWZ D.B. to vent. The SWZ D.B. is not a psychologist. If anything, more trouble will be found discussing such issues here than it will fix.

• Do not share any private information here. This includes screenshots of personal messages, full personal names, addresses, phone numbers, and passwords, among other things.

• 'Back-Seat-Moderating' is prohibited in the SWZ D.B. Administrators and moderators are appointed for a reason. They are able to identify when the rules are being broken and know how to respond. Enforcing the rules yourself can result in confusion and miscommunication for the moderators and administrators. If you feel a user is breaking rules or is going unnoticed, at the top of the page exists a drop-down menu which when clicked, will display an option to report the post or thread. Notify an administrator or moderator if deemed necessary.

Thread Conduct

• Although it is understood that not all users come from English-speaking backgrounds, the SWZ D.B. is currently by default, an English Discussion Board. Any thread or posts which are solely of non-English text or language will be locked or removed, and the violating user warned.

• If an administrator or moderator warns you to stop doing something, then adhere to what they say immediately.
  • Do not disrespect or backtalk to an administrator or moderator as this may lead to further conflict and could potentially result in punishment.
  • If you feel that an administrator or moderator is unfairly warning you, then contact a different administrator about the situation.

• THREADS TITLES COMPLETELY IN ALL-CAPS will be interpreted as attention seeking and is prohibited on the SWZ D.B. Users violating this rule will have their thread or reply locked or removed, and the user warned. Continual violations of this rule may result in a ban.

• Ensure that any new threads created are to be placed into the required category. 'Sonic News and Updates' is for threads relating to only newly released or upcoming content of the Sonic Franchise and so forth. 'Editing Projects' is for discussing a critical change or addition related to articles in the wiki. 'Wiki issues/changes' is for discussing or proposing changes to the wiki, and reporting issues that a user is encountering while using the wiki. 'Animation and Film' is for topics relating to various animated series' and films within the franchise, and 'Comics discussions' is for topics related to the comics side of the franchise. 'General' is for topics related to the main series.

• Users are encouraged to post and create threads in moderation without excessive posting and thread-making. Users are limited to create three threads within a single day, with spamming or creation of duplicate threads prohibited.

• Users are allowed to freely post on threads as long as they do so in moderation. Excessive posting (multi-posting) is considered as spamming, double-posting (two consecutive posts per reply) is occasionally allowed. The time frame for what counts as a "day" is the period between 0600 UTC on the date shown to 0600 UTC the following date.

• Threads made purely to solicit likes, signatures etc. are prohibited, whether it is on the D.B. or via external links.

• User rights requests are for users who want the community's approval to be given special tools that enable them to moderate the wiki. Any requests or nominations that are being posted in these threads must be placed in the 'User Rights' category, or they will be deleted.

• Replying to old threads (necro-posting) is prohibited. Any discussion thread that hasn't been updated within a period of 28 days is considered archived, and replies made after the given time period may be deleted. Also, the thread itself will be locked to prevent more necro-posting.
  • Reporting archived threads are also generally discouraged, with the exception of any images that are copyrighted with no claim of ownership by the holder. In this case, a D.B. moderator or administrator can remove the image for you.

• Making brand new threads on subjects or topics that had threads in the past is allowed as long as the similar threads are posted a week apart since previous threads. However if a past thread of a particular subject or topic has yet not expired (necro’d, 28 days after the last post) then users are encouraged to continue posting on that thread rather than the need to start a new one. If a discussion moderator or an admin regards a subject of a thread too often or similar to a previous thread made by the same user, they will be encouraged to make use of the previous thread.

• Fan-art must be credited in every instance, unless…
  • …it is clearly used for a meme (such as Sanic or a rageface edit).
  • …there is a visible and readable watermark/signature on the fan-art by the original artist.
  • …the fan-art is self-made.
• Crediting fan-art is defined as stating the artist who made it or providing a link to the artist’s page/post (such as to DeviantArt or Newgrounds). If the fan-art is used in a poll, it must be credited in the option description or in a reply to the post. Mods have full discretion to lock or delete posts and replies that do not credit fan-art. Blocks will only be done in extreme instances.

User Account Conduct

• Sock-puppetry - The creating one or more alternate accounts that a user may use to create confusion, deception, or disruption. Such alternate accounts are known as 'sock-puppets', and are forbidden on this wiki. Scenarios include:
  • Block evasion - If a user created a new account in order to evade a block, or a ban, the sock-puppet account would be banned indefinitely and, depending on the situation, the perpetrator's main account may have the already existing block extended. Note that this also applies to deliberately using different IP addresses to evade a block.
  • False consensus - The creation of an alternative account to skew or disrupt discussions involving voting, or to impersonate another user or administration personnel is also prohibited and can result in the permanent ban of the sock-puppet account, and the main account receiving a block.

• Circumventing policies - All violations of the policy apply to the editor, not just the account. The normal punishments for any offenses committed with a sock-puppet account will be applied to the main account in addition to the indefinite ban of the sock-puppet account.

Regardless of the circumstances, the general rule is one editor, one account. Although a user may want to move to a new account, the old account will be blocked and thus rendered unusable. In these cases, the user should make it clear to site administration personnel.

Don't game the system

To 'game the system' is to use policies in bad faith in an attempt to disrupt the flow of discussion and editing.

The process of 'gaming the system' is accomplished by attempting to find within policies a justification or reason to perform abusive actions. Finding a supposed justification or reason is often done by warping policies out of context, "reading in between the lines", stating that the policy doesn't say or cover something just because it doesn't explicitly spell it out, or taking things far too literally. Also attempting to fraudulently cite a policy on another user is gaming the system, a policy should only be cited if a user is in clear violation of it.

Examples

• "You cannot revert/block me! My [vandalism] to the Shadow the Hedgehog article of him being edgy a.f is in good faith because he truly is edgy a.f!"
  • The user here would still be blocked for vandalism, regardless of the article being vandalized.

• "I told [this other user] to p*** off, because no one likes them. I ignored SWZ wiki and D.B. policy/guidelines because the Wiki would be better off without him."
  • The user here would still be warned/blocked for abuse against another user.

• Taking policies out of context on purpose.
  • "Per the 'All-Editors-Are-Equal' rule, I should be made an administrator, as otherwise, I am not equal."

This and similar arguments are not valid arguments, as they are taking a policy out of context.

• "Redlining the policy" - Purposely staying just out of a policy's reach in order to disrupt without punishment.
  • This would eventually be caught on to and a punishment will be issued.

• Attempting to get away with something because it isn't written down in policy.

Not every iteration of disruptive/non-constructive behavior needs to be written down in policy. If you know something you do will have adverse effects and/or is not constructive at all, then don't do it.

'Scope' and 'Weight'

The SWZ D.B. is a place dedicated to discussing things specifically about the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' franchise. Although many things such as topics and ideas regarding this franchise are up for discussion, the SWZ D.B is set with a 'scope' of what is expected to be discussed, and the way to judge these threads if they contain sufficient 'weight' to exist on the board.

Scope

• At its most general coverage, the scope of the SWZ D.B. is to include threads which are used to discuss:
  • Official Sonic or Sonic related news, opinions and official articles in regards to new, present or old releases (games, comic books, toys, TV Shows, characters, real-life people, real-life events etc.),
  • Changes in franchise operation (eg. end of Archie Comics, establishment of IDW etc.)
  • Review, opinion or commentary on official franchise content, publisher/franchise conduct or official announcements of upcoming installments.
  • Related questions or community suggestions (eg. 'should I get Sonic Mania for Playstation/XBOX/PC/Switch and if so, what would the benefit be if I chose 'x' over 'y') or similar topics.
  • Surveying or polling the user or community on opinions based on content mentioned in the above four points.
  • User Administration/Moderation rights requests/nominations.

Weight

Although a thread may contain content considered within the 'Scope' of the SWZ D.B., all users need to be informed of what they should or should not do when creating a thread to ensure it is not a thread of 'undue-weight' and of no value to the SWZ D.B.

A thread at its most minimum requirements of that with 'due-weight' must at least have a MINIMUM OF ONE of the following:

• A thread of information of clear and understandable context
• An opinion piece
• A commentary/statement piece
• A review piece
• A question
• A news article/announcement

If a thread does not contain ANY of at least ONE of the aforementioned qualities, it will be deleted. If a user does this repeatedly, the user will be warned and eventually blocked if they do not follow this rule.

What the SWZ D.B. is not...

...a general gaming discussion forum

Although the SWZ D.B. may have news and announcements on recent developments in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, it is by no means a place where we discuss all forms of topics in gaming. SWZ is NOT Reddit or any other game-native forum. These sites are for the purpose of providing forum discussions of all things gaming or otherwise, or a forum for a specific media franchise of which Sonic the Hedgehog is not necessarily a part of. The SWZ D.B. is here to discuss everything Sonic the Hedgehog, and thus, only Sonic the Hedgehog-related topics will be allowed.

...an advertising/promotional site

The SWZ D.B. is not a tool for advertising or a promotional site. It is a forum to discuss all-things Sonic the Hedgehog. Illicit advertising or promotion is prohibited. Promotion or advertisement of past, present or future Sonic the Hedgehog franchise installments are allowed, so long as the topic to be discussed is the content within it, however.

...YouTube

The SWZ D.B. is not a video hosting site like YouTube or Twitch. Videos from YouTube, Twitch or any other video hosting site must be kept away from thread unless it is within the reasonable context and boundary of justification of the D.B. 'Scope' and 'Weight' (eg. SEGA recently released an official advertisement trailer for an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog franchise media, the video can be posted here to allow users to provide their opinions or commentary on the matter). Any other Youtube/Twitch videos which fail to fall into the defined 'Scope' and 'Weight' of the D.B. however, can instead be placed and kept in the uploader's own personal user-page or blog posts instead. If it is of benefit of SWZ, it may be allowed to even be placed within the SWZ's main articles.

...Imgur

The SWZ D.B. is not an image hosting website and as such, threads should not be made for the sake of posting random images, or Sonic-related images lacking any valuable context whatsoever (see 'Scope and Weight').

...Facebook

Self explanatory, the SWZ is not a place dedicated for you to document your entire life for everyone to see.

...Twitter

The SWZ D.B. is not a place to follow trends on Twitter or other social media sites, or to do social media challenges.

...deviantArt

Users are allowed to share their own Sonic-related fan-art on the D.B. if they do not promote themselves and do so in moderation. Remember: the SWZ's D.B. is not an art hosting website. Fan-art, or any other art, in particular, should be primarily kept on the poster's own personal user-page or blog post.

Images that were created by an A.I. program can be posted as long as it is explicitly stated it was created by an A.I. program.

Images and art from official sources can be allowed to be posted for view so long as it falls within the 'Scope' and 'Weight' of the D.B to serve a viable discussion (eg. "SEGA has just introduced a new character in IDW Publishing's Sonic the Hedgehog comic book title who looks like this [image of character here], what are your opinions of this addition/design of this character?")

...FanFiction.net

Fan-fiction is not allowed on the D.B. Fan-fiction can be posted on a user’s user page or user blog, provided it is Sonic-related, written by the poster, and complies with the other guidelines for post content. Sprite comics and A.I. generated writing do not fall under this rule (note that A.I. writing must be labeled as A.I. generated). Role playing is also not allowed.

...ThePirateBay

Also self explanatory - no exceptions.

Any and all illegal conducts and activities, as well as promotions to illegal conducts or activities are prohibited on the SWZ D.B.

...tech support

While the SWZ's D.B is a forum to discuss all things Sonic-the-Hedgehog related, it is not a dedicated tech-support website like "Tom's Hardware" to provide proper technical support to troubleshoot any issues a users may have (eg. in regards to a Sonic game). Users may still be able to seek some answers, recommendations or suggestions from other users who may be more knowledgeable and/or have suffered similar technical issues in the past. Be warned, however, that the SWZ's D.B lacks any form of quality control over such matters, and if any unwanted or negative results are obtained, SWZ and its respective D.B are not liable to take responsibility for it.

...always correct

Unlike SWZ's official Wiki, the D.B is not a place for official information. It is highly NOT recommended to use any of SWZ's D.B. threads or comments as a source reference material or citation for the sake of journalism, genuine information or news reporting. It is difficult to distinguish between, fact, fiction, rumor, sarcasm, opinion or hearsay as the D.B.'s contains all of the above. SWZ and the SWZ D.B. is hosted and run by fans, for fans. No users here are (barring rare occasions) workers or employees for any of the franchise developers, publishers or their subsidiaries or affiliated companies.

...gossip club

The SWZ D.B. is not a place to talk about what you think of other users (or people in general) or spread rumors about what users have done or did not do. As such, threads that are created just to ask users what they think of themselves or another user are not allowed (eg. What do you think of me? or What do you think of x user?). Threads that call into question bans or ask if a user should be banned are not allowed. If you have an issue with a user, or with a ban done by an admin, bring it up to an admin of SWZ.

...a battlefield

Forums and other community discussions are not the place to hold personal grudges, conflicts, or prejudice. Battling it out with another user or a group of users is not only unacceptable, but neither of you will win. If you have a problem with a user, do not make a thread about it. Solve any disputes with civility and rationality, and avoid letting them take center stage for everyone else to bear witness.

...a blog

The SWZ D.B. is not a blog. The SWZ as a whole may have blog functions as a part of the website, but D.B. is purely an online forum to discuss all things Sonic the Hedgehog. As such, threads about users taking breaks, leaving, or returning to SWZ or the SWZ D.B. are not allowed. Introduction threads created by new users are allowed, however. If you want to blog, use the user blog function.

Additional guidelines and important topics

These threads include additional guidelines for user etiquette on the SWZ D.B as well as important topics discussed over the years that new users might be interested to know. Users are recommended to follow these, but they are not rules.

• SWZ etiquette on Spoilers
• Why SWZ is against Sonic.exe
• How to prevent drama on SWZ
• Why the wiki changed name from Sonic News Network to Sonic Wiki Zone

Help

Notice something that doesn't seem right? Or do you just have a question? Contact the local administrators of this wiki or Fandom staff through "Give feedback" on your app's Settings screen, or via http://community.wikia.com/wiki/Special:Contact

Sonic Wiki Zone

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