Chat Rules

If you're gonna chat here, there are rules you must abide by. You are told to read the rules and chat rules when you first arrive here, so you can't say that you didn't know the rules. You will be expected to follow these rules in chat, no ifs, ands, or buts. You don't follow the rules, you will get kickbanned. These rules are in black and white and here for a reason so don't complain about your kickban should one happen. And for those who follow the rules, thank you for setting a good example for other users. If everyone follows the rules, your visit here can be a pleasant one.

Grounds for blocking
Users who are clearly disruptive to the chat or who fail to behave appropriately towards other contributors may be blocked. The possible reasons for blocking include (but are not limited to):
 * 1)  Personal attacks, bigotry and/or racist or sexist name calling.
 * 2)  Harassment and/or sexual harassment.
 * 3)  Extreme use of profanity/cursing or directing it towards another user is not permitted.
 * 4)  Violation of personal privacy. This includes revealing personal information about users (e.g. real name, location, age, gender, etc) and violating confidentiality on particular issues (such as issues asked to be kept confidential by other users or administrators).
 * 5)  Linking to external sources, such as websites, which violate the aforementioned rules. Notably, publicly linking to websites such as Facebook or MySpace that violate personal privacy, is not permitted without prior consent from the user whose privacy might be violated.
 * 6)  Trolling or general irritation or disruption of other users. This often includes, but is not limited to; excessive usage of capital letters, punctuation marks, deliberate distortions of the English language (such as "133t speak"), and excessive usage of non-English languages.
 * 7) Being rude. As a guideline, don't go out of your way to irritate others. ( And especially do NOT try to test the admin's and chat moderator's patience and limits ) Vicious abuse is grounds for sanctions.
 * 8)  Whining. Users who ask for something from another chat user and are refused it should not stoop to complaining. It is acceptable to be persistent, but in a mature manner.
 * 9)  Discussing real-world politics and/or religion without unanimous consent. If someone doesn't want to talk about them, drop the subject.
 * 10) Spamming. The meaning should be obvious. Don't say the same thing six times because no one is responding to you. Don't keep yammering on about a subject nobody cares about. Meaningless and/or random posts can also be considered spam, alongside disruptive internet memes.
 * 11) Eavesdropping. If you are in chat, you are expected to chat. It's that simple. Don't sit there for 15 minutes not saying a word unless everyone else is quiet. If there is a conversation going on, jump into it. If the whole chat is chatting, you are expected to as well. Be here for a reason, not to spy.
 * 12) Gossiping. Don't go telling people on other wikis what you did hear or supposedly heard here. Gossiping is not tolerated. We don't cause trouble here.

Caps
The usage of capital letters and caps lock is frowned upon. Using capital letters to write a word or a whole entry is typically perceived as yelling.

Using excessive capital letters once will often result in a courtesy warning by an administrator or chat moderator, and persistent usage of capital letters may lead to a kick or ban, depending on severity.

Topics of discussion
Off-topic discussions are allowed and are usually the norm. Discussion is not limited to the Malibu Country series and this wiki's users should not demand a change in subject matter as this may constitute disrupting chat. However, as long as it's within the rules, feel free to chat about anything you want. Just don't demand a change in subject from anything pertaining to this wiki or its content.

Bots
Any user wishing to bring a bot into the channel should seek approval from an administrator or chat moderator. Unauthorized or malicious bots are prohibited and are to be immediately kicked and banned.

Consequences
Moderators have a wide discretion relating to the issuing of warnings and bans which infringe on this rule.

The content of messages will greatly impact on the severity of the punishment. In certain particular cases, exceptions may be permitted, although these are infrequent.

Typically, the following hierarchy will apply to infringements on the above regulations (with the exception of specifically implied consequences).


 * First offense: Warning
 * Second offense: Kick

Following this, the block duration is usually:
 * Three days for the first offense
 * One week for the second offense
 * One month for the third offense
 * Any additional offenses may result in a permanent ban.

These are just guidelines for usual cases. Blocks and their duration are generally up to the discretion of Malibu Country Wiki's administrators and chat moderators.

Further offenses will result in an extended ban, at the discretion of the administrator or chat moderator administering the ban.

However, some subjects and offenses warrant worse punishments. Please visit the Rules page for a more detailed explanation of bans.

Administrator and chat moderators use their discretion when applying these rules, and understanding of the rules depends on the moderator's perception of the rules. Particular exceptions may be granted by specific administrator or chat moderator approval. These rules and regulations, however, should be followed strictly by users at all other times.

When you enter the chat, you are expected to have prior knowledge of all these rules. Ignorance of these rules is not an excuse as they cover common courtesy to others.