These rules and guidelines apply to any interaction between people of this community. This includes our forums, TeamSpeak, Ventrilo, and in-game chat. Members of The Basin are asked to remember that they represent our community at all times and should behave in a manner that shines a positive light on everyone here.

The Forums exist for people in the community to exchange information. The post at the start of a thread will be read by dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of people. It invites their thoughts and responses. It should be reasonably coherent, as should each responsive post. If you follow a few simple guidelines, you will find plenty of people ready to answer any questions you may post.

First, before you start a thread, consider whether the answer to your question has already been posted. Questions arise all the time, and regular forum-goers get tired of seeing the same subjects re-asked. This is especially true when the poster could have found the answer with just a simple research. If your question is likely to be of general interest, look at recent threads in the forum on your subject, and maybe even run a search of the overall forums for keywords likely to appear in your question. Chances are, it has been discussed already and your effort would have led to less clutter and happier forum users.

Second, pick the right forum for your post. It's not the end of the world if you post in the wrong place (in fact, a moderator will likely move it to the right forum), but you'll get a better response if you start in the right place to begin with. Third, pick a single subject for your post so that the thread won't go off on a tangent and leave much of what you wanted to find out unanswered. Ideally, each thread should be on one topic (though it can include several different questions on that topic). Asking in a single post about weapons for a Ranger, when the next GvG event will be held, and where you should go to get skills for your Monk is not a good idea.

Finally, put enough thought into your post that readers see you care enough about it to justify their time reading it and crafting a response. Be coherent. Write in sentences. Remember that some of the most skilled folks in the community learned English as a second (or third, or fourth) language, and they shouldn't need a lingo-decoder to understand what you are saying. In other words, avoid using too many acronyms and/or 1337-speak. Keep in mind - we aren't in the perfect grammar business, and most folks have better use of their time than writing letter-perfect posts that are suitable for publication in the London Times. Just use good sense.

If you spend a few minutes reading posts on the Forums, you'll quickly get a feel for what works and what doesn't. Those same guidelines apply to posts you make in reply to existing threads, too. Keep your replies "on topic." If you want to launch off onto something new, start a new thread. Also keep in mind that your posts tell the community something about who you are. We quickly learn to associate folks by the posts they make. So the more you put into yours, the greater the esteem people will hold you in.


What are the Don'ts for Posting on the Forums?

• Don't be a bigot - Racist, sexist, and other hateful comments are not tolerated. We've got members who are from many different countries, members who are female, and members who are gay. If that freaks you out, then perhaps you should find another place to call home.
• Don't flame others - Trolling or posting in such a manner as to be flame bait isn't tolerated.
• Don't air personal disputes in the forums - If a disagreement arises out of something done or said in-game, on our TeamSpeak server, or on our Wiki, or if a post caused personal offense, then take it up in a Personal Message to whoever else is involved. If you want guidance or assistance, send a personal message to a moderator or a Guild Admin or Officer. But don't start a post over a private quarrel.
• Don't post links to cheat/hack sites - Were a cheat-free community and would like to remain that way. Including ourselves in the bile that actively promotes cheating and/or hacking isnt something were known for.
• Please do not use images in your signatures - The Amazon Basin forums were created for - and continue to be - about the information. In an effort to keep the signal to noise ratio as low as possible, images other than the simple x-fire info graphic are not permitted.
• Don't use obscene language - What we put on our forums should be suitable for everyone to read, and foul language rarely qualifies. We generally follow a WARN KICK BAN type of procedure for rule breakers. In other words, on your third strike, you're out.

The bulk of these rules apply not only to your behavior on our forums, but in-game as well - extending to guild chat and TeamSpeak and/or Ventrillo.

• Racist, bigoted, or sexist language is not tolerated. Please show respect for others at all times.
• Profanity and swearing are not tolerated. While the games we participate in may be rated for a mature audience, the Basin guild channels and chat channels should be considered a PG-13 environment. Consider whether you would say a word loudly in a crowded restaurant. If the answer is no, then you probably shouldn't say it in the channel either. If there is an issue with your language, it is up to a Guild Officer or Guild Leader to decide whether or not your language is acceptable.
• Offensive characters and account names are not allowed. While you have the guild tag attached to everything you say, you are representing us. While definition of offensive can vary from person to person, we expect people to show some class in choosing their character and account names.
• There is always a gray area in what is considered offensive, and this may vary from person to person. In all cases of conflict however, the decision of the Guild Leader or Guild Officer is to be respected and obeyed.
• If someone tells you that they consider your choice of character name, account name, or status text to be offensive, please listen to what they have to say. If you have discussed the issue with the offended person and feel that they are being overly sensitive in their request, you should take this up with the Guild Leader or one of the Guild Officers. If no one in a leadership position is online at the time, you can contact them via a PM through the forums.
• Spamming, asking for items, or asking for rushes is generally frowned upon in guild chat.