MediaWiki:Forum-policies-and-faq

On user conduct
Before contributing to the Forums, please keep in mind a few best practices for conduct:

Be nice and treat people with respect.
 * People from all around the world read and edit this wiki and its forums. Like any other collaborative project, not everyone will agree all the time. Keep discussions civil and be open minded about differing opinions. We're all here because we love the same topic.
 * Addendum: No flaming or attacks on a person's character. No phrases, words, or use of language of any sort that's racial, religious, sectarian, rude, sexually explicit, insulting, threatening, abusive, hateful, and ethnic. Moreover, no trolling. As defined by Wikipedia, a troll is as a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a forum, chat room, or blog), either accidentally. Anyone caught trolling or flaming will be given a strike each time, and upon the third time, they will be blocked on this wiki, the amount of time depending on the gravity of their acts. Strikes are reset after a week.

No evading blocks.
 * This includes creating and using multiple accounts, and having a blocked user use your account. This results in permanent blocking.

No discussing of blocks of users or ask about blockings.
 * If any blocks of your account you think are unwarranted, please message an administrator instead. Posts of such nature will be deleted. Punishments are between the user in question and the staff, so don't ask about others' blocks.

On posting
Try to find existing discussions first, but don't be afraid to start a new thread.
 * Please take a moment to sift through the Forum boards to see if a discussion already exists about something you want to talk about. If you can't find what you're looking for, jump right in and start a new discussion!
 * Addendum: Misplaced topics or topics that have been created despite the existence of the same topic will be locked to notify the user (moreover they will be sent a message regarding this) and then removed

Stay on topic within threads.
 * If you want to discuss something else, either make a new topic or search for a thread to post in.

No image macros or reaction images.
 * As this is not an imageboard, please don't post pictures of images with superimposed text on them, which includes demotivational posters. As well as images that act like reactions to a post, is not allowed. They will be removed as they do not add anything to the discussion.

No spamming.
 * This mostly refers to advertisements and other bothersome things in the wiki, but in the forums, it extends to posts that do not contribute to the actual discussion. A simple "lol" reply, among other responses, is spam. A simple post of an image as a reply adds nothing to the still constitutes as spam and breaks the above rule of no image macros as a reply, unless the thread is for the purposes of posting images.

Don't post multiple times in a row.
 * You can edit your post, so why such things happen will be held in suspect. Multiple-posts, especially those that have the same content, will be deleted.

Avoid spoilers if you can.
 * Spoilers are a given in a wiki that revolves around a certain story or universe. Unlike the other wikis, the Toaru Majutsu no Index Wiki considers it's users of a mature and understandable breed, and as such visiting articles will always yield a form of information that they may consider "spoilerish". This is not so for blogs, messageboards, and forums, as there are users who registered for the purpose of using the community features of the wiki. So please mark any any topic that in common sense considered "spoilerish" start with "(Spoiler)" minus the quotes. Furthermore, there are three templates that allows one to prevent people from being spoiled: the Spoiler template, the Spoiler text template, and the Spoiler block template.

Miscellaneous
Try not to quote large amount of text.
 * Simply quote parts of the text that you want to discuss about instead.

Do not ask about becoming a privileged user like an admin or bureaucrat.
 * There is a page for that here in the wiki: Toaru Majutsu no Index Wiki:Requests for adminship

Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse.
 * Being a new user doesn't protect you from reprimands due on slights of the rules.

Ask for help.
 * Notice something that doesn't seem right? Or do you have a question? Ask for help here on the forums! If you need help from Wikia staff, please reach out on Community Central or via Special:Contact.

Have fun!
 * The community is happy to have you here. We look forward to seeing you around as we discuss this topic we all love.

Forum FAQ
How do I stay on top of discussions I'm interested in?
 * With a Wikia user account, you can follow specific conversations and then receive notification messages (either on-site or via email) when a discussion has more activity. Be sure to sign up for a Wikia account if you don't already have one.

How do I remove vandalism?
 * If you notice some spam or vandalism on a thread, hover your mouse over the offending text. You'll see a "More" button appear. Inside the "More" menu, you'll find "Remove". This will allow you to remove the vandalism and optionally inform an admin.

What are Kudos?
 * If you find a particular discussion or reply interesting, well thought out, or amusing you can show direct appreciation by giving it Kudos. They can be helpful in voting situations, too.

What are Topics?
 * Topics allow you to link a forum discussion with a wiki article. It's another way to keep Forums organized and to help people find interesting discussions. For example, a Forum thread tagged with "Lord Voldemort" will appear at the bottom of the "Lord Voldemort" article.