Chat Rules for Members using cs@c.cschatter.com Group Chat

Looking at the list below, it seems like the rules are overly excessive. The reality is that they can be summed up very simply: Don't be a jerk.

That's it. The rest of this page is just details on ways that we've seen people can be jerks, and us calling out those specific behaviors. Use that golden rule above, though, and you won't have a problem.

• Nicknames must be your CS name or a recognizable version of it.
• Chat is for chatting. If you are going to be in the room, then participate. The server has been configured to kick idle users out of group chat (but not offline) after 3 hours.
• Please greet the room when you enter. It's the polite thing to do, and it'll alert all of us to your presence. Not every chat program signals when a new member enters, so often, if someone has the window minimized, they don't realize someone is in there.
• English only, please. This may be an international board, but we only speak English on the boards and in chat.
• No abbreviated questions! "asl" will only get you in trouble. Have a normal conversation, and the details will come naturally. Also, using abbreviated words like r u c etc. is also annoying. There are a few abbreviations allowed, (LOL, ROFLMAO, BTW, WB, TY, etc.) but for the most part, just like on the forums, try to use words.
• CS Chat is not the forums, nor are the forums CS Chat. However, CS Chat is official, and is a part of the community as a whole. As a result, actions in one venue can affect status in another. You can receive infractions on CS for poor behavior in CS Chat, and you can be banned from CS Chat due to poor behavior in the forums.
• CS Chat has a slightly different culture to it than the forums. The atmosphere is more relaxed and sometimes quite flirty (leave the debates to Fratching though!). That said, if someone states that a topic is making them uncomfortable, drop it. We have fun, but we're not bullies. The CS Chat system is being run for everybody, not just you. If a mod tells you to drop it, don't insist on getting in one last punch. That sort of behavior will get you kicked out of the groupchat, at a minimum.
• No PMing people you don't know (that's "Private Messaging"). Ask first.
• No trolling for cyber-sex. Do you really think the women here appreciate strangers hitting on them? That's like being at work. Get a life, please!
• No trolling, period. No flaming, either. If someone is harassing you or making you upset, please either tell them politely to stop in a private message or tell one of us. Most of us are reasonable people here, and there's no reason why a simple chat should degenerate into an online brawl. It's called communication! Make sure someone is actually insulting you too: facial expressions cannot be seen across the Internet.
• No dumping scripts! Sure, they're neat, but be reasonable about it. No one wants a screen full of crap, especially with odd colors. No scrolling or flooding: it's extremely annoying, and will get you kicked out.
• No logging into groupchat and logging back out of it immediately without saying something. If you can't stay, at least say "Hello, uh, sorry... my cat's throwing up on my pillow... gotta run!" Failure to talk may result in being banned.
• Moderators have a set protocol to use while monitoring chat. This is something that has been discussed at length and approved by the site owner. If you feel that a mod has acted inappropriately, you are free to lodge a complaint, but be warned that, if it is found that the actions fell within this protocol, your complaint will be considered null and void, and we expect no further discussion or argument.