There are tens of thousands of posts each day on the Operation Sports message boards, so we can't always promise you'll receive a warning every time action has to be taken. By registering at the Operation Sports Message Boards, users agree that any post deemed inappropriate may be removed at the sole discretion of Operation Sports. Use of the Operation Sports Forums is a privilege, not a right. As such, Operation Sports also has the right, at its sole discretion, to revoke board privileges at any time without notice or reason. Think of these rules as a forewarning and, if you break them, you're taking your account status into your own hands. Here are some things you'll want to keep in mind while posting at Operation Sports:
Copyrighted Material
Operation Sports board users agree not to post any material that is protected by copyright, trademark or other proprietary right without the express permission of the owner(s) of said copyright, trademark or other proprietary right.
Member's Advertising Sites/Products
Operation Sports DOES NOT allow any form of advertising of websites/products on it's forums by members. If you have a website or product that you feel needs to be linked, email [email protected]. Operation Sports has been linking to new sports gaming content on other sites for over 10 years.
Selling/Trading Posts
Due to abuse by users in the past, posts offering games for Sale or Trade are not allowed at the Operation Sports boards. Such posts will be deleted, and the poster will be warned. Because eBay auctions are regulated by eBay itself, posts containing a link at an eBay (or other reputable site) Auction are accepted, though are still subject to normal moderation concerning on-topic posts and spamming.
Racial, Sexual, Political, and Religious Attacks
Operation Sports is a large community. Do not assume that all other posters are like yourself, or hold the same opinions you do. Any discussion regarding race, religion, or sexual preference will not be tolerated, and repeated offenses will be grounds for a ban. Operation Sports is also not the place to discuss politics. Please refrain from posts regarding politics and/or threads regarding politics, as these topics have never been discussed maturely on Operation Sports.
Flaming, Bashing, and Trolling
Hate posts and personal attacks will not be tolerated on the Operation Sports boards. Treat others on these message boards as you would expect them to treat you. Talking trash about another user is a quick way to earn a banning, as is posting topics and responses specifically to provoke a negative response (aka trolling).
System Wars and Game Wars
Unlike many other sites, the Operation Sports community covers all gaming platforms and games. "Fanboyism" benefits no one. We encourage intelligent discussions about the merits and flaws of each system, but senseless console and/or game bashing will not be tolerated. In terms of specific games, any extended discussion regarding a competing game should be kept in that games specified forum.
Profanity
Keep offensive language to a minimum. While we might let you get away with anything you might hear on network television (no, NOT cable) or radio, don't go overboard. Simply editing a few letters with an asterisk or other symbols isn't allowed, either. A simple rule to follow is: "when in doubt, leave it out." You don't have to use excessive profanity to get your point across, and it's usually better to avoid it altogether.
Adult Content
Remember that we have users of all ages reading this forum, and we don't like hearing from their parents when they find content that is not appropriate for their age level. Keep any images in the PG category or they will be deleted, and the user warned. This included your avatars and/or Arena pictures/videos. Scantily clad women are not allowed in the avatars, and will be removed.
Spam
Purposely spamming a message board with senseless, vacuous, or empty messages to increase your post count is highly frowned upon! This includes such things as party posts, chain letters and two-word "I agree" or "me too" responses. Continually posting the same topic on a particular board, and posting the same question across several boards is also considered spamming, and is a violation of this TOS.
Piracy, ROMs, and Warez
Operation Sports has a very strict policy against piracy, ROMs, warez, modding/chipping, and the illegal use of copyrighted material. Linking or giving information about any site that distributes illegal software, ROMs, media, mods/chips, or emulators, seeking help to circumvent any copyright laws, admitting to possessing and/or distributing illegal copyrighted material, or encouraging software or media piracy is grounds for ban depending on the offense. This goes for all copyrighted material, including but not limited to games, movies, music, and videos.
Impersonating Other Users / Accessing Another User's Account / Holding Multiple Usernames
You may not impersonate another board member or create an account specifically for the purpose of provoking other users. Also, accessing or using someone else's account or attempting to access another poster's account is strictly prohibited. Users are restricted to a single username. Users who wish to create a second username must have that request approved by a member of the moderating staff before the account is created.
Off-Topic Posts
There are many forums available for posts, each with a specific focus. Off-topic posts will be moved to the proper forum, and further action may be taken against repeat offenders.
Avatars & Images in Signatures and in posts
Out of respect for your 56k brethren, please let them know if your thread contains a number of large images. A simple **56kers Beware!** in the subject line will go a long way in helping those who are broadband-challenged know not to open a thread that might bring their web browsing to a crawl. Avatars have a limit of 100KB and there are no exceptions. Also, note that Avatars are subject to the same rules regarding adult content as any other image - they must be kept at a PG level, or will be removed. We do not allow any images in a user's signature.
Subscriber-Only Material
Content that is part of a subscriber-only service (IGN Insider, ESPN Insider, GameSpot Complete, etc.) cannot be posted at Operation Sports, nor can it be distributed through the PM system. Though review scores can be posted, nothing else from subscriber content is allowed.
Circumventing a Ban
If you log onto the Operation Sports message boards and receive a message that you have been banned, please submit an e-mail to [email protected]. It is not acceptable to return to the boards under another username.
Questionable Content
These are public boards, so act like you would if you were in a public place. These issues are left to the discretion of the individual moderators, but may include any material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, misleading, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, that otherwise violates any law, or that encourages conduct constituting a criminal offense.
Also note that the Board Rules extend to all areas of the Operation Sports Message Boards system, including but not limited to Private Messages, Chat Rooms, and e-mails to the staff. Operation Sports is not responsible for messages posted on the Operation Sports Boards or the content therein. Unless expressly stated otherwise, this includes messages posted by Operation Sports personnel, agents, representatives et al. Operation Sports reserves the right to reveal the identity of or whatever information we know about any user in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by said user. Operation Sports has the right but not the obligation to monitor and/or moderate the Operation Sports Boards. Operation Sports reserves the right to change any or all other parts of this User Agreement at its sole discretion and without notice, including but not limited to implementing Rules of Conduct, Terms of Service and/or other measures.
Operation Sports Arena / Blogs
User Arenas and Blogs are subject to the same rules and regulations that adhere to the forums. The only exception is the political and religious content rule. Your blogs and Arena content will be allowed to include political and religious items. While we will be allowing these items, we do ask that you use common sense and respect when posting. Also, attacking other users for their views via comments or response blogs will not be tolerated. In addition, blatant off-site advertising will not be tolerated. Please feel free to link to something that is related to the content of this site or your blog, but do not post items such as "Go to www.***.com" in an effort to gain traffic from Operation Sports.
Punishment Process
If you violate any part of the TOS, the action taken will now proceed as the following:
1st Infraction - Warning
2nd Infraction - One Week Minimum in "The Cell", a forum where you can not access any other portion of the Operation Sports forums. Stays in The Cell are left to that of the moderator who puts you there, and could be longer based on severity of the infraction.
1st Infraction after 1 Cell Trip - Last Chance
2nd Infraction after 1 Cell Trip - Permanent Ban
If you recieve two infraction in the same forum at any given point, you will also be banned from that specific forum for 30 days.
Infractions last 90 days after their issue date, then they become "inactive". They will still appear on your profile, and will be taken into account if more issues arise in the future.
If you have any questions regarding these rules please email us at [email protected].
Copyrighted Material
Operation Sports board users agree not to post any material that is protected by copyright, trademark or other proprietary right without the express permission of the owner(s) of said copyright, trademark or other proprietary right.
Member's Advertising Sites/Products
Operation Sports DOES NOT allow any form of advertising of websites/products on it's forums by members. If you have a website or product that you feel needs to be linked, email [email protected]. Operation Sports has been linking to new sports gaming content on other sites for over 10 years.
Selling/Trading Posts
Due to abuse by users in the past, posts offering games for Sale or Trade are not allowed at the Operation Sports boards. Such posts will be deleted, and the poster will be warned. Because eBay auctions are regulated by eBay itself, posts containing a link at an eBay (or other reputable site) Auction are accepted, though are still subject to normal moderation concerning on-topic posts and spamming.
Racial, Sexual, Political, and Religious Attacks
Operation Sports is a large community. Do not assume that all other posters are like yourself, or hold the same opinions you do. Any discussion regarding race, religion, or sexual preference will not be tolerated, and repeated offenses will be grounds for a ban. Operation Sports is also not the place to discuss politics. Please refrain from posts regarding politics and/or threads regarding politics, as these topics have never been discussed maturely on Operation Sports.
Flaming, Bashing, and Trolling
Hate posts and personal attacks will not be tolerated on the Operation Sports boards. Treat others on these message boards as you would expect them to treat you. Talking trash about another user is a quick way to earn a banning, as is posting topics and responses specifically to provoke a negative response (aka trolling).
System Wars and Game Wars
Unlike many other sites, the Operation Sports community covers all gaming platforms and games. "Fanboyism" benefits no one. We encourage intelligent discussions about the merits and flaws of each system, but senseless console and/or game bashing will not be tolerated. In terms of specific games, any extended discussion regarding a competing game should be kept in that games specified forum.
Profanity
Keep offensive language to a minimum. While we might let you get away with anything you might hear on network television (no, NOT cable) or radio, don't go overboard. Simply editing a few letters with an asterisk or other symbols isn't allowed, either. A simple rule to follow is: "when in doubt, leave it out." You don't have to use excessive profanity to get your point across, and it's usually better to avoid it altogether.
Adult Content
Remember that we have users of all ages reading this forum, and we don't like hearing from their parents when they find content that is not appropriate for their age level. Keep any images in the PG category or they will be deleted, and the user warned. This included your avatars and/or Arena pictures/videos. Scantily clad women are not allowed in the avatars, and will be removed.
Spam
Purposely spamming a message board with senseless, vacuous, or empty messages to increase your post count is highly frowned upon! This includes such things as party posts, chain letters and two-word "I agree" or "me too" responses. Continually posting the same topic on a particular board, and posting the same question across several boards is also considered spamming, and is a violation of this TOS.
Piracy, ROMs, and Warez
Operation Sports has a very strict policy against piracy, ROMs, warez, modding/chipping, and the illegal use of copyrighted material. Linking or giving information about any site that distributes illegal software, ROMs, media, mods/chips, or emulators, seeking help to circumvent any copyright laws, admitting to possessing and/or distributing illegal copyrighted material, or encouraging software or media piracy is grounds for ban depending on the offense. This goes for all copyrighted material, including but not limited to games, movies, music, and videos.
Impersonating Other Users / Accessing Another User's Account / Holding Multiple Usernames
You may not impersonate another board member or create an account specifically for the purpose of provoking other users. Also, accessing or using someone else's account or attempting to access another poster's account is strictly prohibited. Users are restricted to a single username. Users who wish to create a second username must have that request approved by a member of the moderating staff before the account is created.
Off-Topic Posts
There are many forums available for posts, each with a specific focus. Off-topic posts will be moved to the proper forum, and further action may be taken against repeat offenders.
Avatars & Images in Signatures and in posts
Out of respect for your 56k brethren, please let them know if your thread contains a number of large images. A simple **56kers Beware!** in the subject line will go a long way in helping those who are broadband-challenged know not to open a thread that might bring their web browsing to a crawl. Avatars have a limit of 100KB and there are no exceptions. Also, note that Avatars are subject to the same rules regarding adult content as any other image - they must be kept at a PG level, or will be removed. We do not allow any images in a user's signature.
Subscriber-Only Material
Content that is part of a subscriber-only service (IGN Insider, ESPN Insider, GameSpot Complete, etc.) cannot be posted at Operation Sports, nor can it be distributed through the PM system. Though review scores can be posted, nothing else from subscriber content is allowed.
Circumventing a Ban
If you log onto the Operation Sports message boards and receive a message that you have been banned, please submit an e-mail to [email protected]. It is not acceptable to return to the boards under another username.
Questionable Content
These are public boards, so act like you would if you were in a public place. These issues are left to the discretion of the individual moderators, but may include any material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, misleading, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, that otherwise violates any law, or that encourages conduct constituting a criminal offense.
Also note that the Board Rules extend to all areas of the Operation Sports Message Boards system, including but not limited to Private Messages, Chat Rooms, and e-mails to the staff. Operation Sports is not responsible for messages posted on the Operation Sports Boards or the content therein. Unless expressly stated otherwise, this includes messages posted by Operation Sports personnel, agents, representatives et al. Operation Sports reserves the right to reveal the identity of or whatever information we know about any user in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by said user. Operation Sports has the right but not the obligation to monitor and/or moderate the Operation Sports Boards. Operation Sports reserves the right to change any or all other parts of this User Agreement at its sole discretion and without notice, including but not limited to implementing Rules of Conduct, Terms of Service and/or other measures.
Operation Sports Arena / Blogs
User Arenas and Blogs are subject to the same rules and regulations that adhere to the forums. The only exception is the political and religious content rule. Your blogs and Arena content will be allowed to include political and religious items. While we will be allowing these items, we do ask that you use common sense and respect when posting. Also, attacking other users for their views via comments or response blogs will not be tolerated. In addition, blatant off-site advertising will not be tolerated. Please feel free to link to something that is related to the content of this site or your blog, but do not post items such as "Go to www.***.com" in an effort to gain traffic from Operation Sports.
Punishment Process
If you violate any part of the TOS, the action taken will now proceed as the following:
1st Infraction - Warning
2nd Infraction - One Week Minimum in "The Cell", a forum where you can not access any other portion of the Operation Sports forums. Stays in The Cell are left to that of the moderator who puts you there, and could be longer based on severity of the infraction.
1st Infraction after 1 Cell Trip - Last Chance
2nd Infraction after 1 Cell Trip - Permanent Ban
If you recieve two infraction in the same forum at any given point, you will also be banned from that specific forum for 30 days.
Infractions last 90 days after their issue date, then they become "inactive". They will still appear on your profile, and will be taken into account if more issues arise in the future.
If you have any questions regarding these rules please email us at [email protected].
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