Terms of Use
The primary purpose of these forums is to allow constructive discussion between members and provide a venue where Gen Con can provide information to its attendees. Gen Con LLC has provided this community as a privilege and not a right; as such Gen Con LLC has the right to revoke that privilege at any time. Members are encouraged to contribute to this community in constructive means. Please see "The Code" for further information on constructive means of contribution. Members must be 13 years of age or older to join this community. Proof of age may be asked for at any time.
The Community Roles
The Code
Members of the Gen Con Community are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible fashion. This code of conduct is the foundation for behavior expected on the boards. Members should respect fellow forum members, and remember that Gen Con LLC is a family-oriented environment. Offensive materials, trolling, and sales or trades of any kind are strictly prohibited. Not every possible circumstance that may warrant moderator intervention will be covered in this Code; however, moderators have the right to edit/delete any posts and lock any threads deemed necessary, in order to maintain community harmony.
The Rules
The following is not a comprehensive list. Offenses that are not on this list will be reviewed by a team of moderators and/or Gen Con LLC staff. Treat all community users with respect
Keep the boards clean and neat!
Do not spam the boards
Respect Moderator decisions
Taboo Topics
Gen Con LLC is a family-oriented environment, so please keep all posts within a "PG-13" standard (refer to MPAA's official PG-13 definition). We also ask that users avoid possibly controversial subjects. The following is the list of "Taboo Topics." Posts dealing with these topics will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but members are strongly cautioned to consider their use carefully, as they may be deleted/edited as necessary.
Consequences for Rule Breaking
There are four kinds of disciplinary actions a moderator may take, in increasing order of severity. These are reminders, warnings, and bans, both temporary and permanent. The severity of the transgression determines which action a moderator may decide to take. Members are not permitted to discuss moderator decisions in the forums, but may ask for clarification or an appeal as outlined below. Reminder: A reminder is a simple tool for a moderator to gently remind users of a mild offense. They may be issued in a thread, by PM, or occasionally by email. If a moderator asks you to do something or to stop doing something, consider it a reminder that should be taken to heart. Repeated offenses will result in a warning or other action.
Official Warnings
Official Warnings are reserved for more severe offenses. They are only handled through private messages (PMs) or emails and are considered confidential. Warnings are indicated with the word "Warning" in the subject line. Any public posts directly in reference to warnings received will result in the post being deleted and the issuance of another warning or additional action. All warnings are carefully tracked. Members with a large number of warnings will be submitted for banning.
Account Suspension
An account suspension is issued in circumstances when members are in need of a cool-down period, such as following an argument or inflammatory post. Account suspensions may also be issued while moderators discuss other issues with an account such as the possibility of a fraudulent account. Account Suspension can last for any length of time, specified at the time of the issuance. A time out will be sent by email and will have the words "Account Suspension" in the subject line, and the length of time in the body of the message.
Permanent Ban
Permanent bans are only used in the most extreme cases. It should be noted that actions on these boards may also result in the banning from forum activities or even the convention itself if deemed necessary. Banned users creating another account will result in that account being banned. Allowing a banned user to use your account will result in your account being banned. In addition, if a community member commits any of the following offenses, they may be immediately submitted for banning.
Other moderator tools
Moderators may perform any of a number of other actions to a post that has violated the CoC. These actions may be taken at any time. Moderators may edit offending posts. They may also delete the post entirely. Moderators may also move threads to a new section. In some cases, an entire thread may be locked or deleted. Appeals: If you disagree with a moderator's judgment, contact another moderator to discuss the issue. The moderator team will discuss the dispute and provide a ruling. If, after receiving a moderator team ruling, you still feel you have been treated unfairly, you may email [email protected]. Lastly, have fun! We are all here for the same reason: Gen Con, The Best Four Days in Gaming.