Guide Details
Guide Likes: 27
Recent Updates
Last: Apr 18 2013, 15:14 BT
Sep 27 2012
Changed the confusing formatting
Apr 18 2013
Re-ordered rules to fit new rearrangement of rules.
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This thread is a work in process. It is a collaborative effort of all the users of ths site, including the mods and Mr. Basil, all of whom want to make Basiling as stress-free as possible. Please do your part as a user of this site and read this thread, so you help me add and remove things as needed. This is for your benefit. Thank you.
It is apparent that many people have issues when it comes to Basilmarket rules, how they are interpreted, and how the different mods see the rules while executing their duties. Yes, the mods all have their own interpretation of the rules, but they don't differ drastically enough from each other to warrant the continuous attacks on the moderation system and the rules in general.
Many people complain that they were suspended for something that was "not against the rules". Chances are that it WAS against the rules, but you, for some reason or another, didn't see how it did. Perhaps it's simply because you didn't understand, perhaps it's because you take the rules too literally and miss the part about the rules including certain things but not being limited to just those things. Therefore, I'd like to take the opportunity to extrapolate upon the rules, and I'd like to keep this up as an ever-changing comprehensive guide to the rules.
This is NOT a replacement to the rules that are already written. This is simply a guide that explains the rules in a bit more detail to those of you who keep complaining that the rules are too vague and also to those of you who cry "unfair suspension" every time you get suspended.
I'd like to take this moment to highlight another thread, the Official Basilmarket Policies by Sheriff Limusocobobo, since he touches upon other things important to making your Basiling experience a pleasant one.
If you have been suspended for something that you did not know was against the rules, and you have read the rules AND this guide, please post, so that way I can amend the explanation to include your case.
AND REMEMBER! If you ever have a problem with a suspension, user, or moderator, the report button is your friend! A report from the report page is different from the report buttons on people's posts in that they go directly to Mr. Basil. If your problem is sound and justified he will take action. But if not, then that means your reason was not valid. And since Mr. Basil is the supreme authority (this is his website) then obviously you'll just have to own up to your own mistakes/problems.
Now then, let's get started:
Take note, Rules 1 and 2 seem to be the most frequent reasons behind suspensions, so be mindful of what you say in in threads in regard to these two rules!
Attacks on users or moderators, or comments made to incite an argument are not allowed. There is a difference between criticizing someone's ideas or actions, and outright attacking them. If you are caught using overly harsh or threatening language in comments or PMs, you will be jailed. If someone is attacking or provoking you, report the comment or PM and we will deal with it as soon as possible.
A general rule of thumb is that if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all. The point behind this rule is that you do not help out a topic in the least by posting nothing constructive or meaningful to it or the thread starter by insulting any person/place/thing/or idea inside the thread. Use your common sense and good judgment! Just because you personally can take harsh criticism with little to no kind words, doesn't mean that others can. So simply watch what you say and make sure that no one would be blatantly offended.
You cannot attack groups of people. Targeting racial groups, religious groups, and MapleStory classes is against the rules. Another thing to remember is that you can't attack the mods or Mr. Basil himself. You can and will be suspended for it. Not only does it make you look bad, but you gain nothing from accusing the mods/ Mr. B of being unfair. If you have a problem with a mod that you think is a legitimate problem, then please send a report to Mr. Basil.
You can always disagree with someone without offending them. Watch out for words like "stupid", "dumb", "idiotic", and "retarded" when speaking to people. Those are words that can be considered blatantly offensive to others. Please keep in mind that there are many other words that can be considered offensive, and the moderators use their judgment to determine whether or not words can possibly be offensive. As I said before, it's good to use your common sense. If your post is doing nothing but insulting someone, but your mindset is that they need to "hear the cold, hard truth" or that they need to "grow up and learn to take criticism", chances are that whatever you said is probably considered attacking and you will be suspended.
Remember, it's not up to you to determine what level of criticism people should or should not be able to take! Just don't comment if you can't hold back your tongue!
Don't accuse other people in the forums of hacking. We as a community have no proof other than your accusation that the person is a hacker. This type of attack is also known as libel. It's not encouraged, and will get you suspended. If you see a hacker in the forums, simply report them in game. While you might feel that you are helping the community out by flagging a hacker, we have no proof if the person is actually a hacker or if you're just trying to make them look bad.
Tip: Do not try to make a safety net for yourself by adding a screen shot. Screens can be edited, so just avoid accusing anyone at all, if you can. However, if you feel that you must submit a screenshot of a hacker, only do so in the screen section under the category "Hacker". If the picture is not accepted by Mr. Basil, then you're out of luck, unfortunately.
Do not troll or spam. This includes but is not limited to:
Making irrelevant, off topic posts or links
Bumping (posting just to keep thread alive) / necroposting (posting in a really old thread just to revive it)
Posting or PMing memes (rickroll, screamers, over 9,000!), chain letters, ASCII art
Posting the same thing in multiple topics
Making parody threads
Intentionally posting false/misleading information
Firstly, for forum newbies who don't know the meaning of the words "trolling" and "flamebait":
For Basilmarket purposes, A troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, impertinent, or off-topic messages in a thread with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion while Flamebait is a message posted in a thread with the intent of provoking an angry response (a "flame" or argument over a topic the troll often has no real interest in.
In regards to the above two things, if you see a troll or someone who is posting flamebait, REPORT them, do not respond to them, or you run the risk of being suspended yourself. An example of flamebaiting is going into one of the class forums (Let's say, the Bowman Forum), and then you make a thread titled "Bowman Suck!" Now, before we even get to your thread starting post, which will probably be just as bad as your title, you've already planted flamebait. Don't do it. You will be suspended.
To reiterate what I said above, please remember that if you call someone a troll in a thread, instead of reporting them and ignoring them, you will be suspended! Do not think that you are helping the community by pointing out a troll. You are only making the problem worse because no matter how much you think you're "warning users who enter a thread that a troll is there" since you cannot suspend and/or delete troll posts, you aren't really helping at all. But reporting always helps, since you are expediting the process of a mod finding and getting rid of the troll.
Spam is a bit different from trolling and posting flamebait. (Though the flamebait that trolls post is mostly considered spam since it in itself is off-topic most of the time.) Spamming usually is not done to incite anger in users, but instead is simply pointless, reckless posting for posting's sake. Examples of commonly abused spam on Basilmarket include quoting a post and adding nothing (or only adding the word "this" or "QFT". It also includes posts like saying "Hi (insert name here)!" or starting an off topic discussion. Make sure your post relates to the topic and contributes. Also, the character limit on posts is 5 characters. Using "post-extenders" as a means of making your post fit the minimum character limit without adding anything relevant will cause you to be suspended.
As of January 12th, 2011, Bandwagoning will cause your account to be deleted. Bandwagoning is the act of repeating something that someone else said for the sake of repeating it, without adding any real value to the topic at hand, resulting in you "Jumping on the bandwagon" of bad posts. For example:
Thread Starter says: What do you guys like to eat for breakfast in the morning? I like Pancakes, personally.
1st Poster says: Waffles is my homeboy.
2nd Poster says: Waffles is my homeboy.
3rd Poster says: Waffles is my homeboy.
4th-xxthposter says: Waffles is my homeboy.
See that? The first poster said something that the second poster thought was funny, so he repeated it for no other purpose than to copy the 1st poster. That's how the bandwagon begins. Because then everyone will repeat the same thing. This makes for a ruined topic, and lots and lots of spam for the moderators of this site to clean up. Don't do it, you WILL be SUSPENDED.
And don't worry, the first poster wouldn't be deleted, he had no knowledge that his post would be copied. Unless of course they dragged it from another bandwagoning thread.
By the way, once something has been repeated over and over, be it a word or a phrase, and it's only posted for nonsensical purposes, it becomes a meme. By itself, it is nothing but spam. If you add content that add to the actual thread, then you are ok to post one. But do NOT reply to threads with just a meme or you WILL be suspended! The best way to see if you are posting a meme is if you can verify that your post actually contributing to the topic at hand. And by that, I mean that you are referencing the topic directly in your post! IF you cannot do that, you may have a meme or some sort of spam in your post!
1.) A general rule for spamming in respect to making threads, is that you shouldn't make a thread that either has a topic that people can't readily have an engaging conversation on or one that is there just because you needed an excuse to make a thread.
A.) Threads like: "I'm totally wasted right now", "I just made a thread", "How do I make a thread", or other pointless threads that have no value. (Exceptions to this rule are fun section threads and light-hearted chat section threads, but use your discretion for those).
2.) A general rule for spamming in respect to posting in someone else's thread is that if your post does not contribute in any shape or form to the thread starter's post, or to that general subject area, then you're spamming.
B.) For example, let's say someone has a topic on religion, and their thread is titled "What are your favorite bible stories?" and then you post something along the lines of "The Flying Spaghetti Monster has a self-help CD called 'The Fry-ble'", that can actually be considered spam. Regardless of whether or not you think it's funny, or that you were just trying to joke around, the fact is that you were off-topic and didn't contribute to the thread. The best thing to do in this situation is to not post in this thread at all if you have nothing to contribute to it.
My example isn't the greatest, but the key here is that a lot of times people assume that simply because they have an opinion or have something to say, that they have the right to share it. This is not always the case. Many times it's tempting to post in threads that you think are stupid just to get some laughs or to try and make the thread unfocused. Many people claim that Basilmarket is too strict when it comes to the rules and what we can post, but there is a time and a place to be silly (People make threads all the time that you can be silly in without being spammy) and then there is a time and a place to be on-topic. Sorry, that's just the way this site works. If you have a problem, you can always take it up with the owner in a report. Remember that free-speech does not exist on privately owned websites, so don't try to use that argument, please.
Another thing that you could possibly be suspended for is encouraging other user to break the rules. This rule is one of those "just don't do it" type things because ultimately everyone is responsible for their own suspensions, but to make absolutely sure that no one is enticing them to do so, we ask that you simply don't suggest it.
Comments or PMs that contain inappropriate content have no place on Basilmarket. Such content includes but is not limited to:
Sexually explicit content
Racism
Hateful language
Violence or violent language
Hacking/Cheating/Glitching
Quitting threads (site or game related)
Additionally, comments and PMs are automatically filtered for inappropriate words and links. Do not try to bypass the filter by misspelling words or masking letters. It does not change the intent. If you do not show restraint, you will be jailed.
The rule of thumb here is to never even sound like what your saying could possibly be taken as something sexually explicit or racist by the most prudish or politically-correct person (or, more importantly, a small child).
We have many different ethnicities/races/cultures on Basil, and some people try to justify things that they say by quoting statistics, or saying that prejudice, discrimination, and racism are different things. The fact is that truly and honestly, none of those are allowed, even if they are different. You will be suspended for things that suggest a deficiency towards any race/ethnicity/culture. Even if you think it's true, or that it "shouldn't" hurt people by you saying it, it's still suspendable.
As far as sexually explicit content goes, I just try to avoid anything sounding sexual at all. Since it's very easy to step across the border between informational and tasteless, it's best to not reference sex at all if you can avoid it. If you do, don't be surprised if that slightly sexual comment warrants you a not-so-slight suspension.
Hateful language and violent language include things like threats, or wishing harm upon other users.
Quitting threads are not allowed to be made by regular users or mods for that matter. I've seen some mods retire their modship through threads but according to Kevvl, the only person who can now make mod quitting threads is Mr. Basil himself.
It's not appropriate to "censor" swears by removing one or half of the letters. At worst, the mods allow all letters removed (So the swear is utterly indistinguishable), but even then you should show restraint, according to Kevvl.
It's also not appropriate to talk in a different language (including binary code). This site is an English-speaking website, and as such, you are doing a disservice to others by speaking a foreign language. If you find yourself wanting to speak in another language, then you must provide a translation into English.
Discussions which promote or enable activities that are illegal in the United States of America are strictly forbidden. These activities include but are not limited to:
Illegal Servers
Illegal drug use
Computer hacking
Downloading or sharing files/commercial software for free without permission of the copyright owner
Plagiarism
Violating Maple Story Terms of Service
Rule of thumb here is that even if you are merely REFERENCING something illegal, you can be suspended for it, even if you don't do it yourself. JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT IT! This also means that making threads about how high you are, or underage drinking, or about how you stole something out of a store, or beat up the kid around the corner from you is suspendable. You can also be suspended for referencing websites that contain illegal and/or copyrighted material, so be careful when linking to websites.
Talking about auctions, shops, listings, or other websites for the purpose of advertising is not allowed. Do not post or PM referral links. You are also not allowed to buy, sell, trade, give away, or ask for any of the following on the forums:
Items
Online currency
Leech
Characters
Accounts for any MMO or online service
This one is pretty straightforward. The thing that trips up a lot of people is the no giving away things. You can't have giveaway contests for Maple items/mesos/NX. You also can't do those quitting threads where you offer to giveaway your account/items to a random poster/pm'er. That's a double no-no.
There has also been an issue with referral websites. If you don't know what they are, they are the websites that make you do offers to earn prizes that often times give you a referral link to sign up a friend to speed up your gaining the item. Simply put, NEVER post those referral links on this site. You will be severely punished.
You are not allowed to post someone else's personal information on BasilMarket. Personal information includes but is not limited to:
Birthdays
Legal Names
Home addresses
Phone numbers
Email addresses or instant messenger id's
If you choose to disrespect someone's privacy you may be permanently banned from the site. Additionally, do not make topics asking for other users' personal information; these topics will be deleted. Practice basic internet safety.
This one is tricky because there have been users suspended for making seemingly harmless "What's your birthday", "What's your name?", or "IM name" threads, but technically you can't make those because that's asking for personal info. Regardless of whether or not someone voluntarily posts the info in those threads and regardless of your intent, it's still suspendable.
1.) Mr. Basil's reasoning behind this rule is privacy and security. It's simply unsafe for your personal info to be floating around on the site. Your MapleStory or BasilMarket account could be compromised and in extreme cases you might even become a victim of identity theft. The Basilmarket forums should never be used for evil, so it's safer to avoid asking for/ giving out personal info.
Title your threads appropriately so that it is obvious what the topic is. For price checks, please include the server and items (with stats) that you want a price for. Also, make sure to put the thread in the appropriate forum.
Again, this one is pretty straightforward. Make your title is specific to what your content is, so that way people know what is in your thread before they click to enter it. Putting threads in the right section should also be pretty straightforward.
1.) For example: If you have a question about the pros and cons of the Priest Skill, Doom, then make the appropriate thread title in the "Cleric, Priest, Bishop" section of the "Mage" Forums in the "Class" Forum.
It is your responsibility to keep your player details accurate. You are not allowed to impersonate other players; this includes using player names, player pics, and/or BasilID names that are not yours. You are also not allowed to intentionally falsify character information.
Rule of thumb: Basilmarket is first and foremost, a MapleStory Auctioning website. Therefore, it's imperative that you use your own MapleStory characters to represent you. It's unfair to those who do auctions when you steal characters that don't belong to you. Mr. Basil began allowing modified player pics a while back, but you still cannot associate them with a player name that does not belong to you.
Do not abuse the auction system. Do not create accounts or collude with friends in order to gain fake feedback, and do not make fake auctions or bids to manipulate the values of items. Depending on severity, those involved in committing auction system fraud may be jailed, have their accounts removed, or be permanently banned.
This one is pretty obvious, once again.
Bypassing Jail is not allowed. If you use another user's account to post, it will be jailed and/or deleted. If you create multiple accounts to post, they will all be deleted.
First off, the most important thing to remember is that you aren't supposed to have more than one account, period. There are exceptions to this rule, such as if you are leaving Basilmarket and have a guide that needs to be maintained, and you want a user to take over your account to update it. Please pm a mod for further details if you feel your case warrants an exception to this rule.
Secondly, bypassing jail simply means that you can't use another account to post if you are serving a suspension on another. That simply defeats the purpose of you being suspended. This also includes people who pm others with requests to make a thread for them highlighting their suspension:
" is suspended but wanted me to make this thread to ask the mods why he was suspended."
You may have your account deleted if you take part in such an act. Mr. Basil has his ways of finding out if you have multiple accounts, so it's safer to just have one. And if you do need to make another account (not because you're suspended, but for other reasons) You must first delete the one you have and then make a new one.
If you see someone breaking one of the rules, you can report them in one of 2 ways:
1.) For anything dealing with posting, you can report the post by clicking the exclamation point at the top right corner of their post. Please include a brief description of why the post was against the rules.
2.) For anything dealing with abuse in pm's, feedback issues, appealing a suspension, auction issues, player name theft issues, and anything else that you may have a problem with, please use the report function found underneath the "BasilID" tab on the top menu. Remember to describe your issue in detail if you want it solved.
If you have been suspended, you will see a description of the suspension(s) on your BasilID page. Depending on the severity of your suspension(s), you can be suspended anywhere from 1 day to several months if you have multiple infractions.
Recently, mod comments were re-added to suspension notices, meaning that a mod now explains to you why you broke the rules. If you disagree with your suspensions, the proper protocol is to report it as a suspension appeal using the report page since this type of reporting goes directly to Mr. Basil. It might take him a bit of time to respond. (He's a very busy guy ) but do keep in mind that because of the sheer volume of reports he gets, he does not directly respond to ones that he deems to be unfounded. In other words, if you reported a suspension that you received, and he never responds, it doesn't mean that he didn't get your report, it just means that he ruled that your case didn't warrant an appeal. However, in certain cases he will respond to you, since it has happened when a mod has unjustly suspended someone. Do keep in mind, though, that doesn't happen often. So try not to appeal your suspension unless you are absolutely sure you didn't break a rule.
Do not post about your suspensions in the forum. This just causes unnecessary drama and does nothing to help your case.
And that's it. Once again, this is an ongoing project that will only serve to benefit YOU the Basilmarket user! So please contribute to the thread, ask questions, get answers, but do not attack the mods or Mr. Basil. Remember, this is here to resolve issues, not make more. Thanks, and Happy Basiling!
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