01. Be decent
Disagree all you like, but argue with the idea, not the person. No harassment, no bigotry, no pile-ons, no slurs. Treat people the way you would want to be treated in someone else’s home.
02. Use the right room
#lobby is our place for general conversation. Use a more specific channel, forum room, or project repository when it fits. If a conversation wanders, that’s fine; if it takes over a space, someone may suggest a better home for it.
03. Ask thoughtfully. Help when you can.
Questions are welcome, including beginner questions. If you’re asking for help with a problem, try a search and tell us what you’ve already tried. Nobody expects you to know all the terminology. A little context helps people help you, and a thank-you goes a long way. Everyone here is volunteering their time.
04. No spam, no scams, no selling
This is not a marketplace or a billboard. Sharing your own work in moderation is fine if you’re part of the community and it’s relevant. Drive-by advertising, flooding, scams, and link-spam are not.
05. Respect the privacy of the house
Do not repost private messages, dox anyone, or share things that were said in confidence. People get to control what they share about themselves. Extend that courtesy to each other. If a private message needs reporting, share it with staff only.
06. Keep it legal
Nothing here that would get the house raided. Use common sense.
07. Let people choose what they see
We are not a porn or shock site. Art with a bit of skin, or a joke that lands rude, is fine; posts that are just explicit sexual content or gore are not.
For borderline content, clearly mark it NSFW and use a spoiler where the service supports one. In chat, label a link before anyone opens it. Keep avatars, signatures, and other automatically visible content safe for work.
When something needs attention
Privately message Avatar or a member of staff on IRC. If you don’t know who to contact, ask in #lobby through webchat. For ordinary service questions, #help is the place.
Tell staff what happened, where, roughly when, and who was involved. Include the relevant message or link and timestamps if available. IRC staff may not have seen a conversation, so a private copy of the relevant messages can help. Keep sensitive information out of public channels and public Git issues.
Moderation is light and human. We would rather have a quiet word than reach for the ban button. Serious abuse may lead to immediate removal. Individual services have their own procedures; the IRC Code of Conduct explains chat moderation, reporting, and appeals in detail.
If you think a decision was unfair, raise it calmly and privately with staff. Explain what you believe we missed; we’re human too.
Make yourself at home
These rules describe how we treat each other. The Privacy Policy explains how the services handle data, and the welcome guide helps you get started.
Thanks for helping keep the place worth visiting.
— The MansionNET team