This text assumes that you have read the Terms of Service. It is to your advantage to read it if you have not. Please note that while this is the letter of the law, it is not the spirit of the law which moderation reserves the right to enforce. It does not contain all possible offenses, as writing such a document is be grossly impractical (if not impossible) to write and unlikely to be read. (see TL;DR.) Rules lawyers and others looking to exploit the rules should be mindful of this.

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18+ Content
There are mature ways to talk about questionable or taboo topics without vulgarity or profanity. If you are not of legal age or your parent(s) / guardian(s) do/would object, we are not responsible for what appears on this site. You may also witness content violating these rules before they are removed. With that in mind, you use SEN at your own risk.

• Explicit sexual and graphic content is prohibited from all forms of communication on SEN. This includes, but is not limited to: text, images, files, and links to websites containing them.
• Do not post any text or material considered innately offensive in and of itself (see the U.S. Supereme Court's definition of "patently offensive").
• Explicit or vulgar images clearly intended for malicious or pornographic purposes are not allowed.
• Superfluous borderline pornography outside the context of a tasteful discussion is prohibited.

Abuse of Site Features

• Do not abuse or spam any site functions, such as reports, the DLDB, wiki, etc. Do not engage in other malicious behavior not related directly to the forums.
• You are responsible for your input. Please do not post long lines of text without spaces or large images that distort pages, as some unfortunate souls still use small resolutions such as 800x600. Wrap long links inside URL tags. This section about page widening provides more examples of what can distort pages.
• Do not abuse or exploit the mineral system. Exploitation will be punished.
• Ensure that your avatar, signature, titles, etc. conform to the rules and limits. The code is decent at checking, but please double check to make sure. Punishment will vary on nature and number of offenses, and may lead to loss of use for such features and/or other penalties.
• SEN is not a filehosting service, homepage host, or webhost. If you want to build and host a website or host your files, don't use our server. Feel free to create project threads for work. Clans may apply for hosting through the clans script.
• Any attempt (regardless of success) in hacking or damaging SEN, its code, databases, server, hardware, software, or any portion thereof warrants an instant IP ban without notice, question, or hesitation, as well as contact of your ISP.

Adding Garbage to Posts

• Please do not add extra garbage or smilies to post. Adding five smilies to the end of your post makes you look immature and unprofessional.
• Do not end every post with the same phrase or message. Instead, use your signatures, available in the settings area.

Advertising

• Do not solicit commercial or personal products, scams, chain letters, clan recruitments, marketing, or games (ie, outwar) for your personal gain.
• You are allowed to include links to your website in the proper places such as your profile, signature, and the Creative Works forum.

BBCode Abuse

• Do not abuse BBCode to make your posts unreadable, unnecessarily huge text, color clashing, etc.
• Gratuitous use of BBCode, such as making many posts all bold or all links is also a violation. A rule of thumb is that no tag other than color should affect an entire post.

Excessive l33t, Grammar & Spelling, Foreign Languages

• Do not use excessive l33t or internet shortforms.
• Posts on SEN must be in English. While we understand this may not be your native language, you are expected to try.
• SEN expects you to communicate with a decent level of spelling, proper grammar, and sentence structure. You are expected to put effort into formulating your posts.
• Any butchering of the English language rendering your post difficult or impossible to read may be removed at moderation's discretion.

Flaming

• Flaming is the verbal attack of another with malicious intent. In borderline situations, things will run more smoothly if we assume good faith on the part of the poster.
• Assertive behaviors and attitudes are acceptable. Aggressive behavior, however, will not be tolerated. If you choose to be bluntly honest, do so without being vulgar or vicious and put forth a well-thought out post detailing your claims.
• "F**k you", "You suck", "Go kill yourself" and "You're stupid" and similar postings are unacceptable on SEN. Excessive name-calling or the threatening of another user is not acceptable.
• Flaming the community or site as a whole is also unacceptable. Criticism is welcomed, but insulting and bashing, is not.
• There is a line one can cross at which criticism ceases to be constructive and proportional. For proper examples of criticism, see the editorial or Op Ed sections of major newspapers.
• SEN is not a place for intellectual or battle.net trash talking. Posting about how much better you are than other people is unacceptable. Do not go out of your way to put down or demean others.
• Posts that can be reasonably determined to trigger flame or irritate others are not allowed. Please be careful, mature, and tactful when discussing controversial topics. For more information, see the Wikipedia article on trolling.
• You do not have to like anyone, but you do have to get along. Engaging in a flame war is not a good strategy. People's reputations speak for themselves and your defense is most likely superfluous. Please report violations of the rules to someone with the power to do something about them. For further information, see the Wikipedia article on flaming.

Google Rule, The

• If you ask a question that can be answered by simply typing it into Google or Wikipedia or another major reference site, your post will be deleted. You are, indeed, on the internet. Take advantage of it.

Illegal Items: ROMs, .mp3s, hacks, cracks, warez, CDKeys, viruses etc.
SEN is hosted in the United States. As such, any mention to legalities refers explicitly to U.S. Law.

• Do not post links to sites that contain viruses, spyware, browser annoyances, browser hijackings, or browser crashings.
• Seeking or providing links or instructions to illegal or pirated materials is not allowed at SEN. This would include warez, ROMs, emulators, hacks, cracks, MP3s, piracy, viruses, etc.
• Do not ask for CD Keys or copies of StarCraft. It's unfortunate that you lost your CD, but you'll have to go buy another one. With a valid CD-Key, you can register it and download StarCraft for free from the Blizzard Store. Note that as of patch 1.15.2, playing StarCraft: Brood War no longer requires a CD.
• Providing links or directions to sites that condone illegal torrenting and other such activity is not allowed. Providing direct links to legal downloads through these same sites is acceptable.
• Do not distribute or provide programs or links to malicious programs.
• SEN is not to be used for coordination of illegal activities or committing crimes. This is grounds for an IP ban without notice, question, or hesitation. We will contact your ISP as well as whatever law enforcement authorities are applicable.

Impersonation

• Do not pretend to be staff or administration if you are not.
• Do not take a username, avatar, title, or signature that is similar to others in order to cause confusion and deception. Generally, if we must make an effort to figure out who you are, second-guess your identity, or you are frequently confused with another member, this is a problem.

Inappropriate Language

• Do not swear directly at others.
• Do not use inappropriate language gratuitously or profusely. This is a StarCraft website, not Chris Rock standup.

Map Unprotection & Map Stealing

• SEN supports the rights of map creators to dictate what is done with the maps which they create. You are allowed to submit maps that you have created with any protection or lack thereof that you, as the author choose.
• Posting of unprotectors or links to unprotectors is not allowed. However, tasteful discussion and debate of the protection issue is permitted. (Tasteful, discussion, and debate are all key words.)
• Release of maps that have been protected or unprotected without the author's permission is not allowed.
• Release of stolen maps and map stealing are strictly prohibited.

Maturity & Atmosphere
SEN seeks to maintain high standards and expects its members to behave in a mature manner throughout the site.

• Don't be dense. (as in stupid and silly, not physically.) Competence is required. Don't be a mook either.
• Don't be a dick or a fuckhead. Special mention, lest someone think it were otherwise acceptable.
• Do not behave condescendingly toward other members. We do not all have the same background, experience and knowledge, but that is not an excuse to insult one's intelligence or status.
• Do not mock others; it is never the appropriate response to deride or imitate our members.
• Do not post content with intention of offending anyone on the site. Content that can be deemed inherently offensive will be removed at moderation's discretion.

Misplaced and Off-Topic Posting

• Please make sure that you post your topics in the correct forum. If you realize that your topic is in the wrong place, please edit it with a request for a moderator to move it.
• Please make sure that you are posting in the correct topic. If you realize that you have made a misplaced post, copy the text of the post and delete it. You may delete recent posts for a short period of time by pressing the button next to the edit button. If that time has already passed, please edit the post with a request for deletion.
• Please make sure that your posts contribute to the discussion at hand. If you wish to develop a tangent or offshoot of one discussion into another full discussion, you are entitled to do so by opening a new topic.
• Please report misplaced or off-topic posts.

Multiple Accounts

• Because people have abused multiple accounts in the past, you may not own multiple accounts. We do not take kindly to sock puppets.
• You may especially not own multiple accounts to evade suspensions, gain multiple poll votes, rate maps multiple times, etc. These abuses are subject to permanent bans of all accounts and IP Addresses.

Plagiarism

• Plagiarism causes several problems - you gain a post unfairly for things you didn't write. You may also make several copyright violations. It would leave us deceived about your intelligence level, writing skill, and "opinions".
• Please ensure the posts that "you" write are indeed written by you. We are not asking you for quotes and MLA or Chicago-style citations, but rather that you give credit where it is due.
• If you take text from another website or post, please put it in QUOTE tags and provide your source.

Report Function
The report function is used to tell staff of possible rule violations. It helps you to help us.

• Please do not report a post or topic multiple times.
• Do not use the report feature for anything other than reporting a violation. Unless it is abundantly clear, please mention the reason why you're filing the report.
• Do not act as if you were a moderator. Do not make posts in place of reports; moderators do not necessarily examine every submission to the site and therefore such posts may never be read by someone with power.
• Posts that have been reported will endure a stricter scrutiny of the rules by nature. Posts associated with the reported post may also be reevaluated and moderated.

Respect the Staff
The staff serves SEN for free. To make their job easier and maximize productivity, the staff is to be treated with respect.

• Do not undermine the staff's authority with actions such as reposting a post that a moderator just deleted or replacing the avatar that was just removed. Seek clearance from a higher authority such as an administrator. If the administrator moderated you, tough luck.
• Do not disrupt SEN to prove a point.
• Provoking of a moderator or staff member is considered "asking for it". It will be punished severely.
• Intentionally lying to moderators and staff for your own benefit is considered "asking for it". It will be punished severely.
• If you are going to be very argumentative about the rules (a "rules lawyer") or have problems with authority, find a different website with a more permissive and/or passive moderation and administration.
• If you feel that a staff member is acting out of line, please contact an administrator. Please understand that they are usually given some leniency in exchange for their service.
• The administration is in charge and can do whatever they want, but ideally won't have to force things. If you feel that an administrator is acting out of line, please engage in intelligent dialogue. We're people, too. We can be reasoned with. Sometimes, we will just still disagree. You'll have to suck it up and deal with it. Life's tough.
• It cannot be stressed how unwise it is to flame and disrespect the staff and moderators. It is arguably the fastest and most effective way to earn a one-way ticket out of SEN, even though you may be correct. You can be punished on SEN for harassing and antagonizing the staff outside of SEN, as we do not necessarily want to be "on duty" at all times.

Shoutbox, The
The Shoutbox is a section of the site for members to freely chat with each other in near-realtime. There is leniency on some of the rules (particularly what qualifies as "Spam") in this section, but all rules still apply and can be addressed by moderation at any time.

• Please do not repeat yourself several times with the same or similar message.
• Inappropriate discussion and conduct, even if all participants find it to be acceptable, may be removed at moderation's discretion. The Shoutbox is a public discussion area and anything that can be viewed as hostile or offensive behavior is subject to removal, regardless of its actual innocence. It is not practical for moderation to track everyone's friendships and their respective strengths to know who is "joking".

Spamming

• Please do not make topics asking for information found in someone's profile such as birthday, Battle.net gateway, etc. In the end, it is up to the user to fill in information if they choose.
• Please make sure topics warrant a discussion or serve a meaningful purpose to the community. If your topic is addressed to an individual member, a private message or Shoubox shout would be more appropriate.
• Avoid double posting. If you accidentally double post, you are able to delete recent posts for a short period of time. Just press the delete button next to the edit button. If your previous post is over 72-hours old, an additional post with new content is acceptable as a form of bumping the topic.
• Only make your topic in one forum. If it is suitable for many, choose the one that you feel it fits best.
• Please actually contribute to discussion. If you are posting merely because you can or because you feel an impulse to HAVE to say something, please post on a different website. Posts exhibiting a lack of effort or thought will be removed at moderation's discretion.
• Avoid repeating what other posters have already said. Simple restatements without additions fail to contribute to discussion and are considered spam.
• If you take a poll and vote for something, please don't make a post of "I voted for [x]". Also, if you agree or disagree with something, please give an opinion or reason. Something like "I like blue" or "I dislike [x]" is a violation.

Topic Bumping

• You may bump a topic given a valid justification, such as an unanswered question. (ie, help with a trigger)
• You may NOT bump a topic because nobody wants to post there or because you feel it has not been given enough attention. While this may be upsetting to you, you will have to get over it. (or make a better post/topic!) Genuine interest in a topic is not forced.
• Do not bring a Q&A or assistance topic back from the dead if you are not the topic creator. Starting a new topic and referring to the old topic is generally better than bumping a year-old discussion.

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What happens if rules are broken?

• Actions taken for rulebreaking vary upon the severity of the offense, number of offenses, previous record, standing in the community, context, and other factors.
• Punishments include, but are not limited to: deletion of posts, closing of topics, editing of offending topics/posts/content, loss of staff position (if any), restriction of privileges, loss of features, account suspension, account termination, IP ban, complaints made to ISPs, employment of cruel yet clever coding, and legal action.

Is [X] allowed?

• If you aren't sure, please send a private message to a staff member or administrator and check first. Better safe than sorry.
• Doing something as a joke does not automatically exempt you from punishment. If you plan on violating a rule for the sake of a joke or other such scenarios, please get clearance from the moderation team first.

What if I see rule violations?

• Use this:
  This is the report button. Use it where available when you feel that rules have been broken. If it is not available, please PM moderators or administrators.
• Report and ignore is a field-tested strategy for handling rulebreakers. Moderators must be notified of problems because they do not read every post in every forum. Posting about it does not help, and a moderator seeing new posts on the forum index in absence of reports may assume that normal discussion is taking place.
• Be careful not to end up breaking the rules yourself. Flaming the flamer is still flaming and does violate the rules. Due to the nature of the internet, developing a thick skin and choosing your battles is highly recommended. Moderation is a job best left to the moderators.
• Moderators will not always agree with you. A post does not automatically become rule-violating by virtue of being reported. If reported posts are found to be in violation of the rules, they will be dealt with. If they are not, those posts have as much right to be here as yours do, and you'll have to learn to deal with it. You don't have to like every other member, but you do have to get along.

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