Site Feedback Forum Rules and Guidelines - UPDATED 4/21/10

[The Admin]

Site Feedback Forum Rules and Guidelines

Welcome to the Site Feedback forum! Site Feedback (SF) is the place for Gaians to suggest enhancements, features, and ideas on how to make Gaia a better place overall. Keep in mind that SF is a forum, and not just a suggestion box. Discussion is encouraged on ideas suggested by users, so please express your opinions in a civil manner.


All ideas and opinions about Gaia are welcome here, with a few exceptions:

• Bug Reports & Technical Support Forum: All bugs and glitches on non-game related things go in the main forum. (Games Bugs has its own subforum.) Just double check the front page to see if there's another user with the same problem - if not, feel free to make your own thread.
  
• Questions & Assistance: A forum brimming full of super helpful Gaians to get you on your way.
  
• Petitions: Post your petition for features/items here to gather signatures.
  
• Report Advertisements: Adult oriented and other inappropriate ads sometimes slip through the filters. If you got one, please report it here.
  

Navigation:
Introduction
How to write an effective thread in SF
Posting Guidelines
Misplaced Threads
How to Report

[The Admin]

How to write an effective thread in Site Feedback

• Check the Rules and Guidelines below before posting.
  Make sure your thread fits in the SF forum and would not be more appropriate elsewhere.
  
  
• Use an informative title.
  An informative title not only gives your thread a focus, but it also attracts more attention from Users, Moderators, Developers and Admins alike.
  Good examples: "The new OMG widget works fantastic!" "Please bring back the "no mouth" option for our avatars".
  Bad examples: "OMG Gaia, not again" "Something that annoys me..."
  
  
• Be clear and concise.
  If you can state your idea in two paragraphs, there is no need for three paragraphs.
  
  
• Images help in clarifying ideas, sometimes.
  Using a few images to demonstrate an item or feature update you have in mind can be a great visual aid for your idea. Using too many images or distracting images can make your feedback become confusing. Use them wisely.
  
  
• Provide constructive feedback.
  Simply posting that you dislike/like something doesn't help the staff to plan future projects. Let them know what you didn't like, and try to offer suggestions to help shape projects. Alternatively, let them know what you like so that they can try to reproduce it.
  Good example: "Please add option X to feature Z"
  Bad example: "Feature Z is hard to work with"
  
  
• Visual presentation matters:
  11% of the male population is colorblind. 5% of young people are ADHD. Many people need corrective lenses for reading. Please make it easier for everyone by using a "clean" normal-sized format for your text.
  
  
• Being polite gets you heard.
  We understand not all feedback is positive, but if your topic is written in an extremely aggressive manner it's harder to get your point across and is likely to provoke negative reactions from other users.
  

[The Admin]

Posting Guidelines

• Long-term Threads:
  Sometimes users create threads with the intention of providing long-term, ongoing feedback on a specific part of Gaia. Long-term threads ARE allowed in this forum under certain circumstances. They should give clear, constructive criticism on a narrow focus of Gaia and be inviting to other users to post their opinions. If a long-term thread degenerates into a hang out thread, a place to simply spam, or becomes a spot for posting abusive content towards those who disagree, the original poster will be notified and given a chance to get the thread back on topic. Failure to abide by this request may result in the thread being moved and/or other consequences.
  
  If your original thread is either resolved or dead, please create a new thread if you wish to begin feedback on an entirely different aspect of Gaia.
  
  
  
• Multiple Topic Threads:
  Threads giving feedback on multiple topics ARE NOT allowed in the forum. Usually these take the form of "My opinions on Gaia" or "The Current State of Gaia and What Should be Done." The purpose of the Site Feedback forum is to give feedback on different aspects of Gaia, so a thread designed to give feedback on a dozen different aspects of Gaia is redundant to the purpose of the forum. These threads also have the tendency to get off-topic, turn into hang outs, or serve as a means of attacking users who disagree. If you wish to give feedback on several related topics in one thread that is acceptable. However, if you wish to give feedback on many different aspects of Gaia, please do that in different threads.
  
  To clarify: A thread entitled "The State of Flash Games" that encompasses all known issues in all flash games is too general, and would not be allowed in the forum. A thread specifically detailing Aquarium features would be acceptable, because it focuses on one specific issue (Aquariums) and then discusses features related to said issue (suggestions on fish, feedback on the Overseer/music/backgrounds, performance issues, etc).
  
  
  
• Repeat Threads:
  Repeat threads by different users ARE allowed in the SF forum. Often when a new feature comes out, many users will have different opinions on the topic, and differing suggestions. Users may post repeat threads on topics to discuss their varied opinions. However, SF is not the place for low content or spammy threads, so if your thread simply says "I love X feature" and does not generate any further discussion it may be moved on a case-by-case basis.
  
  If a thread is simply a repeat of a "Frequently Mentioned Issue" it may be moved.
  
  
  
• Bumping:
  While bumping is allowed in SF, it is strongly encouraged that user replies to threads provide productive feedback relevant to the topic. If you wish to continue discussion in a thread that has fallen off the first page, it is acceptable to bump to bring it back onto the first page. However, it is recommended that you only bump once per day to avoid filling a thread with nothing but "legal bumps." If your topic goes for multiple pages with nothing but bumps, it is likely that the topic at hand has run its course. In this case, letting the thread sink down and out of sight may be the best option.
  
  If a user is excessively bumping in the forum it may be treated as spam.
  
  Whilst "I agree", "Quoted For Emphasis (QFE)" and "Quoted For Truth (QFT)" posts which support another user's comment with only the bare minimum of additional content are permitted in Site Feedback, they are not encouraged. Please try to take a few seconds and include your own thoughts and ideas when contributing to this forum, as repeatedly posting in this manner may be viewed as spamming.
  
  
  
• No Idea/Criticism is Without Merit:
  Site Feedback is for discussing a wide variety of ideas and concerns regarding the site. With that, there will be cases where you may not agree with another Gaian's idea. It is okay to disagree in a respectful manner; it is not okay to be abusive to other Gaians that do not share your view point. Creating threads that bar other members from posting; example: "If you don't like my idea you can GTFO", will result in your thread or post being removed from the forum. The Terms of Service always apply on Gaia; the SF forum is no exception. If you feel another Gaian is being abusive towards you, please simply report the post and let a moderator follow up and deal with it.
  
  
  
• User Feedback
  Site Feedback is designed for ideas/suggestions/feedback about Gaia as a website. It is not a place to address or give feedback on other users (known as user feedback).
  
  Threads that are directed towards users rather than the site will be moved.

[The Admin]

Misplaced Threads

• Gaia related questions: Off to the Questions & Assistance forum you go!
  
  
• Gaia related discussion (not feedback): Take a look at the Main Forum index for all the main forums that Gaia has. As there are lots of sub forums, try clicking on the left hand icons (the wing above "Gaia Online" for example) to show all the sub forums in that category.
  
  
• Bugs, glitches & other technical stuff: Take a look at the Bug Reports & Technical Support Forum to see if there's another Gaian with your issue and post in their thread. If not, please feel free to create your own thread with all the information required by the forum guidelines.
  
  
• Spam: Spam her up, chat or bump to your hearts content in the Chatterbox - where anything goes as long as it's okay by the Terms of Service (TOS).
  
  
• Protesting a specific moderator action: If you have a question about a moderator action against your account, please send a PM to that moderator instead of making a thread in Site Feedback. They should be able to address your concern and offer you a more detailed explanation. If you feel that a specific moderator is targeting you unfairly for abuse or taking advantage of their powers (or if there is inappropriate behavior on a Staff member's part that you wish to have addressed) please send an email to [e-mail]. Keep in mind that this is for serious, legitimate complaints after you have already PMed the moderator in question asking for a clearer explanation regarding an action.
  
  
• Protesting a ban: If you feel that a ban has been unjustly put, the Gaian who was banned must fill out a General Inquiry form found under the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the page. Simply select "General Inquiry" from the drop down, and click the "here" to show the form.
  

[The Admin]

How to Report

Abuse of the report system will result in a warning or ban of your account.

Report a Post

Use the button when an individual post in a topic contains inappropriate content.

Reasons to Report a Post:


• The content of the post violates the Terms of Service or forum rules.
  
  
• The content of the post is off-topic.
  
  
• The member who made the post has a signature which violates the rules.

Report a Topic

Use the Report this Topic button at the bottom of the page when a topic is not appropriate for the forum.

Reasons to Report a Topic:


• The topic violates the Terms of Service or forum rules.
  
  
• The topic is in the wrong forum and should be moved to a more appropriate forum.

If you need to contact a moderator via Private Message, please use the "View Forum Moderator" link at the top of this forum to find a moderator.



Report Hacking, Scamming or Abuse & Harassment?

The Hacking, Scamming and Abuse or Harassment report forms can be found at the bottom of the forum index. When submitting a report, ensure that you fill out all fields and include as much relevant information as possible.

Report A Hacking
Use this form to report a Hacking. Hacking, on Gaia Online, refers to the unauthorized access of an account by someone other than the account owner. In most typical hacking cases, an unauthorized person enters an account which does not belong to him or her and takes items or gold from the account, often changing the account information so that the original owner can no longer access his or her account.

Report A Scamming
Use this form to report a Scamming. Scamming is when another member of Gaia takes your gold or items, or tries to take your gold or items, by making false promises of giving you rare items, get-rich-quick schemes, or by any other deceptive means. Scamming generally involves a situation in which two members of Gaia make an arrangement to trade gold, items, or a Gaia approved service (e.g. avatar art commission) with each other and then one of the parties involved in the arrangement fails to live up to his or her promise of an exchange.

Report Abuse or Harassment
Use this form to report ongoing Abuse or Harassment. If you are reporting harassment or abuse that is occurring directly in a thread, please use the "Report This Post" button instead.