Word Games Forum Rules & Guidelines [UPDATED 1/23/09!]

[The Admin]

Word Games Forum Rules and Guidelines

Welcome to the Word Games (WG) forum! Word Games is intended for casual word games between users.


As a member, it is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the forum's rules before posting. Posting in this forum implies that you read and understand the rules and guidelines and that you accept responsibility for the appropriateness of your thread or post.


Navigation:

1. Introduction
   
2. General Posting Guidelines
   
3. Frequently Asked Questions in Word Games
   
4. How to Report

[The Admin]

General Posting Guidelines

Please be sure to follow the Terms of Service and Rules and Guidelines here, as in all forums.

Common violations to avoid:

Creating Duplicate Games. Duplicate games are NOT permitted unless the specific game is inactive or otherwise unable to be posted in (posting errors, glitches, archiving). In the event of a duplicate game, the moderator will remove the most recent iteration of the game, regardless of post count or history.

Exclusive Games. Games in the word games forum should be accessible to all members. Games that segregate the community do not belong here. For example "the x forumer above you" topics. You may create these sorts of threads in the chatterbox.

Spam. Posts that are gibberish, off-topic, contain advertisements or begging, or have low or no content are considered spam. Please ensure that your posts are on topic and contain an appropriate amount of discussable content.

Flaming & trolling. Posts directed at another member which are hateful, abusive, or intentionally inflammatory are considered flaming. Making intentionally inflammatory or provocative posts to incite responses from other members is considered trolling.

Terms of Service violations may result in a warning or a ban on your account.

If you find Terms of Service violations, or threads that may need moved to a different forum, please use an appropriate report. The procedures for doing so can be found here.

You can find online moderators by following the "View Forum Moderators" link at the top of the forum.


Gaia Staff will NEVER ask for your password! If anyone asks you for your password, report it.

[The Admin]

Frequently Asked Questions in Word Games

• What's a Word Game?
  A word game is defined as a thread that has a continual set of rules or obligations that dictate the nature of the conversation or participation in it, that fits the general description of a "game", and does not belong in any other forum.
  
  
• What are the different types of Word Games?
  Below is a list of all the basic kinds of games that can be found in Word Games:
  
  

  Quote:

  "Person Above You" Games -Nearly all the word games we have in this forum are "Person Above You" type games. They involve responding to, or explaining something about, the avatar or user whose post is above yours.
  
  "Person Below You" Games -
  An inverse of the "Person Above You" game. These threads use the same rules as person above you games only you are required to explain something to the user that posted after you. Throwing games often use this format.
  
  Alphabet Games -
  Games where you must post a word or lyric that begins with a specific letter (or any variation on that) are alphabet games. (A note, there are many, many games like this--please make sure you are not posting a duplicate thread, or it will be considered spam and will be deleted/moved by a moderator.)
  
  Counting Games -
  Self-explanatory. Counting games involve counting up or down from a specific number.
  
  Riddle/Puzzle Games -
  Games where the original poster asks you to solve a riddle or puzzle fall into this category (oddly enough). It should be noted that these games require a lot of effort on the part of the original poster to keep running--please make certain the original poster is still active before you post to one of these games.
  
  Quotes -
  Games where the original poster asks you to post either random quotes or a favorite quote that pertains to the given theme. Most of these games deal with movie and television quotes and often require effort to be put into the game to keep it alive.
  
  Random Post Games -
  Games where you are given set rules and themes but require no real interaction on behalf of the users. Games like, "What Song Are you Listening to Now" and "What Underwear are you Wearing Right Now" are examples of games that fit into this category. Games like these are run on set rules and a basic theme but have no real user interaction to them.
  
  Tag Games -
  Games where you are given a certain theme in the rules to which you are required to stick to in play. Tag Games are run like Alphabet Games only they rely on the usage of one common theme with the games. Themes can run from book series to Movies.
  
  Story Creation Games -
  Games where you create a story. Another game that doesn't last very long due to the amount of effort they take, story games don't rely on themes but on the fact that you are limited to the amount of words you can have in a single sentence.
  
  Guessing Games -
  Games that ask you to guess from a list of clues given by a user. Guessing games all have preset themes and preset asking limits in the rules in which you are asked to follow. These games don't last long due to the effort needed to keep them alive.

  
  
  
• Where can I find the rules for each thread?
  All the word games should have a list of rules in their first post, or a set of instructions. These rules should be followed to the letter! The creators of word games deserve to have their rules obeyed--continued failure to follow the rules may result in moderator action.
  
  
• Why aren't Typing Games Considered Word Games?
  Because they are not games. Therefore it becomes an empty space that just sits there with nothing else. Typing Games that ask you to type with a part of your body and such are not games at all. Those are a form of spam and have no game value to them.
  
  
• My thread isn't getting any responses! Why won't people play my game?
  Many factors could play into why a thread does not get responses from other forum users. Your rules could be too complex, your theme could be a repeat of one that is currently getting a lot of play or your game may require effort from other users in order to play. It's always helpful to take the time and search through the top ten pages of the forum before you make a thread. Duplicate threads of already-made games will be moved to the Recycle Bin.
  
  
• My thread disappeared! Where did it go?
  Chances are, you posted a duplicate thread or a thread that doesn't belong in this forum and a moderator moved it. You should receive a PM explaining where the thread was moved to.
  
  

[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.