Allpoetry Rules

In a perfect world, everyone would behave and we wouldn't have any rules. But arguments break out, and sensationalism gets more reads, so we have some rules. We've tried as much as possible to maintain your freedom of speech.

Overview

  1. Your being here is contingent upon your interacting in a friendly manner with the community. We reserve the right to refuse service to this site to any one, for any reason, at any time
  2. Comments should be diplomatic. Please attempt to make negative comments constructive and gentle
  3. Contests are the responsibility and choice of the author they are created by, and we do not regulate whether rules are followed, if they are judged as promised, or how many entries are allowed. Contests cannot require entrants to comment on any specific person's poem. Requiring comments on random entrants or members is allowed. Trophies must be deserved.
  4. If you are sensitive to swear words, please turn on the profanity filter in your display settings
  5. The administration reserves the right to access all areas of the site. This means moderator managers can and will read your IM's if they deem it necessary for resolving disputes. Such reading is logged and reviewed for appropriateness
  6. If you have a concern or complaint about any page, use the 'content complaint' link below most pages
  7. Moderators generally do not seek out problems, and instead wait for users to contact us via the content complaint link
  8. If you are unhappy with an experience with a moderator, please contact our complaint agent, . In addition, there is a public 'Policy board' where you can start a discussion
  9. If you have what appears to be an irresolvable problem with another author, please put that author on your ignore list. If the problem still somehow persists, please contact one of the moderators who (if they agree) will attempt to handle the other author. If the problem persists one or both members may be banned

You Cannot

  1. Plagiarize works, claiming them as your own. This results in an immediate 1 week ban
  2. Post works that are not your own, even when you credit them. On User pages, this is only enforced by complaint.
  3. Public-domain foreign-language works that you have translated are considered your own. Credit should be given to the author at the top of the poem.
  4. Post works that are reference other members in a derogatory manner, as determined by the moderators
  5. Harass, stalk, or verbally abuse another user. Harassing a user who clicked on your featured bid but did not comment is not allowed.
  6. Spam ims (for soliciting reads, etc), comments (including 'fleshing out' for extra points), applause (applauding alternate identities or (excessively) friends) or board or chat posts clamoring for reads
  7. Use non-G rated language in usernames or author pages
  8. Post images that are pornographic, excessively violent, or otherwise disturbing, as determined by the moderators. Nudity is only allowed on pages that can be added to the adult category. View the image guide
  9. Post Stories and comments with sexual themes without including them in an adult, erotic, or adult humor category
  10. Disguise words to get around the profanity filter
  11. Promote illegal, racist, or overly disgusting activities. This includes rape, torture, pedophillia, death notices, incest, self-mutilation, cutting, suicide, and suicide notes. Posts about coping with this things are allowed.
  12. Pander for money, memberships or other things. This includes trading points for memberships and advertising for other websites.
  13. Engage in sexually explicit talk or commenting with children under the age of eighteen, including sexuality, desirability, or physical attributes. Or with anyone in public comments
  14. Lie about your age if you are a minor
  15. Troll, or consistently attempt to cause community unrest
  16. Repeatedly ignore moderator requests
  17. Attempt to get around bans by creating or using other accounts
  18. Protests must be kept to the policy bulletin board, and are not allowed in poems
When a member breaks the rules, they will first receive a warning, then a 3 day ban, 1 week ban, 1 month ban, 3 month ban, and lifetime ban. This is reset after 3-6 months of good behavior (depending on the severity of the incident)