IRC rules

Introduction

While you stay at our IRC channels, we expect you to follow these rules. You are expected to have read and understood this page. Ignorance of these rules is not an excuse.

The most basic of all rules is: Have manners.

Note that since many people speak English as a second language, you should make sure that what you are writing is proper English, and understandable.

What you must do

• Please go to #macMule if you want to talk/ask about aMule on MacOS X.
• Speak English. For other languages, visit our forums.
• Search before you ask. In many cases, your questions have already been answered before. Places to search include, the Forums, the Wiki and Google.
• Private conversations should be conducted via a query (/query <nick>).

What you must not do

• You must not violate any of your contry's laws nor any of the European Community laws nor any of the USA laws nor any of the international laws while staying at any of our channels. Sounds funny? Well, it's not.
• You must not talk about anything that doesn't regard directly (in the most strict way) to aMule as an application. Exceptionally, you may ask questions about the ed2k and Kademlia protocols, but an answer is not guaranteed.
• You must not talk, directly or indirectly, about any copyrighted non-free (in the beer way) material.
• You must not talk about any website which breaks any of our channels rules.
• You must not provide any URL which's contents break any of our channels rules.
• You must not provide any ed2k link.
• You must not do any kind of publicity about anything unless some channel operator allows you to do so.
• Do not flood. Not even a little. More than three lines in a row will be enough to be considered flooding.
• Don't ask to ask. Just ask!
• You must not ask anything if you haven't at least tried a little to find out the answer on your own. Did I seay "try a little"? I mean "try as hard as you can".
• You must not ask repeatedly for a question. Wait at least an hour before asking again, even if you get answer. Asking the same question using different words won't make the trick either.
• You must not use any away message.
• You must not use any bots in the channels unless some channel operator allows you to do so.
• Do not split whatever you want to say into several different short lines. This is not Instant Messaging. This is IRC. Get used to it.
• You must not use abreviated words or non-standard language.
• You must not type with capital letters nor use more than two exclamation marks in a single line (scream).
• You must not insult, flame, blame, begin a war, fight, etc.
• You may not enter and leave the channel as if you were hiding from someone. Decide whether you want to enter or leave the channel and then do so. Not the other way round.

What you can do

You can do anything you wish as long as it is not forbidden in any rule in this article. Anyway, we'd like to make emphasis in some things which you can do in our channels which are sometimes forbidden in many other channels around:

• You can talk to the aMule Team. They are the official channels, so the Team is hearing. Just wait some time till they read. And make no doubt they will read you.
• You can stay idle as long as you wish.
• You can answer questions to other people even if they weren't asking you, as long as you know what you are talking about and as long as what you answer is what you really believe to be true/right.

Suggestions

• Try to always ask & answer in an objective way.
• If you ask a question, wait for a few hours for an answer. Most of the time people are idle (not in front of the computer), so it may take long till someone reads your question. Just don't leave that fast.
• If you get an answer don't become sceptic about what you are told. Otherwise just don't ask.
• Use the latest stable aMule release.
• Distro specific questions, even if regarding aMule, should go the distro's channel or forums. Most surely we won't know the answer.
• Now here is The BIG Suggestion (c): Think, then act.

What if a rule is not clear?

These rules are made by the channels operators.

The only people who know exactly what they mean are them. You must try to understand what operators think the rules mean. And in case of doubt, just stay silent or ask what is meant.

Channel operators may charge on you if they consider you to have broken some rule as interpretated by them. And the interpretation may vary depending on the mood, the phase of the moon, the colour of the clouds, the price of gas and pizza or the size of the bribe.

Consequences

Failure to comply with these rules will result in being kicked from the channel.

Anyone who repeatedly breaks these rules, or who grossly violates the rules will face a ban. The length of the ban depends entirely on our mood.