[Sam]

From this moment on, automatic banning will be in effect based on infraction points. They break down as such:

1 Infraction Point: No banning yet; but this is your first and ONLY warning.
2 Infraction Points: 1-day banning.
3-5 Infraction Points: 7-day banning.
6-10 Infraction Points: 2-week banning.
11 Infraction Points: PERMANENT BANNING. If you haven't learned your lesson by now, there's no point keeping you as a member.

If you have incurred infraction points, they will expire within a month after you receive them, as long as no additional infraction points are incurred.

Example: Johnny gets an infraction point; Johnny realizes his mistake and is a good boy for a whole month afterwards, and gets no additional infraction points for that whole month; a month after his first infraction point, Johnny's infraction point count is reset to "0", and Johnny starts over. But if Johnny still behaves badly while his 1 infraction point is still in effect, and he receives an additional infraction point, another 30 days will be tacked on to the expiration date still left on his first infraction point.

Note: Because this is a new policy, most users' infraction count will be reset at "0".

Infraction points will be decided by the MODs, based upon posts as being overtly and unnecessarily insulting, as well as for aggressive behavior, which can include bullying of other members. Basically, if you incur infraction points, it's entirely YOUR fault, not ours.

This isn't the PC police, so you won't be penalized for language, ideas, thoughts expressed on any part of the forum; but there is a limit to free speech. Long story short: turn a thread into what this thread has become (one vindictive accusation followed by another, by another, etc) will incur infraction points.

How to report posts you find as meeting the above criteria? On the top of everyone's post, there is a "Report Post" icon. () If the MODs decide that it meets the criteria to give infraction points, they will do so. This will usually involve a discussion in the Private MOD forum, where your reported posts are automatically delivered for reviewing purposes.

WARNING: Excessive abuse of the Report Post option, for the express purpose of getting another member banned as part of personal vendettas, will result in you receiving infraction points yourself. We will use our judgment as to what qualifies as an abuse of the system.

I want to make this clear: overtly aggressive and bully behavior WILL NO LONGER BE TOLERATED.