Comedies Forum Standards

[Queen of Noise]

Hey folks, and Welcome to the Comedies forum! This is the are of BZPower where you can post humourous fiction, so long as it's Lego-related (Bionicle, Hero Factory, Aquanauts, Exploriens, Blacktron - it's all good!). This place is supposed to fun and it's our job to keep things clean and enjoyable for everyone. Unfortunately this forum has a history of mischief, so we've got to lay down some ground rules to keep the playground safe. Don't worry: it's all very simple. Just take a moment to read through these, please!Comedies Forum Standards

 

• [*]

Keep it clean. Use your heads; I know you aren't simple. No sex scenes, no potty humour, graphic violence, et cetera. There are kids here.[*]No review topics are allowed. Please just use the story thread for comments.[*]No spam. This applies both to both the stories themselves and to comments on them.[*]Building off that: No role-playing. We have another forum for that.[*]No double-posting unless you're posting a new chapter. Just edit your last post.[*]PM requests to guest star; don't post them Posting to say you've PMed something like this is also prohibited.[*]Personal story collections must be in Short Stories. Even if you haven't written any short stories, please keep all collection topics in that forum. Said topics may contain links to stories on both the old and new forum versions.[*]Be nice. Please?

Wasn't that simple? Below I'll be posting further details in case anything is confusing, as well as helpful tips for posting here. Please refer to them if you have any questions, and if you have any more after that just ask one of the staffers assigned here! Happy posting.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Hahli Husky

[Queen of Noise]

Oh hey cool you're still here. All right, so I tried to keep the above rules very simple and easy-to-read, that everybody can understand them without a problem. but if you want a little more clarification on why I've got these rules in place here, or if there's anything you don't quite understand, read on. This post will go into detail about the rationale behind each rule and define some of the terms I've used that might be unfamiliar to you if you're new.I'll just go in order of the rules themselves -

 

 

Keep it cleanThere are kids on this site, and while I don't want to sound like some kind prude in a moral panic, come on guys: keep it clean. Hey man, we can swear and be crass in our own homes all we want; there's nothing wrong with adults being "adult," but when there are kids around, let's all tone it down, all right? It's really very simple and it's just basic respect for others.Some specifics on what's disallowed...

• [*]

Sexual content. This is a no-brainer. No nudity, no sex, et cetera. Keep things relatively "PG" on this front. If people from other countries with different film rating systems wants to tell me what the equivalent rating in their countries are, I'll add them in here to make this clear to everyone.[*]Swearing. Again, keep it PG. Don't use words you wouldn't hear in a kids' film. I shouldn't have to explain this stuff, guys, yeesh![*]Excessive violence. Let's keep the blood and gore to tasteful levels, bro.[*]"Potty humor." Scatological stuff, like jokes about flatulence or defecation, are on the other end of the spectrum, namely that they're way too immature for BZPower. There are kids here, but let's not treat each other like fools. Respect!

No Review TopicsThere isn't a lot to clarify on this one. Given the less-than-serious nature of the stories here, there's really no need to delineate the replies from the chapters. Comedies is a much more social community than the rest of the library forum and this rule helps continue to encourage that - it's not a bad thing! Way back when we allowed them, review topics just cluttered up the forum and engendered confusion and spam.No SpamOr, to put it simply: no pointless or useless posts.That really explains everything, but I'm going to clarify anyway!So "SPAM" stands for "Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages." This includes posts that don't give real feedback, don't contribute tot he discussion, and don't have any real point. There are a lot of different forms spam can take, and making a comprehensive list would be impossible, but here are some major varieties we see frequently in Comedies:

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"Generic Spam" - useless, non-constructive reviews like "Very good, KUTGW!" or "I laughed so hard!" or "I can't wait 'til the next chapter!!" or "This is stupid!" or "What a dumb story I hated it!"[*]All-emoticon posts - If you're just posting " ," there is something very wrong with your post. Namely, the fact that you didn't really make a post at all.[*]"Block-Quote Spam" - for some reason this grew in frequency in recent years. Basically, this is when people quote portions of the comedy and making a "Generic spam" comment beneath it. Guys, this is the same thing as generic spam; adding a big quote above it doesn't change anything.[*]Topic-bumping - This is usually done by the topic starter, with posts like "Thanks for the comments" or "I'm working on the next chapter!" or (the worst) "Keep posting, people!" Come on guys, that's just sleazy behaviour. We'll have none of that shameless self-promotion in my forum!![*]Even worse than topic-bumping is Threat Spam - this happens when an author literally demands posts by saying things like "I won't continue unless I get more posts!" or "I'll post another chapter when more people guest-star." Guys. Please don't do this. Do I really have to explain how bratty and obnoxious that kind of behaviour is?? No brats allowed here! It violates the "Be Nice" rule, which is the most important one.

Note also that stringing all these things together does not a legitimate post make. A bunch of spam clumped together is still spam!PM Guest Star RequestsThis one's entirely self-explanatory: If you want to guest star in a comedy, as is a tradition in this forum, PM the author rather than posting your request in the topic. The reason we have this rule is because, before we introduced it, comedy threads would fill up with countless spam posts saying "Can I guest star?" and little more. This is just a way of curbing that - plus, it keeps your character secret from the readers until you debut!And lastly..........Be Nice!It's very simple. Treat others with respect, decency, and tolerance. Don't insult others, don't be obnoxious, don't be rude...et cetera. All you need is love, guys. <3

Edited April 9, 2013 by Hahli Husky

[Queen of Noise]

Comedies Administrative DialogueGot a question? Got something you want to say to the moderating staff of the Comedies forum? There are lots of ways you can get in touch with us - you can PM Hahli Husky or one of the assistants; or you can post your question right here in this topic. We do request that personal questions or disputes that need settling be confined to PM, but if you just have general policy questions or are confused by anything, go ahead and ask here!PS: Many thanks to Jen and Bryan for being greatAlso thanks to Becca for fixing my spelling errors!

Edited April 9, 2013 by Hahli Husky

[Toa Zaz]

If you don't mind my asking, how would we have nudity in a written story? Do you mean one of those poems where the words take a shape?

[MT Zehvor]

I'm pretty sure the rule refers to no implications that someone is naked, or no writing in sexual content into your story. -MT

[- JL -]

I've never seen comedies try and tell that. Plus, how do bionics and Lego Bricks get naked?Only time people get close to it would maybe be those human and bionicle mingle stories, and writing 'I got changed' or sumtin.

[Friar Tuck]

There are ways, trust me. There is also no reason to discuss how or why either, all you need to know is DON'T do it. That is all, move along

[- JL -]

Is there any max limit for guest stars? Since maybe things might get out of hand...

[Friar Tuck]

As far as I know there is no limit, but please use common sense. I really don't see the need for two, maybe three at the utmost max.

[ZTG]

Can you add characters that are non-lego related or do I have to write my comedy in the completly off topic area for that?

[Queen of Noise]

Alt. D, As long as the story is still primarily Lego-related, it can feature non-lego characters, but if the majority of the content is off-topic, put it in COT.JI1223 X, trust me, people have done it. If I had a dollar, for every sex fic I've had to delete from BZPower over the years...we'll, I'd have at least fifty dollars, haha. We're not trying to imply that sex or nudity are bad things, but since BZPower is an all-ages, kid-friendly web site, we've got to disallow that kind of content. It's pretty simple!Apologies to all for taking a while to respond to this thread! I need to figure out how to subscribe to it or something.

[Toa Zaz]

You said it has to be kid's film-level appropriate.Does "Rango" count?

[Queen of Noise]

You said it has to be kid's film-level appropriate.Does "Rango" count?

I haven't seen that film, so PM me if there's particular content that you're concerned about and we can discuss it.

[Toa Zaz]

You said it has to be kid's film-level appropriate.Does "Rango" count?

I haven't seen that film, so PM me if there's particular content that you're concerned about and we can discuss it.

To make a long story short, it pushes its PG rating a little bit.

[Queen of Noise]

I'd have to hear a description of what specifically in it pushes the rating and what kind of content you'd be lookin to include in your comedy. Like I said, PM me or IM me and I'll listen and make a decision.

[TLhikan]

What is the number of days that can past after the last post in a comedy in which it's topic can be posted in? -TLhikan

[Voltex]

What is the number of days that can past after the last post in a comedy in which it's topic can be posted in?-TLhikan

I don't believe there is a specific waiting period before being able to post in a topic. Double posting isn't allowed all across BZPower (including here in Comedies), but if you're the author of the comedy then you become the exception in certain situations.

• Nobody has replied since your last chapter- feel free to post the next one.
• Nobody has replied since your last post, but you have a chapter ready.

Other than that, however, stay away from double posting. If you reply in a comedy and nobody else ever does... well, there's not really any reason to post in that comedy again anyway. -ibrow

[TLhikan]

What is the number of days that can past after the last post in a comedy in which it's topic can be posted in?-TLhikan

I don't believe there is a specific waiting period before being able to post in a topic. Double posting isn't allowed all across BZPower (including here in Comedies), but if you're the author of the comedy then you become the exception in certain situations.

• Nobody has replied since your last chapter- feel free to post the next one.
• Nobody has replied since your last post, but you have a chapter ready.

Other than that, however, stay away from double posting. If you reply in a comedy and nobody else ever does... well, there's not really any reason to post in that comedy again anyway. -ibrow

Actually, I guess I mis-phrased my question. I should have asked how long after a chapter in someone else's comedy is posted are you allowed to review? Basically what are the revival rules?-TLhikan

[TinkerTech]

There are no revival rules in the Libraries forum. As it was stated in the old forums, "Creativity cannot be rushed." An author can post a new chapter whenever they like, which could be anywhere from seven days to seven months to seven years (although most authors don't take that long.) It's usually stated in the rules at the top of the page, but it must not have made the transition last year. So a member can post in a topic in the libraries forum that hasn't been posted in since January. (Actually, I can't recall if this rule applies to the whole Library forum or just the Comedies forum. I'm sure McSmeag can clear it up.)

[Velox]

(Actually, I can't recall if this rule applies to the whole Library forum or just the Comedies forum. I'm sure McSmeag can clear it up.)

The rule applies to the whole Library forum, as well as any story topic in COT -- basically any story topic has no revival rule. Edited July 25, 2012 by Velox

[MetaStriker]

Excuse me, but I posted a new chappy shortly after another, and the two were merged into one post. Why?

 

~LTT~

[Velox]

Excuse me, but I posted a new chappy shortly after another, and the two were merged into one post. Why?

 

~LTT~

 

This is because you posted the chapters too quickly. There used to be a rule, I think, about posting only one chapter per day (maybe that was only in Epics, though). Either way, if you post twice in a row quickly, the board will automatically merge the posts in order to prevent double posting. I forget what exactly the time limit is, but I'd suggest just waiting a day between posting new chapters. If you wait a day, you'll have no problem with your posts merging into one another. Otherwise, you could try posting earlier and run the risk of having your posts merge together automatically again.

 

[Hahli Husky]

After much deliberation, the 300-word rule has been removed.

 

 

The 300-word minimum rule in Comedies was originally instated because, at the time, it was the nature of many Comedies authors to constantly churn out repetitive, spam-filled chapters like little keyboard-mashing factories. I've never noticed such an issue in SS and Epics, and recently in Comedies, this problem has really calmed down.For a long time on BZP, we had to worry about bandwidth sizes and server overloads. Just a couple years after it was launched, BZP was rather limited and became overcrowded. If you posted a topic in any Library forum, especially Comedies, and it received no replies, your topic was off the front page within 24 hours. Comedies authors struggled to be noticed amid some very talented and popular competition.So to some, it seemed the easy way out was to post chapters as often as possible, no matter the quantity of words or quality of story. I think the Comedies leaders at the time felt that the 300-word-rule was the most effective way to curb this. There would be at least 10 reports a day about writers who had broken the rule. The concern wasn't the need to control content, though many staff appreciated this additional "benefit" offered by the rule. The point was to try to curb server and bandwidth overloads.Nowadays, the activity has decreased drastically while server performance has increased. We don't need to worry about overloading the site anymore. All the 300-word-rule does is try to control content. For a long time now, it has been assumed by staff and members alike that this rule was designed to do just that.

 

However, I feel that trying to control non-harmful content in a creative forum is wrong. In this case, I feel that making people adhere to a minimum word limit is stifling to creativity and growth, especially for those who are just starting out and have less experience in sharing their writing. I've been taking the time to study Comedies and see if the 300-word-rule can be easily lifted, and I believe now is a good time to join the Off-Topic Creative forum and put this rule away.

 

There will be no further debate regarding this. If you posted a comedy that was locked for being under 300 words, it will not be reopened. No exceptions. However, you are welcome to repost it yourself.

 

Thank you for your understanding.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Hahli Husky