Hey everyone! We've been working really hard on thinking about the type of community we want to build here, and so we've put together a couple of guidelines we're going to post on all of the areas of the site soon.

We think the most important thing is we want everyone to feel like they have a voice. Whenever we've sent out surveys after events, we get a lot of people say that they never use the forums because they're afraid of people being overly negative.

So, we've put together these guidelines, please give me whatever feedback you can think of in regards to them :)

Note: Not included on this page are "rewards" for being a helpful member of the community, frequently posting guides and helping new users ( is a good example of this). Nor is negative consequences for not following the guidelines included, which includes just being banned for periods of time from social areas of the site. We're still working on those things :)

Interesting concept. I would read those guidelines but get the "Oh No! Soon" and the error image when I clicked on that link. :(

I got an Oh No soon. Heh.

However. I kind of have to agree with others on the forums being negative. I haven't played very long, mind you. As an artist I've felt very ignored on the forums. Even when i've posted free events and such and made banners for the events. Very few people tend to join in. I understand it takes some doing to get excepted in to the art circil here because I'm new and people tend to have gotten burned by other newer artist who don't completed there goals ect ect.

However the SB is very different. I tend to hang out there a lot more. It's most of the time very friendly and inviting. I find the early morning SB to be very fun. If there is a new posts feed already I haven't found it, but if not once should be created so people can find new posts easier.

I also feel like Ping groups should be easy to navigate. My Ping group board is all crushed together so i can't even see how many people are in my group. This might just be me i have yet to create a ticket about it.

Hope this was at least kind of helpful. Lovely site you have.

Thanks.

The link to the guidelines doesn't work. An error pops up that says Oh no! Soon! :c

This one makes me very happy to see. I've had this issue you already (even a little in the SB) I'm an older player who has issue reading most days. People have gotten annoyed from time to time with me asking questions because I either can't read what it written or everything is jumbling together because of my brain.

I really should put that in my profile. ^^;

Thanks for fixing it !

I feel like there has been a bickering issue on the forums to, so maybe no fighting? Or a take it outside rule?

Its so bright and pretty. I like :) I like the second one the best, about respecting ideas.

I like it. Any time anything happens, there is a wave of negativity that comes with it. Maybe this will help tweak the direction that wave takes.

You're not the only one!

Let me suggest that in addition to the important reminders about sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc., there also be a reminder about bias on the bases of disability and culture. Not everyone's first language is English, and among those whose first language is English are people who because of age or disability have difficulty communicating fluently. You can help these people feel more welcome by "listening" to what they're trying to say, and responding directly and without use of slang or chatspeak which they may find confusing.

I like the community guidelines on that page.

I agree and think a reminder should be added into that guideline, that says something like "Do not make fun of others because they don't have 100% perfect grammar/spelling, as they may not be a native English speaker, or have some other disability." Or something like that.

Not sure if that ever really happens around here, but it might, since apparently the forums are a huge negative place, though I've never seen such negativity. Maybe I'm browsing the wrong parts of the forums?

The most negativity I see is in feedback when users voice their dislike for some new change (or lack thereof), or in suggestions when someone makes an apparent "silly" suggestion, others voice how unnecessary said suggestion would be, the OP gets upset, debates break out, yada yada... :B

I believe I have seen someone made fun of for their writing style. I can probably dig up the example later if necessary.

Really? jeeze... :( Then all the more reason to have this extra bit added to the rule.

Yeah, suggestion threads can get ugly :p I'm not sure if it was friendly teasing or just cruel, but as an outsider looking in on threads, I can only assume it was a low blow. Posts that show lack of respect to other users really bother me

I think these guidelines are really quite fair and agreeable.

BUT

I am the sort of person who will tell the bald truth on a social occasion.

Honestly, 98% or more of the communication I see on Subeta is positive, kind and helpful. I read a lot in the forums, and keep an eye on the sb, too.

I have seen a few negative moments and a few drama-seeking behaviors, but not really that many.

I think that myself and probably quite a few other players are very timid about the forums because we are refugees from that other pet site where the forums were an unbelievably cruel place 24/7/365. We learned on that site to never ask anything on the forums because we would be mocked, shamed, and reported. We quit filing tickets or help reports because they went nowhere-for months or years.

And when we finally ran away, we carried all of that fear and mistrust with us as baggage.

I think these guidelines are wonderful, and every community can do with a friendly reminder about good manners. But I feel it is necessary to point out that overall, Subetans are kind and gracious, and a few rare folks, or an occasional thoughtless comment does not change that basic fact.

Trying to find a way to assure people that the forums here are not a horrible place to be is more challenging. You already have quite a few players who are experienced, knowledgeable, and kind. Perhaps recognizing their efforts, and encouraging others to feel that they are able to be publicly helpful might be a start. (A Subeta 'embassy' complete with 'ambassadors' perhaps)

Just my two cents.

I think this was stated very well. I think you're right about everything you said.

I always felt that it should be the mini mod's duty to help out newer players, get them used to the fact that our forums actually have rules, and act as that ambassador you might be talking about. Right now, we simply don't have mods in a good amount of the forums.

I like your idea, and appreciate the compliment.

The problem with saddling the minimods with this task-especially concerning newer players or 'refugees' is that many of us are terrified that the appearance of any staff member means we are about to be iced. Maybe this is not as real an issue as I perceive, I can only view the matter through the lens of my own experiences. I think the reality is that a lot of our incoming players are fleeing that other site-I see something in the sb almost every day.

I'm no kid. My kids are all grown and gone. But the damage that other site did still strongly affects everything I do on Subeta, even after being here over a year. Making our 'refugee' community feel safe and welcome is a tough job. Ironically, it is often the regulars in the sb who do a lot of this, and they do it fairly well.

I just think as we are establishing Community Guidelines that a statement of Intent of what Subeta is is just as important as identifying all the behaviors that Subeta is not.

The first step is awareness that many of us are refugees. From there it becomes easier to help new players transition from that refugee feeling into happy, friendly Subetans.

Neopets is not Voldemort, you can say its name. With its recent issues, there seems to be an influx of new members from neo lately. I think a majority of Subeta members once played neo. Not all, but a lot of the users.

does a nice job in the welcomes and introductions of welcoming new users and directing them to some useful threads. Not all new users go to that forum though. Some users aren't very social or are afraid to use the forums, but after most encounters with staff, they should learn that they are approachable and are there to help out. I don't think mini mods will mind helping out new users or users who just need some direction and extra help. They should have applied to be a mod because they enjoy helping users. This is why I would like to be one if they ever accept applications again. The guidelines do state that no one knows everything (I think? I read a staff-made post that stated this, I figure the guidelines), so people should be empathetic and help out when they can.

I hope I made sense here, I tend to lose my focus and direction when I post from my phone sometimes.

Thanks for all the clarity!

I think between the two of us, we have sufficiently waved this matter around, I think that this entire idea will end up creating a lot of positive changes here. Makes me feel very happy, and proud to be here. Sounds corny, but it is true.

I support this :) I think overall I've met lovely and wonderfully supportive people here, but at times a jerk ruins my day by either insulting me or a friend.

Short and sweet, I think this is a very good set of guidelines. They aren't blunt like "no racism or ur banned" and are rather cheerful to read actually, so I think they will make people adhere to these guidelines a little better! I think they make us feel very welcoming rather than "here are the rules, follow them." Will love to see where this goes.