Laws of the Land, Please Read

1. Do not post topics or replies containing:

-Subjects which have already been discussed numerous times (please search first).
-Flames directed towards other users (possible temporary ban).
-Anything not relating to the original subject of the topic.
-Images linked from other sites without their permission (simply giving a URL is much more polite).
-Racist and hate speech material (this will be met with a swift ban).
-Gore and excessive violence (both photographic and animated).
-Pornography and strongly sexually suggestive material (both photographic and animated).
-Material generally considered rude, vulgar or crass.
-Links to gratuitous examples of the above is prohibited.

It's sometimes reasonable to link to an external resource that contains borderline material because of it's redeeming attributes (an article about a breakthrough in medical science with graphic pictures of surgery for instance) but it's polite to warn people about what they might see. Please note this is simply netiquette and not a license to break this rule.

2. Do not make needless, incessant usage of:

-Emoticons.
-Line breaks or ALL-CAPS.
-Nested quotes.
-Giant fonts.
-Bad language. Mild cursing is tolerated in moderation, but be careful of your tone, especially against fellow posters.

3. Ensure that your signature:

-Does not exceed 400 pixels in width and 150 pixels in height.
-Does not exceed 100 kb in size.
-Contains only 1 image. Although, multiple smilies are acceptable if accompanied by text only.
-Does not contain annoying animations.
-Follows all the rules applying to posts themselves.

Large, ugly and slow loading signatures visually pollute the forums, enlarge threads and slow down modem users. Show respect for your fellow posters by ensuring your signature, if used, is somewhat discreet, space efficient (avoid using vertical content) and quick loading.

4. Ensure that your new topics are in the correct forum.

5. Ensure that your avatar:

-Does not exceed 100 pixels in width or 100 pixels in height.
-Does not exceed 10 KB in size.
-Does not contain annoying animations.

6. Do not post SPAM!

-Spam includes personal web sites and other forums also!
-Spammers will receive a swift kick in the ass, as well as a lengthy ban.
-Under no circumstances are you allowed to post Pyramid, MLM schemes, referral programs or money scams.

7. No illegal content.

-Material concerned with illegal drugs and drug use.
-Material concerned with making weapons and explosives or committing crimes.
-Pirated software, music, or other media, including modern commercial game emulation, file sharing networks and ways of circumventing copy protection.

Discussing the implications, ethics and other theoretical aspects of these subjects is acceptable, but promoting, advocating or providing specific details is not.

8. Miscellaneous Rules.

-Make use of the preview function (the preview checkbox that sits next to the 'submit new thread' button is a powerful tool that will show you exactly how your post, profile picture and signature will look before you add it to the forums. You can use it to check your vb codes and other formatting, as well as seeing how your profile and signature looks without making "test" threads, and save yourself from having to fix blatant mistakes with edits).
-If you forget to add something to your post, DO NOT reply to your own post, simply EDIT your original post by using the 'edit post' button.
-If you have a large picture to display, either in file size or dimensions, link it (stretching threads is a no-no, and if it occurs, your expected to edit your post to fix it).
-If you're not a moderator, don't feel compelled to act like one (if someone is breaking a rule in a way that annoys you or makes you feel uncomfortable, feel free to tell them that you don't think they should be doing that. Do not travel the forums looking for people who you feel are breaking rules so you can tell them off. Do not copy-paste quote sections of the rules at people. Do not warn people of the rules when they first arrive - that can be insulting. If someone is being a nuisance on the forums, and a moderator is aware of the situation, consider backing off. Goading and provoking troublemakers takes control of the situation away from the moderator and makes their role more difficult).
-If you're new to the forums, you can simply join in on existing threads, or start one of your own to announce your presence (if you do start an introduction thread, please take the time to tell us about yourself, because while we're generally friendly and interesting people it's difficult to respond to "Hi, I'm new. Bye.").

But most of all, just be yourself, use your common sense, treat others with understanding and respect and have fun!

9. Do not argue with the enforcement of the above commandments.

-If any of the PewterKrew staff tells you to comply with one of these rules, you must comply.
-If you argue the rules, you'll be warned.
-Keep it up, and you'll receive a temporary ban.

10. Enjoy the PewterKrew Forums!

If you have any problems, just make a post in the appropriate forum and somebody will be glad to help you. The moderators are here to make everyone's visit more enjoyable, so if you experience any problems with abusive users, please tell a moderator.