Overview

The deviantART messaging network (hereafter referred to as dAmn) is an integral part of the communications network for the deviantART community. In the normal course of events the administrative actions of chat room founders and operators are limited to the dAmn network and do not cross over into the other areas of deviantART. However, there can and will be times when staff intervenes and ensures that a punishment issued on the dAmn network be used to affect interaction on other areas of the deviantART website.

dAmn chatrooms are classified as either official or unofficial and will be marked accordingly.

All official dAmn chat rooms are supported and moderated by the official deviantART Message Network Administrators (hereafter referred to as MN@) and are subjected to all applicable deviantART policies and rules of behavior.

All unofficial chat rooms are the personal creations of one or more of your fellow deviants. The rules and regulations of these unofficial, and personally created, chat rooms may vary according to the whims of its founding deviant and may not follow the common goals of deviantART etiquette. All abuses which transpire within an unofficial, private, chat room should be first reported to that particular chat rooms operators followed by the founder(s) who will take whatever action they deem necessary.

Official deviantART staff will only intervene within personal chat rooms under unique or extreme circumstance involving abuse or where the integrity of deviantART or dAmn is at stake. Address all concerns regarding private chat rooms to their respective operators and founders prior to contacting a member of the MN@.

The deviantART etiquette policy, as a guide for tolerable behavior will be the cornerstone in defining appropriate conduct on dAmn. Individuals continually acting against the rules of conduct for this network will face appropriate administrative actions.



Abusing Public Communication/Spamming

Avoid excessive shouting (use of all-caps), excessive word streeeeeeeetching or flooding (continuous posting of repetitive text) in public chat. Flooding is defined as any rapid or high-volume posting that interferes with other people's ability to converse. This includes but is not limited to images, or text; the discretion of the acting Admin will be used to determine the level of a flood.

The posting of unsolicited advertisements for deviantART profiles, external web pages or large random copy / paste of texts is also considered spamming. This behavior is considered rude and will not be permitted.



Harassment/Inappropriate Language

Inappropriate language can include any language that in any way looks like, sounds like, or abbreviates any of the following: profanity, sexual content, explicit language, inappropriate references to sexual preferences, or slurs (including but not limited to racial, ethnic, religious, or sexual).

We reserve the right to remove anyone who advocates or encourages expressions of violence, bigotry, racist, or hatred.

Actions that incite others into violating these policies will not be tolerated.

We encourage our members to treat each other with respect. Do not use any of the public channels to threaten, harass, stalk, or abuse others.



Keep It Legal

Acting in an illegal fashion or discussion of illegal activities is not tolerated. deviantART is not responsible for anything you say on dAmn or for consequences that arise from what you say. Those that violate this basic rule will be solely held responsible.

Asking for or providing assistance pertaining to the procurement of pirated software or media is not permitted.

The use of dAmn to circulate or distribute defamatory, obscene, sexual, or other unlawful material, text, or images is strictly prohibited.

The use of dAmn for chats relating to illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia is strictly prohibited.

Discussion or requests for help with self-mutilation or suicide will not be tolerated. If you feel you may be considering hurting yourself please consult local authorities or refer to our Help with Life forum

The use of dAmn to link to external web pages that violate these rules is strictly prohibited.



No Thanks, We Don’t Want Any

The dAmn Network is not to be utilized for commercial purposes without the express consent of deviantART, Inc. (this does not include the promotion of on site prints in appropriate channels).



Accept Responsibility

You are responsible for anything you say while connected to dAmn, and for protecting your own system.

You are responsible for any actions you take based on information you receive online. Use your own judgment when evaluating information provided through the use of dAmn.

We caution you against giving out personal information (such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, addresses or phone numbers) to strangers online. This type of personal information is not allowed in official chatrooms.



Bans

Bans are given for a minimum of no less than 24 hours. When banned, a user is to consult the MN@ staff member with any concerns by use of the +helpdesk. If the user is unhappy with the result of that consultation, they are welcome to take their concerns to °euphoria, manager of the MN@. If you still feel dissatisfied, you may note °jark. However, be advised that °jark will not discuss the issue with you unless you have already talked to °euphoria, and °euphoria will not discuss it unless you have already used the Help Desk.

The creation or use of existing accounts for the purpose of ban evasion will not be tolerated and will result in the extension of the ban period, as well as a possible ban on all accounts from deviantART itself.



#devart & Other Official Rooms

The mood of #devart should remain relaxed and civil. We are striving to afford people as much room to speak freely while ensuring that things do not get out of hand. People should feel comfortable in #devart in that *anyone* should be able to speak their mind without fear of repercussions from the Administrators. Only when an individual’s behavior falls in to categories previously defined will an Op take action.

Because dAmn is a global community, people of many nationalities and languages can be found in the chatrooms. To help the MN@ staff, all official chatrooms are English speaking rooms only.


Unoffiical Chatrooms Policies

DAmn is for everyone, and we welcome you to create a channel for almost any reason you like; whether it be for music discussion, to find people in your area, or to trade art and photography. However, there are a few types of channels that we do not allow:

Sexual Themes: We do not allow deviations of an explicit sexual nature on deviantART, and so we do not allow channels that are for the discussion of explicit sexual topics. The use of channels for "cybersex", or the acting out of sexual situations, is also not allowed.

Self-Mutilation and Suicide: Channels for the purpose of discussing or glorifying the practice of "cutting", or any type of suicide, will be closed and deleted.

Warez/Crackz/Serialz: Any channel dealing with illegal software, serial numbers, or cracks will be closed and deleted.

File Sharing/Torrents: Channels used for file sharing of any kind will be closed and deleted.

Users who create a channel that violates the above policy will have their channel closed, and a warning issued. If they continue to create channels of the above types, they could face a ban on their deviant account. If you are not sure if your channel falls within the guidelines, please feel free to talk to one of the Message Network Administrators.

The above list is not all-inclusive, and there may be situations where a channel violates the etiquette policy in another way. In these cases, the Message Network Administration will make the final decision regarding the channel. If your channel has been deleted, you may contact +help to file an appeal, and the situation will be investigated.

If you find a channel that is violating policy, please use the Help Desk to report them.

These policies are in effect immediately, and are subject to changes and additions as the need arises.

--
Kit Lange
Former $Core Staff
Nature Photographer
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[link]
Right-wing conservatives are hot.