# Compliments to the SDMB rules! **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 15, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402 "2003-11-15T07:12:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/1 "2003-11-15T07:12:12Z")
I’m a member of other message boards, and they don’t have **well thought out** rules like, - No pictures in signatures - Descriptive titles mandatory - trolling is forbiddon - Mods have an unbiased perspective, respect and maturity. The list goes on for a while, but these 3 are definetly my top picks. (1) I’m sick and tired of the fuck nuggets who think its cool to put a huge freaking picture of something “important” to them in a signature, and letting me watch it load over and over. I’m sick and tired of them placing “important” lyrics in their sigs as well. What a waste of moniter space. (2) I’m annoyed at the undescriptive titles like, “Oh my god” or “cool” or “What is this?” Do I look inside? or do I ignore it? (I personally ignore it.) (3) Those trolls who have a post count of over 10000 because they comment on every little brainless thing that swims in their mind. (4) The mods, who get mad at me, because of a well thought out opinion of mine that critisizes them or something they do, and worst of all…doing all of the above 3 things. SDMB Administraters and Mods, thank you for the rules. THANK YOU. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/2 "2003-11-15T16:21:33Z")
We also have the Pit where you can rant and rave about things to your hearts content. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/3 "2003-11-15T17:10:13Z")
Every community is different and the rules vary because people do too. Our rules have mostly evolved over time to suit our membership and our situations. It’s all been about how to do things in light of our first and most important rule, which came from Cecil, “Don’t be a jerk.” Everything else has extended from that initial statement, as we have found that to not be sufficient to cover all possibilities. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/4 "2003-11-15T17:28:51Z")
What would you expect from devotees of “the world’s smartest human being”? But the reason the graphics (avatars and images) are prohibited is mostly to save server resources. Helps those on modest rural dialups, too, and for that I am grateful. I am also grateful for the lack of animated smileys. They really get on my nerves on other boards. We have just the right number, and they stay put. Tho I do miss Smashey sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/5 "2003-11-15T18:43:50Z")
> [@](#): > > But the reason the graphics (avatars and images) are prohibited is mostly to save server resources. Helps those on modest rural dialups, too, and for that I am grateful. We used to allow images, however, too many people abused the privilege. We asked that people only use small, uncopyrighted images, and we had too many people use very large and/or copyrighted images. So we had to discontinue allowing images. Probably we would have had to disallow images down the road anyway, as they sure can stress the server, but in this case the prime reason was because some people just wouldn’t use common courtesy. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/6 "2003-11-16T08:57:18Z")
Yeah, the SDMB rules! It also rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/7 "2003-11-16T16:00:58Z")
Rock 'N Rule, my favorite kind of music. ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2003, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/8 "2003-11-17T08:42:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xash \* > **Yeah, the SDMB rules!** It sounds better: “the SDMB rules rule”! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/9 "2003-11-25T16:44:09Z")
The best rule we’ve got going here is the “no flaming outside the pit”. Other boards without a rule like that can be a little tedious to read. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compliments-to-the-sdmb-rules/213402/10 "2003-11-26T04:53:02Z")
I’ve used a lot of SDMB rules as the basis for the rules on my bulletin board. Because the traffic on Cyburbia is low compared to the SDMB (50-100 simultaneous users at peak, ~300 posts per day vs. God-knows-how-many people and posts at the SDMB), file attachments, use of the [img] tag, and small images in signatures are permitted. Animated images or avatars aren’t permitted. Some rules I have that the SDMB doesn’t have: [ul][li]Tough policy on name changes. Now, only minor name changes where the user is still recognizable, like _elmwood_ to _elmwood avenue_, are permitted. A radical name change, like _elmwood_ to _Jebidiah Springfield_, aren’t allowed; a user would have to resign their old account, and start with a new account that has a zero post count.[/li][li]Posts must be reasonably work-safe. Many people read the site at work, and posts that might not be acceptable given a reasonable IT Internet use policy aren’t permitted. It’s a judgement call.[/li][li]Ad hominem attacks and _Pit_-like postings directed at a person aren’t permitted. Healthy debate is okay, but name-calling isn’t.[/li][li]Post padding, including starting or participating in “roll call,” “consecutive number game,” or “increase your post count” type threads, is prohibited.[/li][\*]The list of censored words includes English-language profanities related to copulation, and common racial slure.[/ul]