View source for AVID:Site Rules

{{PageCredits|rules=the '''AVID Administration Team and community'''}}

<center>[[File:AVID_Logo_-_Wordless.png|90px|link=]] {{huge|{{font|AVID Sans|Site Rules}}}}</center>
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'''Welcome, and thank you for your interest in contributing to the Audiovisual Identity Database!''' We'd love for you get started on that quickly, but before that, we strongly recommend that you read the following guidelines to know what is and isn't allowed.

Below is our site rules for this wiki. We expect everyone to abide by them at all times. 
'''Violations of these rules may result in your account being blocked from editing the wiki depending on the repetition and/or severity of the violations in question.'''</center>
==General guidelines==
===Age restrictions=== 
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People of any age can view the wiki, but under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA; read more information [https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions here]), children under 13 years old may not register here. This is for your own safety along with ours and Miraheze’s. Anyone found to be holding an account while underage will be reported to Miraheze's Trust and Safety so that their account may be vanished under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

===Account rules===
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To prevent vandalism, a Miraheze account is required to edit pages on this wiki. If you wish to edit on this site, please [[Special:CreateAccount|register an account]]. You may create additional accounts if you wish, but, in order to discourage sockpuppetry (the act of bypassing account blocks by creating new accounts), you must disclose any additional accounts created, and we ask that this rule not be abused to create accounts that are intended for abusive purposes such as sockpuppetry. Any additional accounts created for abusive purposes, along with any discovered sockpuppet accounts, will be indefinitely blocked along with the original account of their creators. Below are additional rules regarding accounts on the wiki:
* If you have signed up with an offensive username, then you will be required to request a global rename before regaining access to the wiki.
* Impersonating other users, whether from the wiki or on an external site like YouTube, is strictly prohibited, and accounts created for such purposes will be indefinitely blocked upon discovery. This includes getting around an already-taken username (e.g. replacing the lowercase L in "Example" with an uppercase "I" which makes it "ExampIe" or using another character that resembles a standard letter like the omicron symbol in place of "o"). If you see any accounts that appear be impersonating others, contact an administrator on their talk page or on our [[AVID:User Reports|User Reports]] page.
Additionally, if you are considering creating a new account because you are unable to access an older one, optionally try the following steps before creating a new account:
* If you forgot the password to an old account, you may submit a password reset request to Miraheze for the old account. If you created a new account to resume editing on the wiki, ask for the new one to be blocked after you have recovered your original account.
* If you want to change your username for any reason, you can request a Global Rename from Miraheze by posting on their [[m:Stewards' Noticeboard|Stewards' Noticeboard]] or their Discord server.
* If you suspect that your account has been hacked, please change your password and contact an administrator as soon as possible.

===User conduct guidelines===
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To keep AVID a fun and welcoming place for everybody, we expect all users to behave in a civil, respectful manner towards each other, even if they are experiencing conflicts with one another. We have a zero-tolerance policy against abusive and/or hateful behavior, and we additionally reserve the right to take action on any accounts that are reported to be engaging in abusive and/or hateful behavior on external websites such as Discord, YouTube, deviantART etc.. All members here (including admins) will be treated equally, regardless of their status.
* '''No personal attacks or other hostile behavior towards others.''' Do not harass, insult or otherwise provoke or attack other users, as such behavior can incite drama or other conflict. If you are experiencing conflicts with another user, please discuss the issues you are having with them on you or their talk page or contact an administrator. Other hostile behaviors such as making malicious death hoaxes concerning other users is also prohibited.
* '''No discriminatory behavior of any kind.''' Any form of hateful conduct, including directly threatening or attacking others on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, religion, age, or disability or other condition (mental or medical), is strictly prohibited.
* '''Don't feed the trolls.''' Trolls are a big problem on this wiki, and we understand they can agitate you when encountering them. However, don't directly engage with them in ways such as making edit summaries or other messages attacking them, as more often than not it would only make the situation worse and motivate the troll to continue causing trouble on the wiki in the future. If you encounter a troll on this wiki, either report them in the User Reports or directly notify an admin/bureaucrat in the Discord, and they will act accordingly in the situation.
*'''Do not backseat moderate.''' Backseat moderation is the act of pretending to be an administrator or other user rights holder despite not having such privileges assigned to said rights holders. This includes threatening to block members and making your own rules. However, it is acceptable to advise another user that they might be breaking a rule.
*'''Avoid using profanity if possible.''' If you must curse, keep it mild, and stay away from the stronger language altogether.
*'''Do not pester companies or people for logos.''' Do not pester anybody in the entertainment industry to find logos, and do not pester YouTubers or uploaders on other platforms asking them to upload rare logos regardless of whether or not they have stated they have such logos in their possession. Such actions reflect poorly on us as a community and will not be tolerated. Any users found to be engaging in this behavior will be warned/blocked.
*'''No spamming.''' You may not use AVID and/or Miraheze for the purpose of spamming anyone, including posting links to NSFW websites, scams, or simply sending unwarranted messages.
*'''No drama.''' While visiting this website, please keep in mind that this is the Audiovisual Identity Database. The last thing we need in such a wiki is drama, especially when it doesn't directly involve us. So if at all possible, try to keep drama out of AVID.

===Editing guidelines===
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*'''Do not vandalize the wiki.''' Vandalism is prohibited on this wiki. Usually a warning will be given, however, depending on the severity of the case, a block may be issued instantly. If spotted, you should report any vandalism at [[AVID:UR|User Reports]].
**Edits that are against the consensus of other users, or considered disruptive, may not be vandalism but rather good-faith edits (e.g. a user may not have been aware that there was consensus against the edits they were making). Intentionally mislabeling good-faith edits as vandalism is considered a personal attack and may result in administrative action.
*'''Do not create blank or unfinished pages and sections in the mainspace.''' If you wish to work on an unfinished article, you may do so in the Drafts namespace or in your provided sandbox until it is complete. Blank pages created in the mainspace will be moved to the Drafts namespace and are to remain there until they are completed. However, if a month has passed since the blank (or mostly incomplete) page has been unedited, they can also be marked for deletion. Sections with no descriptions or information can be removed without the 30-day grace period.
*'''Edit in a constructive and positive manner.''' Avoiding making additions that can take away from the quality of an article, such as inserting biased or opinionated language, removing content without a given explanation, plagiarizing, etc.
*'''Don't misuse the article guidelines.''' As of October 2022, recent changes to the Tutorial Guide have affected FX/SFX, Legacy and Nicknames, among others. However, continued misuse of these sections after the fact has become a concern. Please take the time to read the updated Tutorial Guidelines to learn what not to do in said sections.
*'''Don't add redundant redirects.''' These could clog up the search engine,  and can make specific pages harder to navigate. Don't add redirects if it's just a slight variation of a company name (such as 'Ragdoll' for 'Ragdoll Productions'). However, grammatical variations are acceptable.
*'''No predictions.''' Don't predict when a logo will appear on a future movie/program, as when it comes out it may not actually be the case.
*'''Don't add low-quality captures.''' Don't add pictures with screen-recorder watermarks or YouTube artifacts. Quality is one of the most important aspects when talking about what captures to include on AVID.
*'''Please cite your sources.''' This has become an issue when users add information on who composed a certain jingle for a logo, with little to no information to back it up. If possible, please add a citation next to where you put such information, with the appropriate source.
*'''Do not delete any contributor credit from articles.''' This could be considered vandalism and/or an attack against the contributor.<br>If you were on the receiving end, however, please notify us and your name will be restored in the article.
**Related, please refrain from putting your name in the credits if you didn't actually contribute significantly to the article.
*'''Only use edit summaries to describe what you changed.''' Do not abuse edit summaries to disguise vandalism or other disruptive editing (e.g. rewriting or blanking large portions of or an entire page and entering an edit summary of "typo") or to post abusive, hateful, insulting or other inappropriate content.
*'''Do not add personal comments to articles.''' This includes inserting personal opinions on logos on the Legacy section, your own side notes, making the articles your own forum and telling people not to upload images or videos on the articles. If you want to share personal opinions, go to the [[Favorite Logos]] page, or use the article's talk page. You can also share personal opinions on logos on a user page.
*'''No edit warring.''' This is where two users fight over a certain part of an article, reverting each other's edits. Instead, please settle the issues on the article's talk page.
*'''Don't make fake reports on real logos.''' This includes saying a logo appears on a certain show when it doesn't, and making false statements about it that aren't quite predictions. 
*'''Please source your captures.''' If you add images of new logos or logo variations, be sure to document what they are and where they can be found either by adding a description to the file or captioning them on the page you add them to. The point of AVID is to document everything as thoroughly as possible so as to fully and accurately inform our readers. If you add an image without supplying a description mentioning the logo or where it came from, it may be marked for deletion until such a description is provided.
*'''Please use any images that you upload if possible.''' Images that are not used on any pages may be subject to deletion to free up space.

''For more information on image restrictions, please see [[AVID:Adding Captures#Image Guidelines]].''<br>
''For more information on credits guidelines, please see [[AVID:Adding Credits]].''

'''''Misuse of any of these rules may lead to a warning/block.'''''

===Language guidelines===
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This wiki is primarily an English-Language wiki. We use American English in articles (unless specified).
*Editors are expected to be competent in the English language. This facilitates discussion with other editors and administrators
*All discussions on talk pages, threads, etc. should be in English.
*English content should not be replaced with content in another language.
*New pages should not be created in non-English languages.
**Company names in foreign languages are accepted where an official translation of the name is not available, for example if a company does not operate in English speaking areas.
*Foreign curse words remain subject to the same rules as those in English. Strong curse words and insults, if identified, will be removed upon discovery.

===Talk page/Forum guidelines===
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*'''Don't delete threads without warning.''' No thread or reply shall be deleted without prior warning nor reason for deletion (unless its spam or off-topic). Deleted threads should be restored immediately if the deletion was unjustified. This rule does not apply if the thread or reply is:
**Spam
**highly inappropriate content or personal attacks
**an accidental double post.
*'''Don't go off-topic.''' Please stick to the subject of identities or anything related to the history of the production company. No off-topic stuff allowed. If you must discuss such matters, please do so on your message board or talk page, through the AVID discord or through private messaging.
*'''Don't spam the forums.''' Please refrain from posting multiple threads in a short period of time. This could be considered spam and may result in a warning and/or block.
*'''Do not edit other people's comments on talk pages and forum threads, including to fix grammar/typos.''' This is considered disruptive, especially when the edits change the meaning of the original comments. Even slight changes could alter the perceived intention of the original comment and removes the context of any replies prior to your edit. <br>The only exceptions to the above are: 
**Removal of obvious spam/disruptive comments
**Redaction of personal attacks or sensitive personal information- When redacting comments with personal information or more serious personal attacks, the revisions containing the unedited comment should be revdelled ([[AVID:REVDEL|revision-deleted]]) ASAP. Comments revealing sensitive personal information pertaining to another editor should also be reported to Miraheze stewards for [[m:Oversight| suppression]]
**Formatting changes to make a discussion easier to follow (e.g. indenting a user's comment to make it clearer who they're replying to or placing a user's reply on a forum thread into the proper post template if they neglected to do so)
**Clerical editing, such as archiving of discussions, adding [[Template:Unsigned]] to attribute a post when someone has neglected to add their signature and fixing formatting/markup issues.

===Draft space guidelines===
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The draft namespace can be used as a place to create and develop new articles until they are ready to enter mainspace. Any editor is free to make a draft. However, accounts below 100 edits and created less than 25 days are not allowed to create new pages in main space and must create their articles via the draft system. 

* Drafts that haven't been edited for '''30 days''' can be '''marked for deletion'''. The draft's author should be notified of this.
* If a draft is deleted an author can request an admin to restore it at any time should they wish to resume working on it.
* When you think your article is ready to move to mainspace, '''inexperienced editors should not do so themselves'''. Instead, they should click the "'''Submit'''" button on top of the page. Another editor can then review your article and decide if its ready to move to mainspace. This step is optional for autoconfirmed editors.
* '''Articles can be reviewed by any experienced editor''', not just an admin.
* When an article is approved for publishing, the article's author should be notified as a courtesy.
* When publishing, draft redirects to mainspace should be cleaned up. Such redirects can be listed for speedy deletion as uncontroversial cleanup.
*When draftifying an existing page, '''please add <code><nowiki>{{Draft}}</nowiki></code> on top of the page''' before moving it into draftspace.
* '''Do not draftify an existing page without reason''' (it's considered disruptive). Please ensure you notify someone when draftifying an article they made.
* As with publishing, redirects to draft space resulting from draftifying articles should be marked for speedy deletion as uncontroversial cleanup.

===Article-related guidelines===
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*'''Certain logos may require a warning to be added.''' Examples include but are not limited to:
**'''Excessive Flashing''': A warning should be included next to logos with flashing images that flicker faster than 5 times per second, and/or are displayed for more than 2 seconds. To put this into perspective, the [[Ear Booker Productions]] logo contains flashing black and white images that flicker at least 15 times per second, and lasts nearly 3 seconds.
**'''Loud Audio''': A warning should also be put for logos/captures that are extremely loud (like a certain capture of the [[3-G Home Video]] logo), and could possibly damage your audio equipment.
*'''Don't insert copyrighted programs.''' We know that certain captures of logos can only be found on full recordings of movies or TV shows. However, we request that you do not insert such videos into this wiki, due to copyright concerns. You should always try to locate a standalone capture elsewhere. If that isn't an option, assuming you have a YouTube account, you could try editing the video to the part where it has the logo, and upload that capture to your channel and to the wiki, of course crediting the original uploader. For more information, see [[AVID:Copyrights]]. When uploading images, please select the appropriate license. AVID's editors have also compiled a list of [[AVID:Sources|great sources]] for finding logos.
*'''The subjects of pages should be notable.''' Examples of subjects of pages that are considered notable enough for inclusion include officially-established companies and entertainment figures and YouTubers who have at least one million (1,000,000) subscribers. 
*'''All logos that are myths are considered fake unless proven real.''' If you don't have any evidence to back up your claim, then your entry will be removed until proven otherwise. 
**Furthermore, '''please don't fabricate logo finds.''' Upon discovery, the "find" will be removed and the offending user will be blocked.
*'''Damaged prints are not variants.''' Logos that are found on damaged media (such as damage caused by film or tape deterioration) do not count as variants, as the damage which causes them to look different than normal were unintentional.
**However, if the damaged look is intended by the creators of the logo (such as logos made in the style of old films), then it does count.
*'''Logo Variations''': Any custom variants of logos (i.e. TriStar "Locals Only" Variant on ''Lords of Dogtown'') or any appearance of logos beyond their original lifespan (i.e. WB Big W logo on ''Argo'') are to be mentioned on the Logo Variations section and NOT on the main descriptions themselves.

==Miscellaneous guidelines==
===Irrelevant Content===
Please keep AVID on-topic, and try to stay away from irrelevant content. Examples include:
*'''Politics''': Many aren't interested in any discussion relating to politics, as they tend to get out of control and lead to a large-scale disagreement. Because of that, please avoid starting such discussions.
*'''NSFW''': AVID is meant to be a family-friendly website, so please do not discuss or post about suggestive topics that may be inappropriate for minors. Irrelevant hardcore pornography or other similar content of any kind is not tolerated whatsoever. 
**Logos that contain pornography must be hidden behind spoilers and the appropriate [[template:guidance|guidance]] template must be placed on top of the page.
*'''Fictitious/"Dream" logos''': Fictitious logos of any form are not allowed in article space and will be deleted upon discovery. You are still free to show off reconstructions, or your own logo creations in userspace (meaning on your userpage or a subpage thereof)
**Parody logos, however can be added in the case that they are notable. Such logos should be added on [[AVID:Logos in Popular Culture]].
*'''Inauthentic captures/recreations''': We only allow captures of logos if they are considered genuine and authentic. 
**Relating to the above, no uploading any non-logo related pictures to the gallery. Any pictures that don't involve an on-screen logo/identity may be rejected. The only exceptions to this rule are images used for templates and images for use on a user page. Such images should be tagged accordingly in their descriptions. For user profile images use [[Template:ImageForProfile]]
*As for '''video game captures with mods used''', exceptions include:
**widescreen patches and screen field of view/2D interface scaling tweaks (for example, revealing items that are hidden off-screen) using mod loaders 
**hex-edited executables
**configuration edits
**codes designed to change the screens, via cheat devices
**command lines to change the resolution/aspect<br>Any other modifications such as textures, music, models etc. are to be posted either in userspace or in the Spoofs channel of the AVID Discord.

===Administration guidelines===
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*'''Promotions and Demotions''': Bureaucrats may promote users to administrator only after they have been through the application process detailed at [[AVID:Requests for Permissions]].
*'''Administrative actions without any given reason will not be tolerated.''' All Administrative actions, whether it be a block, a promotion or a page protection should have a reason attached to them. We had numerous issues with not knowing who performed a block and why on the original CLG Wiki due to WikiFoundry's lack of detailed administrative logs. There's no excuse on MediaWiki. Administrative actions should be performed in a manner that is transparent and open to scrutiny.

==And most importantly...==
Above all, please obey all rules to the best of your ability, and you're good to go!

Please contact the [[AVID:Site Staff|site staff]] for any questions, comments or concerns regarding these rules. 

But otherwise, that is all.
'''''Have fun!<br/>'''''

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[[Category:Site administration]]
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