Recently I noticed that a lot of new members don't know all the rules and I don't (usually) blame them since not all rules are written and even those written can be overlooked by users who don't pay much attention to some stickies in select boards. Maybe they'll pay attention to this thread in which I'll try to list all the rules present on the forum. I'll provide sources (if I know of any) to where they are posted. The rules are in no particular order, just written as I found them although I'll try to keep the more general ones first.
Update: I also added in guidelines for posting threads and a FAQ. Just keep scrolling down until you reach it.
Overview / Table of contents (click the link to go to that part of the post):
Forum rulesExamples/Explanations of rulesFrequently asked questions (FAQ)Guidelines for threadsSourcesCredits
Legend:
[1] - number of the source below
[e] - more examples regarding the rule below.
[?] - Need confirmation if rule is still active.
The list is
somewhat complete but I still will be adding rules as I encounter them. I'm open to suggestions on formatting, sources, mistakes, rules, removal from the list, etc.
Forum rules
1. No zero or low value, pointless or uninteresting posts or threads.
[1][e]2. No off-topic posts.
3. No trolling.
4. No referral code (ref link) spam.
[1]5. No link shortners that requires users to view an ad.
6. No linking to phishing or malware, without a warning and a valid reason.
[e]7. No begging.
[5]8. No threats to inflict bodily harm, death threats.
9. Discussions in the main boards must be in english. All other language discussions should be posted in the appropriate Local board.
10. No embedded NSFW images anywhere. NSFW content must be marked accordingly.
11. No linking to illegal trading sites.
12. No duplicate posting in multiple boards (except for re-posting it in the local language boards if it's translated).
13. Bumps, "updates" are limited to once per 24 hours.
[2]14. All altcoin related discussion belong in the Alternate cryptocurrencies and it's child boards.
[3][4][e]15. No on-forum altcoin giveaways.
[6][e]16. Do not have more than one active sales topic in the Currency exchange board.
[3]17. Trading of goods that are illegal in the seller's or buyer's country is forbidden.
[2]18. Having multiple accounts and account sales are allowed, but account sales are discouraged.
19. Possible (or real) scams and Trust ratings are not moderated (to prevent moderation abuse).
20. There are restrictions when selling accounts and invites for invite-only sites. See
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=134779.0 [2]21. Old bumps should be deleted.
[2]22. Advertising (this includes mining pools, gambling services, exchanges, shops, etc.) in others threads' is no longer allowed, including, but not limited to, in altcoin announcement threads.
[8]23. When deciding if a user has broken the rules, the staff have the right to follow their interpretation of the rules.
[e]24. Advertisements in posts aren't allowed unless the post is in a thread you started and is really substantial and useful.
[9][e]25. Ban evasion (using or creating accounts while one of your accounts is banned) is not allowed.
[e]26. Local thread rules, if stated properly when the thread was started, specific enough and don't conflict with the forum rules, have to be followed.
[e]
Examples:1. Such posts like "SELL SELL SELL", "I agree", "+1", "Support", "Watching", "Interesting", "LOL", "SCAM", "LEGIT", "FAKE", other one word posts, posts consisting mostly of swearing, quote pyramids,useless introduction threads, threads about a topic already recently discussed in several other threads.
6. The warning must be obvious. For example: "MalwareSite.com <------
CAUTION. This is a malware site - do
NOT click". A valid reason would be if your Bitcoin wallet was hacked and you feel a file you downloaded is to blame.
13. This includes services, trades, discussion, speculation, mining and any other content related to altcoins. Trades that include an Altcoin and Bitcoin is OK (except for an exchange between the two). For example, a thread named "Buying Bitcoins and Litecoins for bank transfer" can stay in the general boards.
14.
<...>
Specifically, you are not allowed to give people any incentive to post insubstantial posts in your threads. You can't offer to pay people who post their addresses, usernames, etc. You can do giveaways off-site and link to the giveaway page in a thread, but you can't give people any bonus for replying to your thread.
<...>
23. This rule is meant to prevent from users exploiting possible loopholes in the rules or some interpretations that follow the literal meaning of the rule rather than the meaning of what it truly wanted to prevent.
24.
<...>
Ads are typically not allowed in posts (outside of the signature area) because they are annoying and off-topic. It is especially disallowed to put ads or signatures at the bottom of all of your posts. Except for traditional valedictions, which are tolerated but discouraged, signatures are for the signature area only.
However, if you are using the forum as a publishing platform to host something really substantial and useful, selling ads in that substantial work is allowed. To be eligible for this, your post must be in a topic that you started, and your post must be substantial and long enough to make the ad seem entirely insignificant. If in doubt, ask me.
25. If you get banned (temporary or permanently) and create a new account to continue posting / sending PMs, it's considered ban evasion. The only exception is creating a thread in Meta about your ban.
26.
Those were mostly replaced by self-moderated topics, but local rules can be enforced at the moderator's discretion.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Q: Why haven't you banned <insert scammer username here> who is an obvious scammer?A: Possible (or real, not for me to decide) scams are not moderated to prevent moderator abuse. If we start picking out which ones we call "scammers" and ban, we would make a lot of decisions based on biased opinions.
Q: Do you moderate/delete (possible) FUD, accusations and untrue information?A: No. We don't have enough time to check every single piece of information and verify the validity of the sources. Also, just like scams - too much room for bias and abuse.
Q: What about deleting DOXes?A: Nope, we don't delete them either as long as they are on topic. Why? Because doxing is just compiling information about a user already available publicly, often via search engines.
Q: I saw a guy selling Bitcointalk accounts. Why is that allowed?A: Since we can't effectively prevent these sales (proxies, TOR, sales in other forums), we don't because otherwise we would be giving the users a false sense of security.
Q: My account was hacked! What do I do?A: See this thread:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=497545.0. When PMing the signed message, send it in [code ][/code ] brackets (just without the space at the end). For example,
-----BEGIN BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----
My account <account> has been hacked/lost. Please reset the email to <email>. The current date is <date>.
-----BEGIN SIGNATURE-----
<insert address here>
<insert signature here>
-----END BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Here is the unedited post where I posted that address: ...
OR
I sent that address to someone in a PM with PM ID#...
If you don't know how to sign a message, google for some tutorials with terms like: "signing messages with <insert your bitcoin client name here>". For example, "signing messages with bitcoin-qt".
Q: What is Trust and how does it work?A: Trust is Bitcointalk's feedback based on trust (hence the name). The Trust system is made of 2 components: the Trust list and left feedback.
The Trust list is where you select the users whose feedback on other users you trust and how deep is this trust. You can either trust just their feedback (select the Trust depth as 0), theirs and their trusted users feedback (Trust depth 1), and so on (up until Trust depth 3). Trusted feedback will be counted when displayed as numbers to the left of a users post in trade boards such as Marketplace or Goods.
The feedback page is where you can leave feedback on other users or see a detailed view of a users feedback. Trusted feedback will be shown first and untrusted feedback will be hidden by default. You can view it by clicking the link "Show ratings". Last of all, you can see all the feedback the user has left on others.
This covers the basics of the Trust system. If you want a more in depth description of the Trust system and details I probably missed, go here:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=211858.0.
Q: Why isn't trust moderated?A: Feedback isn't moderated (except for obvious cases such as pure advertising, hundreds of identical empty/gibberish reports on one user) for the same reason as scams - too much room for abuse.
Q: Why doesn't the forum let me add an avatar?A: The forum was hacked some time ago. It is thought that the avatars were used as a means of injecting malicious code into the forum. Even though the vulnerability was patched, the avatars will be disabled until a
new forum software is released.
Q: So when is the new forum software coming?A: Well, according to theymos, some time after February 2015.
<...>
When will the software be finished?
About one year from now.
<...>
A: You can either
donate 50 BTC to become a VIP or
PM theymos asking to change your username (although he rarely accepts such requests nowadays).
Q: 50/10 BTC for VIP/donator? Are you all crazy?A: No, we aren't. Someone who is a donator or a VIP is usually an early adopter and having such a rank means you were either from the start or you contributed a lot in the Bitcoin community. Although, there is a possibility
new cheaper ranks will be added.
Q: Why is my IP banned? What are those units of evil?A: Your IP might be banned because it was used by a user that got perma banned. Don't worry - IP bans decay over time if there's not too many of them during a small period. If you register using a banned IP, are using TOR, VPNs or well known proxies, you will have to pay a small fee. This is to prevent spammers while allowing legitimate members to post without many restrictions.
Q: Why was my account banned?A: You probably have broken one of the rules. Try emailing a message to the specified appeal email shown in your ban message.
Q: How does activity work?A:
The activity number is determined in this way:
time = number of two-week periods in which you've posted since your registration
activity = min(time * 14, posts)
Activity is updated every hour.
For example, if in a 14 day period you post 14 posts, you gain +14 activity.
If you post 2 posts in a 14 day period, you gain +2 activity.
If you don't post at all in a 14 day period, you don't gain activity.
However, if you post 15 or more posts in a 14 day period, you still gain only +14 activity.
Q: How do ranks/membergroups work?A: See this link:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=178608.msg1861412#msg1861412Q: How do I put an image in my post/thread?A: First you have to upload it to some image hosting site. Just google it, I'm sure you'll find one that suits you. Then simply put in the link to that image like this:
[img]http://ImageHostingSite.com/MyImage.jpg[/img]
A: Logging in, sending PMs and reporting posts to a moderator will also be counted as posting and extend this limit back to 360 seconds. Don't worry: as your activity increases, the 360 second limit will decrease as well. Here you can see the algorithm how the posting limit is caluclated based on your activity:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=237597.msg4131557#msg4131557Q: How do I delete/lock my own thread(s) when I no longer need them?A: On the top right of your post is a delete button. You can delete threads if nobody has seen them. Otherwise, just click "Lock topic" link at the bottom left.
Q: How do you add a link to a word?A: Pretty simple. Just use this code:
[url=MyLink.com]Word[/url]
Just replace the "Word" with the phrase/word of your choice and the "MyLink.com" with the link of your choosing.
Q: Why can't I put <insert something like a link, image or color> into my signature?A: There are signature restrictions based on member rank:
- Newbie: No styling (including links) allowed. Max 50 characters.
- Jr. Member: Links allowed. Max 150 characters.
- Member: Unlimited length.
- Full: Color allowed.
- Sr. Member: Size allowed
- Hero: Background color allowed
Q: What is the draft feature on these forums?A: When you write a post or a PM and click preview, the post gets saved into the Draft page. Same as when you click post (even if an error that prevented the post from being posted appeared such as "The last posting from your IP was less than 360 seconds ago."), send a PM or save an edited post.
Drafts can be found at
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=drafts.
Guidelines for threads
Some boards which are obvious were left out of the listSection: BitcoinBitcoin Discussion - "General discussion about the Bitcoin ecosystem that doesn't fit better elsewhere. News, the Bitcoin community, innovations, the general environment, etc. Discussion of specific Bitcoin-related services usually belongs in other sections."
Legal (child board of Bitcoin Discussion) - Discussion about laws regarding Bitcoin, it's companies (in general), "court cases, complaints, regulatory actions, etc."
Press (child board of Bitcoin Discussion) - Articles about Bitcoin with links with the appropriate title format.
Meetups (child board of Bitcoin Discussion)- Bitcoin related meetups, conferences, discussion and anouncements of such events.
Development & Technical Discussion - "Technical discussion about Satoshi's Bitcoin client and the Bitcoin network in general. No third-party sites/clients, bug reports that do not require much discussion (use github), or support requests. "
Alternative clients (child board of Development & Technical Discussion) and it's child boards - Discussions, technical support about other clients such as Multibit, Electrum, Armory, etc.
Mining - Discussion about Bitcoin mining in general (discussions that don't fit in it's child boards).
Mining support (child board of Mining) - Problems with mining (rig stopped/doesn't start, miner not hashing), "getting started" guides.
Pools (child board of Mining) - Discussion about Bitcoin mining pools, announcements of such pools. Multipools with Bitcoin as a possible mining cryptocurrency are welcome.
Mining software (miners) (child board of Mining) - Discussion, announcements of Bitcoin mining software.
Hardware (child board of Mining) - Discussion about Bitcoin mining hardware, new hardware announcements. No trades.
Mining speculation (child board of Mining) - Speculation about mining hardware (will this rig break even, when, etc.), difficulty (predictions about it rising/falling), profitability (is this rig profitable, should I mine with such price of electricity, etc.), etc.
Technical Support - Problems, issues with the Satoshi's Bitcoin client (bitcoin-qt, bitcoind). Issues with other clients should go to the Alternative clients board.
Project Development - Organization of Bitcoin and related projects (sites, software not yet developed/in development), bounty campaigns, advertising etc. No hiring here although "looking for partners" threads should be here.
Section: EconomyEconomics - Discussion about economics in general: this includes both Bitcoin and fiat.
Speculation (child board of Economics) - Speculations about Bitcoin's price, predictions.
Marketplace - Business/trading with Bitcoin related threads that don't fit into other sections.
Goods (child board of Marketplace) - Trades of physical goods on-forum for Bitcoin. If you are selling goods on another site (e.g. have an online store), it doesn't belong here.
Digital goods (child board of Goods) - Trades of digital goods on-forum for Bitcoin. If you are selling goods on another site (e.g. have an online store), it doesn't belong here.
Computer hardware (child board of Goods) - Trades of mining hardware on-forum for Bitcoin. If you are selling goods on another site (e.g. have an online store), it doesn't belong here.
Services (child board of Goods) - Services provided/demanded on-forum for Bitcoin. If you are providing/demanding services on another site (e.g. have a hosting site), it doesn't belong here.
Currency exchange (child board of Marketplace) - Buying/selling bitcoins using other fiat currencies.
Gambling (child board of Marketplace) - "Gambling and all "investments" that are so risky they might as well be gambling (HYIPs, pyramid schemes, etc.)"
Games and rounds (child board of Gambling) - "Spreadsheet games, forum-based games, and discussion of individual rounds/games on other sites." All Bitcoin giveaways, raffles, contests also go here.
Lending (child board of Marketplace) - "Lend BTC or get loans of BTC." This includes loans to individuals and loans to companies.
Long-term offers (child board of Lending) - "Long-term offers to lend BTC or receive loans of BTC, including deposit accounts. "
Securities (child board of Marketplace) - "This section is for topics about individual Bitcoin bonds, stocks, etc."
Auctions (child board of Marketplace) - "Auctions may optionally be placed in this section. Topics and replies in this section can't be modified or deleted. "
Service Announcements (child board of Marketplace) - "New services and significant information about existing services. Do not create excessive "announcements" just to advertise your service." All Bitcoin service website announcements should go here.
Service Discussion (child board of Marketplace) - "Comments and questions about specific Bitcoin services or about all Bitcoin services." This includes discussion of Bitcoin sites (both specific and in general), discussion about technical problems of such sites (API doesn't work, etc.).
Trading Discussion - "Discussion about doing business with Bitcoin. Best trading practices, delivery methods etc.". Specific site, exchange discussions don't go here. If you are having problems conducting a trade, need to know the best way to ship a miner to a certain place then this is the place to do it.
Section: OtherPolitics & Society - Discussion about politics, recent event in the world - both related and unrelated to Bitcoin.
Beginners & Help - All primitive questions (to pros like us
) like "what are ASICS", "who is satoshi" and "what is mining" should stay here.
Off-topic - "Other topics that might be of interest to bitcoiners "
Alternate cryptocurrencies and it's child boards - "Discussion of cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin. Note that discussion of how these currencies *relate to* Bitcoin may fit in other categories. "
All Local boards - Discussion of various topics in the appropriate language.
Sources:
[1] - "Forum moderation policy" -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=20333.0[2] - "Marketplace rules and guidelines" -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=3629.0[3] - "Currency Exchange rules and guidelines" -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=594959.0[4] - "Do not post about altcoins here, use the correct sub-forums please." -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=401897.0[5] - "NEWBIE README" -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=177133.0[6] - "Giveaway threads are not allowed" -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=434310.0[7] - "Do not post off-topic replies" -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=14356.0[8] - "Advertising spam is not allowed" -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=718124.0[9] - "Ads in posts" -
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=749961.0
Special thanks:For finding typos:shorena
Welsh
dserrano5
Willisius
For suggestions:Welsh
Baitty
Brewins
railzand
medUSA
shorena
Buziss
ckolivas
UFOkid
hilariousandco
dserrano5
Quickseller
Translations:Spanish translation "Reglas no oficiales del foro" (
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=705523.0) by dserrano5
German translation "Inoffizielle Bitcointalk.org Regeln/Richtlinien/FAQ" (
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=767079.0) by Zephir
Portuguese translation "Lista "não-oficial" de Regras do Fórum" (
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=759695.0) by Adriano
Legal note: this post is based on the forum policy, not mine.
My god ive seen many of these rules broken on a regular basis lol, i like the freedom of this forum, its unique vs every other community forum ive been a part of.
Poll
