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Short on time? #

Here's the long and short of it:

Act like an adult, and use your common sense so that we don't have to use ours.
Keep the porn and racy stuff out – there are plenty of other places to find it (e.g. Canterlot Underground).
Have some regard for the living, breathing people on the other side of the screen.
If you feel a mod decision is in error, please contact us either through our IRC Client, or via email.
Don't post malicious links.
Rarity is best pony.

For specifics, read on:

Table of Contents #

Legal #

Do not use this website for planning or conducting any activities which violate United States law.
Do not post or discuss anything sexually or grotesquely obscene in nature, whether human or otherwise, and whether photographic or otherwise.
Do not discuss engaging in activity on any site which violates that respective site's rules. This includes "spamming" and "raiding".
By accessing this site or any data derived from or associated with this site, its brand, or its users, you assume all aspects of responsibility for the content of your posts, and the direct and indirect consequences of your actions during, after, and relating to any access of said data.
In using this site, you agree to follow these rules and to comply with their enforcement by the site staff.

Site Etiquette #

Don't spam threads or posts.
Don't make unnecessary drama. People are allowed to like things you don't like, and to argue against such is a waste of time here.
Be polite or civil if you're discussing with someone, or if you disagree with someone else. Do not insult others regardless of how much the insultment is related to the topic at hand, and respect that others have just as much right to their opinion as you do.
Don't discriminate. Judge people based on what they do or say, not who they are.
Don't purposely derail threads. Nobody likes the guy who jumps into a conversation anHEY GUYS THERE'S A PONY OUT HERE DANCING.
Do not maliciously impersonate others, and do not sockpuppet (#3).
From time to time, the staff will have to make some tough decisions regarding site policy and structure. If you have any concerns about them, have any other issue, or you just want to make a suggestion, please visit /meta/.

Bans #

Before banning, a moderator must first find the answers to the following questions:

Is this user ignorant of the rules?
Has this user broke the rules inadvertently? (By posting something they thought was okay)
Is this user posting with full knowledge that they are breaking the rules?

For the first, the user will be directed towards this page.
For the second, the user will receive a warning, and may be prevented from posting for up to 1 hour.
For the third, the user will be banned.

Accumulating three warnings will result in a ban, however this only stays true for a specific offense - legal, manners, advertisement, spoilers, porn or gore. Accumulating three warnings in spoilers will not result in an immediate ban in advertisement, much like three warnings in manners will not result in an immediate ban about porn. However, intentional rulebreaking will result in an immediate ban (posting content that you know you'll get banned for), regardless of warning count.

Bans can range from one second to permanent, depending on the specific mod's discretion. Ban lengths are generally determined by the severity of the offense, the number of times it has occurred and the user-in-question's attitude.

The evasion of bans is something we take very seriously and offer no lee-way on except in the most extenuating circumstances. Evading a ban is the act of using the site through either a proxy, another computer or getting a friend to type your posts word for word (short messages are allowed). Please remember that you are not allowed to evade your ban for any reason. This includes discussing your ban, even if it was placed in error. Please email the moderator who banned you - you can find their info in the Contact Us page. The name of the moderator who banned you is displayed at the bottom of your ban message. In case of a permanent ban, simply email any moderator.

Ban evasion is often dealt with as follows:

Strike 1 = A week is added to your ban.
Strike 2 = Permanently banned.

There are other ways to talk with people if you are banned on the site such as Steam, Skype, IRC or email. Please do not evade bans.

If you feel that you have been unjustly banned, please email the moderators directly as threads discussing such will be removed.

Advertising #

Advertising must be approved by an administrator or a moderator. You can contact us by email.
Advertisement in this case includes - but is not limited to - promoting:

A charity
A website
An activity that would require users to pay a fee
An item

The following boards are exempt from this rule in their specific areas as follows:

/art/ : Artist commissions.
/collab/ : Projects, but not ones that would require funding be given without proof of concept, those must still be approved by the Admin or a Moderator.
/merch/ : Pony related merchandise

Spoilers #

Remember to use the spoiler feature: [?]Text[/?], hide feature:

[hide]Text[/hide]

or the "spoiler entire thread" feature to hide episode content for 48 hours after the episode in question airs. Images should be spoilered under the same circumstances by using the spoiler checkbox.
/oat/ and /pony/ can post unspoilered content as soon as the episode in question has aired.

Adult content #

This section is not meant to be comprehensive. Consider erring on the side of caution instead of trying to pick apart the language here.

When posting links to other websites, make sure that the page you link does not contain anything NSFW. (e.g: linking to a NSFW artist's profile page is fine, linking their gallery or a specific image is not.)

What's Not Okay

visible genitalia
description, allusion, or depiction of sexual acts in dialogue, text, or images
underage sexualization of any kind
impending, implied, or visual rape
bondage/other kinks
toys, aids, and devices
tongue play, horn play, or wing play
sexual fluids, defecation, excessive saliva, and breastfeeding

What's Okay

clothing (I feel the need to put this one here, though it's obvious the ponies are usually naked, sometimes clothes are added, such as the nurse pony pictures, to add a hint of sensuality. The things these ponies are into.... Anyways, as long as nothing is implied or the clothing reveals actual genitalia, it should be fine.)
kissing/hugging
snuggling/massaging
seductive intent and such
wingboner jokes and reactions
general shipping

Threads on sexual topics #

We’ve talked before about the rising number of sexual topics on the site. We’ve made a thread on /meta/ and discussed with people how we should be handling these topics from now on, and we’ve made a decision.

We’re going to introduce and enforce a new rule: threads designated as existing only for sexual reasons will be moved to deletion boards. These type of threads are meant to arouse people, and have no place on our site. Threads with very serious discussion about sex will be moved to /dis/, granted that they don’t break any other rules. Note that singular posts aren’t the target - this new rule is about entire threads.

We’ve noticed an increase in threads meant purely to post sexual imagery or text. Threads like “post pony butts”, “post girls in bikini” and “don’t post sexy things” (only to have everybody post sexy things), or threads with (borderline) ERP have violated the spirit of the rules before, but not necessarily the letter of the rules, and thus moderators haven’t always seen grounds to remove them. We’re going to act more strictly to these threads from now on.

FAQ

Wait! But I like these threads!
If you like threads where nothing but lewd and sexual imagery is posted, and people are openly partaking in erotic roleplay, you should look for another site to fill that particular need.

So… I can’t make any topic about sex?
You can make a topic about sex just fine. However, we’re drawing a line: threads that are meant to arouse people are going to be removed. Topics seriously discussing sex will be allowed, but will be moved to /dis/.

If I make a thread for posting pony butts, will I get banned?
No. Your thread will be moved to a deletion board, but you won’t be banned. Only if you decide to continually remake the thread after its removal will you face a warning from anywhere between 1 second to an hour. if you persist after that, you’ll start to face bigger bans.

If I make a single post with a lewd image or joke, will it get removed? Only if the image or joke is breaking any of our other rule - this new rule extends to threads only. Pornography or gore will obviously be removed, but a sexually tinted image or joke will not. Attempts to derail a thread with lewd imagery or text, however, will be removed.

Gory content #