Dear Multiverse

Welcome to Dear Multiverse, where anything is possible.

The Setting: A multiversal hub, a through-way if you will, of all possible universes.
The Purpose: To ask for advice from anybody around.
The People: Anybody who can find it.

Please, read all the rules prior to posting your first question. If you have Out Of Character issues or problems regarding play, please post your concerns to our sister site, dmooc, or email the mods directly at d.m.moderators at gmail.com.

1) THE LJ TOS:
Live Journal's Terms of Service, written out here, are absolute and must be followed. They also state that any user of the LiveJournal service must be at least 13 years of age. It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to determine what is acceptable viewing for children. As such, the Dear Multiverse moderators will not be policing the community posts for non-child-safe content. We do ask that you keep content PG-13 for the most part, and use an LJ-CUT for large scans or images, as well as any adult or non-worksafe content as a courtesy.

1A) HOW TO LJ CUT:
Type this: [lj-cut](Type your text here.)[/lj-cut]

This will appear as a link to your post with the text ( Read More ).

Type this: [lj-cut text="This is my story"](Type your text here.)[/lj-cut]

This will appear as a link to your post with the text ( This is my story. )

Be sure to replace the square brackets with pointed ones.

Learn more about LJ Cuts and other LJ specific tags by clicking here.

2) THE GOLDEN RULE.
Yes, this is the internet. And, realistically, we can't expect everyone to get along 100% of the time. However, we do still expect that the Golden Rule apply here. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." When communicating in an OOC fashion, please remember to treat people as you would like to be treated. We understand that some characters are not inclined to behave this way IC, but it's important that the OOC distinction be made.

3) THE PLAY NICE RULE.
Dear Multiverse operates on the Path Of Least Moderation. As such, we encourage the players to try to work out any sort of OOC conflict and complaints amongst themselves prior to contacting the moderators. This is not to say that we don't want to be involved; just the opposite. But we most certainly don't think the players need to have their hands held through every single exchange.

4) THE ICA=ICC RULE
In Character actions have In Character consequences. What this means, just as an example, is if you decide to enter the Nexus covered in human skulls and eating a baby, prepare to be reviled, shunned, and possibly have other player characters trying to end your baby munchin' ways. The flip side of this, of course, is that only YOU have the final say in what happens to your character. If somebody threatens to kill, maim, or otherwise permanently alter your character, you have every right to say "No." We encourage Out Of Character notes as often as you feel them necessary to clarify what's going on. Communication is key.

5) THE NO TROLLS ALLOWED RULE.
No OOC Flaming or Trolling will be permitted. If you have a disagreement with someone, your options are:
A) Take it to email.
B) RP around the individual you are disagreeing with to avoid causing yourself undue stress.
C) As a last resort, take it to the mods.

We define OOC Flaming Or Trolling as the following: A comment intended to hurt, harass, chase off, defame and/or propose/organize illegal activities to/with another player. There is a large difference between 'snark' and 'harassment.' In instances of OOC exchanges on D_M, the mods would rather play safe than sorry. A good rule of thumb is, if you wouldn't say it in front of your grandmother, don't say it to another player.

Furthermore, if you suspect somebody of trolling, do us all a favor and don't feed them. They make messes under our bridges, you see, and we mods don't like cleaning up down there. Show them by the resounding and echoing lack of response that their type is not welcome here.

6) THE IC =/= OOC RULE, AND HOW WARNINGS WORK.
Mods reserve the right to delete posts either on request of a player, or if deemed to be spam or intentionally inflammatory OOC. Once again, we recognize that certain characters IC are abrasive and inflammatory. Any intentional blurring of the IC/OOC line in order to troll or harass will result in a warning.

Each post that is deleted by a mod will be accompanied by an email to the poster with an explanation. If the post in question is not by a poster with an email address, a comment will be left with the stated reason for the deletion, and the post with the comment will then be saved offline by the mods.

However, if you get upset and you can't communicate with a mod in response to a mod action without resorting to attacks and profanity, the consequence is you will be banned, regardless of how many warnings you have been given. Once again we stress that this is a game, and there is no reason to treat another person with disrespect over a game.

6A)
We adhere to a three strikes policy. For the first offense, the player(s) involved will receive a comment on the thread in question, with the topic title "FIRST OFFICIAL MOD WARNING." The second offense, the player(s) involved will get both a comment ("SECOND OFFICIAL MOD WARNING") in the thread in question and a follow up email from the mods, with a reminder of their first warning. For the third offense, there will be a comment stating that the player has been banned. We go by players, not character journals. We love sockpuppets, obviously. We don't like troublemakers using sockpuppets to stir up more problems. If you've been banned, please take your banning with good grace, and move on.

7) THE NO WANK ALLOWED RULE.
Dear Multiverse is not the proper venue for OOC rants directed at other players, communities, real life friends, the President of the United States, or anything else that's got your shorts in a kink. There are several rant comms out there; you can search for them, even. Please, take OOC rants elsewhere. IC rants are, of course, just fine.

7A) THE NO WANK ALLOWED, CON'T., RULE.
Please don't ask for constructive criticism on DMOOC or DM proper. If you feel the need for input to tweak your character, we suggest you find another concrit comm, which are findable here, or keep it to your own journal.

8) THE VIOLENCE RULE.
The general rule regarding violence is this: Keep it to glaring, ego-puffing, and other harmless acts, unless the question calls for some sort of violence. One of the occasional IC ways to get around a fight is what's known as the Anti-Violence Field. However, this field is spotty at best and non-existent at worst. If it has to be escalated, please move it to a character's journal. Any instances of auto-success, auto-dodge or godmoding will not be tolerated, and will result in a warning. Remember, the only character you have ultimate control over is your own. And even Superman takes his licks every so often.

9) THE 'WHERE'S THE QUESTION?' RULE.
We welcome any question, any character (with one exception listed below), and any player, here at Dear Multiverse. You can ask questions as yourself, or as any number of characters. Non-questions are permitted, as long as they're infrequent. We have no application process, and there is no upper limit to how many characters you can play. It is, however, considered bad form to 'talk to yourself' with two puppets, as it is to 'goon rush' a question with multiple pups with different answers. A good rule of thumb here is: If you're commenting way more than the original poster of the question? Yeah, too much.

10) THE NSFW RULE.
All pictures not safe for public viewing (or work for typists/muns) should be behind a lj-cut with a "NSFW" label and a "safe" description. If they are not labeled and/or cut, they are subject to being edited or, if warranted, deleted by the moderators. Other pictures, try to keep them small. We know that some communicate by pictures and this is fine.

11) THE SPOILERS RULE.
The rule for spoilers for movies and books is 60 days (two calendar months) from the initial release date. The rule for comic books is 30 days (one month) from the release date. The rule for TV is one week from the original air date. (The reason for this is TV has repeat showings. Also people can and do have access to VCRs, TiVos, or other methods of getting the shows in question.) The rule for video games is 60 days from the American release. Those outside the borders can ask for a lj-cut.

This means any post you make with a character whose question or situation reveals information that can be considred a spoiler must be LJ-CUT. In the event of a spoiler being non-LJ, the player will be asked to cut without a warning being issued. If the post remains 'uncut', then the moderators reserve the right to edit and/or delete the post, and issue a warning.

Recently, the media has been known to leak spoilers all over. (The recent kerfuffle with Spider-Man revealing his secret identity in the comics comes to mind.) In cases like this, we request that you stick to our already established guidelines, as not everybody watches the news or listens to Howard Stern.

12) THE 'WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?' RULE.
Dear Multiverse's policy on "Who is the mun/player/typist behind the character/puppet?" is that this is a game. If we were all sitting around a table, we would all know who played whom. As such, Dear Multiverse will not entertain concerns or complaints of anyone "outing" someone else's character against their will. If you don't wish other people to know which characters you type, we strongly suggest you exercise discretion with whom you choose to share that information -- and make certain you are logged into the correct account before you post. If you mistakenly comment with the wrong account, you are responsible for deleting said comment. The mods cannot do so.

13) THE 'YES WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ICA=ICC STUFF' RULE.
As stated above, only you have final say as to what happens to your character. Be aware, however, that other players may play in such a way as to disagree with your assumptions or expectations. If you and the other players involved cannot find a compromise to your related plot-points, we ask that you minimize all OOC conflict, up to and including ignoring each other, both ICly and OOCly. Dear Multiverse is flexible, time and space have no meaning, your character does not have to even notice anything you don't choose to let them see. If you feel a conversation or interaction is altering your character beyond salvage, you do have the right to what's known as a retcon. Make sure you clear it OOCly with the other players involved first, please.

If it comes to the point where you're deleting and/or freezing threads and/or posts to avoid IC or OOC consequences, that's unacceptable.

1) RE: Deleting Posts: Here's the thing. If you have a post that has comments to it, and then you delete that post, you are essentially godmoding everybody who replied to you by forcing them to retcon any interaction away. So don't do it. Deleting posts with comments, even just one comment, is not acceptable. Ever. Doing so will result in a warning.

If you feel that your post is not working out the way you envisioned, for any reason, IC or OOC, you are allowed to edit the post with an OOC note explaining why, and asking for a retcon. Do not simply delete it.

2) RE: Deleting Comments: If you post a comment and notice there is a typo/bad HTML, it is permitted to delete and repost as long as there are no other comments to it already. If there are, just let it stand. Deleting somebody ELSE'S comment is never acceptable for any reason, even if there is an OOC problem that is resolved/working on being resolved. Just let the comments stay. If you truly feel the OOC comments are interrupting the flow of the play, you can email the mods and ask them to delete any comments.

3) RE: Freezing comments: Allowable if a) the thread is OOCly abusive, b) after rethinking your original post, you decide to ask for a retcon. All instances of thread freezing must be sent to the mods afterwards for record keeping purposes. Freezing threads in any other reason is not allowed.

4) RE: Posting with the wrong account: Looks like you shagged it up good and proper, didn't you? Nah, we're kidding. If you post with the wrong account (and it does happen to everybody), THEN you are allowed to delete comments and repost with the correct account.

As always, the moderators have final say in what does and does not constitute a breaking of these rules. When in doubt, err on the side of caution: don't do it, and if necessary, ask a mod.


14) THE BACKSEAT MODERATING RULE.
We request that all members of the community do not play moderator. What this means is as follows: If you spot a fellow player breaking a rule or committing a faux pas through ignorance, do not take it upon yourself to correct them or warn them OOCly. Please, alert a mod in the event of a serious infraction of the rules, and in the case of faux pas, let them slide. A few good examples of this are somebody posting without a question, posting a long question or image without an LJ Cut, posting an OOC issue to the wrong community, or posting the infamous 'where am I?' question. In other words, the mods, while under the radar for the most part, are paying attention, and will let the players involved know about the rules and/or manners required.

15) THE CHARACTER FAIR USE DISCLAIMER.
We request that you put basic character information in your character's profile page, at the very least stating what fandom they're from, if they're an OC from an established universe, or if they're an OC from an original universe. Dear Multiverse, its players and its moderators make no money off the use of these characters, nor do we encourage copyright infringement. We also do not allow 'real' people that are currently living, or who have been dead for less than one hundred (100) years to be portrayed here on Dear Multiverse. If you want to RP Oprah Winfrey's head in a jar from Futurama, however, you can do so.)

Gag characters created solely to mock or troll another player/character will not be tolerated, and will result in a warning.

16) THE MOD LIMITATIONS.
Okay, this isn't a rule, but a notification. We mods here at Dear Multiverse believe that our mod hats get hung up the second our browsers leave the actual community. Since this is a free-form game, with some of the action taking place off-comm, the moderators believe that they have no right to dictate plot navigation or call members of the comm on their behavior off this comm. Only when off-community incidents spill over onto DM itself will the moderators involve themselves. We play the game as well, and we have our own plots going. Which, as you know, take up time and require love and attention. We're not here to moderate every possible journal, interaction or discussion. Remember, we're only human, we require sleep and food and sometimes pixi stix mixed into our Red Bulls to get through the day.

17) THE DON'T SPAM THE COMM RULE.
We recognize that you may not always get the response, or level of response, that you might've been looking for. But repeated posting of it will only annoy people...increasing the likelihood that you might get either less response or more hostile responses, and no one needs that. So please, don't do it.

18) THE NOXIOUS INFLUENCE RULE
When the moderators have received reports of someone, over a period of time, acting in a way that deliberately evades the spirit of the rules while cleaving to the words of them, action may be taken. That action will be banning.

19) THE ORIGINATION RULE.
To post or comment on dear_multiverse and dmooc, you must do so from a LiveJournal account. You cannot post to it from a Facebook, Twitter, OpenID or any other 'Identity' account as allowed by LiveJournal. Doing so will result in an immediate warning.

20) THE END.
Rules will periodically be reviewed and updated. We will make announcements regarding any changes to the communities, both dear_multiverse and dmooc.

The Mods as they are


aeon_phoenix
Phoenix is a Summons from the Final Fantasy Universe. While in human form, she can be seen lounging on one of the Nexus' various white couches handing out advice or maybe a fireball if that hot-headed temper gets the better of her.

mr_negotiator
Roger Smith, a humble negotiator from Paragon City, a city where forty years ago everyone lost their memory. Now, he tries to put people in touch with each other, working things out with each other. Now, he negotiates in a different kind of forum. But sometimes... sometimes negotiation needs a firm hand. And don't think he doesn't have that as an option.

iq_6000

Holly, the super-genius computer that runs the Jupiter Mining Corporation deep space ship Red Dwarf. Holly's got an I.Q. of 6000, but that's not so much. It's the same I.Q. as 12,000 car park attendants.

rarely_a_friend

The Phantom Stranger is a mystical defender from the DC Universe. His origins are a mystery, even to himself, but he is always known to show up when and where he is needed.

_machiavelli

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (May 3, 1469 – June 21, 1527) was a political philosopher, musician, poet, and romantic comedic playwright. He is a key figure of the Italian Renaissance and a central figure of its political component, most widely known for his treatises on realist political theory (The Prince) on the one hand and republicanism (Discourses on Livy) on the other. He is also dead sexy and likes pina coladas, long walks on the beach and getting caught in the rain.

Credits:
Layout by gossymer