RMB Policing and Activities

Monte Ozarka

Monte Ozarka

TNPer
Table of Contents:I never intended our spam-busting group to have any sort of strict hierarchy or organization. Therefore, I'll simply seek to lay down some guidelines and suggestions for whoever's passing by the RMB and wants to help. Instead of commanding by my divine will, it will be far more akin to herding cats. :P

Anyone that wishes to partake in this effort can wear the following badge.
rmb.png


Here's a helpful suggestion. Make the badge a link to the Campaign Against Spam Warning Center. That way, there's no need to scroll or find the right forum or anything. Click the badge, and you're shuffled off to the right thread! The code (for you lazy ones out there) is:
Code: 
[url=http://z13.invisionfree.com/TNP/index.php?showtopic=470][IMG]Wherever you're hosting the image[/IMG][/url]

RMB Policing Guidelines

Rule Violations
First of all, whenever you see someone violating NS rules, you should immediately report them. This includes spamming, harassment, cursing, and having an improper name/motto/flag. This includes anything that is blatantly spammed. If it appears that the recruiter unwittingly broke the 24-hour rule, just shoot them a telegram and warn them to be more careful next time.

However, the "Getting Help" page is a bit buried in the NS website, so here's a short map for it:
  • Click "FAQ" in your NS sidebar.
  • Below the numbered header, click the "Getting Help" link.
  • Choose the right category from the drop-down menu, and write down some details of the situation in the text box. Attach the relevant RMB or Regional Happenings data as necessary.
Anti-Spam
This should be pretty intuitive. Whenever you see someone breaking our region's ad-spam rules, here's what you should do:
  • Call them out on it on the RMB. Not only does this serve as a public warning for the recruiter and others, it will bring it one step closer to bumping off that piece of spam.
  • Telegram them with a courteous warning. Our spam rules are hard enough to enforce as it is; there is no need to antagonize anyone about them. I also suggest pointing out where they could shorten/revise their ad to not only make it shorter but also more effective. Here are some examples and templates for telegrams that you can use.
  • Report it in the Warning Center.
  • If the recruiter gives you grief about it, either create a topic about it in the MoC forum or PM me or my deputy. Recruiters we can all sorta stand. Douchebags? Less so.
  • Once again, be sure to report it in the Warning Center. I'll be watching for repeat offenders, and if they continue to do so, I just may pay a visit to their leader and region. :ph34r:
Caveat on the 15-line limit
Officially, the government maintains a 15-line limit on ad-spam. However, there are many extenuating factors like monitor size and screen resolution that makes this hard-cap kind of shaky. Therefore, unless the line violation appears to be particularly egregious (~20 lines or so) to you, you can let the recruiter slide. Give a warning on the RMB if you feel like it, but you don't have to feel compelled to hound them too much.

Suggested RMB activities
  • Stupid games. Come on, TNP has one of the most vibrant OOC sections in all of NationStates. Let us export that potential to the RMB, so that we can show that we're capable of more than just complaining about recruiters. Countdowns, word association, do *something* to the poster above you, etc. all show the silly side of our region and that it is not simply a monolithic bureaucracy.
  • Critique the spam! Admit it. You log on, take a look at the RMB, and see some terribly written advertisements. Teach the recruiters that grace our RMB how to write something more compelling, attention-grabbing, and interesting in a shorter amount of space. And tell them to get rid of the section about how to move their nation to that region. That in itself is 6 lines of empty space.
  • Spam parody. Bored? Have a bit of time? Find a random piece of recruiting spam on the page and parody it to redirect people to TNP.
  • Limericks and haikus. A TNP classic. Silly poems are an integral part of our cultural heritage. You never have any clue what people you'll drag out of the woodwork when you have a poem-a-thon going.
Congratulations! You've read this far! :D

I'll also design a little icon for anyone that wishes to participate to wear. Again, membership will be voluntary and loosely-defined. Just make a good faith effort, ok? :)

Examples and updates to come soon.

~Monte Ozarka
May 10, 2007
 
Some suggestions (for super-awesome copy/paste action) for telegrams to send to recruiters who break the 15-line rule. If you have an amazing template that you'd like to share, by all means, please post it, and I'll add it here.

Hi there, [NATION NAME].

I noticed that you recently posted an ad for your region in The North Pacific. I don't know if you know this, but our region has in place a 15-line limit on recruitment ads. Some possible repercussions for continually not abiding by this rule can include the ejection and banning of your nation.

But, let's not let it get to that point. I'd like to simply ask you to shorten your ad a little bit as a courtesy to our region and our rules.

[ENTER SUGGESTIONS FOR FIXING THEIR AD]

Thank you, and if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to telegram me or Monte Ozarka.
Click to expand...

Hello.

I reside in TNP, and I see that you posted an ad on our RMB a little while ago. I also noticed that your ad exceeds the 15-line limit that has been a long-standing policy in our region. Hypothetically, the penalties for breaking this rule can include ejection and banning from the region, but that's pretty much an annoyance for everyone involved.

Therefore, I just ask you to shorten your ad a bit as a show of courtesy. At the least, if you shorten it a bit, you'll stop receiving these annoying telegrams from random TNP members. :P

[ENTER SUGGESTIONS FOR FIXING THEIR AD]

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, please telegram me or Monte Ozarka.
Click to expand...

Hey there. You posted an ad on the TNP RMB a little bit ago. You may not know that TNP has a standing rule that regional advertisements cannot exceed 15 lines long, as they stretch out the RMB too much. However, your ad has done so.

We could try to use the stick and threaten you with ejection and banning and all-around ill will, but words often get the job done well enough. Can you shorten your ad simply as a courtesy to TNP and its rules? All of us here would greatly appreciate it and stop harassing you with telegrams. :P

[ENTER SUGGESTIONS FOR FIXING THEIR AD]

Thank you, and if you have any questions, please telegram myself or Monte Ozarka.
Click to expand...
 
Minister, would it possible for the "RMB Police" if you will to please message me stating who the offender was, their offense, and other potential information for evidence? I would like to cite the following clause of the constitution granting the Delegate authority to eject people who commit "explicit spamming".

Constitution:
In the event of explicit spamming of the Regional offsite forum or the Regional civil headquarters message board at Nationstates.net, a Nation may be ejected by the Delegate without a prior referendum vote if the action is countersigned by the Prime Minister upon the posting of the offense by a Regional Assembly Member, and a second to the immediate expulsion motion by another Regional Assembly Member. However, the subject Nation of the expulsion action shall have the right to a post-ejection referendum vote by the Regional Assembly on a motion to ratify the ejection. The vote shall be to ratify the action to expel, and the expulsion shall be ratified if within seven days, at least 50 per cent of the Regional Assembly with a quorum participating, approve the motion in a referendum.
Click to expand...
 
Dalimbar:
Minister, would it possible for the "RMB Police" if you will to please message me stating who the offender was, their offense, and other potential information for evidence? I would like to cite the following clause of the constitution granting the Delegate authority to eject people who commit "explicit spamming".

Constitution:
In the event of explicit spamming of the Regional offsite forum or the Regional civil headquarters message board at Nationstates.net, a Nation may be ejected by the Delegate without a prior referendum vote if the action is countersigned by the Prime Minister upon the posting of the offense by a Regional Assembly Member, and a second to the immediate expulsion motion by another Regional Assembly Member. However, the subject Nation of the expulsion action shall have the right to a post-ejection referendum vote by the Regional Assembly on a motion to ratify the ejection. The vote shall be to ratify the action to expel, and the expulsion shall be ratified if within seven days, at least 50 per cent of the Regional Assembly with a quorum participating, approve the motion in a referendum.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Does this only refer to spamming our RMB more than once a day, or does this also refer to having overly long ad-spam?
 
Updated this post with a badge you can wear (see the first post!) and whatnot. Resize and wear as you see fit. Just as a reminder to everyone out there, when you're asking a recruiter to shorten their ad, make some suggestions to improve their ad not only in length but also quality. Some helping words go a long way. :)
 
I understand it to be both myself, however the lawyer monkeys could probably fill us in. *chuckles*
 
Here are some sample TG's I actually sent out to recruiters that exceeded the line limit:

Dutch Empire:
Hello.

I am TNP's Minister of Communications, and I see that you posted an ad on our RMB a little while ago. I also noticed that your ad exceeds the 15-line limit (yours was 24 lines on my monitor) that has been a long-standing policy in our region. Hypothetically, the penalties for breaking this rule can include ejection and banning from the region, but that's pretty much an annoyance for everyone involved.

Therefore, I just ask you to shorten your ad a bit as a show of courtesy. At the least, if you shorten it a bit, you'll stop receiving these annoying telegrams from random TNP members. :P

I've gone ahead and made some changes to your ad below that I think would be beneficial to you and me. After all, when a player seems a huge wall of text, they will lose interest fairly quickly. Also, having line breaks as extra space between shorter paragraphs helps immensely and breaks up your ad into more managable and far more readable chunks. Also, having your region name at the top of the ad (instead of forcing the reader to dig through the text to find it) will help the reader know what he's reading. Sure, this will decrease the amount of text you can put into your ad, but frankly, something that is short and interesting will arouse more interest than something that is long and tedious:

"DUTCH EMPIRE

I would like to formally invite you to join a young and growing region called Dutch Empire. We may be small and new, but here's why our region is better:

1) You would be in on the "ground floor", as our region is just founded, too. So, your input would be a tremendous help and carry more weight. Also, our government is not yet established... So stake out a prestigious position!
2) Our offsite forum is already made and is simply waiting for you.
3) We have several experienced members in our community that can help you with whatever questions you may have and offer all kinds of advice for developing your nation.

The great thing about joining a new region like ours is that (even if you're new) you can make a great impact right away. Come to Dutch Empire for an exciting new start!"

This revised version is 14 lines long. Too be honest, you could probably cut out more text. I also invite you to use the region "Monte Ozarkan Sandbox" to test out your ads beforehand.

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions, please telegram me.
~MO
Click to expand...

Trailer Recruiters:
Hi there, Trailer Recruiters. I am Monte Ozarka, the current Minister of Communications for The North Pacific.

I noticed that you recently posted an ad for your region in TNP. Unfortunately, it was 20 lines long on my 1280 x 1024 monitor. I don't know if you know this, but our region has in place a 15-line limit on recruitment ads. Some possible repercussions for continually not abiding by this rule can include the ejection and banning of your nation.

But, let's not let it get to that point. I'd like to simply ask you to shorten your ad a little bit as a courtesy to our region and our rules.

May I simply suggest putting more than one sentence on each line? To be honest, upon first glance, your ad resembles not a wall of text, but rather, a column of it. I personally find small paragraphs with an extra line of empty space in between to be the easiest to read. I've made some changes to your ad as an example. On my monitor, this fits in exactly 15 lines (although you could definitely cut out more):

"Follow me to The Trailer Park.

We have trailers you can use. You could buy your own if you want.

There is a stream nearby. The fishing is good in the neighboring lake. Elk walk through the field closeby. So do deer. The artesian wells are not contaminated with PCBs like that *other* park.

We have dances every Friday night. Reverend Bob tames snakes every Sunday with the spirit of Christ.

The air is fresh. The property is cheap. There is a volleyball net. Sometimes we make cheese in March. There are jewelrymaking contests too.

Move to The Trailer Park, please. You will like it. If you don't you can just move out."

I also invite you to use the region "Monte Ozarkan Sandbox" to test out your ads beforehand.

Thank you, and if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to telegram me.
~MO
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I love badges! Count me in! Considering I am already a CommRanger. Thank you MO for doing this work and taking the time to protect our RMB. :w00t:
 
The forum address has been removed from the WFE. Let's make a concerted effort to keep it visible on the RMB. It's of paramont importance to the vitality of this community.
 
Fulhead Land:
It was instated because of the PD stuff...if I remember right
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Huh. Okay.

Well, back during PD, I got the impression that it was one time per day per person. Whereupon we then tried other means of getting the forum URL visible any way we could after we posted our once per day. *ponders reviving her puppet "CHECK OUT MY MOTTO"* :lol:
 
Since the amount of chatter on the RMB has increased, we need to up the number of people who will post the URL for the forum. Let's go folks! If we are cut off, we will die.
 
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