Community Rules
The rules that apply across SpeedSolving.com, how they are enforced, and examples.
These rules apply across the whole site: forum, wiki, competition and gallery. The short version: be kind, stay on topic, don't advertise, one account each. Report problems with the Report link under any post rather than replying to them.
1. Be civil, be respectful
Online, you are only your words, and you will be judged on the quality and content of your posts. Treat others with the respect you expect to receive.
a. No flaming or trolling
- No personal attacks, insults or deliberate provocation.
- If you are attacked or provoked, do not retaliate. Report it and let the moderators handle it.
b. Language and content
- This is a family-friendly site with young members. Keep content suitable for all ages.
- Do not try to get around the profanity filter. If you censor a word yourself, hiding one letter is not enough.
- If you link to or embed a video or site with strong language, put a clear warning above it.
- Excessively vulgar, graphic or violent content is not allowed.
c. One account per person
- You may have one account. Duplicate ("alt") accounts may be banned without warning, and infractions earned on an alt go onto your main account.
- Making a new account to get around a ban extends the ban permanently.
d. Backseat moderation
- If you see a rule being broken, you may let the member know, kindly, once. If someone already has, leave it.
- Report the post if it needs attention. Publicly policing other members usually breaks the rules itself.
e. Replying
- Use Reply or multi-quote when answering a specific post, so discussions stay easy to follow.
- When quoting a long post, trim it or wrap it in spoiler tags. Don't quote embedded videos and images; replace them with a link or put them in a spoiler.
f. Signatures
- No inappropriate or hateful content; no more than three lines; no images, spoiler tags or indents.
2. Stay on topic
Read the forum descriptions before starting a thread so it lands in the right place, and keep replies relevant to the thread.
a. No spam
- Spam is any post or thread that adds nothing or does not belong where it was posted. It is removed without warning.
- Before posting, ask: would I want to read this if someone else had written it?
- Posted in the wrong forum? Ask a moderator to move it rather than posting it again.
b. Cross-posting
- Do not post the same thread or message in more than one place. The rare exception (a video comparing two puzzles, posted in both review threads) is fine; when in doubt, ask a moderator.
c. Low-value replies
- Reply when you have something to add. "+1", "lol" and "use the search" on their own are not replies.
d. Bumping
- Don't reply to your own thread just to push it back up. If you have something new, add it; otherwise edit your original post.
e. Forum-specific rules
- Some forums have extra guidelines pinned at the top. Check them. New rules may also be announced in Announcements.
- Personal bests go in the Accomplishment thread or your signature, or in your own progression log in Cubing Progression, not in a new thread each time.
f. Old threads
- Search before starting a thread. If a thread on the subject already exists, it is usually better to use it.
- Replying to an old thread is welcome when you add something new: an update, a correction, a related question. Bumping an old thread with nothing new is treated as spam.
3. No advertising
- Advertising commercial sites, goods or services unrelated to speedsolving is not allowed (Off-Topic Discussion allows a little latitude). Accounts created to advertise are banned.
- Buying and selling puzzles happens only in the Buy, Sell, Trade forum. Read that forum's pinned rules before posting there.
Enforcement
Moderators use a warning and infraction system.
- Warning: a formal note that a rule was broken. No points.
- Infraction: a note that carries points. Most points expire after a set time.
- Bans: 5 active points gives a 1-day ban; 10 active points a 5-day ban. Repeated or severe violations can lead to a permanent ban at the staff's discretion.
- Disputes: if you think an infraction was unfair, send a polite private message to the moderator who issued it.
- Reporting: use Report under any post. Don't reply to spam or rule-breaking posts.
| Violation | Points | Expire after |
|---|---|---|
| Spam, minor | 1 | 5 days |
| Spam, major | 3 | 14 days |
| Spam, excessive | Permanent ban | |
| Multi-posting / double-posting | 2 | 7 days |
| Bumping an old thread with nothing new | 2 | 7 days |
| Flaming, minor | 1 | 5 days |
| Flaming, standard | 2 | 10 days |
| Trolling | 3 | 14 days |
| Harassment | Permanent ban, administrator discretion | |
| Censor dodging | 1 | 5 days |
| Inappropriate content, mild | 1 | 5 days |
| Inappropriate content, major | 3 | 14 days |
| Explicit content or images | Permanent ban, administrator discretion | |
| Copyright violation | 3 | 14 days |
| Advertising, minor | 2 | 5 days |
| Advertising, major | Permanent ban, administrator discretion | |
Examples
Spam
- Titles with excessive punctuation ("!!!! LOOK HERE !!!!").
- Posts that ignore basic spelling and grammar. This is a forum, not a chat room.
- Re-posting a thread that staff closed or removed, or a thread still waiting for approval. Ask a moderator instead; if a thread is not approved within 12 hours, contact staff.
- Meta-commentary such as "this will get closed" or "wrong forum".
- Memes and image macros outside the designated meme threads; floods of emoji.
- Several short posts in a row. Edit your post instead.
- Replying to or feeding obvious spam bots or trolls.
Flaming and low-effort posts
- Stand-alone "OMG", "LOL", "GJ", "use the search function".
- Mocking another member's spelling, grammar, skill, background, beliefs or identity.
- All-caps and heavy profanity are strong signs of flaming. Report them.
See also the terms of service and privacy policy.