What are the Foldit chat rules?

We want the chat to be a pleasant and safe place for all chatters. To ensure this, please follow these simple rules:

• Keep the conversation PG-rated, since there is a wide range of ages (from 6 - 60+) in the chat. Anything deemed offensive will not be tolerated.
• No offensive references to a person or group by race, religion, gender, orientation, disability, etc. and no offensive IDs or nicknames.
• No illegal activity (e.g. offering or discussing where to get warez, pirated movies, etc.) under any circumstances.
• No shouting (i.e., TYPING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS).
• Do not harass other chatters. You can respectfully disagree, but don’t be rude or belligerent.
• No spamming of web sites for either personal or commercial purposes. Posting a personal web site link once is OK, just don’t do it repeatedly. Posting a link that is about another folder is not okay, unless it is a news item.
• Do not repeat yourself over and over to try to get noticed, as this is disruptive to the chat.
• Do not be rude or belligerent to newcomers.

Foldit is truly a Global game, where everyone has something to offer. Some subjects are more sensitive than others, so when you chat in global, respect your fellow folders, and let common sense be your guide. Or the moderators will step in and guide you, but only if you make them do so.

Do not be offended if your question cannot be answered right away, and do not post your question or screenshots multiple times. Have patience.

Allow the moderators to do their jobs. Rather than correcting behavior, ignore people who bother you and inform a moderator if someone is being disruptive.

...and the most important (and simplest) rule:

Use common sense, and don't be a jerk.

The chat rules do not cover all possible things that can happen in an active IRC chat.

Generally speaking, if you avoid being disruptive to other user's chat experiences, and if you are polite to the younger and less experienced chatters, you will avoid any chance of being removed. A little thinking before typing goes a long way.

Got a problem with someone?

People being people, protracted heated arguments (some over relevant tech topics, some not), personality clashes, and other issues arise in IRC just as in real life.

Bear in mind that the moderators will kick people who are disruptive to the chat, but this often will include both or all of the participants in an ongoing fight. From the outside it is often very difficult to see who is the instigator.

If you just can't get along with someone, consider using the "ignore" feature of your IRC client (this will also work ingame). In most clients you simply have to type:

/ignore nickname-to-be-ignored