The Charter

aka The Rules, aka you should probably read this.

(1) Membership in TAINT is a privilege, not a right: TAINT was created to provide a welcoming community for LGBTQ players and their friends, however, being LGBT or LGBT-friendly does not entitle you to guild membership. If you cannot or do not want to follow the guidelines within this Charter, then membership here is not for you.

(2) You are all 18+, TAINT is too: The forums, social media outlets, and guild chat are adult-only zones. We talk about anything from music and film, to religion and politics, to sex and sexuality. Officers will not censor conversations because they are not tasteful, or because they are explicit or extreme. If you are easily angered or offended, then you may have difficulty in TAINT. It is important that you can observe or participate in discussions as described here without resorting to insults, bigotry or harassment.

(3) Mutual respect is the foundation of our community: TAINT celebrates diversity of all types both inside and outside the LGBTQ community and is founded on a deep respect for that diversity. TAINT recognizes that all members have a right to play without harassment, and members are expected to treat each other and non-guild members with respect at all times. As a member of the TAINT, you do not have an unlimited right to free speech. Officers will intervene in chat or any other situation if it is deemed to be in the realm of harassment or is otherwise appropriate. 

(3a) Some examples are:

3.a.1 Negative comments/jokes based on sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, political persuasion, age, any body-type/body part of either gender, or any form of bigotry.

3.a.2 Threats of physical violence to yourself or someone else.

3.a.3 Continued, unwelcome contact with another player.

3.a.4 Unlawful activities.

(4) You are always an ambassador of TAINT, which has a strong reputation in the gaming community and we strive to make a positive impact on both the LGBT and gaming communities. The actions of each member will affect the reputation of the guilds as a whole.  You need to act with respect toward those around you in all settings. 

(4a) Examples of inappropriate behavior are:

4.a.1 Spamming, trolling, or insulting other players.

4.a.2 Violating game rules, EULA, NDA, Terms of Service, etc.

4.a.3 Exploits such as "ninja-looting", botting, and "Warzone AFK-ing".

4.a.4 Abuse of guild resources such as mumble, guild banks, and forums.

(4b) A note on "Rage Quitting": If a member rage quits, as defined by leaving without explaining/alerting an officer or Guild Leader, and you wish to reapply, leadership will generally not allow readmission and a review will be made of the departing player's previous impact on our player community.

(5) Using Common Sense: Not every situation imaginable is covered in this document and it is important to use common sense in all circumstances. The officers reserve the right to implement more specific rules from time to time and intervene in any situation, even if it is not listed above, if it’s necessary or appropriate for the good of the guild or its members.

Supplemental Charter Rules

(6) Respect the Group/Guild Admins:

Be respectful and nice. Ways to show respect to other players include: Don't make jokes, references etc to derogatory stereotypes about ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, gender groups etc. Please refrain from making jokes and/or irrelevant references to the act of rape. Don't belittle body types and no slut shaming.

We provide a service, in our free time, to keep the group running efficiently. We are not paid nor are we sponsored by anyone. This simply as a labor of love. Feedback is welcome. If you believe an error has been made in moderation please post (or pm) your concerns politely and help us understand your perspective.

(7) Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll and Illegal Activity:

Do not post anything abusive. If you think someone else's post is abusive or offends you, please message an admin (for TGC FB content, start with Kelly Morningstar. For TGC Enjin, Lee Abadie or any guild leader). Refrain from simply "reporting" a post on FB.

Messages containing descriptions of sex acts or sexuality and gender, video game violence, religion, politics, games(even professional sports), drug use (without direct endorsement), etc, are A-OKAY with us (and encouraged) as long as the messages are not abusive. Illegal content, underage sex, rape, other acts w/o consent, similar violence or links to sites with this content will be deleted. Posting or linking to any of these later examples could result in a ban.

(8) Stay on Topic/Thread Drifting/Steering:

Please keep discussions on the topic. We are a gaming community. More than that, we are a GLBTStr8+ gaming community. We know you all have tons to say but please keep your posts to Games (ALL types of games under the Homo Ludens ("Playing Man") definition), the games/gaming industry, glbtq news and items of glbtq interest (gender and sexuality politics, queer-related pop culture, sex, etc). Please limit meme posting by using the same rules. There is a ton of wiggle room here that leaves plenty of room for almost all of the current posts. Go nuts.

(9)   Respect, Trolling, Attacks, and Flaming:

Always respect other people's enjoyment of things, especially games you may not necessarily enjoy etc.

At all times respect one another. You don’t have to agree but you don’t have to be an ass.

These are always forbidden.

9.1 It is very probable someone really loves a game you despise. Keep the negativity to yourself.

9.2 Trolling is posting in a way that provokes emotionally negative responses.

9.3 Attacks and derogatory terms of any kind are not welcome.

9.4 Flames are messages that personally attack or call any people names or otherwise harass.

9.5 These, along with any generally condescending posts will be removed at the admin’s discretion. If a thread is flame-bait (appears to be intended to start an argument or is likely to cause an argument rather than enhance discussion, as in trolling), it will be removed without notice.

9.6 Individual flame-bait comments in a post may be deleted at the admin's discretion.

9.7 If the thread turns into an argument, it may be removed without notice.

(10)  Names are very important and carry a lot of weight.

Never create guilds, clans, linkshells, etc. with the names Taint Gaming, TGC, and any variation of Taint in any games.

We have worked very hard, for over 15 years, to develop a legacy associated with our branding. Never create guilds, clans, linkshells with the names Taint Gaming, TGC, and any variation of Taint in any games. If you'd like to see our presence in a game, let us know on Facebook. Our Admins always give thorough consideration to member requests. However, we have very selective criteria an MMO must meet before we will invest our time and energy in an MMO… which is why we are in only a handful of games.

(11) Catch all:

Try to contribute some general level of positivity to the TGC social environment. We all have bad days and occasionally venting about a quest, class or game is fine but members who seem consistently negative, critical, condescending, bitter, combative, etc may be approached by admins for a conversation. We strive to create a social experience that is pleasant and fun for everyone. If a member isn't happy/satisfied/content in TGC, there are thankfully many other social gaming groups that might be a better fit for that person.