Good evening, everyone. We have a few additions to the rules to announce tonight. Be sure to read through all of them and let us know if you have any questions. You can find the full rules by clicking the "Rules" tab at the top of the forum or by clicking here: Rules and Guidelines. Here are the specific updates with some more information:
Copied text should be in quotes.
We've had instances where a user will copy/paste large blocks of text into new posts in order to farm bells. This is the inspiration for our new written post quality rule.
Posts shouldn't be nothing but constant negativity.
While it's fine to disagree with someone or be negative about something you don't like, we want TBT to be a generally positive and friendly environment. If we feel someone is being constantly overly negative and bringing down the mood of a discussion, we will ask them to stop.
Bumping is no longer allowed in non-trading boards. We also specify what we mean by "bumping."
The bumping section has been rewritten in list form and one change has been made: bumping is no longer allowed in non-trading boards. If you'd like to revive a general discussion thread, you can always contribute to the discussion instead of simply posting something like "bump." As always, trading threads should not be bumped more than every 4 hours (and less for amiibo cards). We've also specified what we mean by bumping in this rule. Reviving an older discussion thread is still allowed, as long as its topic is still relevant and your post adds to the discussion.
We've also removed the part about reviving old and irrelevant threads from the post quality list since this is covered in its own section here.
Age restriction for registering clarified.
The forum will stop a user from registering if they're under 13 years old, but it hasn't been in the written rules until now.
New written rule about using another person's account to gain bells and collectibles.
This rule was announced during our Red Balloon World Tour event. Some people may have friends or family that don't use the forum very often. When these accounts are logged into during events and then send all of the rewards to an active user, it is effectively similar to using an alternate account. This is why we don't allow it, as it creates an unfair advantage to the recipient. This will be determined at the staff's discretion.
Reporting section now defines mini-modding and suggests using Contact the Staff for help.
Another suggestion to use Contact the Staff, this time instead of messaging a mod in Discord.
If a user needs help on the forum, their instinct may be to PM a moderator who's online in the Discord server. Instead, it would be better to make a Contact the Staff thread so all staff members can help you with the problem. This also helps us keep organized and make sure you get the help you need.
Copied text should be in quotes.
We've had instances where a user will copy/paste large blocks of text into new posts in order to farm bells. This is the inspiration for our new written post quality rule.
1.b. Post Quality said:Large blocks of copied or plagiarized text from external sources not contained within quote tags.
Posts shouldn't be nothing but constant negativity.
While it's fine to disagree with someone or be negative about something you don't like, we want TBT to be a generally positive and friendly environment. If we feel someone is being constantly overly negative and bringing down the mood of a discussion, we will ask them to stop.
1.b. Post Quality said:Repeated or constant behavior that is overly negative, toxic, or inflammatory.
Bumping is no longer allowed in non-trading boards. We also specify what we mean by "bumping."
The bumping section has been rewritten in list form and one change has been made: bumping is no longer allowed in non-trading boards. If you'd like to revive a general discussion thread, you can always contribute to the discussion instead of simply posting something like "bump." As always, trading threads should not be bumped more than every 4 hours (and less for amiibo cards). We've also specified what we mean by bumping in this rule. Reviving an older discussion thread is still allowed, as long as its topic is still relevant and your post adds to the discussion.
1.c. Thread Bumping said:Bumping on The Bell Tree is defined as posting the word "bump" or other variant for the sole purpose of bringing the thread to the top of the board index for increased visibility. To avoid excessive and unnecessary posting on the forum, users must abide by the following guidelines when bumping:
- Threads in trading boards should not be bumped until the thread is inactive for at least four hours.
- Due to the slower rate of posting in the Animal Crossing amiibo Card Post Office board, threads may only be bumped after eight hours of inactivity.
- The bumping of discussion threads is not permitted; i.e. you may not post solely to bump the thread. You must have something on-topic to say when posting in a discussion thread, and the thread topic must still be relevant.
- Posting a contributory reply in a general discussion thread is permitted and is not classified as a bump, no matter the age of the thread.
We've also removed the part about reviving old and irrelevant threads from the post quality list since this is covered in its own section here.
Age restriction for registering clarified.
The forum will stop a user from registering if they're under 13 years old, but it hasn't been in the written rules until now.
1.e. Accounts said:You must be at least 13 years of age to register on and use the forum.
New written rule about using another person's account to gain bells and collectibles.
This rule was announced during our Red Balloon World Tour event. Some people may have friends or family that don't use the forum very often. When these accounts are logged into during events and then send all of the rewards to an active user, it is effectively similar to using an alternate account. This is why we don't allow it, as it creates an unfair advantage to the recipient. This will be determined at the staff's discretion.
1.e. Accounts said:An account that exists solely to benefit another account in terms of bell and collectible gifts will be treated the same as an alternate account.
Reporting section now defines mini-modding and suggests using Contact the Staff for help.
1.h. Reporting said:If you have a specific question or concern you'd like to discuss with the staff team, make a thread in our Contact the Staff board.
1.h. Reporting said:Please use the report feature if you see a misplaced thread or any other post that requires attention. Responding to this yourself is considered mini-modding and can cause unnecessary confusion.
Another suggestion to use Contact the Staff, this time instead of messaging a mod in Discord.
If a user needs help on the forum, their instinct may be to PM a moderator who's online in the Discord server. Instead, it would be better to make a Contact the Staff thread so all staff members can help you with the problem. This also helps us keep organized and make sure you get the help you need.
1.k. Discord Chat Room said:Our Discord server is not to be used for reporting site issues or concerns. Instead, please make a thread in our Contact the Staff board or use the report feature where applicable.