Code of Conduct (1 Feb 2024)

We aim to make the WCoD a safe and welcoming place for people to play Diplomacy. The following Code of Conduct aims to ensure that this becomes a reality.

1. GENERAL
1.1 You commit to treating everyone in the WCoD community with respect. Personal abuse, and personal and collective discrimination, will not be tolerated.
1.2 You commit to having just one account in the WCoD Forum. If you have a problem with your account, please contact the Site Admin to resolve the issue.
1.2.1 If you open more than one account, Site Management will remove accounts. We will endeavour to contact members about this first but, where this isn't possible, or where there is no response, appropriate action will be taken. Accounts will be closed and, for repeated offences, all accounts will be banned.
1.3 You commit to using just one account in a game. There is never any need to use multiple accounts in any game. If you enter any game with more than one account, all accounts will be banned  from the WCoD Forum and the WCoD tournament.
1.4 You commit to following all aspects of the Code of Conduct. You understand that, should you not do so Site Management will take proportionate and appropriate action against you, as described below.

2. POSTING ON THE FORUM
2.1 Respect for WCoD Forum members. With regard to 1.1 above, members should not post abusive content about individuals or groups on the WCoD Forum. This includes content that:
- Is libellous or defamatory, or violates the privacy or publicity rights of any third party.
- Infringes the rights of individuals, including intellectual rights and the right to privacy.
- Has the sole purpose of trolling or flaming.
- Attempts to farm an individual's private information, such as name, email address, contact details, etc.
If such content is posted, Site Management will remove the post (and edit or remove posts responding to it), and will issue a warning or ban from the WCoD Forum. Any further offences may see members banned permanently from the WCoD Forum and tournament.
2.1.1 Mild abuse, while discouraged, will be allowed, eg calling someone an idiot. This is because what one person considers offensive, another may see as normal or humorous. However, persistent posting of mild abuse towards a member will be seen as a programme of abuse and may result in a ban from the WCoD Forum and WCoD tournament.
2.2 Harmful content is not allowed. Members are never allowed to post content that:
- Is pornographic; that may constitute child pornography; or that may solicit personal information from, or exploit in a sexual or violent manner, anyone under the age of 18, including links to such content.
- Depicts excessive violence; contains comments or images that are offensive, abusive, threatening, harassing or menacing; or that incites, encourages or threatens physical harm against others.
- Glamorises the use of illegal substances and drugs.
- Advocates violence, including the buying, selling, or trading of firearms or weapons (including ammunition).
- Promotes the misinformation of health issues that could result in serious consequences for the public.
- Advertises, or provides links to, any goods or services that have nothing to do with Diplomacy, the Diplomacy game, or the Diplomacy Hobby.
If such content is posted, Site Management will remove the post (and edit or remove posts responding to it), and will permanently ban the member posting from the WCoD Forum and WCoD tournament.
2.3 Content that promotes hatred, intolerance or discrimination. Members are not allowed to post content that:
- Promotes or glorifies intolerance towards race and racial characteristics, including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origin, or culture.
- Promotes or glorifies transgender intolerance, including gender reassignment and gender identity.
- Promotes or glorifies intolerance towards disability, including physical disability, mental disability, or learning differences.
- Promotes or glorifies intolerance towards sex, whether misogyny or misandry.
- Promotes or glorifies intolerance towards sexual orientation.
- Signifies hate towards any person or group of people.
If such content is posted, Site Management may ask the individual to edit their post voluntarily, will edit or remove the post (and edit or remove posts responding to it), and may issue a ban from the WCoD Forum. Repeated offence will lead to a permanent ban from the WCoD Forum and WCoD tournament.
2.3.1 Content relating to religion is not treated in the same way. Although a person's religion may be related to their race, culture or nationality, religion is a personal choice. Negative comments relating to religion will not, therefore, be seen as expressing hatred or intolerance. However, where these comments are expressly intolerant, threatening or discriminatory, or when they are used to abuse an individual, they will be treated as above.
2.4 No content should be posted that has a detrimental effect on the WCoD Forum and members. Spamming, continually posting the same content, and posting content in multiple sections of the WCoD Forum, will lead to temporary bans and, for repeated offences, a permanent ban from the WCoD Forum and WCod tournament.
2.5 Content that is generally offensive or in bad taste should not be posted. This includes excessive profanity. Swearing in general is acceptable as it may be normal language for some members; excessive swearing will be seen as abusive. Such content will be removed, and for repeated offences lead to a ban from the WCoD Forum or a permanent ban from the WCoD Forum and WCoD tournament.

3. CONTENT OF PRIVATE MESSAGES
3.1 Private messages are, by definition, private and therefore subject to less regulation. If you receive a PM that is, in your opinion, offensive or abusive, you have the option to block that member from messaging you. This should be the first response. Site Management will not normally act on the content of PMs, with the exceptions below.
3.2 Threatening Private Messages are not allowed. Any PM that threatens violence, is coercive, or threatens retaliation in games, on site, or off site, will be investigated by Site Management. This may lead to a ban, or permanent ban, from the WCoD Forum and WCoD tournament.
3.3 Messages that contain harmful content are not allowed. Messages containing content defined as "harmful" in 2.2 above will result in a member being permanently banned from the WCoD Forum and WCoD tournament.
3.4 Excessive or repeated personal abuse is not allowed. When a member repeatedly sends abusive messages, or where a message contains excessive abuse as determined by Site Management, that member will receive a ban or permanent ban from the WCoD Forum and WCoD tournament.

4. OUT-OF-GAME DISCUSSIONS
4.1 WCoD games may be discussed on the WCoD Forum. Players may discuss the progress of games, speculate on the players or teams representing each power in a game, etc, but must keep in mind the following rules.
4.2 Breaking anonymity is not allowed. All games in the WCoD will be anonymous. It is forbidden to break anonymity in a game on the WCoD Forum. This is the case whether a player is active in the game or not, and whether a player in the game reveals their identity on the Forum, or whether another player in their team reveals their identity. This will result in a penalty to the person responsible and for the team (see the WCoD 2025 RULES topic for more info) and, for the remainder of the game, the person will be banned from the WCoD Forum.
4.3 Players are forbidden from seeking advice when playing a game other than within their team. The WCoD is a team events and players in a game may seek advice from their team (there will eventually be team forums that will be accessible only to the members of that team and the Tournament Director). However, seeking advice from the WCoD Forum community as a whole, or from other sites, is forbidden. This will result in a penalty for the person and the team (see the WCoD 2025 RULES topic for more info), and the person will be banned from participating in further WCoD games for the existing tournament.
4.4 Players are forbidden from seeking to use the WCoD Forum to affect how a game is played. Players may report problems with a game by contacting the Tournament Director, and may report possible cheating in a game on the Forum through their Captain. However, reports that are clearly false, or intended to affect how a game is played unnecessarily, are forbidden. This will result in a penalty for the person and the team (see the WCoD 2025 RULES topic for more info), and the person will be banned from participating in further WCoD games for the existing tournament.

5. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
5.1 Members should give true information when registering on the WCoD Forum. Members can register with a username which may not be their true name (but should follow the rules for WCoD 2025 REGISTRATION), and may create an email that is solely for use on the WCoD Forum, as long as the member can be contacted via the email address. However, other details should have true information, including WCoD 2025 REGISTRATION details. If a member is found to have provided false information, and be involved in the WCoD tournament, or if a player is not able to be contacted through their email address, they will be removed from the WCoD tournament.
5.2 Members commit to guarding their personal details. Apart from the risk of having your identity stolen, it may allow other players to use your identity to create a false account, or to access the WCoD Forum using your details.
5.3 Members are responsible for any content posted in their name. Regardless of the circumstances, you will be completely responsible for any post created in your name, and subject to any sanction that may be applied as a result of posting.

6. SITE MANAGEMENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
6.1 Site Management is the Site Administrator and Moderators. Site Management will be responsible for applying the Code of Conduct to all members and for maintaining a welcoming and safe place for members of the WCoD Forum.
6.2 Site Management reserves the right to apply any sanction appropriate. Site Management will apply a proportionate and appropriate sanction. They will not allow personal relationships with members to affect their decisions. Where a personal relationship may have an impact on any action, the investigating member of Site Management will request another member of Site Management take over to avoid a conflict of interest.
6.3 Decisions of Site Management are final. Players may appeal a sanction by contacting the Site Admin if they are still active on the WCoD Forum. However, following the appeal, the decision of the Site Admin will be final.
6.4 Any member of Site Management may play in the WCoD tournament. Site Management involved in a game in the tournament will not investigate any action in that game, however, to avoid a conflict of interest.
6.5 No member of Site Management can act as a Team Captain. This may be a conflict of interest and Mods do not have access to the Team Captains forum.
6.6 Site Management reserve the right to change the Code of Conduct at any time without reference to any member of the WCoD Forum. Updates and changes to the Code of Conduct will be posted on the WCoD Forum and, once posted, all members are expected to act within the Code of Conduct.