I thought it was about time I wrote these out. Done in an excruciating formal language, I’m sorry. But it looks good. This is what I believe the aims of Tallygarunga are, and what I expect from you all as my members and staff. It explains a lot of the reasons why I do things the way I do… such as talking in public forums with my members, and not pulling the whole Ice Queen Admin thing. I do hope no one disagrees with these. I think it’s important we all know what we’re trying to achieve here.

1. That no member should feel in any way intimidated by the staff and other members of the board. Tallygarunga aims to maintain an open, friendly game, in which all players – from new, to much loved older members – are welcome to join without fear of discrimination based on age, nationality, gender or role-play experience.

2. That all applications should be given an equal chance to improve, and never outright rejected, or insulted. Whilst Admin may ask for improvements, often along the lines of more detail needed, they are not permitted to completely reject an application. Whether the application is improved is solely the decision of the player, but no negative comments (from Admin or players) will be tolerated.

3. That the board should retain a strong community feel, with users posting not only in In-Character sections, but also conversing with other users in the Out Of Character areas of the board. Although it is in no way mandatory for a user to post in these areas, they have been provided as a chance for users to meet each other, and develop friendships with people from other corners of the world. This extends from the Admin of the board, to the newest users.

4. That no one should be afraid to contact Admin at any time, for any reason. Even the smallest questions are welcome to be answered via Private Message, by the Administrator of your choice. Tallygarunga prides itself on being one of the few boards around with Admin who are easily approachable, and probably a little psycho… but in a good way!

5. That never, ever, not in a million years should a user be subjected to open flaming on the boards. All complaints are to be conducted privately, through the messaging system… and directed straight to Admin who will work out a strategy to sensitively deal with the problem. There is no excuse for posting a complaint about another member on a public forum.

6. That the older members should encourage new, or inexperienced members to improve their posting skills in a positive way. This board is designed for players of all levels of experience, not only to play – but to improve as well. All members are encouraged to write guides on character development, post development and grammar to be posted in the Out Of Character Section.

7. That the rules written should be designed to fit the aims of Tallygarunga Academy of Magic as a place to develop writing skills, and have fun. The rules should not be unreasonable, or difficult to follow. Admin’s enforcement of these rules should be as the law – the player is innocent until proven guilty.

8. That in cases where Admin is called to a dispute, or must enforce the written rules of the board, Admin will be unbiased, and allow each side a chance to clearly explain. All Administrators should carry out the warning process as written, and deliberate carefully before dealing punishment. Warning PMs should never accuse or point fingers, but state what the player has done wrong and what the consequences will be for a repeat performance.

9. That the beliefs of this board shall be upheld not only by the Administrators and Moderators of Tallygarunga, but also by it’s members. The smooth running of the boards falls not only into the hands of those who do the behind the scenes work… but mostly to those who use it. Careful adherence to the rules and ideals of this board will ensure that all members can play with little worry, and generally cause less headaches for Mousie.