The following are the official rules for the PWO Chatroom - which is an ENGLISH only chatroom. These rules have been agreed on by numerous major authority figures within PWO. Modifications to these rules should only be done with staff permission and unauthorised edits will, from this point forward, be considered vandalism with intent.

    I. English Only. It's the language of trade.
        a. If you can't speak in English, please use a translator, but do so without abusing it.
        b. We now have Language Support Channels, places where you're open to speak your own language. A language selector is available on the site, but you can also refer to the welcome message in #pwo to find your language's specific channel.
        c. You can also ask in the channel (in your language) for help, and wait for assistance, but please dont spam about it.

    II Cursing, Censoring and etc
        - The channel is crawling with kids, and we dont want them learning anything that could make them hate us forever (we wouldn't want parents to shut us down D:)
        a. Don't try to avoid the censor, you will be kicked either way.
         - Please dont mess with the censor / filter.
        b. This also includes offensive nicks / names. If the mods deem your nick / name is offensive you WILL be kicked!
        c. Masking Swears, Censoring them with Symbols, Abbreviations and etc for Swears is STILL Swearing!
        d. Dont even Imply Swearing! If it sounds like it could be a swear, dont use it, or suffer the consequences!
        e. heIl, Damn, and Crap and other less vulgar words are considered acceptable when used mildly.

    If you break any of these, you will likely earn Kicks, Bans and even Permanent Bans.

    III Spamming and Flooding

        a. It doesn't matter the period of time or how many lines - if you're repeating something SEVERAL TIMES, it's spamming.
             - This is also considered repeating for Example # 1
         Examples:
               1.
                  f
                  f
                  f
                  f
                  f
                  f
               2. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
                  :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
                  :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
                  :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
                  :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
                  :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
                  :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

               3. Excessive use of CAPS is also considered spamming.
                     WHEN WILL THE SERVER BE UP?!
              
               4. Sentences broken up into several lines.
                     I
                     Love
                     PWO
                     and
                     all
                     the
                     little
                     things
                     :D
               - Dont hit enter too much. And you can type it all in one line.
              
        Normally, you'll be warned, then kicked, then kicked, and final kick before a timed banned, just dont spam!
       
    IV. No Advertising. This includes posting links to unknown sites by OPs, other chats, or trade posts.
           1. HYPER LINKS!
               A. No Rickroll Youtube (or any other video streaming site) links.
               B. Inappropriate Links (*****, Bloodfest, and other obnoxious human behavior) Pictures / Videos / Sites included.
               C. Links linking to another Online Pokemon Game are highly discouraged.
               D. Links that gather people up to buy products or use company's services (Commercials that target people for money.)
           2. Chatrooms!
               Any other chat channel is okay as long as it's
               A. Appropriate for #pwo 's age group (Mature Content is highly discouraged)
               B. Not another channel in another irc server.
               C. Not another Pokemon Online game.
               D. and other MISC reasons, an operator, a member, or etc might have.
           3. Some links, if meant by the person "Click It", might be considered spam, indicating Section III to be in action.
           4. Moderators / Operators must check all links / channels if possible. Kick or Ban if necessary.
          
    V. Manners, Respect and, Appropriateness
           - This applies to -everyone-.
          A. The channel has ages 12 and below, so we must be appropriate at all times. Failure to do so may make moderators  / operators remove you from the chat.
          B. Avoid Inappropriate Jokes that would be harmful to others.
          C. Use E for everyone language and context when talking. (Think animated Disney movies)
          D. Trolling is not allowed.
              - Lying about the server.
              - Attention Seeker.
              - and more
              * Depending on the severity of the trolling, the user will usually be BANNED.
          E. Please do not be disruptive in the channel.
         
    VI. Topic Discussions
       - Since chatroom environments rarely have any actual topic, off-topic conversations are allowable. However, you should try to return the conversation to a Pokemon- or PWO-related discussion as soon as you can. If an authority figure thinks an off-topic discussion has gone on too long or is getting inappropriate, he or she will ask for the topic to be changed, in which case the players should do so immediately.
         A. Don't talk about or mention illegal activity. This includes talk about drugs, alcohol, macros or any other potentially illegal activity, and anything inappropriate or wrong that can be read in other sections of this page,
         B. Don't use the channel for trade or battle requests that is what #PWO-Trade and #PWO-Battle are for respectively.
         C. Any other type of chatter an op / mod finds disrupting / disruptive to the chat. That includes but not limited to constant off-topic comments.
         
    VII. Impersonation / Identity Theft
         A. Impersonation is considered when you try to convince others, or could be mistaken as someone else because of a like name.

         B. Do not impersonate mods / ops (This means changing to a name that looks like a mod's / op's) in order to intentionally confuse people. Impersonators will be banned on sight, NO EXCEPTIONS

         C. Example of impersonation includes:
            Original user is named hienly, names that would not be allowed are:
                * heinly (switch e and i around)
                * hienIy (instead of L before the y as in original name, imposter uses a capital i)
                * [mod]hienly (the user is not a mod)
               
    VIII. Nick Rules
        A. You are meant to use your in game name.
        B. If you prefer not to, you must use your own custom name that doesn't break any of the above rules. If an op asks you to change your name to your in game name, you must comply however in order for easilier moderation of the chat.
           C. mib_*, Guest* and PWO* names will be kicked out if you do not change it within 1-2 minutes of entering the chat, you can do so by typing /nick (I.E. /nick ThisIsMyName).
           D. You can register your nick / ign in IRC, given that you can remember your password anytime you come in with your registered nick. It takes 3 Weeks / Exactly 504 Hours, before your nick expires, and anyone can take it.
           E. If for any reason you are having trouble with your Nick / Nick Password Identification, please contact a Moderator / Operator OR do a "/msg nickserv help" on your channel window.
          
    IX. MISC Channel Rules / Server Rules
          1. Only Moderators / Operators / Admins / Half-Ops / Founders (People above %) can have bots in the channel.
          2. Ban Evasion (From an IP Ban) will result in a Server Kick, basically, the entire server rejects your connection. So please refrain from doing anything stupid.
          3. Do not continuously trigger commands in the channel, even after being told not to.
          4. Always listen to Moderators / Operators, they know what's right.
          5. Users are in IRC as a priveledge, not a right, follow the rules and avoid arguing about it on moderators.
          6. If you are banned from the channel, please dont 'spam' on the forums without logs of what might prove you innocent... or guilty. (This is to all Forum Mods, close the topics immediately after an IRC Mod / IGN Mod (that's in irc) responds to why this person is banned.)
          7. If for some reason you were deemed innocent, we will backlog the Moderator / Operator responsible for banning you.
          8. If you feel a staff member has made a wrong decision, do not complain about it publicly and disrupt the IRC. Instead, kindly PM the staff member and ask if you can discuss the decision. If he will not talk to you, you can privately take the matter to PWO Staff.
          9. Respect is not earned in an IRC Environment, you have to humble yourself before you ask, and you shall recieve the same treatment (more or less.)
         
H-ops and above have the right to enforce these rules however they desire. It is your responsibility to know them. Any changes to these rules should be agreed on by staff before they are made official.

All decisions taken by HOPs and OPs are FINAL