PPC Constitution

The PPC Constitution is the code of conduct for the PPC community — Board, Chat and Wiki. It should be the first thing read by every new arrival, and is to be followed by everyone — if you feel you cannot abide by its Articles, this is not the community for you.

Creation
The current PPC Constitution was drafted in the first half of 2012 by Huinesoron, and approved first by the Anonymous Constitutional Convention, and then by the Board. The definitive text of the Constitution can be found here, but for convenience, it is also available below.

Preamble
Where is the decent fan fiction? Where are the worthy plots going? They have passed like rain on the mountains Like a wind in the meadow Good fic has gone down in this fandom, Behind ff.net, into shadow. —Beauty in Disguise

Mission Impossible music plays in the background

Our Mission, Should We Choose To Accept It: The mission of the PPC is to encourage goodfic and discourage bad, but we are more than that. We are a community, here to share writing and writing tips, help out fellow writers in need, exchange opinions, and natter endlessly about everything from our favourite canons to apple pie. Mmm, pie... *Drools*

This webpage will self-destruct in thirty seconds.

[Hides; several hours pass]

Never mind, then...

[Comes out of hiding] BOOM!

-_-

To continue our endless mission without breaking into all-out war with each other requires some rules. And so... *Clears throat*

Hear ye, hear ye! (And all that other medieval mumbo-jumbo those town criers say. Forsooth verily!) We, the Members of the PPC, in order to form a more perfect Community, ensure domestic Tranquility, encourage the destruction of Badfic, promote Goodfic, and secure a certain level of wellbeing and (in)sanity for ourselves and those who will come after, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Protectors of the Plot Continuum.

Section One: On Toleration And Its Limits
1. The PPC community is a tolerant and welcoming place. It is a home to people from all walks of life, with wildly different opinions on all manner of topics. Its members are proud to be able to discuss even difficult and controversial topics without falling into fighting. It is a place where everyone is respected as a person, regardless of who they are. All respectful opinions are treated with respect, whether they come from a newbie or someone who's been here fifteen years.

However:

2. The community will not tolerate any individual or group who intentionally discriminates against, abuses, persecutes, or otherwise attacks others in any way, shape, or form, for any reason. This includes, but is not limited to discrimination on the basis of sex, race, ability, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.

3. The community will not tolerate the use of language which evokes any form of discrimination or persecution. The subjects mentioned above, and others which cause genuine suffering (such as rape, murder, abuse, and mental health issues) should be discussed with sensitivity. Even 'joking' about these subjects is Not Funny; ‘it was just a joke’ is not an excuse - it’s self-incrimination.

4. The community will not tolerate any form of harassment between members of the PPC, whether it manifests as attacking, bullying, or pestering. Respect people's personal boundaries just as much as you do everything else about them. This rule particularly includes interactions outside of PPC community spaces: harassing someone by email is just as serious as doing so in public, if not more so, and will be treated as such. If you find yourself being harassed or bullied by another PPCer, please make the community aware! We cannot help with a situation if we don’t know it exists.

5. Those who engage in intolerable behaviour forfeit their right to respect; however, not warranting respect does not mean they do not warrant politeness. This means you are not allowed to descend into flaming and insulting them, but instead should follow Article 10 and the other provisions of the Constitution.

Section Two: On The Capacity To Engage In Mature Conversation
6. Do Not Flame. You are allowed to disagree with people, but Do Not Flame. There is a distinct difference between 'I don't agree with your opinion and I think that your theory is factually wrong' and 'You're an idiot and your opinion is built on lies and stupidity'. If you find that you're hurling insults around, just stop. This even (or perhaps especially) applies if you consider yourself to have been wronged by another community member. If it’s a misunderstanding, a flame is an unwarranted attack. And if they’re deliberately trying to provoke you, attacking them is exactly what they want - and damages the community as a whole.

6.5. The rules of civility and respect do not disappear outside PPC community spaces, or while talking about someone. Don’t engage in bullying behaviour, and don’t say anything about another PPCer you wouldn’t say to their face.

7. We encourage respectful, friendly debates here. Someone disagreeing with your opinion is generally not an attack on you, and should not be taken personally. Should a debate escalate into personal attacks, flaming, or any form of disrespectful conduct for any reason, everyone involved should step back and calm down before continuing. If this cannot be done, it may be best to abandon the conversation entirely.

8. Trolls (those who create deliberately bad/annoying stories, reviews or comments for the express purpose of irritating or enraging others) will be ignored or mocked for entertainment. That includes PPCers who act as trolls — you have been warned. It is not clever to deliberately antagonise others in the community, and it is not clever to crow about antagonising people outside the community, either. The PPC does not condone any form of trolling or flaming, of anyone.

Section Three: On Making Reparations
9. If someone says or does something that seems offensive/inappropriate, remember that they most likely didn't intend to. If their words are ambiguous, go ahead and ask for clarification - it's never silly to want the full facts. Nine times out of ten, it's an honest misunderstanding by one or both of you - accept your mistakes and move on. Apologies on both sides (for being unclear, and for assuming worse than was meant) are recommended, but should not be demanded.

10. If you believe someone is genuinely doing something wrong, it is important to tell them clearly and calmly what the unwanted behavior is, why it is unwanted (i.e. how it violates the Constitution and/or is offensive), and that they are being asked to stop. Shouting or snapping at people does not usually help, so it is generally best to address the issue as soon as you are able to do so clearly and calmly, rather than later, with lots of built-up frustration and anger. If you feel honestly unable to explain the issue, it's always fine to ask a third party to step in. Everyone deserves an honest second chance, starting with the chance to stop, explain, and apologise.

11. If someone or multiple someones have asked you to stop what you're doing, especially on the basis of the Constitution, take a step back. Stop and look at what you are doing or saying. Take the time to think about it - the PPC isn't going anywhere. Remember the foundation of respect that the PPC community is built on (see Article 1). If they've misunderstood you, explain that - per Article 9, nine out of ten disputes are honest misunderstandings. But if there is a foundation to their request, stop and apologise. If you've made an honest mistake, or weren't aware that what you said is offensive, it's always acceptable to explain after your apology. Nobody's perfect, and nobody's born knowing everything. Just make sure that explaining why it happened once or twice doesn't turn into making excuses for why it keeps happening.

12. Wilful ignorance is not an excuse. There comes a point when someone who is ignoring the Constitution and claiming that they’re not really doing anything wrong - despite explanations to the contrary - needs the book thrown at them. However, wilful ignorance on the part of the accuser is also not an excuse. If someone clarifies a genuine misunderstanding, continuing to push for an apology may count as persecution on your part.

13. The PPC as a community is responsible for upholding the Constitution. If following the above rules doesn't resolve a situation, any and all uninvolved community members have a responsibility to back up the person who is in the right, or to defuse a difficult/unclear situation. Genuine rule-breakers should be made aware that their behaviour will not be tolerated, however justified they think it is.

13.5. If discussion is unable to resolve a situation, persistent rule-breakers can be told to leave the PPC community. We don’t want to do this. If the community tells you that you're not living up to its standards, listen to them! Take a step back, take the time to think, take the trouble to sincerely apologise. If you learn from your mistakes, and don't hold a grudge over them, you can continue to be a productive member of the PPC community.

Section Four: On Sweet Mercy That Was Heavy
14. Wow. That was some seriously heavy reading, but it was important stuff. You still with us? Good! The rest isn't quite as intense, so it should be a breeze for you. As a reward for making it this far, here's an audiobook of a traditional mime interpretation of Hamlet.

... oh, wait. Never mind.

Section Five: On Engaging With Thy Peers
15. Thou shalt maketh yourselves legible. Spell correctly and use good grammar to the best of your ability — remember, the PPC is a force for good writing, and that includes SPaG. Wherever you are in the PPC community, spell, punctuate and grammatise to the very highest standard. Occasional honest mistakes will be forgiven, of course — but everything else aside, it’ll be hard for everyone to understand you and respond to you if you go, "OMG! I cant belive taht newst movie is out! Its so gr8!"

16. The PPC community is kid-, family- and work-friendly — make sure it stays that way. That means no cursing, no graphic violence, sex or whatever. If you feel you have to break this rule, please give a specific warning (and remember, just because you don’t have a problem with something, doesn’t mean others won’t). The PPC shared universe is also kid-, family- and work-friendly, but in this case the rule is to warn for anything that raises your rating, rather than necessarily cutting it out.

17. The PPC is a vast sprawling mess, so it’s perfectly fine to lurk around on the Board and the Wiki for a while before committing yourself. Before you jump into any community activities, however, please post on the Board at least once to introduce yourself and receive whatever gifts people have for you.

18. Stick to one penname across the PPC as far as possible — or at least make it clear that the different names are still you. For instance, your Wiki user page should mention your Boarder name. Please don’t deliberately use multiple names — it’s confuzzling and pointlessly annoying to start an argument with yourself, and we can usually spot it. (Of course, if you’re role-playing, that’s a different matter entirely — see Articles 22, 23, and especially 28!)

19. If you don't understand something, don't be afraid to ask. We won't point, laugh, and go "Ha-ha!" when you don’t know something. We'll help — probably by pointing you at the Wiki, the Original Series, or the various guides we have for newbies, so why not start there? If you have a lot of questions, try saving them up for a single thread on the Board — you could even tack them onto someone else’s question thread!

Section Six: On Thy Topics Of Conversation
20. If you feel something (e.g. a story, some news, a website, a salmon cannon) might be of interest to the PPC, please go ahead and bring it up. Don't worry about your interests being too eclectic, either — someone's likely to be interested.

21. The PPC community thrives on discussion, and wastes away in its absence. When you post a thread on the Board, try to do so in a way that encourages discussion and interaction. If you're posting links, you're encouraged to expand on them somewhat.

21.5. The PPC has always been about having a good laugh at badfic, so feel free to talk about it, and post links if you find something you think is worth sharing. If there's a thread about badfic on the top half of the front page already, go ahead and add to that - otherwise, feel free to create your own! (And when replying to a thread about badfic, or reviewing a badfic, please remember Article 6!)

22. That doesn't mean the PPC is Serious Business! Silliness and insanity are welcome here — even encouraged. Feel free to leave your sanity at the door. Most PPCers do.

23. There is no Article 23.

Section Seven: On Missions, Badfic, And Sundries
24. The PPC dislikes bad fanfiction. This particularly includes Mary-Sues (badly written characters who warp the world they’re placed in to their own ends — male versions are usually called Gary-Stus, or some variant thereof) and bad slash (homosexual relationships between characters — but note the word bad here. Good slash is a different matter), but also any other form of bad writing.

25. In accordance with Articles 15 and 24, if you write fan- or original fiction, you should strive to make it good fiction, with good spelling/punctuation/grammar as well as well-made characters and plot. The PPC is a place for improvement, and if you ask for constructive criticism, we will give it gladly — just make sure you listen to it and do improve.

26. The PPC is a shared fictional universe, and we want everyone to take part in creating it — but we also don’t want people trying to write for the PPC before they know what it’s about. Before you write PPC stories, you will need Permission. Before you ask for Permission, make sure you read that article and meet the requirements.

27. Plagiarism is bad. Don’t plagiarise (stealing another's work for use, intentionally or unintentionally, and not crediting them for said work, either through forgetfulness or deliberate intent to pass it off as your own). If you find someone else has been plagiarised, tell us about it — we all enjoy a bit of righteous anger at times.

Section Eight: On What Are You Waiting For?
28. Remember to have FUN. FUN is good.

29. "Do not meddle in the affairs of assassins! They are heavily armed and quick to anger. And not noticeably subtle."

Signatures
The PPC Constitution is fully signable here on the Wiki — please add your name to the table below! However, please resist any temptation to delete others' names, or to edit any other part of the Constitution. Other copies of the Constitution, including the Definitive Version, will have their signatures updated as and when their maintainers get round to it.
 * GяÂиD_GûÂяDîÂи
 * Jellyity
 * Huinesoron
 * Kaitlyn
 * PoorCynic
 * EileenAlphabet
 * Antigone68104
 * doctorlit
 * ThatOne
 * TheMadHatteress
 * JulyFlame
 * SeaTurtle
 * Ellipsis Flood
 * Neshomeh
 * Phobos
 * Matthew72
 * Herr Wozzeck
 * ShatteredSanity
 * Shellfur
 * desdendelle
 * Artell
 * Pieguy
 * Elcalion
 * ZekeSturm
 * SingingTheThunder
 * Ponystar17
 * Sergio Turbo
 * Tomash
 * meow139
 * DawnFire (now Zingenmir)
 * RenyaWhite
 * hermione of vulcan
 * Time Engineer
 * Ailavyn Siniyash
 * Dani
 * Aquarius II
 * AelinTheAmazing
 * ChibiChen
 * Aurorita
 * Autumn_68
 * ThePoketrix
 * Drama Twist (name changed from rmzdoglover)
 * Xortberg
 * Storme Hawk
 * Ekyl
 * DrMarble
 * Autofire
 * FloatingMyon
 * Tweedle-Day
 * Thantosiet
 * Lunar Dusk
 * november14
 * Silenthunder
 * Dragon master 7
 * Ratbrainbasher
 * Iximaz
 * richardhednil
 * Mr.Joker94
 * Tira
 * Dark Brother 16
 * Araeph
 * VibravaMajic
 * The Siege
 * RobertAndCo
 * N. Harmonik
 * James Shields
 * Hardric
 * KOManicJim
 * DrGonzo
 * Jay - Awesomeness Central
 * SkarmorySilver
 * Acolyte Oakdown
 * Daniel Stretulch
 * Akrinor
 * Khryssty
 * 1visible
 * The Good Mod Addict
 * twistedwindowpane
 * Feeni3
 * The Anime Addict
 * Helsinki
 * Hieronymus Graubart

The Amendments
For the various amendments and changes made to the Constitution, see the official version here.

Original PPC Board Constitution
Affectionately known as Da Rules, the original list of proper Boarder behavior stood as an effective guard against the chaos and infighting that often pervade other message boards for almost a decade. Believed to be written by Saphie, and based on the Chalkie Constitution by Rose and Jean, the full original Constitution can be found here. It also served as the basis for the current Constitution.

Original Signatures
The original Board Constitutional was signable in the dim and distant past, but after the departure of Philosopher at Large, lapsed into stasis. The only PPCer to have signed both the Original and Revised Constitutions is Kaitlyn. Please do not add your name to this list — it is included for reference only. To sign the Revised Constitution, see above.
 * The Boarders :


 * The Assassins :
 * Jay (who goes on the board by Otik, following the one-pen-named rule.)
 * and


 * ~Acacia, licensed assassin of Mary Sues