Tau Forum: Rules, Guidelines, and FAQ

[Igor(OP)]

Welcome to the Tau Forum, a vibrant community dedicated to discussions around the Tau ecosystem, its development, applications, and the broader topics related to decentralized artificial general intelligence (AGI), tokenomics, computational resources, and more. This thread is designed to help new and existing members navigate the forum effectively, understand the rules, and engage in constructive and meaningful discussions.

Table of Contents

• Forum Rules
• Posting Guidelines
• Examples of Unacceptable Posts
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Additional Resources

1. Forum Rules

To maintain a respectful, informative, and constructive environment, all members are expected to follow these rules:

• Value-Added Posting: Avoid making low-effort, off-topic, or uninformative posts. Contributions should be meaningful and contribute to the discussion. Posts shouldn't be created to mine activity points.
• Stay On Topic: Ensure your posts are relevant to the specific forum section or thread topic. Keep your comments pertinent to the discussion topic. Avoid comments that could interfere with ongoing or forthcoming court proceedings, such as contempt of court or breaking a court injunction.
• No Trolling: Posting content intended to provoke, disrupt, or upset community members is prohibited. Refrain from making defamatory statements that could harm the reputation of individuals or organizations. Do not endorse illegal activities or encourage others to commit crimes, including inciting racial hatred.
• Referral and Link Policies: Do not spam referral links. Use direct links instead of link shorteners that require viewing ads.
• Safe Browsing: Do not link to malicious websites, phishing sites, or content that could harm users. Always include a clear warning if linking to potentially risky content.
• Respectful Communication: No threats, personal attacks, or harmful language. Maintain a professional and courteous tone in all discussions. Use respectful language and refrain from swearing or using offensive language that could offend other participants. Do not submit comments that are unlawful, harassing, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually explicit, or racially offensive. This includes comments that may offend others based on religion, gender, nationality, or other personal characteristics.
• Language: English is the primary language for the main boards to ensure broad accessibility. Non-English discussions are welcome in the designated Local boards. All comments should be in English.
• NSFW Content: Explicit content is not allowed. If discussing mature themes, use appropriate warnings and discretion.
• Legality: Do not link to illegal trading sites, engage in discussions promoting illegal activities, or trade goods that are illegal in your jurisdiction. Avoid including personal information in comments or usernames that could identify yourself or others, such as last names, addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses.
• Copyrighted Material: Do not post comments containing copyrighted material belonging to others.
• Duplicate Content: Avoid posting the same content across multiple threads or boards. Tailor your posts to fit the context of each discussion.
• Promotion and Advertising: Advertise only in designated areas or within your own threads, provided it is relevant and non-disruptive. Do not use the Forum for advertising or promoting products or services, include the purchase, sale or exchange of cryptocurrency.
• Multiple Accounts: While having multiple accounts is not prohibited, we discourage the sale or transfer of accounts. Choose an appropriate username that is not vulgar or offensive.
• Constructive Criticism and Disagreements: Critique ideas, not people. Aim for constructive feedback and respectful disagreement.
• Moderation and Interpretation: Forum staff have the final say in rule interpretation and enforcement. Respect their decisions and guidance.
• Privacy and Impersonation: Respect the privacy of others. Do not post personal information without consent, impersonate other members or real-life entities. Do not impersonate other Forum members or falsely claim to represent individuals or organizations.
• Plagiarism: Posting plagiarized content is not allowed. Original content contributions only.
• Unsolicited PMs: Sending unsolicited PMs, including but not limited to advertising and floods, is prohibited.
• Sequential Posting: Posting multiple posts in a row (excluding bumps and reserved posts by the thread starter) is not allowed. Do not spam or flood the Forum with multiple comments. Submit each comment only once, and refrain from resubmitting similar comments. Excessive comments from the same individual or a small group may discourage participation from others.
• Ban Evasion: Ban evasion, either by using or creating accounts while one of your accounts is banned, is prohibited. Users under the age of 12 must obtain parental/guardian permission before participating in the Forum. Users without consent are not permitted to participate or provide personal information.

2. Posting Guidelines

To enhance the quality of discussions and ensure clarity:

• Title Clarity: Make your thread titles clear and descriptive. This helps in attracting relevant contributions and aids in searchability.
• Formatting: Use paragraphs, bullet points, and formatting tools (bold, italic) for easier reading. Avoid excessive colors or large fonts.
• Quoting: Quote relevant parts of previous posts for context, but avoid excessive quoting, especially of long posts.
• Relevance: Choose the most relevant board or thread for your topic. This ensures your post reaches the intended audience.
• Search First: Before creating a new thread, search the forum to see if the topic has already been discussed. This helps in reducing duplicates and consolidates information.

3. Examples of Unacceptable Posts

• Low-Effort Posts: Examples include one-word responses like "Yes", "LOL", or "Scam", posts consisting mostly of emojis, repetitive content, and threads on topics already covered.
• Misleading Links: For instance, posting a link with a warning such as, "WARNING: Link contains malware - do not click unless necessary" is required if sharing potentially harmful content (e.g. in the case of attributing the hacking of your Agoras wallet to a link you clicked).
• Thread Bumping: You can bump a thread once every 24 hours. Excessive bumping without contributing to the discussion is discouraged.
• Cross-Posting: Content about Tau & Agoras should not be mixed with unrelated topics. Keep discussions relevant to the board's theme.
• Incentivized Posting: Do not offer rewards for posting in your thread. This ensures the integrity of discussions.

4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How do I start participating in discussions? A: Begin by reading existing threads in your areas of interest. When you're ready to contribute, reply to a thread or start a new one if your topic hasn't been covered.
Q: What should I do if I see rule-breaking behavior? A: Report the post to the moderators. Do not engage with the rule-breaker to avoid escalating the situation.
Q: Can I promote my project on the forum? A: Yes, in the Project Showcase and Collaboration section. Ensure your post is detailed, offering clear value to the community.
Q: Where can I find technical support? A: Post your question in the Technical Support and Q&A section. Be as detailed as possible to receive accurate assistance.
Q: How can I contribute to Tau development? A: Join discussions in the Development & Technical Discussion section, and share your ideas, skills, and feedback.

5. Additional Resources

• Educational Resources: For tutorials and learning materials, visit the Educational Resources section.
• Technical Support: If you need help with Tau-related software or have technical questions, visit the Technical Support and Q&A section.
• Project Collaboration: Looking to collaborate on a Tau project? Check out the Project Showcase and Collaboration section.

We hope this guide helps you navigate the Tau Forum effectively. Your contributions are valuable to the growth and success of the Tau Forum.