Code of Conduct - Last Updated on 8/18/2010

Below is the Pwners United Clan Code of Conduct.  This is a detailed, in-depth compilation of rules and guidelines that regulate and govern the Pwners United Clan.  All applicants and clan members are expected to familiarize themselves with and obey the terms of this document.  Acceptance of the Code of Conduct is required prior to joining Pwners United; refusal to do so will result in denial of application.  Violation of the following will result in immediate dismissal from the clan unless otherwise decided by the clan staff and/or stated herein.   

*NOTE:  This document is subject to modification with or without notice.  It is strongly recommended that all parties affiliated with Pwners United (members, applicants, allies, etc.) check the date of last revision on a regular basis and become aware of any effected changes.  Additions and significant alterations will be colored green.     
 
 
I.  CHEATING.  Pwners United enforces a strict, inflexible "no cheating" policy.  Using anything that alters gameplay and/or provides an advantage over other players (e.g., bugs, glitches, exploits, wallhacks, aimbots, other third-party external software) is a forbidden, bannable offense.  Members are discouraged from downloading game modifications ("mods").  Members suspected of cheating will be monitored closely, and although all cheat allegations will be investigated, it is asked that accusing parties refrain from making unsubstantiated accusations.  Cheating in any way or form is grounds for instant removal from Pwners United regardless of status or position in the clan.
 

II.  MATURITY.  While playing under the Pwners United clan tag, members are representing not only themselves but the entire clan, and they are therefore expected to conduct themselves in a respectful, honorable, and professional manner.  Respect should be observed to everyone, regardless of age, gender, religion, national origin, personal beliefs, and/or sexual orientation or preference.  Directing excessive, severe, and/or unnecessary profanity toward anyone, be he or she a fellow clanmate or not, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.  Disagreements and conflicts that arise among clan members are to be handled in a mature and timely fashion or all members involved will be dismissed from Pwners United. 
 
 
III.  "DUAL-CLANNING" & COMMITMENT.  Pwners United members and applicants are not permitted to join and/or be part of other communities for the division(s) in which they are active or for which they are applying under PU.  For example, active members of the Combat Arms division may not join other clans for Combat Arms; however, they may do so for Call of Duty:  Modern Warfare 2, as they are not members of PU's Call of Duty:  Modern Warfare 2 division.  "Dual-clanning" will result in termination of membership or denial of application.  Members are required to incorporate the Pwners United clan tag and symbol into their Xfire and in-game usernames.  This not only reflects a member's loyalty, dedication, and commitment to the clan, but it also is an effective advertising technique, increasing exposure and public awareness of the Pwners United Clan.


IV.  CLAN BATTLES & SPORTSMANSHIP.  Pwners United plans to compete in numerous matches, scrimmages, and battles against other clans.  It is expected of members to exhibit maturity and good sportsmanship incessantly and to the utmost, despite the outcome of these activities.  This means no bragging or boasting following a win and no complaining or accusing after a loss (unless provoked or given permission to by the clan staff :P).  Members who neglect to demonstrate good sportsmanship will be prohibited from participating in future clan activities.

*NOTE:  Applicants are allowed to participate in clan wars; however, clan members are to receive priority slots in battles should there be more than enough players willing to participate.  Furthermore, members who possess working headsets and/or microphones will receive dibs.  The hierarchy is as follows:

Members with Mics -> Members Without Mics -> Applicants with Mics -> Applicants Without Mics


V.  PARTICIPATION.  Members should always be on the lookout for ways to aid and contribute to the clan (e.g., helping organize, coordinate, and execute clan activities and practices; creating artwork, videos, or the like; answering applicants' questions and helping them navigate the website and forum), as member participation is key to a strong clan.  All Pwners United members are required to be online (e.g., in-game, in TeamSpeak, on Xfire) for at least three(3) hours per week and attend as many clan practices and events as possible.  (See below for additional information concerning scheduled clan activities and events.)     

- Activities & Events:  Notice of special clan events (e.g., clan pictures, videos, competitions) will be posted in the "Clan Chatter" section of the forum at least two(2) weeks before the event occurs.  Within the following week and a half, members who plan to attend should alert event coordinators of their ability and willingness to participate.

CLAN EVENT RULES:

·  Participating members must be in TeamSpeak at least twenty(20) minutes before the event commences.
·  Participating members must listen carefully and attentively to instructions and speak only when necessary.
·  Participating members must not convey private room information to non-members (including applicants and former members), unless directed to by the clan staff.
·  The clan staff or event coordinators will notify participants upon the conclusion of the event.


VI.  INACTIVITY, LEAVING, & REJOINING.  Members who have not logged in to the website or forum in fourteen(14) or more consecutive days are considered inactive and are subject to removal from Pwners United.  E-mails will be sent to qualifying members, alerting them of their status and allotting them a time period of two(2) weeks to contact the clan staff.  If no response is received within the following fourteen(14) days, the member(s) in question will be removed from Pwners United.  Members going on extended leave (weeks to months) should provide prior notice of planned absence(s) to the clan staff if they do not wish to risk being removed from the clan.  Members who choose to leave Pwners United must advise the clan staff of their intentions.  Only members who were removed for inactivity or who left the clan of their own accord on good terms will be permitted to rejoin Pwners United.  Returning members must successfully undergo the application process in order to receive membership. 


VII.  RECRUITMENT & APPLICANTS.  Only current clan members may participate in the voting that is conducted to determine whether or not a player is to be accepted into Pwners United.  And it is only these individuals who may recruit players.  When doing so on a message board or in-game, they should direct the potential member(s) to the website and forum and assist the applicant(s) in registering, posting (a) proper application(s), and connecting to the TeamSpeak 3 server.  Members are expected to be helpful, neighborly, accommodating, and friendly to all recruits.  Failure to do so will result in a warning, and continued disregard for this rule will result in either voting right revocation or removal from the clan.

- Membership Requirements:  Below are the prerequisites for joining Pwners United.  Applicants should check with the leader(s) of the division(s) for which they are applying for additional and/or specific requirements.

Recruits must

·  have registered for the forum and post regularly;
·  have the ability to be online for at least three(3) hours per week;
·  have the ability to speak English fluently;
·  have completely left any previous clans;
·  have no hostile relationships with other clans or players, including PU and its members;
·  be willing to incorporate the =[PU]= clan tag into their usernames while gaming online;
·  maintain PU's good reputation and be loyal to Pwners United;
·  have a clean "record" (no history of hack or cheat use);
·  be mature and agreeable and have a sense of humor; and
·  have read and agree to the Code of Conduct and its terms.

- Application Process:  Upon confirmation of fulfillment of the above requirements, recruits must read the thread titled "How to Post an Application" and then do so accordingly.  Once completed, the TeamSpeak server information and a list of member Xfire usernames will be distributed.  It is then the ongoing duty of the applicant to be an active part of the community by communicating and playing with clan members on a regular basis.  Throughout this process, members will provide input regarding the applicant's acceptance, accompanied by a "yes" or "no" vote.  All applicants must wait a compulsory two(2) weeks before being accepted, even if they "prematurely" acquire the necessary amount of "yes" votes required for acceptance (ten[10] for the Combat Arms division and five[5] for the Call of Duty:  Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 division).  Applicants who accumulate four(4) or more "no" votes will enter a "grace period" of one week, during which time they must resolve the issues and reverse at least one(1) disapproval.  Each "no" tags an additional week onto an applicant's wait.  Applicants who are inactive, disrespectful, or unable to obtain ten(10) "yes" votes within eight(8) weeks will be denied.

- Voting Policy (in effect as of 12/19/2008):  When voting, members must take into consideration the activeness, maturity, and skill of applicants.  "Yes" votes that do not reflect these factors will be deleted.  The second time an invalid vote is cast, it will be deleted and the member will be issued a warning.  On the third offense, the vote will be nullified and the member will receive an infraction.  If such voting continues, the member will be removed from the clan.

- Divisional Transitions:  Members who wish to transfer from one division to another or become part of another division are not required to reapply.  They must simply alert a clan administrator of their intentions.  Pwners United currently has divisions for Combat Arms (PC) and Call of Duty:  Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360).


VIII.  TEAMSPEAK.  Pwners United uses TeamSpeak -- proprietary VoIP software that allows users to talk to one another -- for its voice communication needs.  Good communication is key to success, especially in clan battles, and TeamSpeak allows for quick, easy verbal exchange between members.  The clan staff, members, and applicants are expected to exhibit proper etiquette while in the server, which includes abiding by the following rules.

TEAMSPEAK RULES:

·  Obey the clan staff.
·  Do not convey or distribute the TeamSpeak server information to anyone other than current clan members and applicants, unless directed otherwise by the clan staff.
·  Refrain from using excessive, severe, and/or unnecessary vulgarity.
·  Play music only in the "Music" channel.
·  Do not repeatedly join and/or leave the TeamSpeak server or its channels and subchannels.
·  Spam the TeamSpeak server neither verbally nor through chat.
·  Only official members of Pwners United may receive registration rights for the TeamSpeak server.  They must be registered for the TeamSpeak server with their usernames.
·  TeamSpeak server administrators may not grant server and/or channel admin rights to non-staff members, unless otherwise decided by clan administrators.
·  TeamSpeak server administrators may not move, kick, or ban members or applicants without valid reason. 
·  TeamSpeak server administrators may not revoke other users' channel admin, server admin, or registration rights without valid reason.

First-time offenders will receive a verbal warning from TeamSpeak server administrators.  Repeat offenders will receive a kick or temporary or permanent ban from the TeamSpeak server, depending upon the severity of the offense.  TeamSpeak server administrators have full permission to exercise these privileges at their discretion.


IX.  WEBSITE & FORUM.  All clan members must be registered for the official Pwners United Clan website and forum.  Regular visits are required to both to check for updates, news, and announcements.  Members who do not log in to the website and/or forum in fourteen(14) or more consecutive days are subject to removal from Pwners United.  (See INACTIVITY, LEAVING, & REJOINING.)  Members must adhere to all forum and website rules outlined by the clan staff, including the following:

·  Obey the clan staff.  
·  Do not post vulgar, illegal, offensive, impertinent, obscene, hateful, sexually-orientated, or otherwise inappropriate or questionable material (text, images, videos, etc.). 
·  Do not spam the vBChat or forum.
·  Keep foul language at a minimum, and do not attempt to evade the word filters. 
·  Show respect to all forum entities.
·  Do not impersonate the clan staff or other users.
·  Post in legible English.
·  Cite all sources.
·  Use the designated categories and sections.
·  Do not publicize personal details about oneself or someone else.  Keep such information in confidence.
·  Do not advertise, recruit for clans other than Pwners United, or fundraise without the consent of a clan administrator.
·  The clan staff may not grant administrator or moderator rights and privileges to non-staff members, unless otherwise decided by clan administrators.
·  The clan staff may not edit, delete, or ban users without valid reason. 
·  The clan staff may not revoke other users' administrator or moderator rights and privileges without valid reason.

Insubordination may result in post-editing; warning, infraction, temporary ban, or permanent ban distribution; and/or another punishment as decided by the clan staff.


X.  DONATIONS.  Members of Pwners United are not responsible for the financial upkeeping of our website, forum, or servers.  However, individuals who are interested in contributing monetarily to our clan resources are more than welcome to do so.  (To donate, simply log in to the website and click the PayPal button located at the bottom left column of the homepage.)  All donations are greatly appreciated, and donors will be recognized publically for their generosity.
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