Rules

1. Be Welcoming!
When newcomers arrive, welcome them to our growing community. Many of our community's senior members are a wealth of knowledge and have much to share. Help new members learn about how to find information and resources, save time, and how to get involved in the Community.

2. Be Courteous!
Don't attack others. Personal attacks on others will not be tolerated. Challenge others' points of view and opinions, but do so respectfully and thoughtfully ... without insult and personal attack.

3. No Flaming
Flaming is defined as personal attacks or insults on another person regarding the persons religion/views/knowledge etc. Though we encourage healthy discussion and debate, a certain point comes in which an insult turns personal, and this is strongly discouraged via both public forums and the messenger. Reports of such abuse will usually result in a warning; multiple abuses will result in a Ban.

4. No Trolling
The inverse side of Flaming, Trolling is defined by trying to make others insult you. Posts such as "PS3 sux" would be considered trolling, as it is a purposeful act meant to result in argument. Users in violation of this will be Banned. Feeding the trolls is considered equally against the rules.

5. Be Cautious!
Think before you post or speak: Do you really want to put your address or telephone number on a public discussion forum? We encourage you to keep personal information personal.

In the same vein, do not ask for personal information from others. Discussion forum posts that request members to submit personal information to another party will be removed. Information that should be considered personal includes but is not limited to your home phone number, name, and age. If you must give this out for any reason, please do so privately.

6. Be Appropriate!
There may be places where explicit, obscene or vulgar language, graphics or behavior is appropriate however Upgrade is not one of them. Discussion forum posts that contain explicit, obscene or vulgar language will be removed. Similarly, discussion forum posts that solicit or offer explicit or X-rated GIFs, JPEGs or similar content files will be deleted without notice!

7. No Ban Contesting
Though we like to have an open dialogue with our users, a ban will stay a ban. Please do not log on under a different account or send an e-mail to ask why you have been banned. If you are unable to realize why you were banned, your lack of understanding of the Rules is probably the reason itself. If you logon under a different account somehow after a banning, you will once again be Banned.

8. No E-Mail Abuse
It is unacceptable to use the e-mail of users found here on the forum to sign them up for junk e-mail, send them threats, etc. If you do this, you will be Banned and you will probably have your ISP Contacted.

9. No Double Posting
If you need to add any information to your previous post, use the "edit" button at the top-right corner of your post. This prevents the page from becoming unnecessarily cluttered, and it takes the same amount of time as making a completely new post right below your previous one. If a double post is spotted, the post will just be removed without question.

10. 5 Word Post Minimum
There is a 5 word minimum for ALL posts. Anything less is considered SPAM and will be deleted without hesitation. Also, do not write only one or two words followed by (5 Word Minimum) to meet the requirements set by this rule. If you do this, the post will be deleted and you will have points deducted from your total. If it happens once more after that, further action will be taken. Thanks.

11. Signature Guidelines
Signature text should comply with our regular posting rules. No all-caps, no alternating caps, etc..
-Signature text that is too long or obtrusive will be removed. This would include overly creative use of punctuation, color, etc. which make the signature too flashy.
-Signatures with just your username will be removed. Usernames are on the top of every post, so there's no need to have it in your signature too. -No affiliate links!
-No external linking to other websites.

If your signature is in violation of any of these new rules, the Staff may remove it without prior notice. If you have any questions as to whether something is acceptable, please PM a Staff Member.

12. No Cross-Posting
Do not post the same discussion more than once on a discussion forum or on many forums. Duplicate discussions are frustrating and counterproductive for other members, especially for those whose time and energy is limited. Duplicate discussions will be deleted.

13. No Advertising – Spam
Do not heedlessly place your advertisements through the Discussion Forums. This will be considered SPAM and could result in the loss of your Upgrade Membership. Affiliate links are not allowed within the forums. If you wish to promote a particular program then promote the program not your own affiliate tie with it.

14. Competing Sites
The internet is a big place, and it's no surprise that from time to time a site will come along whose mission is to occupy the same niche as Upgrade. We have no issue with that. However, it would be against our best interests, and therefore the best interests of our members, for us to allow such sites to build upon our popularity by promoting themselves on Upload. Therefore, no competing site may attempt to gain traffic from Upgrade in any way, including but not limited to links in posts, signatures, profile information, PM's, emails, or IM's.

15. No Abuse of PM
Private Messaging is provided to the members of Upgrade as a service intended to enhance the Community experience. The purpose of private messaging is to allow for discreet conversations to take place between members. This privilege is not to be abused! Solicitation, spamming, or harassment of any kind is strictly forbidden. Any member receiving an inappropriate private message should forward that message to an Administrator or Moderator right away. Although private messages are normally only accessible by those who send and receive them, they are part of the database and as such, property of Upgrade. An Administrator, if so inclined, could locate the Private Messages in the database and read them. They are private, but not necessarily secret. In addition, Private Messages are not intended to deprive the Community of valuable information or experiences which could benefit the entire group. Please do not use private messages if the content of the message can be helpful to others.

16. No Copyrighted Material
Information copyrighted or owned by any individual or entity other than the member should not be posted on the discussion forums or software libraries without the consent of the owner. If such an event occurs, the individual posting the information shall be held solely responsible. Upgrade shall not be held responsible for member-posted information that may violate copyright law.

17. No Warez
Posting up and asking for illegal warez is strictly prohibited. This includes but is not limited to: ROMs, isos, and game cracks. Violation of this Rule will usually result anywhere from a Warning to a Ban, depending on the offence.

Note: These rules are subject to change.