TELEGRAM RULES AND ETIQUETTE:

The Telegram group chat, at present, is our most active real-time platform. With more than 1000 messages daily among 50+ active users on average, and practicing good chat etiquette is important to keep conversation relevant and inclusive.

Profile

• Display name, handles, and profile pictures cannot contain mature content.  Members with mature content in their profile will be asked to change their profile or risk removal.
• NoVAFurs is an inclusive environment.  Profile information which contains content seen as derogatory to others is highly discouraged, and may result in a warning from moderators.
• Users who are found to be sending unsolicited or unwanted content to users in the members list may be removed without warning.

Content

• Language should be appropriate for an audience of 13 years or older. Conversation may contain occasional profanity, but excessive use is highly discouraged.  Language should not be used in an explicitly sexual context, however suggestion/innuendo or similar language is acceptable. In general, only use language which you would be comfortable discussing openly in public.
• Content of a mature nature is prohibited. Mature content includes, but is not limited to:

• Persistent use of profanity
• Images containing nudity of any kind, as well as outlines of genitalia, female nipples, or bulges
• Sexual themes, excluding brief displays of affection (kissing, hugging)
• Violent or disturbing content that may be repulsive to sensitive users, including depictions of scary or disgusting content in a horror or fantasy context.

• Verbal harassment will not be tolerated and may result in immediate removal, at the discretion of moderators. Sending messages which advocates violence against others will result in an immediate and permanent ban from the chat. Specific threats of violence in-chat will be escalated to the appropriate authorities.
• Users should avoid spamming content.  Spamming includes posting of any content or action repeatedly, including repeated text, repeated bot use, and posting of multiple images, gifs, audio, or stickers in succession.
• Voice messages are allowed, but note that not everyone is capable of listening to them. @NoVAFurs_bot will attempt to transcribe messages into text as it hears them, for the benefit of Deaf members of our community, and for those in situations where listening to voice messages might not be appropriate. Sometimes due to noise or differences in pronunciation and vocal patterns the bot may get the transcription partially or completely incorrect - when this happens it is suggested that someone who can listen to the message indicate a correction by replying to the transcription message and correcting the message in a similar format.

Content etiquette

• Please try to keep conversation on-topic.  Content which does not contribute to the conversation is discouraged. Messages (such as the following) which comment on the current state of the chat do not contribute anything and are discouraged.

• Matchmaking, venting, and discussion prone to conflict (politics, religion, etc) are highly discouraged.
• The chat is primarily intended for discussion about NoVAFurs and NoVAFurs events. Conversations more suited for other group chats or direct messages should be moved there.  Memes, out-of-context reaction gifs, and “randomness” is generally discouraged.
• Remember that all content in the chat, including past scrollback, is publicly available, forever. You are the face of NoVAFurs! Be sure to put your best paw forward!

Reporting issues

• All moderators can be notified by using the /mods command either in-chat or in a direct message to @NoVAFurs_bot.  Please include enough detail so that the relative messages can be located.  Refer to this animation for using this feature:

METUP FORUM AND COMMENTS RULES:

Account / Profile

• All registered members must adhere to Meetup.com Terms of Service Agreement (TOS).
• Display names, profile information, signatures, or avatars cannot contain mature content or links to mature content.  Members with inappropriate content on their profiles may be removed from the group, reported, and/or banned from the meetup group at the discretion of moderators.
• If using art that does not belong to you in your profile or avatar, it is strongly encouraged that you ask the artist's permission to do so, or at least provide a link to the artist to give credit.
• Avatars and profile names included on Meetup may, at the choice of the event host, be printed on name tags or other labels for those who RSVP'd “yes” for an event, so keep this in mind when uploading an icon.

Starting New Topics

• Please check that a topic does not already exist. Multiple posts of the same topic are frowned upon.
• Please make sure to post your topic in the most appropriate forum for the subject matter.
• Please use descriptive subjects in all topics and posts, and do not make titles in all capital letters.

Posts and Replies

• Please do not post spam.
• Religious and political topics are allowed as long as they remain clean. Public bashing will not be tolerated.
• Please do not steer threads off-topic. Make a new thread.
• Any material of a sexually explicit nature is not allowed.
• Any material found to be inappropriate for minors or offensive is not acceptable.

Mailing List

• Mailing list subscription via meetups is optional, but generally only used by moderators to make important announcements or inform members about meets by other organisations.  Posting is available to all registered members but all posts are subject to moderation before posting.

Photo Gallery

• Only photos relevant to the specific meet should be uploaded to that meetup’s photo gallery.
• Those who do not wish to appear in a photo on any platform’s photo gallery should contact a moderator for evaluation for removal or editing.  Note however that legally people can be photographed if they are in public (without their consent) unless they have secluded themselves and can expect a reasonable degree of privacy.
• Photos of a mature or sexually explicit nature will be removed at the discretion of the moderators, and a warning sent to the uploader.  Continued abuse may result in a removal or ban from the group.

General

• Treat each forum member with respect. Do not personally attack other users.
• No extreme uses of profanity - including partially censored.
• Please do not write entire posts, threads, or extended conversations in a language other than English. The majority of a post should be in English, and writing English translations alongside other languages is recommended.
• Anything which can be construed as drama will be removed or edited, this includes posts, display names, profiles and more. We fully understand the fact that every member here may have off days and feel down but we wish you to keep such feelings in Personal Messages please. When it starts to spill over into the forums it just causes issues.

Concerning Moderators

• Please contact a moderator if you see someone breaking the rules or have a question.
• Be respectful of venue staff members and hosts. If you ever feel a moderator responds to anything incorrectly or inappropriately, please ask for a second opinion from another moderator or administrator.
• When reporting to a moderator, please address your concern to the entire moderator group, or if one-on-one communication is preferred let any subsequent mods know who you contacted before them.
• If you are under a Moderated, Muted, or Banned status, you must obey and respect the rules of that status. Do not try to evade or get around them.  Evasion may lead to escalation of the ban to website administrators.

PUBLIC MEET RULES:

Appropriate Dress and Behavior: Unnecessarily revealing clothing is the same as not wearing any at all. Suggestive gear or accessories are discouraged - there’s a time and place for those activities, and public group meets are not it.  Collars without leashes are acceptable.  Public areas are where common sense must be used, and we the moderators will exercise discretion.  A good measure would be to think: “Would I wear this in a public park?”  Moderators and event hosts reserve the right to eject attendees for inappropriate dress or behaviour.

The furry community is known for its friendly hugging, scritching, and holding hands, all of which is entirely acceptable. However, please keep in mind that not all people may share the same view of what is acceptable in public, and that our behavior is representative of the fandom as a whole. Common sense should be a good measure in what behaviors are permissible in public. Regardless, if you feel the need to express deep, physical affection for another we ask that you kindly retire to someplace more private. PLEASE don’t make the moderators have to ask you – it’s uncomfortable for us and embarrassing for you.

Please remember that you are with the group, and that others not associated with the group will be present. We can’t stress enough that your behavior reflects on us all! Fighting, horseplay, reckless behavior, and excessively loud noise will not be tolerated. If you are requested to cease a behavior by someone, please do so immediately.  Members should obey venue rules and staff direction at all times.

Harassment: We’re all here to have fun, and harassment will not be tolerated at NoVAFurs meets. Harassment includes, but is not limited to: punching, striking, kicking, shoving, threatening, stalking, or any close-proximity behavior that occurs that is unwanted by one or more parties. If people tell you "no" or ask you to leave them alone, your business with them is done. If you continue to attempt to have contact with those people, you may be ejected from the meet.  Any harassment complaints will be dealt with immediately by a moderator.

Moderators are not responsible for solving interpersonal problems. They are not bodyguards, and can act only when a threat is presented to one or more members at group meets that affects the general welfare of the group as a whole. We can not pre-emptively bar a person from attending a meet solely because another member does not want that person to be there. In general, we can take no action to prevent a person from attending unless that person has made a specific and credible threat toward the group itself or if another individual can produce a legal restraining order.  We suggest you attempt to simply avoid any individual that makes you uncomfortable for the duration of the group meet. Moderators also take a dim view of wrongful accusation, and it will be dealt with as a form of harassment.  Anyone who continually harasses or assaults anyone will immediately be expelled from the group meet, barred from attending future meets, and if warranted, reported to the appropriate authorities.

Arrival Time: Please do not arrive at an event more than 30 minutes before the published start time unless early arrival is explicitly allowed in the event announcement.  Arriving early can create confusion and, in the case of events where events have a reserved time slot, can cause unnecessary friction with event hosts and venue employees.

RSVP Required: Depending on the event, and at the choice of the event host, an event may be marked as requiring a “Yes” RSVP, where only members who have RSVP’d via Meetups will be admitted.  Those who do not have or want a meetup account should contact a moderator or event host so they can be accounted for.  In the case of restaurant meets this generally covers seating reservations, and we can only guarantee a seat for those who have RSVP’d.  For events at private residences, meetup location may only be revealed for those who have RSVP’d on Meetup; this also gives hosts an idea of who exactly will be showing up.  Event hosts and moderators reserve the right to limit venue capacity and to reject entry to anyone arriving to an event without having RSVP’d or in accordance with the NoVAFurs standard of conduct.

Minors: Minors must have parental permission to attend all group meets. Anyone under age 18 will be barred from attending certain events which may feature mature themes unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian or are able to produce evidence of legal emancipation. We keep most everything PG-13, but some events may include the availability of alcohol at restaurants or otherwise.  Events hosted at private residences may be age restricted at the discretion of the event host or NoVAFurs moderators, and will be marked clearly as such in the meet description.  Anyone presenting falsified documentation relating to age or identity will result in immediate removal from the group and reporting to relevant authorities.

Alcohol and Drugs: The Virginia Department of Revenue, Alcohol and Tobacco Division are very serious about alcohol laws, and so are we. The possession or use of alcohol is prohibited in all public areas (excluding the Bars, Restaurants, and home areas). The legal age to buy and consume alcoholic beverages in Virginia is 21. Anyone who knowingly contributes to the delinquency of a minor by providing alcoholic beverages to a person under the age of 21 will be expelled from the meet. Anyone who appears to be under the influence of alcohol in public will be asked to retire from the meet.

NoVAFurs absolutely does not tolerate the use or distribution of illegal substances during group meets. Any attendee who appears to be under the influence of any illegal substance during group meets will be asked to leave. Any individual found to be selling or distributing illegal substances will be immediately expelled from the group, barred from attending future meetups, and reported to the authorities.

Fursuits:  While we try to make sure most of our events are fursuit-friendly, the Virginia mask law requires us to secure written permission before allowing suiting at public events.  In addition, not all events (particularly restraunt meets) can accommodate fursuits.  If fursuiting has not been cleared for an event, please do not wear it to the event, as this could put yourself at significant legal risk.  All events for which fursuiting has been cleared will be clearly marked in the event description.  While we try to make accommodations with changing areas, fans, long straws, and water, note that this is not always possible so fursuiters should be prepared with their own source of hydration.  Remember to put your “best paw forward” keeping appropriate dress and behaviour in mind.

Pets: While we all love animals and want them to be part of our lives, for the safety of all attendees we must ask that pets not be brought to group meets, unless it’s an outdoors meet or pet-friendly meetup. Exceptions are made for working service animals in accordance to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Audio Recording, Video Recording, and Photography:  Photography, audio, and video recording is legally allowed and generally encouraged in public.  Anything which is visible from public property can be recorded.  However since many of our events happen on private property, the freedom to photograph and record is ultimately the decision of the property owner - if you are asked not to take photos, you are obligated to honour that request.  Please note that some individuals, whether on private or public property, may ask that you refrain from recording or photographing them.  For anyone who clearly expresses that he or she does not want to be recorded or photographed, we ask you respect their wishes by not distributing recordings or photographs that contain audio or video of said person(s) (though you may offer to edit out those individuals and distribute the remaining material).

Hosting an Event: We welcome any and all meetup suggestions and do allow members to host meets of their own, however NoVAFurs moderators may turn down an event posting for any reason, included but not limited to: date and time, venue location, venue size, availability of moderators, and credibility of the event host.  If alcohol is allowed or made available at a private event, event hosts must agree to verify the age of attendees and restrict the availability of alcohol to those under legal age.  Event suggestions can be made by messaging the moderators through meetups or at novafurs@gmail.com.

Trademarks: It shall be understood that NoVAFurs owns the trademark to, and retains the rights to, the “NoVAFurs” logo, and reserves the right to determine the manner of its use.  The NoVAFurs logo is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike License v. 4.0

Final Notes: The moderators shall have the final say in any interpretation of or dispute involving these rules. Moderators and Administrators will enforce these rules and have discretionary power to stop any activities that may pose a danger to the group meets or the welfare of individual attendees. Unless stated above, a first offense will result in a warning and moderation. A second offense will result in the offender being expelled from the group, or depending on the severity of the offense a several month respite will be given.

Responsibility for incidents occurring in private meetups are entirely the responsibility of the event host.

These rules are intended to keep all members of the group safe and happy. We never anticipate having to enforce them, but are prepared to do so quickly and efficiently if necessary. Always remember that the ultimate goal of the NoVAFurs is to have fun – just keep others in mind when doing so and you should have no problems.

By attending a NoVAFur meet, you agree to adhere to the above code of conduct.

NoVAFurs is a privately run group, and reserves the right to refuse membership and/or admission to any individual for any reason.

NoVAFurs reserves the right to change these rules at anytime without prior notice.