Cartographers' Guild FAQ

If you wish to discuss politics, kindly find an appropriate forum for such discussion. Topics of this nature resort in lengthy and unnecessary arguments that are nevertheless totally unrelated to the subject of cartography.

If you wish to discuss religion, kindly find an appropriate forum for such discussion. Topics of this nature resort in lengthy and unnecessary arguments that are nevertheless totally unrelated to the subject of cartography.

However, some amount of religious dscussion may seep in and be allowed if related to RPG campaign pantheons and how they relate to mapping. Be wary of drifting off topic in cases such as this.

These include, but are not limited to, topics such as racism, sexism, religion, xenophobia or homosexuality.

While this community is considered mature in nature based on the levels of maturity shown by its members, we do not consider this site as adult in nature. Please refrain from gratuitous use of profanity. Profanity will be edited and warning and infractions will be issued.

Offensive or unnecessarily abrasive comments directed at any individual are not tolerated in any form. These include anything from personal vendettas to unnecessarily insulting comments directed at the work of any individual. Critiques of work displayed should not include unnecessarily derogatory remarks (whether aimed at the user or the work itself) in any form.

A healthy level of industry-related advertising is encouraged in the News forum by registered industry professionals. However, blatant spamming will be removed. Since this is a free website, we frown on blatant advertisements. That doesn't mean you can't notify the community of an on-topic service or business; you just have to go about it the correct way.

The correct way to get the word out about your website or service is via the Google ads at the top and bottom of the page. Occasionally there will be a link there called "Advertise on this site". Click that link and it will walk you through everything you need to do to get your own dedicated ad on this website. Inconspicuous and non-intrusive links in signature blocks are also allowed. No large flashy annoying banners in your signatures are allowed. All other cases of advertisement or spam will be left up to the administrators and community leaders to determine.

Freelance artists are encouraged to share their work and may solicit commissions via non-intrusive responses to requests for commissioned work in the Mapping Requests forum. Please keep spamming your freelance services to a minimum.

Derogatory, anti-social or inflammatory remarks aimed at any group of people, with the intention to incite a mass response are not only a crime in most countries, but are also totally unacceptable here.

Whether made metaphorically, or otherwise, any personal defamatory remarks directed at any individual(s) are unacceptable.

Images depicting blatantly pornographic acts including intercourse, masturbation, bestiality or abuse, and links to pornographic sites are not tolerated under any circumstances.

No matter how amusing some people might find them, most users consider jokes, or underhanded comments, directed at any race or culture highly offensive.

Users requesting or advertising warez (or links to warez sites), serial numbers, cracks, or illegally copied software documentation, are not welcome on this forum. The Cartographers’ Guild does not tolerate any members that, in any way, aid or encourage the use of illegally acquired software, or attempt to justify the use of such software. Moderators will promptly close any discussions on this subject and users violating this rule will be immediately and permanently banished from this site.

Please refrain from posting threads advertising any software, hardware or other goods that you have for sale unless posted within the buy/sell system. All items for sale must be on topic in relation to the available categories in the selling system.

This includes screenshots or any unlawfully acquired knowledge regarding beta versions of software that are not available to the general public. Even if you are not the one who signed the agreement, you are still not permitted to post such matter.

While the actual definition of this one may be debatable, we prefer to keep totally ridiculous subject matter that is totally unrelated to cartography, away from the forums as much as possible. While we all do enjoy some manner of light hearted or amusing conversation, we ask that members keep ridiculous subject matter to a minimum. A certain level of such matter is tolerated, but if a thread is really of very little substantial merit, the author of that thread will have to accept that it might be closed or removed completely.

Plagiarism in any form is not tolerated, and users found guilty of posting stolen work will be banned immediately. Users will also be banned if they post paintovers of maps or map assets, and claim they are original. This type of behavior is simply not acceptable on a website like The Cartographers’ Guild.

This question is a question of copyright, and whether or not your map infringes the copyright of the original. Now copyright is complicated in any one country, and in the international arena of the internet it is downright thorny. The Cartographer's Guild cannot provide a ruling on what is or is not copyright violation, but users are expected to take care when posting that they are not violating someone else's intellectual property. A useful article that covers the issue of derivative works in North America: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_works If in doubt, don't post it. If you can, contact the original copyright owner and ask whether they would object to it being posted. It is always better to err on the side of caution.