Rules for the Site and Forum [Updated November 2024]

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Rules for the Site and Forum [Updated November 2024]

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:50 am

Table of Contents:

Introduction - you are here

CS Account Rules
- one account rule, cheating rules, account merging, login sharing, account requirements -

Code of Conduct
- interacting with other users, bad language, child-friendly content -

Privacy and Personal Information

CS Trading Rules

Art Rules
- copyright, using art and images, creating your own art and images, selling art -

Oekaki and Adoptable Rules

Writing and Roleplay Content Rules
- violence, drug/alcohol use, romance and pregnancy, mental illness, animal abuse -

Roleplay and Adoptable Character Form Rules

CS Linked/Advertised Discord Server Rules


    Welcome to Chicken Smoothie!

    Chicken Smoothie is a leisure site where the main focus is pet collecting and trading. We also facilitate our community’s interests in art, creative writing, and friendly discussion. All members are expected to read and review the rules upon signup and again periodically to refresh themselves regarding site expectations. Any changes or additions to the rules will be publicly communicated to the users before enforcement of said rules occurs.

    Please be aware that Chicken Smoothie does not restrict the age of users on our site, though some users may have account restrictions due to COPPA law if they live in the United States. This means that content may be moderated more heavily than on other similar sites where users are required to be 13 or 16+ to participate.

    The rules below may not cover every possible instance of behavior that would violate our community guidelines. You may be banned or have other penalties applied if the staff believe that your behavior has hurt or will hurt the website or its members. In the event that an account, topic, post, pet, or profile exists with an intent to cause harm, or it otherwise acts in a way that significantly disturbs the user experience of others, action may be taken against that account regardless of a specific rule prohibiting the content posted.

    Our moderators work hard to locate and handle rule-breaking behavior, but the forums are a big place and we need your help! If you receive a message or see a post that is breaking the rules, please report it to us using report button on the message/post. You can also report players for content on their profile or trades you received using the report button on their profile.

    Just because you break a rule (especially something minor) doesn't mean you will be instantly banned! We understand that people make mistakes and we just ask that you learn from them and don't repeat the same behaviors. Enforcement of rules may be communicated through locking forum topics, private messages to users, board warnings, and/or account restrictions up to and including permanent account closure if poor behavior continues despite warnings. However, particularly malicious behavior may result in an immediate account deactivation, even for a first offense. If you would like your account removed or closed please contact us; do not intentionally post offensive or explicit content and expose children to such material in order to get banned.

    If you have questions about policy enforcement or the rules please contact us privately through our Help System.

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CS Account Rules

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:51 am

    CS Account Rules:

    • Each user may have one account. You are not allowed to have access to more than one account for any reason.

      • You may play on the same IP address or device as other people with no consequences as long as you obey the rules. There is no need to publicly identify these accounts by naming others who play with you in your profile or trade rules.

      • Players who create or control other accounts in order to get around our adoption limits will be banned and their pets will be taken away. All trades on Chicken Smoothie are permanently recorded and will be checked by our cheating detection system for signs of unfair gameplay.

      • If you're trading with other people they have to be players accessing the site for their own enjoyment and not just accounts attributed to real people which exist to give you pets or make unfair trades with you.

      • You may exchange gifts or occasionally make unfair trades with your friends, family, or other users accessing CS from the same device or IP address. However, a majority of trades should be fair and gifts should not consistently benefit only one account.

      • If you are giving all your pets to another account or sending an extremely high value gift to someone who shares your device or IP address please contact CS staff privately before sending the trade and wait to receive confirmation that you may do so.

      • If you have a problem with old posts or account history please talk to staff for advice. Do not create a new account without permission if you currently have access to an account.

      • Banned users may return with a new account as long as they follow the rules on the new account and have not been otherwise contacted by staff that they are no longer welcome on CS.

    • You may not change ownership of your CS account by sharing your login information. You may, however, trade away all pets and items on your account if you so desire.

    • You may not “merge” your CS account with another user’s. Users may share an account only if the new account partner has not already created their own account. However, we encourage each person to have their own account instead as there are generally no benefits to shared accounts. If American users register a shared account the date of birth provided must be that of the youngest user on the account.

    • We ask that you do not share your login information with other players, even your closest friends or family. You are responsible for any actions taken by your account. While “account-sitting” for users who are out of town/unable to login for a period of time is not a bannable offense, we are not obligated to help you if something goes wrong because you shared your account details.

    • You may not use your account to help someone else circumvent COPPA restrictions, account restrictions/bans, or blocks from other users by posting or messaging on their behalf.

    • Your account must be registered to a working, valid email address and, if prompted, you must provide an accurate date of birth.

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Code of Conduct

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:52 am

    Code of Conduct:
    These rules apply to public forum posts, trade rules, pet and group names, profile content, and private messages between users. This also includes content that is linked on CS from an outside source. Though we cannot moderate what you post on other sites, we can moderate whether or not you are allowed to direct others to those sites via CS.

    Treat all other members and staff with respect. If you have nothing nice to say, then don't comment. We do not tolerate any teasing, bullying, insults, or harassment. If you have problems with another user you can click “Block” on their profile page.

      Specifically, we do not allow:

      • Personal attacks or public blacklists in forum posts or trade rules, regardless of whether you specifically name the user(s) targeted or not. Blocked players cannot trade with you, private message you, or comment on your topics in art, roleplay, or pet exchange forums by default, so there is no need to publicly list their names. Adoptable communities are the exception to the rule against blacklists. However, they still may not list any information or reasons for why a user is banned.

      • Guilt-tripping or begging behavior in trades or for art, characters, positions in roleplays, or other similar perks or associations. You may not try to force or pressure someone into accepting your offer or giving you something, even if it’s not for free. You may not intentionally make someone feel bad about their choices or actions, such as how much they are selling something for.

      • Forum threads with the sole purpose of ranting or venting, even if about people or events in real life, or threads created only to discuss a negative topic (example: disliking a band). Staff maintains the Comfort Corner thread as the only exception to this rule. If you need more support please reach out to resources such as family, friends, counselors, or mental health professionals. “Vent art” is allowed as long as it follows all of our other rules and the topic of the vent is not CS or CS users.

      • Threats or messages promoting violence directed toward any real person or entity, including public figures, even if intended in a comedic way. This includes chain messages in signatures.

      • Discrimination or hateful comments based on any protected class or identity, including but not limited to age, race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

      • “Trolling,” such as posting to shock others, derail conversations, directly oppose other threads, or bait users to click any topic or link (including using "clickbait" titles for threads).

      • “Spamming” and disrupting the flow of the forums, especially through the use of excessive bumping of topics or mini-modding behavior. You may not create topics solely to advertise other topics. To better understand what constitutes spam please review this guide.

      • “Anti-” statements in user profiles or as a thread topic. Statements may break this rule even if they do not include the prefix “anti-” if they are intended to be negative. Please express your interests in a positive manner.

      • DNI Lists (Do Not Interact) lists are not allowed on Chicken Smoothie. Users may not list DNIs on their profile, trade rules, or forum posts, nor may they link to other sites that contain DNI lists. For more info on this rule read Here

      • Due to the nature of such conversations, we do not allow debates about real world topics (especially of a political nature). However, discussion threads for support and education are allowed in a limited capacity about such topics. These should be created in the Adults Discussion forum. Such topics will be moderated closely and if the discussion is deemed too inflammatory or trends toward debate the topic may be closed.

        • Your profile should not contain information about your political affiliation, support of political candidates, or stance on divisive political issues such as abortion or firearms that have no relevance to Chicken Smoothie. Your own gender identity, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation and broad statements supporting human rights (such as stating Black lives matter) are exempt from this. Please be aware that some statements (such as All Lives Matter) are inherently anti-human rights and will be moderated accordingly

        • Oekaki drawings may contain political or religious themes in non-editable boards only with no discussion of those themes on the Oekaki thread.

        • Depictions of the Confederate flag are not allowed.

    Don't use any offensive language.

    • Your profile, avatar, and signature should be free of all offensive language and "curse" words in links, images, and text.

    • Offensive words cannot be abbreviated, misspelled, or censored (partially or fully with symbols such as *&#!), as the offensive intent is still clear. Attempts to circumvent word filters will result in disciplinary action.

    • We allow a few specific minor curse words to be used in forum posts as long as they are not directed at other people. These are: ass, damn, crap, and hell.

    • Words classified as slurs are not acceptable even if directed toward yourself. This language will be handled on a case by case basis as usage is always changing and evolving.

    • You may not link to songs, articles, or websites where offensive language is displayed or spoken.

    Keep all of your posts, discussion, links, and images child-friendly! A lot of our members are young children, so there are many things that are not appropriate to post and discuss on Chicken Smoothie. Please use common sense and good judgement. It is not okay to break these rules in private messages. Linking to inappropriate content, even behind a maturity filter, is not allowed as it can easily be bypassed.

    • We do not allow gory, gross, or overly violent/bloody content.

      • “Candy gore” where the only difference between your image and real gore is that the blood color has been changed or that a creature with skin/fur has had their exposed organs/entrails turned into candy is not acceptable.

      • A few scratches or bruises and minimal blood are acceptable. There should not be pools of blood in a scene. Blood coming from the eyes or other orifices may be more heavily moderated.

      • If a limb or head is severed (including for reference purposes) there should not be detailed muscle shown or blood coming from the area.

      • Urine, excrement, and/or vomit should not be depicted in artwork or images.

      • Real life images of injury or death of humans or animals are not allowed.

    • Mentions of or content related to self-harm, suicide, and abuse are not acceptable anywhere on CS, especially when relating to real people. Characters in drawings may have scars that could be interpreted as pertaining to self-harm, but this may not be confirmed in any way.

    • Overly frightening images or writing should not be posted (example: content based on creepypasta). Some content may be “disturbing” without displaying any overt rule breaking and is subject to removal at the discretion of staff.

    • We do not allow discussion or artistic representation of illegal or semi-legal drugs or drug paraphernalia (including marijuana), alcohol abuse/alcoholism, or underage use of nicotine cigarettes/vapes or alcohol.

    • We do not allow users to request medical advice for themselves, other people, or their pets/animals due to the danger of receiving such advice from unqualified people and children on the Internet, and concern with discussion of sensitive topics.

    • Innocent images and content from media that contains elements that are not child-friendly are acceptable as long as the media is mainstream and widely known (example: Game of Thrones). Content from lesser-known media may be moderated more heavily. Content from media where adult content is the main/sole focus is not allowed.

    • Content relating to dating and romance in regular discussion, art, writing, and roleplay may not be sexual or explicit or mention sexual assault. Romantic encounters should be between consenting individuals that are fully clothed and must be limited to hugging or chaste kissing on the cheeks, lips, or hands.

    • Images that display nude breasts, butt, or genitals are not allowed. Characters with smooth skinned breasts or butts must be covered by clothing.

    • Anthros must be drawn with "doll anatomy". Fur must obscure the details of anatomy, only a simple outline is allowed, with no details inside. Genital areas may not be colored pink or other skin tones.

    • Photos or drawings of people or characters with skimpy/see-through clothing, in suggestive poses, focusing on the breasts/butt/crotch, or with clothes slipping down/off are not allowed.

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Privacy and Personal Information

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:52 am

    Do not share or ask for personal/identifying information.

    • This rule applies to all members, including adults, and is designed to keep you safe on Chicken Smoothie and in the real world.

    • You are not allowed to link to profiles or pages where this information can be found.

    • You are acting at your own risk as soon as you take a conversation off-site, even to platforms we allow. We can no longer moderate this content on your behalf and encourage you to be aware that people can misrepresent their identity easily.

    • If you ever feel uncomfortable with a conversation please end it, block the user in question on any platforms involved, and contact CS staff or a trusted adult immediately.

    What IS considered personal information:

    • Your age (including age ranges such as 13-15 or 17+) or full birthdate.
    • If you are a minor
    • Your phone number or email address (even if that email does not contain any identifying information).
    • Chat app usernames (including Snapchat, Skype, etc.).
    • Your city of residence or specific address.
    • Your grade/year in school.
    • Full names or photos of yourself or your friends and family (unless all faces are completely blacked out).
    • Links to sites such as Etsy, Patreon, Ko-fi, GoFundMe etc. where you ask users to donate to you or browse goods and services.
    • Invites to Zoom meetings or other platforms where video and/or audio is the central form of communication
    • Voice memos, voice recordings, or any content where users exchange audio/voice communication, including on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Discord, or similar services.

    What IS NOT considered personal information:

    • Your first name.
    • Your day and month of birth.
    • The country or state you live in.
    • If you are an adult.
    • If you are attending school.
    • Your Discord tag and invites to Discord servers that follow CS content rules and do not contain voice channels.
    • Social media or other website profile links or usernames (such as Instagram or Twitter) that contain no information or links to information on the “you may not share” list.

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CS Trading Rules

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:53 am

    CS Trading Rules

    Do not scam other players.

    • You should never intentionally mislead another player about the value, true date, or identity of pets, items, or C$.

    • Accepting a trade when the message your partner sent shows it was not intended to be ready to accept OR refusing to reconcile the situation when the trade message shows that your partner accepted the trade in error is a type of scamming and is not tolerated.

    • Let other users know why you feel that a trade is fair/unfair and be honest if it is based on your personal opinion. This protects you from accusations of scamming!

    • If you feel you have been scammed CS staff can help and have the power to reverse trades if a scam is proven. Do not contact the user you traded with or post about it on the forum, just contact staff privately.

    Once a trade is completed, it is final.

    • Unless your situation is covered above and is considered scamming, trades cannot be reversed later if you change your mind or find out that the trade was unfair to you.

    • We have many resources in the forums that can help you to determine the value of your pets, items, and C$, so please use them to ensure that your trade is fair.

    You cannot force another user to accept a trade.

    • Trades are not finalized until they are completed; both parties have the right to back out of a trade before it is finished. If at any point one user is no longer happy with the trade it can be canceled with no repercussions.

    • “Grab bags” are allowed, but they must be sent as a two sided trade, not two separate trades. Players may back out at any time if they are unhappy with the contents. You cannot force someone to trade for something they are unhappy with.

    • Auctions can have “auto-wins” but the auction host does not have to accept your offer, even if it is listed as an auto.

    Spamming the forum asking for trades is not permitted.

    • You may maintain threads asking for trades in the appropriate forum categories only. You may also ask for trades in your signature.

    • You may not post threads asking for trades in any other forum board.

    • You may only bump threads asking for trades when they fall off the first page of the board they are in, which generally takes anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour or more (this means a page like the CS trades forum, not the home page which shows the latest posts). If you spam your thread will be closed.

    Asking for free pets is not permitted.

    • Don’t make posts or topics asking for free pets, and do not send trades to other users asking for free pets.

    • If you are looking for free pets, many users create free pet giveaways and adoption centers in the CS Free Adoptions board. You are welcome to post on these topics.

    You may participate in off site trades.

    • It is allowed to trade your CS pets, items, or C$ in off site trades with other similar collecting sites.

    • You may not trade with Animal Jam or any other sites that do not allow off site trading, even for artwork, as that would break our rules or their site's TOS. You can view a list of sites we are sure do not allow offsite trading here.

    • You may not trade “off site” for things that are not analogous with Chicken Smoothie, such as content in video games, gift cards, or real world items

    • You may not sell CS pets, items, or C$ for real world currency.

    • Staff may not be able to assist you if an off site trade goes bad, so please think carefully before making these types of trades. However, we ask that if you are scammed that you contact us so we can do our best to help you and, if possible, protect others from being scammed by the same user.

    Specific Rules for Forum Boards

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Art Rules

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:54 am

    Art Rules

    Using Artwork
    Every artwork (including photographs) that you or someone else produces is automatically protected by copyright. The copyright owner has certain exclusive rights over their creations, including the right to make copies of, distribute (post), and make derivative works of their artworks. When you use an image as your avatar or in your signature, trade rules, or posts (including roleplay and adoptable character forms) it must be an image that follows the art rules.

    • You cannot use art or photographs you found around the internet or on Google without special permission from the original artist. Credit (especially non-specific “credit to the artist” or saying you do not own something) does not equal permission.

      • Even for non-profit use or simple adoption contests such as “show a gif or cute image” you must display credit if you use someone else’s image(s).

      • Writing is also protected by copyright, and using someone else’s writing without permission is considered plagiarism.

      • Posting AI generated art on CS is not permitted, as these programs are often trained on works from artists without their permission and there is no way to properly credit the original creators.

      • Photographs are not exempt from the art use rules. Please refer to this guide for assistance finding free photographs to use.
    • Official art, gifs, and images from shows/movies/comics or of celebrities are exempt from this rule as they are widely distributed for fan consumption.

      • However, in roleplay forms please name the face claim to assist moderators and protect you from misunderstandings.

      • Remember, this only includes official artwork/images such as gifs or screencaps from shows, not fanart drawn by other people.
    • You do not need to provide credit for art or photographs you created yourself. If you do not provide credit you are claiming the art as your own.

    • When you use an image with permission you must link back to the source that shows that permission, whether that is permission via a Creative Commons license, the image use rules of a creator, or special permission from the creator.

      • If you received special permission and the source does not show usage rights you must also link to a source or screenshot showing the permission you received.

    Creating Artwork
    We encourage our budding Chicken Smoothie artists to develop their own style and creativity by making unique drawings that come from the heart. We also want to protect our artists from having their artworks ripped off. All artists must follow these rules at all times on Chicken Smoothie.

    • Please draw or color your own original creations without trying to copy, trace, edit, or mimic other people's drawings. If you copy an image drawn by someone else, that is against the rules even if you change some of the details.

    • Trading, selling, or gifting stolen/plagiarized art to other Chicken Smoothie members is not acceptable.

    • You are allowed to use photographs as references to help you practice drawing with accurate anatomy and poses.

      • If you referenced your drawing from a photograph then you must give credit by posting a link to the original image. The reference information should be clearly visible above or below your image.

      • You may not sell art that heavily references photographs or post art that is completely traced or freehand copied from copyright protected photos.

      • You may only copy photos that belong to you or that are properly licensed for reuse.

      • You should not directly copy screen captures of official artwork or media, even from popular shows or movies. Please draw fanart in your own style and/or pose.

    • It is okay if (by coincidence or inspiration) your drawing has small similarities to other drawings (examples: similar colors/markings, similar body features, or similar pose). However, if we believe you have intentionally copied significant aspects of another drawing (such as tracing/copying the lineart or mimicking most of the design) then that may break the rules on copying artwork.

    • You do not own the copyright for a certain color, species, name, pose, or marking (unless the marking is highly unusual and original). However, the combination of all of these things makes up your unique, copyrighted artwork which cannot be copied by others.

    • Linearts and Bases:

      • If you use a free lineart you must provide a link back to the original and give credit to the original artist for the lines. You must clearly display this information underneath or above your colored version.

      • You must follow the original artist's rules. This may include leaving their signature on the image. If the rules say you can't sell or profit from coloring it in, then you can't charge pets or anything else for images you create with it.

      • If the lineart is not allowed to be posted on CS, for example if the lineart says “Deviantart only,” then you can't use it here.

      • If the lineart is not for free use but the artist gave you special permission to use it you must provide evidence of this.
    • Dress-up Games/Character Creators/Fancy Text makers:

      • You must provide a link back to the original game/program, and acknowledge full credit to the original artist/website for images made using their program. You must clearly display this information directly underneath or above your creation.

      • You can't charge people for images made using a public character creator/dress-up game/text generator because anyone could make the same image for free and you don't have any rights to that artwork.
    • Drawing tutorials or step-by-step drawing guides: If you heavily referenced from a drawing tutorial or drawing book to help you draw your image, please provide credit by linking back to your source or naming the book.

    • Using Chicken Smoothie (CS) images and designs: Never edit, copy, trace, redistribute, or modify any Chicken Smoothie images unless your creation meets the criteria explained below.

      • It's okay to use CS pet and item images to make something like a forum signature or avatar, but you shouldn't change the colors and markings of the pets/items or edit in any items which don't really exist on CS.

      • Never use CS images, pets, or items as adoptables for another website. It's fine to show off your collection by posting your pets on other websites, but don't try to sell or create adoptable pets from our images.

      • You may make fanart of CS images as long as you're not directly copying our lineart. Copying the design (colors and markings) onto a different lineart is fine as long as you give credit to https://www.chickensmoothie.com for the design wherever you post your image.

      • If you color a lineart to look like a CS pet you can't charge other users to “adopt” it from you. They may be given out for free on the CS forum only.

      • You are allowed to create your own "fan pairings" and design "offspring" of Chicken Smoothie pets, as long as you clearly credit Chicken Smoothie for the original designs that inspired your version. You should not sell or profit from these creations, since they are made by blending copyrighted Chicken Smoothie designs.

      • It is fine to use our pet images for personal characters or fursonas as long as you acknowledge and display credit to https://www.chickensmoothie.com for the design or images you use.

      • You may not edit a CS pet image to make your own custom CS pet design. You may make “fake” pets that use a bar with the username along the bottom as long as they are your own original drawing.

      • If you use CS pets as characters the designs remain copyrighted to CS and other CS users are allowed to use the same designs as their own characters.

      • You may pay for specifically commissioned art with CS pet “characters” acting as reference material.

      • Never use a “custom” pet in any way without permission from the custom's owner. You can't use a custom pet's design for a character/fursona because that design belongs to the custom pet's owner.

    Selling your Art/Designs

    • Entering an art contest: There are special rules regarding art contests, which you can view here.

    • You may not sell premade designs or create custom designs for any type of payment that are based on copyrighted media/someone else's intellectual property. This includes creating new or fusion designs meant to exist in someone else's unique universe (example: Pokemon).

      • This does not apply to generic creations such as natural cat or dog adoptables attributed to a specific universe, as those concepts are not unique enough to be protected by copyright of their own accord.

      • You may accept paid commissions to draw someone else's already existing character that is based on copyrighted media as they are paying for the art, not the design.
    • Selling your art for CS pets/items/C$ or for currency of another website:

      • You're welcome to sell your art for pets/items or website currencies as long as you are following all of our art rules. You should use the Art Shops or Character Design Shops boards for your art sales. If you do not offer CS pet/item/C$ payment options please advertise in your signature instead.

      • If the lineart you are using was made by another artist who stated that it is not to be used for any kind of gain/profit or says “not for commercial use,” then you cannot sell that artwork.

      • If you accept payment for art and then fail to deliver the artwork to your customer, you must refund their payment. Selling artwork which breaks our art rules will not count as a completed sale.

      • Please read the Art Shop/Trade Rules for more detailed rules on trading CS pet/item/C$ for art.
    • Selling/buying art for real money or shipping artwork to another player:

      • You are not allowed to sell your artwork on Chicken Smoothie for real money. However, you are allowed to link users to another site to arrange specific commissions there at your own risk.

      • You are not allowed to arrange sales of real items to be shipped to another player.

      • We will not be able to help you if a cash transaction or shipping arrangement with another user doesn't work out.

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Oekaki Rules

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:54 am

    Oekaki and Adoptable Rules

    All rules regarding forum conduct, (see for sensitive content, content that might be frightening to users, nudity), and art use/creation also apply to the Oekaki, but there are also some specific rules that apply only to the Oekaki forums.

    • Keep comments polite, helpful, and relevant to the artwork. Do not start discussions or debates. Critique is allowed if requested by the artist but insults are not welcome.

    • Make an effort to post your drawing in the correct board. Continued intentional misuse of the forum categories may result in disciplinary action. You can view descriptions of what each board is for in the forum index.

    • Don't spam the Oekaki. Your drawing should show intention and a modest amount of effort. We do not allow random scribbles, simple shapes, or empty/solid color canvases, nor should you post advertisements for trades, streams, or other threads. Covered drawings must still follow the oekaki rules and have art visible, even if they are WIPs.

        Image

      • Your cover must be purposeful, relevant to the piece being linked in the post, and show effort, being mindful of Oekaki's spam rules. Covers should not be created hastily just to satisfy this rule.
        • We allow:
          • Additional art (headshot of the character), World-building (setting, inventory, accessories/pet).
        • Not allowed:
          • Simple canvases, words, doodles, palette, quick sketches.
    • Don't create Oekaki topics just to share art you've created elsewhere. Art drawn in another program should be posted in the appropriate board (example: non-Oekaki adoptable characters go in User-made Adoptables).

    • Don't make Oekaki drawings with just words or puzzles written on them. The Oekaki is for sharing artwork, not for displaying a written message or playing a forum game.

    • If using an editable you must follow the artist's rules. This may include leaving a signature/watermark layer on the final image, or may prevent you from selling colored-in versions as adoptables.

    • Don't post blank canvases in the contests board. Contests may be posted there only if you provide a recognizable lineart or relevant background for contestants to use in their entries. If you don't need people to edit something in particular, go to the Regular Art Competitions Board to create your topic. You can still make a rule that your contestants make their entries in the Oekaki boards if you prefer it that way. For more specific rules about contests please view this thread.

    • Specific rules apply to the the Adoptable boards on the Oekaki:

        • The Oekaki is for making and sharing art in the Oekaki program. If you want to share art made without Oekaki, the best places to do so would be the creativity boards. Adoptables made off Oekaki are allowed to be posted on Oekaki as long as they follow the "cover rules" below. Adoptable communities hosted on "Adoptables 2: Closed Species/Communities" may post adopts under covers as well, but entire species created off-oekaki should be posted in user-made adopts.

        • You may sell Oekaki art/adoptables for CS pets/items/C$, allowed offsite currency, and dA points/real currency. Keep in mind that CS staff are unable to assist with transactions gone wrong involving other site currency or real currency.
          • Any real currency discussion must occur offsite; please link to where you can be contacted. Do not discuss real currency transactions on CS.
          • Oekaki is the only place where art may be sold without the inclusion of a CS payment method, such as CS pets, items, or C$
        • Post your adoptables in the correct board. If you want to create just a few adopts, use the Adoptables 1: Independent/One-Off board. If you want to create a closed species, community, and intend to make many adoptables, use the Adoptables 2: Closed Species/Communities board.

        • Follow the rules outlined by the adopt creator(s). Many species owners have their own rules that you must follow in order to successfully participate in their species, so be sure to read their rules before posting. CS staff may enforce a thread owner’s rules if necessary. Note that species rules may not circumvent our official site rules.

        • All Adoptable Oekaki submissions must be judged or canceled (when permitted, see guidelines below) within 1 month of closing. Competitions should never be left to rot. Failure to end a contest after being reminded may result in a board warning.

        • Users are bound to the species rules published at the time that the user receives the adopt. If a species owner adds a new rule, they cannot punish players for breaking the rule before it was added. This includes revoking or rehoming adopts. Updated adoptable rules apply only to adopts made after the rule was published.

        • Paid-entry raffles are not permitted. You may not charge users for the chance to win something.

        • Competitions with entries requiring artistic/creative effort must end with a winner. The promised prize (in this case the character design) must be awarded at the end of the contest to an entrant, so be sure you want to give the character away. You may only change your mind if there are no forms that meet the competition requirement. Staff may intervene if the user fails to select a winner after 1 month.

        • Adoptables that take little to no effort to enter (for example: raffles, FCFS) aren't subject to these guidelines and may be canceled by the host. We define "effort" as competition that requires the writing of at least two sentences/25 words or creating any new visual art. Please note that closed species rules take precedent. If a closed species requires all adoptables from competitions to be given out, artists for said species will not be permitted to cancel without a winner.

        • If you want to transfer your species to another player, then you will need to notify CS staff beforehand. More information on transferring thread ownership can be found here.

        • Do not create contests that encourage spam. This includes topics that offer adopts/prizes to users who make the most posts, reach a certain number of posts, post many times, or otherwise spam the topic. Please refer to the spam guide.
          Forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=3467130

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Writing and Roleplay Content Rules

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:54 am

    Writing and Roleplay Content Rules

    All rules regarding content being child friendly and art/image use automatically apply to all creative writing and roleplay content posted on CS. However, these rules exist to give a more in depth look at what content is and is not allowed in specific situations.

    Violence Rules

    • Fight scenes may not be overly violent, graphic, disturbing, or gruesome.

    • There should not be descriptions of excessive blood/gore or serious bodily injury.

    • There should not be descriptions of sadistic violence where a character takes pleasure in the victim's suffering, whether described by the aggressor, victim, or onlooker. Ongoing and unprovoked abuse is not an appropriate topic for CS, and will not be tolerated.

      • A character may not be physically abused without any explanation or provocation, nor can there be a relationship between two characters that is purely centered around an “abuser” and an “abused.”

      • A character whose personality and history focus on enjoying perpetrating violence or abuse is not appropriate. Do not describe a character as sadistic.

      • This includes a ban on all "slave/master" relationships where one character repeatedly emotionally or physically abuses or oppresses the other.

      • “Lab Experiment” type settings are not allowed, even if characters gain new powers or escape the setting. If a story takes place after escape no details of the past experiments may be described.
    • Characters MAY:

      • Get into minor fights and scraps that do not end in very bloody/gory scenes, such as slapping/scratching/punching/kicking and then walking away with only minor bruises and scratches.

      • Have implied violence in their character history, as long the mention and description of it is not overly detailed and inappropriate.

      • Get into implied violence "off-screen" that is not described in an inappropriate or detailed manner.

      • Suffer death or serious injury as a result of a fight/attack, as long as it is not described in gruesome detail during the fight or in recovery (examples: a character may go to hospital to be treated for broken bones, or an animal may lick its wounds, but without gruesome descriptions of their injuries).

    Drug/Alcohol Use
    In western culture it’s acceptable to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol in public and in the presence of children, so we allow this type of content to be included in writing on Chicken Smoothie.

    • Characters MAY:
      • Occasionally drink or smoke (nicotine) cigarettes, as long as the character is at least 21 or is of legal age in their described setting.
      • Take legal drugs as prescribed to them by a doctor, or take a regular dose of nonprescription drugs like aspirin.
    • Characters MAY NOT:
      • Drink or smoke while under the legal age.
      • Use any illegal drugs or drugs that are only legal in certain situations (example: marijuana).
      • Obtain prescription drugs illegally or misuse any drug by overdosing.
      • Abuse alcohol. This includes being an alcoholic.
      • Use alcohol as an excuse for abuse or excessive violence.
      • Imply a history of illegal drug use or alcoholism or imply illegal usage of drugs/alcohol "off-screen."
      • Be under the influence of illegal drugs, even if the drugs are not named.

    Romance Rules
    Writing content must be child-friendly at all times. This includes content in private messages and invite-only or 1x1 roleplays.

    • Do not ask players to take romance roleplay scenes to PM if you're intending to take them further than kissing.

    • Mature users who want to write or roleplay descriptive romantic and sexual scenes may find our rules too strict. If that's the case, then you must find another website to post on. We will not tolerate rule-breaking here no matter how old you are or how willing your roleplay partners are.

    • You can be banned instantly without any prior warning if you are found to be involved in descriptive sexual roleplaying.

    • Human/Humanoid/Anthro Characters MAY:
      • Hug or kiss innocently on the forehead, cheek, or lips.
      • “Go to a room alone for a while” without any further description or implication about what they're up to. This is also know as a “time-skip” or “fade to black.”
    • Animal Characters MAY:
      • Lick or nuzzle each other affectionately.
      • Be described as having mated with another animal to become pregnant without any further description of the mating process.
        • Ages that animals mate & produce offspring should fall within the standard, vet/animal expert approved adult age range for that species
      • Be pregnant and give birth. The birthing scene should not be described in any great detail.
      • “Go somewhere alone for a while” without any further description or implication about what they're up to. This is also know as a “time-skip” or “fade to black.”
    • Characters MAY NOT:
      • Be naked (partially or fully) around other characters.
      • Kiss “deeply,” involving tongues, or be described as nibbling, biting, or chewing while kissing.
      • Kiss on the neck, chest, stomach, or other body parts.
      • Groan or moan during a romantic encounter.
      • Touch on the chest, groin, buttocks, or thighs during a romantic scene.
      • Be a succubus, incubus, or other similar creature.
    • Sexual abuse and forced sexual activity is not acceptable to write or imply under any circumstances. It also cannot be a suggested or implied part of a character's history. Writing as either the victim or the perpetrator of sexual violence are both equally unacceptable. Therefore, “forced mating” is not allowed.

    • Relationships between an adult (18 or older) and a minor (17 or younger) are not allowed, nor are relationships between two characters who have a severe imbalance of power, such as a teacher and a student. Animal characters may not have relationships spanning different age groups such as pup/child with juvenile/teen.

    • Incest in any form is unacceptable.

    • Pregnancy & Teen Pregnancy Rules

      • Roleplay or stories must not focus solely on pregnancy or teen pregnancy.

      • Characters who are at least 18 years old MAY:
        • Be pregnant, or become pregnant. However, it is not okay to describe or roleplay scenes of how they became pregnant.
        • Give birth, but descriptions of a person physically giving birth are not acceptable.
        • Breastfeed or nurse without additional detail.
      • Teen Characters age 16 or 17 MAY:
        • Be pregnant or have already had a baby when the character is introduced.
        • However, they may not become pregnant and there shouldn't be any descriptions of how they got pregnant.
        • Breastfeed or nurse without additional detail.
      • Characters MAY NOT:
        • Imply that pregnancy was forced, result of abuse, or otherwise seriously unwanted.
        • Be pregnant or have had a baby when they were under the age of 16.
        • Be a pregnant/mother character who has a listed age of 16+ who "looks like a child."

    Self-Harm/Suicide and Mental Illness

    • Roleplay or stories which take place in mental hospitals or which are centered around mental illness are not allowed. It is okay for a regular setting to contain a few individuals with mental illness, but that should not be the major focus for the roleplay or story.

    • Characters MAY:
      • Suffer from depression or other mental illnesses as long as it is not the main focus of their storyline.
      • Have scars that could have resulted from self-harm. However, this cannot be confirmed and no details of their past self-harm may be written out or described.
    • Characters MAY NOT:
      • Self-harm/cut or express suicidal ideation.
      • Currently suffer from an eating disorder or have eating habits or a height/weight ratio that implies an eating disorder without explicit statement of illness.
      • Use mental illness to excuse harmful actions taken toward other characters.

    Animal Abuse

    • "Puppy Mills" or other settings which revolve around forced mating or other cruel breeding practices are not allowed.

    • "Dog fights" or other themes which center on forcing animals into situations where they will be injured/killed or forced to kill others are not allowed.

    • "Animal Laboratory" settings where animals are living in a laboratory and are regularly experimented on, including storylines where animals evolve and develop abilities or powers in the process of that testing, are not allowed.

    • You are allowed to make a roleplay or write a story which begins after characters escaped from these scenarios, but there should be no details or descriptions about what happened before their escape.

    • You are allowed to use these themes in a character's history, but you may only mention it without giving details about what exactly happened to them.

    • Characters with a history of animal abuse must follow the above rules, even in a human or humanoid roleplay. There can be no details or description of what types of abuse they participated in, just a mention that it occurred. Characters may not currently be abusive toward animals.

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Roleplay and Adoptable Character Form Rules

Postby Simon » Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:55 am

    Roleplay and Adoptable Character Form Rules

    When you are creating a character for a roleplay or completing a form to win an adoptable you must still follow all of our art use and content rules, especially regarding image crediting and permission.

    • You may use multiple images to describe and decorate your role play topic information or character thread introduction.

    • You may use font images as titles or headings in your forms, but the main content should be plain text, not an image or screenshot.

    • You may use image collages or mood boards as long as you include an appendix of sources for them.

    • You may use multiple images, decorative images, and include links in your forms as long as they are all properly credited and follow content rules.

    • Roleplay posts may link back to the original character form but may not include any other images or extraneous links.

    • You cannot copyright your particular layout of BBCode and font colors. We encourage everyone to design their own layouts, but there's nothing we can do if someone else's font color, alignment, size and placement of images looks suspiciously similar to the formatting of your own posts. It's quite possible that the same design may have been thought of independently.

    • You cannot copyright a character name or stop anyone else from using an image unless you possess exclusive rights to it. Please report any instances of image theft, even if you are not the copyright holder.

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CS Linked/Advertised Discord Server Rules

Postby Simon » Tue Jun 11, 2024 8:33 am

    CS Linked/Advertised Discord Server Rules

    • A CS linked Discord server is defined as any Discord server posted/advertised on the CS forums, user profiles or CS PMs.

    • All content posted on CS linked Discord servers should comply with our Code of Conduct, Privacy and Personal Info, and Art/Writing rules. We expect the users who run and moderate the Discord server to adequately monitor the server and remove inappropriate content if posted. This rule extends to user profiles (profile picture, bio/about me section) that are visible within the server itself.

      • While we understand that Discord is a more casual environment, we still do not allow any personal attacks against other users (even if they aren't named). For example, we do not allow users to post trade links for the sole purpose of venting about/attacking another user.

      • Audio/Video calls or channels are not allowed.
    • Nitro profiles that are hidden from the server do not need to be moderated. Additionally, websites linked to a Discord account (profile connections) that aren't directly linked in the visible bio/about me section of a server profile do not need to be moderated.

    • Giveaways, contests, etc. for CS pets do not need to comply with our forum specific rules and are left to the discretion of the Discord itself. However, please be aware that we are not responsible for handing out prizes or resolving any issues that arise as a result of these contests.

    • Minor/one off rule breaks that can be easily deleted and handled offsite do not need to be forwarded to CS staff. However, if someone has become a consistent issue or you have major concerns about a user's conduct in a Discord server, please do not hesitate to report the situation to CS Staff.

      • Harassment/bullying on Discord is reportable to CS staff and therefore may have penalties taken against your CS account.
    • If we are consistently seeing rule breaking content being posted on a CS linked Discord server and we feel that the Discord moderators are not making an adequate effort to monitor/remove said content we reserve the right to not allow the Discord to be posted or advertised on CS anymore. The same applies if CS staff are unable to view the Discord to draw a conclusion (for example we are all removed, blocked etc. from the server).

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