So basically if you're going to be spending some time away from the site, this is the thread to let us know in. To keep things easy on the staff, and to make tracking inactivity simpler, we ask that everyone follow the template below when posting away. If you do not do so, your away post will not be counted, and you will not receive any extra time against inactivity.
This is not the thread to post that your activity will be reduced, as doing so clutters it up and makes it harder for staff to track. Instead, there is the reduced activity thread for that.
Template
Handler: Your name goes here. Use your forum handle, so we can easily find you in the list.
Dates Away: Post the dates you are away for here (For example, August 22 2018-September 30 2018). Please spell out the months, so we can tell what you mean; dd/mm/yy is not the standard in every country. Do not leave this open-ended; if you have to, estimate high and return early or renew as required.
Days Away: The total number of days away goes here. This saves you from staff math errors late at night. do not give a range. Pick a single, specific number. If in doubt, estimate high and then come back early if you are able. If you give a range, staff will give you the lowest number you put in.
Reason for Away: Here is where you say why you're gone.
Characters: List your characters here.
After this, feel free to put whatever you want, but you must have this template completely filled out to be counted as away.
Here's the code version:
Code: Select all
[b]Handler:[/b]
[b]Dates Away:[/b]
[b]Days Away:[/b]
[b]Reason for Away:[/b]
[b]Characters:[/b]Finally, do not edit any away posts in this thread. Do not post edit posts to say you are back. Do not change your dates away. If there's any issue, repost, or we won't find your changes and you may run into inactivity troubles. If you need to extend your away for whatever reason, that is totally fine. Just repost to cover the new dates (and only the new dates) that you will be away.
Also, please note the following rules with regards to inactivity:
* If a handler has not posted 'away' for the entirety of one month, then they must post at least once per character in said month to be considered active.
* One day inactivity notices do not count towards the inactivity timer, as they are not considered to be significant enough to prevent posting.
* Any given handler cannot post as 'away' for more then four weeks of any six week period, barring severe real life extenuating circumstances (being in the hospital or another country without internet access, not being busy with schoolwork). Away notices exceeding this cap will be ignored and the inactivity timer will continue.
* Posting on the general boards, or spending a lot of time in chat, will be considered violation of an away notice and the timer will start again. If you have time to shoot the breeze in chat or mess around on the board, then you have time to dash off a post. We get that sometimes you only have fifteen minutes and want to stop in to say hello, and you won't be slammed for that, but if you're around the site for hours, staff will cancel Away notices.
*If you are Away but find yourself with time to dash off a post, feel free to do so! If you're still Away and the spare time is a one-time thing, just PM any staffer to let them know, and your Away notice will not be canceled. It would be absurd to punish handlers for being responsible above and beyond the call of duty, especially since it's something we love to see.
So, remember, no editing, no uncertain numbers of days away, and no not-really-Away-but-limited-access posts in this thread. We're going to be strict about this, because keeping track of activity for over a hundred and fifty characters is a huge headache even when everything is perfectly filled out; anything less than that wastes time. If there are problematic posts, we'll try to note it through Help, but there's no guarantee of that happening, and failure to properly adhere to the rules of this thread will not be a thing in your favor if you have to appeal a staff decision, since everything's clearly spelled out here.
