As osu! continues to evolve and grow, so too do its rules need to adapt with the times and needs of our community. In recent weeks, the GMT has taken it upon themselves to compile a new 'rework' of the existing community rules in an effort to help clear the waters and lay out clear expectations for how people should act in-game, on the forums and elsewhere.

Click this link to view the CURRENT draft of the new ruleset.

In the interests of transparency and open conversation, we'd like to ask all members of the community what you think of these new rules, and if there's anything you'd like to see added or changed.

We're interested to hear your feedback on these new rules, but please keep in mind the following things:

1. The current rework frames the rules more as expectations rather than implicitly instructing people what not to do. There are some exceptions to this, but that is the general premise.
2. Some situations are not explicitly covered in the rules, but are encompassed by other rules, such as allowing infrequent advertising of osu! related streams in #osu only, or Unicode use in chat falling under the "intrusive or annoying" content rule.
3. The vast, overwhelming majority of the rules present in the old ruleset still apply. The rework is just an effort to make our expectations more clear.
4. The rules that have changed have been engineered to allow for more "organic" use of the forum and in-game chat as a means to actually talk and discuss things on. Some of the existing rules were unduly inhibiting this, driving people to other platforms instead.

If you have any questions, concerns or feedback, please, post in this thread. I'll be browsing it frequently, as will many other members of the GMT.

Don't advertise third-party chat servers of any kind, including Discord, Teamspeak or Skype servers/groups. The osu! chat is about osu! foremost and not about sharing links to your personal servers. Do it via PM if you absolutely have to.

You may want to mention that some "semi-official" Discord or Teamspeak servers approved by the community do exist (especially language specific ones) and exclude them from this rule if someone asks if there is a "osu! <language> Discord server" for example.

Looks like the content itself are pretty much the similar with the currently existing community rules with an extra wordings to make things more clear with the reasons behind.

and uh...

Is this a serious rule regarding the off-topic?.?

That is part of the cultural tradition of Off-Topic and interlopers who disobey it are thrown to the wolves.

Short answer: yes.

Ephemeral wrote:

In an effort to help clear the waters and lay out clear expectations for how people should act in-game, on the forums and elsewhere.

This rework was started to improve public understanding of what is "punishable" or not allowed in osu! as it was obvious certain things were unlisted, and instead hidden in FAQ's or word of mouth.

This current version takes that whole ideal and puts it down the drain and actually makes that issue more prevalent. Instead of clarifying and making the rule set and every little detail more public and explained, things are now even more generalized and potentially confusing.

It's not fun to get in trouble for something you didn't know was initially against the rules. Normally 90% of these things can be prevented with some ounce of common sense, but undoubtedly certain things in osu! are "unique". As for any other online community. I personally don't understand the point in generalizing the rules and being more "encouraging". They are rules, things set to prevent people from ruining others days, and implemented to keep everything running smoothly.

Rules aren't added to ruin fun, but rather to uphold it, and keep everything accessible and friendly to everyone. Each rule has valid purpose and reasoning behind it, and should be completely publicly accessible for transparency and "self moderation". If users had a full complete list of what EXACTLY is or isn't against the rules, this allows them to self moderate or report more accurately. GMT aren't always around 100% so I feel it's very necessary to have users who know exactly what's allowed and what isn't, so they can alert fellow users to that, or redirect them to the rule page where they can read for themselves.

Ephemeral wrote:

Some situations are not explicitly covered in the rules, but are encompassed by other rules

This was literally the thing we needed to remove, so I don't understand the logic of continuing doing this.

I know a long list of rules can be a bit daunting, and you may not like it. But it's effective. It's clear, concise. and contains all the info anyone may ever need, so questions don't have to be asked, they don't have to be learned through experience. Users should be able to know everything from the start. Laws aren't generalized and Encouraging because that wouldn't make sense.

As for a "General" Community Guideline I can understand the generalization to be more encouraging. But as it stands the list is 15 different ways of saying "Be Nice please" which is something common sense should have in place by default. I just do not believe in the effectiveness and approach these rules have. While it's a bit more friendly, encouraging, and maybe honestly. A bit nicer to look at. I feel it's not nearly effective as keeping the community clean and safe, and can just be confusing with how open ended and non-concrete the rules are.

I feel this is a step in the wrong direction.

They're good, but I just have a little question: "... Advertising Twitch links for other video games is okay, but ONLY in #videogames." - still once a day?

Compared to the current rule set, it seems that this rework is particularly missing statements on BSS and In-Client Rules (rules for cheating and third-party software).

Lyawi wrote:

They're good, but I just have a little question: "... Advertising Twitch links for other video games is okay, but ONLY in #videogames." - still once a day?

Several times a day should be fine so long as it does not become intrusive or disruptive to existing chat. So once every few hours would be considered acceptable, in my eyes, so long as the channel's buffer does not have your other advertising link in the past 200 lines or so.

I think we should consider having both this and having an exact list of what people are not allowed to do so that those who don't feel like reading all the rules have a general idea of how we want them to behave and so that there is no possibility for confusion for those who do feel like reading it all.

n0ah wrote:

I think we should consider having both this and having an exact list of what people are not allowed to do so that those who don't feel like reading all the rules have a general idea of how we want them to behave and so that there is no possibility for confusion for those who do feel like reading it all.

Sounds like https://osu.ppy.sh/wiki/Short_Rules

"Make sure you have permission to use any content involved in your beatmap. This includes songs, videos, hitsounds, graphics, and any other content that isn't your own creation."

Hum... lol ?

Zonthem wrote:

"Make sure you have permission to use any content involved in your beatmap. This includes songs, videos, hitsounds, graphics, and any other content that isn't your own creation."

Hum... lol ?

This has been in the Terms of Service forever, not actually anything new.

Zonthem wrote:

"Make sure you have permission to use any content involved in your beatmap. This includes songs, videos, hitsounds, graphics, and any other content that isn't your own creation."

Hum... lol ?

Copyright Infringements. That's what has happened to the beatmaps which you are not able to download through the osu! site, and you're forced to do so from mirror ones.

Nikosbks wrote:

n0ah wrote:

I think we should consider having both this and having an exact list of what people are not allowed to do so that those who don't feel like reading all the rules have a general idea of how we want them to behave and so that there is no possibility for confusion for those who do feel like reading it all.

Sounds like https://osu.ppy.sh/wiki/Short_Rules

No, I mean a complete list of everything, not 10 examples

I know rules (and laws ofc), but no one respects this rule (RoR and every BABYMETAL songs - Every DragonForce - All others videogames song aka konami..., Every pop artist, especially americans ones).

In fact it's just a disclamer, not a rule :thinking:

8. Don't advertise third-party chat servers of any kind, including Discord, Teamspeak or Skype servers/groups. The osu! chat is about osu! foremost and not about sharing links to your personal servers. Do it via PM if you absolutely have to.

Finally this point exist as official part in a rule, that's really good.

Ephemeral wrote:

Lyawi wrote:

They're good, but I just have a little question: "... Advertising Twitch links for other video games is okay, but ONLY in #videogames." - still once a day?

Several times a day should be fine so long as it does not become intrusive or disruptive to existing chat. So once every few hours would be considered acceptable, in my eyes, so long as the channel's buffer does not have your other advertising link in the past 200 lines or so.

This is actually really fair, because being allowed to post once for 24 hours is.. pretty pointless if you're about to stream longer, and also it makes more sense to keep them for #videogames since Twitch streams are mostly related to videogames, that's another good change.

9. In language-specific channels, you must speak the dominant language..

Mind if we reword that a bit? Because from the entire past till now it is okay to speak english in a language channel if the chat doesn't turn completely to that language. Examples like people want to learn about the language with good and real intentions or just to have a quick check with the peepz were always fine as long people didn't abuse that.

Zonthem wrote:

I know rules (and laws ofc), but no one respects this rule (RoR and every BABYMETAL songs - Every DragonForce - All others videogames song aka konami..., Every pop artist, especially americans ones).

In fact it's just a disclamer, not a rule :thinking:

I think that point should be considered with rule 3 of Beatmap Submission Rules:

Do not plagiarise or attempt to steal the work of others.

Some users do not like that their songs are mapped and for these cases you should ask them for their permission. And anything else requires permissions anyways, you cannot use <xyz skin> from the Skinning forum for your map without contacting the creator of that. They may not want you to use their skin for your map.

Dntm8kmeeatu wrote:

I know a long list of rules can be a bit daunting, and you may not like it. But it's effective. It's clear, concise. and contains all the info anyone may ever need, so questions don't have to be asked, they don't have to be learned through experience. Users should be able to know everything from the start. Laws aren't generalized and Encouraging because that wouldn't make sense.

If you bother to provide a good experience in the chat (for yourself and for other people) you read these rules. I think it's less that there are so many rules (because seriously, that aren't so many for now and before) but people may not want to read them completely because of understanding, like vocabulary or lack of grammer, etc. and they pretend to not knowing the rule to complain afterwards. Some rules which /can/ lead to a silence such as using lenny, unicode characters should be included too because these rules can prevent someone being silenced without knowing it.


What I am personally missing is the point of reporting PM stuff, because moderators cannot/won't handle them. A lot of people tend to report PM stuff, expecting anything to happen.

I think you should add rule about NSFW/+18 On avatars/userpages/signatures.

One more rule. Sexual roleplay is disallowed in every channel. Every. Fucking. Channel. Please.
I'm sick of seeing "Cutefox83 nuzzles on Yuki-chans Banana every fucking day in #osu, #german, #english and whatever Channel I also use!

If they really want to increase their daily nutrition with fruit they can do that in PM. Please.
It first and foremost gives us a bad image, albeit many users really are on the "spectrum" and second it scares off new AND veteran players.

Also you might enforce an "anti-language trolling" rule too. I use #japanese and #chinese a lot, since I can speak both these languages to a certain extend and the amount of blatant racist comments along the lines of "ching chang chong, chinky nihao" or "konnnichiha,where are the subtitles???" "You guys are all weebs Ye xD" are absolutely unneccessary and according to many (mostly japanese) users the native speaking minority doesn't even type in their own chat anymore, as it is infested with people who are just trolling around and rendering every normal discussion moot. If you try english in #japanese or #chinese or #korean or anything its fine, but if you troll you should be silenced. Sadly whenever I report this issue NOTHING ever happens or even worse. I get a silence for "report abuse" ...

Please fix this.

Venix wrote:

I think you should add rule about NSFW/+18 On avatars/userpages/signatures.

This is covered implicitly via the all-ages community rule. It does not need further clarification.

Hata-tan wrote:

One more rule. Sexual roleplay is disallowed in every channel. Every. Fucking. Channel. Please.

This is also covered implicitly by the "keep it clean" chat rule contained within the rework, and is already something that moderators act on.

Hata-tan wrote:

Also you might enforce an "anti-language trolling" rule too.

This is also covered in the rule rework as well - see the rule about speaking only in the dominant language of the channel, and also the "dont be a douche" golden rule of the big five.

Community Rules

> 1 = Totally agree
> 2 = Is more as guideline, All the time they argue about which mode is better, but in the end nobody gives a concrete answer.
> 3 = correct
> 4 = Total prohibition or nothing.
> 5 = Possible


In-Game Rules:

> 1 = Correct
> 2 = That if they are available, there are cases where one sends a very considerable report and they are very permissive (it is annoying to see how to be friends of a moderator are not silenced ...).
> 3 = Sometimes we say related things but with laughs.
> 4 = It would lack trained personnel to review evidence and check with the top world ranks in each mode (rank 1, 2 and 3) if possible those scores and apply the corresponding punishment (If it proves impossible or very hard to achieve).
> 5 = Correct
> 6 = Scream link (images) are annoying, is correct
> 7 = Totally agree -> total rip in other chats.
> 8 = Just in private is better, correct.
> 9 = Agree


Forum-Wide Rules:

> 1 = Correct
> 2 = Is possible to create a sub-forum dedicated to this topic?.
> 3 = All drama is solved with close the topic, then is correct.
> 4 = Necropost is weird somethimes.
> 5 = Reasonable about what issue?, Size?, weight of the images?, text? forbid spoilerbox and box to hide text or more images?.
> 6 = Specially to ad pages (pay for visits)...
> 7 = That is why there is the sub-forum Development.


Beatmap Submission Rules:

> 1 = correct
> 2 = drama sliders, drama notes, drama overrated ... correct.
> 3 = uff ... mirror mode, some notes changed, some sliders with other curves, etc. ... correct.


Off-Topic Rules:

> 1 = Correct
> 2 = Add in this section that the excessively bad is encompassed the "pacman".
> 3 = I personally see this point correct.

-w-

Each player may only have ONE account at any point of time. This account is you. It is not anyone else - not your brother, your mother, your sister, your friend - it is YOU. Don't share your account with anyone else.

This one is actually nice. It will reduce the issues, which are related to accounts.

Ephemeral wrote:

Venix wrote:

I think you should add rule about NSFW/+18 On avatars/userpages/signatures.

This is covered implicitly via the all-ages community rule. It does not need further clarification.

I know this does not really matter but I want to say,
in my opinion (based on my experience) some GMT have their own views/opinion on NSFW content, sometimes there are GMT who are aggressive when looking anime bikini picture or anime picture which shows cleavage or belly and thighs and other GMT don't care about it and they think it still SFW as long as not showing vital area, in my opinion NSFW content still grey area especially for "ecchi/soft ecchi" anime picture, and GMT member should make a more detailed rules about NSFW content, so they do not act on their own opinions

I don't think this rule is feasible to enforce if it involves songs and videos. Literally every map in qualified, and every map (minus like 2) ranked in 2017 should be removed if this rule was enforced. You can have good faith that we are uploading songs/videos etc... with permission. But I don't think it's fair to make it a rule, because if I, or any other modder were to post on a beatmap forum and say "Please give me proof that you have permission to use this song" and they are (obviously) unable to provide such "proof", then we run into issues.

Also, I wouldn't include hitsounds in here, unless its hitsound rhythms. the .wav files themselves are too ubiquitous to really track. It's the same with graphics like wallpaper backgrounds. You often can't even source the original artist even if you want to, let alone have permission to use it.

Monstrata wrote:

Make sure you have permission to use any content involved in your beatmap. This includes songs, videos, hitsounds, graphics, and any other content that isn't your own creation. If you are unsure of where to find content that is free to use, we have a growing library of tracks available at the Featured Artist listing, all 100% licensed for use in osu!.

I don't think this rule is feasible to enforce if it involves songs and videos. Literally every map in qualified, and every map (minus like 2) ranked in 2017 should be removed if this rule was enforced. You can have good faith that we are uploading songs/videos etc... with permission. But I don't think it's fair to make it a rule, because if I, or any other modder were to post on a beatmap forum and say "Please give me proof that you have permission to use this song" and they are (obviously) unable to provide such "proof", then we run into issues.

Also, I wouldn't include hitsounds in here, unless its hitsound rhythms. the .wav files themselves are too ubiquitous to really track. It's the same with graphics like wallpaper backgrounds. You often can't even source the original artist even if you want to, let alone have permission to use it.

It has always been a rule, just unmentioned before now. Permission is assumed in all cases until it is made abundantly obvious that permission is not actually present, usually at the request of the rightsholder. Standard practice in 2017 for this sort of thing. This rule was added at the behest of the game's creator, so it is unlikely to be changed, though all it really reflects is a base expectation for people to actually have permission to use the content that they're using.

Wouldn't worry about it being 'enforced' beyond what has already happened in the past - ie, responding to rightsholders asking to have their content removed.

The loss of the privilege to play or qualify in official osu! World Cup tournaments

I've seen drama with players not being allowed to play in osu! World Cup tournaments for supposedly minor stuff. Even if it wasn't minor, I suggest specifying how severe infringements need to be for this to be considered. Might level off some confusion if it does happen, at least others would know it's something beyond spamming tillerino or your irl friend to the point you get 5 silences in a row as an edge case.

Sure, just keep a eye in the channels.

As an additional, could change the restriction of the channel #videogames to multilanguage?

Only three dancing anime girls? Come on now Eph, I know that the current state of Off-Topic isn't really good but it should be at least seven or ten!

No further thoughts on these as a whole? Will tie this up and look at getting it live, otherwise.

Alright, that's plenty of time for people to chime in if they had further complaints or worries.

This should be up in the coming week or so after we've all settled back after AX.