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Forza Communications Guidelines

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Forza Community Team
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This document is intended to expand on the Communications section of the Forza Code of Conduct, and applies to the Forza Feedback Portal, Forza Discord, Forza Support tickets, and anywhere else Forza hosts a communications channel.

Be sure to read the details below. All users of Forza communications channels agree to abide by the Forza Code of Conduct and these rules. While Forza channels may include sections for Off-Topic discussion, this does not mean that anything goes. Some content is prohibited and immediately enforceable, while other content may be removed because it is inappropriate for Forza channels. Enforcement begins with a warning, and additional instances can accumulate toward a permanent ban from posting. 

English only

While we welcome players from around the world, Forza communication channels are English-only for consistency and moderation purposes. Be mindful that when English is not the user's primary language, translated text may be difficult to understand; be respectful and simply ask for clarification. We do offer dedicated language channels in our Discord server and social media channels en Español, Français, Deutsch, and Japanese: 

Tone - E for Everyone

The name of the game in the Forza community is respect for others. Our goal is to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive place for our players to chat about all things Forza. Our community channels follow an E for Everyone standard, which is meant to be suitable for all ages, experience, and interests. 

Opinions and Reporting

Post your comments, opinions, and ideas in a constructive and respectful way. Criticism and negative opinions are allowed as long as they do not cross into prohibited content. Remember that there are differing viewpoints among community members and you may encounter some strong opinions that you do not agree with. The best approach to dealing with opposing opinions is to agree to disagree or skip the discussion without commenting. 

Just as with in-game behavior, if someone's comments violates the Forza Code of Conduct, report it to moderators or staff to deal with - do not retaliate or engage in arguments or you may find yourself subject to enforcement. 


Prohibited content

Zero tolerance content

Forza has a zero tolerance policy for the following. Behavior of this type in Forza titles, communications and/or Streams can result in more additional enforcement action, up to and including further permanent suspension of accounts and/or associated PCs and consoles both in game and on the XBOX network. 

  • Hate speech against individuals or groups targeting age, gender, race, sexuality, disability, nationality, or creed, whether directed toward people within the Forza community or outside Forza.
  • Violence in imagery or text depicting or glorifying violent acts, direct threats to others or yourself, or indirect suggestions that someone should suffer harm, physically or mentally.
  • Obscene imagery, including in videos linked by URLs or links to sites or servers that host obscene material.
  • Harassment and bullying of others. Forza staff are not obligated to suffer profanity or personal attacks because a user paid for the game. If you include this behavior in posts, direct messages, or Forza Support ticket communication, you may be blocked from accessing the channel (including from submitting future Forza Support tickets), reported to XBOX Safety, and receive additional or increased penalties or enforcement actions.
  • Phishing or other attempts to gain personal information about others or access to their accounts, or expose personal information about others.
  • Inducement to break the law.
  • Malicious files or computer code.
  • Cheating, hacking, or modding advice or links to sites promoting cheating, whether focused on Forza or anything outside Forza.
    • Specific use of, and discussion of, paint import tools is not prohibited, as are other third-party tools that do not modify or manipulate game code. Users should not be accusing others of cheating for using a paint import tool. Use of third-party tools or overlays may cause disruption to gameplay, game saves and performance, and is done at your own risk.

These types of posts are also enforceable:

Quoting prohibited content

  • Quoting others is not an excuse; if you post prohibited content, you are responsible for it.

Profanity and innuendo

  • Forza's standards for clean language may be more strict than first-time users are familiar with on other sites. The bottom line here is Forza's standard is the rule. If the channel word filter blocks a word or phrase, do not attempt to try to repost it in another form. Abbreviations, alternate spellings, self-censoring, profanity in images or linked videos, or any other attempts to avoid the word filter are enforceable. This also applies to account names. Your lengthy post may be removed in full over a single word, so avoid profanity altogether.

Multiple accounts and Ban dodging

  • Users are allowed one account in any channel. Bans apply to users regardless of which account name they use. Do not create a new account to post when your existing account is under enforcement.

Impersonating others

  • Do not falsely imply that you’re affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft, XBOX, or Forza. Do not impersonate others, whether they are community members or outside the community. This includes fake images, video, or audio.

Personal attacks

  • Debate topics, not people. Do not attack, be rude or aggressive, be purposefully antagonistic, insult, or berate any individuals. Do not comment on anyone's education, financial situation, or skill level, or categorize anyone with derogative or pejorative terms. Do not attempt to blame others for being responsible for issues in Forza or gaming that you do not like. Do not accuse others or imply that another user is a troll, a cheat, using a false identity, or acting inappropriately.
  • As with unsportsmanlike gameplay, do not retaliate - any personal attack is a violation, regardless of whether someone else 'started it' or attacked you first. Use the Flag or reporting system and leave it to moderators or staff to act; do not engage with antagonizing users.

Defaming

  • Do not make claims about others - including Forza, XBOX, Microsoft, or any other institution - of illegal or unethical conduct, or malicious intent. Comments expressing negative feeling about the impact of corporate policies are acceptable if they do not cross into spam or other prohibited behavior.

Incitement and undermining behavior

  • Do not encourage others to engage in unsportsmanlike conduct or other Code of Conduct violations.
  • Do not encourage others to avoid using the systems Forza has put in place, including Forza Support tickets, Forza Feedback Portal, voting, and polling. 
  • Moderators may not always act on reported content in the way you think they should. Do not rebel against moderators or Staff decisions or actions. Do not repost content that has been removed or comment on content that has been removed in an attempt to circumvent the decision to remove it.

Advertising

  • Posting links to other sites for the purpose of marketing products or services is prohibited. This includes offers of monetary value or other rewards for participating in surveys.

 

Additional Guidelines and Inappropriate Content

Forza communication channels are intended to bring players together around the games. While off-topic channels exist for other discussion, some topics are not acceptable and will be removed by moderators or staff. Do not repost content that has been removed. Help moderators and staff keep our channels clean by avoiding the following and reporting it if posted by others.

Mentions, Direct Messages, and Staff Communications

  • Direct Messaging a Community Manager for the channel is acceptable in specific cases related to your account or an urgent security or safety issue - otherwise use the Forza Feedback Portal and Forza Support to report issues.
  • Direct Messaging other Staff is not allowed.
  • Do not ‘@’ mention Staff just to draw attention to a bug or content request - if the topic exists, we see and review it.
  • Do not harass other users with repeat ‘@’ mentions. 
  • If you do not want to be contacted by another user, click their avatar and change settings to mute or ignore.

Drugs, alcohol, and weapons

  • Drug and alcohol depictions and descriptions are not allowed, regardless of whether they are legal within a user's region.
  • Depicting weapons should generally be avoided, including recreating artwork from other forms of entertainment (movie posters etc). Any weapons depicted in an aggressive manner is prohibited.

Computer files

  • To avoid malicious code, links to downloadable files are prohibited. Protect your device by not clicking on file links or unfamiliar URLs posted by others.

Personal information

  • Do not post phone numbers, addresses, or other information that uniquely identifies you or others. Use direct messages to arrange Xbox parties and clubs.
  • Soliciting participation in surveys or other external research is also not allowed, no matter how well-meaning the effort is.

Naming/shaming

  • Do not post other user gamertags, or screenshots or video of gamertags, with accusations of cheating, unsportsmanlike behavior, or any other Code of Conduct violation. These issues are to only be addressed by Forza and XBOX. Use the steps outlined in the Code of Conduct to report suspicious behavior so Forza can investigate and address it.

Spam posts

  • Do not post the same text across multiple topics or channels.
  • Do not repeatedly 'bump' topics just to get them noticed.

Non-constructive posts, memes, and trolling

  • Do not post memes or photo-only replies that do not contribute to a discussion. Posts that have the effect of trolling or inflaming discussion are inappropriate, whether others 'get the joke' or not. 
  • Videos or gifs that intentional use rapid flashing effects should be avoided over the risk of irritating or triggering seizures in others.

Arguments

  • You may encounter opinions that conflict with your own - remember to keep discussion respectful. Arguing with others does not align with the community environment and too often turns into personal attacks. If a discussion is being derailed by users arguing with each other they may be instructed to stop, the content may be removed, and the users subject to enforcement if it continues.

Enforcement cases and policies

  • Do not discuss your own enforcement or the enforcement of others. Use the How to Submit an Appeal steps outlined at Forza Support. Staff cannot comment on enforcement cases in open channel discussion or direct messages.
  • Do not discuss your intent to use the reporting systems against others, or the fact that you have reported another player.

Legal claims and Petitions

  • Forza's channels are not the place to discuss legal remedies, claims, or actions by you against others, including Forza, XBOX, Microsoft, or other institutions.
  • Petitions within Forza channels and external links to petitions are not allowed. The Forza Feedback Portal and official polls on other channels exist for users to express their opinions by vote.

Intellectual Property Rights, Leaks, Rumors, and Misinformation

  • Respect for others includes intellectual property rights held by Forza, XBOX, Microsoft, and institutions outside Forza. Do not post material owned by others that hasn't been officially announced by those, regardless of whether it has been reported by news outlets.
  • Avoid spreading unfounded rumors and mischaracterized statements. When posting "I heard..." comments, include the source link or information so that other users can assess it themselves. When quoting, be sure to include the context around the key points.
  • While modified art can be humorous, it presents a risk in violating the IP rights of others and misinforming the community. This includes modifying Forza images in a way that could be mistaken for official screenshots. 
  • Users may spot names and terms in Forza game files - due to the nature of ongoing game development, their presence does not provide sufficient context for drawing any conclusions. Do not identify anything as "confirmed" if it hasn't been officially announced by Forza.

Contentious Issues and Events

  • While we recognize that Forza community members hold viewpoints they feel are important to discuss, Forza channels are not intended to be a platform for all speech and issues. Topics and posts about war, politics, religion, and other issues may be removed even if the user feels they are related to Forza.

Off-topic comments and duplication

  • Forza channels have dedicated sections for specific types of content. For example, on the Forza Feedback Portal: Bug Reports for issues where the game isn't working as intended; Gameplay Suggestions for ideas about adding to or changing game content.
  • Do not divert threaded topics with unrelated discussion.
  • Do not repeatedly post the same comments in every new thread.
  • Browse and search channels for existing discussion and add to it to avoid creating duplicate topics. Creating duplicate threaded topics splits the discussion and can result in users unnecessarily repeating themselves.

Fonts and formatting

  • Avoid ALL CAPS and other formatting that is harsh on the reader's eyes or suggests an aggressive tone.

 

Recap

The rules listed above are not an exhaustive list; if moderators or staff move your post, it is for good reason. Remember to be respectful, clean, and constructive, abide by the Code of Conduct and moderator/staff instruction, and have fun! 

See these resources for additional guidance:

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