**Guidelines and QUICK FAQ for my member and free sites**

The following guidelines are part of the Patreon and all my sites - when you sign up you are agreeing to the rules whether you read them or not.

For the most part they are common sense but when you subscribe they are expected to be followed so PLEASE READ! Do you take suggestions on content? Heck yah! Any and all Patreons are encouraged to drop me a line here or directly!

If I subscribe to any of the Discord Patreon levels can I get a "private chat"/"personal channel"/"just get your Discord name and ID so I can connect directly" or any variation that basically circumvents using the main Patreon Discord? If you are looking for a direct Discord/Skype or any such connection with me then your best bet is to just mail me at granitelog (at) hotmail (dot) com It may or may not surprise you to know I get a LOT of requests for 'personal' chat sessions and at this point I don't have the time to do justice to as many people who ask for them. The Discord reward means you will have to subscribe and join my main channel if you want to use it. From there you can post questions and ask away about any subject. Basically, no private chats at this time. If you were hoping for some sort of personal chat session I won't be able to help you. Thank you!

Contacting me I ask people who contact me directly (or indirectly in some cases) clearly state up front if we have spoke in the past. I'm not asking for real world identities but I want to know if we have had prior communications. Seriously people, this is a GIANT TIME SAVER and polite etiquette. This can be prior communication via my main site, my deviantArt, Patreon or any form of communication really. There is no reason you can say "Hey, I'm So-and-So from this-other-website" when you talk with me. I'm all for your well deserved privacy but I've had several repeat conversations and requests from people under various names that ultimately ended up wasting everyone's time. Not to mention I had a few unsavory users use new accounts to try to influence things on the Patreon and Discord. Short story - if you are unsure then saying "Hey Ready, first time writing you" or "Hey Ready, you might know me from X" is the way to start a conversation. Saves us both a ton of time.

Hiding previous engagements especially if you are looking to avoid a ban or other punishment risks a second ban and further punishment. It's not worth it, you're not helping your case. I might not find you right away but why risk it?

Civil Behavior is expected when discussing things here and on the Discord. You might already know this but my hope has always been to grow and encourage the BE/GTS community. Specifically the new creators or longtime members who might consider going public with their work. I’m bringing this up because part of the reason for my site and Patreon is to build a group of people who enjoy BE/GTS and want to come together to discuss and share their experiences. OK, so where was all that preamble heading? Here we go. Overall, I am open about allowing comments of all sorts. People are generally free to express themselves and say what they want within reason. Some guidelines:

• If you are commenting or replying – be constructive or helpful. This doesn’t mean you have to love everything or endlessly praise the art. It does mean you should be civil and respectful of others who come here. This is not a subReddit for snide humor nor an anonymous posting board where you can act with impunity. I respect your privacy and ask very little of you. Just enjoy the Patreon, Discord and main site and keep your feedback civil in tone. I can’t be any more clear. I also can’t offer civility lessons if you don’t know what all this means. For me, it means taking an active approach to watching the comments and users.

• Auto Bans and Blocks will happen if you don't follow the rules If you break the rules, pirate my work, try to circumvent any of the guidelines or act in what is deemed an uncivil/unhelpful manner you will get kicked and banned from the Patreon and my other sites. I realize this isn't going to catch a determined miscreant but I intend to take what actions I can to keep the place enjoyable for all. Really though - we should be able to ALL enjoy the place so please act responsibly.

• Most of all though – just ENJOY THE ART! If it’s not your thing – fair enough. Heck, even I know there are artists better than me and plenty of other places to go that might suit your tastes better if I am not drawing what you like. If you are here, sit back and enjoy what’s being offered.

General Rules for all my member and public sites (including this one!)

•  I am an ACTIVE moderator Please note I (or a moderator) will act to moderate, advise or delete comments as needed to keep the site inline with the stated rules.

Please refrain from:

• Religion

• Politics

• Racism

• Roleplaying, 'Excessive arousement' or overly emotional statements in chat or messages

• Harassment, sexual or otherwise, this INCLUDES private messaging people on this server

• Uncharitable reads of comments and replies, we're all here to have fun and enjoy the art

• Self promoting, crowdfunding and "selling things" in general

• Frequent unbidden or low-key requests/comments/"suggestions" and the like for art, or specific events to happen in the art or animation.

• "Mini" comments, general non-sequiturs, hyperbolic statements

• MEME posting as it relates to overall rules

• Please refrain from the (at)everyone or (at)here tags

• Thread hijacking topics or conversations

• Drama or depressing life stories

Generally, just be nice and get along with the other people here 

• If you are commenting or replying, be constructive and helpful. This doesn’t mean you have to love everything or endlessly praise the art. It does mean you should be civil and respectful to others who come here. This is not a subReddit for snide humor nor an anonymous posting board where you can act with impunity. Just enjoy the Discord and keep your feedback civil in tone. I can’t be any clearer. I also can’t offer civility lessons if you don’t know what all this means. For me, it means I will have an active approach moderating comments and users in the chat.

• Use Common Sense Not everything is allowed just because it isn't explicitly listed in the rules. (please read that again)

• Avoid Arguments or Discussions in Bad Faith This includes attacking opinions, deliberate obtuseness, avoiding or ignoring facts and generally assuming the worst. We are friends here and there is no reason to treat people otherwise.

• Breaking the rules will get you a warning and if you continue you will be banned.

• Insta-Bans can happen too.

I’m VERY happy you’re here and VERY happy you enjoy the art. Let’s keep it that way and continue on. If you have any questions you can message me here and I will get back to you as quickly as I can!

Thank you again!

-Ready