Bug Works Server Rules

Last Updated: October 25, 2025

Our Philosophy

Welcome to the main Bug Works server. We are dedicated to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful community for all. Our core principles are freedom of expression, mutual respect, and a deep commitment to user privacy.

These rules are the foundation for our community. By creating an account and using this server, you agree to abide by them. We hope they serve as a positive model for all servers in the Bug Works network.

1. Be Respectful and Kind

This is the most important rule. We aim for a community where everyone feels welcome and can participate without fear of personal attacks.

  • No Hate Speech: We have a zero-tolerance policy for content or behavior that attacks, demeans, or promotes violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or medical condition.
  • No Harassment or Stalking: Do not engage in targeted harassment, intimidation, threats, stalking, or "dogpiling" (coordinating a group to harass an individual).
  • No Personal Attacks: Debate ideas, not people. Insults, name-calling, and ad-hominem attacks are not acceptable.

2. Protect Privacy and Consent

Privacy is a fundamental right. Violating the privacy or consent of other users is a serious offense on this server.

  • No Doxxing: Do not post or threaten to post the private, personally identifiable information (PII) of others. This includes, but is not limited to, real names, addresses, phone numbers, private emails, or government-issued ID numbers.
  • Respect Consent: Do not share private conversations (like DMs) or non-consensual imagery (including sexual content or "revenge porn").
  • No Impersonation: Do not impersonate another person or entity in a way that is intended to mislead, confuse, or deceive others. Parody accounts are allowed if they are clearly marked as such.

3. Content and Community Standards

You are responsible for the content you post. These standards help keep the community healthy and accessible to everyone.

  • Illegal Content: You may not post or link to any content that is illegal in our jurisdiction.
  • Use Content Warnings (CWs): Out of respect for others, you must use Content Warnings for common sensitive topics, including but not limited to:
    • Nudity or sexually suggestive content.
    • Graphic violence, gore, or discussion of death.
    • In-depth discussions of politics or mental health.
    • Spoilers for media.

    When in doubt, use a Content Warning. This empowers other users to choose what they engage with.

  • Harmful Disinformation: Do not post content that is verifiably false and clearly intended to cause public harm (e.g., medical disinformation during a pandemic, promotion of conspiracy theories known to incite violence).

4. Server Integrity and Spam

To keep the server functional and pleasant for everyone, we must protect it from abuse.

  • No Spam: Do not post unsolicited advertising, "phishing" links, or other forms of spam.
  • Bot Accounts: Automated (bot) accounts are welcome but must be clearly marked as such and must not be used for spam or harassment. Please contact the admin team for approval before running a bot.
  • Security: Do not attempt to compromise the server's security, interfere with its operation, or harvest user data through unauthorized means.

5. Moderation and Enforcement

We take these rules seriously. We want our enforcement to be fair and transparent.

  • Reporting: If you see a user violating these rules, please use the "Report" button. Do not engage in public arguments, as this often derails the conversation. Let the moderation team handle it.
  • Enforcement Actions: Depending on the severity and frequency of the violation, our team may take the following actions:
    1. A formal warning.
    2. Deletion of the offending content.
    3. Temporary account suspension.
    4. Permanent account ban from this server.
  • Appeals: You have the right to appeal any moderation decision by contacting the admin team directly.

6. The Fediverse

Remember, Bug Works is part of a federated network. These rules apply to your conduct on our server.

  • Federation: We cannot control the rules or moderation of other servers. However, we reserve the right to limit or sever our connection (defederate) with other servers that platform content or behavior that is fundamentally incompatible with our rules (e.g., servers dedicated to hate speech or harassment).

Thank you for being part of the Bug Works community and helping us build a better, more respectful social web.