Community Standarts: how to treat each other online

There are over a thousand Palaces open to the public at any given time and they are visited by a diverse population from around the world. When you enter a Palace, you become a member of this fascinating community. It's important to keep in mind that visitors come from all over the world and from many different cultures. They are all ages, and they speak many different languages. What is perfectly acceptable to you may not be at all acceptable to someone else.

There are two simple rules that almost always work:
- Act just like you would in any other public place.
- Treat others the way you want to be treated.

With this in mind please show respect for the people you meet at Palace regardless of their age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or political beliefs. You certainly needn't change your beliefs, but please respect the ways and beliefs of others.

Please be aware that many Palace operators have a specific set of guidelines or rules that should be followed when visiting their Palace. If you keep the following tips in mind, you should have no problems when visiting any Palace.

1. Use sounds sparingly. A well timed "boom" or a meaningful "kiss" is always fun but one sound after the other for the sake of noise is annoying to everyone!

2. Be considerate when moving about the room. Using the arrow key to move into an exact position is useful. Moving all over the room using the keys is a major cause of lag and will not make you a welcome guest.

3. When whispering in a busy room, keep an eye on other conversation and try to reply when spoken too. Others will not know you are engaged in a conversation and may take offense thinking you are ignoring them. If your whispered conversation goes on more than a minute or so it's best to go to a less busy room.

4. Use your log! All past conversation is recorded there and will be very helpful in keeping up with conversations.

5. Use the painting option wisely. Try not to annoy people by painting in a room excessively and remember to clean up before you leave. Most Palaces have the option to say "clean" to clean a room. Try it before you exit the room if you been painting.

6. Think about taking a minute from your conversation to help someone that is new. If you help someone when they are confused they become a better member and are not as likely to cause problems as they would be if they were repeatedly ignored when asking for help.