Using the Teen Community | Spectrum Gaming

Using the Teen Discord Community

Our community Discord server is open between 10am and 10pm.

Verification

When you join the Discord server, you will see the ‘verify’ channel, while waiting for a staff member to contact you.

A staff member will then message you asking for your full name. Once you send this, the staff member can verify you, giving you access to our community!

Community Rules

These rules are also available to view in the Discord server.

Our Rules are split into Core Rules and then Community Rules:

Core Rules:

Based on the SG Community Charter and our responsibilities as a charity, these are our rules required for SG to exist and work in a positive, safe way. Parts of these may be slightly changeable in the long run, but these rules are more essential for function so we can’t change them as much as the Community Based rules

If you would like to view the charter, it can be seen here: >Community Charter<

1. Be respectful of other members, their identities and preferences.

Everyone has different triggers or things they are comfortable with as a result of their life experiences. If something tells you a topic or something that has happened is making them uncomfortable, please do not continue with this. When this happens, it is ok to ask questions and learn more. If the person concerned is not comfortable explaining (which is likely for some topics, or depending on how stressed they are), please feel welcome to speak to a staff member if you would like to learn more or hear some ideas.

2. Things can get heated during disagreements or games. When this happens, we recommend taking a break.

If you get too stressed, it is normal for the logical part of your brain to stop working so it is difficult to step away! This means that staff may mute you temporarily to give you the opportunity to relax, as we know you after some time and space you will feel differently about the situation.

3. Please do not advertise/ invite other members to other Discord or Minecraft servers, this includes in DMs, your Status, About Me, and having a Guild Tag for a public server.

One of the reasons a lot of Spectrum Gaming members are allowed to join SG is that we have agreed to make it a private, safe space. Other Discord and Minecraft servers do not offer the same level of safety so invites are not allowed under any circumstances. Playing together with friends on well known, public Minecraft servers like Hypixel and Cubecraft is allowed, but no smaller servers, such as servers owned by SG members, their friends or small streamers.

Also any videos you post in ⁠#self-promo must not include links to your own server(s).

You can have a guild tag for a private server on your account provided other people cannot join the server from your tag, you don’t share any invite links with anyone who asks for one to get the same tag as you, and the tag follows all other rules (i.e no swearing, no way it could be misidentified as meaning you’re staff, etc.).

If you have something on your profile that breaks one of these rules, you will be asked to remove it, and if this isn’t done within 3 days you will be removed from the server until it is done.

4. Please do not DM members of the server without permission from them in the server first.

You also should not DM or make group chats with people that you do not know well. You need both their permission and the permission of group members before adding someone to a group chat. This also means you cannot add U13 server members to new group chats with people that they do not already know.

You also cannot add SG members to group chats with non-SG members, or invite non-SG friends to play games with SG members.

5. Don't violate the privacy of other members.

This also includes sharing messages or what people have said in this server elsewhere without their permission, or sharing their DMs with others (you can share DMs with a staff member for any staff related issue) This rule also includes not taking screenshots of other people’s faces, or recording their audio without permission.

6. No impersonating other members or ranks.

7. No minimodding.

Minimodding is where you take on the responsibilities of a staff member by telling people how to use the server and trying to resolve issues yourself. The majority of the time this can cause more conflict or tension, so we ask that if you are unhappy with something, you make a support ticket so a staff member can resolve the issue. Staff members are all trained in resolving issues respectfully. Staff often resolve things in DMs in the first instance so even if you don't see staff doing something, it doesn't mean they aren't. Please feel welcome to make a support ticket if you would like to check action is being taken.

8. The server is English Language only.

This means that everyone on our moderation team can assess whether something goes against the rules of the server or not.

Moderation Hours:

The server should be open from 10am-10pm everyday. Outside of this time, you won’t be able to send messages, join vcs, or make support tickets. If you’re finding it hard to keep track of time, we recommend setting a daily alarm at around 9:55pm on your phone, so the server closing isn’t too much of a surprise.

Our times for responding to support tickets and resolving issues are between 10am and 9pm. Please do still make support tickets outside of these hours. Please remember, there are a variety of places to get support from, and we have shared a list in #⁠getting-support

Short term rules:

Sometimes rules need to be created in the short term to help make the server work for everyone. This means staff may make a request which isn't listed here. Please try and follow this for now, but make a support ticket if you would like to chat about it more. We are reviewing our rules on a regular basis to make sure they are the best they can be and that they work for you. Therefore, if you think any rules need to be changed, or you need better explanations of how things work, please make a support ticket and we are happy to chat more about this.

Community Based Rules:

These rules are in place to help the online community work in a way that is positive and fun for everyone. There are decided on by the community via voting, so if there’s anything you think needs adding/changing, let us know in the #suggestions channel.

1. Avoid using bad language, the server is a PG family friendly space. This includes inappropriate usernames/pictures. Some bad language can be used in closed, custom VCs.

If you are with SG friends outside of the server (such as in a game or in DMs), you are allowed to swear or discuss older age topics, as long as there is a mutual agreement between young people and their parents. But even in those spaces, homophobia, racism, sexism etc. are not allowed.

Swearing is allowed in custom vc’s under some conditions that can be seen later in the Channel Specific Rules below.

2. If you want to spam, do it in the #spam⌨ channel.

Spam is:

- Sending 3 of the same message Sending lots of messages that make little sense.
- Sending lots of emojis or GIFs Sending messages that do not fit with the channel theme.
- Sending a sentence over several messages (e.g. one word at a time).

3. Keep toxic/banter comments to DMs with friends.

Sometimes when people have close friendships they send 'toxic' to each other/ have banter as a joke. But for members who do not know you too well, it is hard to know whether it is a joke or not and it can make people feel uncomfortable. Therefore, please keep this sort of chat to DMs with friends and out of the server so everyone feels welcome This includes saying 'didn't ask' and similar phrases, plus using the nerd emoji to react to people's messages

4. No posting AI images that you have created yourself anywhere in the server, and you can only post AI images you have found online in certain channels and contexts.

Due to the ethics and impact of AI image creation, the community has decided they do not want to have people sharing AI images they have made anywhere in the server. You can post AI images you have found online in the following situations:

- If you are posting in #spam

- If it is part of a meme, and you are posting in #memes

- When they are relevant to the conversation (Otherwise it is spam)

5. When using a music bot, you must have permission from everyone else in the voice chat at the time before adding it.

If some people do not want the music bot to be used, you can join a different channel to use it instead.

6. Don't screenshare games/ movies with swearing/ gore.

It is okay to play games/ watch movies like this with other people and to screen share them in private with friends (if they are ok with this), just not in a voice channel on the server.

Games with swearing can be streamed in Locked, Custom VC's, with the same rules as swearing in Private VC's that can be seen in the Channel Specific Rules below.

Tone Indicators

Sometimes within Spectrum Gaming people use tone indicators to make communication clearer - here is a list of commonly used tone indicators: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E-FIpo1Ys935Cd2bIA8aHIxSbxqmRZ4BUkiQAyLECDc/edit?usp=sharing

Channel Specific Rules:

Some channels work a little bit differently to others in the server, so require a little extra rules/explaining to make sure they’re working how they should:

Voice Chat Rules

When using any voice chat, there is some etiquette to be aware of:

Background noise/echoing can be really tricky to deal with/ignore! If this is coming from your mic, it can be good to try turning on noise suppression or push to talk to help minimise this
If you are joining a group already in a vc, they may be in the middle of a conversation, game or an activity together. If you’re not interested in this, or cannot join in for some reason, it is ok for you to join the vc to listen and chat. However, try to keep in mind that they may be trying to do something, so try not to take over with other topics, and try to be aware not to talk over people.
Joining any open vc is ok, but some people use the smaller, limited vcs to make sure only people they would like to play with join. Therefore, if someone is in a vc that has a limited number of people, try to ask before you join, and make sure everyone in the vc is ok with it.
People often use Chilled Voice rather than one of the main Voice channels because they want a more chilled experience chatting. It’s ok to join this without asking, but before you do you might wanna think about how many people are in the chat already, and what you plan to do there. If it looks like it might be getting a bit crowded already, or you would like to do more of a loud activity, maybe try joining one of the bigger Voice channels - it might be a shame to feel like you’re missing out, but others will likely join you soon!

Private VC Swearing Rules

When you make a Custom VC that you plan to swear in, you need to rename the channel to make it clear to anyone that may join that there will be swearing in the VC. The person that made the channel, or someone else who has claimed it, can do this by clicking/tapping the cog icon and editing the name there. We recommend putting [S] at the start of the channel name to show this.
As it can be seen by the whole server, usual rules around no swearing apply to names of private channels.
Saying slurs or swear words with roots in discrimination of any kind (e.g. racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia etc.) is still not allowed.
Keep in mind that even if someone is ok with swearing generally, context is still really important! So no directing swear words at other people, and no using phrases that have a meaning that could make others uncomfortable or could be inappropriate (for example those with a sexual meaning).

Venting Channel Rules

We think it’s really important that you have a safe space where you are able to vent your frustrations and express how you are feeling, so we have a venting channel available for this purpose. If you would like access to this, you can claim the “Venting” role from roles assignments. You can add and remove the role as you’d like.

We may have to delete posts sometimes if they are relating to something other people can find reading about triggering/upsetting, such as self-harm, suicide and abuse. If a staff member deletes your message, they will send you a dm to explain why shortly after. If you don’t get a dm, feel free to put a ticket in to ask.
There are also some topics that can be triggering, but it’s also ok to vent about as long as you use a spoiler tag. Some examples of these include:

- Insects/bugs

- Vomit

- Death of a pet or loved one

- Spoilers of a game or show/movie that you didn’t like

When someone is venting, giving advice, sharing your personal opinions or trying to problem solve is often not helpful and can make people feel worse. Venting chat should not be used to vent about SG or any SG members. Please make a support ticket instead if you are upset about anything SG related. Please read the pinned messages before responding to anyone in venting.

Self-promo Channel Rules

Please do not share fundraisers, shops, or anything else that’s main purpose is for other members to spend/give money.

Looking-for-gamers/ gaming ping rules

Use no more than 2 gaming pings every 24 hours, and 1 ping every 2 hours.
Do not use a gaming ping if someone else has used the same one in the last 2 hours. Instead, why not see if they would like to play?
Only reply to others if you are able to play, please do not reply to just say ‘no’ to someone, unless they have asked you specifically.

New Members Area

Once you have been verified by a member of the staff team you will be given access to our New Members area as well as the main area of the server! We know that joining a big, busy Discord server for the first time can feel a bit overwhelming, so this area is like a mini version of the main server where you can learn how to use our community and make friends in a smaller group. We have a friendly team of 'Helpers' who can show you how things work and give tours of our Minecraft server. There's also the chance to join in with events too!

Information channels

The channels in our server all have different purposes, once you have been verified you will be able to see some of these from the New Members area, but some are only available once you move in to the main part of the server:

#discord-rules: You can see all the community rules here

#minecraft-rules: You can view our Minecraft Server's rules here

#getting-support: Information on where to get support from when you are struggling

#announcements: Here you can keep up to date with any community changes, or things that are happening within Spectrum Gaming

#introductions: Here introduce yourself so others can get to know you. You can also read the introductions of other members

#staff-introductions: Here you can get to know Spectrum Gaming’s staff members

#Uploads: If you make a support ticket with your YouTube channel link, a member of staff can add your channel to the uploads channel, so your videos are posted there every time you upload

#role-assignments: You can use this channel to customise your experience. Press ‘reaction buttons’ to gain access to channels based on your interests!

Event channels

We have event channels, where you can find out more about what events are running, when they are and how to get involved. Press the green tick next to an event so event leads know you are planning to attend, then press the clock button to set a reminder for yourself

Customise your experience

#role-assignments: here you can get access to different text and event channels based on your interests

#gaming-pings: here you can sign up to be notified when others would like to play a game that you also like

Text Channels

We have different text channels for different purposes. Some examples:

#general is for conversation about anything you like

#memes is for sharing memes!

#creativity can be used to share any art you have made, music you like or photos you have taken

#looking-for-gamers is a chat made for asking others if they would like to play a game

It can be helpful to take some time looking at each channel to learn how it works

Voice Channels

Voice Channels are where you can speak with others using a microphone. You are welcome to join a Voice Channel at any time to chat with others. If you aren't comfortable speaking, you are still welcome to join! We have a text channel called voice-text which you can message in if you would like to join the conversation, but you are also welcome to join a voice chat and just listen :)

Making private voice chats

To make a private voice chat
Join the 'Custom VCs' voice channel and you will be given your own temporary voice channel, which you can customise using the interface.

Giving Feedback

We are always open to feedback, so we have a variety of feedback channels.

#event-suggestions – here you can suggest events that you would like the staff team to run.

#suggestions– Here you can share what you would like us to do better or differently on the server. This channel is reviewed every month by the staff team.

Getting Support

If you need support, go to the #support-tickets channel and click to activate a support ticket.

Once you have done this, you will be added to a private chat with staff members where you can share an issue, and a staff member will respond as soon as possible.

Please try and give as much information as you can :)

Adding music to voice chats

To use the music bot

Step 1: Join a voice channel

Step 2: Type ‘ch!play [song name] in the voice-commands channel

There are other useful commands for the bot

ch!forceskip: skip the current song

ch!pause: pause the music

ch!play: play the music

ch!queue: see the song queue

ch!shuffle: shuffle the song queue

ch!volume: change the music volume

Getting Started Guide

We have also written a guide for young people with some tips and advice on how to use the server and connect with other members, which you can read >here<