Newbie Channel
The newbie channel is not an out of character chat channel. It is, however, a place for newbies to ask questions related to what a command does or how to do something that can be answered by more experienced players. It is NOT a place for debate, hellos, contact information exchange, or a way to bypass normal communication channels to communicate in character information to other people. Remember that not all people have the newbie channel enabled, so you're actually more likely to get your information on the chatter or general channels if there's a possible way for you to ask the question in character.Appropriate usage examples:
* How do I use a destination finder?
* Where can I find a Lore computer?
* How do I fire my ship's weapons?
* What is the command to give credits to somebody?
Inappropriate usage examples:
* Sending a message to somebody who is out of comms.
* Asking people to rescue you when you're stranded.
* Telling people you're stunned or otherwise making a statement. Questions and answers only!
* What sector is Pluto in?
Policy Enforcement
Players should not take it upon themselves to police the newbie channel. If you believe someone is misusing the newbie channel, whether it be intentional or not, you should REPORT it and allow a host to address the problem when they can while refraining from contributing to it yourself. New players being met by a chorus of "IC question" or "Ask that in game" only serves to deter people from asking questions at all. Characters that are observed to be misusing the newbie channel on a routine basis will get a warning similar to an OOC warning. The stun time inflicted will be more severe than OOC warnings and, after five warnings, you will be banned from using the newbie channel. If you knowingly abuse the newbie channel, however, you can expect point penalties and, depending on the severity, a jump straight to losing access to the channel.