Important Message Regarding Team Accounts...

We have made repeated requests for team accounts to confine posting to their own project threads.

The reasons behind this were simple, to avoid running afoul of the sockpuppet rule.

I know it’s been a running joke around here for too long, but the time has come to lay down the law.

As per Jay’s request, any further team posts outside their own project-related threads will be deleted without notice.

Repeated violations will result in a ban on any team account.

No three strikes.

No nothing.

Edit: Additionally, with these rules in place, we kindly ask that any chiding or mocking of team accounts cease immediately, especially in topics where those team accounts aren’t permitted to post and defend themselves. We consider these posts personal attacks under the existing moderation rules, subject to the same administrative action.

Edit (24-Jan-2016):

So this drama has started up again. Part of it has been due to our lax enforcement of the rules, so my apologies for that. Part of it is because people are acting like babies.

There will be strict enforcement of the team account rules from now on. What this means:

1. Any topics started by team accounts that aren’t DIRECTLY related to their projects will be deleted. After 3 violations, your team account will be banned.
2. Any posts by team accounts outside their own project threads will be deleted. After 3 violations, your team account will be banned.
3. Any off topic posts within team account threads will be deleted. After 3 violations, you will be banned.

Regardless of your popularity or your contribution to the community, YOU WILL BE BANNED for violating these rules.

Think about how your banning will impact other members and projects before you post. If you contribute to a team account, make sure everyone on the team understands the rules.

Edit (24-Feb-2016):

Team accounts are now forbidden. Any accounts found to be shared by multiple users will be banned.

I edited the first post to clarify that team accounts may only post in their own project-related threads. A team account can't just start a random thread and post to it.

The offending topics and posts mentioned here have been locked or deleted.

Added to OP:

With these rules in place, we kindly ask that any chiding or mocking of team accounts cease immediately, especially in topics where those team accounts aren't permitted to post and defend themselves. We consider these posts personal attacks under the existing moderation rules, subject to the same administrative action.

So this drama has started up again. Part of it has been due to our lax enforcement of the rules, so my apologies for that. Part of it is because people are acting like babies.

There will be strict enforcement of the team account rules from now on. What this means:

1. Any topics started by team accounts that aren’t DIRECTLY related to their projects will be deleted. After 3 violations, your team account will be banned.
2. Any posts by team accounts outside their own project threads will be deleted. After 3 violations, your team account will be banned.
3. Any off topic posts within team account threads will be deleted. After 3 violations, you will be banned.

Regardless of your popularity or your contribution to the community, YOU WILL BE BANNED for violating these rules.

Think about how your banning will impact other members and projects before you post. If you contribute to a team account, make sure everyone on the team understands the rules.

The first post has been updated to reflect the current situation.

Thank you.

Use the “report” button at the bottom of the post.

Note that since this notice of strict enforcement was just posted, you get a break for any transgressions that occur today. Starting tomorrow, we will be counting the number of violations and banning accordingly.