Official Bylaws of The Dipsters Group
- 1.0 INTRODUCTION
- 2.0 MEMBERSHIP AND VOTING
- 3.0 WEBSITE
- 4.0 AMENDING THE BYLAWS
- 5.0 ADMITTING NEW MEMBERS
- 6.0 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP
- 6.1 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: GM REQUIREMENTS
- 6.2 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: ABANDONMENTS
- 6.3 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: GAME EJECTION FOR LATE ORDERS
- 6.4 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: GAME EJECTION FOR VERBAL ABUSE
- 6.5 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: "NO PLAY GAMES"
- 6.6 APPEALS
- 7.0 THE MODERATOR
- 8.0 EXTRAORDINARY SITUATIONS
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Dipsters Group exists to create challenging online Diplomacy games where players of similar skill levels may play each other with an emphasis on timely, fair, and enjoyable play.
The Dipsters Group stands for fast-moving and enjoyable games, no abandonments, minimal late orders, civility in our games, and frequent and meaningful press when it applies.
The Dipsters Group pursues policies that promote the wellbeing of the entire Dipsters Group and that treat all members equally and fairly.
The few rules that we have in Dipsters are all designed to ensure that the quality people in our group play up to the expectations that we all have for the Dipsters games in which we play. Although the GM has authority to eject a player under specific circumstances, we try to make all criteria as objective as possible so that it is really the actions of the player that determine whether that player stays in a particular game or even in the Dipsters Group itself.
2.0 MEMBERSHIP AND VOTING
There are four classes of membership within Dipsters:
- Diplomacy Direct - This is a provisional membership for new online players who have completed one to four online judge games. These members may play only in Diplomacy Direct or Open Games. They may participate in the Dipsters Forum but they may not vote.
- Dipsters Active - While in good standing, active Dipsters members may play in all Dipsters games, participate in the Dipsters forum, and vote.
- Dipsters Inactive - Active Dipsters Members in good standing may put their membership on hiatus for any length of time. While inactive a member does not need to fulfill the membership requirements relating to GM games. While inactive, a member may participate in the Dipsters Forum but he may not vote and he may not play in any Dipsters games other than open games.
- Dipsters Charter - This class of membership is reserved for members who have already made a significant contribuion to the hobby, such as Judge Keepers. While a charter member is not required to GM any games, he may play in all Dipsters games, participate in the Dipsters Forum, and vote on all Dipsters issues.
Each active or charter member of the Dipsters Group enjoys equal status to every other active or charter member of the Group.
Each active or charter member exercises one equal vote in deciding all polls and elections.
3.0 WEBSITE
The Dipsters Group conducts all business and discussion on and through its official website:
http://www.dipsters.org
4.0 AMENDING THE BYLAWS
The bylaws of the Dipsters Group govern the procedures used to conduct all business within the Group.
In order to amend the Dipsters Group's bylaws, at least 5% of the current active members must sponsor the proposed amendment. These sponsors are responsible for submitting the proposed amendment in its final acceptable written form to the Group's Moderator.
The term "acceptable" refers to a proposed amendment that follows our bylaws in its construction and that does not invalidate any section of our bylaws without the specific consent (vote) of our membership. The Moderator of this Group may return any proposed amendment to its sponsors for revision if it is not acceptable.
Once the sponsors have submitted an acceptable proposed amendment to the Dipsters Group Moderator, the Moderator will post the proposed amendment on the website.
The Moderator will simultaneously create and advertise a poll on which our entire active and charter membership should vote.
The poll must be devised as follows:
a) The proposed amendment must be phrased in such a way that a "Yes" vote is required to pass the amendment.
b) The members may vote only to pass the proposed amendment with a "Yes" vote, to reject the proposed amendment with a "No" vote, or to abstain. Votes may be changed up to the closing of the poll.
c) Since our bylaws must reflect the will of the Dipsters Group as a whole and since these bylaws should not be changed for trivial reasons, a "Yes" vote tally equal to or exceeding 2/3 of the entire number of active and charter members is necessary to pass an amendment to the bylaws.
d) The poll will close automatically after a minimum of 5 days, excluding weekends and major holidays.
e) The poll results will be displayed at the end of the poll.
f) Voter identity will be displayed at the end of the poll.
g) If the amendment is defeated, the Moderator will delete both the closed poll and the posting of the proposed amendment on the website.
h) If the amendment passes, the Moderator will permanently display both the poll results and the ratified amendment or bylaws on the website.
5.0 ADMITTING NEW MEMBERS
In order to join the Dipsters Group, one must have:
- a record of a high ontime ratio in submitting orders
- or, an invitation from a member to join the Group
All proposed Dipsters Group Members must apply for membership through our website.
When a membership application is received, the Moderator will query all internet judges that report ontime ratios.
If the applicant's total number of ontime turns is equal to or exceeds 90% of the applicant's total turns for all reporting judges, the Moderator will admit the applicant as a new Dipsters member.
If the applicant's result is less than 90%, the Moderator will reject the applicant unless he has been sponsored by a current Dipsters Group member.
If the applicant has been sponsored by a member, the Moderator will create a poll that will close automatically after a minimum of 3 days, excluding weekends and major holidays.
- a) A "Yes" vote tally exceeding 1/2 of the number of votes cast will admit the proposed member to the Group; a tie vote will reject the proposed member's application.
- b) Voter identity will not be displayed at the end of the poll.
- c) The poll results will be displayed at the end of the poll.
- d) Admission of other new members will continue while this poll is in progress.
- e) Members are not required to vote in this poll.
6.0 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP
In order to remain in the Dipsters Group, one must:
- GM at least one Dipsters Group non-tournament game each year or act as a TD (Tournament Director) for any Dipsters Tournament for the current year, or be the Dipsters Group Moderator for the current year.
- have no willingly abandoned games (CD) within the Group
- maintain at least an 80% ontime ratio in our games
- have less than 2 combined game ejections or "No Play" games within 13 months
6.1 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: GM REQUIREMENTS
In order to stay in the Dipsters Group as an active member, one must GM at least one Dipsters Group non-tournament game each year or act as a TD (Tournament Director) for any Dipsters Tournament for the current year.
All Dipsters game GMs should involve the Dipsters Group Moderator if it becomes necessary to enforce any of the game's Special Rules through either a game ejection or a "No-Play" vote.
The special rules in the game listing for Dipsters Games must state:
- Do not abandon this game. Abandoning this game will result in you being banned from all future Dipsters Group games.
- This game requires that you maintain a decent ontime ratio. Do not hold up the game by being late. In the interest of maintaining timely play for all players in this game, the GM must eject any player who has been late more than 20% of the time in this game and has already been late 4 times or more.
- If you need an absence during the game, you should do this on your own by submitting a 'set absence' command to the judge in the following format:
'Set Absence Jan 01 00:00 to Jan 06 23:59'
Just be sure that you have requested your absence well before you need it because the judge will not accept an absence request that falls within the current season. - In a press game the GM may eject any player who continues to be verbally abusive after one warning.
- In a no-press or gunboat game, you must keep your anonymity through the end of the game and you must not discuss the game until it has been completed. If this game is part of a tournament, you must keep this rule until the end of the tournament.
- At the end of the game the GM may poll his players about whom in the game they would or would not play again. A player accumulates a "No Play" game if 2/3 or more of the other players in his game vote not to play with him again.
6.2 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: ABANDONMENTS
A player is put out of the Dipsters Group if he has one willing abandonment or CD in a Dipsters Group game.
Although it is the player's responsibility to bring special situations to the attention of the GM before they occur, the GM should investigate if possible any extenuating circumstances that may affect this situation.
Under special circumstances only, members may appeal their ejection to the Dipsters Group's Moderator.
6.3 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: GAME EJECTION FOR LATE ORDERS
The GM is required to eject from his game any player whose ontime ratio falls below 80% for that game after 4 or more late order submissions.
Although it is the player's responsibility to bring special situations to the attention of the GM before they occur, the GM should investigate prior to the ejection if possible any extenuating circumstances that may affect this situation.
Since this ejection is triggered by an accumulation of late order submissions rather than by one occurrence, this ejection may not be appealed unless the player can prove unusual and mitigating conditions.
A player is put out of the Dipsters Group if, within 13 months, he accumulates any combination of 2 game ejections or "No Play" games.
6.4 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: GAME EJECTION FOR VERBAL ABUSE
The GM may eject any player who continues to be verbally abusive in a press game after one warning.
This ejection may not be appealed if the GM warned the player prior to the ejection and the player continued to be verbally abusive.
A player is put out of the Dipsters Group if, within 13 months, he accumulates any combination of 2 game ejections or "No Play" games.
6.5 REMAINING IN THE DIPSTERS GROUP: "NO PLAY GAMES"
Both the rulebook and the EP House Rules forbid but do not limit their prohibitions to: cheating in various forms, ignoring the game objectives, abusive behavior and language, continual NMRs, deceiving the GM, faking other players' orders, violating the privacy of the GM or other players, and more.
Since the rule book and the EP House Rules forbid a number of general actions in the game but are not specific about every action forbidden, the "No Play" game rule deals with these non-specific actions when they do occur in specific game situations.
At the end of the game the GM may poll his players about whom in the game they would or would not play again. Any player in a game may ask the GM to conduct a "No Play" vote for that game and the GM is then obligated to conduct that vote.
A player accumulates a "No Play" game if 2/3 or more of the other players in his game vote not to play with him again.
Since fully 2/3 of the other players in a game must vote against a player to award him a "No Play" game, that player's actions in a "No Play" game are recognized as clearly violating the spirit of fair play in this Diplomacy game as the majority of players understand it.
Players must base their "No Play" game votes on the Diplomacy rulebook, the EP House Rules, or on the Special Rules in the game listing.
http://www.wizards.com/avalonhill/rules/diplomacy.pdf
http://www.diplom.org/DipPouch/Email/ep.house.rules.txt
Players may not vote a "No Play" game for trivial or partisan reasons.
Note: Should it become clear that one player is attempting to use the "No Play" vote in a partisan way against another player, then the Dipsters Group Moderator may suspend or even eject that first player from the Dipsters Group under section 8.0 of the bylaws.
Once voted, a "No Play" game may not be rescinded by any player or GM.
A player is put out of the Dipsters Group if, within 13 months, he accumulates any combination of 2 game ejections or "No Play" games.
No matter what we do, it is impossible to guarantee that one player will not engage in an isolated bout of unfair play but in Dipsters games the "No Play" game vote should ensure that it does not occur regularly.
Although the ultimate penalty for continuing this type of unfair play is ejection from the Dipsters Group, it is really hoped that a "No Play" vote will encourage the offending player to play in a manner that is not offensive to the majority of Dipsters members.
6.6 APPEALS
All appeals concerning an existing member's status in the Dipsters Group will be decided by the current Dipsters Group Moderator after an appeal is initiated by the member affected and within 30 days of the original status change.
The Moderator may take into account special circumstances in arriving at his decision but he may not overturn the original ruling for personal or trivial reasons.
The decision of the Dipsters Group Moderator is final and may not be appealed again either to a new Moderator or to the general membership.
7.0 THE MODERATOR
The Dipsters Group Moderator serves for one full year, from January 1 through December 31, and he cannot succeed himself to serve again during the following year.
Around November 1, the current Moderator will place before the membership a list of candidates from which one will become next year's Moderator.
On the first Tuesday in December, the current Moderator will oversee the election to select next year's Moderator. All currently active or charter members of the Dipsters Group may vote in this election.
The candidate with the largest number of votes becomes the new Moderator; the candidate with the second largest number of votes becomes the Vice-Moderator, whose only duty is to replace the new Moderator should he be unable to finish his term during the coming year.
The duties of the Moderator are:
- Uphold the bylaws of the Dipsters Group, which includes admitting new members, ejecting members if needed, ruling on appeals, and overseeing votes on amending our bylaws.
- Appoint a TD (Tournament Director) by March 1 to run the Dipsters Variant Tournament which begins on May 1.
- Appoint a TD (Tournament Director) by July 1 to run the Dipsters No-Press Tournament which begins on September 8.
- Appoint a TD (Tournament Director) by November 1 to run the Dipsters Full-Press Tournament which begins on January 9.
- Appoint GMs throughout the year to run Dipsters Group Showcase Games.
- Oversee the nomination process for next year's moderator and place the candidates before the membership around November 1.
- Create and oversee the poll or vote on the first Tuesday in December to elect the Moderator for the new year.
8.0 EXTRAORDINARY SITUATIONS
If a situation arises which the Moderator deems to be hazardous to the Dipsters Group, such as cheating, abusive or divisive language or behavior among members, violation of personal privacy, etc., the Moderator may take whatever action he deems necessary to safeguard the Group immediately, including the immediate ejection of a member or members from the Group.
If a situation arises which is not specifically addressed in the bylaws, the Moderator may unilaterally determine how that situation is to be administered. The Moderator's decision may not be overturned for this occurence but the membership may sponsor and pass an amendment to the bylaws to address like situations in the future.