Guidelines for posting about games still under NDA

[Trippy]

Until schild says otherwise here are the guidelines# to follow:

* If you are thinking about posting something that's not publically% available knowledge (i.e. that would break the NDA) DON'T, even if you haven't accepted any NDA agreement yourself.

* If you are thinking about posting something but aren't sure if it's publically available knowledge DON'T, even if you haven't accepted any NDA agreement yourself.

* If you are under NDA DON'T post any NDA-breaking stuff -- doing so will get you banned (we've banned people for doing this for other games)

* If you are under NDA do not hint or imply anything using the smiley or other means.


# I say guidelines cause there's no way reasonable way for the Mods to check everything that's posted for NDA-breakage. As always we're trusting you to use your best judgement about this sort of stuff.

% "Publically available knowledge" includes:

* Stuff the developer/publisher releases about the game (e.g. EA or Mythic in the case of WAR)
* Stuff on the main pages of reputable Web-sites (they won't risk posting NDA-breaking stuff for fear of being cut off by developer/publisher in the future)
* Stuff you've seen actually playing the game while not under an NDA (e.g. at public gaming shows)

Stuff that might not be publically available knowledge includes:

* Stuff you read about in forums
* Stuff you read about in Joe-random blog

[Trippy]

Since some people apparently don't know what a game NDA is I've tried to clarify some of the original guidelines.

[Triforcer]

% "Publically available knowledge" includes:

* Stuff Mythic/EA releases about the game

This undermines the veneer of neutrality 

[Trippy]

True dat.

[lamaros]

* If you are under NDA do not hint or imply anything using the smiley or other means.

I take it this will not apply retroactively as it seems to have been common practice for all the WAR beta testers to drop it in any WAR thread they participate in.

EDIT: You should probably go purge the WoW forums if you want to make this statement one people take seriously and not just applying to the WAR beta that (it seems) so many of you are in.

[Trippy]

* If you are under NDA do not hint or imply anything using the smiley or other means.

I take it this will not apply retroactively as it seems to have been common practice for all the WAR beta testers to drop it in any WAR thread they participate in.

Yes these are the guidelines going forward.

EDIT: You should probably go purge the WoW forums if you want to make this statement one people take seriously and not just applying to the WAR beta that (it seems) so many of you are in.

Can you point me to some examples?

[lamaros]

This thread is full of it to varying degrees:

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=13254.0

[Trippy]

EDIT: You should probably go purge the WoW forums if you want to make this statement one people take seriously and not just applying to the WAR beta that (it seems) so many of you are in.

Wholesale purging is something for schild to decide upon. That's why these are "guidelines" and not actual "rules". I.e. there are no predetermined penalties for not following them other than if you are breaking an NDA you agreed to in which case it's bannage time.

Edit: which