3.2.1 Market Channel
The market channel exists as a way for Aetolians to buy or sell products or services, which can greatly enhance the commerce of Aetolia. However, a few simple guidelines exist to ensure its proper use. To use: MARKET <message> - Let people know you're selling/buying something. MARKETOFF - Turn off the market channel. MARKETON - Turn on the market channel. Remember, the point of all these guidelines is to make sure that people who want to leave the market channel on continuously don't have to deal with inappropriate comments. MARKET IS AN IN-CHARACTER CHANNEL All of Aetolia's policies on remaining in character, language use, and so on apply to the market channel as well. In particular: - Selling "triggers" or "reflex systems" is OOC and shouldn't be done. Offering combat advice, reflex training, or other IC services is fine. - It's almost too obvious to mention, but the selling or transfer of characters is completely prohibited (HELP CHARACTERSHARING) and is OOC anyway. - Don't correct others who misuse the market channel - that's for the administration to do. Those who use the market channel to say "Help Market" are annoying others just as much as those who are being corrected. If you feel the need to correct someone, please do so in tells. Don't forget that the administration deals with such infractions privately, so just because you don't hear someone being chided (or their Market privileges revoked) doesn't mean it didn't happen. KEEPING MARKET FROM BEING TOO INTRUSIVE Just like in any public place, going beyond a certain amount of communication is annoying for everyone. With this in mind: - Don't spam the Market channel. This should be obvious. Give some time for people to see and respond accordingly, there's no reason to hound everyone with constant requests. - The Market channel does *not* exist for commentary or insults! It exists specifically for buying or selling products or services. No extra comments, please. Combining a valid market comment with an editorial comment doesn't make it appropriate. - If your verbal advertisement is very wordy, please create an ad instead and refer to it briefly on Market. HELP ADS will give you more information. Anything over two or three sentences should be made into an ad. Remember that the contents of ads should remain IC as well. - Auctions are not to be conducted via the market channel. You may, however, use it to advertise an auction to be held in a particular location or via a particular web (HELP WEBS). - Advertising arena events or IC activities your organization has planned, such as parties or contests, is fine in moderation. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO COMMUNICATE BESIDES MARKET The existence of the Market channel isn't a free pass to say things that are more appropriate for other means of communication. In particular: - Before asking to speak to members of specific organizations over the Market channel, first look at HELP <organization> (or HOUSEHELP or CLANHELP if appropriate). Most of these contain lists of important members of those organizations, including who is in Aetolia at that time. - Do not ask to speak with a Divine over the Market channel. If your request is related to an in-character Divine, then make contact someone who represents Him or Her IC. If your request is OOC in nature, then HELP CUSTOMERSERVICE explains the various ways you can contact the administration.
