Glossary

NOTE: None of this is my work. It is all taken from here but since most of my region will never go to the forums and scroll through the whole guide there, I have just selected this and taken it out.

Basic Terminology
Original Poster (OP): The Original Poster (or "OP") is the owner of a given thread. In International Incidents (as well as other roleplaying boards), thread OPs of non-discussion threads have the right to prohibit players from posting (and request Moderation enforcement if said player continues posting) and the right to request Moderation remove any post, lock, or (re-)open their threads.

Co-OP: Typically an OP-appointed member of the thread or organization which the OP has given limited powers to post on their behalf. Co-Ops may come and go due to player disputes, leading to possible conflicts with the provenance of authority any given "Co-OP" may have. Further, while discouraged, sharing of accounts does occur; simply being on an account that has once logged-into the OP account does not satisfy this requirement. As such, Moderation does not acknowledge any power to thread Co-OPs; thread Co-OPs may not request posts be removed, the thread to be locked, the thread to be (re-)opened, or request to have a player banned from the thread. Moderation requires explicit requests from the thread OP, not by-proxy or otherwise by any other party. This does not prohibit any player from reporting actual rule-violating content, merely that Co-OPs are not granted any form of power bestowed via thread ownership.

In-Character (IC): In-Character (IC) is any post or thread which is being written from the perspective of a fictional character, body, or organization which is distinct and different from the player. There is a respected divide between In-Character and Out-of-Character in the roleplaying community; Out-of-Character knowledge or impetus should not cross into In-Character posting and vice versa. For more information, see Meta-gaming (below). Simply because something is In-Character does not mean violating the rules is acceptable.

Out-of-Character (OOC): Out-of-Character (OOC) is any post or thread which is being written-by and utilized by players as players, not as a fictional character, body, or organization. There is a respected divide between In-Character and Out-of-Character in the roleplaying community; Out-of-Character knowledge or impetus should not cross into In-Character posting and vice versa. For more information, see Meta-gaming (below).

Secret In-Character (SIC): Secret In-Character (SIC) is any In-Character post which is hidden or should not be known by other characters and labeled as such. This may include things like encrypted communiques. A player having their character know such information without approval of the player controlling the SIC material may be guilty of meta-gaming.

Implied Secret In-Character (ISIC): A separate form of SIC, Implied Secret In-Character (ISIC) is any In-Character post which another character has no reasonable way to know about. This may include things like a whispered conversation or a Top Secret document in another room. A player having their character know such information without approval of the player controlling the ISIC material may be guilty of meta-gaming.

Tech Level: A country's tech level(s) is the relative level of technology (or technological advancement, aesthetic, style, or type) utilized during roleplay and/or the relative continuity of the nation in question. For more information, see Tech Levels (below).

Tech Levels
Past Tech (PT): Strictly speaking, Past Tech encompasses any piece of technology or continuity which is set before the present (or contemporary era). This ranges from pre-history to yesterday. Some exemplar aspects include: bow and arrows, spears, and Bronze Age technology; Middle Age fortifications, societies, and knighthood; lines of soldiers with muskets, cap-and-ball weapons, and the frontier; as well as trench warfare, airlifts, and recent historical anachronisms. At times, depending on a country's tech level, elements of Past Tech may be incorporated in other tech levels, especially Fantasy Tech/Fantasy and Modern Tech.

Modern Tech (MT): Modern Tech is typically understood to mean the current level of technology (and/or continuity) which is analogous to the real world. This varies, however, between players and player communities and may, further, include a variance in definition and execution. This can mean that to some, Modern Tech means strictly attempting to portray a country which could fit into the real world with minimal conflict, to a country which exists on a nigh-infinitely large planet ("NS Earth") and thus bound by a different set of rules than reality. Some exemplar aspects include: modern tank warfare, both carrier- and dreadnought-based naval combat, neo-imperialism and neo-colonialism, as well as resource wars. See the NationStates Modern Tech Advice and Assistance Thread for more information.

Post-Modern Tech (PMT): Post-Modern Tech is typically understood to mean any piece of technology or continuity which is generally beyond the scope of Modern Tech, but before the moment a country has developed faster-than-light (FTL) technology. Some exemplar aspects include: pervasive use of the Internet, nanotechnology, and cyberpunk aesthetics. There is a degree of overlap between both the continuity and aesthetics of Post-Modern Tech and Future Tech; there may also be mingling of certain forms of Post-Modern Tech and Modern Tech, depending upon player and player community. See the NationStates Post-Modern Tech Community Thread for more information.

Future Tech (FT): Future Tech is typically understood to mean any piece of technology or continuity which exists beyond the moment a country has invented faster-than-light (FTL) technology, specifically transportation/travel. Some exemplar aspects include: multi-system star-states, alien species, (neo-)imperialistic or (neo-)colonial cultures, and general space exploration. There is a degree of overlap between both the continuity and aesthetics of Post-Modern Tech and Future Tech, as well as certain situational caveats for what constitutes Future Tech - often situations where a country is soon to receive/invent FTL technology, either natively or via gift from another star-state (a process sometimes called "uplifting"). See the Future Tech Advice and Assistance Thread for more information.

Fantasy Tech/Fantasy (FanT): Fantasy Tech/Fantasy is typically understood to mean any piece of technology or continuity which contains elements of the supernatural or occult, magic, or certain "punk" aesthetics. Some exemplar aspects include: magic and the occult, wizards and witches, werewolves and vampires, high/low fantasy settings, and steampunk. Fantasy Tech/Fantasy is also sometimes included as situational amendments to other tech levels, meaning that players may, at times, incorporate fantastical elements into other tech levels; the acceptability of such (and the execution thereof) will vary from community-to-community and player-to-player.

Thread Tags
ATTN/Attention: A thread tag which typically is meant to attract the attention of a region ("ATTN: Exampleland"), nation ("ATTN: Examplestan"), or organization ("ATTN: Example Alliance").

CLOSED/OPEN: Thread tags which indicate whether players may or may not post freely to a given thread. "Closed" indicates a thread that is not open for players to post; also may be used in conjunction with other tags, such as "INVITE" or "APP ONLY" to indicate how players may become involved. "Open" indicates a thread that is open to players immediately and anyone may post in them.

APP/APP ONLY (Application): A thread tag which indicates players must apply (typically in an OOC thread) and be approved by the thread OP (or thread Co-OP) before they can post in the IC thread.

INVITE/INVITE ONLY: A thread tag which indicates players must be explicitly invited by the thread OP (sometimes with limited permission from thread Co-OPs) before they can post in the thread.

SEMI-CLOSED/SEMI-OPEN: Varies. Typically a thread tag which indicates some manner of prior approval by the thread OP is required before a player may post.

TELEGRAM/TG: Often applied in tangent with other tags as "TG," such as "TG for Interest," "Closed/TG," etc. Tends to indicate that the thread OP wishes interested parties to send a telegram if they desire further information about the thread in question or wish to be involved.

**** ONLY: Where "****" indicates some organization(s), nation(s), region(s), etc. A thread tag which indicates only the aforementioned parties may post in the thread.

IC/OOC/SIC: See "Basic Terminology."

Interest: A thread tag which is typically used to draw the community's attention for the purpose of gauging whether there is enough interest in a particular thread idea in order to gauge whether the thread OP wishes to create an IC thread. Such threads are typically OOC and lead to an IC thread, though sometimes they may be OOC and be transformed into an IC thread once a certain threshold of interest is met.

MATURE: A thread tag which typically indicates a given thread (or post) may contain potentially sensitive material, such as violence or implied sexuality. Using the "MATURE" tag does not mean a player can post material which violates the PG-13/Offensive Material Rules. The utilization of the "MATURE" tag is purely a kindness to other players who may not wish to read/participate in such a thread.

Sticky: While not necessarily a thread tag, a sticky is a thread which is permanently pinned to the top of International Incidents (or any board on the forums) by Moderation. Typically such threads include pertinent information for a board. Read them.

Community Terminology
Bump/Bumping: The posting of a brief message (sometimes just "Bump") in order to boost a thread up to the top of the first page of a board. Sometimes understood to mean "Bring Up My Post." This should not be done in excess, as it may constitute spamming. Once every twenty-four hours or once the thread has fallen off the first page - whichever is the longer time period - is acceptable.

Closed/Open Canon: "Closed" or "open" canon (and continuity) is a distinction made based upon the way players interact-with and determine the existence of their nations in the overall, fictional world. "Open canon" is defined as a canonical world in which no application or acceptance is required for the player's nation to be considered to canonically exist; an example would be "NS Earth" as commonly seen in Modern Tech. "Closed canon" is defined as a canonical world in which application and acceptance is required in order for the player's nation to be considered to canonically exist, often by a central authority (such as a player or group of players); "closed world regions" and/or "closed roleplaying groups" are examples of "closed canon." Such is not to be confused with mere threads which happen to be closed, open, or require application approval to participate.

Closed World Region/Closed Roleplaying Group: A roleplaying region or player group, typically controlled by a central authority (a player or group of players), which requires application acceptance for the player's nation to be considered to canonically exist. Such CWRs/CRGs are considered "closed canon" and often self-limit interaction outside of the CWR/CRG in some way. The amount of limitation can often vary, with a wide range stretching from "all actions undertaken outside of the CWR/CRG are considered non-canonical" to "outside actions are considered canonical based upon individual player discretion." Such is not to be confused with mere threads which happen to be closed, open, or require application approval to participate.

DEAT: A severe punitive action, beyond a simple warning or ban; a slang term describing the deletion of a player account, often understood to have arisen as a typo for "DEAD" as folded-into "delete." See "'NS Summer' and other assorted silly trivia" for more information.

Delete-on-Sight/DOS: Considered the most severe punishment Moderation will execute against a player, to be declared "Delete-on-Sight" or "DOS/DoS" is to be permanently banned from NationStates. A player that returns to the site beyond their DoS declaration is deleted without warning or notification. It is typically reserved for the most severe violations (such as spamming obscene material) or for players with extensive records that have consistently refused to adjust their behavior and adhere to the rules.

Embassy/Embassy Thread: An embassy thread is a style of thread where players open their country to requests of embassy or consulate establishment from other nations (other players), often with reciprocal arrangements. Such typically include applications, a list of restrictions for foreign embassies, requirements for the same, and may contain other information pertinent to diplomatic endeavors. Embassy threads belong in Factbooks & National Information.

Factbook: Derived from The World Factbook (CIA World Factbook). A thread, dispatch, website, etc. that acts as a repository for various forms of information about a given country, often functioning as an expression of worldbuilding. These can exist in a variety of formats, ranging from those similar to the aforementioned CIA World Factbook to a collection of narratives which provide insight into a country - or anywhere in between. Further, the information provided may be given as "In-Character," and thus can be "known" by any character, or may be given as "Out-of-Character", and thus cannot be "known" by any character; if unsure, ask before making an assumption. Not everyone has a factbook, though many players have notes on their countries in some form; expectations for players to have a factbook vary from region to region, player group to group, and even between tech levels. Factbooks belong either in Factbooks and National Information or on a nation's splash page through use of the factbook/dispatch feature gameside.

God-mod(ding)/Godmod(ding)/Godmode: To describe what happens to another player's characters, forces, etc. without the player's consent; refusing to take losses; having absurdly powerful characters, military forces, or technology; having a state's geography (or other features) designed in such a way as to provide an undue advantage. Examples include describing how a missile hits another player's ship, describing casualties or fatalities of another player's characters, or saying another player's character dies. Doing such is a violation of community standards, but not against the rules. Players should allow for the other player to describe the "effect" of any event (such as a military engagement) unless they have their permission to describe such. May also include any activity which otherwise violates community standards, broadly speaking. See "What Godmodding Is 3.0" for more information.

Ignore: Players cannot be forced to roleplay with any other player. Ignore (or the "IGNORE Cannon") is invoked when a player refuses to roleplay with another player; this may be simply in a single thread, or wholesale. In the case of the latter, typically means the player ceases to recognize another player's country as existing.

Mentor: A Mentor is a volunteer meant to advise, assist, and help other players gain a better understanding of roleplaying on NationStates, its given communities, and otherwise mentor with regards to roleplaying, writing, world-building, and a variety of other topics of relevance to the NationStates roleplaying community. Often called the "Mentor Program," Mentors are divided into "National & International Roleplay Mentors" and "Portal to the Multiverse Roleplay Mentors," which are further subdivided into "Senior N&I RP Mentors" and "Senior P2TM RP Mentors." Mentors do not have punitive powers; they may not warn, ban, or execute any other punitive action against players.

Moderator/Mod: Often an inclusive term describing any member of the NationStates staff which serve to enforce the rules, punish players when required (as with warnings, bans, or other punitive actions), and perform general forum maintenance (such as moving threads, splitting threads, and locking threads). More specifically, a Moderator is one subset of several different staff positions, sometimes referred to as "Moderation/Administration" loosely. See "All About the Mods/Suggest a Mod!" for more information.

Meta-gaming/Metagaming: To use Out-of-Character information for In-Character gain without the other player's permission. An example would be to use information you (the player) are aware of from reading a Secret In-Character post and allowing one of your character's to know the information.

Nation Maintenance Thread: A style of thread which consists of short stories, periodicals, or vignettes involving a player's own nation, and set in the same. Often used as a means of worldbuilding, concept exploration, or "maintaining the nation" as active - hence the name.

Newb(ie): A new player. See "How to Avoid Being a Novice" for more information.

Noob(ie)/N00b(ie): A player which repeatedly violates community standards (such as god-modding or meta-gaming). Typically used in a derogatory manner. Please note, using such may constitute flaming.

News Thread: A style of thread in which the player (or players) roleplay through presentation of In-Character news articles, stories, editorials, etc. Typically such come in two forms: regional news or domestic (national) news. Regional news are In-Character threads which, typically, may be posted within by anyone in an indicated roleplaying region, while domestic (national) news are strictly for a single nation. Domestic (national) news threads belong in Factbooks & National Information, only.

Number-wank(ing)/Numberwank(ing): An attempt to use numerical superiority without justification for the purpose of increasing player/country prestige, power, or numerical advantage. Examples include having an unnecessarily large population while not acknowledging the drawbacks of such, having an infinitely-large armed forces, or having an amount of military forces in an engagement far beyond what is considered acceptable for a given thread.

ORBAT (ORder of BATtle): A list of military forces (soldiers, equipment, assets, etc) within a nation's armed forces or what will be utilized in a given thread or post.

Power-game(ing)/Powergame(ing): While there is nothing wrong with an In-Character desire to win or competitive roleplaying, powergaming describes an attitude in which a player's sole (or primary) purpose for roleplaying is to defeat another Out-of-Character player vicariously through In-Character actions. This can often be conflated with a form of godmodding, such as that a player will godmod by ensuring their nation is surrounded by absurdly treacherous (and otherwise unfeasible) terrain in an attempt to always defeat another player in a conflict so that, Out-of-Character, they can never be said to have lost (powergaming).

Setting Thread: A style of thread in which a given setting is created collaboratively by participants for common use by its contributing participants. An example would be a city set in a player's country, but one in which the original poster allows other player's to create destinations and locations within it (such as malls, museums, etc.) for use in other threads; most often, the setting thread itself is merely a repository for applications for constituent locations and for worldbuilding of the setting itself, with participants having some license (which may vary from thread to thread and player to player, defined in the thread itself) to use the relevant locations in other threads.

Storefront: A type of thread in which a nation, corporation, or other entity trades/sells products or services to others, be they individual characters, nations, corporations, or other entities. Examples include an arms manufacturing corporation selling weapons, a shipwright designing and selling naval vessels, a fast food company offering foreign franchises, etc. Storefronts belong in Global Economics & Trade.

Tag/Tagging: The posting of a brief message in order to indicate a player is interested in a thread. Please note, posting of just "tag" constitutes "tag spamming," an actionable offense. Players should utilize the "Bookmark Topic" feature (bottom left of every thread).

Worldbuilding/World Building/World-building: The creative process of designing a fictional world, typically a player's country and related concepts. This includes designing a country's culture, political structure, economy, religion(s) or spirituality, history, language, social customs, etc., and, more generally, designing the details of any given, fictional concept (from corporations to naval vessels, firearms to fashion, etc.). Generally has overlap with concepts such as "conworlds" (constructed worlds) and "conglangs" (constructed languages).

MY EDIT

NPC: Non-Player Country (or Non-Player Character). This deals with a nation that is located in the LDUniverse but not claimed, such as (as of this writing) Ghana, China, Paraguay, etc.