Policy:Alts and the Credo

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The Credo does not specifically mention alts, so this Policy exists to clarify how the Credo impacts any alts a Signaleer might have, both in- and out-of-corp.

In-Corp Alts

There are restrictions on bringing alts into Signal Cartel. Signaleers must be aware of our corp policies in this regard.

Some of our service divisions make use of in-corp alts in their operations. These uses are detailed by each division, as applicable. Signaleers must consult divisions' documentation to see how in-corp alts are used specifically by each. Since these alts are in Signal Cartel, the Credo applies to them in the same way it does to main characters.

In-corp alts must be declared when they apply to join the corp. If a Signaleer is found to have alts in Signal Cartel that have not been declared, this may result in the immediate removal of the Signaleer's main character and all alts from the corp, and in a permanent ban on rejoining by any of them.

Out-of-Corp Alts

Johnny Splunk (a Signal Cartel co-founder) has said it this way:

The only way your Signal Cartel character and your out-of-corp Alts are truly separate is when their activities and situations don't overlap. When they are found in the same space or are participants in the same situation, great care needs to be taken.

Out-of-corp alts do not need to be declared when a pilot joins the corp or creates a new alt. A player's actions on an out-of-corp alt are not subject to the Credo except for scenarios where the player's Signal Cartel character and the out-of-corp alt are engaged in the same space or situation, usually in roughly the same time period.

Some examples:

• If the alt is hauling cargo in highsec and the SC character is exploring a wormhole, then there is a clear separation between the two. There is no concern that one is somehow influencing the other in a way that would violate the Credo.

• If an alt is engaged in PI in Anoikis and an SC character is rescuing a stranded pilot in the same system, there is also a clear separation between the two. They are obviously engaged in two different, unrelated activities.

In either scenario, even if the two logged in quick succession, there would be little doubt as to intent for either character and no possibility of running afoul of the Credo.

However, if a Signal Cartel character scouts a wormhole for a PvP alt, there is no separation of their actions and the SC character has violated the Credo. If this sort of activity is discovered, it will likely result in removal of the character from Signal Cartel. Our rules are widely known by the community and leadership receives many third-party reports about Signal Cartel characters whose conduct appears to be out of order.

Intel Sharing

This may be the largest “grey area”. The fact that a single player has characters that could benefit from each others’ intel makes it a very slippery slope and requires an abundance of caution. The following examples demonstrate implications of intel sharing:

• A PVP alt sees a gate camp. An SC character is flying elsewhere on business unrelated to the PvP alt’s activities but is headed toward the gate camp. The player decides to send the SC character on another route. This in no way impacts our neutrality or risks our reputation, so no Credo violation.

• A PvP alt sees a gate camp and an SC character, who is located elsewhere in New Eden, announces it in Alliance chat. This is similar to friendly folk volunteering info to us and does not impact our neutrality or reputation, so no Credo violation.

• An SC character sees a gate camp and alerts out-of-corp pilots about it. Sharing this information will provide an advantage to those pilots and disadvantages the gate campers. This breaches our neutrality and may negatively impact our reputation, so violates the Credo.

• An SC character reads about a fleet on corp forums, then a PvP alt tells their corp about it. The only way the PvP alt could have accessed non-public info on the forums is if, from leadership’s perspective, the SC character “told” them. This is a form of spying. The PvP alt's passing that info along to anyone else counts as SC character's sharing intel to support a PvP group and is a direct violation of the Credo.

• An SC character gets in a jam, so the player brings a PvP alt in to save their bacon. This looks really suspicious to the attackers and very well could lead to reports of baiting. There is no clear separation between the SC character and the out-of-corp Alt, and this will be considered a Credo violation.

For any situation that might involve a Credo violation, the leadership team are impartial external observers of the sequence of events. The leadership may not have all the facts, but will evaluate each situation based on what can be observed and learned from the parties involved. Any decisions related to incidents will always prioritize preserving our neutrality, protecting our reputation, and upholding the Credo.

Consequences

When Credo violations occur as a result of scenarios like the ones listed above, two strikes typically occur: one for the Credo violation itself and another for failure to report it to leadership. When two Credo strikes are issued, the standard policy is for the offending character to be removed from Signal Cartel, along with all known alts of that character. Additionally, a temporary or permanent ban can occur on any and all affected characters, but it depends on the severity of the infraction and/or the member's choice to own up to it and make an effort to resolve the issue.

There are cases where using alts in a way that may damage our reputation will receive a single strike and a character will not be removed from the corporation, but this is an exception. Our reputation is simply too important an asset to jeopardize by taking a gentler or more forgiving approach on this point.

Conclusion

The rule of thumb is simple: Signaleers must keep clear separation between their Signal Cartel characters and alts — separation in time, space or situation, or ideally a combination thereof.