Guidelines

General hints

• The short: field must be in English, even if the package is only intended for German or Polish users. And the field is called 'short' for a reason: It shall not be longer than 40 characters. Note that our e-mail newsletters still only display the first 40 characters of the short field, same goes for FTP clients in ADT mode.

• The Uploader: field must contain a proper e-mail address. If it doesn't, check the readme for a proper address and if there is one, add it to the Uploader: field and flame the author. If there is no email address, delete the upload.

• Check if the readme has a replaces: directive. If it does, make sure the package matches the requirements for replacing an existing package (see below), then delete the mentioned package. Note that packages with the same name and location do not need to be deleted manually.

• If an uploader is trying to delete an existing package (either by overwriting it with a package of the same name or by specifying it in the replaces: field), make sure that the uploader of both packages is the same person by comparing the uploader field. This will not prevent abuse, but at least accidents.

  Additionally, compare both packages. Is it the same software? Is it evident that the new upload really differs from the existing package? Is the upload targeting the same architectures?

  Sometimes, two different people upload the same software (usually a unix port) with the same filename. In that case, check if the architecture differs and rename the newer upload to foo_.lha. If they're targeting the same architecture, rename the newer upload to something like foo_\.lha.

• *Always* check if the readme contains a proper architecture field (only leave it empty for alien platforms like unix, windows etc.). Info on various values for this field can be found here.

• Cross uploads from os4depot.net always use "ppc-amigaos >= 4.0.0" as an architecture. In case of source archives, icons or similar stuff, this needs to be changed to "generic". If the readme says "requires update 3", we change the architecture to ppc-amigaos >= 4.0.3 (the likelyhood that this will crash with future AmigaOS 4 updates is relatively small).

• If the Architecture: field contains a version number, this version number should have the x.y.z format, e.g. m68k-amigaos > 3.5.0 instead of 3.5.

• Make sure the specified target directory is appropriate. Sometimes people specify quite strange directories. Make sure you [f]lame the uploader to tell him about the change.

• Make use of the search function (web interface). People tend to forget telling us to replace older versions of their upload. Other people might have uploaded similar things (e.g. ports of the same unix utility to other Amiga platforms) to Aminet already, which might give hints about a proper target directory.

• always double check your work once you finished moderating uploads. Simply having a look at Aminet's main page reveals most of the smaller mistakes (typo in "Architecture", people using commas instead of semicolons to separate several values for the architecture field, short: line too long etc.)

Things we do accept

• pictures, posters and similar stuff using copyrighted trademarks (boing ball, checkmark etc.) as long as they are derivative works and/or considered art or a statement/comment to the public.

Things we do not accept

• Controversial stuff, like pictures making jokes about the uploader's most hated Amiga platform, jokes about existing persons etc. An example is DJBase's "switcher" campaign using Genesi and Hyperion staff.