I no longer post in fear of getting chewed out. Please, get rid of the unfriendly smiley faces. RoP is such a haven, that it's VERY unsettling when people who run boards are impolite. Rules and rules and they need to be enforced. I think you're perfectly polite about it.
Rules are important, but are interesting people being discouraged for fear of a faux pas.
Rules seem perfectly reasonable Sad that it needs to be done, but it does. Snotty and rude is probably a slight exaggeration. Sometimes some people can be a little rude in the way they ask you to go to another board or read the FAQ, for example. And, the rules are definitely necessary. The atmosphere is one reason I love this site.