This could just as easily be named 'team etiquette'. Several teams already exist within the MUX. You might be approached or recruited to join a team, or you might want to join a team and seek them out to offer your services.

While either of these is acceptable, both have certain rules of common courtesy that need to be followed.

First off, recruit for your teams on Bulletin Boards rather than pouncing on guests or other players. You can also put a note in your OOC finger or you can put a remark in your @doing. We prefer and encourage passive recruitment rather than active recruitment which can often scare people off or make them feel intimidated. If it comes up in the course of idle conversation that is one thing, but haunting the OOC Lounge to ask everyone isn't cool, especially when you should be out and roleplaying:)

Second off, repeatedly asking someone if you can be in a team that is not recruiting is a good way to ensure that you will never be asked. No one likes a pest. Send @mail to the group leaders or to the team, and if it is ICly appropriate for something to be arranged, then by all means proceed.

Thirdly, just because you want to be on a team and it OOCly seems like a good idea to be on that team, and the Team Leader agrees it's a good idea, it does not necessarily mean it's a good idea. Keep in mind the IC reasons that the team exists, and be absolutely certain that the entire premise would be IC before proceeding.

Once initial contact has been made and you want to proceed, IC events must occur that lead to the person joining the team. If it is a drastic change in allegiances, it should be substantially backed up by roleplay, perhaps even be the focus of a Tinyplot. In any and all cases, the Continuity and Roleplay departments must be notified when team membership changes.