Well, they're really more like guidelines.

"This is an advanced RPG, but we have no word minimum. We do strongly suggest that you aim to make around two large paragraphs per post. Try not to powerplay except where necessary, and it is recommended that in a group thread, use a posting order so that everyone gets an equal chance to post. Generally you should try to limit the number of characters you play, make it a reasonable number. Oh--and don't go too nuts with the multi-threading, a member should not be too much all over the game at once--only within reason."

Sounds like a decent setup till you actually try to follow these 'guidelines.' What's wrong with this rule set? Everything. In that it isn't clear at all what is required and what isn't. It's a sight better than unwritten rules--which I've had the displeasure of discovering all on my own in a few RPGs I used to be in. Used to, being the key word here. I don't go for unwritten rules, suggestions and other assumptions that if you don't just know what is being implied and figure it out for yourself, you don't belong. It's being assumed that a new member to the game already understands it before beginning. It's going to cause the members and staff plenty of frustration and possibly lose them some members, including ones who might have done very well if it was just more clear.

People writing up rules for an RPG in this manner are living in a box, though they probably do not know it. By this I mean they are assuming without thinking that their ideas of what's expected in an RPG are shared by everyone signing up for the first time. What is "around two large paragraphs"? For that matter, what is a "large" paragraph? Large, small, quickly, slowly, these are arbitrary terms one should always avoid in rules. Along with "should," "try to," "strongly recommended," and other terms that not only don't specify whether anything is actually allowed or not, but nobody will listen to them anyway, trust me. If you don't want it in the game, say "can't," "don't," "not allowed." Use word minimums if you want people to write longer posts and short ones are unacceptable to you.

I've written exactly these points before but from a slightly different angle. In my last visit on this topic I was writing strictly from a rules perspective--how to get people to listen to them. This is part of it here as well, but what should also be addressed are any underlying assumptions that you the admin could be making about members you don't have yet, or just got. People come from all over to an RPG and their ideas for what an RPG is or should be might be entirely different. {I didn't even know what "post matching" meant till I had it explained to me--last week!}

Use hard numbers and solid rules for your game, and you will then all be on the same page.