i nicked this from Origamigryphon's appropriation from Morticia, and i think it shows some ground rules and applies some values that have been previous subjects of trouble for the furry fandom. copy and pasted from Origami, then edited a bit.

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-FURRIES AND ANTHROMORPHIC ANIMALS ARE THE SAME THING

I'm tired of people trying to split hairs. They're the same thing. Some people categorize werewolves or other werekin out of the furry category, which I can agree with based on the fact that they're humans that turn into an animal, not animals with human qualities. Really, this is like calling an orange an oránge, it's okay.

-YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A FURSUIT, FURSONA, OR DRAW FURRIES TO "OFFICIALLY" BE IN THE FANDOM

If you like Disney or other cartoon characters and enjoy the art or people, you're part of the furry fandom. There's no one -thing- that makes you part of this fandom or not. If you say you are, you are. Any 'official' membership or title is bogus.

-THE FURRY FANDOM IS NOT A SUPER SECRET SPECIAL CLUB

It's not your little clique's special thing, and it does not necessarily make you a special exception if you are part of it. If you partake, you're in. Partaking can be just looking at the art online, or talking about it with friends. Just because other people are not furries doesn't make them any less cool or special, not all your friends need to be furry.

-THE FURRY FANDOM IS A HOBBY. IT IS NOT A SEXUALITY. IT IS NOT AS SERIOUS AS YOU'RE MAKING IT.

For some people furry takes up a big chunk of their time and is a huge part of their life. This is okay! But at its base, furry is a FANDOM-- a collective of people with a similar interest in cartoon animals. THAT'S ALL IT IS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE IT OUT TO BE MORE THAN THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN TELLING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT YOU'RE A FURRY. Please don't add extra hype, it makes it look like you're hiding something, and that always makes people think you're cagey or weird from the get-go. It's only as serious as you make it.

-DON'T EVER COMPARE FURRY TO BEING LGBT OR DIFFERING GENDER IDENTITIES

No. Don't. It's not. It's a fandom and a hobby. THAT'S IT. Last I checked, having a sexual identity isn't a hobby.

-DON'T USE THE WORD YIFF WHEN TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE FANDOM TO OTHERS.

Like Uncle Kage said-- people outside of the fandom don't know the slang. When trying to explain your hobby, you leave it clean and you leave it simple. YOU ARE A FAN OF CARTOON ANIMALS. Any more and you're trying too hard. Use regular terms.

-FURSUITS AND ARTWORK ARE NOT "TOO" EXPENSIVE FOR YOU.

Art takes time and money. The correct materials required are expensive. If you can't afford it, that's NOT the artist's problem. An artist will usually know how much work, time, and materials go into producing what comes out. It may just be a cute little badge of your character to you that you throw around your neck, but to an artist that took hours to plan, sketch, ink, color and get it all in order just for you.

-WHEN IN PUBLIC, IF YOU WEAR SOMETHING "NON-NORMAL" LIKE A TAIL, EARS, OR A FURSUIT, EXPECT STRANGE LOOKS

We're creatures of habit. Things that stand out as not the norm WILL get looks from people. You're NOT being "fursecuted." People do not have to understand you nor should you expect them to. It's not their job to accept you, the world is not a hugbox of rainbows, sunshine, and glitter. You can express yourself, but with all other fashions, you'll be looked at sideways by some people. You may find yourself going out of your way with clothing and accessories to express your individuality as a person. Try focusing on your personality and how you talk to people, rather than piling a bunch of accessories and furry trinkets on you only to stand quietly in a corner and not talk to anyone.

-YOU DON'T *NEED* A FURSUIT

You don't. Fursuits are a luxury item that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars and lots of time to look nice. If you can't afford it or make it yourself, you don't need it. The end. PLEASE respect that fursuit building IS an artform, and like other artforms if your end result doesn't live up to some semblance of artistic standards, people out there WILL criticize it. This isn't mom's fridge, and there are no gold stars. If you really really can't find the happiness and expression you desire without one, wait until you have enough funds saved up. Going into debt for a luxury item is never a good idea.

-WHEN COMMISSIONING ART OR A FURSUIT, PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH

DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT throw money at the first person you see. There are GREAT resources you can look into to see if the artist is a known scammer and if their product is worth the money.

If you don't have a LiveJournal account, MAKE ONE NOW. It's free, and there are many amazing communities to learn from. KNOW THE LINGO. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. KNOW THE CRAFT. Even if you're not making it yourself, it's PERTINENT to know the features and materials.

http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/

http://fursuit.livejournal.com/

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/fur.....itmakerreviews

-WHEN IN PUBLIC, A CONVENTION, OR A MEET, PLEASE CONTAIN YOURSELF

You ARE a human, first and foremost. ACT like it. Those of us who can contain ourselves in public get embarrassed when you run around barking like a dog or being overtly ridiculous in the presence of "mundane" people. You can have fun and act like an adult, too. Hide your power level.

-DO NOT WEAR A FURSUIT WHERE IT'S NOT WELCOMED!!!!

(from Morticia) Take it from someone who knows firsthand. I almost got arrested with some local friends for walking into a laundromat to play their arcade games and use their vending machine to get ice cream because we were in our fursuits. We were not welcomed there with our faces covered. Most places have a rule against your face being covered, and you MUST FIRST GET PERMISSION before you go in. NOT EVERYONE THINKS FURRY IS AS COOL AS YOU DO, TRUST ME.

-DO NOT FURSUIT ALONE!

Fursuiting alone can be dangerous to yourself and others. You ALWAYS need a handler or spotter-- a friend who can look out for your safety and the safety of others, as well as get you in and out of places. People may think you're a robber or pedophile trying to lure children away if you're alone in a giant animal costume. 

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thanks for reading!