Tim-Opolis wrote:rules that we apparently are supposed to know exist are not documented anywhere
There's a difference between rules and interpretations. It's admin's responsibility to document all rules as clearly as possible. There absolutely should not be "hidden" or undocumented rules, and I don't think there are any.
But it's not possible to anticipate every possible scenario in which the rules may apply, and that's when we need interpretations. A rule is something like "No dark colors," and an interpretation is "This shade of gray is considered to be dark." The rule can't proscribe every possible color because it's not possible to anticipate them all.
Where we often run into trouble is that people want to know where the line is so they can deliberately stand one inch on the correct side of it. That is, they want to pick a color that's as dark as possible while still being legal. That's understandable, especially in a competitive situation, but it means you're assuming a risk.
With recruitment telegrams, for example, there's a Telegrams API that's been specifically created for script use, and which you can use risk-free, easily staying within the rules. Tools are prohibited from interacting with the regular telegrams page, because that's for manual recruiters, who are given their own queue space free from competing bots. If you choose to use a tool for manual recruitment, you are sailing into dangerous waters, because that's against the broad intent of the rule. It will be frustrating to build a tool that does that, because you have to drill so closely into the line between legal and illegal that you might get different interpretations depending on who you ask and how you ask it.
We try to make the line as clear as we can, but no matter where it is, there's some unavoidable subjectivity in its immediate vicinity. No-one should need to sail that close to it, but if you choose to, that's the unfortunate reality.