FORUM FAQ

Okay, the name pretty much says it all; these are frequently asked questions about how the forum works, and about how we've organized certain things here. It's intended to be a helpful tool for newbies.

NEWBIES: if you have questions regarding the forum that aren't covered here, this is the place to ask! Reply to this post and a kind soul will answer ASAP. If not, scubarang or Leigh will.

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Do I need to subscribe to the forum to be a member?

No. You can post without subscribing; all you need is an ff.net account.

How do I join?

Your first- mandatory- post is in the Who's Who thread; it's your introduction, and as you can see, it has certain requirements: three random facts, plus the answers to some short, simple questions.

I just joined the forum, can I post anywhere?

Yes and no. u_u

Once you've been acknowledged (by anyone) in the Who's Who thread, you can start posting everywhere else. The more you post, the faster we'll get to know you and the faster you'll be sorted. BUT, you cannot post in the Forum Lexicon until you've been sorted, and then only if you have something to contribute.

How do I get sorted?

See Lair of the Sorting Queen.

Can I create new threads?

Please post your ideas for new threads in the Suggestions Thread.

Is there a fast way to get to the most recent post in a thread?

Yes. Just click on the name of the last person who posted in the thread on the right side of the main page; that way you'll skip all the pages and access the last one directly.

Can I edit my posts?

Yes. After you post something, you can modify it by clicking on the "MOD" button on the right bottom corner of the post box. Click "MOD", then "EDIT".

Can I delete my post?

Only moderators have the option of deleting posts. You can leave your post blank, if you want, by editing, or you can ask a mod to delete your post for you.

How can I quote someone else's words?

Copy/paste the quote into your reply, then go to "STYLES", the drop down menu next to the bold, italic, underline options at the top of your reply box.

How can I create clickable links?

To embed a link within the text of your post:

1 - select the text you want to serve as a link.

2 - click on the CHAIN ICON at the top of your post box (in between the Styles drop-down and the binoculars icon). A links box will open.

3 - type in (or paste) the URL you want to link to next to LINK URL.

4 - Click INSERT.

***NOTE: fanfiction.net only allows clickable links to: fanfiction.net sites (profiles, forums, communities, fics, etc), fictionpress.com, youtube.com, hulu, veoh.

How am I supposed to know what threads I can and can't comment in?

The first post of every thread specifies whether or not you can comment in it. Examples of threads where you cannot just comment:

-The Forum Lexicon: everyone can post, so long as you contribute something. Empty comments and replies to other posts are a no-no.

- The Room of Random Announcements: just announce. Do NOT reply.

- Fic Challenge and One Sentence Story thread: just post your submission in answer to the challenge, or your sentence in answer to the prompt, accompanied by your smart-alecky remarks or comments, if you insist.

- The GAME threads and Some Curious Facts thread: adding comments breaks the flow of the thread; again, you can embed your comments within your post in response to the game question.

- Must Read D/G one-shots thread: anyone can post a fic rec (follow the established format), just don't post comments.

Can I be a bigot and discriminate/make fun of other people's background, poor English, and religious beliefs?

Absolutely not. u_u

Where is the RoR, and what's behind the Lewis Carroll portrait?

See Forum Lexicon.

What is this Dull and Shiny I keep reading about?

Dull is this forum's unofficial name. "Shiny", or "The Shiny" is the name of a forum we tried moving to outside of ff.net. It was bigger and better and "new and shiny", hence the name.

Who are you people? Where can I find more information?

The Forum Lexicon is a convenient summary of forum happenings. If you want to know more about us, you can click on our user names and visit our ff.net profiles.

How can I submit art for a new forum avatar?

See this post for the guidelines and submission process. (It's easy!)

The Flood

or

How to Handle the Ridiculous Amounts of Email You Recieve from the Forum

Now, it's fairly simple to uncheck the box at the top of the Post Reply box that says "Yes, email me when replies are added to this topic."

But who remembers to do that?

So, I present to you, the excited masses, Aerileigh's strategies for forum email success. It is easy, simple, and glorious. It involves diverting your forum mail into a separate folder WHEN IT ARRIVES, so that when you open your email, you can find things like actual emails waiting for your perusal, and then you can check on the forum emails as you wish.

I'll take you through Yahoo and Gmail, and if you use a different email, there is probably a similar process available, so check your settings.

Yahoo:

1. Click on [Options] [Mail Options] (toward the upper right)

2. Select [Filters] from the left sidebar, then click [Create or edit filters]

3. Click [Add]

4. Name the filter something. I chose "FF Forum"

5. In the Subject category, leave the drop box to say "contains" and in the box next to that, type [FF Forum Thread Alert] (including the brackets). Leave the other boxes alone.

6. Below this is a dropdown that says "Then move the message to:" and you can create a new folder for your forum messages by choosing "New Folder."

7. Click the [Add Filter] button. A pop up should appear asking you to name your new folder, and then you should be set.

8. To access these emails, click on the name of the folder in your left sidebar. Voila!

Gmail:

1. Click on [Settings], then [Filters]

2. Click [Create a new filter]

3. In the box that says "Subject" type [FF Forum Thread Alert] (including the brackets), then click [Next Step].

4. Check the box that says [Skip the inbox] AND check the box that says [Apply the label]. Choose "New label" from the dropdown and enter a name for all your forum emails.

5. Then click [Create Filter], and if you like, check the box to apply it to any old forum alerts to get them out of your main inbox.

6. To access these emails, click on the label in the left bar. You should have a box that shows all your labels in the left sidebar. Voila!

I have AOL and can't find where the 'filters' are.

Help?

Ooops, I don't know AOL.

Try searching the, um...the mail options.

*looks around helplessly*

Okay, I found two links:

I've never used AOL, and from what I gather this all refers to creating filters for spam. You could set up a filter to send our forum alerts to your spam folder, but ff.net doesn't like that.

I say go to "Mail" and then "Mail Controls", and try to find your way from there.

I tried to do the 'spam' thing, but it still didn't work. Plus, you mentioned the site doesn't like that.

I really need some help here!

I got online after three days without it and had 476 emails!

HELP!

I just unsubscribe to all threads I've been posting in before I turn off the computer. It's tedious, but it works.

So that seems like a good idea....

But I always uncheck the box everytime I post something.

That's a waste of time, Mimi; when you post again in a thread, you're immediately subscribing to it.

You should just uncheck the box when you're leaving for the day.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that there has to be a way to filter mail on AOL.

Have you asked your elders?

I didn't know it still did that if you unchecked the boxes.

Okay, so I've basically wasted ten posts on this topic.

I shall end the fight now and just do what you said.

=]

Okay, cool. Glad to help.

Now if you only got out of here and started posting in the actual threads....hint, hint.

WIll you ban me if I made an accident and posted somethign before I posted in the Sorting Queens Lair? Again, I am really sorry about that.

This is an over all ff.net question (you guys just seemed to be experts): How do I get a profile picture?

To answer your first question, no. We wouldn't ban you for that. However, I've noticed you seem to have a pattern of not reading the rules for the threads before you post, and that creates confusion. You mentioned that you like how well this forum is organized, and we like it that way, too. In any community, being aware of the social expectations (i.e. rules) is important, even on a forum. ^_^

For your second question, you can get a profile picture (also called an avatar) by going to your dashboard page (click Login at the top right of the screen). Then click the Account tab if you aren't already on it, and then choose Avatar from the list (third from the top). You should then be able to upload a picture from your computer by following the instructions on the page.

Hope that helps!

Yeh athanks so much, for both.

What's the URL for the shiny?

Why do you want to know? *narrows eyes*

And more importantly, what are you willing to give me in return, hmm?

I was just curious.

Just tell me what you want and it's yours.

No, Leigh! No!! It's hidden!!!

The Flood

or

How to Handle the Ridiculous Amounts of Email You Recieve from the Forum

Oh, bless you. I had 590 new emails when I logged on today.

Hi i just saw the who'whos thread... i would like to join... only it said forum locked??

um... so what does that mean? like where do i introduce my self before getting sorted?

*feels stupid*

Here (this one is not locked)

Welcome!

thank you!

Lately, ffnet has been eating my posts and I think I'm not the only one. After clicking 'post reply,' I get an error message - something about 'processing my request' - and if I navigate back, it's gone.

However, if I click 'refresh', the page reloads and 95% of the time, my post is there.

Hope that helps!

Does anyone know how to change the time on the forum? Mine's an hour ahead, and I keep forgetting to mentally subtract an hour.

It's not possible to change the time setting on the forum.

I add three hours, Leigh adds two, and you subtract one. It's really not that complicated.

*shifty eyes*

Okay, in all honesty I NEVER know what time it is at the forum. u_u

OK, every time I uncheck the subscription email box thing, it STILL sends me emails--from myself, and from other people! Did I do something wrong, or is my computer as stupid as I always thought it was?

No, it's not your computer. It's just ffnet being a meanie.

Scroll up to post #2 in this thread, called The Flood, and see if the instructions there will help you.

Alright, thank you.

Can anyone tell me what's an MIA list?

• Forums are not to be used to post stories.
• All forum posts must be suitable for teens.
• The owner and moderators of this forum are solely responsible for the content posted within this area.
• All forum abuse must be reported to the moderators.