Spam, Netiquette And Basic Forum Information.

[Miranda_]

There appear to be a few ppl who don't seem to understand the meaning of either. I've posted the meaning of each in simple terms so that everyone is clear.

SPAM.

1. Junk email that is sent to your inbox that you didn't sign up for, like advertising email or p*rn.

2. Stupid Pointless Annoying Messages. These can either be the same thread/post repeated over and over again, or threads/posts that consist of just a smilie or a LOL that serve no meaning whatsoever. It can also pertain to a thread started asking a question already answered in another thread or in a stickied FAQ, or an off topic thread.

3. Abusive/obscene posts that serve no purpose whatsover. That includes flaming, which basically means a fight between 2 or more forum members. Any topics that start to go that way here will be locked and the flame posts removed before the thread is reopened. Don't spoil someone else's thread by attacking another board member; if you have a problem with someone, PM either me or Jessica.

4. Random posts. We have a thread that was made specifically for randomness; it can be found here: Utter Randomness. (If you have randomness in ya, come 'ere!) #3 Post all your random thoughts and comments there; any that are posted as a new thread will be locked. Only make a thread if you have something important to say.

5. Comments posted in RPGs. If you wish to ask a question of a poster about their RPG, PM them; don't post a comment in their RPG. Also, any questions you have about RPGs will probably be answered in the Rules and FAQ topic.


I would like to add in something else regarding SPAM.

Do NOT respond to SPAM, should you come across it. I know you want to be the good person and tell the SPAMMER what they are doing is wrong, but what you are doing is creating TWICE as much work for the moderators, who now not only have to delete the spam, but ALL responses to it.
Do your part, report the spam. PM the spammer if you must. But DO NOT RESPOND TO IT!

(Above paragraph contributed by dudettel)

Netiquette.

Basically, board manners. A good site explaining netiquette far better than I could is here: The Core Rules of Netiquette -- Excerpted from Netiquette by Virginia Shea -- Albion.com

I'd like to draw attention to the following excerpt from the Netiquette site:

Rule 1: Remember the human.

The golden rule your parents and your kindergarten teacher taught you was pretty simple: Do unto others as you'd have others do unto you. Imagine how you'd feel if you were in the other person's shoes. Stand up for yourself, but try not to hurt people's feelings.

Bottom line is, on the other side of that computer screen is a human being with the same feelings and emotions you have. Before you send a spiteful private message or attack another user, just think; how would you feel if someone did the same to you? What would you think if someone attacked your best friend or sister like you're attacking this user? Posting nasty attacking messages, either in private message or on the board, is against forum rules and will earn you an infraction straight off. Continuous harrassment of any user could end with you being banned. Is it really worth it?

[Miranda_]

Trolls.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

In Internet terminology, a troll is someone who intentionally posts derogatory or otherwise inflammatory messages about sensitive topics in an established online community such as an online discussion forum to bait users into responding. They may also plant images and data on networks that others may find disturbing (usually indirectly relating to the individual in person) in order to cause confrontation.

How to deal with trolls.

I think this picture sums it up perfectly:



If you spot a user that you think might be a troll, don't respond to them, don't attack them; just PM either support or myself with the name of the user and a link to the threads where they are misbehaving. Then we can do something about them.

[Miranda_]

This is information for anyone who's new to message boards, so that they know what to do.

Making a thread.

1. First, make sure that you're in the correct forum. On this board, we have different forums for different topics. For example, if you have a problem regarding your boyf, post your topic in Dating. If you want to tell everyone about a play you're acting in, or ask for advice on a friend problem, then post in General Discussion. Every forum has a description telling you what it's for.



The forum description is boxed in red. If you make a topic in the wrong forum, chances are it'll be moved to the correct one. A shadow topic with a redirect will be up for a day.

Second, make sure that the topic you want to post hasn't already been posted. If it's a popular topic, that might well be so. If the forum hasn't got many topics, then look thru the pages. Otherwise, use the Search option.



Finally, post your topic. The button you click is boxed in red below:



Make sure that you describe what the topic is about in the title box, so ppl can tell before clicking what your topic is about. If the topic is a help topic, then give as much detail about your problem as you can so that it's easier for ppl to help you. Please try to post as near to correct English as possible; the odd shortened word is fine, but an entire paragraph of chatspeak makes it near impossible for ppl to understand you, especially if there isn't any full stops or capital letters. Try to spell correctly; we all make mistakes, but at least try. Don't use either KrAzY or 1337; these forms of typing are hard on the eyes and difficult to understand. Finally, try not to abuse the colour and text size options. Flavouring your text is fine as long as it's not unreadable; ie, making text in a colour like yellow or white or making it too small or too large. Also, remember that typing in all capital letters is the Internet equivilent of shouting, so unless you have to shout, don't do it.

Making a post.

Much of the same rules apply to making a post in someone else's thread, there's just a couple of extras. Like, don't reply to someone's doll thread unless you're giving CC (constructive criticism) or commenting on their doll. Don't spam, and certainly don't post your own dolls in there. Make a new thread for your own dolls.

Secondly, there appears to be some confusion about the report offence button. Only click this in case of either a troll, or if someone is breaking forum rules, ie spamming. It can be found here:



In the picture, the report offence button is boxed in red. Please don't click it unecessarily. To reply to a thread, you can either use the Quick Reply box, or click the New Reply button.

[Miranda_]

Ways to reply.

The Quick Reply box is pictured below:



The button you have to click to open Quick Reply is boxed in red in the picture below:



Finally, the New Reply button is boxed in red in the picture below:



If you have any questions on any of the topics covered here, then post them in this thread.

[Miranda_]

Gravedigging/Necromancing

If you don't know what this is, it's the name for replying to a long dead thread and bringing it back for no good reason. In the case of a serious discussion, as long as you have something to add it's fine and better than making yet another thread on the subject. If you're bringing back your doll thread after a long hiatus, that's fine too. What isn't is bringing up a dead thread just to post "lol" or a vacuous comment.

Before you reply to something, check the date it was posted and read thru the thread. If the problem was resolved or the thread tailed off, then DON'T REVIVE IT. Especially if the people who posted the thread haven't been here in ages.

Advice threads.

Specific advice threads, usually entitled something like "Emma's advice thread" or "Kelly's dating advice thread" are not allowed on this forum, save in the Teacher's Corner forum (read the stickies) and in Fashion and Beauty. The reason for this is cuz advice threads, in my experience, usually either degenerate into a free fight cuz other users don't agree with what the Original Poster is saying, or they tail off with the OP disappearing and the thread constantly being bumped without any replies to it. So, to keep forums free of clutter and fights, I've decided not to allow them. Any that are posted will be locked.

Posting Twice Or Multiple Threads.

There is no need whatsoever to post a thread more than once, in one forum. Any repeat threads will be deleted. Just be patient; as long as your thread passes the rules, it will be allowed to stay up and sooner or later, ppl will respond. As far as posting twice goes, there's no need for that, either. Instead of making two posts, one after the other, edit your previous post. To quote a person, just use the quote tags. That's the icon that looks like a speech bubble right at the end. If you post twice, your posts will be merged; repeated offenders will be corrected.

User Titles.

When you post, you will notice that you and the other board users have a title under your name; Newbie, Junior Member, Professional, Guru to name a few. This title will change as you get more posts. Don't, under any circumstances, spam more to increase your postcount and change your title. The posts will be removed and you will receive a warning for spamming. If you continue to spam, you will be dealt with severely.

Usernames.

Please don't have several different names on forums. Pick one name and stick with it. If you want to change your name, and are premi, you can request support to change it. Otherwise, put your old name in your signature so we know who you are. Don't post with multiple names on forums; anyone doing this will be first warned, then their other names will be banned.

Warnings From Mods.

Sometimes, depending on the severity of the rule broken, you might get a mod posting a comment on your profile to warn you about rulebreaking or sending you a PM doing the same. Don't ever edit or delete the profile comment or send a rude PM back; that is rudeness and rudeness to a mod can get you banned same as it can as regards other users. Just accept that you did wrong and try to abide by the rules better in future.

Personal Information.

Please don't ever post any personal information on forums, whether it's yours or someone elses. Doing so will earn you first a warning and the info deleted; repeated offenses will earn you a ban. Personal information is basically real names, addresses and phone numbers. We want everyone here to feel safe and not have their privacy breached. Anyone with personal info in their profiles will be asked to remove it; if they don't, they will be reported to Support.

[Miranda_]

Glossary Of Forum Terms.

Some of you ppl who are new to forums might not know what all the jargon means, so here is a list of most of the words you're likely to see, both on the board and in moderator/admin messages. If you wish to know the meaning of a word that isn't on the list, then post it here and I'll add it in. Don't spam; read the list carefully before you post as most of the time the word or term you want to know the meaning of will be already there. Some terms are explained above; these will not be included.


Administrator - The overal owner of the message board, the person who has total control of the site. Our Administrator, or Admin, is Support.

Avatar - This refers to the little picture you can have under your name. To get an Avatar, click the "My Account" link and go to Edit Avatar. There are Avatar size restrictions so if your picture is too large, it will either be rejected or it will be resized to fit the restrictions. If your picture is too large, you may need to resize it. The same rules for Signatures apply to Avatars.

Board - Refers to the message board as a whole.

Forum - Refers generally to each different part, for example, the Dating forum, but sometimes can be used to describe the message board as a whole; for example, The Doll Palace Forum.

Forum Rules - These are the rules by which everyone agrees to obey when they first register here. The rules can be found stuck to the top of the Newbies/Friends Forum.

Harrassment - Refers to a User who repeatedly either PMs a person or comments on their profile, even after told to stop. Any User who does this will be warned, then banned. In real life, harrassment could earn you a prison sentence.

Infraction - An Infraction is like a warning to abide by the rules. These are given out to ppl who spam the board with advertisements, attack other members, break the rules regarding Signatures and Avatars or who constantly break the general Forum Rules.

Moderator - A Moderator looks after a certain Forum or Forums. Her/His job is to keep the forum going if it's slowing down by posting new topics, deleting spam, closing Threads that are either dead or degenerating into fights, and generally helping people and answering any questions. At the moment, our Moderators, or Mods, are as follows: Silver_Wolf_Kitty; Sarah_K_O_M; dudettel; sarika2004; bunniepixie; and Elanorea.

Newbie - This is a term that refers to a new person to the board. Not to be confused with a Noob, a Newbie may be ignorant of the rules at first, but is happy to learn and won't mind being gently corrected, eventually becoming a useful member of the board.

Noob - This refers to an ignorant new person who, unlike a Newbie, refuses to abide by the rules; that is, if they read them in the first place. Noobs will remain Noobs, no matter how many posts they have.

OP - This refers to the Original Poster, in other words, the person who started the Thread.

Private Messages - Private Messages enable Users to send messages to each other that can only be read by the person sending, and the person receiving the message. Private Messages, or PMs, can be accessed by clicking on the "My Account" link, or by clicking on the name of the person you wish to send the message to. A box will pop up with a little menu, simply scroll down and click on Send Private Message.

Profile - Your Profile is your page, where you can tell ppl things about yourself, post photos if you wish and read comments that ppl leave on them. You can make your Profile either Public, or Friends Only; just remember that the Administrator and Super Moderator will be able to read your Profile, so don't put anything there that breaks the Terms Of Use or Forum Rules.

Shop - Refers to a Thread in either The Marketplace or Requests forums where a User makes either graphics or dolls for other Users. All shops must pertain to the rules of both Forums.

Signature - This is where you can express yourself thru pictures or text. To get a Signature, click the "My Account" link and go to Edit Signature. You may put whatever you wish within reason; make sure that pictures are not overly large, and that any text or picture you put in abides by Forum Rules and the Terms Of Use. If you have a Signature that is too large, or breaks Forum Rules, you will be politely asked to remove it. If you do not, then it will be removed for you and you will receive an Infraction.

Stickies - A Sticky is the term for a thread that remains stuck to the top of the forum, regardless of who posts on it. Stickies are usually information or rules threads. Newbies would do well to read every Sticky before they start posting.

Super Moderator - A Super Moderator keeps an eye on the Forums for the Administrator. Support is often too busy with the site and other things to be able to come on the forums as much as she'd like, so the Super Moderator keeps things going for her. The Super Moderator, or Super Mod, is me; Miranda_.

Terms Of Use - These are, like the Forum Rules, a set of rules that you agree to abide by when you register, cept the Terms Of Use apply to the entire site, not just the Forums. To read the Doll Palace Terms Of Use, click here: http://www.thedollpalace.com/privacy/terms.php

Thread - Refers to the original post made by a User. The original poster is also known as the OP.

Titles - These are the words that appear under your user name. You can reach another level by posting more, but please don't spam to do this as spamming is against Forum Rules.

User - This is the name of the regular ppl who post on the board. Everyone who isn't an Administrator, Super Moderator or Moderator falls under this category.

[Miranda_]

Respect The Mods And Admin.

I've found that a lot of users seem to be assuming two things; firstly, that the mods and Jessica have to be nice and polite at all times, and second that we're not allowed to defend ourselves against attacks. Neither of these are correct.

The role of the moderators and super moderator is to help users; however, we are not required to just sit back and take every bit of abuse that's thrown at us. You wouldn't expect to be made to take abuse, so why think we should? Attacking any mod or Jessica will earn you an infraction same as attacking a board user will. We will be nice and polite only to those users who are doing likewise, however we will not be drawn into fights with users who attack us; instead, the topic will be locked and the user reported. Please do not assume that just cuz you're being told something you don't want to hear, that a mod is being rude to you. The same goes for mods responding to threats; either thinly veiled, or blatent, where a user says they are going to take action cuz of a real or imagined slight. We are not being rude. We are telling you how it is. Please don't respond with attacks or rudeness.

In the situation of a board or site problem, put your case accross in a civil manner. This way, we will be able to help you. If it's a problem with the site, rest assured that Jessica will get to it as soon as she can. However, just like me and the mods, Jessica has a life outside the site and can't come on here every single day. Making attacks or posting multiple threads won't help your case; send just one PM to Jessica (support) on forums, and be patient.

[Miranda_]

Spelling.

If for any reason, you find spelling hard, then use the "check spelling" facility in the reply box rather than make posts full of errors. You can find it in the main reply and quick reply; it's the button that looks like an ABC with a tick. It's visible only in Internet Explorer, but if you're using Firefox there are addons you can use instead. Please make the effort to spell properly; it makes your posts clearer and also ensures that people will take you seriously. The pictures below show the spelling button on both quick reply and main reply.






Also, there appears to be some unwarranted confusion about where the edit button is. This picture shows where it is; it's right above the New Reply button.




Leaving Threads.

There are 3 kinds of leaving threads.


1. N00b Leaving Thread.

Example:
im leaving cuz u guys are mean and nasti and alwaz yelllin at me

Explanation:
Basically, they're complaining because they weren't following the rules and are assuming the moderators are being nasty to them and only them. This is not true: there are many n00bs on this board, many I won't name, but to assume that you're entirely innocent is n00bish in itself. If you refuse to read the rules, you can and WILL be banned.


2. Superiority Complex Thread.

Example:
I'm leaving because I'm too good for this board. I never asked to be a moderator, and yet I see unworthy morons getting it instead. This board has gone to hell. I want my account deleted NOW.

Explanation:
Basically, they're complaining about how they're so much better for the board, even though they themselves have been terrible users and generally n00bish themselves, as well as constantly attacking other members of the board for minor things that aren't even in the rules, like accidental typos and music tastes. This type of person is basically acting like a child taking their ball and refusing to play.


3. Understandable Leaving Threads.

Example:
Guys, some things have come up in real life and I'm not going to be on as often. I'll try to keep up, but I may leave for awhile to get things in order. I'm gonna miss you guys.

Explanation:
You're not complaining, you're simply stating a fact. You're letting people know you're not going to be on the board for awhile, and it's up to you what you tell and what you don't tell. Also, an estimate of how long you may be gone and a general idea of what may be going on - family trouble, issues with friends and family, school work overload, etc. - should be posted. ^^

(contributed by Silent_Wolf)