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  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 16, 2006 5:11 pm GMT

    Welcome to Gamespot. This thread contains useful information for all users, new and old alike. Read, or look through, this thread before you ask a question. If the answer you seek is not here, then feel free to ask.

    Please Feel free to suggest that we (or any other mod) add anything to this guide. We take all feedback seriously and into consideration. Just make sure you provide us enough information of what you want to see added to this guide. Remember that is has to be something that helps new (old) users.

    This guide was made for Welcome Newbies by the members and posters of Welcome Newbies. Please ask Gallego () or Soulreavercross () first before you copy or reproduce anything from this guide. We have the right to protect our work. We have worked countless hours perfecting and making this guide. Therefore, I ask that you ask us first before you want to use something from this guide. Understand that we as a group have put a lot of effort into making these guides. Remember that plagiarism is un-called for and it can/will get you banned. We will personally see to that!

    What are floated threads?

    Floated threads are located at the top of the forum. These are dark orange, and have a pin on top of a sheet of paper for an icon. Here's an example of what they look like (click on it for a full size image):

    Table of Contents:
    (Click the "Post #" to be taken there. Works with all post per page settings, page numbers below refer to the 10 posts per page setting.)

    Post 1: Introduction, Table of Contents, Emblem Guide ToC, Small Faq, Who are these people.
    Post 2: Userbars Faq, Board Directories.
    Post 3: Moderating 101.
    Post 4: The ToolBar/Forum Key
    Post 5: How to upload an image to the web
    Post 6: How to put a pic in sig, How to make a sig/pic link, Animated Tutorial, Userbars Tutorial
    Post 7: How to make animated sigs.
    Post 8: Level Faq, Level Names.
    Post 9: Forum Definitions, Smileys.
    Post 10: How to add a Gamespot Tag.

    Page 2:

    Post 11: How to make a UCB.
    Post 12: Are you Serious About Creating a Union.
    Post 13: How to make a Union.
    Post 14: How to manage a Union. (coming soon)
    Post 15: How to manage a Union, Part Deux. (coming soon)
    Post 16: Blog Guide, Avatar Guide, Board Favorites, etc.
    Post 17: HTML and BBcode
    Post 18: How to Upload a User Video.
    Post 19: Prefences Guide.
    Post 20: Image Tutorials.

    Page 3:

    Post 21: Tutorials Part 2.
    Post 22: Profile Manager.
    Post 23: PMC, Updates, Games.
    Post 24: PMC, Contributions.
    Post 25: PMC, Unions, Contacts.
    Post 26    : PMC, Videos, Tags.
    Post 27    : RSS Guide.
    Post 28    : RSS Guide Part 2.
    Post 29    : A List of Gamespot Admins
    Post 30    : A List of Gamespot Moderators

    Page 4:

    Post 31    : Credits.


    Table of Contents:

    Announcements

    This guide is currently Exclusive to Welcome Newbies because this is the board that helped create it. Anywhere wanting a copy of this guide be sure to PM Gallego or Soulreavercross and get permission.

    Small Faq:


    How do I send a friend request?

    Friend requests are a thing of the past. With the new GS the tracking feature is used in it's place. You can use the tracking feature to get updates on other's journals and they can do the same to you. If two people are tracking each other at the same time, they automatically become friends.

    To do this, go to the person's profile that you want to be friends with. There you will find a button you can click that reads "track this person" this is the same as "sending a friend invite"

    How can I change my username?

    We apologize but we are unable to change your username. Changing a username can cause unintended problems in the system, and therefore we only change them for very specific circumstances, which include technical problems or cases where public information needs to be removed from a username. We are unable to change usernames for any other reasons.

    WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE I SEE IN FORUMS, BOARDS AND UNIONS?

    These are the GS staff and literally hold the ultimate in power. Not only can they moderate, but also suspend users, perform IP address bans, close accounts and make union changes.

    a User that has those 2 mod tags, is a Gamespot moderator, meaning he/she moderates all the boards, except the shared boards.

    A GS moderator who has created their own union and this is seen only at their union.

    This is a GS moderator () who just happens to be a UCB/GS board adminstrator. This will only appear in the board where (s)he is the admin. Example: Fiddlecub of the Ask The Mods board has this.

    This is a GS moderator () who just happens to be a union officer as well. This will only appear in the union where (s)he is an officer. Everywhere else, they will have their red/purple.

    A person who is a union leader and usually the founder, unless the title has been passed down to another person (by choice or not by choice because the leader is AWOL or was banned). The union leader sets the permissions for the union as to the officers and members authority (invites, officer powers, etc).

    Officers can be found in Union boards. They are the same as UCB mods. They have some powers, which are assigned by the union leader.

    A person who is a UCB administrator, usually the person who created the board. They have some powers to moderate, but only on their board.

    A person with one mod tag is usually a UCB moderator. This is only an exception in Welcome Newbies board. Since that board used to be a UCB, GS decided to keep it's current UCB mods when they made Noob Nation into an official GS board, Welcome Newbies. So... it is no longer a UCB but an Official GS board.

    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 1:58 pm GMT Edited 11 total times.

    Welcome to Gamespot. This thread contains useful information for all users, new and old alike. Read, or look through, this thread before you ask a question. If the answer you seek is not here, then feel free to ask.

    Please Feel free to suggest that we (or any other mod) add anything to this guide. We take all feedback seriously and into consideration. Just make sure you provide us enough information of what you want to see added to this guide. Remember that is has to be something that helps new (old) users.

    This guide was made for Welcome Newbies by the members and posters of Welcome Newbies. Please ask Gallego () or Soulreavercross () first before you copy or reproduce anything from this guide. We have the right to protect our work. We have worked countless hours perfecting and making this guide. Therefore, I ask that you ask us first before you want to use something from this guide. Understand that we as a group have put a lot of effort into making these guides. Remember that plagiarism is un-called for and it can/will get you banned. We will personally see to that!

    What are floated threads?

    Floated threads are located at the top of the forum. These are dark orange, and have a pin on top of a sheet of paper for an icon. Here's an example of what they look like (click on it for a full size image):

    Table of Contents:
    (Click the "Post #" to be taken there. Works with all post per page settings, page numbers below refer to the 10 posts per page setting.)

    Post 1: Introduction, Table of Contents, Emblem Guide ToC, Small Faq, Who are these people.
    Post 2: Userbars Faq, Board Directories.
    Post 3: Moderating 101.
    Post 4: The ToolBar/Forum Key
    Post 5: How to upload an image to the web
    Post 6: How to put a pic in sig, How to make a sig/pic link, Animated Tutorial, Userbars Tutorial
    Post 7: How to make animated sigs.
    Post 8: Level Faq, Level Names.
    Post 9: Forum Definitions, Smileys.
    Post 10: How to add a Gamespot Tag.

    Page 2:

    Post 11: How to make a UCB.
    Post 12: Are you Serious About Creating a Union.
    Post 13: How to make a Union.
    Post 14: How to manage a Union. (coming soon)
    Post 15: How to manage a Union, Part Deux. (coming soon)
    Post 16: Blog Guide, Avatar Guide, Board Favorites, etc.
    Post 17: HTML and BBcode
    Post 18: How to Upload a User Video.
    Post 19: Prefences Guide.
    Post 20: Image Tutorials.

    Page 3:

    Post 21: Tutorials Part 2.
    Post 22: Profile Manager.
    Post 23: PMC, Updates, Games.
    Post 24: PMC, Contributions.
    Post 25: PMC, Unions, Contacts.
    Post 26    : PMC, Videos, Tags.
    Post 27    : RSS Guide.
    Post 28    : RSS Guide Part 2.
    Post 29    : A List of Gamespot Admins
    Post 30    : A List of Gamespot Moderators

    Page 4:

    Post 31    : Credits.


    Table of Contents:

    Announcements

    This guide is currently Exclusive to Welcome Newbies because this is the board that helped create it. Anywhere wanting a copy of this guide be sure to PM Gallego or Soulreavercross and get permission.

    Small Faq:


    How do I send a friend request?

    Friend requests are a thing of the past. With the new GS the tracking feature is used in it's place. You can use the tracking feature to get updates on other's journals and they can do the same to you. If two people are tracking each other at the same time, they automatically become friends.

    To do this, go to the person's profile that you want to be friends with. There you will find a button you can click that reads "track this person" this is the same as "sending a friend invite"

    How can I change my username?

    We apologize but we are unable to change your username. Changing a username can cause unintended problems in the system, and therefore we only change them for very specific circumstances, which include technical problems or cases where public information needs to be removed from a username. We are unable to change usernames for any other reasons.

    WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE I SEE IN FORUMS, BOARDS AND UNIONS?

    These are the GS staff and literally hold the ultimate in power. Not only can they moderate, but also suspend users, perform IP address bans, close accounts and make union changes.

    a User that has those 2 mod tags, is a Gamespot moderator, meaning he/she moderates all the boards, except the shared boards.

    A GS moderator who has created their own union and this is seen only at their union.

    This is a GS moderator () who just happens to be a UCB/GS board adminstrator. This will only appear in the board where (s)he is the admin. Example: Fiddlecub of the Ask The Mods board has this.

    This is a GS moderator () who just happens to be a union officer as well. This will only appear in the union where (s)he is an officer. Everywhere else, they will have their red/purple.

    A person who is a union leader and usually the founder, unless the title has been passed down to another person (by choice or not by choice because the leader is AWOL or was banned). The union leader sets the permissions for the union as to the officers and members authority (invites, officer powers, etc).

    Officers can be found in Union boards. They are the same as UCB mods. They have some powers, which are assigned by the union leader.

    A person who is a UCB administrator, usually the person who created the board. They have some powers to moderate, but only on their board.

    A person with one mod tag is usually a UCB moderator. This is only an exception in Welcome Newbies board. Since that board used to be a UCB, GS decided to keep it's current UCB mods when they made Noob Nation into an official GS board, Welcome Newbies. So... it is no longer a UCB but an Official GS board.

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 16, 2006 5:28 pm GMT

    General Forums

    General Games Discussion
    This could be considered the main forum of GameSpot, even though it may not have as much respect as it would (not as much activeness as other boards). It is here where you can talk about any type of video games without having to focus on a certain system.

    Welcome Newbies
    The place where all n00bs should visit. If you are new to teh internets this is the place you should go to. You'll find a lot of information on just about every subject you may be having difficulties with. Don't be shy, the vets will be more than glad to help you. Not only that, but it will prevent many problems for you in the future.

    Off-Topic Discussion
    Religion, government, sig ratings and even buttsecks (o_O) can be found in Off-Topic, also known as OT. Recognizable for being one of the most active places this site has to offer, you'll find some of the most random people here. It's not a secret that this particular one has slowly declined over the last few months, but it still remains as one of the favorites here.

    Platform Forums

    PC Games
    Where PC gamers go

    PlayStation 2
    Where PS2 gamers go

    PlayStation 3
    Where future PS3 gamers go

    Sony PSP
    Where PSP gamers go

    Xbox
    Where Xbox players go

    Xbox 360
    Where Xbox 360 players go

    GameCube
    Where GameCube players go

    Nintendo Revolution
    Where future Revolution players go

    Nintendo DS
    Where Nintendo DS players go

    Game Boy Advance
    Where Game Boy Advance players go

    System Wars
    Where Sys--- oops, that wasn't right. Here is where the big 3 (Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony) and the PC gamers defend their own respective company. You'll often see fanboys, trolls, and even the act of flaming here. It may very well be the most criticized board of them all, but loyal gamers will do anything to support their own company.

    Special Interests Forums

    Sports Game Discussion
    Who said all gamers are lazy and just sit in the couch all day playing video games and don't exercise? Not all of us are like that so GameSpot took this in mind and created a place for those gamers that are capable of running a mile instead of playing Resident Evil 4 for hours .........even if you aren't one of those though, if you're at least a sports fan this is the place for you to go to discuss.......from the NFL to the FIFA World Cup, there's always a subject to talk about........or most of the time .

    Feature Story Discussion
    I couldn't have said it better than Carrie: this forum is for discussing GameSpot's feature stories, which include series stories like Freeplay, HotSpot (with podcast), Burning Questions, TenSpot, Month in Review, Best and Worst of the Year, and the most recent addition to GameSpot's feature stories: the "How Do Video Games Affect Us" series.

    General Hardware Discussion
    As the name suggests, you can discuss any hardware here, from TV sets and Home Theater Systems to computers and refrigerators (lawlipops lol) .

    PC Hardware Discussion
    The name says it all.

    GameSpot Union Recruitment
    Your #1 friend when it comes to recruiting people to your unions. You can use this to gain more people on your union without it being considered spam or advertisement.

    GameSpot Tournaments
    Every once in a while GameSpot organizes tournaments and whatnot, and what would a tournament be without a nice little place to discuss it?.....This forum is exclusively for discussing these tournaments, as said before and even support your favorite contestants.

    Gamespot Support Forums

    GameSpot Technical Support
    Having Technical difficulties with Gamespot? Not able to use some of the sites features? Finding it hard to use the site without Technical issues stopping you from doing so? Then drop down to the Technical Support Forum, they will hoepfully be able to solve your troubles.

    Ask The Mods
    Have you recently received a moderation but having trouble realising what for? Have you been on the wrong side of a ban which you feel is unjust. Then go to the Ask the mods Board, and they will answer your questions.

    Ask Gamespot
    This Board is for Gamespot Paying subscribers only. Got a question about anything thats bothering about the site or the gaming world? Well then post it here, and a member of the Gamespot Staff will answer your question.

    Site Enhancements and Feedback
    The site changes alot. Updates are added often to keep your sufing of the site as bug free as can be. but if you come across any problems with the site, or think of something that could be improved, then post it here.

    Edited on Jan 16, 2007 9:53 am GMT
    General Forums

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159266]General Games Discussion[/url]
    This could be considered the main forum of GameSpot, even though it may not have as much respect as it would (not as much activeness as other boards). It is here where you can talk about any type of video games without having to focus on a certain system.

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909097409]Welcome Newbies[/url]
    The place where all n00bs should visit. If you are new to teh internets this is the place you should go to. You'll find a lot of information on just about every subject you may be having difficulties with. Don't be shy, the vets will be more than glad to help you. Not only that, but it will prevent many problems for you in the future.

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159273]Off-Topic Discussion[/url]
    Religion, government, sig ratings and even buttsecks (o_O) can be found in Off-Topic, also known as OT. Recognizable for being one of the most active places this site has to offer, you'll find some of the most random people here. It's not a secret that this particular one has slowly declined over the last few months, but it still remains as one of the favorites here.

    Platform Forums

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159267]PC Games[/url]
    Where PC gamers go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159270]PlayStation 2[/url]
    Where PS2 gamers go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909102863]PlayStation 3[/url]
    Where future PS3 gamers go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909100112]Sony PSP[/url]
    Where PSP gamers go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159268]Xbox[/url]
    Where Xbox players go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909102864]Xbox 360[/url]
    Where Xbox 360 players go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159269]GameCube[/url]
    Where GameCube players go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909104101]Nintendo Revolution[/url]
    Where future Revolution players go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909098526]Nintendo DS[/url]
    Where Nintendo DS players go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159271]Game Boy Advance[/url]
    Where Game Boy Advance players go

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159282]System Wars[/url]
    Where Sys--- oops, that wasn't right. Here is where the big 3 (Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony) and the PC gamers defend their own respective company. You'll often see fanboys, trolls, and even the act of flaming here. It may very well be the most criticized board of them all, but loyal gamers will do anything to support their own company.

    Special Interests Forums

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909096003]Sports Game Discussion[/url]
    Who said all gamers are lazy and just sit in the couch all day playing video games and don't exercise? Not all of us are like that 8) so GameSpot took this in mind and created a place for those gamers that are capable of running a mile instead of playing Resident Evil 4 for hours ;) .........even if you aren't one of those though, if you're at least a sports fan this is the place for you to go to discuss.......from the NFL to the FIFA World Cup, there's always a subject to talk about........or most of the time :roll: .

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909103178]Feature Story Discussion[/url]
    I couldn't have said it better than Carrie: this forum is for discussing GameSpot's feature stories, which include series stories like Freeplay, HotSpot (with podcast), Burning Questions, TenSpot, Month in Review, Best and Worst of the Year, and the most recent addition to GameSpot's feature stories: the "How Do Video Games Affect Us" series.

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909096001]General Hardware Discussion[/url]
    As the name suggests, you can discuss any hardware here, from TV sets and Home Theater Systems to computers and refrigerators (lawlipops lol) .

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=314159272]PC Hardware Discussion[/url]
    The name says it all.

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909105086]GameSpot Union Recruitment[/url]
    Your #1 friend when it comes to recruiting people to your unions. You can use this to gain more people on your union without it being considered spam or advertisement.

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909130986]GameSpot Tournaments[/url]
    Every once in a while GameSpot organizes tournaments and whatnot, and what would a tournament be without a nice little place to discuss it?.....This forum is exclusively for discussing these tournaments, as said before and even support your favorite contestants.

    Gamespot Support Forums

    GameSpot Technical Support
    Having Technical difficulties with Gamespot? Not able to use some of the sites features? Finding it hard to use the site without Technical issues stopping you from doing so? Then drop down to the Technical Support Forum, they will hoepfully be able to solve your troubles.

    Ask The Mods
    Have you recently received a moderation but having trouble realising what for? Have you been on the wrong side of a ban which you feel is unjust. Then go to the Ask the mods Board, and they will answer your questions.

    Ask Gamespot
    This Board is for Gamespot Paying subscribers only. Got a question about anything thats bothering about the site or the gaming world? Well then post it here, and a member of the Gamespot Staff will answer your question.

    Site Enhancements and Feedback
    The site changes alot. Updates are added often to keep your sufing of the site as bug free as can be. but if you come across any problems with the site, or think of something that could be improved, then post it here.

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 16, 2006 5:30 pm GMT

    Moderating 101:

    In the spirit of helping you stay out of trouble, here are General Guidelines you can follow regarding Forum Conduct.

    Note: These guidelines are meant to help you stay out of trouble, in the end you are still responsible for your actions. Not every mod sees these guidelines the same, but you can generally avoid trouble if you follow them. Please note that on every new board, there are also rules specific to that board that are not on the ToU. Make sure you read them. They are usually located on the floated threads.

    Any mod, be gs or wn mod, are permitted to add anything, or change anything in this post. Just fill out the "last revised" part.

    Last revised by: Gallego on 8/16/06. Added a new "Did You know."



    Abusing the report feature can get you suspended for a few days. If you are going to report someone, be absolutely sure that that user has broken the ToU.



    If you fill out the report form with the wrong categories, it may take a mod longer to respond to your report.



    The moderators queue can store abuse reports for weeks and weeks and maybe even months. So do not complain if you got a warning because of something you did last week. It was probably stored and no one took action until today.



    Losing points in a moderation simply means your level percentage goes down a bit but, you can always gain those points back by using the website. It is also not known how many points you lose.



    Making and Posting in a new account while your other one was suspended or banned can and will extend your Suspension/Ban period. Do not make new accounts, just take the free time given to you and go outside, play some games, while your Vacation period passes.

    Gamespot Moderators cannot moderate users on the shared boards. If you see someone breakin the rules on the shared boards, then use the report feature. A Gamefaqs moderator will take action. So, don't go complaining to a Gamespot Mod because no action was taken against a user in the shared boards. Is not their fault!

    Key Words:

    When in the ToU it says: "This includes, but is not limited to..." it means that not only are the examples provided what you can't do, but there are things that where not mentioned that you also can't do.

    Suspended: A normal suspension is anywhere from one to six days. Don't let the suspensions build up.

    Banned: Users suspended for over seven days - which is the max - are marked for banishment. Banned and Permanent Banned are the same thing. This means you're account is no longer valid at GS.

    Permanent Banned: See Banned above. This means you are gone forever. Some users try and create other accounts to come back to GS once their banned. This is a severe no-no. Be on your best behaviour.

    ToU wrote:
    5. Protection of Your Password; Unauthorized Access

    Users are solely responsible for protecting their accounts from access by others. You are strongly encouraged to select a hard-to-guess password and not re-use that password on any other sites where it may be read by the owners or administrators of that site. Accessing or attempting to access any user account not belonging to you without permission is prohibited. Accessing another user's account in this manner is grounds for a permanent ban of all accounts from the site.

    Scenario 1: Do not give your password out to anyone. Let's say you do. The person you gave it to logs into your account and posts pornoghraphic materials. That person get's you IP Banned from gamespot. You come back later to find out that your account is banned. You plead for your account to be un-banned, but it will not. You are responsible for having shared your password with someone.

    Scenario 2: You are in a remote computer browsing the Forums. When you are done, LOG OUT. If you do not, the person that comes after you can access your gamespot account. If anything happens to your account, you are responsible for having left your account logged in. This also applies in your household. Always log out.

    Scenario 3: Some one guessed your pasword. That person decides to screw with your account. In the end, your accounts ends up being banned. Again, you are responsible for this. The less information you give out, the harder it would be for someone to figure out your password. Choose a hard pasword that only you know.

    Lessons: Never share your password, always log out and make sure you pick a very hard pasword that only you know. Do not even try to "hack" a user's account. Your IP can be seen by the Moderators and Admins. All the accounts that share your IP will be permanetly banned if you "hack" someone.

    ToU wrote:
    Offensive Material -Users may not transmit or encourage others to transmit material or links to material considered patently offensive in nature. This includes, but is not limited to using vulgar, profane, or sexually explicit language; using race, religion, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, handicap, nationality, or gender as a means of insult; using threatening, harassing, defamatory, hate-speech, or libelous language; and posting, requesting, or otherwise sharing material considered pornographic, obscene, graphic, or hate speech.

    Lesson: Do not use offensive language againts other users. Do not provide links to offensive material. Do not encourage the release/distribument of offensive material. Do not use offensive materials under any circumstances. Leave your Biased Opinion and racism out the door. Also, do not quote someone that has already posted offensive material. These things can get you a warning, a suspension or a ban. If you avoid all of these, then you'll be fine. Quoting these offensive material, etc is just as bad as posting it yourself.

    ToU wrote:
    Vulgar language or substitutes for such- Our Service is programmed with a list of words that are considered vulgar under any context, and these words are not allowed to be used under any circumstances. Attempting to bypass the censor by misspelling, inserting spaces or symbols, transposing letters, using look-alike symbols, or any other method is not allowed. The only acceptable method of posting one of these vulgar words is to completely obscure it, making it impossible to determine what the word is without context. Additionally, certain words are prohibited from being used in topic titles and user information pages; bypassing the censor to post those words where they are restricted is also disallowed. For example, if "gris" is a banned word, the following are examples of bypassing that are not allowed: g-r-i-s, gr*s, 9|-1$, girs, gryeeeas, . Allowed: ****, grizzle, ****ed, ****ing, g'ed, g-word. (Note: Neither -ed nor -ing are parts of the banned word "gris".) Taking advantage of any limits in the Service's language filtering capabilities is not allowed. Any limits in such filters shall not be taken as permission to bypass rules regarding vulgar language.

    Lesson: Do not, under any circumstance, try to bypass the Language Filter. The only way you can post an offensive word without getting a moderation is by completely obscuring it. Here are some examples of how to:

    Example Word: top

    Allowed: ***, ***ed, t-word. It also depends on the individual mod what he/she interprets as "allowed."

    Not allowed: t-o-p, t o p, t0p, t*p. It also depends on the individual mod what he/she interprets as "not allowed."

    ToU wrote:
    Flaming - Communications clearly insulting other users, individually or as a group, directly or indirectly, are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: name-calling ("You're an idiot", "You moron"); direct insults and orders ("Screw you", "Go kill yourself"); insinuations ("Are you stupid or something?"); or insults towards family ("Your mom...").


    Scenario: A new user asks:

    new User: "How do I put a picture in my sig?" you answer,

    You: "WTF!!! get out of here you idiotic n00b!"

    What happens next? Someone reports your post and you get moderated for it. If this is not the first time a mod caught you flaming a user today, then you will probably get a small 1 day vacation to cool your head off.

    Lesson: Don't insult anyone. Even in a online forum, people deserve to be treated with respect. Always remember to leave your attitude at the door.
    ToU wrote:
    Trolling (Inciting flames) - Messages intended solely to annoy and/or offend other users by going against the clear nature of a board, topic or chat room are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: provoking other users to respond with flames; provoking fans of a particular system or game, especially on boards or topics dedicated to that system or game; making misleading topic titles; asking obviously useless questions; and posting false information as fact.


    Scenario: A user asks:

    User: "Which one is better, PSP or DS?" you reply,

    You: "Obvious answer, is the DS "

    By doing this you are provoking an argument between you and the asking user. Never provoke argument. Just let it go. Once you start trolling, then it will probably lead you to flaming. If that happens, then you will probably spend a lot of time on vacations from Gamespot.

    Lesson: Again, treat everyone with respect. Don't start pointless arguments on an internet forum. If you want to flame a user, just forget it, let it go. Besides, we don't want you to die of a heart attack because your blood pressure rose too quickly.
    ToU wrote:
    Illegal activity - Communications that violate or incite others to violate the law are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, asking for or providing: illegal copies of copyrighted software; methods of circumventing copyright protection; illegal copies of copyrighted music, movies, videos, or any other type of media; reprints of material from other web sites; or methods of cheating in online games.


    Lesson: Never ask/distribute anything that has to do with illegal software, illegal games or any other type of illegal activity. If you see someone posting things like this, please do report it. A user that does post anything illegal may receive a permanent ban, or in some cases, a small vacation.
    ToU wrote:
    Advertising - Messages that clearly advertise a service or product are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: unsolicited commercial or personal web site advertisements; :For-Sale/For-Trade/For-Auction/Wanted: notices; "Make Money Fast" scams, chain letters, and pyramid schemes; or any referrer-ID based sites (including both games and free-item marketing sites). Users are allowed to include their web site address in a signature, request comments on their personal site in a social setting, or provide, only once, an interesting or relevant link to another site.


    Lesson: There are a few ways that you can advertise something. You can have it in your sig, or in the header of your personal blog. Never advertise on a board unless the board rules specify that it is ok. Always read the board rules and have in mind that advertising is also considered Spam. If you really want to advertise something, consult a mod first to see what he/she's opinion on the matter is.
    ToU wrote:
    Off-topic postings - The main purpose of the message boards and chat rooms within the Service is to provide discussion forums and opportunities for various video and computer games and their systems. Topicality is expected and will be enforced on all message boards and chat rooms not noted as purely social in nature.


    Lesson: Make sure you know in which board you are before you make a new post/thread. For example, don't post about the Xbox 360 on the PC board. If you're on the PC board, then post PC board related issues, if you're on System Wars board then post SW related issues, etc. Off-Topic posting is also considered spam. It also depends on the rules if a particular board if you can post off-topic related issues. This is why it is very important to read the rules of a board.
    ToU wrote:
    Disruptive Behavior - Behavior that disrupts the Service for other users, intentional or not, are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: messages or topic titles that force browsers to scroll horizontally; large blank or content-free messages; "bumping" multiple older topics (posting in them well after the last post); posting multiple identical or near-identical messages or topics, including "fad" posts or topics; intentionally hard-to-read topic titles or posts (i.e. ALL CAPS, AlTeRnAtE cApS, no spaces, no or excessive punctuation); posting multiple hard-to-read or nonsensical messages in a single or multiple topics; posting large ASCII art (except in social topics specifically calling for it); or post counting (i.e. "First", "100th Post"). Shouting or otherwise creating noise in an active voice channel is considered disruptive behavior.


    Scenario: POSTING ALL CAPS, or ALtErnAtE, let speek, nospaces, or tooo.....................much..........of this........... can get your post/thread deleted and closed. Also, unless the board rules stay that it is ok, don't celebrate your "500 post," posting a single smilie "" without any other wording is also considered disruptive behavior. The same goes for posting a single word. Hard to read colors is also disruptive posting.

    Lesson: How to avoid getting into trouble? Just post normally. You can post a smilie "" but make sure to accompany it with a sentence or two. The same for one word posts. If you want to post caps, make sure that most of your post is not CAPS, BUT LOWERCASED.
    ToU wrote:
    Plot Spoilers - Posting "spoilers" (critical plot details) about games, movies, time-delayed broadcast events, or other media in the title of a topic or in a message without a clear notice is prohibited. To discuss such information in a topic, users should leave the title of the topic as vague as possible, ensuring that no mention of the actual spoiler itself is included, and include a warning (i.e. "SPOILER") in the topic title. In a message post in a non-marked or otherwise unexpected topic, users should leave several blank lines in a post after a warning before revealing any vital plot information.


    Scenario: Let's say you are having a dicsussion about a game. You reveal a secret about the game that could ruin it for those users who have not played it yet. In the end, your post is deleted for not having put up a "Spoilers" warning.

    Lesson: Whenever you are having a discussion about a game an are going to reveal a secret about that game, make sure to put up a Spoiler warning big enough that everyone could see. How big?

    ******SPOILERS*******
    That's good enough for everyone to see. of course you can also get artistic and color up your Spoiler warning. Also, if you make a new thread/blog and are including spoilers, make sure to say so in the title.

    Example: Mario Cart for the DS ***SPOILERS!!!!***
    ToU wrote:
    Flooding, Invading, and Board Wars - Flooding a board or chat room with multiple disruptive topics or messages; invading another board (flooding a board as a group with multiple topics or messages); instigating, participating in, orretaliating in an invasion of a message board or any other online service; announcing or inciting a "war" or any conflict with the regular members of another board.


    Lesson: Don't "spam" another board because it will get you an automatic long vacation. If you have a problem with a certain board, just forget about it an move on. Of course, if someone is "Invading" your board, then you should use the report feature to call attention to your board, that way a moderator can stop by your board and stop the "invasion"
    Of course, never Impersonate another user, or try to stalk/harass one.

    Well that's all for now. I'll leave you with this: Do not take moderations to the hearth. If you got one, then it probably means you did something wrong. Instead of going to "ask the mods" and yell at the mods, go and see your moderation details and compare it to the Terms of Use. I'm sure you can find why you where moderated and how to prevent it from happening again if you do this.
    Related Links:

    Terms of Use

    Ask the Mods

    Moderating 101:

    In the spirit of helping you stay out of trouble, here are General Guidelines you can follow regarding Forum Conduct.

    Note: [size=11]These guidelines are meant to help you stay out of trouble, in the end you are still responsible for your actions. Not every mod sees these guidelines the same, but you can generally avoid trouble if you follow them. Please note that on every new board, there are also rules specific to that board that are not on the ToU. Make sure you read them. They are usually located on the floated threads.[/size]

    Any mod, be gs or wn mod, are permitted to add anything, or change anything in this post. Just fill out the "last revised" part.

    Last revised by: Gallego on 8/16/06. Added a new "Did You know."



    Abusing the report feature can get you suspended for a few days. If you are going to report someone, be absolutely sure that that user has broken the ToU.



    If you fill out the report form with the wrong categories, it may take a mod longer to respond to your report.



    The moderators queue can store abuse reports for weeks and weeks and maybe even months. So do not complain if you got a warning because of something you did last week. It was probably stored and no one took action until today.



    Losing points in a moderation simply means your level percentage goes down a bit but, you can always gain those points back by using the website. It is also not known how many points you lose.



    Making and Posting in a new account while your other one was suspended or banned can and will extend your Suspension/Ban period. Do not make new accounts, just take the free time given to you and go outside, play some games, while your Vacation period passes.

    Gamespot Moderators cannot moderate users on the shared boards. If you see someone breakin the rules on the shared boards, then use the report feature. A Gamefaqs moderator will take action. So, don't go complaining to a Gamespot Mod because no action was taken against a user in the shared boards. Is not their fault!

    Key Words:

    When in the ToU it says: "This includes, but is not limited to..." it means that not only are the examples provided what you can't do, but there are things that where not mentioned that you also can't do.

    Suspended: A normal suspension is anywhere from one to six days. Don't let the suspensions build up.

    Banned: Users suspended for over seven days - which is the max - are marked for banishment. Banned and Permanent Banned are the same thing. This means you're account is no longer valid at GS.

    Permanent Banned: See Banned above. This means you are gone forever. Some users try and create other accounts to come back to GS once their banned. This is a severe no-no. Be on your best behaviour.

    [QUOTE="ToU"][size=11]5. Protection of Your Password; Unauthorized Access

    Users are solely responsible for protecting their accounts from access by others. You are strongly encouraged to select a hard-to-guess password and not re-use that password on any other sites where it may be read by the owners or administrators of that site. Accessing or attempting to access any user account not belonging to you without permission is prohibited. Accessing another user's account in this manner is grounds for a permanent ban of all accounts from the site.    [/size][/QUOTE]

    Scenario 1: Do not give your password out to anyone. Let's say you do. The person you gave it to logs into your account and posts pornoghraphic materials. That person get's you IP Banned from gamespot. You come back later to find out that your account is banned. You plead for your account to be un-banned, but it will not. You are responsible for having shared your password with someone.

    Scenario 2: You are in a remote computer browsing the Forums. When you are done, LOG OUT. If you do not, the person that comes after you can access your gamespot account. If anything happens to your account, you are responsible for having left your account logged in. This also applies in your household. Always log out.

    Scenario 3: Some one guessed your pasword. That person decides to screw with your account. In the end, your accounts ends up being banned. Again, you are responsible for this. The less information you give out, the harder it would be for someone to figure out your password. Choose a hard pasword that only you know.

    Lessons: Never share your password, always log out and make sure you pick a very hard pasword that only you know. Do not even try to "hack" a user's account. Your IP can be seen by the Moderators and Admins. All the accounts that share your IP will be permanetly banned if you "hack" someone.

    [QUOTE="ToU"][size=11]Offensive Material -Users may not transmit or encourage others to transmit material or links to material considered patently offensive in nature. This includes, but is not limited to using vulgar, profane, or sexually explicit language; using race, religion, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, handicap, nationality, or gender as a means of insult; using threatening, harassing, defamatory, hate-speech, or libelous language; and posting, requesting, or otherwise sharing material considered pornographic, obscene, graphic, or hate speech. [/size][/QUOTE]

    Lesson: Do not use offensive language againts other users. Do not provide links to offensive material. Do not encourage the release/distribument of offensive material. Do not use offensive materials under any circumstances. Leave your Biased Opinion and racism out the door. Also, do not quote someone that has already posted offensive material. These things can get you a warning, a suspension or a ban. If you avoid all of these, then you'll be fine. Quoting these offensive material, etc is just as bad as posting it yourself.

    [QUOTE="ToU"][size=11]Vulgar language or substitutes for such- Our Service is programmed with a list of words that are considered vulgar under any context, and these words are not allowed to be used under any circumstances. Attempting to bypass the censor by misspelling, inserting spaces or symbols, transposing letters, using look-alike symbols, or any other method is not allowed. The only acceptable method of posting one of these vulgar words is to completely obscure it, making it impossible to determine what the word is without context. Additionally, certain words are prohibited from being used in topic titles and user information pages; bypassing the censor to post those words where they are restricted is also disallowed. For example, if "gris" is a banned word, the following are examples of bypassing that are not allowed: g-r-i-s, gr*s, 9|-1$, girs, gryeeeas, . Allowed: ****, grizzle, ****ed, ****ing, g'ed, g-word. (Note: Neither -ed nor -ing are parts of the banned word "gris".) Taking advantage of any limits in the Service's language filtering capabilities is not allowed. Any limits in such filters shall not be taken as permission to bypass rules regarding vulgar language. [/size][/QUOTE]

    Lesson: Do not, under any circumstance, try to bypass the Language Filter. The only way you can post an offensive word without getting a moderation is by completely obscuring it. Here are some examples of how to:

    Example Word: top

    Allowed: ***, ***ed, t-word. It also depends on the individual mod what he/she interprets as "allowed."

    Not allowed: t-o-p, t o p, t0p, t*p. It also depends on the individual mod what he/she interprets as "not allowed."

    [QUOTE="ToU"][size=11]Flaming - Communications clearly insulting other users, individually or as a group, directly or indirectly, are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: name-calling ("You're an idiot", "You moron"); direct insults and orders ("Screw you", "Go kill yourself"); insinuations ("Are you stupid or something?"); or insults towards family ("Your mom...").[/size][/QUOTE]

    Scenario: A new user asks:

    new User: "How do I put a picture in my sig?" you answer,

    You: "WTF!!! get out of here you idiotic n00b!"

    What happens next? Someone reports your post and you get moderated for it. If this is not the first time a mod caught you flaming a user today, then you will probably get a small 1 day vacation to cool your head off.

    Lesson: Don't insult anyone. Even in a online forum, people deserve to be treated with respect. Always remember to leave your attitude at the door.
    [quote="ToU"][size=11]Trolling (Inciting flames) - Messages intended solely to annoy and/or offend other users by going against the clear nature of a board, topic or chat room are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: provoking other users to respond with flames; provoking fans of a particular system or game, especially on boards or topics dedicated to that system or game; making misleading topic titles; asking obviously useless questions; and posting false information as fact.[/size][/quote]

    Scenario: A user asks:

    User: "Which one is better, PSP or DS?" you reply,

    You: "Obvious answer, is the DS :roll:"

    By doing this you are provoking an argument between you and the asking user. Never provoke argument. Just let it go. Once you start trolling, then it will probably lead you to flaming. If that happens, then you will probably spend a lot of time on vacations from Gamespot.

    Lesson: Again, treat everyone with respect. Don't start pointless arguments on an internet forum. If you want to flame a user, just forget it, let it go. Besides, we don't want you to die of a heart attack because your blood pressure rose too quickly.
    [quote="ToU"][size=11]Illegal activity - Communications that violate or incite others to violate the law are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to, asking for or providing: illegal copies of copyrighted software; methods of circumventing copyright protection; illegal copies of copyrighted music, movies, videos, or any other type of media; reprints of material from other web sites; or methods of cheating in online games.[/size][/quote]

    Lesson: Never ask/distribute anything that has to do with illegal software, illegal games or any other type of illegal activity. If you see someone posting things like this, please do report it. A user that does post anything illegal may receive a permanent ban, or in some cases, a small vacation.
    [quote="ToU"][size=11]Advertising - Messages that clearly advertise a service or product are not allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: unsolicited commercial or personal web site advertisements; :For-Sale/For-Trade/For-Auction/Wanted: notices; "Make Money Fast" scams, chain letters, and pyramid schemes; or any referrer-ID based sites (including both games and free-item marketing sites). Users are allowed to include their web site address in a signature, request comments on their personal site in a social setting, or provide, only once, an interesting or relevant link to another site.[/size][/quote]

    Lesson: There are a few ways that you can advertise something. You can have it in your sig, or in the header of your personal blog. Never advertise on a board unless the board rules specify that it is ok. Always read the board rules and have in mind that advertising is also considered Spam. If you really want to advertise something, consult a mod first to see what he/she's opinion on the matter is.
    [quote="ToU"][size=11]Off-topic postings - The main purpose of the message boards and chat rooms within the Service is to provide discussion forums and opportunities for various video and computer games and their systems. Topicality is expected and will be enforced on all message boards and chat rooms not noted as purely social in nature.[/size][/quote]

    Lesson: Make sure you know in which board you are before you make a new post/thread. For example, don't post about the Xbox 360 on the PC board. If you're on the PC board, then post PC board related issues, if you're on System Wars board then post SW related issues, etc. Off-Topic posting is also considered spam. It also depends on the rules if a particular board if you can post off-topic related issues. This is why it is very important to read the rules of a board.
    [quote="ToU"][size=11]Disruptive Behavior - Behavior that disrupts the Service for other users, intentional or not, are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: messages or topic titles that force browsers to scroll horizontally; large blank or content-free messages; "bumping" multiple older topics (posting in them well after the last post); posting multiple identical or near-identical messages or topics, including "fad" posts or topics; intentionally hard-to-read topic titles or posts (i.e. ALL CAPS, AlTeRnAtE cApS, no spaces, no or excessive punctuation); posting multiple hard-to-read or nonsensical messages in a single or multiple topics; posting large ASCII art (except in social topics specifically calling for it); or post counting (i.e. "First", "100th Post"). Shouting or otherwise creating noise in an active voice channel is considered disruptive behavior.[/size][/quote]

    Scenario: POSTING ALL CAPS, or ALtErnAtE, let speek, nospaces, or tooo.....................much..........of this........... can get your post/thread deleted and closed. Also, unless the board rules stay that it is ok, don't celebrate your "500 post," posting a single smilie ":)" without any other wording is also considered disruptive behavior. The same goes for posting a single word. Hard to read colors is also disruptive posting.

    Lesson: How to avoid getting into trouble? Just post normally. You can post a smilie ":)" but make sure to accompany it with a sentence or two. The same for one word posts. If you want to post caps, make sure that most of your post is not CAPS, BUT LOWERCASED.
    [quote="ToU"][size=11]Plot Spoilers - Posting "spoilers" (critical plot details) about games, movies, time-delayed broadcast events, or other media in the title of a topic or in a message without a clear notice is prohibited. To discuss such information in a topic, users should leave the title of the topic as vague as possible, ensuring that no mention of the actual spoiler itself is included, and include a warning (i.e. "SPOILER") in the topic title. In a message post in a non-marked or otherwise unexpected topic, users should leave several blank lines in a post after a warning before revealing any vital plot information.[/size][/quote]

    Scenario: Let's say you are having a dicsussion about a game. You reveal a secret about the game that could ruin it for those users who have not played it yet. In the end, your post is deleted for not having put up a "Spoilers" warning.

    Lesson: Whenever you are having a discussion about a game an are going to reveal a secret about that game, make sure to put up a Spoiler warning big enough that everyone could see. How big?

    ******SPOILERS*******
    That's good enough for everyone to see. of course you can also get artistic and color up your Spoiler warning. Also, if you make a new thread/blog and are including spoilers, make sure to say so in the title.

    Example: Mario Cart for the DS ***SPOILERS!!!!***
    [quote="ToU"][size=11]Flooding, Invading, and Board Wars - Flooding a board or chat room with multiple disruptive topics or messages; invading another board (flooding a board as a group with multiple topics or messages); instigating, participating in, orretaliating in an invasion of a message board or any other online service; announcing or inciting a "war" or any conflict with the regular members of another board.[/size][/quote]

    Lesson: Don't "spam" another board because it will get you an automatic long vacation. If you have a problem with a certain board, just forget about it an move on. Of course, if someone is "Invading" your board, then you should use the report feature to call attention to your board, that way a moderator can stop by your board and stop the "invasion"
    Of course, never Impersonate another user, or try to stalk/harass one.

    Well that's all for now. I'll leave you with this: Do not take moderations to the hearth. If you got one, then it probably means you did something wrong. Instead of going to "ask the mods" and yell at the mods, go and see your moderation details and compare it to the Terms of Use. I'm sure you can find why you where moderated and how to prevent it from happening again if you do this.
    Related Links:

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/misc/tos.html]Terms of Use[/url]

    [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_topics.php?board_id=909091235]Ask the Mods[/url]
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 16, 2006 5:35 pm GMT

    The Forum Key:


    What does the forum key mean?




    This simply means that you haven't read this topic. Go read it if it interests you.


    Once you read a topic, this red dot will appear next to it. This means just what it says, no new messages have been posted after you read it.


    After you read a thread and a new message is posted, then this green dot appears. You can see how many messages you have not read by looking under the how many posts the thread has:



    Hot means that a thread is popular. You can identify these popular threads when this hot flames appear next to it. We are pretty sure that the "hot" is given by number of views instead of number of posts.


    When someone makes a thread that requires your opinion, the poll signal will appear next to it. Go in it an vote, let your voice be heard!


    When a Gamespot staff posts in a thread, this signal will appear next to it. Go in and see what the Gods of GameSpot have posted.


    If a thread has lost it's way, then it will be locked by a moderator or a staff. Of course, not all locked threads are bad, some have useful info, but they don't require you to post in it. Just remember, once it's locked, you can't post in it.


    This signal appears next to the thread to show that you have replied in that thread. Make sure you checked back and see if someone agrees with whatever you posted.


    The Post Editor:

    Before I continue, I have to explain the new WYSIWYG post editor. First of all, what does WYSIWYG mean? What You See Is What You Get. Let's explore it and see how it works compare to the other ones on sister sites:

    First of all, to use the editor, make sure you have the WYSIWYG box activated or "checked" on Prefs>Forum Preferences.

    How does the editor look?



    Now let's see what each button does:

    Makes your font bold;
    Makes your font Italic;
    Makes your font underlined;
    Aligns your font to the left;
    Aligns your font to the center;

    Aligns your font to the right
    Justifies your font;
    Makes an unordered list, in other words, a bullet list,
    • one
    • two
    • three
    Makes and ordered list, in other words, a numbered list,
    1. one
    2. two
    3. three
    Makes an indent space, like so, so you have an indent tab
    so if I go to the next line, I start typing where ever the indent is.
    Takes the indent back, or goes back one indent if the case be that you put more than one.

    Font Family let's you choose a font type, choose wisely...or just pick the one you like more,


    Font size let's you pick a size for your font. Warning! Don't make them to big! It bugs!


    Set a font color. Once you click on it a window pops up for you to choose a color,


    Just pick one and hit apply.
    This is for checking your spelling. Use it, it doesn't hurt

    For you HTML wise people, this toggles the HTML editor for you to type in HTML. Once you are done, click you can toggle back to see the end result. To see a list of HTML codes allow, please see HTML and BBcode Post.

    Insert Hyper link. Use this button to insert a link into your post. They way you do it is by highlighting the words you want to link, click this button, paste your link and hit "Insert." Your highlighted text should be blue and underlines, and you should be able to click it. This will be explained further on the next posts.

    Use this to insert an image into a post. This will be fully explained on the next post.

    Click this to insert fun smilies into your post.
    Edited on Aug 20, 2008 12:29 pm GMT Edited 5 total times.

    The Forum Key:
    What does the forum key mean?




    This simply means that you haven't read this topic. Go read it if it interests you.


    Once you read a topic, this red dot will appear next to it. This means just what it says, no new messages have been posted after you read it.


    After you read a thread and a new message is posted, then this green dot appears. You can see how many messages you have not read by looking under the how many posts the thread has:



    Hot means that a thread is popular. You can identify these popular threads when this hot flames appear next to it. We are pretty sure that the "hot" is given by number of views instead of number of posts.


    When someone makes a thread that requires your opinion, the poll signal will appear next to it. Go in it an vote, let your voice be heard!


    When a Gamespot staff posts in a thread, this signal will appear next to it. Go in and see what the Gods of GameSpot have posted.


    If a thread has lost it's way, then it will be locked by a moderator or a staff. Of course, not all locked threads are bad, some have useful info, but they don't require you to post in it. Just remember, once it's locked, you can't post in it.


    This signal appears next to the thread to show that you have replied in that thread. Make sure you checked back and see if someone agrees with whatever you posted.
    The Post Editor:

    Before I continue, I have to explain the new WYSIWYG post editor. First of all, what does WYSIWYG mean? What You See Is What You Get. Let's explore it and see how it works compare to the other ones on sister sites:

    First of all, to use the editor, make sure you have the WYSIWYG box activated or "checked" on Prefs>Forum Preferences.

    How does the editor look?



    Now let's see what each button does:

    Makes your font bold;
    Makes your font Italic;
    Makes your font underlined;
    Aligns your font to the left;
    Aligns your font to the center;

    Aligns your font to the right
    Justifies your font;
    Makes an unordered list, in other words, a bullet list,
    • one
    • two
    • three
    Makes and ordered list, in other words, a numbered list,
    1. one
    2. two
    3. three
    Makes an indent space, like so, so you have an indent tab
    so if I go to the next line, I start typing where ever the indent is.
    Takes the indent back, or goes back one indent if the case be that you put more than one.

    Font Family let's you choose a font type, choose wisely...or just pick the one you like more,


    Font size let's you pick a size for your font. Warning! Don't make them to big! It bugs!


    Set a font color. Once you click on it a window pops up for you to choose a color,


    Just pick one and hit apply.
    This is for checking your spelling. Use it, it doesn't hurt :P

    For you HTML wise people, this toggles the HTML editor for you to type in HTML. Once you are done, click you can toggle back to see the end result. To see a list of HTML codes allow, please see HTML and BBcode Post.

    Insert Hyper link. Use this button to insert a link into your post. They way you do it is by highlighting the words you want to link, click this button, paste your link and hit "Insert." Your highlighted text should be blue and underlines, and you should be able to click it. This will be explained further on the next posts.

    Use this to insert an image into a post. This will be fully explained on the next post.

    Click this to insert fun smilies into your post.
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 16, 2006 5:49 pm GMT

    How to add pictures to Post/Sigs/Blogs:

    This technique can be used for all three, so listen closely as I will explain this only once...or twice...depending on the situation...

    What you need to know:

    To add a sig, go to Prefs>Forum Preferences>Scroll Down to Sig Box

    First of all, you cannot directly post an image from your computer to a post. This doesn't work. You first need to host the image somewhere on the site and then link to here for it to work. I'll explain how to do this know.

    There are a bunch of image hosting websites, but the most commonly used are Photobucket and Imageshack. My recommendation, use photobucket, easier and less confusing.

    How to upload an image in Imageshack?

    Go to www.imageshack.us, you can either choose to upload from a file on your computer or from a url on the web, choose whichever one you want to use. Please note than from url from web, means that you found an image online you want to host. Right click that image, go to properties and copy the url of the image. Go to imageshack, click the "url" button so it's checked, paste the image and click upload.

    Now, to upload from your computer, click the "browse" button



    A window pops up, find your image and click it twice. You should know see text in the browse box.



    Click the "host it" button

    To make your life alot easier, copy the last code given to you!



    Now here's 3 ways you can show this image, HTML, BBcode, and the Editor Way.

    Easiest Way:

    Click this button on the editor,

    Paste your code on the Img Url box, you can also add a title as well as a description to that image,



    Press the "Insert" button once you are done and your image will appear on the post



    Awesome! That's the easiest way to do it.

    The BBcode Way:

    Copy your img code and use this BBcode tags to show your image to the world

    Code:
    [img]http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/5113/hellsingsigoneev1.png[/img]


    the end result looks like this



    The HTML Way:

    Toggle the HTML on the editor and you can use HTML to insert your image,

    Code:
    <img src="http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/5113/hellsingsigoneev1.png" />


    end result



    How to Upload Using Photobucet?

    First of all, you need to register a FREE account on Photobucket. Do it, it takes 5 minutes.

    Once you have registered, follow these easy steps to upload an image,

    Click the "Browse" button


    Choose your image and click "Open" or double click your image,



    Click the "Upload" button, it chances to "uploading" once you clicked it,


    After is done, look for your image, 3 codes are given to you, again choose the first one to make your life easy,



    Follow the steps explained above on how to insert the image on your post/sig/blog post.

    Congrats, you are now internets smart
    Edited on Jan 16, 2007 9:56 am GMT
    How to add pictures to Post/Sigs/Blogs:

    This technique can be used for all three, so listen closely as I will explain this only once...or twice...depending on the situation...

    What you need to know:

    To add a sig, go to Prefs>Forum Preferences>Scroll Down to Sig Box

    First of all, you cannot directly post an image from your computer to a post. This doesn't work. You first need to host the image somewhere on the site and then link to here for it to work. I'll explain how to do this know.

    There are a bunch of image hosting websites, but the most commonly used are [url=www.photobucket.com]Photobucket[/url] and [url=www.imageshack.us]Imageshack[/url]. My recommendation, use photobucket, easier and less confusing.

    How to upload an image in Imageshack?

    Go to www.imageshack.us, you can either choose to upload from a file on your computer or from a url on the web, choose whichever one you want to use. Please note than from url from web, means that you found an image online you want to host. Right click that image, go to properties and copy the url of the image. Go to imageshack, click the "url" button so it's checked, paste the image and click upload.

    Now, to upload from your computer, click the "browse" button



    A window pops up, find your image and click it twice. You should know see text in the browse box.



    Click the "host it" button

    To make your life alot easier, copy the last code given to you!



    Now here's 3 ways you can show this image, HTML, BBcode, and the Editor Way.

    Easiest Way:

    Click this button on the editor,

    Paste your code on the Img Url box, you can also add a title as well as a description to that image,



    Press the "Insert" button once you are done and your image will appear on the post



    Awesome! That's the easiest way to do it.

    The BBcode Way:

    Copy your img code and use this BBcode tags to show your image to the world

    [code][img]http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/5113/hellsingsigoneev1.png[/img][/code]

    the end result looks like this

    [img]http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/5113/hellsingsigoneev1.png[/img]

    The HTML Way:

    Toggle the HTML on the editor and you can use HTML to insert your image,

    [code][/code]

    end result



    How to Upload Using Photobucet?

    First of all, you need to register a FREE account on Photobucket. Do it, it takes 5 minutes.

    Once you have registered, follow these easy steps to upload an image,

    Click the "Browse" button


    Choose your image and click "Open" or double click your image,



    Click the "Upload" button, it chances to "uploading" once you clicked it,


    After is done, look for your image, 3 codes are given to you, again choose the first one to make your life easy,



    Follow the steps explained above on how to insert the image on your post/sig/blog post.

    Congrats, you are now internets smart :P
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 16, 2006 6:07 pm GMT

    How do I put a picture in my sig?

    1. You MUST be at least level 3 in order to put a picture in your sig.

    2. Once you have your picture you must host it somewhere. Imageshack is a good place to do this.

    3. Once you have your URL go into Preferences, then click the tab that says forums.

    4. Place this in your signature box:
    [img]url of the image that you hosted[/img]

    If you want to link the image to a certain website or page use this instead:
    [url=address of website][img]url of image[/img][/url]

    NOTE: The url's should NOT be italicised.

    5. Hit apply changes

    6. If your signature does not appear right away, don't worry. Give it about 15 minutes and you should be able to see it.

    Animated Guide:

    How to Make a Sig Pic/Link

    First of all, if you are new to GameSpot, and are under level 3, then you are restricted from using HTML and BB Code in your signature. If you want to put a picture link in your signature, then you will have to meet this requirement first.

    The Easy Way to Make a Sig Pic/Link

    For those that don't have level restrictions set in place, follow the following instructions:

    Go to any board, and click new topic. This will open up an editing box for you to post a new thread. That's not what we're doing here though. We're using this editing box to easily create a signature inside. If you look in this box, you will see a set of tools that GameSpot has provided you to make it easier for you to edit your messages.


    1. Click the "Insert/Modify Image" button in the toolbar. It looks like this:

    This will open up a box that will allow you to enter in the link to the image you want to use. Enter or copy and paste the image link in the box and click the "ok" button. Your image will appear in the editing box.

    2. Highlight the image you just created and click the "Insert Web Link" button. It looks like this:

    This will open up a box that will allow you to enter the link to where you want this clickable image to lead. Type in the link, and then click the "ok" button. Congratulations, you have successfully created a clickable signature that leads to the destination you specified.

    3. Click the "Toggle HTML Source" button. It looks like this:

    Clicking this button will reveal the code that makes your signature work. Copy out all this code, click the "Prefs" button in the upper right hand corner of the screen, click "Forums," click the following button again, paste the code, and then click the "Apply Changes" button. That should be it.

    If you did everything right, it should create a finalized linked pic sig such as this:


    The Harder Way to Make a Sig Pic/Link

    Example Signature Template: [URL=IMG URL][IMG]PIC URL[/IMG][/URL]

    Real Example of Signature Code:

    Code:
    [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/gallegoreq.jpg][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/gallegoreq.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    To get the picture's URL, right click the picture you want, click properties, select the URL, copy and paste it into the "PIC URL" part of the template above. Click "Apply Changes" after you're done setting up your signature.

    If you did everything right, it should create a finalized linked pic sig such as this:

    Userbars:

    Many users are asking questions like "Where can I find Tags?" or "Who can make me sigs/banners?". I would recommend Liquid Designs . There you can request whatever tags/sigs you want or select from their wide variety of tags.

    There are more design unions on Gamespot, but Liquid Designs is probably the best and most reliable. Also, there is www.userbars.com, you can find a wide collection of tags there too.

    This is a "Welcome Newbies" tag made by Glazkrak of "Liquid Designs "


    How do I add a tag/userbar to my sig?

    It is easy to add a tag to your sig. Simply copy the image code, go to prefs>forums>sig box, paste and add the [img] tags.

    Let me demostrate using the Welcome Newbies tag:

    http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88/Jess_Girl76/11700_newbies.jpg Forum > Sig box and you can do 2 things:

    1st. Click the "Insert Image button" paste the tag code and hit ok. You should see the tag appear on the sig box. Simply click apply after you are done,

    or

    2nd. Paste your tag code "http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88/Jess_Girl76/11700_newbies.jpg" add the [img] tags

    [img] http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88/Jess_Girl76/11700_newbies.jpg [/img] and you will get

    .

    Note: Delete the 2 spaces for it to work.

    Userbar utilities
    userbar free animator- ubanimator.com
    make your own userbars- userbarmaker.com

    Edited on Jan 16, 2007 9:56 am GMT Edited 2 total times.

    How do I put a picture in my sig?

    1. You MUST be at least level 3 in order to put a picture in your sig.

    2. Once you have your picture you must host it somewhere. Imageshack is a good place to do this.

    3. Once you have your URL go into Preferences, then click the tab that says forums.

    4. Place this in your signature box:
    [img]url of the image that you hosted[/img]

    If you want to link the image to a certain website or page use this instead:
    [url=address of website][img]url of image[/img][/url]

    NOTE: The url's should NOT be italicised.

    5. Hit apply changes

    6. If your signature does not appear right away, don't worry. Give it about 15 minutes and you should be able to see it.

    Animated Guide:

    How to Make a Sig Pic/Link

    First of all, if you are new to GameSpot, and are under level 3, then you are restricted from using HTML and BB Code in your signature. If you want to put a picture link in your signature, then you will have to meet this requirement first.

    The Easy Way to Make a Sig Pic/Link

    For those that don't have level restrictions set in place, follow the following instructions:

    Go to any board, and click new topic. This will open up an editing box for you to post a new thread. That's not what we're doing here though. We're using this editing box to easily create a signature inside. If you look in this box, you will see a set of tools that GameSpot has provided you to make it easier for you to edit your messages.


    1. Click the "Insert/Modify Image" button in the toolbar. It looks like this:

    This will open up a box that will allow you to enter in the link to the image you want to use. Enter or copy and paste the image link in the box and click the "ok" button. Your image will appear in the editing box.

    2. Highlight the image you just created and click the "Insert Web Link" button. It looks like this:

    This will open up a box that will allow you to enter the link to where you want this clickable image to lead. Type in the link, and then click the "ok" button. Congratulations, you have successfully created a clickable signature that leads to the destination you specified.

    3. Click the "Toggle HTML Source" button. It looks like this:

    Clicking this button will reveal the code that makes your signature work. Copy out all this code, click the "Prefs" button in the upper right hand corner of the screen, click "Forums," click the following button again, paste the code, and then click the "Apply Changes" button. That should be it.

    If you did everything right, it should create a finalized linked pic sig such as this:


    The Harder Way to Make a Sig Pic/Link

    Example Signature Template: [URL=IMG URL][IMG]PIC URL[/IMG][/URL]

    Real Example of Signature Code:

    [code][URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/gallegoreq.jpg][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/gallegoreq.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/code]

    To get the picture's URL, right click the picture you want, click properties, select the URL, copy and paste it into the "PIC URL" part of the template above. Click "Apply Changes" after you're done setting up your signature.

    If you did everything right, it should create a finalized linked pic sig such as this:

    [URL=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/gallegoreq.jpg][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/gallegoreq.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

    Userbars:

    Many users are asking questions like "Where can I find Tags?" or "Who can make me sigs/banners?". I would recommend Liquid Designs . There you can request whatever tags/sigs you want or select from their wide variety of tags.

    There are more design unions on Gamespot, but Liquid Designs is probably the best and most reliable. Also, there is [url]www.userbars.com[/url], you can find a wide collection of tags there too.

    This is a "Welcome Newbies" tag made by Glazkrak of "Liquid Designs "


    How do I add a tag/userbar to my sig?

    It is easy to add a tag to your sig. Simply copy the image code, go to prefs>forums>sig box, paste and add the [img] tags.

    Let me demostrate using the Welcome Newbies tag:

    http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88/Jess_Girl76/11700_newbies.jpg Forum > Sig box and you can do 2 things:

    1st. Click the "Insert Image button" paste the tag code and hit ok. You should see the tag appear on the sig box. Simply click apply after you are done,

    or

    2nd. Paste your tag code "http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88/Jess_Girl76/11700_newbies.jpg" add the [img] tags

    [img] http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88/Jess_Girl76/11700_newbies.jpg [/img] and you will get

    [img]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88/Jess_Girl76/11700_newbies.jpg[/img].

    Note: Delete the 2 spaces for it to work.

    Userbar utilities
    userbar free animator- ubanimator.com
    make your own userbars- userbarmaker.com

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 16, 2006 6:09 pm GMT
    Adding your XBL Gamertag to your signature:

    This is done in a similar way to adding images to your sig, except for where you get the image. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

    1. Go to mygamercard.net.

    2. Enter your gamertag into the text box next to GamerTag.

    3. Click the button that says Generate GamerCard Code.

    4. Click the tab that says Forums Image and copy the code in the BBCode box.

    5. Return to GameSpot and click the prefs link by your username at the top of the page. Click the Forums tab and scroll down to the big text box next to Signature.

    6. Paste the copied code into the box and click Apply Changes.

    That's all there is to it!

    note: ps3gc.com and wiitag.org are the sites for PS3 and Wii gamercards, respectively, but they both require registration, so I didn't include them in this guide. If someone is willing to tell me how it's done and provide me some images, I'll add those to the guide.

    How to make animated sigs:

    Note: Click the Spoiler to see this post.

    ***SPOILER***

    Edited on Jun 10, 2007 1:03 pm GMT Edited 2 total times.
    Adding your XBL Gamertag to your signature:

    This is done in a similar way to adding images to your sig, except for where you get the image. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

    1. Go to [URL=http://www.mygamercard.net]mygamercard.net[/URL].

    2. Enter your gamertag into the text box next to GamerTag.
    [IMG]http://ui28.gamespot.com/411/xbl1.jpg[/IMG]

    3. Click the button that says Generate GamerCard Code.

    4. Click the tab that says Forums Image and copy the code in the BBCode box.
    [IMG]http://ui31.gamespot.com/1150/xbl2.jpg[/IMG]

    5. Return to GameSpot and click the prefs link by your username at the top of the page. Click the Forums tab and scroll down to the big text box next to Signature.

    6. Paste the copied code into the box and click Apply Changes.

    That's all there is to it!

    note: ps3gc.com and wiitag.org are the sites for PS3 and Wii gamercards, respectively, but they both require registration, so I didn't include them in this guide. If someone is willing to tell me how it's done and provide me some images, I'll add those to the guide.

    How to make animated sigs:

    Note: Click the Spoiler to see this post.

    [spoiler] Soulreavercross: I've seen the question pop up several times about movie sigs, so I decided to add this guide made my angel1212 on how to make simple movie sigs. You must have a basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop/Imageready to understand this guide.

    You will need

    • Image Ready
    • Photoshop (i'm using 7.0)
    • A Quicktime movie file of .gif ( www.gametrailers.com is a great resource for game quicktime files to download)

    Step 1

    Open Image Ready & open your quicktime movie.
    click on Selected range only and if a large file click: limit to every second frame.
    Hold Shift and click the frame advance (bottom right) for the length of movie you want.
    The frames you want should be hightlighted in grey.

    Step 2

    Resize your movie, i'm going to use 150 width (the height should be left as it should automatically keep it in proportion.
    (Image, Image Size on top toolbar)

    Step 3

    Change Canvas Size. (Image, Canvas Size)
    Use the Anchor to position your movie in the area of sig you want & make the canvas size slightly smaller than what you want the sig. Click OK

    Then change the canvas size again (leave Anchor) to the size you want your sig, this will take the movie off the edge.
    I want a 350 x 150 pixels sig so the first time i put 340 x 140 then on the second resize i enter 350 x 150

    Although play around with this to get your clip in required postion, I have used a difference of 10 pixels but plus 20 pixels on the second resize 'Canvas Width' would shift the clip more to the centre.

    Step 5
    Hop over to Photoshop

    Create new layer.
    Put this before any of the movie layers.


    Open any Image and copy onto this first layer


    Add a border to this image if required.
    Add Text here too if required. I also put a border on the movie here by using the rectangle tool on the first layer

    Step 6
    For a image over the movie, create a new layer right at the end of all movie layers and copy image into this layer resizing as required. I also added a 'Outer Glow' to Rikku & the Final Fantasy X-2 text to make it stand out a bit.

    Step 7.
    Hop back over image ready. Run the movie to make sure it looks OK. Then go to "Save Optimized As" and save your work.

    Here you can delete frames and change time delays to get a .gif that can be hosted (remember your hosts file size limit)

    Then....Job Done.
    It should look like this...

    Hope this helps, I'm not to good at explaining But Its all about playing around with different techniques to see what works best. I knocked this sig up in about 10 minutes [/spoiler]

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 16, 2006 6:22 pm GMT
    Level Faq:

    What is this crazy level up thing?

    It is a system that GameSpot cooked up to keep people coming back and using the site, and in return they are "rewarded" with points which convert into a percentage of a level. When you reach 100% you are leveled up and the cycle starts again. It gives people incentive to keep coming back and using the site.

    So what sort of things give me points and how much points do they give me?

    No one really knows for sure. GameSpot are very secretive about what exactly gives you points and what doesn't and how much you get for each individual thing. However this doesn't stop people from making educated guesses, so doing things like posting (a lot), watching videos and reading reviews, news and features are generally understood to count toward your points. Some thing will give you more points than others. For example, writting a reviews gives you more points than just posting in a board.

    I have been on the site all day and my percent still hasn't gone up, what is wrong?

    Nothing is wrong, the percent only goes up in the very early hours of the day. I have worked it out to be around 4 am PDT. This is because other wise the server would be busy updating ever users level and it would cause a lot of traffic on the site. Also it would make it easier for us to guess exactly what gives you how much points.

    How come the percentage in my profile is different to what is displayed at the top right of my browser?

    The percentage given in your profile is a more accurate representation of your percentage, because it is calculated to 2 decimal places. However the value displayed at the top of the browser is simply rounded off to the nearest whole number.

    Is there a limit to how much percent I can get in a day?

    Yes, there is a percentage cap per day. This cap varies depending on what level you are on, so it would be too hard to say exactly what it was. They do this to stop people from "gaming" the site just to earn points.

    Do Badges have anything to do with levels?

    Not really. Badges are a whole different reward system from leveling up. Badges are obtained by meeting the requirements for that particular achievement, for example getting a gamespace banner accepted by Gamespot you get the Artistic Badge.

    Hey my percentage or Level went down!!

    This will only happen if you violate the Terms of Service agreement that you agreed to when creating your account. This mostly happens on the forums if you post something rude or offensive, if you directly insult another user or post out of the boards topic, the post can be deleted and you may loose points for the offense. But these rules also apply to other regions of the site like reader reviews and news comments. If you want to give the ToS a read then click here.

    How many levels are there is there a final level?

    As for the exact amount of levels, I don't know. But there are definitely 50 or over so there is plenty of leveling up to be done. I don't think that there is a final level, and if there is it will only be temporary as GS adds new level names from time to time.

    At what level do I become a mod?

    Mods or Moderators are hand picked by gamespot, from all the good little boys and girls on the forums, to keep order on the boards. Becoming a mod has nothing to do with the levels. If you want to know how to become a moderator, then read this thread.

    What are the names given to each level?

    Each level is given a name that has something to do with games and gaming. Just look down to find out the names of each known level.

    Forum Levels:

    Level 1     - Player - Self-explanatory.

    Level 2 - Journeyman - Possibly a reference to the Journeyman Project series for the PC/Mac.

    Level 3 - Mediator - Reference to a 1986 spaceship game for the C64 and the NES.

    Level 4 - Paper Boy - Name of the forbidden>

    Edited on Feb 16, 2007 9:05 am GMT Edited 2 total times.
    Level Faq:

    What is this crazy level up thing?

    It is a system that GameSpot cooked up to keep people coming back and using the site, and in return they are "rewarded" with points which convert into a percentage of a level. When you reach 100% you are leveled up and the cycle starts again. It gives people incentive to keep coming back and using the site.

    So what sort of things give me points and how much points do they give me?

    No one really knows for sure. GameSpot are very secretive about what exactly gives you points and what doesn't and how much you get for each individual thing. However this doesn't stop people from making educated guesses, so doing things like posting (a lot), watching videos and reading reviews, news and features are generally understood to count toward your points. Some thing will give you more points than others. For example, writting a reviews gives you more points than just posting in a board.

    I have been on the site all day and my percent still hasn't gone up, what is wrong?

    Nothing is wrong, the percent only goes up in the very early hours of the day. I have worked it out to be around 4 am PDT. This is because other wise the server would be busy updating ever users level and it would cause a lot of traffic on the site. Also it would make it easier for us to guess exactly what gives you how much points.

    How come the percentage in my profile is different to what is displayed at the top right of my browser?

    The percentage given in your profile is a more accurate representation of your percentage, because it is calculated to 2 decimal places. However the value displayed at the top of the browser is simply rounded off to the nearest whole number.

    Is there a limit to how much percent I can get in a day?

    Yes, there is a percentage cap per day. This cap varies depending on what level you are on, so it would be too hard to say exactly what it was. They do this to stop people from "gaming" the site just to earn points.

    Do Badges have anything to do with levels?

    Not really. Badges are a whole different reward system from leveling up. Badges are obtained by meeting the requirements for that particular achievement, for example getting a gamespace banner accepted by Gamespot you get the Artistic Badge.

    Hey my percentage or Level went down!!

    This will only happen if you violate the Terms of Service agreement that you agreed to when creating your account. This mostly happens on the forums if you post something rude or offensive, if you directly insult another user or post out of the boards topic, the post can be deleted and you may loose points for the offense. But these rules also apply to other regions of the site like reader reviews and news comments. If you want to give the ToS a read then click here.

    How many levels are there is there a final level?

    As for the exact amount of levels, I don't know. But there are definitely 50 or over so there is plenty of leveling up to be done. I don't think that there is a final level, and if there is it will only be temporary as GS adds new level names from time to time.

    At what level do I become a mod?

    Mods or Moderators are hand picked by gamespot, from all the good little boys and girls on the forums, to keep order on the boards. Becoming a mod has nothing to do with the levels. If you want to know how to become a moderator, then read this [url=http://www.gamespot.com/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=24035492]thread[/url].

    What are the names given to each level?

    Each level is given a name that has something to do with games and gaming. Just look down to find out the names of each known level.

    Forum Levels:

    Level 1     - Player - Self-explanatory.

    Level 2 - Journeyman - Possibly a reference to the Journeyman Project series for the PC/Mac.

    Level 3 - Mediator - Reference to a 1986 spaceship game for the C64 and the NES.

    Level 4 - Paper Boy - Name of the forbidden>

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:18 am GMT

    Forum definitions:

    • Gamespot (GS)
    • System Wars (SW)
    • General Games Discussion (GGD)
    • Offtopic Discussion (OT)

    Noob- Refers to someone with out knowledge, such as to the System Wars board itself, gaming in general, or anything else.

    Fanboy- Refers to someone who supports a system with great enthuziasm. the following fanboy names are the only acceptable alternatives.

    Sheep- A Nintendo fanboy. Called so because their willingness to be herded by Nintendo, seen as their shepard.

    Lemming- A Microsoft (console) fanboy. Follow what MS says even if it's leading to their demise.

    Cow- A Sony (console) fanboy. Follows the herd.

    Hermit- A PC fanboy. Loner, no friends gamer who playes by himself.

    Manticore- Someone who owns and enjoys all systems equally...Impossible to achieve total equality and to be complety unbiased... but someone who at least tries.

    Casual- A gamer who is not into gaming as intently as others, may not own to many systems or have been gaming for very long.

    Hardcore- Someone with a vast amount of gaming history, knowledge, and/or collection and greatly enjoys videogames.

    Kiddy- a name used to insault cartoon like graphics as being something a child would enjoy.

    Mod- A Gamespot moderator who has the ability to lock threads, delete posts, suspend users or ban them from the site.

    Spoilers- When posting about a game, adding *Spoilers* before any pertinant information will prevent the post from ruining the story, or game, for others; prevent the thread or post from being deleted; and the poster from being suspended or banned.

    Bump- Typing "bump" to revive a thread or move it closer to the top of the forum is considered disruptive behavior and will get you moderated. Don't do it.

    Lock- When an inappropriate thread is no longer able to be posted in.

    Hype- The amount of attention a game gets.

    GS Rating- The numerical worth of a game. To be used to judge how good or bad a game is in System Wars, though in the real world personal opinions are what matters.

    AAAA- The rare and perfect game which recives a 10.

    AAA- A game rated 9.0 - 9.9

    AA- A game rated 8.0 - 8.9

    A- A game rated 7.0 - 7.9

    Flop- A game that has not lived up to System Wars expectations, such as when a game is hyped AAA and gets below AAA status, or when a game is hyped to a certain score and fails to achieve it. DOES NOT determine the worth of the game.

    Owned- To own someone, to prove them wrong in a big way, to embarass them.

    Self-Owned- To post information that is completly wrong to the point where it embarasses oneself.

    Damage Control- Making up excusses after being owned in order to try and avoid the ownage that did infact occur.

    LMAO- Laugh My A** Off.

    ROFL- Roll On Floor Laughing.

    LOL- Laughing Out Loud.

    J/K- Just Kidding.

    T(S-L-C-H)HBO- The (Sheep-Lemmings-Crabs-Hermits) Have Been Owned.

    Fakeboy- When a poster knowingly bashes a system he enjoys to start an argument, or bashes a system in order to make the fanboy group as a whole look bad.

    Troll- Someone who for no reason tries to start an arguement.

    Flambait- Lame and inflamitory arguments used mostly by trolls to try to start an argument.

    Flooding- When the board is filled with new threads all about the same topic.

    Multiplatform- A game that can be found on more than one system.

    Exclusive- A game that can be found on only one system.

    Time Exclusvie- A game that can be found on only one system but then goes multiplatform after the exclusive period has expired.

    Port- When a game that has been out for a while on an older system comes to another system with no, or very little improvment.

    Rehash- To recreate an older game without making significant changes.

    B/C- Backwards compatability, the ability for a new system to play the games found on the previous generation(s) of systems.

    Gimmick- An innovative accessory that is seen more as a lame attempt than a new ****of gaming.

    Milked- To be forced bo buy or recieve something that is the norm, or should have been included originally.

    1337- Somehow became known to mean "elite"

    Teh- A common mispelling, to make someone look unintelligent on purpose.

    IMO- Abbreviation for "In My Opinion".

    QFT- Abbreviation for "Quoted for Truth". (don't use it. it'll get you moderated)

    BTW - Abbreviation for "By the way"

    System names-
    • GC- Nintendo Gamecube.
    • Xbox- Microsoft Xbox
    • PS2- Sony Playstation 2
    • PSX- Sony Playstation (original model)
    • PS1- Sony Playstation (smaller model)
    • N64- Nintendo 64
    • NES- Nintendo Entertainment System
    • SNES- Super Nintendo Entertainment System
    • REV- Nintendo Revolution.
    • PS3- Sony Playstation 3
    • Xbox 360- Microsoft Xbox 360
    • SAT- Sega Saturn
    • DS- Nintendo Duel Screen (DS)
    • PSP- Sony Playstation Portable (PSP)

    For more see this     thread.

    Smileys:

    Smileys can be inserted into posts with the button, some browsers don't support that so this is how you do different smileys manually.
    Take out the space to put a smiley in your post. Ie: : D = (without a space)

    : D =
    : ) =
    : ( =
    ; ) =
    : | =
    : shock : =
    : evil : =
    : ? =
    : P =
    : oops : =
    8 ) =
    : lol : =
    : cry : =
    : twisted : =
    : arrow : =
    : x =
    : o =
    : ! : =
    : roll : =
    : idea : =
    : question : =

    These can be copied and pasted into posts:




    Forum Codes:

    lol
    definition -> Laugh Out Loud, used for something funny
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: I have a pet gorilla who ate my old keyboard
    Poster 2 says: lol

    lmao
    definition -> Laughing My Ass Off, used for something very funny
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: my dancing llama has a thing for you
    Poster 2 says: lmao

    roflmao
    definition -> Rolling On Floor Laughing My Ass Off, used for something extremely funny
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: I'm not fat, i'm just tubby
    Poster 2 says: roflmao!

    wtf
    definition -> What The ****, used in a puzzling or suprising situation
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: I'm gonna report you for saying crap!
    Poster 2 says: wtf?

    omg
    definition -> Oh My God, used in any kind of situation, really
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: You won an OTscers award!
    Poster 2 says: omg!

    IWHI
    definition -> I Would Hit It, pretty much explains itself ("_ )
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: What would you do if you saw a dead animal?
    Poster 2 says: IWHI

    STFU
    definition - NAUGHTY
    use of word: BAD
    Poster 1 says: STFU NOOB.

    Forum Words

    owned
    definition -> used when someone has got something wrong or has had "their ass handed to them" in some cases ("_ )
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: 7+3=9
    Poster 2 says: actually its 10
    Poster 3 says: OWNED!

    noob
    definition -> used to describe a new person or can sometimes be used to insult people.
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: what level do i have to be until i can get that "mod" badge?
    Poster 2 says: what a noob!

    w00t
    definition -> used to describe happiness
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: E3 is gonna be next month
    Poster 2 says: w00t!

    1337
    definition -> used for the word "elite"
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: Want me to make you a signature? I'm great at making them thanks to my 1337 photoshop skills!

    >
    definiton -> this sign, like in maths, means "greater than"
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: OT > System Wars

    flop
    definition -> flop is used to describe something that has failed
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: the thread has flopped

    bbq
    definition -> it's used to "invite" you to a barbeque ("_ ) anyone a good cook?
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: Off-Topic has won the Forum of the Year award
    Poster 2 says: OMG!!!!WTF!!!!!BBQ!!!!

    pwn
    definition -> means "own"
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: This thread pwnz the thread below it.

    Edited on Apr 21, 2009 3:38 pm GMT Edited 4 total times.

    Forum definitions:

    • Gamespot (GS)
    • System Wars (SW)
    • General Games Discussion (GGD)
    • Offtopic Discussion (OT)

    Noob- Refers to someone with out knowledge, such as to the System Wars board itself, gaming in general, or anything else.

    Fanboy- Refers to someone who supports a system with great enthuziasm. the following fanboy names are the only acceptable alternatives.

    Sheep- A Nintendo fanboy. Called so because their willingness to be herded by Nintendo, seen as their shepard.

    Lemming- A Microsoft (console) fanboy. Follow what MS says even if it's leading to their demise.

    Cow- A Sony (console) fanboy. Follows the herd.

    Hermit- A PC fanboy. Loner, no friends gamer who playes by himself.

    Manticore- Someone who owns and enjoys all systems equally...Impossible to achieve total equality and to be complety unbiased... but someone who at least tries.

    Casual- A gamer who is not into gaming as intently as others, may not own to many systems or have been gaming for very long.

    Hardcore- Someone with a vast amount of gaming history, knowledge, and/or collection and greatly enjoys videogames.

    Kiddy- a name used to insault cartoon like graphics as being something a child would enjoy.

    Mod- A Gamespot moderator who has the ability to lock threads, delete posts, suspend users or ban them from the site.

    Spoilers- When posting about a game, adding *Spoilers* before any pertinant information will prevent the post from ruining the story, or game, for others; prevent the thread or post from being deleted; and the poster from being suspended or banned.

    Bump- Typing "bump" to revive a thread or move it closer to the top of the forum is considered disruptive behavior and will get you moderated. Don't do it.

    Lock- When an inappropriate thread is no longer able to be posted in.

    Hype- The amount of attention a game gets.

    GS Rating- The numerical worth of a game. To be used to judge how good or bad a game is in System Wars, though in the real world personal opinions are what matters.

    AAAA- The rare and perfect game which recives a 10.

    AAA- A game rated 9.0 - 9.9

    AA- A game rated 8.0 - 8.9

    A- A game rated 7.0 - 7.9

    Flop- A game that has not lived up to System Wars expectations, such as when a game is hyped AAA and gets below AAA status, or when a game is hyped to a certain score and fails to achieve it. DOES NOT determine the worth of the game.

    Owned- To own someone, to prove them wrong in a big way, to embarass them.

    Self-Owned- To post information that is completly wrong to the point where it embarasses oneself.

    Damage Control- Making up excusses after being owned in order to try and avoid the ownage that did infact occur.

    LMAO- Laugh My A** Off.

    ROFL- Roll On Floor Laughing.

    LOL- Laughing Out Loud.

    J/K- Just Kidding.

    T(S-L-C-H)HBO- The (Sheep-Lemmings-Crabs-Hermits) Have Been Owned.

    Fakeboy- When a poster knowingly bashes a system he enjoys to start an argument, or bashes a system in order to make the fanboy group as a whole look bad.

    Troll- Someone who for no reason tries to start an arguement.

    Flambait- Lame and inflamitory arguments used mostly by trolls to try to start an argument.

    Flooding- When the board is filled with new threads all about the same topic.

    Multiplatform- A game that can be found on more than one system.

    Exclusive- A game that can be found on only one system.

    Time Exclusvie- A game that can be found on only one system but then goes multiplatform after the exclusive period has expired.

    Port- When a game that has been out for a while on an older system comes to another system with no, or very little improvment.

    Rehash- To recreate an older game without making significant changes.

    B/C- Backwards compatability, the ability for a new system to play the games found on the previous generation(s) of systems.

    Gimmick- An innovative accessory that is seen more as a lame attempt than a new ****of gaming.

    Milked- To be forced bo buy or recieve something that is the norm, or should have been included originally.

    1337- Somehow became known to mean "elite"

    Teh- A common mispelling, to make someone look unintelligent on purpose.

    IMO- Abbreviation for "In My Opinion".

    QFT- Abbreviation for "Quoted for Truth". (don't use it. it'll get you moderated)

    BTW - Abbreviation for "By the way"

    System names-
    • GC- Nintendo Gamecube.
    • Xbox- Microsoft Xbox
    • PS2- Sony Playstation 2
    • PSX- Sony Playstation (original model)
    • PS1- Sony Playstation (smaller model)
    • N64- Nintendo 64
    • NES- Nintendo Entertainment System
    • SNES- Super Nintendo Entertainment System
    • REV- Nintendo Revolution.
    • PS3- Sony Playstation 3
    • Xbox 360- Microsoft Xbox 360
    • SAT- Sega Saturn
    • DS- Nintendo Duel Screen (DS)
    • PSP- Sony Playstation Portable (PSP)

    For more see this     [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=23880802]thread[/url].

    Smileys:

    Smileys can be inserted into posts with the button, some browsers don't support that so this is how you do different smileys manually.
    Take out the space to put a smiley in your post. Ie: : D = (without a space)

    : D =
    : ) =
    : ( =
    ; ) =
    : | =
    : shock : =
    : evil : =
    : ? =
    : P =
    : oops : =
    8 ) =
    : lol : =
    : cry : =
    : twisted : =
    : arrow : =
    : x =
    : o =
    : ! : =
    : roll : =
    : idea : =
    : question : =

    These can be copied and pasted into posts:




    Forum Codes:

    lol
    definition -> Laugh Out Loud, used for something funny
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: I have a pet gorilla who ate my old keyboard
    Poster 2 says: lol

    lmao
    definition -> Laughing My Ass Off, used for something very funny
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: my dancing llama has a thing for you
    Poster 2 says: lmao

    roflmao
    definition -> Rolling On Floor Laughing My Ass Off, used for something extremely funny
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: I'm not fat, i'm just tubby
    Poster 2 says: roflmao!

    wtf
    definition -> What The ****, used in a puzzling or suprising situation
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: I'm gonna report you for saying crap!
    Poster 2 says: wtf?

    omg
    definition -> Oh My God, used in any kind of situation, really
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: You won an OTscers award!
    Poster 2 says: omg!

    IWHI
    definition -> I Would Hit It, pretty much explains itself ("_ )
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: What would you do if you saw a dead animal?
    Poster 2 says: IWHI

    STFU
    definition - NAUGHTY
    use of word: BAD :evil:
    Poster 1 says: STFU NOOB.

    Forum Words

    owned
    definition -> used when someone has got something wrong or has had "their ass handed to them" in some cases ("_ )
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: 7+3=9
    Poster 2 says: actually its 10
    Poster 3 says: OWNED!

    noob
    definition -> used to describe a new person or can sometimes be used to insult people.
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: what level do i have to be until i can get that "mod" badge?
    Poster 2 says: what a noob!

    w00t
    definition -> used to describe happiness
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: E3 is gonna be next month
    Poster 2 says: w00t!

    1337
    definition -> used for the word "elite"
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: Want me to make you a signature? I'm great at making them thanks to my 1337 photoshop skills!

    >
    definiton -> this sign, like in maths, means "greater than"
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: OT > System Wars

    flop
    definition -> flop is used to describe something that has failed
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: the thread has flopped

    bbq
    definition -> it's used to "invite" you to a barbeque ("_ ) anyone a good cook?
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: Off-Topic has won the Forum of the Year award
    Poster 2 says: OMG!!!!WTF!!!!!BBQ!!!!

    pwn
    definition -> means "own"
    use of the word -> Poster 1 says: This thread pwnz the thread below it.

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:19 am GMT

    How to add a Gamespot Tag:

    Gamespot tags are a way to mark a certain video, news or game. It is kinda like making keywords for when someone is searching for something, that person can find many result tagged under one word.

    For example, If I add a tag, “Sony” to a PS2 story, then a user who does a tag search and looks for “Sony” can find the story I tagged. If a lot of users tagged the same story with “Sony,” then that story will appear at the top of the search results.

    How do I add one?

    In any place around gamespot website, if you find a small toolbar containing a red X and a "tag" then you can add a tag.


    Here's how.

    Step 1. Click the "Tag" link and a small window will scroll down.



    Write your tags, then hit the "save tags" button. In the end you should see a window saying that your tags have been saved:



    To see all of your tags, go to your Profile, and click the "Tag" tab.

    My Gamespot Bagde:

    What is a "My Gamespot Badge?" It is something like Xbox's Gamer tag.

    Go to your profile, and look for the link:



    Click it and code should appear



    If you want it in a post, copy and paste the code into a post. Make sure you are in HTML mode. If you are using a html editor (toolbar) just hit the "toggle html source" button. then paste the code

    if you just want want to link to it, use this url:
    http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/badge.php?user=(username here)
    Example:
    http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/badge.php?user=_Sam_

    Edited on Jan 16, 2007 9:58 am GMT

    How to add a Gamespot Tag:

    Gamespot tags are a way to mark a certain video, news or game. It is kinda like making keywords for when someone is searching for something, that person can find many result tagged under one word.

    For example, If I add a tag, “Sony” to a PS2 story, then a user who does a tag search and looks for “Sony” can find the story I tagged. If a lot of users tagged the same story with “Sony,” then that story will appear at the top of the search results.

    How do I add one?

    In any place around gamespot website, if you find a small toolbar containing a red X and a "tag" then you can add a tag.


    Here's how.

    Step 1. Click the "Tag" link and a small window will scroll down.



    Write your tags, then hit the "save tags" button. In the end you should see a window saying that your tags have been saved:



    To see all of your tags, go to your Profile, and click the "Tag" tab.

    My Gamespot Bagde:

    What is a "My Gamespot Badge?" It is something like Xbox's Gamer tag.

    Go to your profile, and look for the link:



    Click it and code should appear



    If you want it in a post, copy and paste the code into a post. Make sure you are in HTML mode. If you are using a html editor (toolbar) just hit the "toggle html source" button. then paste the code

    if you just want want to link to it, use this url:
    http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/badge.php?user=(username here)
    Example:
    http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/badge.php?user=_Sam_

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:20 am GMT

    How to make a User Created Board (UCB):

    First of all, Only Paying Subcribers can make a UCB.     

    Step 1:



    Go to the main Forums page. Locate you stats and click on the "My User-Created Board" link.

    Step. 2:



    After Step. 1 you will be taken to this page. Here you choose the name, upload a banner, and choose moderators for your board. You can also post announcements here.

    Step. 3:

    Hit "Save Changes" and your board is done!


    To manage your board, either go to your profile, or the main forum page, looks under your stats and click the "My User Created Board" link. See the first image to see where it is.

    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 1:33 pm GMT Edited 2 total times.

    How to make a User Created Board (UCB):

    First of all, Only Paying Subcribers can make a UCB.     

    Step 1:



    Go to the main Forums page. Locate you stats and click on the "My User-Created Board" link.

    Step. 2:



    After Step. 1 you will be taken to this page. Here you choose the name, upload a banner, and choose moderators for your board. You can also post announcements here.

    Step. 3:

    Hit "Save Changes" and your board is done!


    To manage your board, either go to your profile, or the main forum page, looks under your stats and click the "My User Created Board" link. See the first image to see where it is.

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:22 am GMT

    Are You Actually Serious About Creating a Union?

    First, let me start off by saying that if you don't read this entire post just because of its length, then you shouldn't even create a union, because you don't even have the patience to manage and keep one running. If you're trying to find out if you have what it takes to create and lead a union, then you're in the right place. You'll also find some tips here on what you should know and look for before creating a union. Below are some questions to ask yourself. Read the answers, and if you fit the description, then you're most likely leader material. If you don't fit the description, then I would suggest that you don't even try it. You can try creating a union if you want too, but you'll have a much lower chance of success with keeping it alive. Hopefully you have what it takes to be a leader!

    Question 1: Why do I want to create a union? Am I actually serious about making one succeed?
    Answer: Everybody has their own reason why they want to create a union, but the main question is if you're really serious about doing it. If you're just making a union for the hell of it, because you think it will make you more popular or important, or because everybody else is doing it, then please don't waste your time, because it sounds to me like you're not really serious about making one. Being the leader of a union is a serious responsibility, and if you aren't up to the challenge and serious about what you're trying to do, then your union is going to fail. Please make sure you're serious about creating one before you actually do it.

    Question 2: Am I willing to invest the countless hours it will take to make my union a success?
    Answer: Being the leader of a union requires a lot of time and dedication. You will also have a lot of responsibility, including advertising, coming up with good ideas, moderating the board, picking responsible officers, making sure they do their jobs, making sure the front page content meets the quality standard, keeping the union active, and all the other responsibilities that come along with being the leader of a GameSpot union. If you're not willing to do these things, then you're not leader material, and your union is going to fail. What's going to happen is that you're going to make a half assed union, not try to keep it going, and then it's just going to die soon after you make it. If you're not willing to do these things, then please don't waste your time.

    Question 3: Does the union I want to make already exist?
    Answer: Most of the time people think "Hey, I really love Star Wars, so maybe I should make a union about it." They go ahead and make the union, and then they wonder why it doesn't get active. The reason for this is because there is probably already an active union out there that is dedicated to the same subject as your union, and in Star Wars case, there are probably more than ten unions about it. You need to think, "Why would people want to join my union, if there is already an active one on the same subject?" They won't want too, because they would rather post in the Star Wars union that is already active. Don't make the mistake of creating a union that already exists. Search around to make sure that your union doesn't already exist, and if it doesn't, then make it. This point could be the deciding factor of whether or not your union is successful. Please make sure you take this seriously!

    Question 4: Would people actually be interested in what my union is about?
    Answer: When coming up with a subject for your union, make sure it's something that people would actually be interested in joining and talking about. Making something like "The Cheese Union," or "The Door Knob Union" is almost a guaranteed failure, because nobody wants to talk about that. You're basically just filling up the union list with spam. Try to make your union original, but not to the point where it's just ridiculous. And like the question and answer above, if a union you want to make (The Xbox 360 Union for example) is already made, then don't try to be a copy cat and make your own union about the same subject. Just join an existing union about that subject, and help that to succeed with your own ideas. Competition is pointless, because instead you could just add yourself as a member to your competitors union and help it grow, and have fun there.

    I'd also like to add that there are a whole bunch of unions that are dedicated to off-topic discussion, and really have no point beyond that. They basically have no point or reason for exisiting, and because of this, most of them are dead unions. Don't create the 100th off-topic union just because you feel you need to have one for yourself. Just think of something else, or join an exisiting one.

    Question 5: My union is called "The Halo, Half-Life, Xbox, Star Wars, Math Union." Why is it not active?
    Answer: This is one of the worst problems that many members keep doing over and over, and combining this problem with unions that already exist is even more horrible. Many people seem to think that it's a good idea to make a union about multiple topics like this, when in fact it's more harmful to your union than anything. Unions like this are just way too broad. The names of them also make them sound ridiculous, making many people just pass them by. You might as well put a sign up that says "Please don't join my union." Here is just a short random list of unions that have this problem....The Wrestling and Shooters Union, Playstation 3 and Revolution Union, The Nintendo and Sony Union, The Ratchet, Jak, and Star Wars Union....I think you get the picture.

    If you were looking to join "The Halo Union," and a union called "The PS3 and Halo 2 Union" existed also, which one would you feel more drawn too? Most people would choose "The Halo Union," and this is because it's about a specific game, and not multiple topics. If the member wanted to talk about Halo, then he or she would go to "The Halo Union," and if the member wanted to talk about the PS3, then he or she would go to "The PlayStation 3 Union." If you want people to take your union seriously, and participate in it, then you'll need to narrow it down to a certain subject, and then focus your union on that. When you know what you want your union to be about, you will have a much clearer view of what you want to accomplish, and where you want to take your union in the future.

    Another way you could do it is the way I do it with my union, The HeadCrab Union. It's about all the Half-Life games, but we also support off-topic discussion on the board, which allows our members to talk about other things to spice it up a bit. You don't have to focus your union on multiple topics. You can have a main focus, and then a board that also lets people talk about the main focus, plus other things.

    One more thing here is that you should create a union about a series of games, instead of only one. For example, you would rather have "The Halo Union," and talk about all past and upcoming Halo games, instead of having a union that only talks about Halo 2. Once Halo 2 is gone, then your union might as well be dead, since the game has already passed. Make your union about a series of games, that way you will have more things to talk about than just one game.

    Question 6: Do I have a clear view of what I want to accomplish with my union?
    Answer: Other than the subject, you must have a clear view of what you actually want to accomplish with your union, or it isn't going to go anywhere. An example of a clear view is wanting to create a union on a certain game, and creating articles for every piece of news that comes out, simply for the purpose of letting others know the news. You need to know what you want the purpose of the union to be, and what goals you want to accomplish, that way you can focus your attention on those things. If you don't really have any goals, then it's pointless to create one. Having goals is what will help you to keep the focus of your union intact.

    Many people create unions like The Gamers Union, or something similar. It will usually be about talking about all games, including off-topic. There are just way too many unions like this, and almost none of them succeed. Why do they not succeed? For one, they are just too broad, like in the question and answer above. Talking about any game is what the General Games Discussion board is for. Second, the union doesn't have a focus or goal. They're just all over the place. People want to join a union because they are interested in what it's about. If it's about anything and everything then what is the point in joining that? What makes that so special? Nothing makes it special, because the union doesn't focus on a certain subject.

    Question 7: Are you well enough prepared to lead your union?
    Answer: Being well prepared before opening your union can be the deciding factor of how successful your union will be. So what necessary steps do you need to take in order to be prepared for opening day? Well for one, your union needs a banner. If you don't know how to make banners, then you can request a banner from The Liquid Designs Union or The Crimson Designs Union. Next, familiarize yourself with the administrative system of your union. In order to lead a successful union, you will need to know how it works, so learn how to invite people, how to post news, and how to add restrictions to your union. There is always something new to learn. Furthermore, create content for the union so your future members will have something to do when they join. Would you want to join a union that is completely empty? There has to be a reason for your members to join. The board alone is not a good enough reason for people to join, so create some content for the union so everyone can see that the union has potential. Lastly, organize your union, your officers, and make sure that you will have plenty of time to invest in the union for the upcoming month. The first month is very important, so don't plan a vacation right after opening the union. You have to be there, otherwise the union is going to fail without proper guidance and a vision for the future. Remember, the toughest part is yet to come so be prepared.

    Question 8: Do I know people on GameSpot that will help me start my union?
    Answer: When creating a union, many people make the mistake of asking people they don't know to help them start their union by being a charter member. What happens is that you send the charter invite to them, they never accept it, and you don't get your union made. To avoid this, find people on GameSpot that you know and ask them first to see if they will help you start your union up. Make sure you PM them asking them if they will help you first. Don't just assume that they will because they are your friends, and then just go ahead and send a charter member invite to them. Notify them first to confirm that they will help you. Also, try to pick intelligent good members, especially if you want them to stay and become officers on your union. Making people officers that you don't know is a bad idea.

    I Understand, and I'm Ready to Create a Union!

    If you understand how big of a responsibility being a union leader is, how much time you need to put into one, and the things you need to look for and know before creating one, then you seem to be up to the challenge, and ready to create a GameSpot union. You can create one by clicking this link. You can browse the existing unions in the GameSpot Union Directory. You can also view further information on unions by visiting the GameSpot Union FAQ. Let's hope you make a big impact on the community. Remember that if you want an example union to study, visit my union, The HeadCrab Union, and study everything that I do to keep the place successful, how the board is managed, how the front page is set up, everything!. Good luck to you and your new union!

    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 1:33 pm GMT Edited 2 total times.

    Are You Actually Serious About Creating a Union?

    First, let me start off by saying that if you don't read this entire post just because of its length, then you shouldn't even create a union, because you don't even have the patience to manage and keep one running. If you're trying to find out if you have what it takes to create and lead a union, then you're in the right place. You'll also find some tips here on what you should know and look for before creating a union. Below are some questions to ask yourself. Read the answers, and if you fit the description, then you're most likely leader material. If you don't fit the description, then I would suggest that you don't even try it. You can try creating a union if you want too, but you'll have a much lower chance of success with keeping it alive. Hopefully you have what it takes to be a leader!

    Question 1: Why do I want to create a union? Am I actually serious about making one succeed?
    Answer: Everybody has their own reason why they want to create a union, but the main question is if you're really serious about doing it. If you're just making a union for the hell of it, because you think it will make you more popular or important, or because everybody else is doing it, then please don't waste your time, because it sounds to me like you're not really serious about making one. Being the leader of a union is a serious responsibility, and if you aren't up to the challenge and serious about what you're trying to do, then your union is going to fail. Please make sure you're serious about creating one before you actually do it.

    Question 2: Am I willing to invest the countless hours it will take to make my union a success?
    Answer: Being the leader of a union requires a lot of time and dedication. You will also have a lot of responsibility, including advertising, coming up with good ideas, moderating the board, picking responsible officers, making sure they do their jobs, making sure the front page content meets the quality standard, keeping the union active, and all the other responsibilities that come along with being the leader of a GameSpot union. If you're not willing to do these things, then you're not leader material, and your union is going to fail. What's going to happen is that you're going to make a half assed union, not try to keep it going, and then it's just going to die soon after you make it. If you're not willing to do these things, then please don't waste your time.

    Question 3: Does the union I want to make already exist?
    Answer: Most of the time people think "Hey, I really love Star Wars, so maybe I should make a union about it." They go ahead and make the union, and then they wonder why it doesn't get active. The reason for this is because there is probably already an active union out there that is dedicated to the same subject as your union, and in Star Wars case, there are probably more than ten unions about it. You need to think, "Why would people want to join my union, if there is already an active one on the same subject?" They won't want too, because they would rather post in the Star Wars union that is already active. Don't make the mistake of creating a union that already exists. Search around to make sure that your union doesn't already exist, and if it doesn't, then make it. This point could be the deciding factor of whether or not your union is successful. Please make sure you take this seriously!

    Question 4: Would people actually be interested in what my union is about?
    Answer: When coming up with a subject for your union, make sure it's something that people would actually be interested in joining and talking about. Making something like "The Cheese Union," or "The Door Knob Union" is almost a guaranteed failure, because nobody wants to talk about that. You're basically just filling up the union list with spam. Try to make your union original, but not to the point where it's just ridiculous. And like the question and answer above, if a union you want to make (The Xbox 360 Union for example) is already made, then don't try to be a copy cat and make your own union about the same subject. Just join an existing union about that subject, and help that to succeed with your own ideas. Competition is pointless, because instead you could just add yourself as a member to your competitors union and help it grow, and have fun there.

    I'd also like to add that there are a whole bunch of unions that are dedicated to off-topic discussion, and really have no point beyond that. They basically have no point or reason for exisiting, and because of this, most of them are dead unions. Don't create the 100th off-topic union just because you feel you need to have one for yourself. Just think of something else, or join an exisiting one.

    Question 5: My union is called "The Halo, Half-Life, Xbox, Star Wars, Math Union." Why is it not active?
    Answer: This is one of the worst problems that many members keep doing over and over, and combining this problem with unions that already exist is even more horrible. Many people seem to think that it's a good idea to make a union about multiple topics like this, when in fact it's more harmful to your union than anything. Unions like this are just way too broad. The names of them also make them sound ridiculous, making many people just pass them by. You might as well put a sign up that says "Please don't join my union." Here is just a short random list of unions that have this problem....The Wrestling and Shooters Union, Playstation 3 and Revolution Union, The Nintendo and Sony Union, The Ratchet, Jak, and Star Wars Union....I think you get the picture.

    If you were looking to join "The Halo Union," and a union called "The PS3 and Halo 2 Union" existed also, which one would you feel more drawn too? Most people would choose "The Halo Union," and this is because it's about a specific game, and not multiple topics. If the member wanted to talk about Halo, then he or she would go to "The Halo Union," and if the member wanted to talk about the PS3, then he or she would go to "The PlayStation 3 Union." If you want people to take your union seriously, and participate in it, then you'll need to narrow it down to a certain subject, and then focus your union on that. When you know what you want your union to be about, you will have a much clearer view of what you want to accomplish, and where you want to take your union in the future.

    Another way you could do it is the way I do it with my union, The HeadCrab Union. It's about all the Half-Life games, but we also support off-topic discussion on the board, which allows our members to talk about other things to spice it up a bit. You don't have to focus your union on multiple topics. You can have a main focus, and then a board that also lets people talk about the main focus, plus other things.

    One more thing here is that you should create a union about a series of games, instead of only one. For example, you would rather have "The Halo Union," and talk about all past and upcoming Halo games, instead of having a union that only talks about Halo 2. Once Halo 2 is gone, then your union might as well be dead, since the game has already passed. Make your union about a series of games, that way you will have more things to talk about than just one game.

    Question 6: Do I have a clear view of what I want to accomplish with my union?
    Answer: Other than the subject, you must have a clear view of what you actually want to accomplish with your union, or it isn't going to go anywhere. An example of a clear view is wanting to create a union on a certain game, and creating articles for every piece of news that comes out, simply for the purpose of letting others know the news. You need to know what you want the purpose of the union to be, and what goals you want to accomplish, that way you can focus your attention on those things. If you don't really have any goals, then it's pointless to create one. Having goals is what will help you to keep the focus of your union intact.

    Many people create unions like The Gamers Union, or something similar. It will usually be about talking about all games, including off-topic. There are just way too many unions like this, and almost none of them succeed. Why do they not succeed? For one, they are just too broad, like in the question and answer above. Talking about any game is what the General Games Discussion board is for. Second, the union doesn't have a focus or goal. They're just all over the place. People want to join a union because they are interested in what it's about. If it's about anything and everything then what is the point in joining that? What makes that so special? Nothing makes it special, because the union doesn't focus on a certain subject.

    Question 7: Are you well enough prepared to lead your union?
    Answer: Being well prepared before opening your union can be the deciding factor of how successful your union will be. So what necessary steps do you need to take in order to be prepared for opening day? Well for one, your union needs a banner. If you don't know how to make banners, then you can request a banner from The Liquid Designs Union or The Crimson Designs Union. Next, familiarize yourself with the administrative system of your union. In order to lead a successful union, you will need to know how it works, so learn how to invite people, how to post news, and how to add restrictions to your union. There is always something new to learn. Furthermore, create content for the union so your future members will have something to do when they join. Would you want to join a union that is completely empty? There has to be a reason for your members to join. The board alone is not a good enough reason for people to join, so create some content for the union so everyone can see that the union has potential. Lastly, organize your union, your officers, and make sure that you will have plenty of time to invest in the union for the upcoming month. The first month is very important, so don't plan a vacation right after opening the union. You have to be there, otherwise the union is going to fail without proper guidance and a vision for the future. Remember, the toughest part is yet to come so be prepared.

    Question 8: Do I know people on GameSpot that will help me start my union?
    Answer: When creating a union, many people make the mistake of asking people they don't know to help them start their union by being a charter member. What happens is that you send the charter invite to them, they never accept it, and you don't get your union made. To avoid this, find people on GameSpot that you know and ask them first to see if they will help you start your union up. Make sure you PM them asking them if they will help you first. Don't just assume that they will because they are your friends, and then just go ahead and send a charter member invite to them. Notify them first to confirm that they will help you. Also, try to pick intelligent good members, especially if you want them to stay and become officers on your union. Making people officers that you don't know is a bad idea.

    I Understand, and I'm Ready to Create a Union!

    If you understand how big of a responsibility being a union leader is, how much time you need to put into one, and the things you need to look for and know before creating one, then you seem to be up to the challenge, and ready to create a GameSpot union. You can create one by clicking this link. You can browse the existing unions in the GameSpot Union Directory. You can also view further information on unions by visiting the GameSpot Union FAQ. Let's hope you make a big impact on the community. Remember that if you want an example union to study, visit my union, The HeadCrab Union, and study everything that I do to keep the place successful, how the board is managed, how the front page is set up, everything!. Good luck to you and your new union!

    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:23 am GMT

    How to Make a Union:

    Once you are level 6, Gamespot lets you create a neat Union. Start by going to the main forum page and look under your stats. Click the "My Union" option;



    Soon after clicking the link you will be re-direct to a page where you can head start your Union. There are three steps you need to follow in order to creato your Union;



    Step 1:

    On this step you choose the name of your Union, upload a banner image, avatar image, add a description, associate your Union to a game(s) anything you can think off!







    Once you are done with step one, please continue to step 2.

    Step 2:

    On Step 2 you can invite the charter, or the users who will help you start the Union. You have to invite 4 or more. NOTE: To avoid the Union Establishing bug, invite more than 5 charter members. 



    The list showned will be your current friends on your friends list. Simply look for the users who previously asked to be charters, click then once, and click the ">>" button. To search for a user outside your friends list, simply use the search bar available there. You can only invite up to 8 users to be charters, 4 being the minimun.

    Please make sure you read the fine Print;



    Continue to step 3 once you are done.

    Step 3:

    On step three, all you have to do is wait. This page simply tells you how many users accepted your charter invitation, and how many more are needed to start the Union;



    Just wait until you get a Private Message saying that your Union has formed and know you can go take care of it



    Congratulations! You succesfully made a Union. Now, go out there and make it better!
    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 1:34 pm GMT Edited 4 total times.
    How to Make a Union:

    Once you are level 6, Gamespot lets you create a neat Union. Start by going to the main forum page and look under your stats. Click the "My Union" option;



    Soon after clicking the link you will be re-direct to a page where you can head start your Union. There are three steps you need to follow in order to creato your Union;



    Step 1:

    On this step you choose the name of your Union, upload a banner image, avatar image, add a description, associate your Union to a game(s) anything you can think off!







    Once you are done with step one, please continue to step 2.

    Step 2:

    On Step 2 you can invite the charter, or the users who will help you start the Union. You have to invite 4 or more. NOTE: To avoid the Union Establishing bug, invite more than 5 charter members. 



    The list showned will be your current friends on your friends list. Simply look for the users who previously asked to be charters, click then once, and click the ">>" button. To search for a user outside your friends list, simply use the search bar available there. You can only invite up to 8 users to be charters, 4 being the minimun.

    Please make sure you read the fine Print;



    Continue to step 3 once you are done.

    Step 3:

    On step three, all you have to do is wait. This page simply tells you how many users accepted your charter invitation, and how many more are needed to start the Union;



    Just wait until you get a Private Message saying that your Union has formed and know you can go take care of it



    Congratulations! You succesfully made a Union. Now, go out there and make it better!
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:23 am GMT
    How to Manage a Union, part 1
    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 2:26 pm GMT
    How to Manage a Union, part 1
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:24 am GMT
    How to manage a Union, part deux!
    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 2:27 pm GMT
    How to manage a Union, part deux!
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:26 am GMT

    Blog guide:

    How do I add a header to my blog?

    First click on and go to or you can just click on here

    In order for your header to show up you must use the img src tags. The [ IMG] tags won't work. In the header area it should look like this:

    Just type in your own url for the header that you want to use. The width of the header seems to be about 432 pixels.

    The result should look like this:


    How do I check my friend's recent blog entries?

    First click on and go to You should be able to view all of your friend's most recent blog entries in order of the most recent entry at the top of the page. Or go to your main Profile page and scroll down until you see a meny on the right hand side containing your friend's recent blog entires.

    How do I change the formatting of my blog comments?     

    To change the formatting so that your comments show up with spaces between the paragraphs, you need to use the and tags just delete the *

    Here's a sample of how it should look.

     Unions Guide

    Where are my unions?

    All of the unions you belong to can be found by first clicking on your profile and then go to

    Board Favorites:
    go to the GS forums home page and look on your screen for the "Your Favorites"


    Once you find that, there's a link next to it that reads "edit favorites" click on it.

    Once you click on it...scroll to the bottom and do a search for the UCB you want to add. It will come back with possible matches and you pick the one you want to add to your favorites

    How do I delete my Topic?

    You can delete your topic, if no one else posted in it. Look at the picture below to see where the option for deleting is.

    Again, you can only delete it, if no one else posted in it.
    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 1:35 pm GMT Edited 2 total times.

    Blog guide:

    How do I add a header to my blog?

    First click on and go to or you can just click on here

    In order for your header to show up you must use the img src tags. The [ IMG] tags won't work. In the header area it should look like this:

    Just type in your own url for the header that you want to use. The width of the header seems to be about 432 pixels.

    The result should look like this:


    How do I check my friend's recent blog entries?

    First click on and go to You should be able to view all of your friend's most recent blog entries in order of the most recent entry at the top of the page. Or go to your main Profile page and scroll down until you see a meny on the right hand side containing your friend's recent blog entires.

    How do I change the formatting of my blog comments?     

    To change the formatting so that your comments show up with spaces between the paragraphs, you need to use the and tags just delete the *

    Here's a sample of how it should look.

     Unions Guide

    Where are my unions?

    All of the unions you belong to can be found by first clicking on your profile and then go to

    Board Favorites:
    go to the GS forums home page and look on your screen for the "Your Favorites"

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/yourfavorites.jpg[/IMG]
    Once you find that, there's a link next to it that reads "edit favorites" click on it.

    Once you click on it...scroll to the bottom and do a search for the UCB you want to add. It will come back with possible matches and you pick the one you want to add to your favorites

    How do I delete my Topic?

    You can delete your topic, if no one else posted in it. Look at the picture below to see where the option for deleting is.

    Again, you can only delete it, if no one else posted in it.
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:27 am GMT
    HTML:

    Too see the HTML guide please click the SPOILER tag.

    ***SPOILER***

    BBcode:

    • If you are wishing to post a picture or signature in your signature box follow this template:

    [ img]paste url(website address) of image here[/img ]

    • If you are wishing to add a link in your signature then follow these instructions:

    [ url]url of forum or website goes here[/url ]

    • If you intend for the link to say something (instead of saying www.gamespot.com , saying Welcome Newbies for example) type in your signature box:

    [url=url of forum or wesbite here]what you wish to say here[/url]

    • To make an image a link to a website or forum type:

    [url=url of website or forum][img]url of image here[/img][/url]

    • To make a Spoiler, use the following code:
    [spoiler ] type spoiler in here [ /spoiler] **note: delete the spaces for it to work.
    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 2:20 pm GMT Edited 3 total times.
    HTML:

    Too see the HTML guide please click the SPOILER tag.

    [spoiler]

    You can now download the HTML guide by going here. Its a small Notepad document, so enjoy.

    [/spoiler]

    BBcode:

    • If you are wishing to post a picture or signature in your signature box follow this template:

    [ img]paste url(website address) of image here[/img ]

    • If you are wishing to add a link in your signature then follow these instructions:

    [ url]url of forum or website goes here[/url ]

    • If you intend for the link to say something (instead of saying www.gamespot.com , saying Welcome Newbies for example) type in your signature box:

    [url=url of forum or wesbite here]what you wish to say here[/url]

    • To make an image a link to a website or forum type:

    [url=url of website or forum][img]url of image here[/img][/url]

    • To make a Spoiler, use the following code:
    [spoiler ] type spoiler in here [ /spoiler] **note: delete the spaces for it to work.
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:29 am GMT
    How to upload a User Video:

    User Videos are for Gamespot Paying subcribers & level 10 and up users only. Please read this thread to find out what you can Upload. Copyrighted contents is a big don't.

    The restriction for Uploading a User video are as follows:

    Valid file types are:ASF, WMV, MPG, AVI, MOV, 3G2, M2V

    Max length for non-subscribers:     10 minutes
    Max length for GameSpot Plus: 30 minutes
    Max length for Total Access: unlimited

    Here's how to upload one:

    Step 1.     Go to your profile > Videos tab > Upload a Video:



    Step 2. You will be taken to a new page once you click the "upload a Video" button. Just fill out what the 1st page ask you too:



    Step 3. After you fill out the page from step 2, hit the "continue" button. This is the part where you get to choose which video you want to upload. Simply click the "Browse" button, find your video and upload!



    Next, your video is uploading. How long it takes depends on your upload speed:



    After your video is finished uploading:



    All you have to do know is wait for gamespot to encode it. It usually takes a few minutes. At this time you can see the process by going to your video tab in your profile:



    All you have to do now, is wait to recieve an private message from gamespot telling you that your video is ready for everyone to see:



    To show your video in your blog or Union, go to your recently uploaded video, click the "Blog it" button. Copy the code, either HTML, or BBCode, your choice, then just paste. Your video will appear soon after.

    Too see more great user videos, go here. To add your video in a Union simply choose the Association as "Gamespot Unions," then choose your Union and continue the steps. This option has been disabled for now.
    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 1:40 pm GMT Edited 2 total times.
    How to upload a User Video:

    User Videos are for Gamespot Paying subcribers & level 10 and up users only. Please read [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=24753277]this[/url] thread to find out what you can Upload. Copyrighted contents is a big don't.

    The restriction for Uploading a User video are as follows:

    Valid file types are:ASF, WMV, MPG, AVI, MOV, 3G2, M2V

    Max length for non-subscribers:     10 minutes
    Max length for GameSpot Plus: 30 minutes
    Max length for Total Access: unlimited

    Here's how to upload one:

    Step 1.     Go to your profile > Videos tab > Upload a Video:



    Step 2. You will be taken to a new page once you click the "upload a Video" button. Just fill out what the 1st page ask you too:



    Step 3. After you fill out the page from step 2, hit the "continue" button. This is the part where you get to choose which video you want to upload. Simply click the "Browse" button, find your video and upload!



    Next, your video is uploading. How long it takes depends on your upload speed:



    After your video is finished uploading:



    All you have to do know is wait for gamespot to encode it. It usually takes a few minutes. At this time you can see the process by going to your video tab in your profile:



    All you have to do now, is wait to recieve an private message from gamespot telling you that your video is ready for everyone to see:



    To show your video in your blog or Union, go to your recently uploaded video, click the "Blog it" button. Copy the code, either HTML, or BBCode, your choice, then just paste. Your video will appear soon after.

    Too see more great user videos, go [url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/hub/user_videos.php]here[/url]. To add your video in a Union simply choose the Association as "Gamespot Unions," then choose your Union and continue the steps. This option has been disabled for now.
    Report Abuse
  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:30 am GMT
    Preferences (Prefs) Guide:

    This guide will now explaing the preferences box, and it's many tabs.

    Account:



    The account tab is for anything to do with your account. From changing password, to changing the way you pay for gs services, it has it all.

    It also includes a nice feature. In the picture, the "Collections" is the one chose. This mean that everytime this user goes to add a game, it will be automatically added to his/her collection. You can choose more than one.

    Media:



    Media Tab lets you setup your video preferences and your preferred speed. The option that is marked with an * are for paid subcribers only.

    About Me:



    About me let's you personalise more your gamespot profile. You can choose to add any information, if you want to share it, or if you don't. In this tab you can also change your e-mail.

    Images:



    The Images tab is for your image needs.You want to put up a profile banner, this is the place. You want an Avatar, this is the place. How can you pick a preloaded avatar?

    Right under the User Icon, there should be a drop down menu



    Click on Arcade cIassics and you should see this



    simply choose one.

    Blog:



    The Blog tab let's you set up a header for your blog. write a description, even choose who you want to see your blog.

    Forums:



    The Forums tab is all about your forum needs. From changing timezones, to your signature needs.


    Site Settings:



    Site settings lets you choose how private you want to be, which pm notifications you want to get, and where you want your "add to my games" to automatically go.

    E-mail:



    E-mail tab let's choose which daily newsletters you want. You can choose more than one. You can also change e-mail format, plain text or colorfull HTML.

    Members Only:



    Last but no least, the Members only tab is ment more for paying subcribers. Here you can change the color of your name, and the site skin, if you are a paying member.

    Note: Just remember to HIT APPLY if you are making any changes in the Prefs Box.
    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 1:43 pm GMT Edited 2 total times.
    Preferences (Prefs) Guide:

    This guide will now explaing the preferences box, and it's many tabs.

    Account:

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Acc.jpg[/IMG]

    The account tab is for anything to do with your account. From changing password, to changing the way you pay for gs services, it has it all.

    It also includes a nice feature. In the picture, the "Collections" is the one chose. This mean that everytime this user goes to add a game, it will be automatically added to his/her collection. You can choose more than one.

    Media:

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Media.jpg[/IMG]

    Media Tab lets you setup your video preferences and your preferred speed. The option that is marked with an * are for paid subcribers only.

    About Me:

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Aboutme.jpg[/IMG]

    About me let's you personalise more your gamespot profile. You can choose to add any information, if you want to share it, or if you don't. In this tab you can also change your e-mail.

    Images:

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Images12.jpg[/IMG]

    The Images tab is for your image needs.You want to put up a profile banner, this is the place. You want an Avatar, this is the place. How can you pick a preloaded avatar?

    Right under the User Icon, there should be a drop down menu

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Images.jpg[/IMG]

    Click on Arcade cIassics and you should see this

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/img.jpg[/IMG]

    simply choose one.

    Blog:

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Blog.jpg[/IMG]

    The Blog tab let's you set up a header for your blog. write a description, even choose who you want to see your blog.

    Forums:

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Forums.jpg[/IMG]

    The Forums tab is all about your forum needs. From changing timezones, to your signature needs.


    Site Settings:



    Site settings lets you choose how private you want to be, which pm notifications you want to get, and where you want your "add to my games" to automatically go.

    E-mail:

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Email.jpg[/IMG]

    E-mail tab let's choose which daily newsletters you want. You can choose more than one. You can also change e-mail format, plain text or colorfull HTML.

    Members Only:

    [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Gallego256/Membersonly.jpg[/IMG]

    Last but no least, the Members only tab is ment more for paying subcribers. Here you can change the color of your name, and the site skin, if you are a paying member.

    Note: Just remember to HIT APPLY if you are making any changes in the Prefs Box.
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  • Gallego
     
    Level 46
    Mutoid Man
    Posts: 17754
    Site moderatorBoard Moderator
    Dec 17, 2006 10:32 am GMT

    Tutorials:

    Note: Click the Spoiler Tag to see the Tutorials. Included are Tag Basics, and How to make animated Tags.

    ***SPOILER***
    Edited on Aug 5, 2008 2:06 pm GMT Edited 2 total times.

    Tutorials:

    Note: Click the Spoiler Tag to see the Tutorials. Included are Tag Basics, and How to make animated Tags.

    [spoiler]

    Here are a few tutorials provided by Liquid Designs. Please visit the Tutorials thread at Liquid Designs to see more.

    How to Animate Tags:
    (By Wolkswagen)

    Note: You need Image Ready for this.

    1- Get at least 2 tags, I'll have these 2:

    2- Get them in ImageReady, by clicking in this button:

    3- Open the animation window (if it's not open when you put the tags in Imageready) by clicking Window>>Animation, and this will appear:
    (don't bother about the image on the frame, doesn't matter)

    4- Now it's the tough part for me to explain: After you open the animation window, you'll see a frame with the image of the tag on it. Click on the button left of the garbage to create a new frame, and drag the 2nd tag onto the 1st one, and you'll see 2 similar frames (if not, just ajust them so the are completely similar). Then with the first frame selected, on the layers pallette, click on the eye of the Sonic tag, and with the second frame selected, click on the eye of the Shadow tag and again on the eye of the sonic tag, and you'll have something like this:
    (as you can see, in the first frame, there's no sonic, and on the second frame, there's no shadow)

    5- Now just click on the tween button (two buttons to the left of the gargabe one), and with the second frame selected put these options, and click ok:

    6- Now just click on the play button and see the cool animation you just made :D, but as you can see, the change 1st--2nd is perfect, but the 2nd--1st is a little harsh. To change that, just make a new frame and click once again on the eye of the sonic tag, and you should see something like (in the frames window)= shadow frame--(lots of frames between)--sonic frame--shadow frame. Now just click on the tween button once again with the same settings, and click ok. If you followed everything, then you'll have something like this:

    [/spoiler]
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