Read First: Fourm guide.

Forum Guide
This guide will teach all the basics here, how everything works and everything else you should know. You may or may not have any experience with forums, even if you do, you might not be familiar with vBulletin type forums. Either way, this guide should be helpful.

Table of Contents
Post #1: Rules, Signing Up, Logging In
Post #2: How to Start Posting
Post #3: Positions/Ranks
Post #4: Private Messages, User Profile, Avatar, Profile Picture, Signature

Post #1: Rules, Signing Up

Rules:
1. Use Sentences (Capitalizations & Periods).
2. No Inappropriate Behavior/Junk Posts (spam).
3. Respect other members and their opinions.
Note: Inappropriate behavior and junk posts may lead to ban. I have little patience for this kind of behavior.

Other Things You Shouldn't Do: don't double post (except for fan fic boards, otherwise, use edit button please), don't revive old threads (don't reply to threads that haven't been replied to in the last 30 days), illegal material are not allowed (for example, ROMs), don't ask to be moderator.

Old Threads Rule:
You can only reply to threads that have had a recent reply in the past 30 days (1 month). So for example, if a thread was created on January 1, 2006, and the last reply on the thread was made on January 25, 2006... then if a person replies again on February 20, 2006, that is NOT considered reviving an old thread, because you still have 30 days to respond to the last post of a thread.

OR, in less active forums, the first two pages of the board can be replied to. This is to avoid duplicate topics when the topic the person wants to talk about is already on the first two pages. In this situation, the 30 day rule does not apply if the thread can be found in the first two pages of the board. If the thread is beyond the first two pages, you apply the 30 day rule above.

Exceptions to reviving old threads are the Fan Fiction and Art boards (since authors and artists works are continual, and might take a long time off before adding additional content to their work, and the authors and artists can revive their own thread to add additional content). And the Game Projects board, since game creators might take a lot of time before adding/updating new stuff for their game. So these boards do not have a old thread revival rule, but can only be revived by the person that created it for the reasons stated.

Signing Up:
To sign up, just click on the Register link. Just enter the username you want and your email (make sure you carefully type your email, in case you lose your password, that's where the password will be sent).

Post #2: How to Start Posting

The Terms: Forum, Board, Thread, Post
Forum: This entire site, is the forum.
Board: In a forum, there are boards with broad topics.
Thread: Threads are found inside boards. Anyone can make a thread, which starts a discussion about a particular topic.
Posts: Posts are the messages you see inside the threads.

Posting/Replying
Click on a thread, and you'll see the messages in that thread. To reply, just click on the "Post Reply" button. You can also quote what a person said in his/her message, by going to the person's post, you'll see a "Reply" button on the bottom right. By clicking that, a quote of that message will be autmatically made. This is useful, because people will know what you're talking about (or which post you were talking about).

Starting a Thread
Just go to a board, and click on "New Thread." Make sure the topic you want to talk about isn't created already before making a new thread.

Editing Your Own Post
If for whatever reason you need to edit your post, your forgot something or correcting an error, you can edit your post by clicking "Edit" on the bottom right corner of your post. Please avoid posting two times in row (double posting), you can just edit the post before if you forgot something.

Post #4: Private Messages, User CP, Avatar, Profile Picture, Signature

Private Messages
This is an important features, espicially if you or someone else wants to contact you directly. If you look on the top right of the forum, it says "Welcome, (your name here)." Right beneath that, you will see a URL to Private Messages, also shows the number of message you got that are unread. Go there to read and respond to private messages. You can send private messages to other members by going to the person's profile (by clicking their name), and then click on the "Send a private message" URL under Contact Info in the profile.

User CP
The User CP (Control Panel), contains all the settings you can set. This includes, your signature and avatar settings, and edit forum options, such as date and time options.

Avatar
The avatar is the image that will appear next to your name in your posts. By going to the Edit Avatar in your User CP, you can enter a URL of the image, or if you have the image on your computer, you can upload the image you want to use. Maximum size for avatars: 100 by 100 pixels and 40KB.

Signature
The signature is the area below all your posts. You can enter text and images here.

Signature Text
Along with your image, you may place text in your signature, please try to keep your text minimum so that you don't increase the size of your signature even further. If you want more space for text, make your image in your signature smaller or don't use one at all.

There's also a 500 character limit, if you can't fit your entire signature within that limit, you must take some stuff out to make it fit.

How To Avoid Looking Like A Noob


A Forum Advice Guide by Neo Pikachu (From a Different fourm.)


The first guide I made for this was actually intended to be a joke, but after tons of people pushed me for links to it and started referencing it again and again, I decided to make a full fledged guide. Please note that this guide doesn’t target any member specifically.

Secondly, if you think I’m wrong about making this, countless members have been called noobs on this forum and have probably left because of it. Rather than filtering out good members from the ones that aren’t so great, I’ve written this to give members who are new and not used to the forum a chance at being the quality member that everyone else wants them to be.

As for everyone else, PE2K can be a really, really fun forum provided you know your way around and you know what other members expect from you. This guide will illustrate how to avoid looking like a noob (i.e. A immature member that does whatever they want, regardless of how bad it is or how many times others have told them to stop). If you follow these tactics religiously like I have for over two years worth of time, you’ll quickly evolve into a great member for PE2K, and not only will others appreciate you for it, but you’ll find it easier to make friends and gain respect, and you will PE2K to be much more enjoyable.


What Am I Doing Wrong?


The next time someone says you’re breaking the rules and acting like a noob, stop and make a check of yourself. It may be one thing, it may be many things. Regardless, the worst thing you can do is insist that the way you’re acting is perfectly fine if you really are breaking the rules. Look these over, and if you find that you’re stumbling in one of these areas, immediately correct it.


Read the Rules. Now. Today. Now.

The Forum Guide is the 10 Commandments to avoid looking like a noob. Most people that get slapped with being called a noob are those who easily skipped the rules and started posting whatever they wanted before they even checked to look for a rules thread. And needless to say, they’re written by both the forum administrator and by Global Moderators. Trust me, whatever they say takes precedent over what anyone else says, so keep that in mind.

Now you may be thinking, “Hey, you’re not a forum administrator or Global Moderator, Neo Pikachu, so who are you to say who should follow your own guide?” Well, I’ve been here for over two years and have gotten more than 5,500 posts, so trust me, I know how things work around here. You have the choice of following this guide by a veteran member who took the time out to write this so you would avoid harassment, or you can keep doing the wrong thing and have it get publicly addressed and become infamous on the forum. It’s your choice, but don’t say I didn’t warn you…


Appearances And Watching Yourself

While following the rules is critically important to avoid being chewed out by other members, there are many other elements that you need to follow in order to be a quality member that enjoys the forum and has something to contribute. This is all part of being a part of the culture that makes of PE2K, and I’m giving you an easy ticket to find out what that is rather than having to learn it the hard way.

Spelling and Grammar is Critical! – Try to spell as best as you can and use the best grammar possible. Make sure your words are spelled correctly, that you use proper punctuation and you capitalize the first name of proper nouns and the first letter of each sentence. Yes, this is how people at PE2K want things done, we don’t want a forum filled with posts that look like they were grabbed from an AIM or another instant messenger chat.

Heck, type your post in MSWord if you need to or it’s very long. If most of your sentences have at least more than one spelling or grammar error, it’s going to look bad against you. Correct this quickly, because this is the real determinant that most senior members are going to use to determine if you’re going to take this forum seriously, or if you’re just here to do whatever you want, no matter how bad it is…

I can not stress enough how having good spelling and grammar skills is important for this forum…

Choose your username wisely – Usually, having a username that’s all under-case letters and/or has a ton of numbers isn’t the most interesting or professional-looking username. And if you need an example, “Sky Fire” and “BattleMaster” are great usernames. “tehcaterpie783” and “numel83boy” are pretty bad, and do have a kind of noob-flair to them. Like with following the spelling and grammar rule, if you make it look like you can’t use proper punctuation/spelling for you own name, it easily looks bad against you and makes others think that you’re going to easily mess up on the grammar and spelling rule.

Remember, if your name has all undercase letters and/or numbers, you can get a name change from Ryan, but keep in mind you’re only allowed one per year. And again, this isn’t meant to bombard our admin with these kinds of requests, I’m only trying to stop problems before they start. Again, choose your name wisely. You’ll be stuck with it for at least a year, so make sure it’s good and not just a phase you’re going through.

Avoid Posting Pointless Threads – Make decent Role Plays, Fan Fictions, and Teams. Make sure they’re interesting and have a purpose, and I mean a real purpose, not “It’s here to have fun!” kind of thing. Role Plays and Fan Fictions need to have a good storyline, not “I’m/we’re Pokémon Trainer(s) that is/are going on our first journey!” Do something new, something the creators of Pokémon would never even think of featuring. Post-apocalyptic worlds, intense Matrix-like Science Fiction, and noir/dark horror are excellent places to start, but I’m sure you can think of your own with a little time and effort. And if you really need to, yes, I’ve taken the time out to write both a Fan Fiction Guide and a Role Playing Guide. Do not hesitate to read them, that’s why I wrote them and that’s why people like them. They’re there to help.

As for teams, make the team interesting, have a focus, and be something that other people can be proud of too. Make the team descriptive and unique so it’s impossible to be a duplicate of another team possibly in existence already. Also, You don’t make a team just so you can be the leader of it.

With this in mind, don’t join in threads made by other members who didn’t follow this advice. If you see a poorly made role play or team, do NOT join it. Do the right thing and tell them exactly what they’re doing wrong, not that it’s a bad thread or that it needs to be locked (otherwise known as mini-modding or being a backseat moderator). If you stop doing this yourself and you push others to avoid engaging in the same kind of behavior and give them reasons why, you will become a better member…

…and maybe even a mod if you really keep it up. Don’t hold your breath though, many have tried already, but that’s a whole other issue. Nonetheless, it always helps if you do the right thing.

Before You Post… – Ask yourself if this is really something you want other people to read. Also, ask yourself if it really contributes to the conversation, and if other people would be interested to read what you posted. If the answer is no, then don’t post. It’s far better to avoid posting something it you think it may have a bad outcome or you think someone could take it the wrong way.

It’s Okay If Your Artistic/Writing Ability Isn’t Great – It’s alright if you can’t make banners or write a decent fan fiction. But don’t insist that your work is the best thing since sliced bread and get angry when people tell you that your work isn’t that great. People don’t have to like your work, and if they find something wrong with it and are honestly trying to help you, learn from it and take their advice. Also, thank them for taking the time out to help you. Attacking someone who’s only trying to help you makes you look bad and more like a noob.

And if in the end you find out that people really don’t like your work, there is nothing out there saying you can’t keep working on it to improve your skills. Just keep practicing, they didn’t know how to make fan fiction, banners, or sprites the instant they were born.

Avoid Inappropriate Requests – There are many threads in the art section where our members have showcased their work for others to see and give feedback on.

Unless they specifically say “I will be taking requests” or something similar, use your best judgment and do NOT request something. A showcase thread is not the place to ask for those kinds of things, that’s like walking into an art museum and demanding someone to make a painting just for you. When in doubt about this, don’t request anything. And if you do request something under the thought that they were accepting requests and that doesn’t happen to be the case, just calmly back down. Don’t start asking why, people find that to be annoying.

And, if someone really does take the time out to make you a banner or something when you did request it, do the right thing and wear it for a while and give them credit.

Use Your BB Code Correctly – Seeing [ulr]http://www.talala.com/whatever.htm[/ig[ in anyone’s sig proves they are new and aren’t used to using BB Code (the coding that the forum uses). Make sure you preview your sig before saving it, otherwise you’ll flash this around everywhere you post and it will look really, really bad if you do that again and again. And if you don’t know it by heart, use the buttons above the message box to help you insert images (make sure they follow the forum rules!) and make your text bold and colored if you really want it. Those help if you’re not used to it…

Also, avoid putting smilies into your sig. No one uses or likes the dancing banana smilie anymore, and smilies are just meant to be spur-of-the-moment kinds of things. And lastly, don’t overuse question marks or exclamation points. No one likes to see “can someone ehlp me!!??? <Insert three of the same smilie here>

Ask For Help, But Only After You’ve Tried Looking! – It doesn’t hurt to ask for help, but before you do, check to see if there are any Read First threads in the board, which could already answer your question. If it’s still not there, then check Google and the Pokémon Elite 2000 website (www.PokemonElite2000.com) before posting a thread asking your question. If you’ve checked both and you still can’t find an answer, then make a thread. However, make sure your question is worded well and people know exactly what you’re looking for. As long as it’s a legitimate question that likely hasn’t been answered before, people won’t think less of you for asking, and most people will be ready to provide an answer if they know it.


A Peaceful Closing

First off, no one should expect to see someone be completely aware of PE2K’s culture the second they sign up. But, to someone who’s new here, you’re really not the one in charge of saying how things should be handled, and you really shouldn’t be too quick to question the knowledge of someone who’s been here far longer than you have.

Also, no one needs to be a noob forever. There is a way to pull yourself out of that hole if you’ve happened to fall into it. Keep in mind, this is all coming from a person that started with a crappy first fan fiction, constantly posted images at the bottom of each post because he didn’t know how to use a signature correctly, and couldn’t make a half decent banner without ripping images. Of course I corrected myself when I was asked to, and in order to become a good member, you need to consider doing the same.

Do all this, and I'm happy to say you're well on the road towards being like the rest of us.

-Neo Pikachu



Don't criticize new members when you yourself are considered new
What makes the chosen people cringe is when people constantly, overtly, and specifically criticize or complain about noobs. This is the most telltale sign of nubliness. The true non-nub is confident in his or her non-nubliness, and doesn't feel the need to scapegoat others in order to raise oneself higher.