 How come I can’t view the forums?
You must register for an account at ariasink and be logged in. Forums can be viewed by members only. |
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How do I post in the forum?
You must be logged into your account.
It’s pretty straight forward: If you’re replying, hit “Post Reply.” If you would like to start a new topic, hit “New Topic” in the right forum category.
Also, make sure you click the right button, as you don’t want to accidentally start a new topic with a reply to an already existing thread. |
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I want to start a topic, but I don’t know where it goes. What do I do?
Use your best discretion which forum (each thread’s description is outlined on the ‘Forums’ page) you start a thread in, but if you’re absolutely uncertain as to where it should be placed, start it in the Helpdesk forum “I’m Lost”. A moderator will move the topic to the appropriate forum. Please do not use this forum as an excuse to be lazy. |
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What are the forum rules?
Please check the sticky posts at the top of each forum. As of 1/26/06, the rules posted in each individual forum are exactly the same. This is to make them easier to refer to. |
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What happens if I don’t follow the forum rules?
The consequences will match the infraction. Remember, being an AI member is a privilege, not a right. |
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What are the forum archives?
The forum archive is the old post retirement home. After two months (since the last reply), the post is automatically archived, which helps the forums to load faster, look more organized, and helps keep old posts from being drudged up. You cannot edit or reply to threads once they are archived as they are read-only. |
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How do I get to the forums archive?
There are two ways: 1.) On the main menu or 2.) On the Forums Index, there is a link in the title bar that says Forums Archive. |
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When are posts in the forums considered “old” and should generally be left alone?
Posts are generally considered old after 10 days or so. There are exceptions to this rule, but as a general rule of thumb, if no one has replied in 10 days, then the thread can be considered “past its prime.” By replying to threads that are months old, you knock down newer posts. Give the new posts a chance of being read and replied to. |
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What do the moderators mean when they say “search the forum and forum archives”?
AI has been around for years, so you can imagine that many questions get asked repeatedly. Story recommendation and Help Me Find It threads are the frequent offenders.
Do your part before you make a post: search the forum and forum archives. |
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How do I search the forums?
At the bottom of any page in the forums, there's a search engine that allows you to quickly search the current forums. Should you wish to narrow your search or search the forum archives and increase your chances of finding what you want, the advanced search will help tremendously.
The Advanced Search is also where you go should you want to search the forum archives. Just select "forum archives" in the drop down menu. |
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I'm new and want to make an introduction post. What forum do I post it in?
The News forum. |
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I submitted a story to the site! Can I make a post about it before it's published?
NO! What if it's not accepted? Then the post is useless. Although you, as the author, can view the story, other members cannot. Please wait until those magical emails and that particuarly handsome green dot appears next to your story in story manager. |
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How do I preview my post before it's submitted?
First, make sure you're not using quick reply feature; "Post Reply" gives you all the options. After you have typed your post, click "Preview", which is the second button from the left. This will take you to a new page--the preview, how it will appear in the thread, will be at the top. The reply field will appear right under the preview. |
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How do I spell check my post before it's submitted?
The same as for the preview option, make sure you're using the full reply option and not the quick reply. The spell checker will also function the same as the preview option--at the top of the page, your post will appear as it will the thread, but with misspelled words in red. The edit box will be under the spell check preview should you need to make any corrections. |
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Why does it say I misspelled words that aren't misspelled?
Simple. It's a script, not a human being. Right now, it mistakes words with dashes or ellipses as misspelled. Until this is addressed, please understand that it cannot be perfect. It does not recognize some names, and also does not recognize the commonly misused "too/to/two" and "there/their/they're". Still read over your post, but this should help. |
