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Posted by: karmakiller Apr 27 2009, 10:51 PM

This guide is a work in progress.

Welcome to Createblog! This guide was created to help you become familiar with this community. Hopefully it will help you be less overwhelmed and make the forums more enjoyable. If you do not find the answer to your question here do not hesitate to ask.

Posted by: karmakiller Apr 27 2009, 10:51 PM

Please make sure that you read the http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=167152. These are the Guidelines that all members and moderators are required to follow. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in warnings, suspensions, and even being banned.

Look at this site's Terms (also linked at the bottom of every page): http://www.createblog.com/terms.php

Once you have meant the requirements, you may apply to be an Official Member or Official Designer. I will not list the requirements here, but you may check out the topic http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=177639.

If you have any questions, feel free to http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?act=Stats&CODE=leaders. Staff members constantly communicate so if you PM someone who does not have the ability to help you right away, he or she will contact another staff member who can. But, hopefully, once you are done reading this topic you will be able to decide which moderator will best be able to help you.

Posted by: karmakiller Apr 27 2009, 10:52 PM

How do I create a topic?
Just click "New Topic". Make sure you check out http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22098 for some tips.

What is the Search feature and where is it located?
There is currently a quick search feature located in the lower left hand corner of each forum. To use this feature, simply click on the forum that you would like to search and type in your keywords. Keywords must be less than three letters long. If this quick search feature gives you too many results, then use the http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?act=Search feature, which can be located under the Forums menu at the top of the site.

Why do I have to wait 15 seconds after posting and/or clicking on certain features of the site?
What you are experiencing is flood control. You can bypass this minor inconvenience by becoming an Official Member or Official Designer.

What is the Report Button, where is it located and how do I use it?
The report button can be found on the left side of the bottom of an individuals posts. It can be used to report inappropriate posts that are against the Community Guidelines (e.g. insults, spamming, bashing, etc.). Please include a brief description of why you are reporting the post and then click send. A moderator will receive the report and handle the situation. Please refrain from sending a report multiple times.

How do I delete or edit a post that I have made?
If you are an Official Member or Official Designer or Staff Alumni you may edit and delete your own posts. If you are not in either of these member groups, please contact a staff member and he or she will delete or edit your post.

What do the buttons by the topic stand for?
- Topic closed.
- Topic moved.
- Hot topic with posts that you have yet to read.
- Hot topic, but you've read all the posts.
- Hot topic that you've posted in with other posts you have yet to read.
- Hot topic that you've posted in, but you've read all the posts
- Poll.
- Poll that you've read all the topics in.
- Poll that you've posted in with other posts that you have yet to read.
- Poll that you've posted in, but you've read all the posts.
- Just a normal thread with posts you have yet to read.
- Just a normal thread that you've read all the posts in.
- Just a normal thread that you've posted in with other posts you have yet to read.
- Just a normal thread that you've posted in where you've read all the posts.
- Takes you back to the original post of the person you quote.

There are little symbols by my profile link. What do those stand for?
Guy:
Girl:
Mystery:
You can edit this by going to my controls -> edit my profile, and setting your gender.

What do the little blue boxes below the avatar stand for?
Those are called "pips" and represent milestones in posting volume.

Posted by: karmakiller Apr 27 2009, 11:08 PM

When posting around the forum you may notice certain members have titles of different colors than you. This a list of what those titles mean.

Administrator: Administrators are crucial to running createBlog. They have a number of responsibilities, which include managing the forums, members, and staff. Administrators have moderating powers in all forums of createBlog. The only way to become an administrator is to be promoted from Head Staff.

Current Administrators:
manny-the-dino (Natalia)
mipadi (Michael)
superstitious (Rebecca)

Head Staff: Head Staff also have moderating powers in all forums of createBlog, as well as aiding the admins in the hiring of future moderators. To become a member of Head Staff, you must be promoted from a lower staff group.

Current Head Staff:
DoubleJ (JaVonn)
Cristy (Cristy)
Mike (Mike)

Design Staff: Design Staff have the ability to approve or reject Blogger/LiveJournal/Xanga/MySpace/CreateBlog layouts and scripts. Design Staff has powers in the Resource Center and all its subforums.

Current Design Staff:
elletricity (Gabrielle)
Christy (Christy)

People Staff: People Staff have powers in the Community Center and all its subforums.

Current People Staff:
IWontRapeYou (Abbey)


Mentor: This is an exclusive member group, because only ex-Admins and ex-Head Staff can be mentors. Although a Mentor does not have any mod abilities, a mentor's role is to offer advice, counseling, and share their past experiences as a mod in an effort to help improve Createblog's staff members and community as a whole.

Current Mentors:
brooklyneast05 (JC)
karmakiller (Dee)

Staff Alumni: Staff Alumni are people who have previously been on staff.

Official Designer & Official Member: Please refer to http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=177639 thread.

Member: All members start out at this level. There are no special privileges associated with this member group.

MotM: Member of the Month is NOT a moderator group. There is only one Member of the Month in a month. You may nominate in the posted topic located in The Lounge and the staff will vote for your MotM. The MotM has special modding powers in the VIP Lounge (if you not an OM/OD/Staff Alumni you cannot view this forum; go become an OM!) and gets to pick the colors of the group names.


How do I become a staff member?
The current staff members are always keeping an eye out for new talented designers and members who are posting interesting topics while remaining courteous to other members of the community. If you feel that you are a standout member and are interested in becoming a staff member, send a PM to an Administrator (I'm not going to link them because you should know who they are *winkwink) and after the Administrator discusses it with the rest of the staff team you will hear back. If you do not get a position on the staff team - don't worry! The Admin will let you know what needs some improvements and you can always try again later. Sometimes the staff team will notice standout members and an Admin will send a PM to that person. If you receive/send a PM to an Admin about a position on the staff team it will remain confidential between you and that Admin but may be shared with the rest of the staff. It will NOT, however, be shared with any other members of the forums.

Posted by: karmakiller Apr 27 2009, 11:33 PM

• This portion will discuss http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?act=UserCP&CODE=00 and the http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?act=Msg&CODE=01, please make sure that you can locate these. Both can be found in the top right-hand corner. The "My Account" portion will be covered in the next post.

My Controls

How do I customize my member profile information?
Click on "My Controls", from there click on "Edit Profile" (found on the left-hand side under the title: Personal Profile.)

How do I customize my member profile picture?
Click on "My Controls", from there click on "Edit Profile" (found on the left-hand side under the title: Personal Profile.)

How do I customize my member title?
By default your member title may say something like "Senior Member". To change this go to "Edit Subprofile", the first box is where you can type whatever you'd like you member title to say.

How do I customize my signature?
Click on "My Controls", from there click "Edit Signature" (found on the left hand side under the title: Personal Profile.) Customize accordingly, but remember there is a 300-pixel limit of vertical maximum space (equivalent to 20 lines of text) and a 548-pixel limit of horizontal maximum space (to prevent stretching of the forum). Graphics in your signature should also add up to less than 100kB in file size.

Why should I create a signature?
Your signature personalizes every post you make. Other members may remember you by your signature, so make it unique!

How do I customize my avatar?
Click on "My Controls", from there click "Edit Avatar Settings" (found on the left-hand side under the title: Personal Profile.) Then upload your own avatar, or use one preset by cB. If your avatar is too big for CB to host, then upload it to a site like http://tinypic.com.

PM System

How do I send a PM to another member?
You have three options: First, you can find a post that the member that you wish to contact has left on the forums. Click on their username and select "Send Message". Second, you can click on the person's profile (this is helpful if the person has left you a comment on your profile) and select "Send Message", located under the person's personal photo. Third, you can click on "Messages" in the upper right hand corner and select "Compose Message" and enter the person's username.

How do I save messages to my sent items?
When composing a message select "Add a copy of this message to my sent items folder" and the message will be saved.

How do I check the status of messages I have selected to track?
Simply click on "Message Tracker", which can be found on the left-hand menu of your messenger.

Help! I keep receiving PM spam, what can I do?
First, block the user. You can do this when viewing the messenger by selecting "Block" next to the sender's name. You can also block the user if you are reading the message by click on the sender's username and selecting "Add to PM block list".

Posted by: karmakiller Apr 27 2009, 11:40 PM

How do I access my profile?
Click on "My Account" in the upper right hand corner

There's a lot to choose from can you explain what everything means?
When you click on My Account you can manage your profile, your submissions, your favorites and much more.

• My Submissions will display any layouts, graphics, and scripts that you have submitted. If you have not made any submissions it will not display anything.
• My Favorites will display layouts, graphics, and scripts that you have added to your favorites.
• My Profile will show you your profile when you click on it. You can also customize the look by clicking on the links the follow.
  • Edit Profile will let you change your basic information that will display below your photo on your profile.
  • Change Picture will change the main profile image.
  • Winks lets you view and manage who has winked you. This is helpful to quickly view who you may want to wink back.
• My Blog will show you your blog when you click on it. You can also customize the look by clicking on the links the follow.
  • Write Entry is quick way to make a new blog entry.
  • Categories lets you add and manage categories that will separate your blog entries.
  • Blog Settings lets you customize the look and name of your blog.
• My Photos will show you your photo page when you click on it. You can also customize the look by clicking on the links the follow.
  • Upload Photos lets you add photos directly from your computer. (These images will transfer to the Createblog server so be cautious of what you upload.)
  • Categories allows you to add "tags" to your photos in the same sense that categories allows you organize your blogs. This is helpful if you have different types of photos or a lot of photos.
  • Photo Settings allows you to change the look and name of your photo page.
• My Friends will show you your friends list when you click on it. You can also manage it by clicking on the links the follow.
  • Pending Friends allows you to see who has requested to add you to their friends list. Although this will be displayed on the right hand side when you click "My Account" this helpful if you have refreshed the page and the link is no longer displayed.
  • Top Friends allows you to drag and drop your top five friends that will be displayed on your profile page. You can change them as often as you'd like.
• My Comments
  • Profile allows you to view your profile comments.
  • Blog allows you to view your profile comments.
  • Photo allows you to view your profile comments.
  • Layouts allows you to view your profile comments.
  • More » allows you to view the five most recent comments made on your profile page, photo page, blog page, and submissions.
• My Messages takes you to your personal messenger.
• My Account
  Account settings directs you to page where you can change your e-mail address, password, and username.
  • Customize allows you to enter HTML and CSS to change the look and feel of your profile you can http://www.createblog.com/createblog-layouts/ or http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showforum=97.

What are "Winks"?
Winks are a way to say thanks to people who have helped you out around the forum or just a way to say hi. They are a form of positive karma around the forums.

Someone left an inappropriate comment how do I get rid of it?
Underneath the comment select the trash can icon located to the right of "History".

I'm experiencing some problems with the HTML/CSS that I'm trying to add to my page.
You can create a topic in http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showforum=97 and others will hopefully be able to answer your questions.

Posted by: karmakiller Apr 27 2009, 11:43 PM

• All tracker-related questions should be posted in http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=202937 topic. Please make sure that you read through the topic because your question may have already been posted.

How do I access the Tracker?
You must be a Member to use this feature. To use this feature, simply click on "Tracker" under the top menu and fill out your information.