Guide For Newbies

Introduction

Welcome to the FASA Wiki! We are glad to see that you have found interest in our wiki and are excited to get to know you, and we hope you enjoy your stay!

All content posted on this wiki, unless otherwise stated, is fictional. This is not a roleplay site. The FASA does not exist. DAs (Documented Anomalies) do not exist.

You are currently reading the Guide for Newbies, an introduction to site etiquette and standards that you should follow to fit into the community. No matter how you've found your way here, we welcome you as a member and a possible author of IOs and FASA-related stories and documents.

Let's get started from the beginning: getting from the status of a casual reader to a site member.

Make an account with Wikidot, the website that hosts the FASA Wiki. If you do not have an account with Wikidot, you can click this link to create one now.
After creating your Wikidot account, you will have to join the site through the use of this page, but hold on to your horses!
To get your application approved, you have to follow all instructions on the Join The Site page. That includes but is not limited to reading this guide. You are required to read all tabs on this page before joining the site.

If you're interested in joining the chat or writing for the site, you'll find additional pages linked to from this guide which will help you out.

You are expected to know the Code of Conduct before posting anything (including comments), and you are expected to have read the DA Documentation Format before writing any articles.

If you're on this page to apply for the site, please read all the tab sections on this page. To navigate this page, scroll to the top and click on another tab. (The next one is "Site Behavior," if that helps you any.)

Site Behavior

The Code of Conduct that you should have read by now contains a very clinical list of things you are to do, things that you are expected to do, and things you aren't allowed to do. However, the FASA is a writing community, and no list of proper rules will explain the nuances of social interactions for you. There are some behaviors that will simply get on other people's nerves. It's impossible to please everyone, but there are things that will annoy everyone, and these will get you banned. Keep this in mind:

Don't be an asshole.

So much of your time with the FASA, as well as life in general, will be easier if you remember this.

Mouthing off to Staff:

We are volunteers, not paid workers, who are curating a list of quality horror. We are not thin-skinned pushovers, but repeated harassment of staff will get you banned.

That being said: Moderators and Admins are allowed to have and express their opinions respectfully, just as writers and site members. You are advised not to behave obnoxiously towards them (or anyone—see rule #5), but you, as a member, are allowed to debate, disagree with, and discuss whatever you like with Mods or Admins in their capacity as members. You will not be banned for respectfully disagreeing with or debating with a staff member.

Staff/Mod/Admin Posts:

This is a member of staff acting in a position of authority. They will be clearly marked as "Staff Post", "Mod Post", or "Admin Post". Those are generally discussions to be read by members, but contributed to by Staff.

Moderative Posts: Moderative posts will have a specific title. These titles are used to indicate specific types of posts, and should only be responded to in certain situations. This exact text will be in the post itself:
- Deletion Vote: Anyone wanting to request a stay of deletion or ask for the opportunity to rewrite may respond to this post. Do not 'vote' if you are not staff.
- Stop Order: Do not respond to this post. If a staff member ends a discussion, it is over. Do not try to get the final word in and stop.
- Closed: Do not respond to this post. Staff is posting a statement that does not require a reply.
- Open: You can respond to this post if you want to.

Editing:

The FASA Database is a wiki, meaning that you are encouraged to write and contribute to the site as well as the community. Likewise, you are permitted to improve the site by editing existing pages. However, this only goes to a certain extent. Editing is broken up into different ranks:

Minor Edits: These include minor grammar, spelling, or punctuation fixes, or adding (correct) tags to a page. The rule is: as long as the change doesn't alter a sentence's meaning, the edit is fine. If you plan to do a lot of minor edits, be sure to let a moderator (or the author know) so misunderstandings about the changes can be avoided.

Major Edits: This includes changing paragraphs, altering pictures, or other concept changes. These types of changes should be run past the original author if possible. If the original author cannot be found, ask a moderator or administrator for permission or advice.

Also important: If you are going to make an edit, Make sure you know what you're doing when you do the edit. Don't make a sentence worse by doing any of the following.

Changing something that is supposed to be what it already is, like an intentional misspelling, formatting quirk, or an acceptable but alternate spelling of a word (color/colour, analog,/analogue, etc.)

Fixing something that wasn't wrong in the first place. Remember, every edit you make is visible for everybody on the wiki to see at anytime.

Appropriate Content:

Absolutely no illegal, pornographic, or clearly and blatantly outrageous content. In addition, being edgy for the pure sake of being edgy is strictly prohibited.

In-Character Behavior:

We don't talk in character on the forums because we are not a roleplaying site. Everything on the site and in the chat is out-of-character, meaning that you are to write as if you understand that this is a fiction site and we are writers of fiction.

Spam:

Don't. Don't spam or shill your article every two minutes, and don't bump threads. Similarly, don't post content-less responses to forum posts that are several months old. This will most likely give off the indication that you don't know what you're doing.

Profile:

Do not link to material that wouldn't be allowed on the site or make such material as your avatar.

For a complete and comprehensive list of the rules on this site, check out the Code of Conduct.

Tips for Members:

While we've covered the things you can and can't do, let's spend a bit of time to talk about the things you should and shouldn't do.

Leave constructive comments: This is a pretty big one. Simply telling an author "your idea sucks" or "it's cool" doesn't do much for them. You can do that, but a post history of "I like it!" or "This sucks" is going to annoy everyone and make you look bad. Here are some tips you can keep in mind when you leave a comment:
- What makes it good or bad (They can't fix what they don't know.)
- Ask questions that can make an author think of alternate ideas or perspectives about the article. Asking questions make them think of an answer, potentially letting them realize another point that they can improve upon.
- Why did/didn't you like it?

We're not asking you to write a detailed report on all the articles in the comments, but these extra points help improve the nature of the community.

Don't rush to contribute: This is also a pretty large one. Newbies often assume that because they recently joined a collaborative writing site, they must submit something to look smart, seem constructive, or show their worth. This is far from the case. Generally, quality writing takes time and energy. Trying to submit something as fast as you can to seem like you'll be a good member of the community will most likely lead to a shitty article that will be cast to oblivion with downvotes. Ask users in-chat for critiques or feedback, and get more info about the article you're trying to write. As blunt as some people in chat may seem, we are all ultimately trying to help you create something new, unique, and interesting. Never forget to take your time. The FASA isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and we'll be here when your article is polished and ready.

Experiment with new concepts: While it may seem like the main focus of this site is the DA articles (The Documented Anomalies), there is a lot more that can be contributed. We have sketch artists, storytellers, and graphic artists as well. People write stories about the universe surrounding the FASA, which helps explore the concepts behind various DAs. Others help flesh out the universe and make it feel real with sketches and posters, even going so far as to make animations. There's so much to contribute that it can't all be listed here. Give your idea a shot because we'd love to give it a look.

Read the articles: Before trying to critique DAs or other articles, read through the articles and links to get a firm understanding of the FASA universe. Building up a knowledge base helps to give your articles a better chance at being accepted into the site. You can never have too much knowledge when you're writing an article.

Be Modest: You don't need to be the most awesome person on the site, and trying to be will generally make you look like an asshole. Just be who you are and let the flow of the community guide your decisions.

The Secret Passcode: To join this site, place the following phrase in your application on the Join Page: "I promise to respect the FASA and its community." Your application must also contain a single grammatically correct sentence explaining why you wish to join our community. If your application does not include this introductory sentence and the above phrase, it will be automatically denied.