Stranger Things -- Frequently Asked Questions


		Posting Guidelines/Rules/Help/FAQ General Posting Guidelines Community courtesy Spoilers and interviews Forum-Specific Guidelines The Charisma Carpenter forum The Cordyverse forum The General forum The Fanfiction fora The Fanfiction Help/Recommendations forum The Multimedia forum The Introduction forum The Forum Announcements/Help forum The Angel Spoilers forum General FAQ Whom should I contact if I have a problem? Why does the board sometimes say "server is too busy"? What happened to the old posts? I just registered. Why can't I see the spoilers and fanfic? What's the best way to mark spoilers? Are there any other special tags? vBulletin Default FAQ FORUM-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES Community courtesy Be polite to other members, especially in cases of debate. Everyone deserves to speak their minds. Bashing characters or "'ships" (ew!) isn't a huge problem as long as the bashing never touches the actors or the 'shippers themselves. Critically evaluating an actor's performance is okay as well, as long as it doesn't involve an indiscriminate attack on him or her. On that token, when discussing an episode, please do not limit your comments on any specific character to remarks about his or her physical appearance, because that's just, well, stupid. (There. I said it.) You can get insight-free cracks about Cordy's hair anywhere else on the Web -- we don't have to bring it here. Please do not post quotes, comments, or discussion summaries from other boards to Stranger Things. The quoted/summarized posters may not be members of our board and cannot defend their own comments. If you think community members would like to respond to something on another board, post a link. Please use good judgment in exercising this option; other "'shippers" (ew!) deserve their safe havens, too. On the same token, do not post another member's Stranger Things comments or any other portion of any thread to another forum without express permission from the author or an administrator. Unauthorized crossposting is a violation of our rules and is subject to administrative action. It should go without saying that private arguments belong in private fora. Lively, even strenuous disagreement is welcome and even encouraged on the boards, but don't make it personal, and don't take it personally. If you believe a thread is veering toward attacks on individuals, don't feed the fire -- refer that thread to a moderator. (A PM will get the quickest response.) Make your thread title as clear and informative as possible without using any spoilery language. For example, "Can someone tell me how to place a new avatar?" is much more on point than "HELP!!!," just as "How will A/C play out in Season 4?" is a lot less opaque than "So what do you think?" Not everyone reads every thread, and vague titles may hurt your chances of getting the answers or discussion you seek. Help us help you. Post to the correct forum. This is covered in detail below. Check the board thoroughly to make sure the topic you want to start hasn't already been started recently. Please put serious thought into your discussion posts. That means a message that consists of more than just "I agree!" or "So true!" or "LOL!" These posts place an unnecessary burden on our bandwidth allotment, which means greater risk of the dreaded "server is too busy" message. (This guideline is suspended for Fanfiction responses, where a simple message such as "I loved this!" or "Thanks for posting" is an acceptable norm.) Don't double-post. This means posting one reply immediately after another. Use the Edit link to make additions and changes to your original post. You're free to advertise your site, but please do this conservatively and not too often. Keep your forum signature short. The general rule of Internet courtesy dictates that a .sig file should be no longer than five (5) lines. Some leeway is allowed here, but please use self-restraint. In addition, limit yourself to two (2) linked graphics. For those who still have trouble related to downloading super-long .sig files, don't forget that you can hide user signatures by resetting Thread View Options in the Edit Options section of your User Control Panel. Spoilers and interviews Posting spoilers, rumored spoilers, and edited bits of authentic, verifiable interviews may be done in the Angel Spoilers forum for AtS spoilers and in the Buffy forum for BtVS, as long as spoiler threads are clearly labeled with the the word SPOILERS in the title. The sole exceptions to the "cut-and-paste" rule mentioned above are "teasers" for reviews and interviews, to be linked to the site on which they were found, and those spoiler posts in which the writer has given explicit permission and guidelines for reposting. Still, make sure you include a link to the board where you found them, and always credit the source. Please note: Stranger Things is not in the spoiler business, and for better or otherwise we cannot assume any responsibility for the accuracy of "spoilers" posted here. Treat them as you would those computerized fortune-telling cards from the state fair -- you know, the ones with the words "For Entertainment Purposes Only" in fine print at the bottom. NO SPOILERS IN THREAD TITLES. Ever. Think before you post. Then think again. Think a third time while you're at it. Don't make me have to come over there. Stranger Things recognizes two major classes of Title Spoiler: the Explicit Spoiler ("ANGEL HAD SEX WITH DARLA!!!," "Which ep is Skip coming back in?!") and the Editorial Spoiler ("Dude, we have TEXT!!!!," "I HATE JOSS WHEDON WITH THE WHITE-HOT INTENSITY OF 1000 FIERY SUNS!"). Both types are unacceptable. Again, take a deep breath before you hit the Submit button. (Note: Editorial spoilers can and do include title emoticons. Watch out.) If spoilers are included in the body of your message, put the word SPOILERS in your thread title. Do this even if you're posting the thread to the Angel Spoilers forum -- many members use the New Topics function to browse the forum and will appreciate this courtesy. In addition, use the Spoiler tags described below where applicable, especially when discussing spoilers for Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the context of an Angel-related thread. Posting spoilers in nonspoiler threads is strongly discouraged; if you believe you must do so, use Spoiler tags for any and all such information and in followups referring to such information. Spoiler space isn't enough; browsers work differently, and what looks like enough space from the next post up may not be so when someone accesses your message via the Next Newest button. Please do not fail to follow this guideline; many Strangers are trying hard to stay unspoiled, and it's the little courtesies that make a truly friendly neighborhood. Due to the recent and ongoing spate of faked interviews, it is now explicitly against forum rules to repost or repeat interviews for which you cannot verify or have not verified a primary source. You may link to a purported interview on another board if you provide a disclaimer that you have not verified or cannot verify the information. Fake spoilers may be entertaining and relatively harmless, but the Stranger management can no longer ignore the legal and ethical dimensions of fabricating quotes concerning real issues and placing them in the mouths of real people. Posting or reposting such material is grounds for administrative action that may include permanent banning from the forum. When in doubt, don't. FORUM-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES The Charisma Carpenter Forum This forum is to be used for all discussion related to Charisma Carpenter and her work outside Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Miss Match, See Jane Date, past and future appearances, etc.). If you'd like to post links to articles, pictures, etc., please do it here. (NOTE: Spoilers for CC's upcoming projects should be posted using the SPOILER font described below.) The Cordyverse Forum This board is for all Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer discussion not related to advance spoilers, but focusing especially on the character of Cordelia and on the C/A relationship in all its forms and stages. Every Wednesday evening of the regular season, an admin or moderator will post a sticky discussion thread for the episode airing that night. Please use these threads for most episode discussion. If there is a specific scene or issue you wish to discuss in depth, feel free to start a new topic, but keep the general material in the official thread. In addition, members living outside North America may start their own official discussion threads when the episodes air locally. Check to see if another poster has started your country's thread, then feel free to post it yourself. During repeats, an admin or moderator may post a Rerun Reappraisal Thread for revisiting of topics from previous episodes. THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-DEDICATED BOARD! Please don't treat it as such. The General Forum This is for all off-topic discussion, such as the latest movie you saw or another favorite TV show. This is also the place for discussion of the cast and crew's outside projects, including Firefly, Miracles, et al. Nothing in here should be related to Angel or Buffy, unless the topics concern events outside the show itself (e.g., convention news, etc.). The Fanfiction Fora The Fanfiction posting area consists of two boards: Serial Fanfiction, for multipart fics and continuing stories that are meant to be read in a specified order, and Standalone Fanfiction, for single-part stories that are not part of a contiguous series. Just Fic is the official archive for fanfiction posted at Stranger Things. Contact Penny via e-mail or PM for more information. Since this is a C/A board, all fic should be related to this couple in some aspect. That doesn't mean it has to be romantic, but the focus of the fic should be on these two characters and their relationship. (An extreme example of an inappropriate posting would be a Spike/Buffy fic in which Cordy and Angel show up at the end to say "hi.") All ratings are accepted as long as the story is clearly marked. If a fic is rated NC-17, please put that rating in the TOPIC TITLE. As an extra courtesy to readers, please label Crossover stories as such in the title line. Remember to post fics with a heading that includes the title, author, disclaimer, author's e-mail address, rating, etc. A notice about how you would like your fiction to be distributed (if at all) would also be nice, since a lot of people have asked for fics for their sites lately. Please put a serious disclaimer on your fic. We don't want anyone to get sued. Don't hog the board. There is no exact limit to how many threads you can post in a day, but please keep the number small. Everyone deserves the chance to have their fiction in the spotlight. If you repost a finished fic, do so in ONE thread. If the finished story is not part of an ongoing series, repost it in the Standalone area. The Fanfiction Help/Recommendations Forum Post any fanfiction questions here -- anything related to fanfiction that is not fanfiction itself, including challenges, advice, recommendations, and requests for beta readers. This area is open for all fic recommendations, not just C/A or C/A-centric fic. The only guidelines are those that apply for all forums: Label new threads clearly, and make sure you're not duplicating effort (e.g., see if an Anya/Giles Fic Rec Thread already exists before you start a new one). All Whedonverse fic subgenres are eligible for a Rec Thread, including slash, BtVS-only, and non-"'ship" (ew!) fic. Please note: Recommendation threads are for endorsements and offsite links only. Actual posting of fics is forbidden, partly because it's a potentially uncontrollable symptom of "mission creep," but mostly because our current processor requirements don't leave any server resources to spare for them. Thanks for understanding. The Multimedia Forum C/A-inspired wallpapers, fanart, videos, and other media files go here. The Introduction Forum If you're new, be sure to post here to introduce yourself! The Forum Announcements/Help Forum If you have a question about the forum, or a suggestion to improve it, post it here. Also, keep an eye on this space for announcements regarding maintenance, downtime, and new forum features. *The Angel* Spoilers Forum** This forum is to be used for all Angel discussion involving advance spoilers for any and all characters and plot points. For our purposes, this includes discussion of advance promos, teasers, and episode photos as well as spoilers from spoiler sources. The Angel Spoilers forum also will be the home of Wildfeed threads during the regular season. Depending on future availability of the Angel satellite wildfeed, members may feel free to start a discussion thread as soon as the summaries are made public by offsite providers. Please note that this thread will contain SPOILERS for U.S. and Canadian viewers. Discussion of teasers will return to the Angel forum during the regular season, as they reasonably can be considered part of a broadcast episode. GENERAL FAQ Whom should I contact if I have a problem? Get in touch with Emmangel, Florrie, or Penny Century via e-mail or the board's private messaging service. You can reach the entire site team at stranger@stranger-things.net. Thanks to time zone differentials, one or more moderators is signed in virtually around the clock Monday-Friday, with frequent check-ins on weekends. If you need urgent technical help or wish to report a problem thread, visit the Currently Active Users box on the Stranger Things top page to see who's on line. Why does the board sometimes say "server is too busy"? Stranger Things lives on a shared server, and sometimes other people on the server use scripts that hog its resources. Just wait it out and it should go back to normal eventually. What happened to the old posts? Under normal circumstances, old threads are sometimes deleted to cut forum download time and ease our server processing burden (meaning less downtime for the board). Deleting old private messages makes more room to store these older threads. Fanfics are collected for storage at Just Fic before their original threads are deleted; check that site for any stories or installments you've missed. I just registered. Why can't I see the spoilers and fanfic? For security reasons, the Stranger Things Forum requires you to confirm your e-mail address before your account can be activated. (A member must have an activated account in order to post, send private messages, search the boards, view the Fanfiction and Spoilers area, and use other forum features.) Don't forget to register using a valid e-mail address, and respond to your validation e-mail as soon as you receive it. If you deleted your validation e-mail before you responded to it, send a message to stranger@stranger-things.net from the e-mail account you used to register, and don't forget to include your forum user name. A moderator will activate your account manually. Contact us at the same address if you registered with a fake e-mail address, and include your user name -- we'll change your record to reflect a valid address and send you an activation code. What's the best way to mark spoilers? Aya has created a special vBulletin code that will change the color of your text so it matches the background. Thus, anyone who wants to read the text will have to highlight it. To use it, simply put the code [spoiler] and [/spoiler] around the text you want hidden. Example : [spoiler]Blah blah blah.[/spoiler] When you do this on the forum itself, the text will be hidden. Are there any other special tags? Oh my yes. Stranger Things is proud to be the first forum anywhere to offer closed captioning for the humor-impaired through our Sarcasm, Deadpan, Facetious, Cynicism, Wishful Thinking, and Rant tags: Upon your use of the format [sarcasm]Blah blah blah[/sarcasm], your wisecrack with show up in bold green letters. Similarly, [deadpan]Blah blah blah[/deadpan] will produce bold purple text. In addition, [facetious]Blah blah blah[/facetious] will show off your wit in a bold deep pink font. Use [cynicism]Blah blah blah[/cynicism] when you're feeling especially bitter, and your text will reflect your mood in bold brown. On the other hand, if you're in a blue-sky mood, the [wishful]Blah blah blah[/wishful] tags showcase your relative optimism in bold blue. Finally, the [rant]Blah blah blah[/rant] tags let you announce your intent to vent with a bold red flair. Additional special tags will be posted in the Forum Announcements/Help area as they are developed. The rest of this guide is the default FAQ from vBulletin.
			Stranger Things > Frequently Asked Questions


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