Welcome to Gaia! ::

<CENTER>Questions & Feedback Forum</CENTER>
The purpose of the Questions & Feedback Forum is twofold:
For users to ask questions pertaining or relating to Gaia and to have them answered by their peers, and for users to post feedback regarding the site for the improvement of Gaia in some fashion.

For a long time neither of these things have been accomplished to any satisfactory degree. Questions may be answered, but are done so haphazardly or without any compassion for the innocence or newness of the members asking. Feedback is given, but crudely and with little thought or investigation done beforehand and the replies to such feedback meet its level. Let's see what we can do about that.

_Navigation_
Post 1 - Rules & Guidelines
Post 2 - Does this thread/post belong in the Q&F?
Post 3 - Mini-Moderator FAQ
Post 4 - The Feedback Form
Post 5 - Dri's helpful and informative thread.

<CENTER>Rules & Guidelines</CENTER>

• Do not flame.
  Calling other users "stupid" or "slow" or "retarded" or "moronic" doesn't help any situation. Don't do it. We're supposed to be helping each other. Even if they are 'stupid', calling them that doesn't do any good. It only makes you look 'stupid.'
  
• Do not spam.
  Some people say we're 'too serious' in the Q&F. Well, we can have fun too. But entering threads to say 'hi', or 'wow thats cool' isn't appropriate (and it's not fun for everyone else). If you're new to Gaia and want to give random hellos, please use the Welcome to Gaia Forum, or Chatterbox Forum.
  
• Do not bump unnecessarily.
  Threads on the upper half of the first page do not require bumping, and this forum moves much more slowly than others.
  
• Know where to post!
  We all use computers to browse, lurk, and post on Gaia. Sometimes, these things don't work like they should. Many computer-related questions can be Gaia-related, but by the same token many are not. Read this post for some examples of what belongs here and what doesn't.
  
• Use the button SPARINGLY!
  That means rarely. The vast majority of topics in the Questions & Feedback forum have already been asked at least 10 times the same day. Many of these repeated topics are within the first page or two of the forum thread listing. Please check that first before you ask your question or post your feedback.
  
• ..and if you do use it, ask nicely!
  Remember, everyone who replies to your thread is doing so voluntarily. Whatever their reasons for doing so, they don't have to help you. Please be respectful of them. smile This goes doubly for the people who made Gaia and everything we're using happen.
  
• Title your threads appropriately!
  Don't post a thread with "HHHHHHEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!!" in the title. It makes our brains hurt. Please title your threads according to your feedback or problem. If your thread is about your avatar image being broken, title it "avatar image broken" or similar. This is so the helpers have a better time helping you and others can see you are having the same problem they are.
  
• Report bad threads!
  Members will post threads that don't belong in the Q&F (or its subforums), or threads that should be removed due to being inappropriate. Don't post in these threads. Report them to an online moderator! Let us explain why the thread should be moved. smile
  
• Give good feedback.
  Not all feedback is good feedback. If something "sux", tell us why it sux. If something is "1337", tell us why it is 1337. Tell us why you feel something should be changed or even why it should stay the same. Giving your opinion in and of itself does no good- explain yourself and detail your feelings and ideas. The more clear you are the more helpful it will be.
  
• Verbatim replies don't help very much.
  Yes, the terms of services says a lot, but just because someone doesn't like it or agree it should be the way it is does not mean they should "leave if they don't like it." That's a useless and unhelpful response, and in most cases, is said in a rude or border-line abusive manner. If you do not have anything worth bringing to table, don't post.
  
• Don't make petitions!
  Please don't make petitions. Please?
  
• Suggest in the right place!
  We love suggestions! Everyone can provide good ideas for new items, features, or old tricks with our current things. But they have special places to put them! Please check out the Extended Feedback Forum and check the stickied threads for the different suggestion threads.
  
• Don't try too hard!
  Many of the people in the Q&F post because they want to answer others' questions. However, it is impossible to answer everyone perfectly. Help as much as you are comfortable doing. Don't burn yourself out!
  
• ..but if you're trying to help, be helpful!
  Don't post if you're just going to say "I have no idea." or "Don't know! That's weird!"
  
• This whole forum is for helping!
  Please don't make threads that require members to ask you questions. We're all here to help everyone else. Making a 'help thread' is redundant.
  
• Don't be an enforcer!
  The only members who should be enforcing the rules are the staff members of Gaia Online. It is not your responsibility to keep others in line nor do you have the authority or right to do so. If a user breaks a rule, you have the right to politely inform them of their mistake, but please do not make it the sole purpose of your post, and please make it polite.
  
• We're not a "service"!
  Please do not ask us to private message you unless it is absolutely necessary to test or figure out your problem. If you ask for help you can come back later to view the responses. Bookmark your thread or add it to your subscription list if that will help.
  
• Let the mods be mods and users be users.
  If a user posts with a complaint, concern, or report for things moderators deal with, such as hackings, scammings, and "Is ____ against the rules?" please instruct these users to speak with a moderator. Do not ask for proof or evidence and do not accuse them or anyone else of being liars, ecetera.
  

Read on!

<CENTER>Mini-Mod FAQ</CENTER>


The term mod is short for moderator. We help with user disputes and try to keep the forums clean and organized.


Moderators are invited to the moderation team by administrators, the creators and maintainers of Gaia.


Always contact an online moderator. A list of online moderators is at the bottom of the forum index. Click one of their names and PM them with your problem. Be as detailed and clear as you can be.


If your case is about a hacking or scam involving yourself, please private message a general (green) moderator. If your problem is about anything else, contact a dedicated (purple) moderator. You can private message a dedicated moderator for any help, even hackings/scammings though. But don't PM a general moderator for thread moving or other things like that--they're busy enough. smile It would be best if you contact a moderator who is with the forum you're sending the report from--a list of moderators for a specific forum are at the top of that forum's thread listing, though it may not be completely up to date.


The moderator may have gone hidden or had to leave for personal reasons. Wait half an hour and check your sentbox. If your message is there, the moderator has read your PM. If it's still in your outbox, meaning it has not yet been read, delete it (so that it is taken out of the old moderator's inbox) and send your problem to a new online moderator. If the moderator is still online and half an hour has passed without it being read, please leave it alone if the problem is not immediately urgent, such as a thread with disgusting images.


Unfortunately we cannot all be in contact with each other at the same time, and if we were, that would be very crowded and busy. Please only PM ONE moderator with your query, or you will cause us to spend time looking into matters that have already been dealt with or start dealing with a problem someone else is working on.


Please be patient! Your PM is not the only one we've recieved. Sometimes we will read a few PMs to see which is more urgent and needs immediate attention. If the problem is complicated or involves things out of our abilities it may take 2-3 days or longer for you to recieve a response. Please be patient!


You may report any problems you are having to another moderator. If you are not comfortable doing so, fill out the Feedback Form.


Well aren't you friendly? As much as we love friends, we get this a lot, and we generally don't like it. Not because we're mean or want to eat your firstborn, but because people who ask others out of the blue if they want to be friends generally have low standards on friendship and we like to get to know people before befriending them. smile
[Note: This goes for most of us. Some of us really are mean and want to eat you along with your firstborn. No, we won't tell you which mod is which.]


Please don't. Please.


We're normal users too and we don't have large piles of money sitting around. Unless we do what some users do and horde. Most of us are as poor as you are, though. (Well, maybe not quite AS poor, but we definitely have our own needs and wants!) Please only ask for donations in the Charity/Quests Forum.