[OLD] Newbie Help & FAQ - ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE

[RaZoR LeAf]

* Please note that this FAQ will be out of date with vB4 *
(Updated version to come, further notes below)​

Note From BigNutter: Several of the Facts on the following pages are now out of date. I'm going to be working on a 2012 VB4 version. However, the Majority of the stuff is still valid. (If you notice the images are from 2006 when the forum was just restored from the Mass Deletion.) With the Update to VB4 almost all of the images are now out of date. The images that do not need updating are in sections that need updating.

This still mentions Mod+, a rank we've not had for a while. Well, it also barely mention Trade forums..

Newbie Help & FAQ
2008 Edition​

The old Newbie Topic and FAQ was well received, but it was a nightmare to update due to post length restrictions, people replying to it and general organisation of the content. Therefore, I took it upon myself, with no suggestion from outside to completely revamp it into a proper FAQ. Originally it was going to include a lot more things, such as how to use Search and all the options in the User CP. In hind sight, and helpfully pointed out by Virtual Headache, that would have been too much for a forum FAQ. So this is the trimmed down version.

Contents​

The following links will open up into a new window.

• Viewing the Forums
• The Main Page
• Forum List
• Message List
• Posts
• Display Modes
• Posting and Replying
• Reply Box (Basic)
• Reply Box (Advanced)
• Additional Options
• Making Polls
• Forum Tags
• Smilies
• Forums and Post Count
• Post Count
• User Ranks
• Moderator User Ranks
• Custom User Titles
• Images, Links and Cosmetics
• Uploading Images to the Net
• Changing your Signature
• Changing your Avatar
• Changing your Profile Picture
• Changing the Forum Style
• Forum Styles to choose from
• Modding, Reporting and Infractions
• What are Mods?
• What Mods can do
• Mod Issues
• Contacting Mods
• Becoming a Mod
• Reporting Posts
• User Notes
• Infractions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Dictionary of Terms
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Reputation System
• Reputation System Rules
• Frequently Asked Questions
  

 

[RaZoR LeAf]

Viewing the Forum


The Main Page

Image out of Date - Community has replace Members list on this bar and Members list is accessible under Community.​

• Access your account settings, such as Signature, Avatars and how you view things through the User CP
• Check out the Forum FAQ
• Under Community you can:
  • See Your Contact and Friends list.
  • See how many people have joined, and check their profiles on the Member’s List
• A Calender to mark off birthdays and important events
• Check out all the forums New Posts
• Search the Forum for something specific
  • Go Advanced for more search options.
• Instead of going through your User CP, check out the Quick Links
  • See all of Today’s Posts
  • Finished viewing? Mark Forums Read to make all topics appear as viewed.
  • Open Contact Popup to see all your added friends in a handy popup.
  • Edit Signature to preview and change your personal signature.
  • Edit Profile to change your settings
  • Edit Options to change your setup
  • Check your Private Messages
  • View all of your Subscribed Threads
  • Checck out your own Profile
  • See Who’s Online at the moment.
• Finished on the Forums? Log Out to prevent anyone else using your account.

Also in the top right corner is Notifications of any unread messages addressed to you. If you have no unread messages, you can see how many Private Messages you have.

Forum List

On the main page, each Forum is listed individually. The Forum Name is found at the top, the description along with any Sub-Forums found within are below.

On the right of that, you can see the last replied to topic within the forum, along with the time at which it was replied to, and who it was that made the post. Beside that is the amount of individual Threads within the forum, followed by the amount of individual Posts.

Clicking this will hide a group of particular forums from the main list. They’ll still be there, if you need to see them again just click the reversed icon

Beneath the list of forums is a little show of what’s happening on the forums. It’s not much, but you can see how many Threads, Posts and Members there are on the forums in total. You’ll also see the last person to join and the members who’s birthdays it currently is along with their ages. Both these features can be hidden

At the very base of the Forums is a bar with a few more quick links on. The drop menu on the left is a Skin Changer. It has a list of Styles, that allows you to change what colours and icons are used when you view the forums. There are several to choose from, most reflecting the 17 types from the pokemon games.

To the right are four links:

• If you have a problem with the forums, registration, or just want to give some feedback then Contact Us, will let you send your issues directly to Serebii.
• Visit the main website www.serebii.net
• Check the Archive to see recent posts in a simple text only format.
• Bounce yourself up to the Top of the forum.

Message List

http://i16.*******.com/6lnjmok.jpg​

Within each forum, threads are listed in order of most recent replies. You can see older ones by going back through the pages. Like the main forum list, you can see how many Replies a thread has, along with how many times it has been Viewed

The topic itself shows the title, along with who posted it. Beside it, you’ll see how many pages long it is, and in some cases, a star rating. This represents how people have voted for it. You can also see the last person to reply to the topic, and the time that post was made.

You are also able to Search the forum for whatever details you are looking for.

Post your own Thread by clicking this.

Posts

http://i14.*******.com/8b43gqo.png​

Unlike the Thread list, posts are shown in the order they are made. The first post made, is that made by the thread starter. All new replies are then listed after it in the order they are posted. If a topic has several posts, they are continued on more pages.

Before the main post are a few little drop down menus.

• Check the Thread Tools for some special Options.
• For a simple page without all the unnecessary graphics Show Printable Version
• Want to show someone this thread? Email this Page to them.
• Eager to keep up with the topic? Subscribe to this Thread.
• You can Search the thread for certain details.
• Rate Thread allows you to rate the topic on how good it is. (This function has been known to not work correctly at times.)
  • 
    Excellent
  • 
    Good
  • 
    Average
  • 
    Bad
  • 
    Terrible
• Change the Display Mode of the topic to view it differently
  • Linear Mode
  • Hybrid Mode
  • Threaded Mode

Use this to report bad posts. Reports are sent to the moderators, who will respond and deal with the post as soon as possible. Your user name will be attached to the report.

On to the post itself. The first large bar contains details about the member. Here’s a breakdown of what’s there.

The member’s personal avatar.

This will show the member’s rank, be it their number of accountable posts, or a moderator’s position.

Beneath this is the User Title. Normally it would show the rank, but it is customisable, and can be set to read whatever you like.

On the right is the user’s join date and Location, followed by icons that represents the user’s accounts on different Instant Messenger Programs.

• 
  MSN
• 
  Yahoo
• 
  ICQ
• 
  AIM
• Skype
  • Skype has several icons depending on the users Skype settings.

The body of the post is followed on by a Signature. This is how a member shows off their personality. It appears beneath any post they make.

Under the signature are three buttons:

Forgotten something? Need to correct some details? Want to delete your post? The edit button only appears on your own posts.

Quote a post in your own. It will add the current post into yours.

Click this on several posts to accumulate Quotes. Then hit Reply and they'll all be in your reply box.

A jump to the Quick Reply box at the very bottom of the screen.

Finally:

Reply to the thread yourself.

Display Modes​

Display Modes will offer you three different ways of viewing the forum. It is found in a drop down menu at the top of a thread. There are three modes available. The first, Linear is the default view of the thread, and is the one most commonly used. The other two will add something new to the page, and take certain things away.

Switch to Hybrid Mode - The posts all appear as they normally would, but with an extra box at the very top of the page (as shown above). Within this box is a total list of all the posts in the topic. You can click one to bring the post up on it's own. Posts that are quoted are indented, with each subsequent quote indented further.

Switch to Threaded Mode - Like Hybrid mode, a box is visible showing all posts in relation to one another. However, the only post visible is the first one made. Other posts can be clicked on the be viewed, or using Next and Previous buttons, viewed in succession.

Finally, at the very bottom of the page, under the last post listed:

Reply to the thread yourself.

 

[RaZoR LeAf]

Posting and Replying

Reply Box (Basic)​

In your own options, you can choose to view Reply Boxes in two different ways. This is the Basic View. There is nothing here to confuse or overwhelm you. You can see on the top bar what you are doing. Whether you are Replying to a thread or Posting a new one, as well as where you are posting. You’ll also see who you are logged in as, in case you share a computer with siblings who have their own accounts.

If you’re posting a new topic, the Title field is required, it will be the Title by which your topic is identified. If you are just replying, you can ignore it, as the post title is rarely noticed. The body of your post goes in the Message Box. There are limits on how many characters (individual digits like number, letters, punctuation and spaces) are allowed in a post.

Minimum characters:
10
Maximum characters:
50,000​

Post Icons will appear next to your topic on the Forum List page. Beneath that, you can either Submit your reply, but it is suggested that you first of all Preview it, to make sure you’ve not made any mistakes. When you preview, how your post will appear will be shown above the post reply box, which will still contain your post as you wrote it. When you’re done, hit Submit, and you’ll be redirected to your new thread/post.

Reply Box (Advanced)​

The Standard or WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor contains a lot more information which can overwhelm and confuse. Everything you see from the Basic Editor remains the same.

You now have several buttons that control certain aspects of the text you write, and can change how hey look or add different things to your writing. Here’s a break down of what’s available:

Remove all formatting from highlighted text

Change the colour of your text

Put an Attachment with your post

Undo your last action

Redo your last action

Make editing window bigger or Make text Bigger (Depends on skin and browser used)

Make editing window smaller or Make text Smaller (Depends on skin and browser used)

Make words Bold

Make words Italic

Make words Underlined

Set text to the left of the screen

Set text to the centre of the screen

Set text to the right of the screen

Create a list of bullet points

Create a numbered list

Remove indents

Add indents

Add a URL link

Remove a URL link

Add an E-Mail address

Add an image

Add a quote

Add code

Add HTML

Add PHP

Alter image dimensions to a 200 pixel height

Add a spoiler

Alter image dimensions to a 468*100 pixel shape

These changes, or ‘tags’ (named after the [ ] characters add to your post) will be explained in more detail later on.

You can also add ‘smilies’ to your post. Smilies are either small faces that show emotions, or are bouncing Pokémon icons. A few smilies appear randomly in the Reply Window, but you can access a full list of them by clicking the [More] link. You can also add smilie by putting their National Dex Number between two semi-colons, or colons in the case of Unova Pokémon. There is a longer explanation of smilies later.

Additional Options​

Additional Options appear beneath all reply boxes, with only one difference each. The above is shown when Replying. The first and foremost option allows you to not show your Signature. This is usually ticked by default. Also ticked by default is Automatically parse links in text. When unticked, this stops all links and URLs from becoming active, meaning you will have to copy them into your address bar in order to use them.

Thread Subscription allows you to receive notices whenever someone else replies to the thread.

• Do not subscribe is default, meaning you wont Subscribe to the thread.
• No email notification will mean the only idea you have of what you are subscribed to is by checking your User CP.
• Instant email notification will let the forums send you an email for the first time that a reply is made to the topic.
• Daily email notification sends you a daily report of replies to the topic (as oppose to an email for each individual post as above)
• Weekly email notification send you an email every week detailing the replies.

Rate Thread is just like it is when viewing posts. You can rate a thread between 5 and 1 stars, or choose not to rate it at all.

Making Polls​

This is what appears when you are posting a New Thread. The only differences are the addition of Disable smilies in text, allowing you to set all smilies to text instead of the images they automatically change to, and that the Rating option has been replaced by a Poll option. To add a Poll to your topic, first check the box Yes, post a poll with this thread. You then add how many fields you want the Poll to have. When you click Submit, you are redirected to a new page where you can edit your poll.

You are directed to a new page where you can create your Poll. First off you need a Question to ask. If you need more fields than you thought you did, just add more and click to Update Options. You can only have a maximum of 10 fields though, so keep that in mind.

How ever many fields you required will appear, letting you add in choices for people to choose from. Beneath this, you can decide how long to keep your poll open for. Choose how many days you want it open, or if you want it open forever, just leave the box empty.

A few last minute options, most you’ll have seen before in the Additional Options explained above. Make multiple choice allows members to chose more than one answer. Make Votes Public lets people see who’s voted in the poll and what they chose.

Just hit Submit to send everything through. It’s a very good idea to Preview first, as you cannot edit your own Poll afterwards.

Forum Tags​

Forum Tags can either be added using the editor buttons shown above, or by writing in the tags yourself. Now follows a list of the tags made by the buttons, as well as some that are not.

[NOPARSE]red
red[/NOPARSE]

Changing the colour of your text can be done by either adding a particular colour as a word, or by using a HTML code. HTML will allow you a much wider range of colours.

red
red

It is important to make aware, that the tag for changing colour is spelt using the American Color (no u), as oppose to the British colour. The latter will not work in the tag.

Text size can vary from very small to very big depending on a simple number factor.

[NOPARSE]Size 1
Size 2 text
Size 3 text
Size 4 text
Size 5 text[/NOPARSE]

Size 1
Size 2 text
Size 3 text
Size 4 text
Size 5 text

Default text is set at Size 2, and text can go higher than 5, though there is rarely any need to do so.

The most common tags that are used on the forums really. Bold, Italic and Underline.

[NOPARSE]This Text is BOLD
This text is ITALIC
This text is UNDERLINED[/NOPARSE]

This Text is BOLD
This text is ITALIC
This text is UNDERLINED

Text justification allows you to order text against a certain point of the page. As standard, it is justified to the left.

[NOPARSE]

This text is on the LEFT (default justification without tags)​

This text is in the CENTER​

This text is on the RIGHT​

[/NOPARSE]

This text is on the LEFT (default justification without tags)​

This text is in the CENTER​

This text is on the RIGHT​

It is worth mentioning again, that the tags for centering the text is spelt with the American word center, as oppose to the British centre. Again, the latter will not work in the tag.

Adding lists is probably easier to do manually than using buttons.

[NOPARSE]

• This is a Bullet Point
• So is this.
• This is the last one

[/NOPARSE]

• This is a Bullet Point
• So is this.
• This is the last one

Creating numbered lists is very similar, you just have to add a number to the opening tag.

[NOPARSE]

1. This is Number One
2. Number Two
3. Number Three

[/NOPARSE]

1. This is Number One
2. Number Two
3. Number Three

Oddly enough these icons appear the wrong way round, as you cannot Remove Indents without first having Added Indents. Intenting a Bullet list or a Numbering will alter the formatting of it. Never the less...

[NOPARSE]This is some normal text

This is with one Indent​

This is with two​

[/NOPARSE]

This is some normal text

This is with one Indent​

This is with two​

To remove an indent, simply delete it as you would any unwanted text.

Links, or URLs as the are often called are the long lines of text that appear in your Internet Browser window that designate the page you are looking at. The directly link to said page, you can either add the link on it’s own, or put it in a set of URL tags.

[NOPARSE]http://www.serebiiforums.com
http://www.serebiiforums.com[/NOPARSE]

http://www.serebiiforums.com
http://www.serebiiforums.com

As you can see, they appear exactly the same. If you don’t add the url tags, editing your post or quoting it later, you will find they are added by the forum regardless. You are also able to use these tags for a second more useful purpose. By placing the link within the tags, you can change the appearance of the link.

[NOPARSE]Visit Serebii Forums Today[/NOPARSE]

Visit Serebii Forums Today

While the text you entered appears on screen, by clicking it, you are directed to the link provided in the tags. This can also be combined with Images.

Adding emails is very much the same as urls, and you can do both a regular link, or one under different words just as above. You need only change the word url for email.

[NOPARSE]user@mailprovider.com
user@mailprovider.com
This email address is not real[/NOPARSE]

user@mailprovider.com
user@mailprovider.com
This email address is not real

Adding Images to your posts, or your signature is a way of livening them up. It is not a function to be abused however.

[NOPARSE]

[/NOPARSE]

[NOPARSE]

[/NOPARSE]

Some Forums do not allow the use of images in their posts. Attempts to add an image through these tags will result in the link being displayed instead of the image.

Add a quote

Usually if you are quoting text, you have done so through the usual Quote or Multiquote buttons. However, if you want to add text to your post that isn’t a previous post, such as a news story or spoken word from an outside source, then quote tags are easy to use.

[NOPARSE]

This is a regular quote

This is a quote made by RaZoR LeAf

[/NOPARSE]

This is a regular quote

This is a quote made by RaZoR LeAf

Remember that no matter how much you put inside a quote, it does not count towards the characters of the actual post. A post containing only a quote will fall short of the required 10 character limit. Often you will see posts with a quote and a jumbled word beneath that reads 10charlimit. This is added as an afterthought to fill the required limit.

Add a spoiler

Spoilers use a java script to hide text from view. You then click a button to reveal it.

[NOPARSE]

Spoiler

Secrets

Spoiler: Here be secrets

Secrets

[/NOPARSE]

Spoiler

Secrets

Spoiler: Here be secrets

Secrets

There are some other tags, but they have been left out of this FAQ due to the infrequency of their use. If there is enough demand for them to be added, they will be put into this guide.

Smilies​

Smilies are small images that are added to post to portray emotions. They are originally combinations of punctuation marks that fit together to appear as faces, but on the forums, many of the common ones will automatically appear as icons.

The most common regular smilies are:

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE]:redface:[/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]

- [NOPARSE][/NOPARSE]


The forum also has a large selection of Pokemon smilies. These are actual sprites taken from the games. Specifically, they are the two-frame animations found on the status or box screens of Ruby and Sapphire, and Diamond and Pearl. These icons can be added to a post by placing the pokemon’s National Dex number between two semi-colons. For Pokémon which are first seen in Black & White (National Dex numbers over 493), they use colons and do not animate.

[NOPARSE];025; :494:[/NOPARSE]

;025; :494:

In the case of Pokémon with several Formes, such as Unown, Shaymin and several others, they have different codes depending on which forme is shown. In some cases the number alone may not work. These and many other Pokémon smilies, (and some general ones too) can be found on this long list.

http://www.serebiiforums.com/misc.php?do=getsmilies&editorid=vB_Editor_001

You can also click on any smilie in this list and it will be added into your current. post. When replying, you can find a link to the list on the right hand side of the Reply Box (as explained in earlier).

Over use of smilies is very frowned upon, and constitutes as spam. As a result, many members do not like the Pokémon smilies being used. These are Pokémon forums, so the majority of members will know what Pokémon is being talked about without need of a tiny image too. Not only that, but excessive use of them slows down the loading times of the page. Don’t use smilies unless you are doing so in very small amounts or for good reason. Spelling words out in Unown is usually not a good idea.

 

[RaZoR LeAf]

Forums and Post Count


Post Count​

Every time you post, your Number of posts increases. However, there is also a second list that records how many posts you make in certain forums. This is your Post Count. There are several forums where the Post Count is turned off. While any replies or topics you make there are added to your Number of Posts, they are not added to your Post Count. It is the Post Count alone that changes your User Rank.

The forums where the Post Count is off are marked on the main forum page with the line

Posts Do Not Count Towards Postcount​

This is because the forums in question earn a large number of posts that are often short. The full list of forums where Posts do not count is listed here:

• Poképolls
• Face-Offs
• Miscellaneous Polls
• SPPf Help & Newbie Lounge
• Serebii.net Discussion (and Sub-Forums)
• Animé Polls
• G/S/C Rate My Team
• R/G/B/Y Rate My Team
• Other Pokemon Games
• Webmasters & Websites
• Digital Media
• Clubs
• Games
• Role-Playing Games (and Sub-Forums)
• Fan Art Shops
• Tech Help (and Sub-Forms)
• DP Battles & Trade Forum

This list is subject to change at any time at the Adminstration’s discretion.

User Ranks​

Here is a list of all the User Titles currently on Serebii Forums. In order to advance to the next level, you must meet the required Post Count quota listed to the right of each User Title...just remember do not SPAM to get them:


Unverified Account: 0
There is no Image until your account is fully verified.

Beginning Trainer: Verified

Boulder Trainer: 20

Cascade Trainer: 40

Thunder Trainer: 60

Rainbow Trainer: 80

Marsh Trainer: 100

Soul Trainer: 120

Volcano Trainer: 140

Earth Trainer: 160

Indigo Champion: 170

Coral Eye Trainer: 180

Sea Ruby Trainer: 195

Spikeshell Trainer: 210

Jade Star Trainer: 225

Orange Champion: 250

Zephyr Trainer: 280

Hive Trainer: 310

Plain Trainer: 340

Fog Trainer: 370

Storm Trainer: 400

Mineral Trainer: 430

Glacier Trainer: 460

Rising Trainer: 490

Johto Champion: 550

Stone Trainer: 600

Knuckle Trainer: 650

Dynamo Trainer: 700

Normal Coordinator: 750

Heat Trainer: 800

Balance Trainer: 850

Super Coordinator: 900

Feather Trainer: 950

Mind Trainer :1000

Hyper Coordinator: 1050

Rain Trainer: 1100

Master Coordinator: 1200

Hoenn Champion: 1300

Legendary Pokémon Coordinator: 1450

Battle Dome Champion: 1600

Battle Pike Champion: 1700

Battle Factory Champion: 1800

Battle Arena Champion: 1900

Master Pokémon Breeder: 2000

Battle Pyramid Champion: 2100

Battle Hut Champion: 2200

Battle Tower Champion: 2300

Pokémon Snag Master: 2500

Supreme Battle Frontier Champion: 2600

Coal Trainer: 3000

Forest Trainer: 3200

Cobal Trainer: 3400

Fen Trainer: 3600

Relic Trainer: 3800

Mine Trainer: 4000

Glacier Trainer: 4200

Beacon Trainer: 4400

Sinnoh Tower Champion: 4600

Sinnoh Battle Tower Champion: 4700

Sinnoh Factory Champion: 4800

Sinnoh Hall Champion: 4900

Sinnoh Arcade Champion: 5000

Sinnoh Castle Champion: 5100

Sinnoh Champion: 5200

Striaton Trainer: 5500

Striaton Trainer: 5566

Striaton Trainer: 5633

Nacrene Trainer: 5700

Castelia Trainer: 5900

Nimbasa Trainer: 6100

Driftveil Trainer: 6300

Mistralton Trainer: 6500

Icirrus Trainer: 6700

Opelucid Trainer: 6900

Opelucid Trainer: 7000

Unova Champion: 7200

Pokémon Champion: 8000

Moderator User Ranks​

Moderators will be explained in more detail later, but this is a brief outline of what User Ranks appear beneath a Mod’s name.

Moderators can delete threads, edit threads, move threads, delete posts and edit posts in the forums they moderate. They can also edit Signatures.

Moderator+s can do the same things like mods, but they can also ban members without the need of infractions in the forums they moderate. However since October 2010, this rank is retired. A Majority of the Mod+ ability was given to all Mods, with some of the More powerful abilities staying with Higher ranked staff..

Super Moderators can do the same things a mod+ can in every forum.

Administrators can do everything here: edit the forums, edit the members, create styles and a lot of other stuff. Not to mention the usual closing and banning.

Other​

There are a couple of other special ranks too.

This is the unique rank for SerebiiBot. It is a bot that PMs newbies a welcome PM and performs some other automatic forum functions.

This rank is displayed on users who have passed away. Their VM walls remain open to the public to pay respects, but any trolling or rude posts on these profiles will result in an instant ban. If you know a user has passed away, you may PM an admin with proof. Misusing the memorial rank, such as faking an obituary to play a prank on someone, will also result in an instant ban.

Custom User Titles​

When you join, your User Title reads the same as your rank, as shown above. However, you can change your title to read whatever you want. To change your User Title, first enter your User CP and select Edit Profile. Scroll down until you find a box that looks like this:

Now you can write whatever you want into the box (Within reason - Don’t be offensive) and then just Save Changes at the bottom of the page. User Titles can be a maximum of 20 characters long including spaces and punctuation.

If at any time you want to return to the default title; i.e. the one that comes with your rank image; then tick the Reset button before Saving, and your rank title will be restored.

To see your new rank in action, just check out any posts you’ve made, or view your own profile.

 

[RaZoR LeAf]

Images,Links and Cosmetics
(Signatures, Avatars and Styles)


Uploading Images to the Net​

In order to show any image on the forums it needs to be uploaded to the internet. There are many Image Hosts on the internet that offer a free service with few limitations on what can be uploaded.The following is a list of the most commonly used:

• Photo Bucket
• Image Shack
• Tiny Pic
• DeviantART

Though each one differs slightly, they all operate in the same way (except DeviantART, which is a portfolio site rather than just a free host).

The front page will have the option to Browse your computer for the file you want to upload. When you find and select it, Upload is your next option.

From there, you will be given a series of different text boxes. The one you want is usually the last, and is most often label Direct link for Layouts. it is a URL only, with no other tags or HTML around it. Select and copy this link. If need be, paste it into your browser, go to the page with the image on and save it into your favourites. If you ever lose your signature, you can find the image again straight away.

Changing your Signature​

A signature appears beneath any post you wish it to, on any part of the forum. It is personal space you can fill with anything you want (within reason), to display, advertise or general speak out about things.

To access the page where you edit your signature, you must first go into your User CP then browse to Edit Signature.

The Edit box will contain nothing different to that which was explained earlier. All the same buttons work.

Changing your Avatar​

Changing your Avatar is simple up to a point. As with the majority of options, head to the User CP then Edit Avatar. You’ll see first the current avatar you have, if you even have one at all. Below that, the default display of Avatars is the Standard R/S Avatars, i.e. the pokemon sprites from Ruby and Sapphire. There is a drop down list that allows you to view all the Avatars available:

• Standard R/S Avatars (389 avatars)
• Fire Red/Leaf Green (157 avatars)
• Emerald (386 avatars)
• Diamond & Pearl (550 avatars)
• DPPt Sprites - Back (636 avatars)
• Platinum Sprites (301 avatars)
• Official Sugimori Art (336 avatars)
• Official Pkmn Center Art (506 avatars)
• Pinball R/S 1 (205 avatars)
• Pinball R/S 2 (119 avatars)
• Dungeon 2 Headshots (584 avatars)
• Shiny Pokemon - RS (386 avatars)
• Shiny Pokemon - FR/LG (152 avatars)
• Shiny Pokemon - Emerald (386 avatars)
• Shiny Pokemon - DP (514 avatars)
• Special Avatars (4 avatars)
• Trainers - Sinnoh (127 avatars)
• Trainers - Hoenn (94 avatars)
• Trainers - Kanto - 3rd Gen (62 avatars)
• Trainers - Johto/Kanto (68 avatars)
• Trainers - Kanto - 1st Gen (47 avatars)
• Shiny Pokémon - DP (514 avatars)
• Shiny Pokémon - Platinum (300 avatars)
• Pikachu Impersonations (12 avatars)
• Standalone Pokemon (78 avatars)
• 4th Generation (16 avatars)
• Summermon (9 avatars)
• Anime Character Avatars (154 avatars)
• Show Avatars (362 avatars)
• Show Avatars - Kanto Battle Frontier (228 avatars)
• Show Avatars - Diamond & Pearl (180 avatars)
• Movie Avatars (369 avatars)
• Misc Anime Avatars (34 avatars)
• TCG Pokemon Pictures (535 avatars)
• TCG - EX Delta Species (86 avatars)
• TCG - EX Legend Maker (57 avatars)
• TCG Trainer Pictures (54 avatars)
• Pokédolls (18 avatars)
• Christmas Pokemon (10 avatars)
• Pokemon Dash (17 avatars)
• XD (2 avatars)
• Manga Avatars (42 avatars)
• Smash Bros Brawl (19 avatars)

The only problem you’ll face is that sprites are in random order. This is due to a forum problem that Serebii has tried to fix on numerous occasions, but only for it to all go wrong again. So when you’re done, go to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes.

Some members on the forums have Custom Avatars, avatars that are not available on the forums, but have been added by themselves. These members are Moderators, and they are the only forum members allowed to have Custom Avatars. The reasoning behind this is due to the enormous strain on the server that would occur should 20,000 members be allowed to upload them.

Changing your Profile Picture​

Your Profile Picture is sort of like a Custom Avatar, but it only appears in your profile. This is less stress on the server as it is not veiwed by several people at the same time, all the time. To change it, browse to the User CP again, and click Edit Profile Picture.

Everything is explained, the image you use has to be 100*100 pixels in size, and less than 64.0 kbs. The picture can either be one from the internet, in which case you need only insert the URL into the box provided, or on your computer in which case clicking Choose File will open a menu to allow you to search your computer for it. When you’re done, just hit Save Changes.

Changing the Forum Style​

There are several forum styles to choose from. They are all based around Games or Types. There are two places to change them:

At the very bottom of the main forum page, as shown in the first section Viewing the Forums. It’s a drop down list, with all the styles on. Just clicking one will refresh the forums into the chosen style.

The other option is in your profile. User CP then Edit Options. You’ll find it at the bottom of the page.

Just like at the bottom of the page, chose an option from the list. Save Changes and you’ll return to the User CP in the new Style.

Forum Styles to choose from


Serebii.net V9.0

Emerald

Serebii.net V7.0

Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald

Fire Red & Leaf Green

Gold, Silver & Crystal

Red, Blue & Yellow

Diamond & Pearl

Colosseum & XD

Pichu Bros!

Pokémon Channel

Bug Type

Dark Type

Dragon Type

Electric Type

Fighting Type

Fire Type

Flying Type

Ghost Type

Grass Type

Ground Type

Ice Type

Normal Type

Posion Type

Psychic Type

Rock Type

Steel Type

Water Type

Beauty Type

Cool Type

Cute Type

Default Style

Happy Style

 

[RaZoR LeAf]

Moderators and Modding


What are Mods?​

Mods, or Moderators as they are properly named, as basically members with the ability to control certain aspects of the forum. They are the staff who watch over particular forums, and make sure that rules are not broken, or people are properly dealt with if they are. Almost every forum has one or more mods. The mods of the forum are chosen based on the knowledge, dedication and respect they have gained in their time on the forums, and through other Serebii.net related media.

What Mods can do​

Moderator

Regular Moderators have their names in Italics, and also have the above image as part of their profile. This sort of moderator is the most common, and widespread on the forum.

Moderators can:

• Close topics / open topics
• Delete threads and posts / restore threads and posts
• Edit posts
• Move Threads

but only in the forums they moderate in.

They also have the Forum wide ability to:

• Apply Infraction points from a standard set (However, Mods usually will not add infractions to post outside their section. But do have the ability to do so, if need be.)
• Edit or Delete Signatures.

Spoiler: Mod+ info - inactive Rank

Moderator+

A Moderator+ is similar to a regular Moderator, having all the same abilities in their sections with a few added functions, such as custom infractions, immediate bans, and editing signatures. This rank was removed from active service in October 2010. Staff were either promoted or demoted back to mod when this rank was removed Some Abilities where added to basic Moderator Skill set, the SMod and Admin have all the powers as Moderator+ has more.

Moderator+ can:

• Close topics / open topics
• Delete threads and posts / restore threads and posts
• Edit posts
• Move Threads
• Ban members without the need of Infraction points!

but again, only in the forums they moderate in.
They also have the Forum wide ability to:

• Apply Infraction points (However, Mod+s usually will not add infractions to post outside their section. But do have the ability to do so, if need be.)
• Edit or Delete Signatures.

Super Moderator

Super Moderators are the people you should notice about the forums a lot. They were once regular moderators, but have shown a level of dedication and ability that has put them at this high level.

Super Moderator can:

• Close topics / open topics
• Delete threads and posts / restore threads and posts
• Edit posts
• Move Threads
• Edit or Delete member signatures
• Apply Infraction Points, using either a Standard Set or a Custom options.
• Ban members without the need of Infraction points!

In every forum.

Administrator

Administrator, or Admin, is the highest rank attainable on the forum bar one. The Admins have each shown themselves to be not only well known, well respected and excellent and their jobs, but completely trusted by Serebii himself.

Adminstrators can:

• Close topics / open topics
• Delete threads and posts / restore threads and posts
• Edit posts
• Move Threads
• Edit or Delete member signatures
• Apply Infraction Points, using either a Standard Set or a Custom options.
• Ban members without the need of Infraction Points
• Ban IPs (Prevent access to the forum from certain Pcs.)
• Close / Open / Delete / Restore Forums
• Change Styles
• Change User Names (Currently unavailable)
• Reverse Infractions and Remove Signature Strikes (but only if proved that they given incorrectly.)
• Many more things

Obviously, Admins have control of the whole forum.

The only rank higher than Admin, is Founder, a rank that belongs to one person only, namely the creator of the forums, Serebii. It doesn’t need to be said that Serebii can do everything on the forums.


To see a list of all the Staff Members, their ranks and the forums the moderate, then click this link:

http://www.serebiiforums.com/showgroups.php​

Mod Issues​

Since mods basically have control over your topics and your profiles, some times you might get annoyed, or upset over what you think is unfair treatment. You should be assured that this is not the case. The mods treat everyone fairly, and it is only through receiving bad treatment themselves that they will treat you differently.

However, should you have a complaint to make, first send a PM to the Moderator in question and politely put across your point. If you want to make a formal complaint against a Moderator, then you should go to a member of staff of a higher rank.

Moderator --> (Moderator+ -->) Super Moderator --> Admin --> Serebii


Contacting the Mods​

If you have any reasons to contact the mods, and you think that it can not fit in to an automatic report, then you should send them a Private Message. The topic should be clear, so the Moderator knows it is a report of some kind, and the body of the PM should include the problem and a direct link to the page or profile.

Becoming a Mod​

A lot of people wonder how they can become moderators on the forum.

1. Don't Ask. The most important of all points and it's first on the list. Don't post about it, don't send PM's about it, and don't talk about it in the chatroom. If you're asking about it, then you most likely don't have the necessary qualities required of a mod.
   
2. Know the Rules. In the forums you frequent there are set rules that you should know. Not only that, but there's the overall forum rules. It says a lot about the person if they break basic rules, and a mod shouldn't be breaking the simple things.
   
3. Have the skills. Do you have something to contribute to the forums? If you do, then you'll be considered to be in the ranks above the regulars. It doesn't make you better than them, it just means that you have something to offer that's new, exciting or useful. It will let others know that you have skills that make you stand out.
   
4. Know the current situation. Look around, and check out how many mods there are at the moment. There's a lot of them at the moment, and new ones are only appointed when they are required.
   
5. Be patient. Nobody is saying you wont ever be modded. You might, the future is never certain, but don't expect it. You might think you're modding material, but it's not your decision to make. Be a good member and do the best you can to help. Don't forget that you're here primarily to have fun.
   
6. Understand. Realizing what a mod does. It’s not all fun and games. Mods have to do a lot on the forum, dealing with members, rule breakers, SPAM, forum maintenance and dealing with abuse from members. If you don’t think you can do all this on a regular basis then you are not mod material.
   
7. Don’t Mini-Mod. By this we mean don’t act like a mod. Don’t reply to spam and tell people not to spam. Don’t warn people when you don’t have the ability to back up your warnings. While the mods appreciate members helping out by pointing things out to newer members, we don’t need you to do our jobs for us. Mini-modding is not going to get you any closer to being a mod.

Reporting Posts​

Mods cannot be everywhere at once, so there is a way for you as members to tell us where there is a problem. The Report feature is represented in every post with a

icon. By clicking this you can send a message to the forum moderators telling them that the post is a problem.

All you do to start it off is to click the warning button and you are sent to a new page

All you need to do is add the details for the report. Make it straight to the point and clear as to what the problem is. If it’s about the member’s signature, be sure to mention that. If your comment is to vague, then the mod dealing with it wont know why you’ve reported it. Once you hit ‘Send Report’ two different things will happen. First, the moderators of the forum will receive an e-mail with the details of the report in (if the forum has no mods, then the admins will receive it). Secondly, a topic with the report in will be created in a special forum where all mods can see it, and deal with it if it is severe (such as a troll).

In some cases, it may appear that the Moderator has done nothing. Infractions are not visible to everyone but the recipient and Staff members of that forum.

User Notes​

User Notes are a means for the moderators to leave important notes in a member’s profile. These notes are, in almost all cases, evidence of a warning that has been given. The most common use of them is to report Signature Violations.

You can find your User Notes by viewing your own profile - they are linked at the top of your profile. Your User Notes can only been seen by yourself and moderators; no other members will be able to see them.

User Notes are not to be mistaken with Infractions.

Infractions​

If you break a rule, you will probably end up receiving an infraction. Each infraction is worth a certain amount of "points," and the more points you have the closer you are to being banned. Infractions all have an expiration date (usually it is 45 days unless stated otherwise), at which point they will still appear on your profile but will no longer count towards point totals.

The standard infractions appear below. Note that Supermoderators and Administrators can give infractions of any value with any expiration date.

Also, there are some variations that can occur with the standard infractions. If you receive a Warning instead, you will have an infraction with the same description and expiration date, but it will add 0 points to your total.

The other variation is the Extend option. Basically, if you are infracted for standard offense and then receive another punishment for the same offense, the second infraction will last longer. For example, if you receive a 3-point Spamming infraction (which typically lasts 45 days), and then 10 days later receive another 3-point Spamming infraction, your new Spamming infraction will not expire for 80 days (the time from the old Spamming infraction [45 days - 10 days] is added to the time for a new Spamming infraction [45 days]). Also note that this is not something manually done by staff members, it is now automatic and we do not choose whether to do it.

1. Foul Language - 1 point
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

2. Abusing Smilies - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

3. Advertising - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

4. Asking for/offering forbidden/hacked Pokemon - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

5. Bumping Topics - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

6. Discussing Cheat Codes/Devices - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

7. Disobeying the Rules of a specific sub-forum - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

8. Double Posting - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

9. Mini-Modding - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

10. Replying to spam - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

11. Sending Chain PMs - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

12. Sending Unsolicited PMs - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

13. Spamming - 3 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

14. Triple Posting - 4 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

15. Abusing Image Macros - 5 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

16. Discussing Illegal Content - 5 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

17. Flaming/Insulting Other People - 5 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

18. Harassing Others - 5 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

19. Posting with intent to annoy others - 5 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

20. Quadruple Posting - 5 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

21. Continuously disobeying the Rules of a specific sub-forum - 6 points
Warning? No - Extend? Yes

22. Quintuple Posting - 6 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

23. Making an Alternate Account While Unbanned - 10 points (lasts 90 days)
Warning? No - Extend? Yes

24. Posting more than 5 times in a row - 10 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

25. Trolling - 10 points (lasts 90 days)
Warning? No - Extend? Yes

26. Unintentional Plagiarism - 10 points
Warning? Yes - Extend? Yes

27. Providing Links to Illegal Content - 40 points (lasts 90 days)
Warning? No - Extend? Yes

28. Intentional Plagiarism - 40 points (lasts 90 days)
Warning? No - Extend? Yes

29. Posting Porn or other explicit material - 70 points (never expires)
Warning? No - Extend? No

30. Advertisement Bot - 130 points (never expires)
Warning? No - Extend? No
(This is only intended for actual adbots, and normal users should never see this infraction applied to them. If you do you see this one really should think about what you have been posting.)

31. Evading Ban - 130 points
Warning? No - Extend? No

32. Giving your account details to a Banned user - 130 points
Warning? No - Extend? No​

As for what the points actually do, these are the point requirements for bans:
15 points - 1 week ban
30 points - 2 week ban
45 points - 1 month ban
60 points - 2 month ban
75 points - 3 month ban
90 points - 6 month ban
110 points - 1 year ban
130 points - permanent ban

And remember that these are only active points, if your points expire they do not count.

When you get an infraction PM, you will see a message looking something like this:

and after you receive one, you can check the status of your infractions by looking at a tab on your profile, which will look something like this:

Remember Smods and Admins, and Serebii, can apply custom Infractions. The two applied to Zephyr Flare in that image are custom infraction and are deliberately set low.

Once you've reached the limit for a ban, the system will automatically ban you, at the same time as infraction that breaks the limit.

 

[RaZoR LeAf]

Frequently Asked Questions



Dicionary of Terms​

General and Chat Terms


OMG - Oh My God
OMFG - Oh My F**king God

WTF - What The F**k
WTF - In different contexts can also be used to mean Where, Why or Who.
STFU - Shut The F**k Up

BS - Bull Shit

AFK - Away From Keyboard
BRB - Be Right Back
BBS - Be Back Soon
BBL - Be Back Later
BBT - Be Back Tomorrow
BBW - Be Back Whenever
G2G - Got To Go

WB - Welcome Back

IC - I See
IIRC - If I Recall Correctly
BTW - By The Way
NM - Never Mind
IRL - In Real Life
JK - Joking or Just Kidding

YW - You're Welcome
TY - Thank You
NP - No Problem
GG - Good Game

IMO - In My Opinion
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion

LOL - Laughing Out Loud
ROFL - Rolling On the Floor Laughing
LMAO - Laughing My Ass Off
ROFLMAO - Rolling On the Floor Laughing My Ass Off

N/A - Not Applicable

TTFN - Ta Ta For Now
TTYL - Talk To You Later

1337 - LEET or Elite. Something very cool, in a 20th century fanboy way
w00t - Expression of joy such as Hooray!

owned / pwned - something that has been defeated or shown to be weak.
own / pwn - verb form of above

emo - emotional

FTW - For The Win


Forum Specific terms

SPP - Serebii's Pokemon Pages/Places
SPPf - Serebii's Pokemon Pages/Place Forum
SPPc - Serebii's Pokemon Pages/Place Chat

Mod - Moderator
Mod+ - Moderator+
SMod - Super Moderator
Admin - Administrator

Newbie / Newb - A new person.
n00b - A person who fails to follow rules, acts disrespectfully to other members or is immature

Reg - A Regular forum member. Someone who is seen to be posting often.
Vet - A veteran forum member. Someone who has been at the forum since the start or near the start.

Sig - Signature
Avy - Avatar

Sticky - A topic that is 'stuck' at the top of the forum. Contains important information that should always be read.

Troll - Someone who flames or spams incessantly with no regard for rules

Bumping - Replying to an old topic that is more than a month old. Alternativly, replying to a topic for no reason other than to 'bump' it back to the first page. Neither of these instances are allowed.

Flaming / Flame - Insulting a member for no reason, or over a reason to petty to warrent such an unnecessary outburst.

Flamer - Someone who does the above.

10charlimit - When a reply does not reach the minimum 10 character limit, this is added to fill the quota.


Shipping

Shipping - A relationship between two or more characters in Anime

Doujinshi - Fan Made Manga

Hentai - Animated Pornography. FORBIDDEN at this forum
Sukenbe - Hardcore Pornography. FORBIDDEN at this forum

Ecchi - The Japanese pronunciation of the 'H' in 'Hentai'

Het - Short form of Hetrosexual, a male x female relationship
Shojo-ai - A female x female relationship
Shonen-ai - A male x male relationship

Yuri - A sexually explicit female x female relationship
Yaoi - A sexually explicit male x male relationship

AAML - Ash And Misty Love. Ash x Misty Shipping

JAJL - Jessie And James Love. A Jessie x James Shipping


TCG

TCG - Trading Card Game[/b]

TRR / EX7 - EX: Team Rocket Returns
FRLG / EX6 - EX: FireRed and LeafGreen
HL / EX5 - EX: Hidden Legends
TMTA / EX4 - EX: Team Magma vs. Team Aqua
EX3 - EX: Dragon
SS / EX2 - EX: Sandstorm
RS / EX1 - EX: Ruby and Sapphire

SR / e3 - e-Skyridge
AQ / e2 - e-Aquapolis
e1 - e-Expedition

LC - Legendary Collection

Neo4 - Neo Destiny
Neo3 - Neo Revelation
Neo2 - Neo Discovery
Neo1 - Neo Genesis

Gym2 - Gym Challenge
Gym1 - Gym Heroes

TR - Team Rocket


RPG

RPG - Role Playing Game
RPGer - A person who takes part in Role Playing Games

Twink - A person who's character is invincible, unbeatable or more important that anything else. An immature RPGer
Godmodding - Portraying the character as unbeatable
Power Playing - Portraying the character as unbeatable

LSU - Late Sign Ups
OOC - Out of Character
IC / BIC - In Character / Back in Character
NPC - Non-Participating Character

Bunnying - Taking control of another person's character and making them act unnaturally.

Game Master - The owner or person running an RPG


Fanfic

Fanfic - Fan Fiction.
Fic - An article of Fan Fiction

PWP - Plot What Plot?

POV - Point Of View

AU - Alternate Universe

Lemon - A fic with strong explicit sexual themes. FORBIDDEN at this forum.
Lime - A fic with with strong sexual themes.

Journey Fic - A story revolving around a character on a Pokemon Journey

Canon - Official recognition of a series
Fanon - Fan belief of a series, unconfirmed by by Canon or official sources.
Jossed - Fanon disproved by an official source or Canon.

Mary Sue - A female, unrealistically perfect character, that offers no originality
Gary Stu - A male, unrealistically perfect character, that offers no originality

Writer's Block - A condition that writers have when they are stuck for ideas


Gaming Terms

RBY / RBYG - Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow and Green
Chromatics - Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow and Green. AKA the original Gameboy games

GSC - Pokemon Gold, Silver, Crystal
Metallics - Pokemon Gold, Silver, Crystal. AKA the Color Gameboy games.

RS / RuSa - Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
FRLG - Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green
Advanced - Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, Fire Red and Leaf Green. AKA the Gameboy Advanced games.

DP - Pokemon Diamond and Pearl

XD - Pokemon XD Gale of Darkness
Colo - Pokemon Colosseum
Stad - Pokemon Stadium
Revo - Pokemon Battle Revolution

STAB - Same Type Attack Bonus

TM - Technical Machine. Preceding a number it represents a specific TM in the game.
HM - Hidden Machine. Preceding a number it represents a specific HM in the game.

E4 / E5 - Elite Four or Elite Five

RMT - Rate My Team

Eeveelution - An evolution of Eevee.

Evo - Evolution

Lv / Lvl - Level
HP - Hit Points
Atk - Attack
Def - Defence
Spd - Speed
Sp.Atk - Special Attack
Sp.Def - Special Defence
Spc - Special (Chromatic Games only)

HP [type] - Hidden Power, and the type the attack uses. Eg. Hidden Power Fire

EV - Effort Value
IV - Individual Value

OU - Over Used
UU - Under Used
NU - Never Used

Metagame - Online Battle Simulators

BP / BPer - Baton Pass / Baton Passer

Annoyer - A pokemon that annoys the opponent.

Beller / ATer - A Heal Bell or an Aromatherapy using Pokemon.

Sweeper - A Pokemon meant to finish off weak pokemon quickly
Physical Sweeper - A Pokemon that specialises in mostly physical attacks
Special Sweeper - A Pokemon that specialises in mostly special attacks

Tank - A pokemon with high attack or special attack.

Lati_s / Lati@s - Can mean either Latios or Latias


Smilies

[noparse][/noparse] - Happy
[noparse][/noparse] - Sad
[noparse][/noparse] - Grinning
[noparse][/noparse] - Sticking Out Tongue
[noparse][/noparse] - Surprise
XD - Heavy laughter

o.o - Surprise or Bewilderment
/ - Surprise. 'Weirded Out'

^_^ - Happy
^_^; - Anime style sweat-drop. Embarrassment

;_; - Crying
$_$ - Money
-_- - Sheesh. Whatever
¬¬ - Fed up.
x_x - Something's gone wrong. Dead.

>_< - Squinting. Pain.
>_> / <_< - Looking aside.

<3 - A heart. Love.

> - Greater Than. Used to show one thing is better than another. Eg. Toast > Waffles
< - Less Than. Used to show one thing is worse than another. EG. Toast < Waffles. Not as common as >

Frequently Asked Questions


Regarding Forum Use​

• What are Referrals?

When someone joins the forums they can say if they have been referred here by someone. If a joining member puts forward your user name, then you gain a referral from that person.

To get your Referral ID use this following URL, but replace the # with your member number (which can be found by accessing your profile through the forum).

http://www.serebiiforums.com/index.php?referrerid=#####​

• Why can’t I turn off Invisible mode?

If you are having trouble turning the invisible mode off, switch your skin. Uncheck the box and click "Save Changes." If that fails to work, clear your cookies and cache, and try again. You may have to switch skins after clearing your cookies and cache.

• Why do I have 65535 Private Messages?
• Why do I have Private Messages from 1969?

These are both forum glitches, and nothing to worry about. Tr logging out and clearing your cookies. Even if that doesn’t work, it will go away sooner or later.

• What is a Read Receipt?

Most often used by Mods to make sure you read the PMs they send you. A Read Reciept pops up when you open a PM. Clicking Okay sends an acknowledgment to the person who sent the PM, letting them know it has been opened and read. It is very impolite not to answer or ignore the read receipt, and can put you out of favour with the mods.

• Where can I find .............. for my sig?

Whatever you want to put in your sig, you should be able to find elsewhere on the internet. Search engines will provide you with images. If you are after something specific, that you have seen in another person’s signature, then the best place to find out about it, is to send that member a Private Message and ask them.

• Why am I limited to only 7 lines in my sig I’ve seen people with more.

This is a forum glitch stemming from a time when the sigs were changed. Try joining different User Groups, you should then be able to add more to your signature.

• How do I add a Custom Avatar?

Custom Avatars are available only to Staff members. There is nothing in the foreseeable to future to suggest any different.

• When I view the avatars page, it scrolls off the side of the screen. Why is this happening?

This is a problem caused by certain browsers. It's more common with Opera and Safari, but some people have reported it in Firefox too. The best way to get around it is to manually change the page number via the URL. Inputting &page=n, n being the page number of the avatars gallery you seek, at the end of the address bar will do the job. Alternatively, drag your browser window from the right hand corner to the far left of your screen and then drag and expand it's size. You'll be able to see the end of the list, but it will take some moving back and forth of the browser window to navigate it.

• Why can’t I change the Reply settings to WYSIWYG?

For some reason, the option does not appear on certain skins. To solve this problem, just change skins and the option will appear. Change them back, and the option will disappear, but the changed settings will remain active.

• What is a bishie and where can I get one?

‘Bishie’ is a shortened form of the Japanese word Bishounen, a term used to described beautiful boys. However Bishie itself is more sexually neutral meaning it can apply to any gender. In any case, the original Bishie Thread has spawned several others where members can post to ‘claim’ a character or even fellow member as their own. There is nothing gained from this, only bragging rights for your sig. A list of current Bishie/Claiming threads is as follows:

Alternate Anime
SPPf Bishie (Claim a Character) Thread v.5
Claim Your Favorite Anime Song Thread [Version 3.0]

General Pokémon Discussion
Official Claim a Pokémon Thread

Miscellaneous
Claim A Song Thread 5.0
Celebrity Thread

Shippers Community
Couple Claiming Thread 5.0
Crossover Ships Claiming Thread
Poly Ships Claiming Thread

Video Games
Claim Your Favorite Video Game
Claim Your Favorite Video Game Character / Video Game Combination

Also found in this thread: http://www.serebiiforums.com/showthread.php?t=328959

People with a + beside their name, are people you have added to your Private Message Buddy list. If you see one beside your own name, then you've added yourself.

There are people on the list with a red +. This means they are a Moderator+.

• I can’t log out! Help!

If you're having difficulties logging out, then you need to clear your cache of Cookies. These are files that are stored whenever you visit a website, and remember the things you have done, such as logging in. The easiest way around this is to clear all your Cookies. If you want to be more specific and only delete cookies for these forums, then make your way to the Log-out topic located here.

For Internet Explorer Users:

1. 1 Go to Tools and then Internet Options
2. 2 Scroll to Cookies and choose 'Delete All Cookies'

For Fire Fox users:

1. 1 Go to Tools and then Options
2. 2 Go to Privacy and then scroll to Cookies and click 'Clear'

For Mac Safari users:

1. 1 Go to Safari (on the men bar) and then Preferences
2. 2 Go to Security and then Show Cookies
3. 3 Choose 'Remove All'

Regarding Posting​

• Why didn’t my topic appear?

Some forums are currently set to an option known as Moderated. That means all topics posted are first sent to a quee where they are veiwed by the mods before being posted. If your topic is not posted within a few says, it was most likely rejected for not following the rules set by the forum. Read the rules and try again.

On some occasions when the server is slow, it may take a moment or two for the forum to catch up and show your topic. If you don’t see it, then refresh, or wait a few minutes to see if it appears.

• Where has my topic gone?
  Why is my topic closed?

If your topic has mysterious vanished, then chances are it has been moved to a forum you cannot access, or it has been deleted by the staff. The reasons for this should be obvious, it most likely contained material that was offensive, rule breaking, or was too deep with spam or flames to save. Check with the forum moderator before you try reposting it.

• A topic I was taking part in has been closed. Can I restart it?

No, not really. If it’s a particular topic that was made specifically for member interaction, like a Picture Thread, or continuous poll, then a new one will likely be made soon enough by a moderator. However, if it was a debate, or any other sort of topic that has been closed, you should always read the moderators final post in the thread. In most cases they will state the reasons for the topic being closed, and in mos cases it will be because of flaming, or it going wildly off-topic. Remaking it straight after a mod has closed it will only earn you a warning from them. If you think the subject of the thread is important enough to be brought up again, discuss it with the mod that closed the thread in PM.

• Do I need permission for a topic?

Not under most circumstances. If you are unsure as to where a topic belongs, PM a Moderator of the forum you think it belongs in and they will help you or guide you to the right place.

• Where can I show off my Trainer Card / Sprites / etc. ?

If you want to showcase any sprite work you have done, which includes Trainer Cards, then you can do so in the Fan Sprites forum.

• How do I make a Trainer Card?
  How do I get rid of the white on my images?

Unfortunately, this forum is not here to help with art or spriting problems. If you have any problems, you should visit the Fan Art forums and read the many stickies posted there. Once ofthem will surely be able to help you.

• How do I start a club?

The Club forum is moderated, so all threads started are sent to a queue for the moderators of that forum to look at. If you have followed the rules properly, or not copied an existing club, then your post will be approved and it will appear in the forum a day or two after you created it. If in doubt, contact one of the Clubs moderators via PM.

• How do I post Fan Art?

Refer to the section of the FAQ concerning Uploading Pictures and using IMG tags (INSERT LINK). Make sure you are in the correct forum. Regular art goes into Fan Art. Sprites go into Fan Sprites. Comics go into Comics. Things like graphics, that are unrelated to Pokémon or other fan genres can be posted in the Digital Media forum.

• How do I post an RPG or a Fan Fic?

Muchy the same way as you would any post, but you must make sure it follows the proper rules. RPGs require a plot of 400 words or so, with enough detail in the plot and sign up forms to give people a proper idea of what is going on. Fanfics require a Prologue of at least 1 page on Word (default text and size) in the first post.

RPG Sign-Ups (ie the one with the plot) go in the Sign Up Forum.. Fanfics go in the main forum, unless they are not Pokemon Related, in whichc ase they go in Non-Pokemon Fan Fic.

• What are Shops?

Shops are a term used in Fan Art by people who have topics where they are willing to make things for other members. In most cases these consist of trainer cards and sprites, though some include images too. They are unlike real shops since nobody gets paid, but they are known to ‘employ’ other people there. Many shops are the same, owned by people who are no different from anyone else and just want a second of fame. In order to have a successful and talked about shop, you have to offer something new, exciting and impressive.

Regarding Moderation​

• Why have I been warned for this?

More than likely it broke a rule.

• What about Freedom of Speech?

Freedom of Speech allows you to voice your opinion yes, but it does not allow you to flaunt the rules that have been set down in the forum to maintain order. We are not saying your opinion isn’t wanted, nor are we saying you aren’t allowed to express it. However, there are times when it is not needed, or your opinion is aggressive, harmful or offensive. Posting your opinion for the sake of it, without adding to a topic is SPAM, plain and simple.

Also, Serebii.net and Serebiiforums alike are both founded and run in the United Kingdom, which has different laws on Human Rights and Freedom of Speech than other countries.

• A mod is picking on me what should I do?

If a mod is really picking on you, giving you infractions and warnings for minor things, or deliberately baiting you into breaking the rules then it is a very serious matter. Take note of all the times this has happened or when you have spoken to the mod in question, then PM all your evidence to an Admin. Don’t flame the moderator in question, as this will only count against you.

• _____ Is an idiot, why is he/she still a mod?

Regardless of whether or not they are an idiot, they still do their job to the standard required. If they get worse then they will be dealt with.

• Why hasn’t Serebii responded to my PM?

Serebii is a busy man, and gets messages all the time that are pointless. Unless it’s very important that it goes straight to him, you should PM a mod or admin with anything you have to say. If it’s just praise, then keep it to yourself. Your continued enjoyment of the sit and forums is enough.

Regarding This FAQ​

• Why isn’t my question answered here?

Obviously it’s impossible to guess what everyone is going to need help with. If you have a question that isn’t answered in this FAQ, then post here and ask it. Just make sure you’ve actually read the FAQ first. It’s very annoying when a question is asked that has the answer in the middle of the page already.

• You spelt ____ wrong.

If There are spelling errors in the FAQ, or other mistakes you spot such as out of date links, or images missing then PM me and tell me so I can fix it straight away. Please don’t post here about it though, this is for help only.

 

[RaZoR LeAf]

Reputation System​

http://www.serebiiforums.com/showthread.php?613771-Reputation-is-back!
(8/13/2013)
Guide brought to you by Ellie

(Reputation is currently turned off, until a glitch in the system can be resolved.)​

Hello members of SPPf!

Some of you older members may remember that we used to have a reputation systems with posts. It was turned off 8 years ago, right after I personally had just joined SPPf (wow does time fly!), and we all decided it's time to give it another try.

Since the majority of you were not here when rep was first enabled, and many things have changed since then, I will show you how it works.

At the bottom of every post except ones made by your own account, there is a little star next to the report button. Click that and it will let you leave reputation:

(Note that all of these screenshots were taken using a trial vB software with different options than SPPf, so some things may appear different, such as blog options. However, the majority of things will be the same and it should be enough to demonstrate for people.)

After that, you simply choose whether you approve (positive rep) or disapprove (negative rep) of the post, type a comment for why you are leaving it, and then it's left!

On the receiving user's end, they will first get a notification that they have a new reputation comment. That will then take them to the main page of their UserCP (viewable by clicking Settings in the upper right corner at any time), and they will be able to see what reputation (and comments) they have:

At the top of your rep points, you will see how many points you have. The default is 10, and as you receive more rep it will change. If you dip below 0 rep, it goes negative, and you can still give rep but it will not affect another user's points. If you get a very high rep, your rep given to other users will influence their score more than if a user with a lower score gave them rep. Every 50 points of reputation gives you one point of rep power (which starts at 1). The amount of positive rep you give to another person is equal to your rep power, but the amount of negative rep you give to another person is your rep power divided in half (rounded up). So for example, if john has 100 rep points he has 3 rep power. If he pozzes jake he gives jake 3 rep points, and if he negs jake he takes away 2 rep points.

You can't see another person's exact rep score (unless you are staff), but you can get a rough approximation of others' rep. Underneath everyone's userbar, there is at least one square. Everyone starts out with a green square, as they are in the positive. If you get more positive rep, you will get more green squares as your rep grows. If your rep turns negative, your square will turn red and you will get more red squares if you get a lot of negative rep. If you have rep display turned off, your square will turn grey.

Also worth noting, something different from last time is that you will not be able to see who gave you rep. This is to cut down on some of the drama and hurt feelings that may happen. Moderators can still see who gave you a rep comment, so if someone is abusing the system, you may still report it to us and we will be able to give proper punishment. Also note that all staff can see which user left the comment when they receive a rep comment, so don't give mods negative rep just for being mods.

RULES FOR REPUTATION​

Do not try to abuse the system. This includes, but is not limited to:
-Asking people to leave you rep comments in your posts/signature/VMs/PMs/etc
-Offering to "trade" positive rep with users, i.e. I poz you and then you poz me back
-Offering pozzes/threatening negs in exchange for votes in a thread or anything else
-Asking people to boost/brigade a certain user
-Using negs as a way of flaming people or writing rude messages in comments

Do not complain or brag about rep you have received. If something is actually abusive, report it to a moderator, preferably one of the section that you received the rep, but any active moderator can investigate the matter. However, please keep in mind that not all negative reputation is necessarily flaming or abusive. A reputation comment like "I really didn't think your post brought good evidence, you should try to use better sources" is a far different comment than "u stoopid noob go die."

Don't like it? Turn it off.
If you wish to not participate in using rep, everyone has the option to turn off the display of your own reputation. Just look around in your user settings. You can still get rep, but your rep icon will be replaced with a single grey square and no one can see what your true amount of rep points are.

FAQ​

Q: I'm a veteran user and I had a bunch of rep points last time it was active, but I only have 10 now. What happened?
A: To start everyone off on equal footing, and correct for past abuses, I have manually gone through everyone who used rep last time and reset us all to 10 (yep I have a headache from staring at the screen for so long ). Also, this time around all staff, except for Serebii who is not going to use the rep system, start off at the same 10 as everyone else, so the same issue with a few people having a billion points and having a chain reaction massively changing people's reps will not happen again. If you happen to notice anyone that I did not change back to 10, please let me know ASAP so I can fix it.

Q: Last time join date and postcount allowed you to give more rep. Does it still?
A: No. We felt that allowing an old join date or a high postcount to affect your rep giving ability was unfair since we have always said those things don't matter, so you will not gain a boost for those anymore. The only thing that matters is having at least 10 posts to use rep, to prevent new accounts from being made to poz/neg people unfairly.

Q: It's not letting me give rep to someone anymore. What happened?
A: We have a limit in place that you can only rep 20 people per day and you must rep 40 people in order to rep the same person again. So for example, if Kreis gives Kirby a positive rep on one of her posts, he must rep 40 new people and then he will be able to rep Kirby again if he wishes. However, since he can only rep 20 people per day, it will take him at least 2 days and lots of rep-giving to give her more. This is to prevent abuse of the system and trying to artificially raise or lower someone's score because you like/don't like them.

Q: Someone gave me a rep but it's a grey square instead of a red or green square. Why?
A: That means it didn't affect your score. People who have a negative overall score or have lower than 10 posts can still give rep, but their comments will not affect score.

Q: Someone left me a mean rep!! What do I do?
A: First evaluate if it actually broke the rules. A negative rep in itself does not constitute rule-breaking, otherwise we wouldn't have the option. If it is flaming, trolling, or otherwise breaking the rules, report it to a staff member and we will decide what to do. Please send it to a regular mod (red name) first so they can determine if anything should be done, rather than directly to an admin, because we have a lot more to deal with. Also note that while it only displays the last 50 comments you have received in your user CP, mods have a record of every rep comment ever given, so we will be able to find it if it drops off.

Q: How do I know if I should report a rep comment or not?
A: There have been a LOT of reported comments that do not actually break the rules. Here is when NOT to report:
1. Someone doesn't like your post.
2. You broke the rules and someone negged you for it and/or politely disagrees.
Here is when TO report:
1. The message left was spam/nonsense/not related to the post
2. The message was breaking one of the SPPf Rules. That includes flaming, swearing, advertising, etc.

Obviously this doesn't cover everything but it covers the majority of the cases I have received. Remember that reputation is meant to be a reflection on your posting, and if you are constantly getting negs for the same thing, you should look into the way you post.

Q: It says rep is anonymous, but are we allowed to leave our name if we wish?
A: Yes, however 1. you may not use it as rep trading (i.e. I pozzed you now poz me back) 2. you may not make it look like someone else gave rep by signing a different name than your own. If you receive an abusive rep from someone with a name signed, please contact a staff member first before confronting them, because people have already been impersonating others to try and make them look bad.

Q: How does the message that displays when you mouse over someone's rep bar change?
A: The message changes depending on how many reputation points someone has. Here are all the messages and point values:

Spoiler: :

User is banished to the Distortion World (-300 and below)
User is a Team Rocket Admin (-100 and below)
User joined Team Rocket (-50 and below)
User is flailing like a Magikarp on dry land (-10 and below)
User could be a hero or villain (between -9 and 9)
User is on the road to Viridian City (10 and above)
User has a few Gym Badges (50 and above)
User is the talk of Kanto (100 and above)
User has taken down Team Rocket (200 and above)
User has awakened a legendary Pokemon (350 and above)
User has beaten the Elite Four (500 and above)
User has cleared the Battle Frontier (750 and above)
User is stronger than Red (1000 and above)
User knows more than Professor Oak (1500 and above)
User is a Pokémon and Forum Master! (2000 and above)

If you have any constructive suggestions for rep please post in the SPPF Suggestion Thread under Serebii.Net discussion, but be sure they are useful and not "I hate rep get rid of it."

 

[Samurai Cerberus]

Is there a glitch on the site? I'm a beging triner agin?

 

[Angeling]

Is there a glitch on the site? I'm a beging triner agin?

Trainer, but your posts might have been deleted if you posted a lot before in General Pokémon Discussion.

http://www.serebiiforums.com/showthread.php?t=298891 - try checking that out first.

 

[Larry]

i dont know if i can ask this but im trying to send a pm and it says to wait 2000 seconds can someone help?

 

[Sird]

i dont know if i can ask this but im trying to send a pm and it says to wait 2000 seconds can someone help?

Clock Fixed. Expect Glitches - READ

 

[Suicunerider]

I changed my profile so that it wouldn't send e-mails when subscribed threads were updated, but I still keep getting the e-mails. It's a bit annoying.
How can I fix this?

 

[Suicunerider]

I noticed that everyone has that little bar pic near their name, and some people have different ones. Does the picture refer to number of posts or length of time on serebii or what?

 

[Virtual Headache]

They refer to post count. Did you actually read this?
It's explained in the 5th post...

 

[Larry]

does anyone know IF you can link threads to your sig on the Wii???

 

[Narumaru]

how do I post a single post?

 

[Seraphen]

Is it okay to advertise a chatroom on the signature?

 

[Angeling]

how do I post a single post?

You just did... Click to submit reply or whatever with "reply" on it.

Is it okay to advertise a chatroom on the signature?

Uh, what kind of chatroom? But probably... as long as it remains on your signature only.

 

[Meowespeon24]

what tread do u go to if u want to exchange friend codes and battle?