Newbie GuideLines 2

Contents:

• Trading How To's.
  
  
  
  • How to get there.
    
  • How to start trades.
    
  • How to use the trading system.
    
  • Trading with others.
    
  • Adding gold and items.
    
  • Finishing trades.
    
  • Pending Trades.
    
  </li>
  

• Vending How To's
  
  
  
  • How The Marketplace Works.
    
  • How to get a Vending pass.
    
  • How To Sell Your Items.
    
  • How To Buy Items.
    
  • How to bid.
    
  </li>
  

• Word Filters
  
  
  
  • What They Are.
    
  • Why they're used.
    
  • How to get them.
    
  </li>
  

When learning how to trade, it is
extremely important that you take careful consideration in what you're
doing. This means you need to make sure that you are sure you'd like to
make the trade, and you're not being ripped off. However, we'll be
covering that later.

For now, however, it is most important that I warn you to be careful
when dealing with other users, and YOUR password. You will never need
to tell the person you're trading with your password. If they tell you
otherwise, report them to a GAIA Mod immediately. GAIA will never ask you for your password in PMs, IMs, or e-mails.

And now that we have that out of the way, how about we continue on to learning how to trade?


Step #1:




When first learning how to trade, remember to first go to the Bank

The bank is located under the "Community" bar. Click on the link
"Trades" to get to the main page of the bank. After doing this,
depending on how many times you've visited the Bank before (and we're assuming you haven't), you'll need to buy something called a Trading Pass.

A Trading Pass costs 500g to buy. It may sound rather pricey, but you
can't trade without it. And trading is a very big part of everyday life
on Gaia. So it does pay off in the long run.

Once you're to the bank, and you're done buying your Trading Pass,
you'll see a small white box that has a button next to it that says:
"Start New Trade." In the white box, type in the username of the person
you will be trading with. Make sure that the username is exactly right. If you miss spell the username, it could be sent to the wrong person, or it might not work at all.


Step #2:




Congradulations! You've made it this far. Now lets talk about the basics of the trading window.

When you're first trading, it may be a little confusing to find
everything. Study the diagram above to see the basics of the trading
screen.



To trade items, click on the tabs in your inventory. When you find the
item you want, click on the image of the item. It will disappear from
your inventory and show up in the trade window. If you decide you do
notw ant to put that item in the trade, click on the item again, and it
will go back into your inventory.

To add gold to the trade, click on the word "GOLD".
A window will pop up asking you how much gold you wish to add to the
trade. Add in the amount (you can only add as much as you actually have. xD) and press "OK". It will be taken out of your gold count and put into the trade window.

After you've completed these two steps, put your password in the text
bar below. When you've put in your password, you have one of two
options. You can either A.) Accept the Trade, or, if you're not
satisfied with it, you can B.) Cancel the trade. To cancel the trade,
you have to also put your password in, but instead click "Cancel Trade"
instead of Accept. :3


Step #3. Waiting.


After you have sent the trade, you must wait for the other user to accept. To see when they've accepted, you can go to the Bank and see your pending trades. This show's if the user's accepted the trade once, twice, or hasn't at all.



Once the user has accepted your trade, the trade will switch back into
your "Trades waiting on ME" section. The trade bubble next to your
avatar will brighten up, like this:



When you see this, click on the bubble to take you to the bank. There,
you can view your list of trades, and determine which one is the new
one.


Step #4. Accepting the Trade.


When you get to your trade, you have one
last thing you must do. And this is accepting, and finishing the trade.
To accept the trade is simple. The other user will have accepted by
inputting his or her own items in exchange for yours. If you are
satisifed with the user's exchange, put your password in the text box
and click the "Accept Trade" button. This will bring you to a screen
that looks like this:




The trade will go to a section of the bank that says: "Completed Trades."



This means you're done with the trade, and both of you have accepted.
Now you can head to your inventory and put on your items!
Congratulations!

**Note: Some images were cut due to stretching of the page.

Before you start vending, its important to know the basics of the Marketplace.

Step #1 - Getting There.

Getting to the Marketplace is simple. Almost exactly like trading. But instead of going to the "Trade" link, click the "Marketplace" link.



Once at the Market, you'll see items floating all over the place. Don't
panic! Its just people selling their items for you to buy. The top bar
of the Market looks like this:



This is the top of the Marketplace. The top is mostly for anything you might need help with.

The FAQ: The Marketplace FAQ
is there to help confused members learn the quick ways to use the vend.
It is also a way to help you learn the rules of the market so you don't
accidently do something wrong and get in trouble for it. You can save a
lot of drama by just taking some time to read these rules.

Buying A Vend Pass: If you'd like to sell your items, or buy other items, you must first purchase a Vending Pass. This allows you to buy, sell, and bid on other users items, as well as your own. A vending pass costs 1,000g and it never expires. It may sound pricey, but its really worth it.

Note: You may not buy a vending pass until you have first purchased a Trading Pass.

The "View" Button: The "View" button is designed to take you back to the main page of the marketplace.

The "Buy" Button and the "Bid" Button: If you see an
item you'd like to buy or bid on, that seems like its a reasonable
price, click on the "Bid/Buy" button. This will take you to a screen
that will ask for your gold amount (depending on if you're bidding or
buying) and your password.



Buying The Item: When you're buying the item, its
always important to make sure you have the right item, the right amount
of gold you'd like to sell it/bid it out for, and the correct
information included. To help you get a better understanding, I've made
an example for you.




When buying the item, I will stress this once again: Always make sure to check your sell price!
If you make a mistake, you will NOT be able to get the item back! It's
gone. You've sold it. So always make sure you're selling the item for
the right amount. You might think that you won't make a mistake, but
trust me, I've done it. Its common, and easy to do, and I was out
100,000g.

Your Market Shop: Once you have bought a vending pass, you will get your own shop in the
Marketplace. Your shop will look like this:



Your shop is pretty much your whole identity in the market. Its where
you sell your things, and its where you keep track of how much gold
you've made from selling. It's also part of your account, and you can
never lose your shop. It's there forever.

Selling An Item: There are 2 steps in selling an item.

1. Selling the item itself.
2. Confirming the sale.


The following screen shots show you the process of going through selling an item, and confirming it afterwards.



Once again, and I cannot stress this enough, remember to check to see
that you don't make any typo's on the sell price! Also, do NOT add "g"
at the end (for Gold.) and if you're selling something that is worth
more than 900g, do not put comma's in the number. A correct example
would be this: "1000" It will add the comma's and "g" for you.



Once you have confirmed the sale, the item will be put into the market
on the front page. If a user see's the item and wants it, they will buy
it. A PM will be sent to your account, and the gold will be added to
your gold count. The PM will state who bought the item, and at what
time.

Congratulations! You've sold your first item! It wasn't that hard, now was it?

Item Search: When searing for an item, you have to be
very careful about what you put in the search bar. Right now, for
instance, the search system is very sensitive and sometime's messes up
easily. Remember to put the EXACT name of the item in the search.



And voila! You now know everything there is to know about the marketplace!

Now let's move on to world filters, shall we?

Step #1 - Getting there.

To get a word filter, you must first click "My Gaia" in the top banner. Then, click "Profile."



Step #2 - Getting To Your Account Settings.

To get to your account settings is
simple. Once you're at your profile, just look for the link on the
side-bar that says "Account". Once you find it, click on it.



Once you're to your account, scroll down a little ways. You'll see an option that says "Word Filters".
Click on the drop-down menu, and you'll see three options. One will say
"No Filter", another will say "Mild Filter," and the last will say
"Heavy Filter." Choose the one you want, and then click Submit!

Word filters are simply there for
people who are uncomfortable with bad language. If you do not wish to
see bad language on the forums, the word filters are for you.

Word filters are there for one purpose, and one purpose only -- to bleep out vulgarities.

And now you have word filters!

Contents:

• User Terms
  
  
  
  • Moderators and Administrators
    
  • Other common names for users
    
  
  </li>
  
• Miscellaneous Terms
  
• Common Abbreviations
  
  
  
  • Common Forum Abbreviations
    
  • Common Item Abbreviations
    
  • Other Miscellaneous Abbreviations
    
  </li>
  

User terms:
The following terms are often used to describe different types of users.

Moderators and Administrators:

• Administrator (admin)- Creators of Gaia Online, responsible for sitewide development.
  
• Omnimoderator- Responsible for resolving account issues, hacking cases, and scamming cases.
  
• Global GAIA Moderator- Handle abuse and harassment cases, as well as help oversee ToS issues across the entire site.
  
• Dedicated GAIA Moderator- Work in a specific part of the site, handling ToS violations and thread move requests.
  
• GAIA Helper- Assist Dedicated GAIA Moderators with thread move requests.
  

Other Common Names for users:

• Newbie/newbie-A user that is new to GAIA Online.
  
• Noob/n00b-A user who ignores rules, and often breaks them just to annoy others.
  
• Troll-A user that intentially posts rude and unnecessary statements or images to get responses.
  
• Regular- A word often used to describe somebody who frequents a certain forum regularly.
  

Miscellaneous Terms:
Other various terms that are commonly used around the site:

• Flame: A flame is a rude post that is aimed at getting responses or upsetting somebody. Flaming may result in a warning or ban.
  
• Bump: Stands for "Bring Up My Post." Bumping is used to move a thread to the top of a forum, or as a short spam message.
  
• Rare Event: When a Pink/Brown/Bue Magical Giftbox, Enchanted Trunk, Golden Enchanted Trunk, or Pink Link appears on your screen.
  
  
  
  • Pink Link: A rare event that, when clicked, gives you 1,000 gold.
    
  • Pink Magical Giftbox
    
  • Blue Magical Giftbox
    
  • Brown Magical Giftbox
    
  • Enchanted Wooden Trunk
    
  • Enchanted Golden Trunk.
    
  
  </li>
  
• Private Message: Mail sent from one user to another.
  
• Spam: A post that is not allowed according to a forum's guidelines. Prohibited in most forums.
  
• Warning: An official warning from a moderator as a result of a particular action. Many warnings may lead to a ban.
  
• Ban: Being blocked from the site for 3 days, 14 days, or permanently.
  
• Questing: Working towards gaining a certain item. Basically just saving up gold.
  
• Gift Credit: Gaia Gift Credits are a form of
  Gaia currency that you can purchase with actual cash in the Gaia
  Merchandise Store either for yourself or as a gift to another user.
  
• Gold: Form of money used on GAIA Online.
  
• Marketplace: Part of the site where users sell or buy items.
  
• Exchange: A forum on GAIA that is used by users that are selling items to make deals with users that are buying items.
  
• Sticky: A type of thread located at the top
  of any forum that is used to help users within that forum. They usually
  contain rules about a forum, but are sometimes used to share other
  information.
  
• Avatar: Your "person" on GAIA. You can dress up your avatar by buying items for it and equipping them on your avatar.
  
• Trading Pass: A pass required for starting or receiving trades with other users.
  
• Vending Pass: A pass required for setting up a store in the Marketplace.
  

Abbreviations:
The following terms are abbreviations that are commonly used to describe items,
todescribe forums, or to shorten frequently used phrases.

Common forum abbreviations:

• CB: Chatterbox
  
• GD: General Discussion
  
• GCD: Gaia Community Discussion
  
• Q&A: Questions and Assitance
  
• SF: Site Feedback
  
• AT: Avatar Talk
  
• WTG: Welcome to Gaia
  
• FF: Final Fantasy
  

Common item abbreviations:

• NM: "Nitemare."
  
• TY: "Thank You," as in Thank You Letter.
  
• TYL: "Thank You Letter."
  
• MC: "Monthly Collectibles."
  
• 03/04/05/06: "2003," "2004," "2005," or "2006."
  
• JU: "Jacked Up."
  
• RJU: "Really Jacked Up."
  
• CN: "Chyaku Norisu," as in Chyaku Norisu Scarf.
  
• HB: "Headband."
  
• DT: "Devil Tail."
  

Other Miscellaneous abbreviations:

• OMG: "Oh My God."
  
• WTF: "What the F**k?"
  
• FTW: "For The Win."
  
• LOL: "Laughing Out Loud."
  
• ROFL: "Rolling On Floor Laughing."
  
• LMAO: "Laughing MY a** Off."
  
• ASAP: "As Soon As Possible."
  
• AKA: "Also Known As."
  
• FAQ: "Frequently Asked Questions."
  
• ToS: "Terms of Service."
  
• IMHO: "In My Honest/Humble Opinion."
  
• IDK: "I Don't Know."
  
• TTFN: "Ta-Ta For Now."
  
• TY: "Thank You."
  
• PM: "Private Message."
  
• K: "Thousand." Often used to describe an amount of gold. I.e: 56k = 56,000 gold.
  

Below are some helpful links for you! heart


On-site links*:
*The following links were provided by TriskDaemon's Community Resources thread.

"TriskDaemon"
Some quite useful links to aid you in your Gaian life. Newbie guides can be found at the top of the list.



* General Gaian Resources


o Newbie Guides
+ [ES] - Bienvenido a Gaia
+ Dales Guide: How to Get Gold
+ [IT] - Domandi piu Frequenti
+ [ES] - Gaia Oficial
+ How to Earn Gold
+ ImageShack How-To
+ [FR] - Essential a Savoir sur Gaia
+ New User Basics
+ New User FAQ
+ A Newbie Guide to Gaia
+ Protect Your Account
+ Reporting How-To
+ Strong Passwords

o Generally Useful Threads
+ Dales Guide: How to Get Gold!
+ The Donation FAQ
+ Gaia Problems
+ How to Earn Gold
+ How to Post in GD
+ How to Report an Email Scammer
+ Jesis Moderator List
+ Lanzers Work Diary
+ New Profiles Guide
+ Protect Your Account
+ Reporting How-to
+ Sephirothgals Modlist
+ Spyware and Viruses
+ Strong Passwords

o Directories
+ Guild Directory
+ List of Charities
+ Minishops List



# Technical and Specific Guides


* BBCode and Posting
o Alternate Text Color Codes
o BBCode for Beginners
o ImageShack How-To


# Technical Things

* Extended Profile Music
* Taking Screencaps
* Using Imageready to Make Animated GIFs


# Signature Guides

* Every Randosig Method Known
* How to Make a Wishlist
* How to Make an Imagemap
* Imageshack How-To
* PHP-Free Sig Maps
* Signature Shoutboxes


# Third Party Gaian Tools

* MyQnA Gaia Toolbar
* GAvSim
* Gaiabar
* Gaia Quest Log
* Tektek Gaia Tools





Off-site links*:
*These sites are not part of GAIA Online. If they ask you for your Gaian username or password, PM an online moderator and let them know.


* Image Hosting Sites
o Photobucket
o ImageShack
o Putfile



"TriskDaemon"

* Third Party Gaian Tools
o MyQnA Gaia Toolbar
o GAvSim
o Gaiabar
o Gaia Quest Log
o Tektek Gaia Tools

This mini-guide should provide you with the basics of the new version of your GAIA Profile.



This guide will go in order, based on the list on the image above. The image above is of your Edit Profile home page.

Note: To go to the page where you can edit your profile, mouse over ?My Gaia? and then click on ?My Page?

Account

By clicking on the "Account" link, you are taken to a page where you can change your account's details, such as password and E-mail address. Note that if you wish to change your E-mail address, you have to type your password into the "Current Password" box.

You also have the choice to do the following:

* Show/Hide Online Status
* Lock/Unlock your GAIA Home
* Filter out profanity



For the three listed, you are not required to give your password.

In order to change your birthdate, gender and username, there is a link in Rina's directions. The world "available" should be said link. Click that and you should be able to make those changes.

Mail

Under the "Mail" link, you can choose between receiving PMs or not. You can also set it so that you can only receive PMs from those listed on your friendslist.

You can also choose whether or not you want to receive and E-mail whenever you receive a PM.

About

Upon clicking on "About" on the list of links, you will be taken to a page with a textbox. In the textbox, you can type up a little bit about yourself. The length of your description doesn't matter.

NOTE: Whatever you submit will be viewable to the public. Make sure not to include personal information like your address or telephone number.

Details

Under "Details", you will find information that was asked for on the previous version of the profiles. The newest addition to the Details section is the Quote box. Whatever you type in there will show up next to your avatar in a quote bubble, as shown below.



Friends

Here in the "Friends" option, you can change the settings of your friendslist. You can choose whether to block friend requests or not and whether or not you want your friendslist to be viewable to the public.

Comments

Not much goes on under the "Comments" section. Here, you can choose who to receive comments from, whether it be from the whole public, just friends, or no one at all.

Multimedia

If you have a Flash animation you want to share with Gaia, you can do so here. All you need to know is the location of your Flash file and simply paste the link into the textbox given.

Signature

Here, under the "Signature" section, you can put whatever you want to show up in your signature.

For information on how to add images to your signature, click here.

Theme

Here, in the "Theme" section, you can change the look and design of your profile. You can use the pre-made themes provided to you by Gaia or you can customize your own.

For custom themes you can use, click here

Wishlist

Under the "Wishlist" section, you can manage all the items listed in your wishlist. In order to add an item to your wishlist, find a user that is wearing the item you want. Click on the item and click "Add to Wishlist".

Once you've collected the items in your wishlist, return to the Wishlist section. You'll notice two drop-down menus next to each item - one for Status and the other for "Show Publicly". You will also see a checkbox - an option if you wish to remove the item from your wishlist.

The Show Publicly drop-menu is provided so you can make the choice on whether you wish for that item to be viewed by the public or not. A simple Yes or No question.

The Status drop-menu gives you the following choices:

* Wanted: Select this option if this item is one you really want.
* Questing: Select this option if this is an item you are currently questing for.
* Bought: Select this option if you have already purchased this item.
* Donated: Select this option if someone has donated this item to you.





The image above is how your wishlist is viewed by the public. You'll notice that some items have emoticons behind them. Here is a key to those emoticons.

scream = Questing
3nodding = Bought
heart = Donated
No Emoticon = Wanted



Adding Your Own Custom Theme




Themes


In the Extended Profiles, there's an option that lets you have your very own theme for your profile. A theme is like a layout. You can either make your own, or get one from here:

Gaia CSS Profile Themes (themes.tektek.org)

If you wish to make your own, here are some helpful guides to help make it.

CSS Profile Guides



Themes Outcome


Now that you have your theme picked out, let's work on how to get it into your profile, kay?

First go to your profile.

Main Profile Link

Second, go to the Edit Profile - Theme page.



After you're done, your profile will turn from this:



Into This:



Enjoy your theme!





Report this post
Post: 17588873_13 created on Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:37 amPosted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:37 am
Spencer Kun
Spencer Kun is online View Spencer Kun's Profile Read Spencer Kun's Journal Send Spencer Kun a PM Trade with Spencer Kun Visit Spencer Kun's website Buy a gift for Spencer Kun AIM: omgspencerkun MSN Messenger: kingspencer@live.com


1.13 / 5.15




Report this post
Post: 17588873_14 created on Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:39 amPosted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:39 am
Spencer Kun
Spencer Kun is online View Spencer Kun's Profile Read Spencer Kun's Journal Send Spencer Kun a PM Trade with Spencer Kun Visit Spencer Kun's website Buy a gift for Spencer Kun AIM: omgspencerkun MSN Messenger: kingspencer@live.com


1.14 / 5.15




Report this post
Post: 17588873_15 created on Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:40 amPosted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 8:40 am
Spencer Kun
Spencer Kun is online View Spencer Kun's Profile Read Spencer Kun's Journal Send Spencer Kun a PM Trade with Spencer Kun Visit Spencer Kun's website Buy a gift for Spencer Kun AIM: omgspencerkun MSN Messenger: kingspencer@live.com


1.15 / 5.15

Thanks to terradi, a WtG moderator, for letting me use her guide to etiquette! whee

"terradi"
How to Make Friends & Keep Them:

Hello and Welcome to Gaia! Alone? Scared? Looking for friends? You've come to the right place!

Tips on How to Make Friends here on Gaia:

Etiquette:


1. Be friendly. wink It works wonders

2. Be polite.

3. TRY TO AVOID TYPING IN ALL CAPS. sweatdrop It reads as if you were shouting and it is considered to be quite rude.

4. 1337 and chatspeek r not gud ideaz. You can use them, no one is going to tell you that you cannot, but please keep in mind that some of us cannot read it well and your first impression on people is always one of the strongest.

5. Be respectful. Don't bash someone just because they don't disagree with you and do not harass someone repeatedly. You can get banned for this.


Dealing With Oldbies:

Like it not, you will run into us on the forum. An oldbie is anyone whose been on Gaia for a while. Many of us post here, and some of us make it our job to try and keep track of the forum and keep it in order.

Note: These are not rules on Gaia. You will not get in trouble for not following them. However, you will earn a lot more respect from us oldbies if you follow them.

1. Read. I can't emphasize this enough. The FAQ's, the Stickies (), and the Terms of Service all provide very good information on how to get along here on Gaia. If nothing else, please check out the FAQ's. They provide you with a ton of beginner information and they will save you a lot of frustration with easy questions.

2. Understand that we are trying to help: You may be asked to move your thread if it seems to be out of place or resize a signature. We are not doing it because we want to step on your rights of free speech or because we don't like you. Sometimes we can get a bit rude and for this I apologize. We aren't out to get you though, I swear we're not.

3. Please be polite! If you don't agree with us on something and you want to call us on it, doing it politely will be a lot more likely to get you an intelligent response than being rude.

4. Do not pm us asking for gold or items! Believe me, we get a lot of it and we're really not likely to give it out to random strangers. That doesn't mean that you won't get any ever, but your chances will be much, much better if you post in the Charity/Quests Subforum, where such requests are supposed to go.

5. Do not necro posts. Necro'ing means bringing something back that hasn't been posted on for at least 24 hours. The creator of the thread has probably forgotten about it by now and you are unlikely to get any replies on the subject.

6. If someone says to let it die, please let it die. Chances are the topic is either misplaced or the question has been answered or something has gone on where it doesn't need replying to anymore. Check it out for yourself.

7. Do not spread false information or hacks. The first is just plain not nice. The second one will get you reported.

Honestly, we're not out to get you, we aren't trying to gang up on you. Actually, most of us like you since we started out like you. We're just a little defensive of the place we've chosen to call home and we want to keep it presentable.


Places to Watch out For:

If you're new and you're looking for a friendly place to hang out, this is probably about as friendly as it gets. However, there are some not-so-nice places on Gaia that you'll want to watch out for, if you don't like conflict.

General and Extended Discussion: Very, Very bad idea to post intro threads here or to ask for friends. They are very well known for being areas of conflict.

That doesn't mean avoid them, it means post intelligently there. Browse around, and read the stickies on each forum before posting. Remember etiquitte, as posted up top too. Spelling will be a major part on how literate you are judged to be and it will earn or lose you respect.

Remember:

If you can't find a friend right away, don't worry. You have plenty of time. If all else fails, don't be afraid to explore outside of Welcome to Gaia a little. If you find an area that really seems of interest to you chances are there are a lot of people that are just like you there and plenty of chances for you to make new friends based on your interests.


~~~~

With that said and done, thankyou for your attention! Please feel free to use this thread to look for friends and to ask any further questions you might have.

Welcome to Gaia, hope you enjoy your stay

~terradi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To Oldbies: On Dealing With Newbies:

Like it not, you will run into them on the forum. That's what it's there for. Some of them will be cute, some of them will creep you out.

Note: These are not official rules, but they might help.

1. Understand that they are new: You may have repeated the same information seven times already today but they are hearing it for the first time. Don't yell at them because of another doing the same thing. They had no control over it.

2. Please be polite! It works wonders, actually. Tell them politely where they should post instead of telling them to stfu or that they're idiots. After all, which one of these would you respond better to:

Quote:
Please be polite!

A wrote:

Head to theCharity/Quests Subforum to ask for gold or items please.
]

"B"
scream CHARITY! Now!


If they ask why it's wrong, tell them and let them know these are forum rules, not just your own preferences. Directions are helpful if you're sending them off to another forum as well. Charity isn't that easy to find, as it is a subforum.

3. If someone says to let it die, please let it die. Reaffirming that something is misplaced doesn't help anyone. Similarly, if the person has already been told where the thread should go once, they don't need to hear it again. Unless they are disregarding the post and continuing on their merry way.

4. Take a break! If the forum is driving you up the wall, leave for a bit. Happens to the best of us.


Where things go:
(Taken almost verbatim from the boards. Names removed to prevent issues, or given permission to use)

Friends Post:
Example :
"newbie"
hi wanna be friends


Possible forums: Chatterbox, or let it stay. Check post count and see if this is there first or second post. If it is, welcome them to Gaia. If they're older, send them on their way. Suggesting that they might make better friends by chatting with people of their interests and pointing them towards a forum doesn't hurt either.

Charity:
Example Post:
"Older Gaian"
I'm giving away 50g donations to noobs only. The first 10 different posters THAT QUALIFY get the gold.

I HAVE FIVE 50G DONATIONS LEFT
And a "please" and "thank-you" wouldn't hurt either.


Possible Forums: Charity, really. If they're just giving out one item and it's taken care of before you get there though, just let the thread die. sad Personally I hate moving these, even though I know it needs to be done. Suggesting that they lurk and find people based on merit may work. Moving seems like the only way to get most of these threads to die, and chances are your suggestions of moving won't be taken kindly. Be prepared for flames.

Model Response:
"AmpMan"
Mmm... why don't you just go find random users, throughout the Welcome to GAIA Forum to give the donations to? confused You've been told where this belongs, and asked to go there already. Seems like you ignored that wish and you are now just spamming. Bumping in the Welcome to GAIA Forum and encouraging deivance: to both newbies AND oldbies. I'm going to report this now, to a Moderator, thanks.


Chats:
Example:
"newbie"
start chating


Forums: Chatterbox. Always.

Model Response:
"SpitefulMage"
Please take this to the chatterbox where it belongs. Not here we're for intros and welcoming in threads only. Either have this moved by a mod or let it die by not posting after this post. Thank you.


Rp's and Clubs:
Example Post:
"Gaian"
~Club X~
~Club X is now looking for people to hire, it is a roleplaying club where people can come talk and have a drink while posting their own ideas not to affend anyone in particular.~



~ Current Workers ~

~ Assistant Manager: __________ ~

~ Other ~

~ Anyone wanting to join Pm me or send and email to (email address here)~



~ I am currently trying to make a guild for the workers in the club. Any donations of money and or items, Anyone that donates will be an automatic honorary member in the guild and club.~


~CLUB X~
~owner~


Appropriate Forum: Barton Town or Gaia Commerce if it is solely intended to be a club.

Model Response:
"terradi"
Cool idea, but something like this really belongs in Gaia Commerce, not Welcome to Gaia.

Please contact a mod to have it moved or re-post it there.


Questions:
Example Post:
"Newbie"
How do you put pictures in below your posts?


Appropriate Forum: Here. Re-direct them to Q&A if you can't answer it.

Advice Threads:
Example Post:
"Oldbie"
Hello and welcome to Gaia! Please ask me any questions you have!


Appropriate Forum: None. Inform them politely that their help is appreciated but that they will be more effective if they answer specific threads rather than posting their own.

If you don't scare them off they might become another WTG regular just like you, after all. Why not play nice?

Quote:
Key:

* Main Forum
o Sub-Forum
+ Sub Sub-Forum




Gaia Online


* Announcements - Here is where the Gaia Administrators update their members with any new updates. Only the administrators can post here, so this is basically a read-only forum.
o Gaia Newsletters - Here, you will find an archive of all the newsletters released.




* Welcome to Gaia - Here is where newbies introduce themselves and older members welcome them to the world of Gaia! Welcome to Gaia has one sub-forum:
o Friends Chat - A forum to make friends, hangout, and even find your Gaian soulmate.
o Gaia Guides and Resources - Here, you'll find an archive of guides and other helpful threads.
o Questions & Assistance - Ask your questions and get assistance from friendly Gaians here!




* General Discussion - Here is where you talk about anything that pertains to the public. Be warned, if you spam here, you'll be charred before you can post another word. The General Discussion forum has two Sub-Forums:
o Word games and others - A forum to play, well, word games!
o Life Issues - Here, if you choose to accept, you can discuss any personal problems or help another user out in their time of need.




* Extended Discussion - The place to talk serious. Here, you can debate politics or discuss serious subjects. The Extended Discussion forum has four sub-forums.
o Politics - Discuss and/or Debate Politics here
o Science and Technology - Discuss subjects from High School biology to the latest scientific discovery
o Morality and Religion - Discuss subjects about Religion and Morality and their roles in society
o Sociology and Psychology - Discuss topics related to culture, sexuality, mental and physical health, and related issues.




* Questions & Assistance - Ask your questions and get assistance from friendly Gaians here! The Questions & Assistance forum has three sub-forums.
o Bug Reports & Technical Support - Here you can report any problems you are having with Gaia. Friendly users that regulate the forum can help you out in any way they can.
o Avatar System 3.0 Q&F - Here, you can ask questions, comment, or post bug reports on the Gaia Avatar System.
o Gaia Guides and Resources - Here, you'll find an archive of guides and other helpful threads.




* Site Feedback - This is the place where you can give feedback to the site. There are also suggestion threads for different aspects of the forum. Let yourself be heard! Site Feedback has two sub-forums:
o Petitions - Let your ideas be heard and receive support from other Gaians! Create your petitions here!

Gaia Community


* Gaia Community Discussion - Discuss anything about the world of Gaia here in this forum. Whether it be about your favorite NPC or avatar rating, it all goes here! Gaia Community Discussion has two sub-forums:
o Avatar Talk - Have your avatar rated or rate others! Maybe you can even pick up a fashion tip or two.
o Gaia Community Projects - Discuss, organize and share Gaia related events and projects, on and off-site!
o Gaia Towns - Chat your heart away about GAIA Towns here. Gaia Towns has one sub-forum:
+ Gaia Homes - Talk about anything related to GAIA Housing here.
+ Game Item Exchange - Looking to sell, trade, or buy items from Gaia Mini Games? Do so here.
]
o Avatar Arena - Talk about the events going on in the Avatar Arena here.
o Profile Discussion - Discuss about your profile, theme, and multimedia here. You can also get down-to-earth honest ratings for your profile here as well!
]
o Gaia Quest System - Use this forum to talk about the new quest system or complete the quest you're currently on.
[/*][/list]


o Gaia Commerce - Here, you'll find many bars and hangouts. This is a great place to meet new friends!



o Barton Town - This is the role-play forum. All role-players are welcome! Barton Town has four sub-forums:
+ University/School Role Play - This is the place where you can role play having to go to school. There are many schools to choose from, check it out!
+ The Gaian Neighborhood - Here's the place where Gaians get together and create a role play family.
+ Series-related/Miscellaneous Role Play - Role plays that are not Gaia-related, such as anime, manga, TV shows, etc., go here!
+ Barton OOC - A place to plan, recruit, and help others in regards to roleplaying



o Chatterbox - This is the only place where you're allowed to post like crazy just to earn gold. Go ahead and spam like crazy, just make sure your posts are PG-13! The Chatterbox has two sub-forums.
+ Recycle Bin - Here, all duplicate spam threads go and become forgotten. There's really no point in posting here.
+ [url=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=151]Friends Chat[/url:e94reum to make friends, hangout, and even find your Gaian soulmate.[url=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=151]Friends Chat[/url:e94reum to make friends, hangout, and even find your Gaian soulmate.



o Registered Guilds - There is where you can invite people to join your guild in the Gaia Guild Network (GGN) or you can talk about the GGN in general.



o Guilds - This is where guild leaders and its members go to recruit other users to join their guild.
as five sub-forums:
o Guild Role Playing - This is a place for Role-Playing guilds and their threads.
o Organization/Military-Based Guilds - This forum is for guilds based on the army, mafia, and anything else that fits with the topic.
o Entertainment-Based Guilds - Here is the place for those guilds that are based on TV shows, anime, manga, etc.!
o Interest-Based Guilds - This is the place where you find guilds that have members with the same interests as you; interests such as sports, love, real-life interests, etc.!
o Free For All - This is where those organization/military-based guilds go when they're ready for battle!

Gaia Gaming


* GAIA Gaming Discussion - For all you who want to talk about the Mini-Games of GAIA, whether it be fishing or slots, create your discussion here! GAIA Gaming Discussion has one sub-forum:
o Game Item Exchange - Looking to sell, trade, or buy items from Gaia Mini Games? Do so here.
o Gaia Fishing! - Gaia Fishing fans! Here is your forum! Chat with other Gaians about and flaunt your fishing skills here! Gaia Fishing has one sub-forum:
+ Game Item Exchange - Looking to sell, trade, or buy items from Gaia Mini Games? Do so here.




* Gaia Towns - Chat your heart away about GAIA Towns here. Gaia Towns has one sub-forum:
o Gaia Homes - Talk about anything related to GAIA Housing here.
o Game Item Exchange - Looking to sell, trade, or buy items from Gaia Mini Games? Do so here.




* Mini Shops - This is the forum where artists use their skills to make gold. You might find some great deals on signature art here! The Mini Shops forum has five sub-forums:
o Requests and Commissions - Here artists sell their own original work for you to slap into your signature. R&C has 4 sub-forums:
+ R&C Auctions - Bid and Buy your way to the art of your choice here!
+ Art Freebies - Artists share their art at no cost at all! If you're looking for free art, this is your place!
+ Pricing, Assistance, and Suggestions - Here is where artists ask users for any suggestions on what to draw for gold. They also ask for suggestions for prices on items they already have!
+ Art Contests - This is where you will find all sorts of art contests. You may also host your own contest here!

o Breedable/Changing Pets - This is the forum where you'll find custom pets for your signature. Breedable/Changing Pets has one sub-forum:
+ Breedable/Changing Pets Role Play - Once you receive your pet from the Breedable/Changing Pets sub-forum, you can role play using them here!

o Art Freebies - Artists share their art at no cost at all! If you're looking for free art, this is your place!
o Pricing, Assistance, and Suggestions
- Here is where artists ask users for any suggestions on what to draw for gold. They also ask for suggestions for prices on items they already have!
o Art Contests - This is where you will find all sorts of art contests. You may also host your own contest here!
o Services - Looking for a person to bump your thread or any other type of service? Look no further than in here!
o Personalized Graphics - Come here for your own customized images.




* The Gaia Exchange - This is the place where users sell their items to other users via the Gambino Bank. The Exchange has five sub-forums:
o Lotto/Money Games - Try your luck at the many lotto threads provided here!
o Charity/Quests - Here's the place for users to ask others for help on trying to get a certain item. Begging is allowed here, but it gets a tad annoying at times.
o Wanted - This is the forum where you can post which of the many Gaia items you want. Be ready with an offer, or ask the other users to post what they'd like back for that item!
o Gaia Marketplace Discussion - Link directly to this forum from Gaia Marketplace to create discussion about your items!
o Game Item Exchange - Looking to sell, trade, or buy items from Gaia Mini Games? Do so here.

Entertainment

* Entertainment Discussion - Here you can discuss your favorite TV shows, celebs, and so much more! Entertainment Discussion has seven sub-forums:
o Toys & Collectibles - Here users can chat about their wonderful collection or they're favorite toys!
o Books - This is the forum where book lovers discuss their favorite books.
o Celebrities - Fanboys/Fangirls unite! Talk about your favorite celebs here!
o Independent/Cult Movies & Independent TV - Discuss your favorite, or least favorite Indie/Cult films and tv shows here.
o Lord of the Rings - Tolkien fans! Here's where you get to discuss about Lord of the Rings!
o Harry Potter - Harry Potter fans! This forum is just for you! Don't forget to swish and flick!
o Animation/Cartoons - Discuss your favorite animated shows here.]
[/*]




* Anime Manga/Comics - Anime fans, this is the forum for you! Discuss your favorite anime or manga with other users with the same interest! The Anime Manga/Comics forum has seven sub-forums:
o Anime Series & Movies - Discuss your favorite anime series and characters!
o TV Anime - Talk about the popular anime that aired in North America!
o Manga - Discuss your favorite Manga here!
o Comics Discussion - Discuss anything related to American Comics.
o Cosplays and Conventions - Discuss past or upcoming anime and cosplaying conventions here.
o Anime & Game Music - Discuss your favorite Anime Music here.
o Animation/Cartoons - Discuss your favorite animated shows here.




* Gaming Discussion Discuss about your favorite video games here! The Video Games Discussion forum has four sub-forums:
o RAGNAROK Online - Discuss this massive MMORPG with other users!
o Final Fantasy - Here you can chat about your Final Fantasy skills.
o Fighting Games - Talk about your favorite fighting game here.
o Table-Top Gaming Talk about table-top RPGs, card games and more!




* Music - Talk about anything within the topic of music here! The music forum has nine sub-forums:
o Anime Music - Discuss your favorite Anime Music here.
o Metal - Discuss your favorite metal acts from all over and the classic bands they owe their existence to.
o Classical/Jazz/Blues - Talk about both jazz and classical music, old and new.
o Rap/Hiphop/R&B - Talk about your favorite Rap, Hiphop, and R&B stars and songs here.
o International - Talk about J-Pop, J-Rock, or any other international music here!
o [ue94re1ac:121][ue94re1ac:121] - Discuss all electronic and industrial music here.
o Independent Music - For all your indie/underground music, or other non-mainstream pop/rock act discussion needs.
o Country/Bluegrass/Folk - Hey ya'll! Here you can discuss your favorite country or folk music.
o Musician's Forum - Do you play an instrument? Discuss with other musicians here!




* Computers & Technology - Techies! This is your place to discuss all your computer and technology needs! The Computers & Technology forum has one sub-forum:
o C&T Tech Talk Want to talk Hi-Tech? Do so here!




* Sports - Sports fans! Talk with other sports fans here! The Sports forum has one sub-forum:
o Entertainment Sports and Games - talk about non-traditional sporting events and competitions like cheerleading and pro-wrestling!

Artist's Corner


* Art Discussion - Here you can discuss arts of different shapes and sizes! The Art Discussion forum has five sub-forums:
o Promotions - A place to showcase your website or art galleries.
o Textiles and Crafts - A place to discuss anything in the textiles realm such as sewing, weaving, needlepoint. Also other crafts like scrapbooking, woodcutting, jewelry making and more!
+ Cosplays and Conventions - Discuss past or upcoming anime and cosplaying conventions here.

o Musician's Forum - Do you play an instrument? Discuss with other musicians here!
o Comic Creators - Making a manga? Talk about it here!
o Performing Arts - This is the discussion place for dancers, singers, and other performing artists!




* Picture Post - Show off your pictures here! The Picture Post forum has two sub-forums:
o Works in Progress - Show off incomplete works here
o Art Contests - Want to host an art contest? Do so here!




* Writer's Forum - Poets and Authors, and any other types of writers in between, discuss your style of writing here! The Writer's Forum has six sub-forums:
o Books - This is the forum where book lovers discuss their favorite books.
o Promotions - A place to showcase your website or art galleries.
o Original Poetry/Lyricism - Share your poetry and lyrics here.
o Original Stories/Prose - Share your original stories here.
o Fanfiction - Share your fan-related works here.
o Collaborative Works - Working together on a story? This is your forum!
o Writing Contests - Compete with other writers in a all-out word brawl!

Miscellaneous


* Test Forum - Have a new image in your signature and you want to test it out to see how it looks like? This is where to do it.




* Memorable Threads - Read old threads that are memorable to Gaia. Memorable Threads has three sub-forums, each corresponding to a big Gaia event.
o Easter Egg Hunt
o Annual Gaia Ball
o Halloween Party

Buttons here, buttons there, which to push?!

Here you are, a newbie not knowing much about the world of Gaia. You enter the Gaia forums and click "New Topic". Upon clicking, you see many emoticons and buttons with letters and words and are tempted to click them all. But what do each of those buttons do?

In this post, the uses of each of those post option buttons will be explained in as little detail as possible. xp

Text Post Options

= Makes text BOLD

= Italicizes selected text

= Underlines text

= Strikes through or crosses out text

= Inserts text into a quote bubble
Quote:
Like This!


= Puts text into a code-only format
[code:1]Like This![/code:1]

= Changes size of text
Tiny
Small
Normal
Large
X-Large

= Changes color of text.
Note: You can choose the colors provided to you by Gaia or you can visit the following link for more color choices!
http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7472495&page=1

= Aligns text - Left, Center, Right, or Justify

Post Styles - Every one of your posts are in a dialog bubble. There are 8 different bubble styles you can choose from listed in the Post Style drop-down menu, located just above the main textbox.

Post Action - You can now roll dice or generate a random number in the Gaia forums. Just select which one of those two from the Post Action drop-down menu (located just above the main textbox) and have fun!

Click here to see how the different Post Styles and Post Actions look like!

Image Post Options

= Inserts image into a post.
NOTE: You need the URL of the image in order to do this.

= Inserts an image map into a post.
NOTE: You need the URL of the image in order to do this.

= Aligns image to the left

= Aligns image to the right

While browsing the forums, you notice symbols and buttons that don't show up anywhere else around the site. Wondering what they mean?

Forum Symbols

In each forum, you see weird symbols next to each thread. Here's what each of those symbols stand for.

= The threads with this symbol next to them are announcements. These are important threads that should be read thoroughly.

= The threads with this symbol next to them are stickies. These threads usually contain important information needed to know when posting around the forums.

= The threads with this symbol next to them are regular threads. When the symbol is orange, there are posts in the thread you didn't read. When it's white, it means you read the thread and no new posts have been made. When the symbol is shaking, it's a hot, popular thread.

= Threads with this symbol can only be viewed, but not posted on. They are locked, hence the lock as a symbol.

Report Buttons

= Located in the lower-left forner of the thread, this button must only be clicked when reporting a thread that violates Gaia Terms of Service, Rules and Regulations, or if the thread doesn't belong in the forum it's in.

= Located in the upper-right of each post, this button must only be clicked when report a post that violates Gaia Terms of Service and/or Rules and Regulations.

NOTE:Abusing the report system, whether spamming in a report or using it to chat with the moderators, is a big no-no! Abuse of the report system will result in a ban.

Posting Buttons

= Located at both the top and bottom of the forum, this button is what you press if you wish to make a new thread. Some of Gaia's forums ask for you to look to see if there is a topic on what you're about to post. If so, please post in that topic.

= This button is located near the top-left and lower-right of each thread. This button is what you click if you want to make a new post inside the thread you're in.

= This button is located at the top-right corner of every post. By clicking this button, you're quoting the message you chose to quote into your post.

Edit and Delete buttons

= This button is located in the upper-right corner of all your posts, and your posts only. You click this button if you wish to edit one of your posts.

= This button is located next to the edit button in the upper-right corner of all your posts. You only click this button if you wish to delete one of your posts.

Miscellaneous buttons

= This button is located at the top-left corner of every post next to the post's timestamp. You click this button to receive a URL in order to direct link to that post. Upon clicking this button, the URL in the Address bar will change. That new URL is the address for that specific post.

The roles of these selected people are listed within the Gaian Dictionary on the first page. Here it is re-stated just in case you missed it the first time.

Administrator: These are the creators of Gaia, the top bananas, if you will. They are responsible of pretty much the whole website. Lanzer, L0cke, Ling, VO, Jakobo, and Dri are the admins.

Omnimoderator: These mods are responsible for resolving account issues, hacking cases, and scamming cases

Global GAIA Moderator: These moderators handle abuse and harassment cases, as well as help oversee ToS issues across the entire site.

Dedicated GAIA Moderator: Work in a specific part of the site, handling ToS violations and thread move requests.

GAIA Helper: Assist Dedicated GAIA Moderators with thread move requests. The Helper is usually a regular of the forum.

Who are the Administrators/Moderators/Helpers?

To view the names of the Administrators, Moderators, and GAIA Helpers of the forum you're in, scroll to the top and click "View Forum Moderators". It should be located somewhere below the forum name, as shown in the image below.


*NOTE: The "View Forum Moderators" link WILL NOT be boxed in red in the forums. I boxed it just to show the location of the link.

There are many more Moderators and GAIA Helpers than those listed on the moderator list of the forum you're in. A complete list of Administrators, Site Developers, Moderators, and GAIA Helpers have been compiled into a thread. Click the link below to view the long list.

Complete List of Administrators, Moderators, and Helpers

NOTE: A person with a Navy Blue name is NOT a moderator or helper.

Rare Events

Here are the different rare events.



Clicking on a Pink Link will award you 1000 gold. Pink Links usually are at the top of the forums list of threads, so be on the look-out!



The Brown Magical Giftbox will give you an uncommon item. Click the trunk while it's floating across the page. When you do, it'll appear in your inventory. There, you can choose to open it or sell it.



The Pink Magical Giftbox contains a rare item. Click on the giftbox while it's flying around on the page and it will appear in your inventory. You can either open it or sell it.



The Blue Magical Giftbox is probably the rarest one of all. It will randomly spit out prizes from the other rare events, whether it be 1000 gold, an uncommon item, or a rare item. Click on the giftbox while it is flying across the page. It will appear in your inventory. You can choose to sell it or open it.

NEW!!



The Enchanted Wooden Trunk and Enchanted Golden Trunk are the newest of the rare events. The items inside these trunks, I don't know just yet, but once I do find out, I'll update this section!

The new images and rare events were released on February 9, 2006. Also, on that day, it was announced that rare events can also be received in Gaia Towns!