Official Ninstation FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

The Official Ninstation Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ)

Who are you?
I'm a 30+ professional computer geek. I'm in the IT field, and have been most of my working life. My primary job is running the computer systems for a large company that does business all over the world. I also have a side consulting business. I live in a rural area and have a lot of activities and hobbies outside of computers and the Wii. I owned an original NES (which I still have, along with all my games) and went right from that to the Wii. The Wii was the first console since the NES that had the "magic" to lure me back into console gaming. I also am big into home theater and collect movies.

Why did you start Ninstation?
A major other site went down and we all needed somewhere to go. Because I was known as a computer geek, programmer, and person with web skills, it was suggested to me that I start a forum. Also I've been generally dissatisfied with the other Nintendo-related websites/forums out there so I looked at this as an opportunity to remedy that. A lot of the people who come here feel the same way.

How is this website funded? There are no ads!
I have several other sources of income and other websites that I manage. For the time being, Ninstation shares space on that server. If it gets big enough I might have to upgrade the server and start including ads to try and suppliment the costs associated with that. I don't see that happening for a while though. You'll also notice there's a donation system already in-place to try and avoid ads if possible, for anyone feeling kind. Regardless, running this site has never been about making money. I subsidize it for now and later on as long as it breaks-even I'm content. I have real jobs elsewhere.

This is a Nintendo forum... can I talk about other consoles too?
Sure thing... I know a lot of Nintendo-owners own other consoles as well, so to keep them here I've set up some sections for those consoles. You'll notice they aren't as involved though... "Nintendo" remains the focus here. So no anti-Nintendo trolling (constructive critique is fine... I do it myself all the time. Nintendo isn't perfect).

I hate the color scheme/theme! Can you please change it?
The default theme for the forum was originally used because we needed to rush Ninstation online as quickly as possible. Unfortunately since then we've become rather entrenched in the theme, even though I'm not a fan of it either. However, good news: as part of the big site upgrade that is coming, a new custom theme will be put into place as well. See this thread.

How do I get a picture by my name in posts (avatar)?
Click on the Profile button in the toolbar, then under Modify Profile on the left, click on Forum Profile Information. From there you can select one of numerous stock avatars already available, or (preferably) upload a unique one for yourself.

How do I create a signature?
Click on the Profile button in the toolbar, then under Modify Profile on the left, click on Forum Profile Information. From there, scroll down and you'll find a box where you can put your signature.

Why can't I post links/images???
To deter drive-by spamming (a bit problem on other forums: people create accounts and immediately start spamming/trolling with images and links to other websites), there's a probation period before you can post links and images. But all is not lost: if you are not spamming and really need to post a link/image, munge the URL enough so that it'll go through. Either myself or a mod will then fix it for you if it seems ok.

Why do I have to deal with a captcha image every time I send a personal message? It's annoying!
Another spam deterrent. It'll go away after you've made a few posts, don't worry. I just take spam and bogus accounts very seriously so I've implemented all sorts of measure to block/deter such posts/people.

I want to become a mod! Can I?
A forum can live or die by its moderators/moderation. At the moment, we're not big enough to require more mods, but I welcome the day that we are. Rest assured that I'm monitoring the situation carefully and am probably thinking of some people already who might be candidates. Outright asking/begging isn't a good way to be considered, though. If you want to make sure that you're considered, here are things you can do:
- Be online a lot. A mod is only useful if they're around to be effective when I (or another mod) isn't around.
- Have a calm, collected, and mature demeanor. It's not good for a mod to have unpredictable/wild tendencies. You need to deal with situations fairly and maturely, so how you talk/relate with other people is key, especially in debate threads.
- Demonstrate good mod judgment. Use the yellow triangle in the lower-right of posts you feel should be moderated somehow, and include a comment in the notes. Not only does this allow me to gauge your "mod skills", but it also demonstrates whether there's even a need for a(nother) mod.
- Don't bug me about being a mod. Trust me: I've seen plenty of forums fail due to bad/lack of mods/moderation. I intend on keeping that from happening here. When it's time, I'll approach a person I feel is ready for it.
- No hard feelings/jealousy. The mod that's chosen next may not be you. Doesn't mean you're not up for it... but if there are 3 worthy people but I only need one, I'm only going to select one. Mod rights are a lot of power and not to be given out casually... and it's easier to give them out than take them away. It also doesn't mean that you wont' be the next mod chosen.
- Invite more people to join the forum. The need for mods is in-proportion to the amount of posts. Of course, don't invite people who aren't good forum-members and will require lots of moderation!
That said, remember that being a mod is a job, not a favorites game. There's work involved. Think of your best friends... now, would you want all of them to be cops, with guns? Probably not. Please keep that in-mind. Thanks.

Can I add you to IM?
Sure, but please limit it to urgent stuff regarding the forum (technical problems, spammers, trolls, etc) or private discussions regarding Ninstation-related issues. Please don't just IM me because you're bored and need someone to talk to. See this thread for more info.

Can I post HTML in my posts?
No, sorry. It's too much of a security risk, and it can wreck havoc with the rest of the forum code even when you're not trying to cause problems. That's why BBC (bulletin board code) was created and is commonly used in most forums instead. There are a large number of BBC tags enabled, more than you'll typically find elsewhere. As I write this, they are: abbr, acronym, anchor, b, black, blue, br, code, center, countdown, color, email, ftp, font, chess, green, google, hr, img, i, li, list, left, me, nobbc, pre, quote, off-topic, right, red, s, size, sub, sup, time, tt, table, tr, td, url, u, white, spoiler. For information about using BBC, click here.

What are bookmarks? Isn't that like notification/watched threads?
Not exactly. To watch (be notified of updates to) threads, you click the NOTIFY button at the top of the thread (this works for entire boards too). You can manage your watched threads by going into PROFILE and clicking on "Notifications and email" under "Modify profile" on the left. Bookmarks are a separate feature to just allow you quick-access to threads you like to refer to often. To bookmark a thread, click on "ADD BOOKMARK" at the top. You can quickly refer to your bookmarked threads using the BOOKMARKS link that is always at the top of the screen. Bookmarked threads don't bug you with notification emails.

What's all this "Goomba" and "Wooden Sword" stuff? How do I get to the next level?
These are just fun designations you get based upon post count. I won't give actual numbers here, to avoid spamming. The only one that is anything other than cosmetic though is "Goomba". At this level, you can't post links or images. This level is pretty brief though, and you can always munge the URL for me or a mod to fix if it's truly not spam.

Can I have your Wii# and/or Friend Code?
While I'm flattered, I have a personal policy of just exchanging FCs with my small circle of in-person friends. No hard feelings... it's just be impractical for me to maintain FC exchanges with all members of this website. There aren't enough hours in the day, and many games only let you put in a few friends. Sorry.

And finally, be sure to read the list of Ninstation Tips and Tricks to learn some real useful and helpful info collected from other members.

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