A guide to the forums

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First, look up the FAQ section and Welcome To TV Tropes. You might find what you are searching for there.

Searching topics

• Before you open a new thread, please search the forums if there is already a thread about the topic - there is a Forum Search function on top left of the forum. Keep in mind to use Wiki Words when searching in the Morgues.
• Don't forget the Rules about Thread Necromancy - they are in the Forum rules.
• Topics in Image Pickin' and Trope Repair Shop are archived when they are closed in the Image Pickin' Morgue and Trope Repair Shop Morgue respectively. There are special rules about finding Image Pickin' and Trope Repair Shop topics here. To recover a closed topic, send a holler◊ from the closing post of that thread, asking for an unlock. Be sure that it is worth necroing the old thread.

Where are the rules?

• The cardinal rules of this site are summed up as The Troping Code:
  • Nastiness and dickery will not be tolerated.
  • Fun will be had.
• The Forum rules are here.
• There is no grand list of wiki rules, but Welcome To TV Tropes, What Goes Where on the Wiki, The Goals of TV Tropes, TV Tropes Customs and the pages of the Administrivia index contain a gross sum of them.

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Wiki stuff

Asking questions

• Questions that are likely to be asked frequently go into FAQs.
• One-time questions are for Ask The Tropers.
• Non-wiki/forum questions and "quickie" questions go in Quickie Questions.

Bans and access problems

• If, when trying to edit a page, you're redirected to What To Do If You Are Suspended, it means you've been suspended. It is a damage control and get-someone-to-talk-measure; you have to appeal in this thread. You might find the reasons on Ask The Tropers and your edit history.
• If you can't post or holler in the forums, it's likely you've been forum banned. Look up at your posts via the Find Post By Troper tool right-bottom of the forum pages, and search for any moderator posts. If you know the banning moderator, you have to appeal via PM; if you don't know, you should try Tropers.Madrugada first: Contact.
• If, when trying to access TV Tropes you are redirected to Google, this page or get a 403 Forbidden error message, it means you've been site banned. They are usually imposed for vandals, trolls and spammers, but other people can get caught in crossfire. You will have to send an e-mail via thestaff@tvtropes.org.
• If you can't access PMs, specific subforums or YKTTWs, try the appeals thread.
• 404 Not Found, "logon" or blank pages are not bans; check up this thread.

Getting help from many people

• If you need help with fixing many pages, head to either Projects: Long Term/Perpetual or Projects: Short Term. Remember, these fora are not for deciding whether something is a problem.
• If you want to do something Just for Fun with other people, go to Troper Covens.
• If you need help for building a world for a story you are just creating, or just writing in general, the places are World Building and Writer's Block respectively.

Images

• If you want to find an image for a page but don't know which one, or think that the current one is bad according to How to Pick a Good Image, create a thread over at Image Pickin', unless there is already one displayed on the page. Also read this about IP rules and Images in Wiki Pages. Note that if a page is split by medium, medium-specific images go to the appropriate medium subpage.
• If you want to know where an image comes from, head over here.

Locked pages

• If a page sports a golden padlock symbol instead of the edit link that redirects you to Locked Pages, or if you try to edit a redirect by adding ?action=edit to the URL and get redirected, it means that the page is locked.
  • Look at Locked Pages and the history for the page in question to find the reason for the lock of an existing page, or Permanent Red Link Club, the history and recent cuts for a non-existing one. If none of the pages shows the locking reason, ask on Ask The Tropers.
  • If you want to get a page unlocked, head over here - note that the thread, despite its name, deals with all unlocking requests. And also note that not all changes in locked pages need an unlock.
  • If you want an edit on a locked page, go here.
  • If you want a page lock - for example, because it attracts vandals, edit wars or other problems, ask on Ask The Tropers.

Page issues

• First off, check this post if it has a thread pertinent to the issue.
  • The page Needs an Index? Ask what index(es) this should go on
  • Is a specific item the problem? Put it to the discussion page.
  • The page is hit by Edit Warring, trollling, Flame Warring or vandalism? Report it (and the guilty parties) in Ask The Tropers.
  • You don't understand what the trope is, what its name means or anything trope-pertaining that doesn't have to change the trope, use Trope Talk
  • The name of a trope is bad, or the definition, or you think that a trope page should be split, merged or moved? Go to the Trope Repair shop AKA TRS. Also note that there is a limit to the number of threads that can be open at any time in the TRS - if it's closed, you'll have to wait until it opens. More details here. Also, don't bother to propose a change without giving hard evidence for it - it will be nuked on sight.
  • The page's mere existence is the problem? It can't be saved? Then Cut List it. Note that you will need a good cutting reason. Also, if you're not sure, put it into TRS first.
  • A page doesn't exist? It's because no one has written one yet - you can make a non-trope, non-index and non-Useful Notes page on your own, but trope, index or Useful Notes pages should go through YKTTW first.

Porn and Pedopandering policy

• We have a policy against hosting porn and works that are pedo-pandering, as illustrated here, here, here and here. There is a team of tropers - the 5P - which have the power of judging whether a work is in line with content policy or not.
• If you think that the work is over the line, flag it with the "Request Content Violation evaluation" button on the toolbar, but please check this post for the rules and this one if it has already been decided upon - it also lists a procedure that deals with Eroges.
• A work that is up to discussion appears here. You can provide feedback here - unless it is being appealed, then it goes here. That feedback may be recorded in this thread, so that it's easier to find for the 5P.

Tech discussions

• If it's a tech proposal or bug fix, it should be discussed first - head over to Tech Wishlist & Bug reports.
• If the tech change is simultaneously a policy change, you should discuss it in Wiki Talk first.
• There are specific threads for certain issues:
  • Advertising or Computer Safety
  • Banners
  • Forgotten passwords
  • Other common bugs

Translations

• The general forum for the TV Tropes translation efforts is here. There is a general on-topic Translation Efforts thread as well for the coordination.

Trope or page questions

• If you want to create or propose a new trope, head over to YKTTW.
• If you want to create or propose a new work page, do so, but don't forget namespaces please.
• If you don't understand what a trope is, or other properties of a trope, or have any other questions/declarations, head over to Trope Talk.
• If you don't know whether something is an example, or how to write it, ask here
• If you are searching for a trope, head over to Lost And Found. If it's a work you are searching for, head over to You Know That Show.

Tropers

• If you want to talk to a troper specifically about them, their troper pages etc, send a PM. You can do that by clicking on their names in the page history, or on the PM button on their forum posts.
• If you encounter a Wiki Vandal, a Bluenose Bowdlerizer, a Troll, an edit warrer or a troper with grammar or spelling problems or otherwise problematic edits, report them on Ask The Tropers.
• If a troper is behaving badly in a YKTTW, a discussion page or PMs, report them on Ask The Tropers. In the case of PMs, don't forget to include a copy of the PM in question.
• If a troper in the forums is being insulting, off-topic in an on-topic thread or otherwise violates the Forum Rules, Holler their posts to warn the moderators - the Holler button is on the right top of a post◊.

Wiki and Forum policies

• If you want to discuss the Wiki or Forum policies, head over to Wiki Talk.
• If you want to ask about policies, especially wiki-side ones, try Ask The Tropers.

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Non-Wiki stuff

Adult stuff

• There is a place for the older people to sit around and talk: the entire Old Folks' Home forum.
• Note that adult stuff has a different meaning than mature stuff, so please leave Wangst and drama behind when going there.

Discussing media

• There is an entire set of fora dedicated to Media:
  • Manga&Animè. Before creating a new thread, please check this one.
  • Fan Fiction.
  • Music.
  • Webcomics.
  • Tabletop Games.
  • Video Games. Note that there are specific rules over there.
  • Visual Novels.
  • Western Animation.
  • Comics.
  • Live Action Film
  • New Media.
  • Live Action TV.
  • Literature. There is also a "thread map" here.
  • All Media Recommendations.
  • Visual Arts. You may also want to read this thread.
  • Live Performance.
  • Radio.

Duck Soup MIT Mystery Hunt Team

• The so-called Duck Soup MIT Mystery Hunt Team has an entire subforum, The Soup Bowl.

Gushing

• It Just Awes Me! is the place, with the exception of tropers, where you may be looking for this thread, and forum posts, where you want Made Of Forum Win.

Headscratchers and theories about stuff

• That stuff belongs in a Headscratchers page - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Headscratchers/InsertTopicHere. Also read Headscratchers.Home Page especially the "no Complaining About Items You Don't Like rule".
• Wild, off-the-wall theories not to be taken seriously belong either on a Wild Mass Guessing page - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WMG/InsertTopicHere - or in the Wild Mass Guessing forum.

Just chatting, having fun and random conversation

• If you just want to have fun or just to talk to people, then Yack Fest is the place.

Liveblogs

• Liveblogs are no longer on the main fora, you have to go here instead.

Newbie

• If you are a newcomer to TV Tropes and its fora, look for Welcome To TV Tropes for wiki work and Meet The Tropers for formal introduction to the community.

Posting for the lulz

• If you want to post just to test the markup or similar things, head over to the Sandbox.

Playing Games

• For playing games on the forum, head over to Forum Games. Don't forget the rules!
• For roleplays:
  • Role Playing for the actual Play By Post plays as well as a guide for them.
  • Role Playing Discussion for discussing them.
  • Role Play Signups to collect players for a game.

Real Life and Serious Business (not wiki-related)

• If you want to discuss Real Life stuff, On-Topic Conversations AKA OTC is the place to go. Beware tough, things can get nasty there frequently, which is why there are some limitations and you are supposed to exercise some self-moderation. And remember that this is On-Topic Conversations, so don't derail.

Sex stuff

• There is one thread about Fetishes here and only that one.
• Pedophilia and rape-o-philia are not permitted on this site, and neither is explicit stuff.

Troper IRC Channel

• Go to IRC.

Troper Map

• The Troper map is a project for tropers to insert their (true or false) locations on a Google map. It is explained in more detail here, where you can announce the entering in the map.

Your own works and worlds

• There are two entire fora for World Building and Writers needing help. A more detailed guide to the Writer's Block forum is here.
• For short, simple questions for World Building and writing use this and this thread, respectively.

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Illicit stuff

• If you want to insult other people, be a drama magnet or do anything that violates the Forum rules, please leave this site. The staff will show you the door if you don't leave on your own. And note that if trouble bounces back here, you will be shown the door as well.

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edited 20th Mar '13 5:59:38 AM by SeptimusHeap

Double posting to avoid cluttering up the OP:

1. This is an attempt to create a guide to the fora, if anything's wrong you are free to say so.
2. The staff may edit this OP as they see fit, as long as it stays usable.
3. If it's good enough, please pin it.

The first line under the "locked pages" section is mis-formatted...that's all that jumps out right now, I may have time tonight to give it a more thorough look.

"tot he" should be "to the" at the top.

Fixed both.

I think you forgot to finish this.

The third entry in the "bans" section needs to change from "tying" to "trying".

Second second-level bullet under "locked pages":

If you want to get a page unlocked, head over here - note that the thread, despite its name, deals with all unlocking requests. And also note that not all needs need an unlock.

Should that be "not all edits need an unlock"?

edited 9th Feb '12 6:26:08 AM by robster2001

Not "edits", but "changes". Fixed that.

EDIT: Added several more fixes.

edited 11th Feb '12 6:47:25 AM by SeptimusHeap

Per discussion in the crowner issues thread: My take —

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of a subforum dedicated strictly to reporting problems with wiki functions. That way, we can keep them organized and keep Wiki Talk and Tech Wishlist free to pursue their unique functions. The "Advertising/Security issues" thread could then be moved to that forum.

edited 17th Feb '12 9:21:29 AM by Willbyr

I really don't know. You'll have to ask Eddie for this and what his opinions are on this subject matter.

Definitely need mod/Eddie input. I made a Tech Wishlist thread here to start some dialogue on the IT issues forum and something else I was thinking about.

Should this be pinned?

Added a section concerning the content policy and summarized the SE threads in the new directory.

Searching topics, first bullet: Could you add a note about searching through WikiWords for TRS and IP topics?

Where are the rules, second or third bullet: Could you add "Some subforums have specific rules or guidelines which are stickied. Please check for and read these before posting there."?

Bans and access problems, fourth bullet: It'd be helpful if you could add something to the effect of "Those can also be the result of suspensions from particular features, in which case the appeals thread is where to go.".

Porn and Pedo Pandering policy: It'd be more consistant if "Pedo Pandering" wasn't capitalised. First bullet: Links can't start with a number, so the page is at Administrivia/FiveP. Full URLs need the http:// bit.

Thanks for making the guide!

Did some fixes there.

{{5P}} still needs changing to FiveP.