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2016 WOWAY FAQ **BETA** (Version 2.0)

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 6:34 pm
by Teh Dingo
Editor's note Welcome to the BETA version of the 2016 WOWAY FAQ. This post is currently in progress, and will be updated as proper links are added, sections are divided by topic, any possible new info is added, etc. Topic title will be changed with each update, and edits will be noted in further posts to topic.



WOWAY GENERAL FAQ (For questions about images and avatars, see next post)



1. Who is the owner/founder of this forum?
2. Heeeey, I can't open topics in [fill in the topic] when I'm logged in
3. I have a really great Al collectible/concert tickets that I'd like to sell/trade here, is there a topic for that?
4. Regarding Personal Info
5. Why can't I use images and links in my signature?
6. Is there an off topic forum?
7. I can't find a topic I started
8. I want to start a new topic, is that ok?
9. I'm new here, remember? How do I do search for topics?
10. I don't want to go to all that trouble. I just want to post my topic
11. I was looking through old posts and found a really neat topic. Can I bump it?
12. Man, you guys are strict. Why can't we just post what we want, when we want, and in whatever topic we want?
13. Member 27 is Weird Al. Is it really him?? I see he's posted once on this forum. Where can I see that post????
14. So does Al ever read WOWAY?
15. Do the other band members know about this forum?
16. Can I get in touch with them here?
17. Can you guys hook me up with a rare Al song/concert bootleg/new stuff that leaked?
18. Why are some topics listed as "Version 2.0, 3.0" etc?
19. Does this forum have an ignore function?
20. What's the forum policy on naughty language?
21. What's a WOWAY Lover, and how do I become one?
22. Is it pronounced "Woah-way" or "WOW!-way"?



1. Who is the owner/founder of this forum?

That would be this guy right here, WHiZZi.

[quote=""WHiZZi'"]
First, let me introduce myself. My name is Bart v/d Akker but i'm called WHiZZi on the internet. I'm a very big dutch fan of Weird Al Yankovic so I thought, let's make a forum for him. And you just found it.
[/quote]

The admin team (In blue ) is WHiZZi, Elvis, and Bermuda (Yes, that Bermuda. Be nice.). The active moderator team (in red) is anthontherun, Teh Dingo, Yankochick38, and Jigawatt.


2. Heeeey, I can't open topics in [fill in the topic] when I'm logged in
Correct. You can only reply in topics when you have less than 10 posts but you can create a new topic in Newbie Zone. This is done to prevent topics in General Chat like 'Look, I'm new', this can be done in Newbie Zone in the correct topic.


3. I have a really great Al collectible/concert tickets that I'd like to sell/trade here, is there a topic for that?

During the first several years of this forum, we had a very strict no sell or trade policy. And while we have backed off this policy over the years, it's still recommended you take your business to eBay or Craigslist or a similar site that doesn't have an Al song about it, especially if you're a newer member that's not as well known or trusted around here. A deal between veteran members who've known and trusted each other over the years is far more likely than someone with 1 post who has a ticket for that night's concert.

Disclaimer; WOWAY is not a professional sales or trading site. If you use WOWAY to make a deal and you feel you've been ripped off, WOWAY is not responsible. If you make any kind of deal on this site, you do so at your own risk.




4. Regarding personal info
Let's not post any personal information about Al, his family or co-workers. And by personal, we mean stuff that's not connected to his career or not readily available on Al's very own website. In your surfing you may indeed come across items that are of a more personal nature. But out of respect to Al and the band, let's not broadcast them on the open forum. If you're not sure, PM a mod and ask. If we think the information shouldn't be posted, we will edit it out.

Al and Suzanne have been very gracious to share their non-Weird-Al lives with us. But they've made it clear that Nina is off limits. The only pictures they've shared with us have been such that you could not see Princess Yankovic's face.

Until such time as Al and Suzanne release their own photos of her, the policy of this forum will be to respect their wishes.

If you happen to see pictures out there on the 'net, keep them to yourself. You will not be allowed to post them, or link them here.


NEW RULE (6/30/2010) Posed pics during a staged public event like the toy story premiere, where it's clear Al or Suzanne gave permission are fine. Paparazzi and private pics, including fan or backstage pictures, etc., are still a no.

Expect a swift smack-down if you disregard this policy.

5. Why can't I use images and links in my signature?


The signature function is restricted to text only, no URLs and no graphics. That's just the way it is. You should be happy though. Up until October 31, 2004 no one, except a lucky few who had signatures in place when we switched to the new Invision software, got to have signatures. And even so, they were stuck with what they had. Now you're free to use up to 127 characters and change it whenever the mood strikes.

It's also HIGHLY recommended you don't use your signature to plug a website URL if you just joined. A lot of spambots do that and that's a good way to get booted from the forum ASAP.


6. Is there an off topic forum?

No. There's two. But each comes with a catch and requires a number of posts in order to get in.

WeirdSList: A more getting to know you, personal forum. Just remember, whatever you post there is there for everyone to see. So don't post anything you'll later regret.

Goat, Chicken, Whatever - A more general off topic forum. TV Shows, Music, that kind of stuff.

There are also general off topic topics in the Newbie Zone and General Chat, such as:

The Big Absence Topic
The Big Age and Genre Topic
The Big Avatar Topic
The Big Introduction Topic
The Big Photo Topic
The Big Signature Topic
Getting to Know You...and You...and You
Obligatory Holiday/Birthday/Anniversary Topic

Beyond that, please try to keep the main forum as on topic as possible. We want to make WOWAY as easy to navigate as possible, and having topics that go into several different conversations is inconvenient.

7. I Can't find a topic I started


If it was a topic that was likely to have been locked, look for it in the Trash Can (Here Lies Larry). Otherwise it might have been merged with an already existing topic. You can also go to your own profile and view all posts by that member (you.) That should take you right to it. If you still can't find it, Private Message one of the Mods for assistance.

8. I want to start a new topic, is that ok?

We ask that you spend some time getting acquainted with the board before starting new topics. And before you start a new topic make sure you search first to make sure that you aren't making a duplicate topic. It's very likely that any topic you want to discuss already exists on the board somewhere.

9. I'm new here, remember? How do I do search for topics?

There are a few ways to find out if the topic you want already exists:

1)Use the Search function. The search engine can be a tad temperamental, but we do have a topic that will teach you how to use the Search Engine.

2)We have a topic of frequently used topics. Clicking on the links will take you right to the topic you want if it's there. You might also want to check out this topic, which will direct you to some popular topics where you can discuss the best and worst of just about everything Al has done.

3)Familiarize yourself with the stickys on the top of each Forum as well. They contain a lot of helpful information on where to post, and important things you probably don't want to miss.

4)Still not sure? You can ask here. Mods or older members can help you figure out where to post.

10. I don't want to go to all that trouble. I just want to post my topic.

Well, ok. If you must. But don't be surprised or offended if it gets locked. It isn't personal, please don't take it that way. And if you post too many topics that have to be locked or merged, your posting ability can and will be taken away.

This forum's been around since 2001. There isn't much ground we haven't covered.



11. I was looking through old posts and found a really neat topic. Can I bump it?
It depends. Before you do, ask yourself, "Is the topic still relevant?" If it's a topic about Al's name being mentioned in an old issue of some magazine, trust us: it's no longer relevant. Then ask yourself, "Do I have something meaningful to add to this conversation?" And before you ask, a lone smilie or a "Man, this topic is old!" isn't really going to get the conversation started again.

12. Man, you guys are strict. Why can't we just post what we want, when we want, and in whatever topic we want?

We're not trying to be strict. But we also have hundreds of members that may not feel like having to navigate through several different topics and conversations just to find what they want. There aren't too many moderated forums that don't have similar policies (And if they don't, they're probably a mess).

Keep in mind, we're also trying to help you get along with everyone here. Chances are that if you post whatever you want, wherever you want, and in whatever topic you want, eventually people will just start feeling like you have nothing to say and stop paying attention.

13. Member 27 is Weird Al. Is it really him?? I see he's posted once on this forum. Where can I see that post????

In the early days of this forum, WHiZZi and Bermuda had the forsight to register Al as member 27. Yes, it's our boy. But as far as we know he's never actually used that account. The single post accredited to his account was an admin thing, so his account wouldn't be purged for inactivity.

14. Oh. So does Al ever read WOWAY?

Yes. Yes, he does. Usually under the name "Guest." So next time you're online and see a gaggle of guests listed at the bottom of the page... you never know. One of them might just be our beloved Polka Meister.


15. Do the other band members know about this forum?

Yes

16. Can I get in touch with them here?

No. You can write to Al at Close Personal Friends Of Al. We don't know how you can write to the rest of the band. There is a subforum on WOWAY to discuss the band and their outside projects.

Bermuda has occasionally been gracious enough to answer questions, both in the Ask Bermuda subforum and elsewhere on the forum, but it depends if he has the time (He's got a day job that keeps him busy, I've heard....)

17. Can you guys hook me up with a rare Al song/concert bootleg/new stuff that leaked?

Al doesn't like having his rare, early stuff available. And while a lot of it is easy to find these days, we'd really like to respect his wishes on this forum. Simply put, if you know how to use the internet, you don't need our help hearing stuff Al would rather you not hear, so don't bother asking, because we're not gonna tell you.

The same goes for live bootlegs. If Al ever changes his mind and says he's "taper friendly", we'll change our policy of removing bootleg links. Until then, Al has never officially commented on the situation, but he has mentioned he doesn't like it, and Bermuda has said they are NOT taper friendly.
Is the band taper-friendly?
<bermuda> Do you mean, tapir, those cute little varmints?
Or, 'taper' as in stinking bootlegging audio thieves??
<bermuda> Yeah... no. Of course we'd prefer that people do not record our shows.
next
As for any new material that's ever "leaked", we can't stop people from hearing it or distributing it, but please don't use this forum for it. The legal status of a leak is highly questionable to begin with, and considering the forum's relationship with the band, we'd rather not do anything that could make them upset.

Oh, and if you're looking for MP3s of released stuff :whip:


18. Why are some topics listed as "Version 2.0, 3.0" etc?

There's a number of explanations for that. The biggest being that moderators have difficulty moderating larger topics. The cosmetic reason is to simply identify the newer topics. It's not something we do quite as often anymore due to factors such as newer software, less forum activity, etc. If a topic still needs it, we'll address it if and when the time comes.


19. Does this forum have an ignore function?

Yes. If you feel you absolutely need it, there's a tutorial here.


20. What's the forum's policy towards naughty language?

We encourage people to keep the forum as family friendly as the man himself is in his music, but we do have a swear filter you can turn off or on depending on your preference. There's a tutorial on how to use it here.

And please don't try to get around the filter. It's not just tacky, it's a waste of your time as much as it is the moderators that have to clean it up.





21. What's a WOWAY Lover, and how do I become one?


It’s a top-secret elitist group that you can only be invited to join by private invitation or figuring out their secret secret handshake. :ph34r:

Nah, just kidding! Anybody can join! All you need to do is scroll to the top of any page and find this button Image and click on it and follow the directions from there. The donations you make help keep this Forum up and running, plus you get a really neat bonus for donating!

22. Is it pronounced "Woah-way" or "WOW!-way"?

Some call it Woahway, some call it Wow-way, I call it Bob.

Re: 2016 WOWAT FAQ **BETA**

Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 6:44 pm
by Teh Dingo
WOWAY Image and Avatar FAQ



Everyone has those cool picture thingies by their name. Can I get one of those?

You sure can. We only have a few limits on what is allowed.

1)No pictures from weirdal.com, Al's twitter account, twitvid, mySpace, facebook or any other online venues Al uses to post his personal pictures, unless you are the rightful owner. Don't think we'll recognize a pic? We will. We are rabidly obsessed fans. We KNOW pics from Al's website.

2)No pictures that belong to other members without their permission. If you do "borrow" a pic and we get a complaint, we do have the ability to take the picture down, and to take away your ability to use an avatar.
Kristine wrote: Copyright Law 101:

All photos are protected under copyright law from the instant they are created. It doesn't matter if you're a professional photographer or not- your photos are yours.

"Official" copyright can be registered (many professionals do this for legal purposes) through the US Copyright Office. But, this is not necessary in most cases since copyright is implied. An unregistered photo is still copyrighted.

Just because you own a photo, however, doesn't mean you get to use it however you want. The subject of the photo has rights, too. Take celebrities, for example. I can't go selling my Al concert photos without his permission because he "owns" his likeness. BUT, I still own the copyright to the photo itself, so the reverse is true. Al can't go selling my photo without MY written permission (and royalties). And, since I own the copyright, I can post the photos wherever I want (as long as no revenues come from said posting), but nobody else can without my permission (wa.com has been licensed to use them). I can use my own photos of Al as an avatar, but you can't use mine for yours.

If Bermuda and Al don't want people using their photos, they hold that right.

http://www.copyright.gov" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


3)Your avatar can be of anything, just keep in mind that this is a family friendly forum, so keep it clean. We have some really nice avatars in our Avatar Gallery. They were made and donated by other forum members. Feel free to use them. If you'd like to contribute an avatar to the gallery, you can share that here.

4)If you are updating your avatar, you may have to CTRL F5 to be able to see the newest avie.

NEW Guidelines (11/18/06)

Avatars: Will be under 14 kb.  If you need help resizing them, please ask for help in this topic. There are several members who have the skills and the software to help you out if you ask nicely.  Bribery also works.  Or so I'm told.   |)

Photos/Graphics embedded in a post: Will be under 27 kb. Anything larger needs to be linked, and members will click the link to view.   Imageshack has a nifty thumbnail feature that allows you to embed a thumbnail picture that links to a larger view if you click it.

If you quote a post that contains an image, edit out the image. There is no point in asking the server to download the same image more than once. 

If your image is edited or removed, it's not personal. Please don't take it that way.  If you do get upset and argue with a mod about it, you may lose posting privileges for as long as the mod deems necessary.

If you see an image that does not conform to the new rules, hit the report button, or PM a mod with the link,  and we will take care of it.

Please note that you can no longer link to avatars directly from other websites/photo-hosting sites. You may select an avatar from the Gallery, or upload one directly to WOWAY.

So how do I use them?

Well, almost any question concerning how to use pictures in the forum can be answered by reading the Photo Tutorial. Scottidog spent over an hour working on it, so humor her and read it before you ask any photo related questions.

Re: 2016 WOWAY FAQ **BETA**

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 2:15 am
by Teh Dingo
Edit history:


Edit #1: 8/1 12;43 PM EST: Added links for Ignore Function and Censor tutorials.



Edit #2: 8/1 1:05 PM EST: Reworded question about selling and traded and added legal disclaimer

Original text:
Nope. And there never will be. While there are several fans here that might be interested in your items, we don't allow selling/trading here. You might want to check out some of the other Weird Al groups that do allow trading/sales. Or try eBay. We hear this is a very popular way to buy and sell items online.

2016 Update: While we have relaxed this stance over the years for better known members of the forum who've built trust and friendships within the Al community, it's best if you take things to eBay.

Edit #3: 8/3/2016 8:14 PM EST


Moved questions about avatars and images into separate post