Post by Bridgette Marlot on Feb 24, 2010 13:04:17 GMT -5
Some people find more difficulty than others in filling out the student application form, but I hope this clears up any areas that could have otherwise complicated things.
First of all, please make sure you are a member of the site, by choosing REGISTER at the top and making an account.
Once registered and logged in, you will need to create a character before writing any posts. If you've read the rules, which you should do now if you haven't before, you will know that posting without a character will make it far less likely for you to be accepted.
See "Disillusioned", for a prime example of this.
When asked about registration the same problems tend to occur. I have gathered the most common questions that arise when filling in the form and sorted them into four topics, to simplify things.
WEBSITE QUESTIONS
1) The website is really confusing, what do I do, and where?
Initially you might feel swamped by all the options, but just take a step back and you'll realise it's very simple.
I would like to point out that this is the only section in "The Important Things" you should have to worry about doing anything with, the moderators will do everything else for you and keep Blackstone running smoothly.
Until you've got your character ready you only need to think about the rules and registration.
2) Where do I go about filling in the form? It's hardly a real piece of paper!
The form is found HERE. It is found in the only other main topic than this FAQ, in the registration area.
Once you have that saved to your clipboard (copied) go to the "Pending" sub board and start a new thread, paste the form there and then fill it in!
3) How do I start a new thread?
When in 'Pending' look at the top right of the black box, where it sayd "New Thread". Click on that, and fill in the SUBJECT field with your characters name. Later, once you begin posting in other fields, you will have to give the thread a name of its own.
4) I'm getting ahead of myself, but can I post in any of the areas?
You can begin a new topic in any on or off Campus areas or join in with certain ongoing threads there. If you want to say something out of character then go to the OOC section to post there. There is even a word game section, if you get bored!
You may have noticed I have now mentioned all four of the main parts of the website, so things might already begin to make sense.
5) How do I get my name to be or have shining hearts?
Name colour is in accordance to cliques. A-listers are red, Preps are pink and so on, you can see this in the Clique list, in the 'The Important Things' section.
Shining hearts simply notify members that the character posting is an administrator. There are two members of staff, though (as with every other member) we are allowed up to five characters, so don't be fooled into thinking there are ten of us. But, because we only have around thirty five members on the website, and two admins to run it, we won't need any more just yet.
CHARACTER QUESTIONS
1) Does the character have to be fictional? I think it would be easier to write as myself.
You can create ANY character you wish in Blackstone! That character can have your personality, your name, and even look like you; oppositely, it could be a totally different person to you, as far as being the opposite sex.
2) Would it be okay if my character wasn't human?
Sadly, no. Blackstone has a strict humans only policy. We try to keep it all as realistic as possible, so no super powers, no aliens and certainly no talking animals.
Another simple rule we have is that you cannot create a Mary-Sue; someone perfect, without flaws. Everyone has weaknesses, and it's these quirks that make characters fun to read and write about.
3) I don't want my character to look like a celebrity!
Although it is advised to use a celebrity, you can use your own face or the face of a friend, as long as the picture is suitable and you have permission to do so.
Do remember, though, that you can use little known celebrities, if you're worried about looking stupid for having Angelina Jolie as your character model. Try to keep them at university age, though. She's getting old.
4) I'm worried my character has already been created/ is a cliché.
Read all the other applications to avoid the same person being generated, because there are only a certain number of stereotypes that can be made, and some have already been used.
Please make sure to remember that there are as many different personalities as there are people in the world, so if you get stuck try to think of the most interesting people you can and combine what makes them unique.
5) I don't know if I'm a very good writer... What if people laugh at me?
Nobody will make fun of your writing.
With the help of the Blackstone community any grammatical errors could be fixed, and there is a spell checker installed to help. Other than that it's up to you to simply throw a character into the world and hope people like them.
Of course there's more to writing than following the basic guidelines, but writing is a skill that takes time, and nobody on this site, nobody in the world, even, should judge the level of somebody else's writing if they follow these rules, because everyone has room to learn and grow.
Blackstone is here to help, not to hinder.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
1) Is a picture at the top really needed?
It is recommended, but not 100% necessary. They make posts more interesting to look at, and can sometimes be used as your character's avatar. However, links often break over time, anyway, so after a while the picture might disappear by itself.
We ask that you use a picture and replace it should the link break, but (once again) no, your application will not be rejected if you do not use one.
2) There's a lot of questions here. Do I need to answer them all?
You may be writing the character you are about to create, but you are not the character itself. Do you really understand him or her fully? Answering all the questions gives you a better idea of what they are like as a person, and how they will deal with different situations.
If you're really stuck for answers then make it fairly vague, and edit it as you write posts and begin to understand your character better. All questions must be answered, so even if you do completely understand your character, the other site members will get some insight too.
3) What is an example post?
Anything you want it to be. An example post has no limits to setting or plot, it just has to be in your characters recent lifetime and somewhere they could have been.
For example, you could try writing about them first coming to Blackstone, a day at the beach from the summer beforehand, or an extended version of their background. Try you hardest to make it interesting.
4) How long should my answers be? I don't know if I'm writing the right amount.
You can write as much as you want for all of the questions, going into as much or little detail as you want, as long as your character comes across clearly. The more you write, the better, as long as it's not so long that people will get bored reading it.
Make an attempt to keep your example post (and future posts, for that matter) at least a paragraph long, which is usually four sentences, and well within 30 lines in size 1 - size 1 is the most commonly used size on Blackstone, and is the size of the writing you are currently reading. It would take a very long time to respond to a post 30 lines long.
5) What do I do if I'm declined?
So far no applications have been declined, and it is unlikely that one will be, assuming the rules are followed. If you ARE declined, the staff will make sure to tell you what you did wrong and how to correct it.
Your character will not be declined due to content unless rules have been broken. ( There is a link at the top of the FAQ)
FORMATTING QUESTIONS
1) I have no idea how to alter my text. Seriously, not a clue.
Formatting is very simple, when you get down to it. It's like packaging different parts your writing, and putting a label on the box. Most commands are pre-set, too, so the majority of the work is done for you.
2) Pre-set commands?
Notice the section above the box you are typing in with "Add Tags" next to it. These are the formatting commands. Simply highlight the text you want to change and click what you want to do with it. The 'Package' will then be put in place and labelled.
The normal commands you will probably be sticking to in your every day posts are, from the top left:
Bold, Italics, Underline andStrikethrough
3) What about colours?
Generally when writing you will stick to WHITE writing, which involves no formatting, but when a character speaks, or they hear music, the colour is changed to make it stand out.
Colours are on the very righthand side, in a drop down menu. Simply highlight and select the colour you want. There are some more colours, but they are hard to find. Try changing the colour name inside the square bracket to see if your ideas work.
4) How do I insert images or links?
For IMAGES simply paste in the link for the image and highlight it, then choose the command that looks like a photograph, the fourth from the bottom left, and voila, your image should now appear in the final post!
Altering the information within square brackets changes the command you're setting for the text. This is most important when it comes to adding LINKS. To add a link you must highlight the text you want to make a hyperlink (the conduit) and choose the earth symbol above, it's the third from the bottom left.
Once the text has the tag around it you need to give it a destination: put an equal sign in after the first 'url', so it looks something like and the second 'url' will have a forward slash before it and no equals sign. After the equals sign paste the link you want to attach.
Generally you won't be linking things, but should you ever need the knowledge how to in the OOC (out of character) sections, then I have given you the basic idea.
5) Are there any other functions I should learn about?
~ Positioning writing to the centre is useful for music or verse, and is done with the centreing icon (Fifth from the top right).
~ Size is important.
You can alter the size by using the button that has an A and an arrow next to it, second from the top right. Use the same method as mentioned in the third formatting question to change the font size.
~ In most cases the other functions are useless, though sub and sup have been used before.
Try to avoid using many of the other functions.
If you have any additional questions, please ask them in the chat box, that's what it's there for. If there is not a moderator/administrator online, then the next time one is they will answer you via a personal message to your account or modify this FAQ accordingly.
First of all, please make sure you are a member of the site, by choosing REGISTER at the top and making an account.
Once registered and logged in, you will need to create a character before writing any posts. If you've read the rules, which you should do now if you haven't before, you will know that posting without a character will make it far less likely for you to be accepted.
See "Disillusioned", for a prime example of this.
When asked about registration the same problems tend to occur. I have gathered the most common questions that arise when filling in the form and sorted them into four topics, to simplify things.
WEBSITE QUESTIONS
CHARACTER QUESTIONS
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
FORMATTING QUESTIONS
CHARACTER QUESTIONS
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
FORMATTING QUESTIONS
WEBSITE QUESTIONS
1) The website is really confusing, what do I do, and where?
Initially you might feel swamped by all the options, but just take a step back and you'll realise it's very simple.
I would like to point out that this is the only section in "The Important Things" you should have to worry about doing anything with, the moderators will do everything else for you and keep Blackstone running smoothly.
Until you've got your character ready you only need to think about the rules and registration.
2) Where do I go about filling in the form? It's hardly a real piece of paper!
The form is found HERE. It is found in the only other main topic than this FAQ, in the registration area.
Once you have that saved to your clipboard (copied) go to the "Pending" sub board and start a new thread, paste the form there and then fill it in!
3) How do I start a new thread?
When in 'Pending' look at the top right of the black box, where it sayd "New Thread". Click on that, and fill in the SUBJECT field with your characters name. Later, once you begin posting in other fields, you will have to give the thread a name of its own.
4) I'm getting ahead of myself, but can I post in any of the areas?
You can begin a new topic in any on or off Campus areas or join in with certain ongoing threads there. If you want to say something out of character then go to the OOC section to post there. There is even a word game section, if you get bored!
You may have noticed I have now mentioned all four of the main parts of the website, so things might already begin to make sense.
5) How do I get my name to be or have shining hearts?
Name colour is in accordance to cliques. A-listers are red, Preps are pink and so on, you can see this in the Clique list, in the 'The Important Things' section.
Shining hearts simply notify members that the character posting is an administrator. There are two members of staff, though (as with every other member) we are allowed up to five characters, so don't be fooled into thinking there are ten of us. But, because we only have around thirty five members on the website, and two admins to run it, we won't need any more just yet.
CHARACTER QUESTIONS
1) Does the character have to be fictional? I think it would be easier to write as myself.
You can create ANY character you wish in Blackstone! That character can have your personality, your name, and even look like you; oppositely, it could be a totally different person to you, as far as being the opposite sex.
2) Would it be okay if my character wasn't human?
Sadly, no. Blackstone has a strict humans only policy. We try to keep it all as realistic as possible, so no super powers, no aliens and certainly no talking animals.
Another simple rule we have is that you cannot create a Mary-Sue; someone perfect, without flaws. Everyone has weaknesses, and it's these quirks that make characters fun to read and write about.
3) I don't want my character to look like a celebrity!
Although it is advised to use a celebrity, you can use your own face or the face of a friend, as long as the picture is suitable and you have permission to do so.
Do remember, though, that you can use little known celebrities, if you're worried about looking stupid for having Angelina Jolie as your character model. Try to keep them at university age, though. She's getting old.
4) I'm worried my character has already been created/ is a cliché.
Read all the other applications to avoid the same person being generated, because there are only a certain number of stereotypes that can be made, and some have already been used.
Please make sure to remember that there are as many different personalities as there are people in the world, so if you get stuck try to think of the most interesting people you can and combine what makes them unique.
5) I don't know if I'm a very good writer... What if people laugh at me?
Nobody will make fun of your writing.
With the help of the Blackstone community any grammatical errors could be fixed, and there is a spell checker installed to help. Other than that it's up to you to simply throw a character into the world and hope people like them.
Of course there's more to writing than following the basic guidelines, but writing is a skill that takes time, and nobody on this site, nobody in the world, even, should judge the level of somebody else's writing if they follow these rules, because everyone has room to learn and grow.
Blackstone is here to help, not to hinder.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
1) Is a picture at the top really needed?
It is recommended, but not 100% necessary. They make posts more interesting to look at, and can sometimes be used as your character's avatar. However, links often break over time, anyway, so after a while the picture might disappear by itself.
We ask that you use a picture and replace it should the link break, but (once again) no, your application will not be rejected if you do not use one.
2) There's a lot of questions here. Do I need to answer them all?
You may be writing the character you are about to create, but you are not the character itself. Do you really understand him or her fully? Answering all the questions gives you a better idea of what they are like as a person, and how they will deal with different situations.
If you're really stuck for answers then make it fairly vague, and edit it as you write posts and begin to understand your character better. All questions must be answered, so even if you do completely understand your character, the other site members will get some insight too.
3) What is an example post?
Anything you want it to be. An example post has no limits to setting or plot, it just has to be in your characters recent lifetime and somewhere they could have been.
For example, you could try writing about them first coming to Blackstone, a day at the beach from the summer beforehand, or an extended version of their background. Try you hardest to make it interesting.
4) How long should my answers be? I don't know if I'm writing the right amount.
You can write as much as you want for all of the questions, going into as much or little detail as you want, as long as your character comes across clearly. The more you write, the better, as long as it's not so long that people will get bored reading it.
Make an attempt to keep your example post (and future posts, for that matter) at least a paragraph long, which is usually four sentences, and well within 30 lines in size 1 - size 1 is the most commonly used size on Blackstone, and is the size of the writing you are currently reading. It would take a very long time to respond to a post 30 lines long.
5) What do I do if I'm declined?
So far no applications have been declined, and it is unlikely that one will be, assuming the rules are followed. If you ARE declined, the staff will make sure to tell you what you did wrong and how to correct it.
Your character will not be declined due to content unless rules have been broken. ( There is a link at the top of the FAQ)
FORMATTING QUESTIONS
1) I have no idea how to alter my text. Seriously, not a clue.
Formatting is very simple, when you get down to it. It's like packaging different parts your writing, and putting a label on the box. Most commands are pre-set, too, so the majority of the work is done for you.
2) Pre-set commands?
Notice the section above the box you are typing in with "Add Tags" next to it. These are the formatting commands. Simply highlight the text you want to change and click what you want to do with it. The 'Package' will then be put in place and labelled.
The normal commands you will probably be sticking to in your every day posts are, from the top left:
Bold, Italics, Underline and
3) What about colours?
Generally when writing you will stick to WHITE writing, which involves no formatting, but when a character speaks, or they hear music, the colour is changed to make it stand out.
Colours are on the very righthand side, in a drop down menu. Simply highlight and select the colour you want. There are some more colours, but they are hard to find. Try changing the colour name inside the square bracket to see if your ideas work.
4) How do I insert images or links?
For IMAGES simply paste in the link for the image and highlight it, then choose the command that looks like a photograph, the fourth from the bottom left, and voila, your image should now appear in the final post!
Altering the information within square brackets changes the command you're setting for the text. This is most important when it comes to adding LINKS. To add a link you must highlight the text you want to make a hyperlink (the conduit) and choose the earth symbol above, it's the third from the bottom left.
Once the text has the tag around it you need to give it a destination: put an equal sign in after the first 'url', so it looks something like and the second 'url' will have a forward slash before it and no equals sign. After the equals sign paste the link you want to attach.
Generally you won't be linking things, but should you ever need the knowledge how to in the OOC (out of character) sections, then I have given you the basic idea.
5) Are there any other functions I should learn about?
~ Positioning writing to the centre is useful for music or verse, and is done with the centreing icon (Fifth from the top right).
~ Size is important.
You can alter the size by using the button that has an A and an arrow next to it, second from the top right. Use the same method as mentioned in the third formatting question to change the font size.
~ In most cases the other functions are useless, though sub and sup have been used before.
Try to avoid using many of the other functions.
If you have any additional questions, please ask them in the chat box, that's what it's there for. If there is not a moderator/administrator online, then the next time one is they will answer you via a personal message to your account or modify this FAQ accordingly.