Introduction
Welcome to the The New Dawn Initiative Wiki! We are happy to have you aboard our creative writing project, and hope you enjoy your stay.
__All works posted on this wiki, unless otherwise stated, are works of fiction.
You are reading the Guide for Newbies, your introduction to site etiquette and standards. However you may have found your way here, we welcome you as a member and a potential author ofAssets and Initiative-related stories and documents.
Let's start from the beginning: getting from casual reader to site member.
- 1. Make an account with Wikidot, our glorious overlord host site. Go here to do so.
- 3. Even with a Wikidot account, you still aren't a member of the The New Dawn site itself. To join the site itself, you have to go to this page and write your application.
Hey, that's odd. We went from step 1 to step 3. What's step 2? Wait, here it is:
- 2. To get your application approved, you have to follow all the instructions on the Join The Site page. That includes reading this guide, so you're off to a good start. You are required to read at least all tabs on this page before joining the site.
If you're interested in joining the chat or writing for the site, you'll find additional pages linked to from this guide which will help you out.
You are expected to know the Site Rules before posting any comments, and you are expected to have read NDI Format before writing any articles.
IF YOU'RE ON THIS PAGE TO APPLY FOR THE SITE, PLEASE READ ALL THE TAB SECTIONS ON THIS PAGE. To navigate this page, scroll to the top and click on another tab. (The next one is "Site Behavior," if that helps.)
If you are reading this page to find out how to become a site member, finishing this first tab is not enough. Your application will be denied if all you only read this section.
Site Behavior
The rules page that you should have read by now contains a very clinical list of things you are allowed to do, things you are expected to do and things you are not allowed to do. However, the The New Dawn Initiative is a writing community, and no list of hard-and-fast rules will explain the nuances of social interaction for you. There are some behaviors that will simply grate on different people's nerves; you can't, as the quote says, please everyone. There are, however, behaviors that annoy everyone, and these will get you banned. Keep this in mind:
So much of your life, and your time here at the New Dawn, will be much easier if you remember this.
Sassing the Mods: We are volunteers, not paid workers, who are curating a list of quality horror. We are not thin-skinned sissies, but repeated harassment of staff will result in a ban.
- That said: Moderators and Administrators are allowed to have and express opinions just as writers and site members. You are advised not to behave obnoxiously towards them (or anyone—see the first rule), but you as a member are allowed to debate, disagree with, and discuss whatever you like, however you like (as long as you're civil), with Mods or Admins in their capacity as members. You will not be banned for disagreeing with a staff member.
Staff/Mod/Admin Posts: This is a member of staff acting in a position of the New Dawn. They will be clearly marked as "Staff Post", "Mod Post", or "Admin Post". Those are generally discussions to be read by members, but contributed to by Staff.
- Moderative Posts: Moderative posts will have a specific title. These titles are used to indicate specific types of posts, and should only be responded to in certain situations. This exact text will be in the post itself:
- Deletion Vote: Anyone wanting to request a stay of deletion or ask for the opportunity to rewrite may respond to this post. Do not 'vote' if you are not staff.
- Stop Order - Do not respond to this post. If a staff member ends a discussion, it is over. Do not try to get the final word in; just stop.
- Closed - Do not respond to this post. Staff is posting a statement that does not require a reply.
- Open - You can respond to this post if you want.
Editing: The New Dawn Initiative is a wiki, meaning you are encouraged to write and contribute to the site. Likewise, you are permitted to improve the site by editing existing pages, to an extent. Editing is broken up into different ranks:
- Minor edits: These include minor grammar, spelling, or punctuation fixes, or adding (correct) tags to a page. The rule is: as long as the change doesn't alter a sentence's meaning, the edit is fine. If you plan to do a lot of minor edits, be sure to let a moderator know, to avoid misunderstandings about the changes.
Also important: Make sure you know what you're doing when you edit. Don't make a sentence worse by a) changing something that is supposed to be whatever it is, like an intentional misspelling, formatting quirk, or an acceptable but alternate spelling of a word (color/colour, analog/analogue, etc.), or b) fixing something that literally isn't wrong in the first place. Remember: every edit you make is visible for all to see.
- Major edits: This includes changing paragraphs, altering pictures, or other concept changes. These types of changes should be run past the original author if possible. If the original author can't be found, ask a moderator or administrator for permission or advice.
Appropriate Content: Absolutely no illegal or pornographic content. In addition, being edgy for the sake of being edgy is prohibited.
In-character Behavior: Don't. We don't talk like that on the forums. Everything on the site and in the chat is out-of-character, meaning you are to write as if you understand that this is a fiction site and we are writers of fiction.
Spam: Don't. Don't bring up your new Asset every two minutes, and don't bump threads. Similarly, don't post contentless responses to forum posts that are several months old. This likewise will give off the indication that you don't know what you're doing.
Profile: Do not link to material that wouldn't be allowed on the site or make such material as your avatar.
For a complete list of the things we do and do not allow on the site, check out the Site Rules.
Tips for Members
While we've covered things you can and can't do, let's spend some time with things you should and shouldn't do.
- Leave constructive comments: This is a big one. Simply telling an author "your idea sucks" or "it's cool" doesn't do much. You can do that, but if your post history is a long line of "I like it!" or "This sucks", everyone's going to get annoyed. Here are some tips you can keep in mind when you leave a comment:
- What makes it good/bad? (They can't fix what they don't know.)
- What could they do to either enhance or fix it?
- Ask questions that can make an author think of alternate ideas or perspectives about the article. Asking questions make them think of an answer, potentially letting them realize another point that can improve the article.
- Why did/didn't you like it?
We're not asking you to write a report on each article in the comments, but these extra points help improve the nature of the community.
- Don't rush to contribute: This is another big one. Newbies often assume that because they joined a collaborative writing site, they must submit something to look smart or seem like a constructive person. This isn't the case. Generally, quality writing takes time. Trying to submit some thing as fast as you can to seem like you're being a good member of the community will generally lead to sending in a shitty article that is downvoted to oblivion. Ask users in-chat for critiques or feedback, and get more info about the article you're trying to write. As brusque as some chat ops may seem, we are all ultimately there to help you create something new, unique, and interesting. This brings us back to the main point, which is take your time. We're not going anywhere.
- Experiment with new concepts: While it may seem like the main focus of this site is the New Dawn Assets, there is more for you to contribute. We have sketch artists, storytellers, and graphic artists. People write stories about the New Dawn universe, exploring the concepts behind various Assets. Others help flesh out the universe through sketches and posters, even going so far as to design animations. There's just so much you can contribute, other than just an New Dawn article. Give your idea a shot! We'd love to see it.
- Read the articles: Before trying to critique Assets, read through the articles and links to get an understanding of the New Dawn Iniative universe. Building up a knowledge base helps to give your articles a better chance at being accepted in the site. Too much knowledge is not a thing that exists.
- Modesty: You don't need to be the most awesome thing in the site, and trying to be will generally result in the opposite reaction. Just be what you are and let the flow of the environment guide your decisions.
Read the Criticism Guidelines for more information about offering critique.
- The P-a-s-s-c-o-d-e: To join the site, type in the following phrase in the proper location on the Join Page: I will respect the Initiative and its community. Your application must also include a single grammatically correct sentence explaining why you wish to write for us. If your application does not include this introductory sentence and the above phrase, it will be automatically denied.