Guide to Newbies

Hey there! Chances are you've stumbled across this site via a thread on some forum, a link on TV Tropes, or via the magic of Reddit. In any case, it's a pleasure to see you reading the Newbies Guide - Your crash course in site etiquette. Yes, it seems long, but every piece of information here is great for leading you on the path to becoming a respected, valued, and informed member. (Skipping to the end for a tl;dr won't help you. You'll just have to read. Yes, read, using your eyes. They're useful for things other than smut.)

How do I join the site?

First, read this page in full. Then, to join, simply go Here and type in a few words about yourself in the text box. Some good topics include:

• Why are you interested in joining?
• Do you have any particular skills that you pride yourself on?
• What can you offer the wiki to enhance the community?

Keep in mind, you're not the only applicant. Don't write a novel in the text box to waste the reviewer's time; just keep it concise and to the point.

After applying, there are a few other things you can do to introduce yourself.

• Join the chat: We do have a chat! It's a good way to introduce yourself and meet some of the users that make up this site.
  • Be sure to read the Chat Guide! There are guidelines in place to keep the chat from becoming 4chan a mess of people shouting incoherently. Failing to adhere to those guidelines may get you banned, and nobody wants that, now do we?
  • When you're in the chat, be sure to read the topic! If you can't see the topic for some strange reason (or you're using mibbit), type /topic. Many questions have been answered by looking in the topic!

Click here for info on how to join.

Instructions for mIRC

1. Copy paste this (without quotations) "irc://irc.synirc.net" into your browser and hit enter.
2. Type "/join #site19"

Instructions for Chatzilla

1. Copy this into the text bar: /attach irc.synirc.net (or just click here: irc://irc.synirc.net/site19)
2. Type /join #site19

If you still want to use a browser based client:

Instructions For Mibbit

1. Go to http://www.mibbit.com/chat
2. Select "SynIRC webirc" from the drop down menu.
3. Pick an appropriate handle, and put "#site19" in the channel(s) box.
4. Enjoy your pie.

• Introduce yourself in the forums: If you haven't noticed, we do have a forum: a place to showcase your ego to exchange ideas, thoughts, comments, or any number of other things when you can't join the IRC. It's also a good place to incite some more meaningful discussions. Going here and introducing yourself is a good way to start your path into becoming a part of the community.

Rules to live by! (AKA "How Not to Get Banned.")

While writers here do have near-autonomy when it comes to how they write and act, there are a number of solid guidelines that all users are expected to follow. These rules are important, and should be kept in mind when doing anything on-site.

• Wil Wheaton's Law: Don't be a dick. Plain and simple, easy to remember. Follow this rule, and you will go far.

• Do not sass the mods! Or chat-ops, or admins…basically anyone under the Admin or Moderator titles on this here list. They are generally good people who write well and are there to help and guide. If a mod or admin is being specifically rude or vulgar to you in particular, let the others know, but don't take their terse responses as the go-ahead to talk back to them. This rule ties in directly with rule #1.

• The Editing Hierarchy: Editing is broken up into different ranks:
  • Minor edits: Things like minor grammar, spelling, or punctuation fixes are generally open for all to do. As long as the change doesn't alter a sentence's meaning, things like this are fine. If you plan to do a lot of minor edits, be sure to let a moderator know, to avoid misunderstandings about the changes.
  • 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 for help.

If what you're thinking of changing doesn't fall under one of those types of edits, always ask an op or moderator. We are always eager to help. (This may seem a bit of a hassle, but it helps keep an article from getting ruined by random edits.)

• Appropriate Content: Yes, the site has some pretty adult themes (110-Montauk, for example), but there is nothing in the way of pornographic representations. Probably. A good way of telling if your story or article is nearing the "Danger Zone" is to ask yourself, "Does this article seem to tend towards indulging sexual desires or gratuitous violence?" If the answer is "yes" or "potentially", it's a good bet it's time to go back and tone it down slightly.
  • Note: Inducing a strong "squick" in a reader can be a plus, if it's not related to sexual acts or extreme depicted violence.
  • If you're ever not sure, ask a moderator or an op for suggestions.

• Do NOT talk in-character: This is one of the biggest signs you're a newbie and/or an idiot. Mods will pick up on this, and you will not leave a good impression on them.
  • This goes for in-chat role play, as well. We have channels dedicated to RPing, so go there if you want to role play, not the main chat. This will get you ridiculed and kicked.

• Do NOT spam: So you finished your newest article or story, and you want to tell the world "Look what I made!" That's fine, but don't start posting the link every few minutes. People will start to ignore it, and ops will get annoyed. You'll find yourself in Shit Creek without a paddle.
  • This includes spamming phrases, memes, songs, constantly using the bot, and a host of other things. Doing anything like the aforementioned can, and probably will, result in a kick, and maybe a ban, depending on the severity of the offense.

• Do not reply to threads titled "Staff Post" or "Admin Post": These threads are official site staff business, and they have those titles for a reason. Regular users are not allowed to comment or vote on article deletion, regardless of the article's rating. We get very annoyed at new users who try. A full rundown on deletions procedure for the curious can be found here.

Tips for being a good member:

• Leave constructive comments: This is a big one. Simply telling them "your idea sucks" or "it's cool" doesn't do much. 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 can potentially 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 SCP articles, there is more for you to contribute. We have sketch artists, storytellers, and graphic artists. People write stories about the Foundation universe, exploring the concepts behind various SCPs. Others help flesh out 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 SCP article. Give your idea a shot! We'd love to see it.

• Read the articles: Before trying to critique SCPs, read through the articles and links to get an understanding of the Foundation universe. Building up a knowledge base helps to give your articles a better chance at being accepted in the site. Too much knowledge is almost never a bad thing. (Unless it's related to Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.)

• Member Pages: These are reserved for when you have written three successful, well-rated SCPs. When you do create one, remember that self-deprecating humor is better received than Mary Sue power fantasies.

• Idea for site improvement? Ask a mod. Improvements should only be implemented BY an admin or mod. Taking it upon to make the site "better" without the approval of the mods and admins will cause nothing but trouble. We're still trying to hunt down a few "fixes" implemented by users, so this is important!

• Don't be "That Guy": 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.

Writing an SCP!

(aka "How to improve your odds at writing a doozy of an SCP.")

• RTFM: Or, in our case, the How to Write an SCP Page. Yes, the WHOLE thing. And do what it says. You should also read this list of SCP ideas that have been done to death and back. Those pages show what kinds of SCPs are not allowed here, and hopefully guide you towards writing a better one.

• The Search Bar is Your Friend: There are literally hundreds of articles on this wiki. It is a sure bet that any new ideas you have have either been done before, or something close to it. Use the search function to check and see if we already have your idea here. It's not a bad thing to use an idea that has already been done; you just need to give it a unique spin.

• Announce your SCP in the Announcement thread: When you finished, put up a post in the SCP announcement thread here under the most recent "New SCP" thread, telling the world it's ready to be viewed and critiqued. How are we supposed to know your article exists if you don't tell anyone? The flipside of that is that you should not make an entirely new thread simply to announce your SCP. It belongs in the designated announcement thread.

• Do not vote on your own articles: Upvoting your own article is considered bad form and people will likely downvote it for that reason alone. The only valid reason for upvoting your own article is to counter malicious downvoting, and only with the blessing of a staff member.

• Your first may suck, and that's okay: Statistically speaking, your first SCP will probably fail. It's just a trend that happened for as long as this community was in existence. Don't feel bad if/when yours fails, but instead take the feedback and use it to make your next one even better. Don't dwell and complain how we removed it or people downvoted it for being blind to your genius. That sort of behavior is the most idiotic sort of thing anyone in this wiki knows about. You will be awarded no points, and may god have mercy on your soul.

• Don't post works in progress on the forums: This especially includes not creating sandbox pages. Yes, I know we have a few of these on the site, but they're inactive and no more are being made. They clog up the forums, including the New Posts page, which some of us use to navigate the site quickly. You have two alternatives to on-site sandboxes:
  • Pastebin - You can type it up in pastebin, click Submit, copy the new URL, and paste the link in the chat.
  • Sandbox - Your second option, if you want a dedicated sandbox or if you want to be able to look at your draft using the wikidot format, is to go make a page here or at http://sandbox.scp-wiki.net/ (same thing). Just create a page for yourself, and share the link.

• Writing Joke SCPs: A good joke SCP should be, first and foremost, funny. Not a reference or a homage to anything, though references can be funny if done right, with a flair of originality. Otherwise, aim for funny, not a reference. An in depth guide can be found here.

The Senior Staff and You: A Handy Guide

Who are the senior staff? We are the veterans and gurus. We have experience built up from the time spent here. We run the site, making sure everything goes smoothly and well. Here's a small dossier to help show who the senior staff are.

PS: Yes, there is humor here. However, these are also pretty damn accurate descriptions of us all, so don't be surprised. We warned you.

Admins:

• Gears: Head admin of the site, and a generally awesome guy. As may be evident by the name, Gears is our resident steampunk expert. Has a fairly high tolerance for newbies, and is fairly easy going. Just don't piss him off. The 'True Neutral' of the admin team.
• Kain Pathos Crow: Kain is our lawful good guy on the admin team. He can be hard to get a hold of, but he's a very nice guy; generally kind hearted, and slow to anger. No kind of push over, but he's a lot more even tempered than a lot of us (which admittedly isn't saying much).
• Bright: A self described "crotchety old man" and perv, so beware. He's blunt and crude, but always working for the best. He's in charge of the application process, so if you want to contact someone about that, he's the one to talk to. He's second in command on the site, taking charge during those times when Gears is unavailable. He's also one of the GMs of Active Duty, the SCP RP.
• Waxx: Our resident Soviet-ophile. A great fella and one of the GMs for the Active Duty game. Don't mention Chechnya. Knows a lot about war, guns, and history, so feel free to ask him about these things. Voted 'Most likely to take a dump on your desk'. Waxx is also the current chat owner, so show proper respect for your glorious overlord.
• Sophia Light: Well educated and constructive in her criticisms. Hangs around a lot in chat and Active Duty. Our resident biologist! She can help with sciency things.
• Dr. Mann: A pretty cool guy, and a great writer. We're expecting great things to come from this kid. He's got a very impressive creative mind, though sometimes it's used for evil. He's also a chat op, and sometimes GM.
• The Raven: Can find almost anything given enough time and an internet connection. Knows a good bit about marine biology, and can identify almost anything that lives in water. Not bad with history, either. Handy at editing, writing not so much. Often gets ideas, but more often doesn't write them down. Usually in IRC, even if he's not saying anything, but answers private messages as well. Note: TheRaven is Not RavenMackenzie. The Raven is staff, Mackenzie is not.
• Quikngruvn: Not that quick and rarely ever groovin', he is actually a cynical but easy-going old fart. Most likely to edit your article with some obscure grammar fix. Handier for formatting and syntax issues than on actual concepts.
• TroyL: A good guy, and a better writer. TroyL is known for quality work, and you'll recognize his stuff when you see it.
• Admins MIA: Fritzwillie, Far2, The Administrator, Paradox / Pair Of Ducks, Snorlison

Mods:

• Fat Ghost: Our laid back friend from the wilds of Canadia. Tends to use the term 'son' a lot, so don't get offended. Our resident Metric God. Use Metric, or he shall smite thee mightily with the Hiker. Very mellow, eh? Also one of our chat admins. He's one of the guys to go to if you want help with an SCP idea; he's both very friendly, and knows what the hell he's talking about.
• Mr. Unimport: Has been compared to a younger, more argumentative snorlison. This is a compliment, of course.
• PoorYoric: The newest sexiest mod. Voted second most likely to downvote your article. He has some redeeming features hidden somewhere, we're sure. He runs the SCP fuel photobucket accounts, and is really good at finding SCP images. Also known as a good critic, for some reason.
• Gerald: Was gone, but now he's back. Usually found on the chat, and always willing to give potential articles a look at, he's garnered a reputation for being more of an editor than an actual writer. Smart, although he's a bit of a punk.
• Photosynthetic: She's a great girl, and one of our resident scientists! Can you guess what her specialty is? In any case, she's very helpful, and great with science; so if you need to science up an article, she's a great person to ask. She's hard to catch in chat, but she answers her private messages.
• Dexanote: Dexa's friendly. Tends to remember SCP names. Has a good feel for tone and is pretty decent at formatting and editing, especially Block-Text-Syndrome. He is also a butte plateau SHIELD. The WHOLE CANADIAN SHIELD, DAMMIT.
• Pig_catapult: Pig's been here a while, and generally has a good instinct for whether an idea will go over well. She might not say much most of the time, but she's usually just a ping or private message away, and is almost always ready to give some constructive criticism. She's also a stickler for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, so if you need another set of eyes to help proofread your article, just ask.
• Sorts: Might be recognized due to a certain webcomic he stopped drawing years ago and doesn't want to talk about. Hardly ever in chat but will gladly give feedback via the forums.
• Mods MIA: Iceberg, Kraito, Masipag

Senior Staff:

• Clef: (Admin Emeritus) Genre-savvy and enigmatic, Clef is an ex-admin and our resident bad ass. Rumor has it, Clef has no penis, just another hand, holding a gun. Clef may come off brusque, but he only has the good of the site in mind. Don't kiss up to him, or he'll probably shoot you in the face. A tip: when Serious Clef speaks, you better listen.
• Rights: (Mod Emerita) AKA yellowdrakex on the forums. Our first female Researcher who dared to admit it. Very motherly, and always willing to lend a hand if she's got the time (y'know, BABY TODDLER). Rights has a good head on her shoulders for creepy.
• Bouncl: That's Imants in chat. He's a nice guy with a good head on his shoulders. Talk to him if Unimport and Yoric scare you. Also a chat mod!
• Gnosis: Gnosis is also a chat op! He's a great guy. If you have IRC-related problems, he'd be the one to ask— he knows his stuff. He's also notoriously capable at coding, and is the one responsible for that sweet image effect on SCP-228.
• Heiden: One of the nice guys. Wow, we're really moving away from the random asshole mods, aren't we?
• Burns: As Waxx is fond of saying, a bear is just a man who made a choice. Well, Burns is a man who made a choice to be an imbecile. Feel free to show your ideas to him. Useful in the ideas department, not so much in the editing.
• Metaphorphosis: Meta's the token Aussie in the chat and spends a lot of time trying to help/motivate the newbies. Happy to proof read your article and give you pointers and very happy to rewrite something for you. Nice guy, has a tattoo of the SCP non-logo on his back.
• EchoFourDelta: Jarhead extraordinaire. If you need ideas on containment procedures, fact-checking on tactics, weaponry, radio procedures, or anything of the like, he's your man. Stickler for practicality, realism, and precision of language.
• Dr_Kens: Photographer/biomedical nerd, he's pretty good at offering feedback and new ideas. If you have a question about science (subject or labs) or photography, he's the man to ask. Oh, and he'll correct your grammar, so it's nice and coherent.
• Adam Smascher: Goes by Nusquam in chat. Stickler for scientific and technical accuracy as well as realism, some would argue to a fault. Happy to lend a hand with pretty much anything when it comes to writing an SCP, Tale, or what have you.
• TheDeadlyMoose: New kid. Kind of sassy, but he has a good eye for what works. Good editor and rewriter. Has a tendency to leave lots of criticism. Can generally answer questions about anthropology, psychology, certain "alternative lifestyles", and extinct things.
• Scantron: Slightly less new kid, sometimes goes by Feierbird in chat. Keeps an informal list of funny comments made on deleted pages. Has a generally good grasp of physics and biology, but don't quote him on anything.
• Spikebrennan: Avuncular, cerebral, and probably older than you. Also, a lawyer. More interested in science fiction than horror. If you catch him on the chat, pitch your draft of your work to him: he is often willing to offer constructive criticism.
• Staff MIA: Kulzn, Fifthman, Ekzentric Lohner, Agent Kramer

Chat Mods:

• Break: She's a nice gal who has a tendency to pounce on certain people and drag them to her desk. Are you getting the visual imagery of a leopard and its prey? You should be.
• Mods MIA: Clockwork Mage