AnimeSuki Forums

Account profile? What are you talking about?

Your account has a lot of public information that is displayed to other people. When you post a message some of this information is displayed with your post. Other information is only available in your public profile. The purpose of this is to convey your personality to other members.

How do I see someone's public profile?

Good Question! There are several ways to find it. The easiest and most useful is available whenever someone makes a forum post. Take a look at someone's forum post right now. On the left of their post is their name. When you click on their name a little drop-down menu will appear. The first choice on this menu is "View Public Profile" and I bet you know why I'm pointing that out. Click it to see their profile.

That's a lot of information! How can I add this information to my own account?

Simply answered: Near the top of the forum you'll see a little link on the left that says User CP. This will bring you to your user control panel. After clicking on it, this will bring you to a page where there are a list of links going down the left side. There are a lot of account options and useful tools here, but the one we are interested in is the third, Edit Profile. You'll see lots of places to add all sorts of info here.

When I see people's posts there are there words under their name. What's up with that?

The first line under their name is their user title. Everyone can make up a custom user title for themselves. This is just for fun though a lot of people like to play with it. This is an option in Edit Profile. Go make your own to suit your personality as long as it isn't rude or inappropriate.

There are smaller colored words under that. What are they about? How can I get one of those neat titles?

These are public groups. Once again they are just for fun to personalize your post. In your User CP you'll see a link near the bottom titled Group Memberships. Feel free to chose as many groups to belong to as you want. You can then choose any one of these groups to identify as. Only the single group you chose as your identity will be displayed under your user title. Have fun.

I've seen other user groups which I cannot select.

Yup! For obvious reasons some groups like "Moderator" are reserved for special people who work on our site. "Site Staff" refers to people who manage our main torrent site. These titles are special. They can only be gained if we decide to recruit you.

I really think I'd be a great moderator! Can I help out.

Don't ask. Really, don't ask! If you'd be a good moderator then we'd notice you. We aren't oblivious to the active members of our forum. If we think we need more help then we'll message you and ask you to join our team. If you don't get asked, then we don't need your help at this time.

What about the picture under people's names?

That picture is called an avatar. In your User CP you can Edit Avatar. We've got a whole host of pictures you can select from or else you can upload a cutom avatar of your own. This avatar cannot be bigger than 125×125 pixels or larger than 125 KiB (128000 bytes). You'll get an error message if you try to use an image larger than that.

I want a customized avatar from an anime I love, but I suck at photoshop. Is there any help for me?

No problem. Lots of people suck at photoshop or can't afford a good image editor. That's why nice people on our forum will be glad to help you if you post your request here. Please read the first post to learn how to make a request.

There's another picture under people's posts. What is up with that and how do I get one?

That's called a signature. You can add one in the User CP under Edit Signature. Unfortunately we have strict limits for size and the forum software isn't capable of taking care of this for us. That means we may delete your signature if it is too big. We hate having to do this so please don't post an oversized signature. The limits are explained further in the Signature Rules.

Why are you so strict about signatures? That's no fun at all and I hate you!

We don't limit signature size just to be mean. We limit it because when people are reading your post they get annoyed when there is a huge signature which dwarfs your post. It really does get annoying. As for the file size limit... believe it or not, some people still use 56K modems. I have trouble believing it myself, but it is true and we want to be nice to them. Considering the incredible signatures some people create within these limits, we see no reason to ever increase them.

I'd like a signature, but I have a lot of trouble creating something small enough.

Fair enough. Fortunately some members on our forum are eager to help you out if you post your request here. Just remember to read the first post which explains how to ask for help.

I was poking around my User CP making my profile cooler when I found something called a Profile Picture. What is that?

On your profile page you can add another image in addition to the avatar everyone sees. Only people who look at your profile can see this picture, but it does add a bit of decoration. Go add a profile picture and you'll see it for yourself. Just pay attention to the image limits of 125×125 and 125 KiB (128000 bytes) or else it won't be uploaded for you.

Cool stuff in the User CP. Can you tell me what Buddy / Ignore Lists are for?

Well, Buddy Lists are a list of people that you like. It will highlight their names on the "Who's Online" list you can see at the bottom of the main page so that you can see them more easily. Ignore lists are quite different. If you put someone on your ignore list you won't see any of their posts or receive any private messages from them. Putting someone on your ignore list will keep them from being able to get under your skin even if they try. It's a way of saying, "Talk to the hand!"

1. The first is to actually read a thread.
2. The second is a forum level "Mark Read" operation that allows you to skip reading all remaining threads in a given forum.
3. The third is a site wide "Mark Read" operation that allows you to say when you've read all of the currently available threads (that interest you).

• Timeout
  Note: If you want the traditional vBulletin browsing experience you should select this option as it works like all version of vBulletin prior to v3.5
  The "Timeout" option makes the forum work as it did before the internal tracking was enabled. That is, each time you open the forum with a new session all unread posts that were made before the time you were last active are marked as read. This is the same as you manually clicking "Mark Read" just before you let your session expire by closing the browser, logging out or simply not using for forum for an extended period.
  
  
• Logout
  As the name suggests, the "Logout" option makes the forum mark all unread posts as read when you click "Logout". This is the same as you clicking "Mark Read" just before logging out. Using this option allows the forum to keep track of what posts you've read even if you have to leave the browser for an extended period or you login from a different computer. As long as you don't logout the posts you have not read yet will remain "not read". When you're happy you've read all you want to read you can safely click "Log Out" in the knowledge that when you come back only posts that were made since you were last using the forum will be marked as "new".

You can now search for multiple tags in a single, more complex, query. You can still mix tag queries with other search options using the Advanced Search. The following examples should help you get to grips with using the feature.

To find all threads that have "school life" and "shoujo" tags you would use:
Show Me

school life, shoujo

To find all threads that have "school life" or "shoujo" tags you would use:
Show Me

school life or shoujo

To find all threads that have "school life" and "shoujo" tags, or have "slice of life" you would use:
Show Me

school life, shoujo or slice of life

To find all threads that have "school life" but not "shoujo" tags, or have "slice of life" you would use:
Show Me

school life, -shoujo or slice of life

To find all threads that have "slice of life" but not "romance" tags, or have "comedy" but not "romance" or "ecchi" tags you would use:
Show Me

slice of life, -romance or comedy, -romance, -ecchi

• Posting and discussing content found on official sites or blogs.
• Answering specific questions about past or current events using knowledge of the source material, so long as these questions will not be answered by the adaptation itself in the future. (We strongly encourage posters to discuss any spoilers via PM, rather than in the work's discussion thread.)
• Comparing events in an adaptation to the way they were presented in the source material or other adaptations. (Discussions about the source material itself, or extended comparisons should be directed to the appropriate manga/novel/game thread.)
• Comparing one story to another, when such comparisons are useful or informative. (These spoiler tags must always be labeled with the name of the other work whose spoilers it contains.)

Note regarding unsubbed "raw" anime episodes:

Because our forum is targeted primarily at fansub viewers, it is inconsiderate to openly discuss or post impressions of an episode before the fansubs are released, except in threads discussing that specific episode. So, when multiple raw and fansubbed episodes are being discussed in the same thread, please keep all discussion of unsubbed episodes behind clearly-marked spoiler tags. Discussing unsubbed anime is not a spoiler according to this policy, but please be considerate.

Just highlight your spoiler and click the button found on the "Quick Reply" and "Reply to Thread" forms. Make sure that you include a title that clearly identifies the specific source of the spoiler!

Click the button found to the left of the post, just under the poster's avatar. Using the Report button is anonymous and helps the Moderators locate and deal with problems quickly.

Previously the discussion of series produced by Media Factory was restricted.

As of May 2009 the distinction between Media Factory and other unlicensed anime was removed. This means that unless a Media Factory series is licensed (which is the case with all the titles listed in the C&D letter we received), you do not need to treat these series any different than any other unlicensed anime series.

What is an infraction? I've never heard of such a thing.

If you have to ask, then you probably don't have one. This is how we keep track of rule violations on AnimeSuki. Each infraction has a point value and the points accumulate to tell the moderators who's naughty or nice.

I checked a dictionary and the word means "A violation of law, not punishable by imprisonment." I'm glad that it won't get me locked in jail, but can I be banned this way?

Whenever we give an infraction the software checks how many points you have and the higher the point total, the longer the ban. If you have less than 2 points, then you won't get banned. If you have 2 or more points you will be banned. At the lower levels the ban will just be for a day, or a few days. Then as you accumulate more points you will be banned for longer and longer until the ban becomes permanent.

Sounds like I don't want too many infraction points. What are the exact levels for getting banned and how many points will ban me permanently?

We don't think that there is any advantage to either you or us to let you know exactly how much mischief you can get away with before we decide to send you to "less moderated" forums for the rest of your life.

But I was banned for something incredibly small! Why is that fair?

Remember that the points for all your infractions accumulate. Even though all your infractions might have been only 1 point, if it pushes you over the 2 point threshold you will be banned. We favor this approach because someone who can accumulate a lot of nuisance points is a never ending pain in the bottom for us.

I got a "Warning" infraction. What does that mean?

A warning is just a warning. It has no point value so it will not lead to getting you banned. It really just means that your behavior was questionable or you did something that we wanted to draw your attention to. We don't want to ban you so we hope that by warning you, we won't ever have to lose your voice on this forum. If you do the same thing again we will have to give you a real infraction.

My warning infraction just said that my post was merged into another thread. Was that serious enough to warn me about it?

We prefer warnings instead of sending private messages when a post is moved, merged or deleted. You see, when we give an infraction the message is visible to the other moderators, so by giving a warning instead of a private message we are also alerting all the other moderators to the event. It kills two birds with one stone to keep everyone in the loop.

Am I stuck with these points for the rest of my life? It seems harsh and makes me feel like I am walking on eggshells.

Actually, if you check these infractions on your profile you'll see that lesser ones will eventually stop counting against you, although the most serious infractions will never go away. On your profile all of your infractions are listed along with the expiration dates for those infractions. This will help you keep track of your status.

But it is listed on my profile! Everyone can see this and it is embarrassing! I feel that it is destroying my social life and making everyone hate me.

Actually your infractions are secret. Nobody can see them on your profile except for moderators. This is just a way for moderators keep track of how much trouble you have caused. We don't hate you either, so chill out and relax about it. Actually a lot of upstanding citizens of our forum have acquired infractions. Even a moderator or two has garnered infractions before being asked to help us police the forum. When we give an infraction we hope that it will help you learn how to be a better citizen of our community. That is really our hope.

But what about my reputation? My reputation is important to me and I've worked really hard to get a good reputation.

Relax! Infractions have absolutely no effect on your rep and vice-versa. These systems have no relation at all. You can rest assured that if we give you an infraction the only bad thing that might happen is banning. I hope that is a relief.

I don't think I deserve the infraction you gave me. You just don't understand what I was posting.

Sometimes that happens. Being human we're not perfect. Please reply to the infraction and explain what happened (since it's a PM, you can reply to it). If we agree with you then we'll revoke the infraction. Please realize that we are not available 24/7, so it might take a little while for us to respond. If you still think you aren't being treated fairly then please send a PM to one of our other Forum Leaders. The person you send your PM will consider the complaint and likely consult with the rest of us. We will then act accordingly. I promise we will give you a fair hearing and not just gather around our homie.

General Information

We currently operate an IRC channel on the synIRC network. #animesuki is frequented by some of the forum staff.

Connection Information

Should we move network, this FAQ entry will be updated with the new address information.

Servers

The synIRC network has a number of different servers.
You can use each directly or use one of the following names to select a random server:

• irc.synirc.net
• eu.synirc.net
• us.synirc.net

Channels

#animesuki

How to Join?

If you don't have a clue how IRC works, just download and install mIRC (Windows Only), then follow one of the server links above.

Other Clients?

mIRC mentioned above is just one possible client, there are many others, including:

• klient (Windows Only)
• irssi (Multi-platform)
• Xchat (Multi-platform)

Rules and Notes

Usual common sense applies: R rated content, spam and anything too suggestive is likely to get you kicked and possibly banned from the channel. As always, make sure you read the Channel Rules before or soon after joining the channel for the first time. To find the link to the rules while on the channel, simply type: !rules. If you're not sure, just pm one of the active OPs or just ask in the channel and somebody will answer you. You can also check out the channel's thread.

Only the forum staff can create threads in limited forums. We have limited some forums like this to help maintain focus and cut down on noise, i.e. no pointless threads cluttering up the place!

If you think a good discussion topic is missing, please let us know by posting in the appropriate "Requests for new threads" sticky. Be aware we will only accept reasonable discussion thread requests; see the forum specific sticky for more details. If you can't find the sticky, please contact a member of staff.

You may have wondered why some anime series get sub-forums, while others are constrained to a single thread. Some have also wondered how the decision is made, and what factors that are considered.

Having a dedicated sub-forum for a series brings with it some benefits, such as a greater variety of discreet topics, better delineation of the discussion by episode, better potential to keep discussions focused and on-topic, easier access to threads for other related forms of media from the same franchise, and a stronger sense of community for those interested in the show. However, these same benefits can also cause some challenges, such as the fracturing of discussion into many different threads, more restricted/controlled discussion in each thread, separation of the franchise from the rest of the forum, and so on. Sub-forums also create some added work for the moderation staff through the need to create weekly episode threads and monitor the additional threads. So, the staff carefully consider every currently-airing show and monitor the resulting discussion to determine if we believe it would be a good candidate for sub-forum status.

In monitoring the on-going discussion, the staff consider many factors, including the quality and maturity of the discussion, the variety of sub-topics available to be discussed, the overall interest in the show (and the potential for that interest to be sustained), the amount of fracturing already occurring in the single thread, and any particular moderation challenges that could be mitigated by a sub-forum. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but is provided to give an idea of what is being considered. The staff monitor the threads on an on-going basis to track developing needs and determine if the situation has changed. Sometimes a sub-forum may be created quickly, and other times the decision may be to "wait and see". Some series may be ruled out for a variety of reasons, but these could still be reviewed later. If the need for a sub-forum develops, the staff will create it as soon as it makes sense to do so.

So, how can forum members participate in this process? The best way is to contribute to vibrant, interesting, and on-topic discussions in anime threads. Some forum members have supposed that the creation of sub-forums is or should be based primarily on post count, but threads that are encumbered by silly, irrelevant, or frequently off-topic discussions are less likely to be considered. We are not interested in creating sub-forums where discussions will be dominated and polarized by shipping/waifu talk and other meaningless chatter, but rather where interesting and vibrant discussion can occur. Please also help the staff by reporting posts that break the rules or otherwise lower the quality of the thread by being off-topic, irrelevant, or inane. A quality thread is more likely to lead to a quality sub-forum.

We would like to emphasize that the decision to create sub-forums resides with the Forum Staff, which is composed of volunteers who are fellow members and posters on this Forum. We request that you not make posts requesting, suggesting, or otherwise begging for a show you like to get a sub-forum. Likewise, when a show does get a sub-forum, we request that you not make posts complaining about the sub-forum creation, including but not limited to posts bemoaning that the show "sucks", isn't worthy of a sub-forum, or that there are other shows you prefer that didn't get "chosen". Posts that engage in this sort of "whining" will be edited or deleted, and warnings or infractions may be issued at the discretion of the staff. If you have suggestions or concerns, you are encouraged to discuss them with any Moderator or Administrator in private. The staff are also regularly discussing about and reviewing the sub-forum criteria and the way sub-forums are managed, and we will provide further information if and when decisions are made.

1. For unlicensed Web Novels, Light Novels, and Manga (i.e. not picked up by a publisher for distribution/sale in English), we will allow a single link to the fan translation project page in the opening post, so long as the site does not also host downloads for licensed works. (We will not allow multiple links to individual volumes/chapters/etc., just a single link to the project page or index.)
   
   
2. For unlicensed Web Novels* that have not been picked up for sale as Light Novels in their native language/country, we will also allow a single link to the original-language project page in the opening post.
   
   
3. Links should not be posted in the replies or elsewhere in the thread; instead everyone should just get in the habit of looking in the opening post for the link.
   
   
4. In the event that the links in the opening post need to be changed and the original thread creator isn't around/available, please request the change in the sticky thread that will be provided, and the staff will take care of it.
   
   
5. In the event that there is some sort of dispute between fan translators and there are two or more different fan translation links, we will aim to link to any "original" project page, and not take sides in any dispute.
   
   
6. In the event that a work is licensed (either a Web Novel will be sold officially as a Light Novel, or any work will be sold/distributed officially in English), we will remove the impacted links from the opening post. Discussion of the project can otherwise continue with the links in the opening post gone. Members may not provide removed links to other members in the threads, in social groups, via VM, PM, or any other means on this site.
   
   
7. Posts that exist purely to let people know that an update has occurred (i.e. new chapter/volume posted) are strongly discouraged and may be deleted. Instead, you are encouraged to actually discuss the content itself, and in doing so people will know that the new content is available.
   
   
8. Translations themselves should not be posted in the threads. If a limited quoted selection of text is necessary to support a particular argument or conversation, this will be allowed under a principle of "fair use", but please do not go overboard on quoting everything. Discuss assuming that people have or will read the content. Excessive summaries (that are essentially re-phrasing of the content, or cover everything to the point that you might as well not even read the original) will also similarly not be allowed in the threads.
   

This approach will allow the links to be visible in the most prominent location in the thread, which should hopefully reduce the amount of requests/"spam" for links. And also, in the event that the licensing status changes, this will streamline the process of removing the links in alignment with our legal/ethical obligations that we enforce elsewhere on the site.

NOTE: We may consider applying a similar policy for unlicensed/non-streaming anime, visual novel fan translation projects, free doujin games, and other exception cases. Please contact a moderator to discuss such cases, and any particular restrictions that may apply.

* About the distinction between Light Novels and Web Novels: We are making this distinction due to a key difference in the impact of our forum rules about licensing and raws. For our purposes, we will say that: Light Novels are books published and made available for sale (i.e. "commercial works"), and Web Novels are published by the author and made available for free on the Internet (i.e. "non-commercial works"). So, according to this categorization, you will be allowed to link to the original/official project page for a Web Novel as long as it has not been licensed for publication in the native language or in English, but will not be allowed to link to the raws for a Light Novel. In other words, if a Web Novel becomes a Light Novel, you can no longer link to the Web Novel.