(a work in progress)
About Us:
Whose site is this?
Actually, this is YOUR site. Although it was a team of 25 bloggers that came up with the idea, Motley Moose is a community. A community comprised of members who diary, comment, and take the spirit of The Moose out into their own geographic communities.
Why ‘Motley Moose’?
Motley: Having elements of great variety or incongruity
Moose: A reference to the Bull Moose Party (the first Progressive Party) and a nod to our Progressive Democratic beliefs.
How do I contact Admin?
There is a contact link on the bottom banner of the Motley Moose Home page.
Moderation:
What are the site rules?
The site rules are linked to both on the far right column and on the bottom banner.
There is a diary that breaks site rules. How do I report it?
Each diary has a ‘Report This Diary’ button beneath the ‘Recommend’ button at the top of the right column. Clicking it will alert Moderation to check for potential problems.
There is a comment that breaks site rules. What do I do?
If you are a Trusted User, give it a ‘0’ FAIL rating in order to hide it. If is a comment so far beyond the pale that you feel further moderation is warranted, use the CONTACT link on the bottom banner.
I’ve been warned. What does this mean?
It depends on what you were warned for, and whether or not this is your first warning. Our initial plan is to stick to a 3 strike rule. 3 warnings = banning. This may change as the site grows, but, for now, a warning is just what the word implies. A warning.
I think I’ve been banned unfairly. What do I do?
While this is highly unlikely, you can request an appeal via the CONTACT link in the bottom banner. The Moderation Team will decide whether your pleas of innocence hold merit and will let you know their decision within 48 hours.
My Moose:
How do I change my settings?
MY MOOSE is your Motley Moose ‘dashboard’. It is there that you can access your Account Info, Diaries, Comments, Ratings and Profile. From your Profile you can change your Comment and Display settings.
How do I add a signature?
You can add both a Personal Bio and a Signature at the bottom of your Account Info section from your Profile in My Moose.
How do I change my password?
You can change your password in the Email and Password section of your Profile in My Moose.
Trusted Users:
What is a Trusted User?
A Trusted User is an active Motley Moose member who has received a pre-determined number of positive (‘Fierce’) ratings. A member who has exhibited the sense of community that Motley Moose strives to foster. TU’s are entrusted with the ability to ‘0’ rate comments that break site rules. This user moderation is an important part of Motley Moose, so use the ‘power’ wisely. Abusing TU ratings rights can lead to suspension of all ratings rights.
How do I become one?
Participate. Comment. Rate others’ comments. Write and Recommend Diaries. Being an active member of Motley Moose is the best way to obtain and retain your TU status.
When should I hide a comment by rating it ‘0’?
If a comment is outside the rules of the site, we expect the TU’s to move it to Hidden Comments by giving it a ‘0’ FAIL rating. Do not be shy about using the ‘0’, but, also, be sure that the comment breaks site rules. Do not ever FAIL rate a comment merely because you disagree with it.
Diaries and Comments:
How do I write a Diary?
Once you’re logged in, there will be a ‘New Diary’ option in your menu.
How do I Recommend a Diary?
There is a ‘Recommend’ button on the top of the right column for each diary. You can also see who else has Recommended it.
How do I insert a link?
To insert a link use the code shown below. Remove the spaces in the code, and replace the link and the text you want to show up in your comment or diary.
< a href=”YourLink”>The text that shows up in your comment or diary< /a>
How do I insert a picture?
To insert a picture use the code shown below. Delete the space in the code and replace the URL below with the link to the image you want to use.
< img src=”your image’s URL”>
Word to the wise: It is recommended that you upload the images you wish to use to a server like imageshack or photobucket. Some webmasters will not allow you to link directly to images on their sites — if you try it, you may find that the image you wished to post has been replaced with something obscene. This is a good way to accumulate a staggering number of FAIL ratings. Steal bandwidth at your peril.
How do I insert a YouTube clip?
Copy/Paste the EMBED CODE found to the right of the video on the Youtube page. Note that this isn’t possible for some YouTube clips. Sometimes when the video you wish to insert is an “official” video (such as an artists’s official music video), the embed code will be absent. When this happens… well, you’re probably out of luck.
How do I add a comment?
To comment directly to a diary, click ‘Post A Comment’, found at the end of each Diary.
To reply to a comment, click ‘Reply’, found below each individual Comment.
How do I rate a comment?
There is pull down window beneath each comment. If you are a TU, there are two options available to you (currently FIERCE or FAIL). If you are not a TU there is only one option: FIERCE. Uprate the comment by selecting FIERCE, or downrate by selecting FAIL.
The Lounge:
What is The Lounge?
The Lounge is, essentially, the Motley Moose Recreation Center. It is a place to ‘Cut Loose the Moose’ and just have fun. It is a NO SERIOUS ZONE. No Politics Welcome (unless you are laughing about them). Prepare for heavy Snark.
How is it different from Motley Moose?
In the Lounge you may post any diary or comment with the single caveat that it not be a serious political statement. Irony, puns, sarcasm, and flying off metaphorical handles are highly encouraged. All Lounge Diaries must have titles starting with “Lounge:” so other Mooses don’t become unduly confused. While Motley Moose focuses on Politics and Community Action, The Lounge is centered around Snark, Laughter, and various forms of Inebriation. If you are looking for Serious Commentary, The Lounge is NOT where it will be found.
Are there rules?
Who knows? But, if you break them, you will be slapped about with a rather large fish.
