Confused? Wondering about or wandering about this site and its many features? Your question has probably been asked before, and hopefully it will be answered here.
Yes! The Soulful Spike Message Board has very few 'rules' but we take those few seriously. All posters on our message board are expected to know and abide by our rules and guidelines. Failure to do this can lead to temporary or permanent banning from this board.To read our rules and methods of enforcement, click the following link. ... Soulful Spike Society Board RulesIn addition to these rules, there are certain posting habits you should avoid here. Do NOT...
- post a direct link to a picture or avatar without getting the permission of the site where you found it. Direct linking (causing the picture to be displayed without having to click on a link) uses the bandwidth of the originating site, slows down page loading for each poster, and can result in our website being closed down. Our Technopagans will host pictures for the contest or for avatars for you if you don't know how to host your own. Just contact them. Otherwise, just post the URL of the picture and let people click the link. Conversely, do not direct link from OUR website and message board to other sites, as that would steal OUR bandwidth.
- post advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes, solicitations or pornography. These actions are known as trolling.
- type in all caps. That's considered yelling.
- post solely to increase your post count. This is called "star posting," and it's annoying.
- quote pictures -- if you quote someone, please edit out the image before submitting your reply. This is courteous to those with slower load times and also keeps our bandwidth usage down.
- start a new thread to say hello or ask a question. Post your 'hello' on the Main Board in the most current numbered thread. (The correct thread will be called 'The Soulful Spike Society Part XXX' where 'XXX' is the highest number showing. It will be the top thread.) If you can't find the answer to your question in this FAQ, ask a tech, or again, post it on the main board.
(The following tongue-in-cheek posting advice was given by S'cubie Sue...)
Sue's Prolific Posting Primer
Or
How NOT to Post!!!Sue's Original Disclaimer: Okay, now let's get serious.... Apologies to anyone whose posting style I forget to mock in the following list.
- Reply to all other posters individually, rather than en masse.
- Drop in about every 5-10 minutes and update us on your day.
- Rant about your job.
- Start a debate....and keep it going.
- Say something really controversial about Spike (see number 4 above), then reply to each outraged post individually (see number 1 above).
- Restate something you've already said (see number 5 above)
- Tell us about your family, relatives, pets, hobbies, house/apartment, chores, what you are reading, watching, listening to, except do it like this:
- Tell us about your family
- Tell us about your relatives
- Tell us about your pets
- Tell us about your hobbies
- Tell us about your house
- Tell us about your chores
- Tell us what you are reading
- Tell us what you are watching
- Tell us what you are listening to.
- Tell us about your social life.......in detail. Remember, some of us are living vicariously here.
- Post something random.
- Post something off-topic (yes, this is the same as #9, but you see, I'm applying #6)
- Interpret everything which is posted as a smutty double-entendre and be sure to reply in same style.
- Take another poster to task (gently) over something.
- Be sure to announce you are leaving whenever you come and go!
Ok - got all that? Now do the opposite and you'll be a great poster!
Note: This explanation was posted by Vlad , webmaster and "retired" Technopagan of the Soulful Spike Society.
On the Origin of S'cubie S'cubie comes from our name: The Soulful Spike Society: S3(S cubed.) It is pronounced: skew (as in cue) - bee. Perhaps now it is time for the tale to be told once more:A very long time ago, on a message board far, far away, there was a great rebellion. A group of like minded rebels who desired the freedom to love Spike as a character, led by Alexandra the Great, broke away from the evil ScoopMe Buffy board and attempted to found their own utopic society. Originally they called this small haven "All Things Spike/James Marsters." Life was good and all rejoiced.
They eventually grew weary of this appalling appellation however and sought out a better name. After much bandying about, they achieved a higher group plateau, and merged several ideas into what is now The Soulful Spike Society. After suffering thru many hardships together and realizing that there was indeed a group love for one another, they decided that they needed a name for themselves...something to identify them from others that merely wandered by. Again, many heads were bowed in thought and the wisest of them offered many wonderful choices. Again, by group synthesis "S'cubies" was born. Clever and echoing the favored group from the show they all loved, it was a resounding favorite. (I would like to note that it is indeed a historical fact that I, your history teacher, am responsible for the "apostrophe" in S'cubies.)
Around this time, it was considered that a website to store all things S'cubie would be a great boon to the enterprise and so, it was created. The original S'cubie Website was born and upon that site was placed the revered Spikecentricity column. The website grew as did the number of oppressed souls leaving the evil ScoopMe Buffy board for the tranquility offered by the S3.
Later, ominous events took place. BtVS was canceled and the gadflys and the mealy-mouthed fair weather fans took flight forcing the ScoopMe empire to fall. A hue and cry went out across the web: Woe! What are we to do? Buffy is gone, Spike is no more! Oh how the heavens hate us! Then, a beacon of light shone forth, and the noble core of S'cubies said "Follow us...we shall show you the way!"
They endeavored, with time drawing so close and near, to find a new land in which to revel in Spike. They who could scouted out new territories, while the other loyal members spent weeks cataloguing every precious word in the hope that someday they would have a new place to store it. After false starts and promising but dead-end attempts, this technopagan managed to discover the area that has become the Soulful Spike Message Board. Long hours this Technopagan spent, surrounded by loyal and extremely hard working, like-minded S'cubies, and together they created the flourishing site you stand in today. May it forever shine.
And that, my little n'ubies is the story of how the S'cubie came to be.
Vlad, TA, tp (retired)
EVERYTHING! Behind those swinging gates you'll find the Soulful Spike Society. We are the S'cubies - an ever increasing number of worldwide fans of everything Whedonish, but most especially, Spike - the vampire with the voluntary soul. Our website contains:Go on....Click the gates.... The Soulful Spike Society welcomes you!
- thoughtful Spikecentric analysis of episodes of BtVS
- insightful reviews of the fifth season of AtS (two per episode!)
- thorough analyses of the earlier seasons of Angel
- engaging reviews of Firefly, Wonderfalls, Veronica Mars, Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Smallville, Dr Who and Heroes
- fiction of the short, long, comic, and epic varieties
- poetry to make you laugh or shed a tear
- contest winning photos
- essays
- convention reports
- profiles of our members
- a S'cubie Geographic Location Map
- links, eccentricities and gems from our past
- and last but far from least, the entrance to The Soulful Spike Society Message Board.
- The FAQ - The FAQ Board contains a link to this document. It also contains a thread for posting questions about the FAQ or suggestions for additions to the FAQ.
- The Main Thread -
- (Soulful Spike Society Part XXX) - The Main area is our Lobby, our cafeteria, our watercooler... the conversation ebbs and flows. Certainly there will be discussion of BtVS and AtS and most of all SPIKE! It's why we are here to begin with. People will also discuss the analyses, the reviews and whatnot, but probably in a more general fashion.
But people have lives too...people exchanging book recommendations, talking about interesting trips and places, people handing out pet care advice...it's all a part of being a community. If you don't like what you are reading, move to the next post. It's really as simple as that. The only things unwelcome here are spoilers and rudeness.
- Subthreads - There are many subthreads under the Main thread. These include our weekly Graphic Content picture contests, Nerd Alerts (trivia and games), a general picture thread for posting links to Jossverse related pictures, the S'cubie Photo Album for posting pictures of our S'cubies, and Avatar Alley (which contains site hosted avatars and "decorations" for your posts). Other threads come and go. If you think of a reason for a new thread, please contact a Technopagan via IM.
- Spikecentricity - The place to discuss Spring's insightful (and ebulgeometric) analyses of BtVS episodes.
- Fanfictional Forum - This is the place to discuss all your favorite S'cubie fanfiction, ask questions, offer comments, and maybe even discuss it with the authors themselves.
- Lost Discoveries - This area is for discussion of the tv show 'LOST' and Vlad's episode reviews.
- Open Case: Veronica Mars - This area is for discussion of the tv show 'Veronica Mars' and the reviews, written alternately by Sue and Spring.
- Angelphile - This is the place to discuss Erin's reviews of Angel. She is currently reviewing Season One, and brings us fresh insights to classic Ange episodes.
- Firefly - Courtesy of Sara - This is the place to discuss Sara's reviews of Firefly.
- Battlestar Galactica - This area is for discussion of the new series Battlestar Galactica and it's reviews, written by havoc.
- Wonderfalls - This is the place to discuss that promising Tim Minear creation, so prematurely cut from the shedule. Vlad began reviewing Wonderfalls, and plans to continue when the series is out on DVD in Winter of 2004.
- Angel's Investigation - You saw the episode. You read the review. You agreed with Nan, disagreed, or both. Now, go discuss why!
- My Take: Another Angelic Look - Only on the S3 do we offer you two reviews for the low, low price... of well, nothing. *L* Come join our discussion of guest reviews as the spotlight shines on the "other vamp with soul." And, we promise, no Mandy. The S3 will always be a Manilow-free site.
- Episodic Elaborations - This is the place to be to talk SPECIFICALLY about a certain "classic" episode of Buffy, Angel, or Firefly in great detail. Firefly is reviewed by our own Yorick (Sara). This is the thread for discussion both of the episodes and her reviews.
- Resources -
- Angel's Saviors - This board contains the links to our campaign and affiliated campaigns to have Angel renewed or picked up for a sixth season. This is where to post news and additional information about this fan effort.
- Interviews and Articles - The title of this one is pretty self-explanatory.
- Reading Recommendatons - This board contains links to fanfic and essays not contained on our own website. There is also a thread for recommeding your favorite books.
- Whedonverse Links - This is where to post your recommended links to other Whedon based websites, helpful resources you have found, and information on upcoming conventions and appearances.
- Spoiled Souls - This is where spoilers for upcoming episodes of Angel were posted. It is now the only place on our board where spoilers for the upcoming movie 'Serenity' are allowed.
- The ScoopMe Archives - This board contains the archived posts of the S3 while still at the ScoopMe message board. It is Read-Only.
- The Old Part Home - This board contains the archived posts of the Soulful Spike Society Main.
- S'CUBIEFEST -
- S'Cubiefest 05 Planning Committee -This area is password protected and is for the use of those planning S'cubiefest '05.
- S'Cubiefest '04 - This area is the archive for our first S'cubiefest. It is read only now.
- C.O.W. -
- C.O.W. (Main) -This area is password protected and for the members of the Council of Wankers. Go away.. nothing is going on in here...really. Nothing...nothing at all.
- The Lab - This area is password protected and is for the staff only.
- Tech Log - This area is password protected and is for the technopagans only.
Example 1 On our board, "QUOTE" and "REPLY" are different functions. Example 1 above shows the words that appear at the top of each page in a message thread. The "REPLY" button is only used when you are posting a reply to the thread but you don't need to reference another person's words for clarity.
Example 2 Clicking "REPLY" allows you to create a new post. You would probably want to type in a new subject line, such as in example 2 above. This post was created using the "REPLY" function. I wanted to make an announcement, not respond to (QUOTE) anyone else's post. Also look at the words in the pink rectangle. "QUOTE" will always appear on each post in an open thread (one still allowing posting.) However, "MODIFY" and "DELETE" will only appear to the person who created that post, because unless you are a Technopagan, you can only change or delete your own posts. Finally, look at the yellow rectangle. Here you can see a notice that indeed, I did modify my post at some point, for some reason.
However, most of the time you want to comment on something someone else has said. To do this you use the "QUOTE" button.
Example 3 In Example 3 above, Vlad (William the Bloody) wanted to comment on something Diane wrote. He clicked the "QUOTE" button on Diane's post, wrote his reply, and posted his comment, which you see here. Notice that his post includes Diane's comment (in the red rectangle). You also see that because you are not Vlad, only the "QUOTE" button appears to you. You can quote his words to answer him, but you can't modify what he said or delete it.
Let's assume you do want to comment on what Vlad said. You click the "QUOTE" button on his post, and you will see an open message box as shown in Example 4 below.
Example 4 Everything you want to say should be typed BELOW the close quote code (in the red box). This leaves Vlad's comment intact in your comment. If the person you are quoting said several things and you only want to comment on part of it, you can carefully delete part of it, but be sure to leave the code prior to his words (in the green rectangle) and the close quote code (in red here) intact. When you have typed your comments, Click "POST" and your comments will show up as shown in.....
Example 5 Example 5 above. Notice that because I created this post, and made the image of it, it shows up here as having the "QUOTE", "MODIFY" and "DELETE" buttons, but if you were viewing it on the board, you would see only the "QUOTE" button.
Remember, when quoting OR using reply, you can change the subject line to make it more appropriate to your comments. Also, your new post will show up on the newest page of the thread. For example, if you are reading page 3 and commenting on something someone said at 2pm, and it is now 5pm and there are 20 pages of the thread, your comment will show up on page 20.
Happy posting!
Should I register right away?Probably not. The S'cubie message board does not require you to register in order to post. If you aren't logged into the board you can post as a guest. Before joining any message board (or even posting) you should probably "lurk" awhile. "Lurking" means reading a message board for a period of time before you start posting your own thoughts. This allows you to learn the "customs" of the board, so that you don't step on toes. Read the FAQ, which will hopefully answer most of your questions. (You're doing that right now? Excellent!) Check out our website, which is packed with fiction, poetry, commentary, art, episode reviews and analysis and wacky fun. We have a large message board with multiple threads, and you should wander around and see where things are.
NOTE: When introducing yourself - please do not open a new thread. Post your hello on the TOP thread of the MAIN board - it will be the one named "The Soulful Spike Society Part (some number)".
After you have familiarized yourself with how our site and board operate, then it's time to register and start the journey toward S'cubiehood. This will allow you to...
- Send & receive Private Messages
- Request e-mail notification of new messages
- Modify previous posts
- Personalize posts with an avatar and unique signature
- Track the number of messages posted and increase your S'cubie "status" as your posting total increases
- See a "new" icon next to threads that have had new posts since the date/time last logged in
- Participate in our fun contests and polls
- AND... MUCH MORE!
How do I register?
- Click on the "Register" icon found in the top menu bar.
Fill in the register form, entering a username and your e-mail address. NOTE: Usernames are CASE SENSITIVE. This means that, when logging in, you will need to type it exactly as you do on this initial registration form. Write down your username in case you forget it.
- After you have completed the form you will be told to check your e-mail. The board will send you a password to be used the first time you log in. Use this password and the username from the registration form (on most machines, this will already be filled in for you) to log in to the board. Write down your password. After you log-in, you can change your password to something you can remember, on your profile page. Write down your password.
How do I log in to my account?
At the top of the screen you will find a graphic that says "login". Click on this graphic. You will then see a form in which you can enter your username and password (which you wrote down, didn't you?) Remember: your username and password are case sensitive.
OOPS!
Ok - you wrote down your password as I asked you to, but you lost it. Use the "Forgot Password?" link located to the right of the password field. This feature will resend your password and your username to your e-mail address. Try copying and pasting from the e-mail into the log-in form. This will solve 99.9% of all log-in troubles! (If you have problems receiving your password via e-mail contact a Technopagan via e-mail and a temporary password will be set up for you.)
What is the profile?
There are two kinds of member profiles - the board profile, which every registered member has, and a website profile for Master S'cubies. You can look at or change your board profile by clicking it. It is at the top of the page on the message board, along with several other options.
By editing your board profile, you can determine how your name is displayed, change your password, set your e-mail address, change how the time is displayed on the board for you, set up an avatar, create a signature, and more.
There is also a member profile on the website.
If you become a Master S'cubie, you will be invited to add your profile to that page. This profile is more personal, and contains some fun questions that will let the rest of the S'cubies know you better. You may also submit a picture of yourself as part of this profile if you wish. To take a look at the S'cubie member profiles, go here.
Congratulations! You're now a member of the Soulful Spike Society!
Beggin' for a Technopagan? There are several ways to contact staff for help.
WEBSITE ASSISTANCE: Webmaster/Administrator
Vlad is our webmaster and also is the Administrator of the S3 message board. Vlad is an Arch-Technopagan. He has final authority and responsibility for the website and message board. All submissions to the website go to him for posting. As board administrator he also has special options available to him for maintenance of the various boards. Vlad has delegated maintenance tasks for the board to his Technopagans and moderators and should not be contacted about board problems except as a last resort.
If you have a question about or a problem with our website The Soulful Spike Society you should contact Vlad at webmaster@soulfulspike.com .
If you have a submission for the website or need to request a member profile or special name, contact Vlad at submissions@soulfulspike.com. Or you can send an IM to William the Bloody (his admin persona) on the message board.
When Vlad is unavailable, contact his assistant Patti, by IM. She is also an Arch-Technopagan. She can also be be contacted by email at pltr@earthlink.net .
MESSAGE BOARD ASSISTANCE: ICQ:
- Vlad has appointed Patti, Erin, and Shan as Techs of the posting board. Patti is an Arch-Technopagan and Erin and Shan are Technopagans. Among them they are able to perform all necessary board functions except those specifically reserved to William the Bloody as administrator.
- Vlad has also appointed various moderators for specific boards.
- Patti is moderator of "FAQ", "Soulful Spike (Main)" and "S'cubiefest '05". If you have a question about these boards, contact her via IM or eamil her at pltr@earthlink.net.
- Nan is moderator of the Angel weekly review thread "Angelic Investigations". If you have a question about the reviews in general she is the one to contact by IM or email at ndibble@cinci.rr.com. Or you may post your question on the AI thread.
- Rob is moderator of the S'cubie Fanfic thread "Fanfictional Forums". If you have a question about the fanfic in general or would like to ask a question about submitting fanfic, he is the one to contact by IM or by email at rsorenson@cfl.rr.com.
- Sue is moderator of "Whedonverse Links", "Interviews & Articles", and "Open Case: Veronica Mars". If you have a question about these boards, she is the one to contact by IM or email at spichert@yahoo.com .
- Spring is also moderator of "Open Case: Veronica Mars". If you have a question about this boards contact Spring by IM.
- Dalton , Ethan Rayne, Techno-bot, and Just Willow are "personas" with certain technical functions assigned by William the Bloody. Dalton is moderator of the ScoopMe Archives. Dalton, Techno-bot, and Just Willow are activated by Patti. Ethan Rayne is activated by Erin. Don't contact these personas unless they IM you.
- If you have a message board problem or need help posting a picture or obtaining avatars, contact Patti, Shan, or Erin.
They can be contacted by IM or you can email Patti at pltr@earthlink.net or email Erin at Erin_Giannini@jama-archives.org or email Shan at shannoscubie@yahoo.com. If you can not reach Erin, Shan, or Patti and the board has a problem, contact Vlad or Sue or Rob. They will open a new thread for you, and Patti or Erin will take care of the old one when they 'return to the office'. If you have not been able to contact any of the staff and the board has been down for over half an hour, you may start a new thread. IM the board techs to let them know you did that.
For those of you so equipped, Vlad can also be messaged on ICQ. Vlad's ICQ # is 12700846.This information is also on the website. Click "Assistance" at the top of the Main Menu page of the website.
Notes:
- When contacting staff via e-mail, please identify yourself with your Soulful Spike Society board name, as it may differ from your real life name and e-mail id.
- Please don't use the open board to contact staff members for help. They likely won't see your message in time, and that makes it frustrating for both the poster and the Technopagan.
- ALL staff and council members are unpaid volunteers who occasionally must take a detour into real life. If a staff person or council member is going to be absent from the board for an extended time, we try to post the information on the Board Calendar (located at the top of the message board).
- If you are posting on the board, need help and don't remember who the staff members are, click "Members" at the top of the page and then click "View Staff Members". Clicking the staff member's name will allow you to send a personal message to him or her.
There is one "FOUNDER"' of the Soulful Spike Society. She is Alexandra. She is the person who broke away from the ScoopMe review board and started a Miscellaneous Thread called "All Things Spike/James Marsters". For the entire time that the S'cubies were posting at ScoopMe, it was her presence and guidance that helped mold the accepting and friendly atmosphere of the S3.The group of original posters of the Society, those who helped make the decisions, picked the names and wrote the first articles and fiction and poetry are also designated "Founders" and many proudly wear that title as part of their "special name." The Founding S'cubies are:
- Alexandra - "Founder"
- Athene
- Deborah
- Diane U.
- Ellie
- Julie A.
- Lee Hollins
- Micha (Watergal then)
- Miss Pamela
- Nan Dibble
- Rob Sorenson
- Rusty Goode
- Sandy (Lee Parish then, later lparish)
- SpringSummers
- Vlad
Note: This explanation was originally posted on the message board by Vlad, Webmaster and head Technopagan of the Soulful Spike Society, and has been updated for this FAQ.The Soulful Spike Society has grown so much since its inception on January 20, 2003 that the website became overloaded and had to temporarily shut down on several occasions. This isn't the image I wanted us to project... I have constantly been striving to improve our site and its professionalism. I considered several solutions to this, but really it became clear that there was only one answer: Free websites just weren't going to be able to do it for us anymore. We needed to go "pay." A pay website would allow us more bandwidth, more storage space for files and would include improved e-mail. Sounded like just what the doctor was ordering. But... how was I going to do this? Well, your dear Technopagan thought and thought...and finally came up with..."I need to talk to the founders; maybe they'll have some ideas." So, I contacted a few people...(Alex, Nan, Spring, Diane...) who had all been already involved behind-the-scenes to a great extent. Slowly we put together a small group of people that were willing to invest the moneys necessary to purchase us some webspace. The following people should be held responsible for everything *wink*:
THE COW - COUNCIL OF WANKERS
(formerly known as the Cabal...er...The Steering Committee)
We researched and debated and donated money and time. Finally, we were in agreement and purchased the space which has now become The Soulful Spike Society. The S3 is preparing to reach a whole new dimension. I hope you come along for the ride. It's gonna be a blast!
- Alexandra - Guardian Wise Woman, Founder, and S'cubie mom
- Deborah - council member at large
- Diane - resident poet
- Erin - posting board Technopagan
- Nan - chief Angel reviewer, moderator of Angel Investigations and coordinator of guest reviews, author, and resident "Character"
- Rob - S'cubie Heart and resident author, moderator of Fanfictional Forums
- Rusty - head of the VHISN (The Van Helsing Institute for the Study of Nosferology)
- Spring - author of "Spikecentricity" - Spikecentric analysis of BtVS
- Sue - moderator of Interviews and Articles and Whedonverse Links
- Patti - secretary, First Minion to the Vladinator, posting board Technopagan (See, she compiled this list for me...I knew she was evil! Only she's not Jasmine.. she's the First!)
- Vlad, chief architect, Technopagan and *ahem* "god of the S'cubieVerse" (Patti made me say it...I think she actually might be Jasmine reincarnated)
Vlad, Technopagan, TA, tp
THE COW MESSAGE BOARD This password protected area is for the use of the COW to maintain a dialogue with one another concerning the various going-ons that we oversee for the S3. It is the main meeting area for the council to discuss upcoming S'cubie events, allocate resources, iron out potential problems, and discuss ideas. If a S'cubie has something he/she wants the COW to address, IM or e-mail a council member and it will be presented for council discussion.
Since we are S'cubies, N'ubies are new posters....and yes, the apostrophe is very very important.Here is the hierarchy of the Soulful Spike Society. It's all based on number of posts.
N'ubie - 0-9 posts
Junior S'cubie - 10-19 posts
S'cubie - 20-199 posts
Master S'cubie - 200 posts and more.Once you reach Master S'cubie, you are eligible to take advantage of several "toy surprises". These are all voluntary and if I told you what they are they wouldn't be surprises, would they? When you reach Master S'cubie, all will be revealed.
Note: Please do not use "serial" or "star" posting to increase your post numbers. You'll get there soon enough and your posts will have more meaning to you and your fellow posters.
Avatars are small identifying pictures attached to a person's posts. On our site they are usually characters from the Jossverse, but they can be personal portraits or other pictures. (This is a "grown-up" site, but not an "adult" site, so keep that in mind when choosing an avatar.) Avatar dimensions differ on different message boards. Our message board allows an avatar to be up to 100x100 pixels in size.
S'cubies from N'ubie to Master S'cubie can either provide their own avatars (if they have their own webspace) or use any avatar in the Avatar Alley thread. Avatar Alley is our avatar "Lending Library". It contains a link to the website's collection of avatars. These avatars are updated periodically - feel free to use any of them at the S3 message boards. Do NOT use them on other sites. The bandwidth usage is for the Soulful Spike Society only.
If you have found pictures or avatars you would like to add to our library, send them to Patti and they will be added to Avatar Alley as time permits.
Patti unfortunately does not have time to make personal avatars for all S'cubies - this 'perk' is reserved for Master S'cubies only.
In order to post a picture to the board, the picture must be on a website. If you see the picture somewhere on the web, you can post the link to that picture so that someone can click the link to see the picture. Simply type or paste the web address into the message.Please do not "direct link" to a picture. (See 'Are there any rules?' above....)
If you need to have the picture show up "directly" (for the picture contest) or if it is on your hard drive, you can send it to a Technopagan to be hosted. Please IM your request to Patti or Erin and you will be given instructions for doing that.
Once your picture has been hosted, you need to use the proper code to insert that picture into a message.
- Capture the URL of your picture. (generally, right click the image, click properties, and copy the URL. If using a MAC, press CNTL and click the image.)
- Click the reply button to create a post.
- There is a double row of "tags" above the message box. Click the fourth tag on the lower line, which looks like a picture frame. It will place a piece of code in your message - [img]URL[img] .
- Replace the letters URL with the web address, like this:
[img]http://www.somewebsite/example.gif[/img]- Click preview to make sure it all worked, and if it did, click "Post".
When you are in the posting process, the open post (shown above) gives you a set of tags and smileys that allow you to format your posts. If you let your mouse hover on a tag or smiley, an explanation of its function will appear. Spend a few minutes just experimenting with the various tags and you will soon be comfortable with them. Note: Click the preview button at the bottom of the page (not shown above) to view your post to make sure it looks the way you expected before you actually post.
In addition to the board tags and smileys, The Soulful Spike Society Smileys are available. (See image above). Clicking the "Smiley Page" icon will take you to an entire page of smileys you can select to add to your post. (To learn how to post an image, click here .)
Also, there is a thread called "Avatar Alley, Master S'cubie Avatars and Glamours." There you will find avatars to change as the mood hits you, and posting "Glamours" - a selection of small animated gifs and images to help you individualize your posts. These are updated seasonally. Note: The Master S'cubie Avatar link on that thread displays avatars which have been reserved for our Master S'cubies.
Finally, when you are having fun with all the extras, remember that the reason to post is to communicate ideas. Don't add so much "stuff" that your idea is lost in the glitter. Large fonts, colored flashing lights and moving text SOON grow tiresome and annoying to those trying to converse.
Using the Search Function of the S'cubie Board The search function is located at the top of the board.
The search function is helpful, but it has some glitches. Perhaps the next version of Proboards (the message board host) will correct these, but no promises from us...so here are some tips.
- Searching by poster's name: - if you are searching using a person's name, you have to use the USERNAME. This is not always the name that appears on a person's posts. To discover the true "username", go to the member list, click the person's name and his profile will come up. The first line (in dark gray) shows the "username". That is the name you must enter in the search function.
- If the posts you are looking for have fallen to previous pages, sometimes they can't be found with the search function. And...sometimes they can. Go figure.
- Finding posts in the Archives: -
- All posts show up as having been made by Dalton, so don't bother looking for posts by name of poster. You can search for instances in which that person's name appeared, and that will give you both his posts, and those posts in which people mention him.
- The date of the post will be the date it was reposted by Dalton, not the original date of the post. (the original post date will show up on the subject line of the post however.)
- The archives contain many "firsts" for The Soulful Spike Society. For instance, they document when we actually became the Soulful Spike Society. These have been marked "This is an historic post."
- You can search for a person's most recent posts by clicking on her name either in the member list or on any of her posts. At the bottom of the screen you will see "Show the last (5,10, 50, All) posts of this person." You can choose how many posts to view and then click "GO."
IM and PM are terms meaning the same thing. If you are a registered member and logged in, at the top of your screen you will see a message with an embedded link "Hey, (Name), You have XX messages, X are new."You can click that link and it will take you to your PM (private message) center (also known as IM - instant message). There you can click and read personal messages to you from other S'cubies and respond to them in private. To initiate a PM/IM to someone, click on his/her name (on a post, or in the members list) and you will be given an option to send a private message. Get in the habit of glancing up to see if you have private messages waiting.
Private messaging is a great way to handle misunderstandings, share information with someone privately, or ask for help from a Technopagan.
To be notified by e-mail whenever there is a new post to a particular thread, click the "notify" button at the bottom of the page. If you want to change your notifications, click the "notifications" button at the top of the page.To be notified each time you receive a personal message, click your personal messages, and then the "preferences" box, and choose "YES" at the bottom of the page.
Errors and Messages and Moloch....Moloch was the demon trapped in the computer in the BtVS episode "I Robot, You Jane." Moloch, we are convinced, is directly responsible for every glitch that occurs on the S3 Message Board. Also known as HWMNBN (He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named)
- "Too Many Connections - wait 30 seconds and try again."
From time to time, posting is slowed by the appearance of a screen with the above message. This is apparently not an error message, but a safeguard when Proboards (our host site for the message board) is accepting new signups to their boards for the particular server our board runs on. This message is a temporary locking mechanism while the server is being updated. It has no connection to how many people are posting at one time. You may be the only S'cubie on the board and get that message, because it concerns all boards on the server, not just ours. This is something we just have to live with.- The Soulful Spike Society main board does not show the correct number of posts.
This is a glitch in the current version of Proboards. It usually does not affect posting, and once you enter the board, the posts appear. It will supposedly be corrected in the next version, scheduled release date unknown.- The quote, modify, and delete buttons have disappeared.
- If the number of posts in that thread is near or exceeds 500, a Technopagan may have locked the thread and started a new one. Go to the last page of the thread and see if there is a "Locking this thread now" post by a Technopagan. If so, go to the new thread and continue chatting.
- If there is no message saying the thread has been locked and a new thread has not been started, check with someone else by IM if possible to find out if others have been affected. If so, contact a Technopagan. If there is no tech online, leave an IM for Patti or Ern. This glitch is correctable by a Technopagan.
- The posts have really disappeared from a thread.
This is a serious error. Usually even the Technopagans can not correct it. Contact one of them immediately. If it can be corrected it will be, if not, a new thread will be started, and we will have lost all posts in the affected thread. Fortunately this glitch has not occurred very often.Note: S'cubies, please do not start a new thread unless you have tried to contact a tech and have heard nothing for at least 30 minutes. Give us time to see the error and try to correct it.
ScoopMe was the posting board where the Soulful Spike Society began. (See "On the Origin of S'cubie" above) and when it was announced that ScoopMe would close, the S3 folk saved the existing Buffy and Angel reviews and the entire 35 part archive (+ miscellaneous sections) of the Soulful Spike Society and sent it to Vlad for safe-keeping. When he found and put in place our new posting board at Proboards, he created a persona called DALTON (personified by Patti, Erin, and other minions) to restore those ScoopMe posts to our new board as part of our history. Collecting the archives? Not so bad. Restoring them? Bad.Patti would like to thank Erin (who has been faithful and true) and others who have given of their time (Nan and Nicki in particular) for their work in this boring repetitive mind-destroying thankless task. If we ever leave our current home at ProBoards, Patti reserves the right to throw the first stick of dynamite into the archives on the way out of the building.
S'cubie Curse Word - "Flippersmack". Don't ask.S'cubie Really Cursed Word - "Moloch". Don't tell. Refer to him as 'He Who Shall Not Be Named' or "HWSNBN' for not so short.
S'cubie May-They-Be-Cursed Word - WB.
S'cubie Disease - 'Patti-itis' - the tendency to fall behind in reading posts, then replying as you read them, creating a whole mess of posts by one person referring to subjects long forgotten by the others. Named for the original carrier of the disease. Extremely contagious, this illness has been exhibited by nearly all S'cubie posters from time to time. So far, no fatalities.
Other S'cubieage:
- EETA - the S'cubie version of ITA (I totally agree). It was accidentally 'invented' when Matthew tried to pronounce ITA, thinking it was a "word".
- ERINLAND - the lovely S'cubie inhabited land in Egypt near the river, where many have chosen to live or visit since the cancellation of Angel was announced.
- SMUTDAY - Wednesday is our "official" S'cubie day of smut and double entendre. Actually, entendre can be found on all days at The Soulful SpikeSociety, but as we gather in our largest numbers on Wednesday (the day on which Angel aired), the entendre is doubled then. Some S'cubie (Vlad I believe) named it Smutday in one of the Opening Posts, and by mutual agreement the term was happily adopted. Smutday is not about the smut...it is about the comeraderie and fun that brings S'cubies together. Long may it be celebrated. Really long....
- ANGELDAY - Monday, Tuesday, Angelday (aka Smutday), Thursday....etc.
- FULKING - Once upon a time a new Part was created and Vlad made a teeny teeny mistake...he typed Soulfulk Spike Society instead of Soulful Spike Society...and a new S'cubie word was born. What does it mean? You're fulking kidding, right?
- THRALL ROOM - the virtual cozy reading room/library invented by S'cubie makd. It exists in our virtual home The Soulful Spike Society and she adds a comfy chair for any S'cubie who wants one.
All episode references are from AtS unless otherwise stated. Here is the Jossverse vampire timeline, as compiled by Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine with additional information added by The Soulful Spike Society.
- 1609, Virginia Colony -- Darla is sired by the Master. "Darla"
- 1727, Ireland-- Liam is born. According to his tombstone in "The Prodigal"
- 1753, Ireland -- Liam is thrown out of his father's house, and into the arms of Darla who sires him. "The Prodigal"
- 1760, London -- Darla introduces Angelus to the Master. "Darla"
{A sidenote -- Buffy and Willow discovered the watcher's diary with the picture of the noblewoman date 1775, in "Halloween." (BtVS) Willow muses that in 1775, Angel would have been 18 and still human (giving him a birthyear of 1757, four years after being sired by Darla in 1753). However, she is apparently working off of the assumption that Angel was truly 240 when Giles discussed his entries in the watchers diaries, in "Angel" (BtVS).}- 1860, London -- Darla introduces Angelus to Drusilla. Angelus drives her mad before turning her. "Dear Boy"
- 1880, London -- Drusilla sires William. "Darla" and "Fool for Love" (BtVS)
{Another side note -- Giles said that Spike was 200, in "School Hard," (BtVS) putting him at the ripe age of 78 when Drusilla sired him. Spike himself said he was 126 in "The Initiative",(BtVS) making him six years old when he was sired.}- 1898, Romania -- Darla brings a young gypsy girl to Angelus, and he feeds. Her clan curses him with a soul, and Angel is born. "Five By Five"
- 1900, China -- Angel tries to reunite with the group during the Boxer Rebellion, when Spike kills his first Slayer. Darla tests Angel by giving him a baby to feed on -- he takes the baby and runs away. "Darla"
- 1943 -- Angel and Spike deal with the beginnings of the Initiative during WWII, and Angel sires his only vampire offspring after having been cursed with a soul. "Why We Fight"
- 1977, NYC -- Spike kills his second Slayer, in the NYC subway, and takes her leather coat. "Fool For Love"(BtVS)
- 1998, Sunnydale -- Angel kills Darla to protect Buffy. "Angel" (BtVS)
- 2000, LA -- Darla is resurrected as a human by Wolfram & Hart. "To Shanshu in LA"
- 2000, LA -- Darla is re-vamped by Drusilla. "The Trial"
- 2002, Africa -- Spike undergoes trials and wins the return of his soul. "Grave" (BtVS)
- 2003, Sunnydale -- Spike dies to save the world by destroying the hellmouth. "Chosen" (BtVS)
- 2003, LA -- Spike returns as a ghost. "Conviction"
- 2003, LA -- Spike is mysteriously re-corporealized as a vampire. "Destiny"
(From Fourth Season Episode Review of "Restless"...by Jen Sonstein.ScoopME Archives)
"The cheese man. In dreams, cheese can represent change. For those of you who actually remember Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, when Willy Loman comes home from his trip, his wife gives him cheese. When Willy realizes it's American and not Swiss, he says to his wife, "I don't want a change! I want Swiss cheese. Why am I always being contradicted?"OR...It is a symbol of Buffy because (From Mother Goose) "The Cheese Stands Alone"
OR (From Joss Whedon) - "Nothing."
