Forum Guidelines
Introduction
First of all, welcome to the Anime Network forums! It’s a great place to just chat with other people who enjoy anime just as much as you do. Who knows, you might make some new friends posting on this forum!
It’s suggested that you make a thread in the Intros forum if you wish to introduce yourself (hence the board title “Intros”). This is not mandatory, and neither is posting any information about yourself if you wish to make an intro, but many people make an intro thread by stating what anime/manga they enjoy; this way people can strike some conversation with you other than the usual “Welcome to the Anime Network forums, (insert name here)!” Also, feel free to ask any questions you might have about the site in your intro thread. Plenty of people are willing to help anyone out with a question.
Part 1 - Profiles 101
Activity
A log of all your latest posts.
Notifications
Click this tab to see a list of likes, replies, mentions, edits to your posts and badge earns. You can also view these under your avatar on the main page. A purple circle shows your new notifications.
Messages
Click this tab to view all your PMs. If you click the 4 lines, you can select and archive your old messages. You can also click the envelope on the main page by your avatar. A green circle shows your new messages.
Badges
This is the reward system on Discourse. In the drop-down menu above, you will see a link to the list of available badges. Theses are NOT competition badges. These are all badges based on merit. There are no badges for post count. You may also see your badges earned in your Profile.
New badges are added to the list from time to time, so check back often to see what’s new.
Summary
This is your stats page representing all your activity to date. Here you can view the following:
- Days visited, total read time, posts read, likes given, likes received, bookmarks, topics created, post count, top replies, top topics, top links, most replied to, most liked by, most liked and top badges.
====PREFERENCES====
Username
Your identity on the forums. If someone wants to change a username, it has to go through Admin.
Name
This is the name that appears under your username in User Cards & Profile Page - users can make their own.
Title
Custom title that appears after your name in the forums, This is a TL3 perk.
Displayed here. If you wish to change it, log in on the homepage then Account 
Personal Info Change Email
Profile Picture/Avatars
Go to your preferences (Gear icon). You’ll see Profile Picture with a pencil icon. Click the pencil where you can choose from 1 of 3 avatar options: system assigned avatar (represented by a letter of the alphabet) a Gravatar or Custom image (one you upload yourself) Discourse provides the system assigned one by default so you can change this if you wish.
Profile Backgrounds
If you upload an image to Profile Background, this will display in your profile page.
User Card Background
Uploading an image in User Card Background will be seen in your user card when you click on your name in a topic.
About Me
You can enter some details about yourself here.
Timezone
Select your timezone.
Location
This is where you live.
User Cards
When you click on a users name on the forum, a user card pops up detailing some info. These will include your Avatar, Username, Name & Title, Last Post, Join Date, your Trust Level Badge and two of your top badges.
- If you’ve set them, there is also ‘About me’ description (or three lines of it, if yours is rather lengthy), Location, Website and User Card Background.
- There is also a Message Button as a simple shortcut to PM a user.
Email Actions
When enabled, your can have emails sent to you when someone quotes you, replies to your posts, mentions you @ username, invites you to a topic, receive a PM or even when you’re active on the site.
Activity Summary
When enabled, receive an email summary of popular topics and replies when you’re not visiting.
Mailing List
When enabled, this setting overrides the activity summary. Muted topics and categories are not included in these emails.
Push Notifications
Provides a pop-up when someone posts in one of your watched categories (supported by some browsers)
Other
- Consider topics new when…
- Automatically track topics I enter…
- Notify when liked…
- Open all external links in a new tab
- Enable quote reply for highlighted text
- Show new / updated topic count on browser icon
- Don’t jump to my post after I reply
Cakeday
-
Find out which users are celebrating their annual anniversary on TAN either currently or upcoming.
-
If you click on the Anniversaries tab under CAKEDAY in the hamburger menu (3 lines), you can now see when users have theirs.
-
In preferences, there is now a field to enter your birthdate.
-
If you click on the birthdays tab under CAKEDAY in the hamburger menu (3 lines), you can now see when users have theirs.
-
Today’s Birthdays: Find out who has a birthday on the current day.
-
Upcoming Birthdays: Find out who has a birthday in the next 7 days.
-
Search By Month: Select a specific month from the box to get a list.
-
NOTE: You will need to fill in the birthday field in preferences to appear here.
A cake emoji
will appear by your username and in your user card during these events.
Categories
You can sort all the forum categories by placing them in the following boxes provided:
-
Watched: You will automatically watch all topics in these categories. You will be notified of all new posts and topics, and a count of new posts will also appear next to the topic.
-
Tracked: You will automatically track all topics in these categories. A count of new posts will appear next to the topic.
-
Watching First Post: You will be notified of the first post in each new topic in these categories.
-
Muted: You will not be notified of anything about new topics in these categories, and they will not appear in latest.
Users
Block a user and their notifications.
When editing your profile, make sure to save your changes when you finish!
Part 2 - Posting Tips, Features & Reminders
Forums were made so members can talk with each other and have fun. No one will like you any better just because of your avatar/post count. Just post in topics you like, or ones that you are curious about, and you will most likely find yourself posting in that topic more than once. Being overly concerned about higher post counts and “easy” posts isn’t necessary.
Avoid Double-Posting / Post Flooding
Do not double/triple post in a topic in a short amount of time. If you have something else to contribute in said topic (the current day) and your post remains last / nobody else has posted, it should be edited. If it’s the next day, another post is the way to go.
Double posting or worse (repeatedly) may result in your posts being merged with edit button reminder / PM warning / a ban.
Avoid making a thread that has already been made.
Don’t automatically assume a topic for a series hasn’t already been made. Somebody else may have already done so. To avoid duplications and maintain the cleanliness of the forums, perform a search first to be sure.
Duplicates may result in deletions.
Spoiler tags
[spoiler]Type your text here.[/spoiler]
An image:
[spoiler][/spoiler]
The text within the spoiler tags will be invisible. To see it, click on/or highlight the text and it will appear.
Example: This text is invisible.
An image: 
Use for one or two consecutive lines, for more see Collapsible Text below.
- NOTE: Blur Spoiler can be found inside the
icon in the composer.
Collapsible Text
-
For more than one line of spoilered text, more than 2 pictures, etc.
-
Also use for long lists in articles (more than 3-4 items) such as DVD/Blu-ray lists, song lists, etc.
-
All lists threads (such as What Anime Did You Watch Today or Recently Bought DVD/Blu-rays) should use Collapsible text.
Here’s how:
[ details=subject ] text
[ /details]
It has many uses, use for anything you want to hide, including (but not limited to) SPOILERS!
Click on the dark arrow to make the hidden text appear.
Examples:
[ details=What’s the biggest pencil in the world?]Pennsylvania[ /details]
What's the biggest pencil in the world?
Pennsylvania
-To bold or italicize text not hidden:
UPDATE: Bold, italicize, etc codes no longer work with collapsible text.
- NOTE: Collapsible Text can be found as an feature inside the
Editing & Deleting a Post
-
Click the “pencil icon” on one of your posts. A box with the text in your post should then pop up with “Save Edit”, and “Cancel” as options at the bottom.
-
To add Edit Reason, click/tap the
button to reveal the box.
NOTE: You can check your edit history by clicking the pencil in the upper right corner of the post.
-
Click the "trash can” to delete your post.
This will remove the text/content but not the post itself until 24 hours expire or unless flagged.- Undo a delete by clicking on the refresh icon.
- If a stubborn post refuses to leave after such time has passed, a Mod can assist in deleting it for you, if approved.
Images/Video
Simply copy/paste the image and video in the posting box.
Make threads under the correct boards
No, you will not get your posts reset for starting a thread about video games under the “Anime” forum. Moderators will move any thread they find to be irrelevant with the forum it is in.
Polls
There are many variations of polls that can be made (seen below.) The creator or Mod/Admin can close a poll at any time. After the poll is closed (or if you press the Show Results button) you can view the current poll results in graph form. This is a TL3 perk.
-Single Choice Polls (One answer only)
[ poll ] (no spaces)
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
[/poll]
-Multiple Choice Poll (Multi-answer, no limit)
[ poll type=multiple]
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
[/poll]
-Multiple Choice Limited Option Poll</I> (Multi-answer, limited)
[ poll type=multiple min=1 max=2]
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3
[/poll]
-Number Rating Poll (Give a rating)
[ poll type=number min=1 max=4]
[/poll]
-Named Polls (To include several polls in the same post, simply give each poll a *name*)
[ poll name=fruits]
- Apples
- Oranges
- Pears
[/poll]
-Public Polls (Shows what each user voted for)
Do You Like Public Polls?
[ poll public=true]
- Yes
- No
- Unsure
[/poll]
-Public Number Polls
Number of Times You Visit TAN Per Day (ex)
[ poll public=true type=number min=1 max=50]
[/poll]
UPDATES: New options given
-NOTE: Poll Builder can be found inside the
Post Limit
32000 Characters
Post Only Your Own Stuff
You may not post anything digital that belongs to someone else without permission. You may not post descriptions of, links to, or methods for stealing someone’s intellectual property (software, video, audio, images), or for breaking any other law.
Preview Pane
There is a Preview Pane to the right side of the Posting Pane – this can be closed at your discretion.
It automatically shows your coding as it happens.
Private Messages
To send a Private Message (PM), click on your avatar at the top-right of the forum, then click the envelope directly under your avatar. PMs will automatically lock after 500 replies. After that, you will need to start a new PM to continue the conversation.
Flagging a Post
Moderators have special authority; they are responsible for this forum. But so are you. When you see bad behavior, don’t reply. It derails topics, encourages the bad behavior, consumes your energy, and wastes everyone’s time so just click the flag. If enough flags accrue, action will be taken, either automatically or by moderator intervention. There are consequences upon receiving flags.
-
Flags are intended for spam/off-topic/inappropriate only and these will be reviewed by Mods/Admin. If they agree, it goes against the post. If not, it goes against the flagger.
-
False-Flagging is damaging to you. They are never to be used for marking posts to edit/delete or out of spite. If you encounter a situation where you feel a flagging was done so out of spite, then If the flag does not hold up, it will be dismissed and the person who flagged your post will be penalized by a loss of “trust” in the system.
-
A user whose posts have accumulated 5 “agreed” flags cannot reach TL 3 and may result in a ban. (with unique posts and unique users for each flag, confirmed by a moderator)
-
Do not announce publicly that you are going to report someone. Not only is that disrespectful and rude to your fellow users, but it puts a target on your back and derails threads further. Flagging is all well and good when warranted, but keep it confidential.
-
Flagging is not an auto-summon. Staff have alot on their plates and may not be online from time to time, so there’s a good chance a particular problem will not get resolved immediately. Your patience will be required until ithe situation does get resolved in its own due time.
Search
At the top of the forums, by your avatar, you’ll see a magnifying glass. Click on that and the search box will drop down.
Type in what you are looking for.
For example, if you are looking for an anime, i.e. “Beyond the Boundary”, type that in (no quotes). The first results should be threads with those words in the TITLE, the next results are threads with those words in the body of the posts.
After that are users with those words in their usernames.
For more detailed search, put quotes with spaces around your words: " K " or " He Is My Master "
Stay on Topic
If you enter thread about X topic, keep the conversation and focus directed to that subject. Don’t derail it with things that have no place in there.
Text/Font Size
Use the number sign/hashtag (#) at the beginning of your text to make the size larger or smaller (this also bolds the text).
One hashtag is the largest (not recommended for this forum) - each additional hashtag makes the text smaller.
- Two hashtags is recommended and is THE RULE for posting in most places.
Trust Levels
Trust Levels are time & activity based ranks you can earn. To reach the next level, you will need to fulfill the requirements needed.
For more info, check out the blog Understanding Discourse Trust Levels.
Keep this in mind EVERYONE!
As a user on TAN, you determine your own fate here on an individual level so your conduct means everything. Just because you can reach a higher level doesn’t mean you will. If the Mods/Admin feel you are not deserving of TL3 because of past bad behavior/abusing your powers, your trust level can be locked as a Member.
Quoting someone in a reply
Highlight the part of the post you want to reply to. A small pop-up box with “quote will appear, click on that box and a window will appear at the bottom of the page with the quote. You can then reply as normal.
If you do not get the pop-up: Go to your profile, click Preferences and make sure that “Enable quote reply for highlighted text” is clicked.
We also encourage the use of the quote feature to respond to multiple users in one post instead of replying to everyone in sequential posts.
Underline/Bold/Italics
[ u ]Type your text here.[ /u ] – take out spaces.
If you don’t want to use the buttons:
Italics: use one asterisk (*) or underline ( _ ) for italics
Bold: two asterisks (**) or two underlines ( __ ) for bold.
Bold and Italics buttons only work for a single line of text. For multiple lines, you will have to use traditional code.
< b >Bold text.< /b > - take out spaces.
< i >Italics text.< /i > - take out spaces.
Mentions
When posting and you want to make sure that another user sees that particular post, you should tag them by putting an ‘@’ sign in front of their username. This will send them a notifier in the thought bubble by their avatar in the upper right of the forum. Example: @LadyOfWicca
A pop-up will appear when you start typing the name, so you can select their name, also the name will appear shaded in the preview pane to let you know that it is an active username. Clicking on this shaded area will take you to that user’s profile.
Infinite Scrolling & Post Numbers
No longer will traditional pages get in your way. With infinite scrolling, you can now completely read a thread from top to bottom without stopping. Post numbers can be found on the timeline to the right. Reading is not only fundamental but encouraged, so you can now accomplish that with ease.
Vertical Timeline
-
first post date – relative time, but includes full year
-
current visible post date / slider – allows “go/jump” to any post number or date as well
-
most recent post date
-
deepest / lowest read position – note the little blue dot, lets you go back to “where you were” if you jump around in the earlier timeline.
-
As you look at the bottom left, you’ll see the Post links. Those are all the blue links that were originally in the upper right before.
-
You can also drag the slider to get to a post number but is tougher with 1000+ post threads. However, you can also use shift+# to get a box under the slider where you can put in a post number that will take you directly to that post after you click on “go”. There are also options there to go to the top or the bottom of the thread. Some posters find this a more useful option in threads with an enormous amount of posts.
-
Watch/Track/Mute your topics more conveniently. (gray box)
"Wiki" Posts and Their Usage
- To Wiki a Post: If you look at the bottom of a post, there will be a wrench icon that features Admin actions. Choose Make Wiki. At the user’s approval, that Wikied post can now be edited by other Regulars/Leaders to update / delete information and content. This is a TL3 perk.
UPDATE: Once a post is made a wiki, you will see this.
The number indicates # of edits made.
Anime Threads
The first post of all anime threads will now be made Wiki, so anyone can edit in new information. A lot of threads were made by users who no longer come to these forums and these need updating. Regular Users can Wiki their threads at their discretion, since they are the most active users and more likely to take care of their own threads.
The first post of Anime threads should (at least) contain the following:
- Title of anime in English & Japanese (when available)
- Picture
- ANN information, including (if available) Genre, Theme, Objectionable Content, Plot Summary, Vintage, Link to ANN page.
- Other info at the poster’s discretion.
If an ANN page doesn’t provide an image at the time a thread is made, you can seek out a visual through the series’ respective articles.
Daily Posts
The following categories will now contain “daily posts” containing all the news for that day in a single post:
General Manga Industry News & Discussion
Anime Figures & Collectibles/Goods
General Live Action Movies/Series News & Discussion
Japan Central!
Video Games News & Discussion 2
Due to the sheer volume of news in these categories, daily posts will replace individual posts.
The first user to post in a day will open that post to “Make Wiki” (located at the bottom of the completed post), this will allow others to go in and edit in news as it happens during the day. (After the post is wikied, a green icon will appear next to the date.) Any separate posts will be merged into the first existing post for that day. (If you need to have something wikied, notify a Moderator.)
NOTE: This does not include discussion/comments - those should still be in their own separate posts.
General Anime Industry News & Discussion is not included in the “daily posting”. When new anime threads are made, posts are merged into the new thread and if the post contains news about more than one anime, it must be edited out and reposted.
Posting Articles (other)
-
Users should be TL 3 or higher to post news items (articles/Official YouTube videos), however, anyone may post news from Conventions as they are announced.
-
Complete news articles can no longer be copy/pasted into the forums. Most news sites (Ex: ANN) expressly forbid this. (Exception is quoting a small part of an article to comment on.)
-
When posting news, the font size should be no more then 2 hashtags. Please keep in mind that many users are using devices with small screens and overly large font takes up a lot of room.
-
News posts should contain: Headline/link, date of article. Videos can contain the title of the video (also not larger than size 16 font). Date should be place even it it shows up in the one-box. Too many updates break the one-box and having the date on a separate line is necessary.
This applies to any news story in any forum.
- Before clicking “Reply”, be sure to use the preview pane to make sure your links are correct and give it a quick spell check.
Part 3 - Zero Tolerance Behavior
If you break any of these rules in an excessive amount, don’t be surprised if your posts are reset, you are banned from posting, your account is deleted, or your IP is just not allowed to view the entire forum. The rules are easy to follow, and if you do follow them, it will make posting for yourself and others much more fun.
NOTE: Rules may be added/modified periodically without prior warning to the public, so make sure to check up on them every once in a while.
No pornographic or flashing/seizure causing images of any kind
Please use discretion in the images you post. We reserve the right to delete your images if we deem it necessary, or even if we don’t. This means that, unless a picture is of good taste, it will be deleted. Make sure to check your images before submitting them because kids can see what you post. If an image is considered forum safe but you feel it is not suitable for everyone/workplace appropriate, a NSFW warning is required.
Do not spam.
What is spam? It’s unwanted, irrelevant, or inappropriate messages. You want to add to the conversation, not bring it to a halt with undesirable things.
Spamming is an irritation to fellow posters and frowned upon greatly. Doing so will result in a loss of posts, and a possible ban. Spamming is stupid, and you will gain nothing from it. It’s just a waste of time.
NOTE: This also includes repeatedly advertising your website in your posts. Users are given the option of putting their website URL in their profile.
Alternative Solution: Keep It Tidy
Make the effort to put things in the right place, so that we can spend more time discussing and less cleaning up. So:
- Don’t start a topic in the wrong category.
- Don’t cross-post the same thing in multiple topics.
- Don’t post no-content replies.
- Don’t divert a topic by changing it midstream.
- Rather than posting “+1” or “Agreed”, use the Like
button. - Don’t create numerous topics with incessant incoherrent babbling. Think to yourself whether your topic would encouage participation or not.
Engaging in "Illegal" Discussions.
Do not post links to or discuss anything that could get Anime Network into trouble. This includes discussion of music piracy, anime piracy, or any other website that contains content that is illegal in the U.S.
Excessive Use of Profanity
We reserve the right to censor you if we feel the need. You don’t have a reason to use foul language on TAN forums, since expletives sometimes make your post look immature and pointless, but in some cases, a “damn” or two will not hurt anyone and can be tolerated within reason. Just remember that children (under 13) do visit this forum, and some parents could get angry if they notice what their children are reading on the Internet. If you are out of control, the mods will delete your post. Filtering your posts before submitting would be encouraged.
Do not flame (or troll) people.
Never under any circumstances are flame wars ever to occur. An argumentative spirit, responding to a post’s tone, knee-jerk contradictions, and name-calling causes rifts and divisions amongst posters and derails topics. In turn, they often result in a toxic community environment.
Alternative Solution: Be Agreeable, Even When You Disagree
You may wish to respond to something by disagreeing with it. That’s fine. But, remember to criticize ideas, not people.
State reasoned counter-arguments that improve the conversation.
Avoid bumping old topics (for no reason)
To “bump” a topic is to bring an old topic back to the first page of a board by posting in it (thus “bumping” it to the front). There are instances in which this is accepted if done in a responsible manner to add articles/videos or move posts to an existing topic BUT what often happens frequently is the exact opposite. There is a tendency to necrobump ancient topics habitually that have no real relevance to the current times and the new post provides no valid reason for doing such an action. BUMP as a response is completely uncalled for so don’t do it. The end result could be a locking of the topic and/or your posts deleted.
Part 4 - The Bottom Line
Always Be Civil
-
Nothing sabotages a healthy conversation like rudeness.
-
Don’t post anything that a reasonable person would consider offensive, abusive, or hate speech.
-
Keep it clean. Don’t post anything obscene or sexually explicit.
Respect each other. Don’t harass or grief anyone, impersonate people, or expose their private information. -
Respect our forum. Don’t post spam or otherwise vandalize the forum.
-
Please be mindful of users who are using smaller devices.
-
These are not concrete terms with precise definitions — avoid even the appearance of any of these things. If you’re unsure, ask yourself how you would feel if your post was featured on the front page of the New York Times.
-
This is a public forum, and search engines index these discussions. Keep the language, links, and images safe for family and friends.
Improve the Discussion
Help us make this a great place for discussion by always working to improve the discussion in some way, however small. If you are not sure your post adds to the conversation, think over what you want to say and try again later.
The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.
One way to improve the discussion is by discovering ones that are already happening. Please spend some time browsing the topics here before replying or starting your own, and you’ll have a better chance of meeting others who share your interests.
Moderators & Their Actions
-
Moderators have absolute power and will only use their powers if necessary.
-
Forum Administrators and Moderators have the right to edit, censor, delete, move or otherwise modify any posted message.
-
In order to maintain our community, moderators reserve the right to remove any content and any user account for any reason at any time.
-
Moderators do not preview new posts in any way.
-
The moderators and site operators take no responsibility for any content posted by the community.
-
With your help, moderators can be community facilitators, not just janitors or police.
-
If you feel a mod has abused his/her powers, do not create a thread complaining. Instead, PM @ytorres103 and explain the situation.
How do I become a mod?
A. Chances are you will not become one. I am truly sorry. If you really think you should be a mod, don’t ask; that destroys any chance you have. This is manual promotion for a reason. Automatic promotions may result in having way more Leaders than needed and numerous users severely abusing their newfound powers. This is an epic catastrophe waiting to happen. If you are found suitable, other mods and admin will seek you out, and inquire if you’d like the position.
Suspensions
This is no fun for anyone involved but will happen if such action is required. When a user is suspended from the forums, you will see the following statement in orange text on their user card:
This user has been suspended until [DATE & TIME]
Reason:
Your Participation Counts
The conversations we have here set the tone for everyone. Help us influence the future of this community by choosing to engage in discussions that make this forum an interesting place to be — and avoiding those that do not.
Discourse provides tools that enable the community to collectively identify the best (and worst) contributions: favorites, bookmarks, likes, flags, replies, edits, and so forth. Use these tools to improve your own experience, and everyone else’s, too.
Let’s try to leave our park better than we found it.
You can now choose your own default home page! 
and click on OPTIONS.
