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Fox-hound
November 9th, 2008, 10:21 PM
Forewarning: I spent a bit of time gathering up guides and links to use in this as reference, but if anyone does not want their thread used here, let me know and I will take it down.

Also, much of what I have written can be found elsewhere, in the rules, in the FAQ, and in other stickies. Hopefully this guide will help in making everything organized and bringing it all together, to make it more convenient for members and increase the number of readers who take these writings seriously.
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Hello all, and welcome to "The Complete guide to understanding F2F and how to be a good member," a guide on F2F that incorporates pretty much everything about the forum and how to do good on it. My name is Fox-hound and I will be your host throughout this narration. The purpose of this guide is to explain in detail everything you need to know about Furry to Furry, ranging from each forum section, the navigation bar, the User Control Panel, and other more advanced perks like Reputation. This guide will also show you how to be a good poster on the forums and will deal with basic composition, use of specific tools, attitude and behavior, and other areas that have been covered elsewhere.

What's included in this guide: A detailed description of every forum section and subforum, the navigation bar, as well as details about User CP's, PM box, Profiles, Reputation, and other things related to posting and the community. Much of what I put in this guide can be found in the FAQ, but this guide is a bit easier to access which should make it more readable to some. This guide also incorporates guides written by me and other users for the community, such as post composition, post material and attitude, what to do and not do, how to request art, and more.

A little about me: I am currently a college student working towards an Associates degree in social sciences. I spend a lot of my time in studies, and my free time goes to this forum and personal hobbies such as video games, racquetball, bowling, paintball, and occasionally recreational shooting. I like chatting (specifically arguing and debating), and just chilling out.

Why am I doing this: Well, I love this forum as much as any other member here, and I would like to see each member understand the forum for what it is (a home) and treat it as such. I hope there are others who share my feelings about this

Also, the FAQ, which is what a lot of this guide is based on, is generally overlooked simply because most people don't notice it or don't want to take the time to sift through it. With this guide, people should basically not have any reason to know what goes on with the forum and how to be a good member.

What do I want out of it: I don't know, give me a hug.

So, without further ado, let's get started.

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Table of Contents.
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I: Introduction.
II: Forum sections and Subforums.
III: The Navigation bar.
IV: User Control Panel.
V: Private Messages.
VI: Posts and Threads.
VII: Reputation.
VIII: Moderators and Administrators.
IX: Donating to F2F.
X: Conclusion and References.

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I: Introduction.
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A). What is Furry to Furry?
- Furry to Furry is an adult forum for Furry lifestyles, that is, people who classify themselves as furry (in what is known as the furry fandom). The forum has a specific focus on the more adult aspects of the fandom, such as yiff and yiff-based roleplaying, as well as merchandise relating to sexual matter.

That does NOT mean that the entire forum is all about yiff or sex. The forum has sections dedicated to non-roleplayers, such as the general chat forum, as well as a poll forum to gain information about the furry fandom. There is also a forum dedicated to artists and people seeking art.

Each section will be explained in detail later in the guide.

Trivia: What is yiff?
- Basically, yiff if the furry term for sex.

B). So what is there to do on F2F?
- There is LOTS to do. Besides roleplaying, you can post about your daily life and problems you are having in the tavern forum, as well as engage in general discussion about current events and even gain statistical information about the furry fandom. You can play games in the arcade, ask for and share your artwork in the art forum, or simply chat with members in a variety of ways, including PM's (though I'd avoid this method for holding conversations), IM program contact information, and simply chatting on the forum itself. So have fun; there a lot available to you.

C). I have registered and am a Newbie. Now what?
- You have posting rights and access to limited features in your User CP and on the forum, but you cannot access the roleplaying forums or the art gallery, and you cannot have a signature (automatic, at least) or an avatar. After 15 days of activity and with at least 15 posts, you will become an Active Member and given full rights and privileges to everything on the forum.

D). The Interface: basics.
- On the home page you will be able to see your basic account information (assuming you are logged in) and the navigation bar. Below that you will see each forum section and the subforums listed under it. To the right of each subforum you can see how many posts and threads (existing, not active) are in that subforum, which indicates how active or inactive it is. You can also see the last post in that forum, in what thread the post was made, and by who.

Further down you can see who is actively logged into the site and how many members/guests are logged in total (though you will not be able to see invisible status members). Below that you get some statistics about the forum as a whole, and even further down a list of who's birthday it is for that day. The donation link (strongly encouraged for active members) is just below this, as well as more of the same links that can be seen elsewhere.

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II: Forum sections and subforums.
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There are brief descriptions of the forum sections and the subforums associated with them on the home page, but here is a more detailed description of them.

(A.) Guest Relations.
- This section has all the latest news and updates about the forum, and is the place where you can introduce yourself to make yourself known among the forum, and where you can say goodbye if you're going away for a time, or hello if you're coming back. You can also read the rules here.

(B.) First Aid Station.
-This section of forum is dedicated to helping people and the forum itself with questions, suggestions, and forum updates. If you have a question for one of the admins or mods, a question for the forum, or a suggestion for the site itself, this is the place to ask or come forth.

(C.) The Tavern.
- This forum section is devoted to the general life and statistics of the members of F2F. Here, members can chat about their daily life and activities, problems they are having in their life, current events like the latest movies and music, politics and delicate subjects, and other things. There are also subforums here specifically for deeply religious and/or spiritual members as well as older members, and you can view older posts that have gone dead or inactive as well.

(D.) The Guest House.
- The big one for most members; this is where the members can do all the yiffy (sexual) roleplaying. There are two basic RPing sections, one for everyone, and one by invitation only (you can generally get in if you are a sensible member who knows how to RP well and doesn't spam or type poorly). You can also get generally information on yiff and yiffy activities, play yiffy games, view the yiffy art gallery, and get general information on fursuits and fursuiting (both yiffy and non).

(E.) The Gazebo.
- Another roleplaying section, except this one is dedicated to non-yiffy content. The same basic layout applies here with two different sections, one open and one by invite, a section for games (not related to the Arcade), and a section for non-yiffy poetry and stories. Yiffy-related material is not allowed in here.

(F.) The Garden.
- The Art section. This is where members can ask for art requests, trades, and commissions, show off their own art work (either on F2F or other sites like Fur Affinity and Deviantart), and view the general art gallery of F2F. There is an important thread in here that everyone should read, which I will refer to later in the guide.

(G.) The Playhouse.
- This section is specifically for baby or little furs, members with fursonas that are child-like or infant-like in description and/or like pretending to be children/infants (a form of roleplay). Bigotry and insulting is looked down upon here, so avoid it. You can also get information on plushies and plushy hobbies, both yiffy and non-yiffy.

(H.) The Shop.
- The section where you can get technical help with electronic problems, either PC, game consoles, TV's, anything that another member can help with. You can also get information on upcoming contests from the mods and admins.

(I.) The Postbox.
- In this section you can post information about yourself and what you are into (roleplaying) and search for a RP partner or simply someone to talk to. You can also get information about job openings (furry and non-furry), upcoming conventions, and anything that members might be selling (yiffy and non).

(J.) The Marketplace.
- Here you can view other websites recommended by members that deal in furry (yiffy and non) merchandise, from plushies, to artwork, to clothing and accessories.

"LOTS more to come in the next few minutes."

Fox-hound
November 9th, 2008, 10:25 PM
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III: The Navigation Bar.
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On every page on F2F you are taken to, you will always be able to see the Navigation bar towards the top (above posts and general descriptions), which will take you to a number of different places outside the forums. Here is where you can visit with the Navigation Bar.

(A.) User CP.
- Here you can alter MANY details about yourself and how to contact you, species, avatar and signature, profile images, albums and photos, compose PM messages, change forum display and navigation options, view subscribed threads, and other things. You can also see what threads you've visited and posted in recently. Towards the bottom you will get a reading of how much Reputation you've earned, and a list of the last 5 people to give you Reputation (positive or negative) with a description (optional) telling you why. Reputation and the User CP will be explained in more detail later in the guide.

(B.) FAQ.
-This is where you can view everything you need to know about the forum, from the rules, to information about posting and threads, information about the User CP, and anything related to the mods/admins and disciplinary information. Study this carefully!

(C.) Members List.
-You can go through the entire list of members on F2F in alphabetical order here. You can use the navigation letters to find specific members more easily and access their profile pages to get to know them better.

(D.) Calendar.
- Here you can get information about important events to each and every day on F2F, such as scheduled launches of new forum sections and skins, as well as birthdays for the members.

(E.) New Posts.
- You can use this link to view the latest posts made on the current day. This is a bit hard to navigate, and it is recommended that you use "Search" if you are looking for something in particular.

(F.) Arcade.
- Here you can play the official games of F2F to have fun, kill time, or set high scores. Games range from retro classics like Breakout, to movie-based games like Resident Evil: Extinction.
If you set a high score, you might get the attention and respect of some high-ranking members.

(G.) Gallery.
- Here you can view all of the compiled artwork submissions on F2F, with each kind being classified by its content (yiffy or clean), subject (furry, non-furry, etc), composition, quality, and category.

(H.) Search.
- Use this link to do an extended search on newer and older threads and posts throughout the entire forum. You use Tag Search to search key words designated to make finding the thread or post easier, or Advanced Search to input more complex parameters and broaden/narrow your search based on those.

(I.) Quick Links.
- This gives you access to some generic options for keeping up to date with the site (new posts) and quick access to some personal details such as Signature, Picture Albums, Social Groups, Private Messages, and other things. This menu is a good time-saver for many commonly-used privileges.

(J.) Log Out.
- You can log out of your account with this. Accounts cannot be deleted, but they can be temporarily (or permanently) banned. You will need to sign back in the next time you visit F2F, unless you set the option "Remember Me," in which case the forum will auto-log you in whenever you visit again.

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IV: The User Control Panel.
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In the User Control Panel (User CP for short), you can change just about all of the details about yourself and your forum information, regarding signatures and avatars, profile pictures, photo albums, forum display options, personal details and contact information, subscribed threads, and other things. In addition, you can view the all of the threads on the forum that you've posted in (new or old), and get an accurate reading of your current reputation and who's repped you recently.

Let's look at these options more closely.

(A.) Your Profile.
- Here you can edit the major details of your profile that you and other members can see. These include a general description of yourself, including occupation and hobbies, what species your fursona (if any) is based on, what your gender and sexual preference is, your age, and contact information (email, IM programs, etc). You can also edit your profile picture and backgrounds here with the Customize Profile and Profile Picture options. Most people put a picture of their fursona as their profile picture, but you can use whatever you'd like as long as it is not overly suggestive (rape, for example).

Profile Picture: Cannot be overly suggestive or bigger than 640x500 pixels in size.

Secondary Backgrounds: It's recommended that you use abstracts for this since themed backgrounds don't blend well with the information fields. If you want this, use something like water, crystals, stars, etc, anything that flows well without needing full view and doesn't have a seam.

(B.) Networking.
- In this category you can view your contact list and all of the friends you have (if any), what social groups you belong to (if any), any social group invitations you may have received, and your photos and photo albums. This can all be accessed from your profile page as well.

Social Groups: Groups that you can chat and discuss specific things with. Each group usually has its own subject of discussion, so please stay on course with that. Groups that are Moderated or Invite Only will require you to receive an invite or pass acceptance from the Group Leader before you're accepted in.

Photo Albums: You may have several albums to designate photos to. Albums are based organized according to subject (for example, a Fursona album should have pictures of your Fursona character in it and nothing else), and can be viewed by you in the User CP and others on your Profile Page.

Friends and Contacts: All viewable on your User CP and by others on your Profile Page. You can edit who your friends are, add friends to your list (pending acceptance by them) break friendships and remove contacts. Friends are an easier way of communicating with close members.

(C.) Settings and Options.
- Here is where you can change your signature, avatar, email and password, as well as change your forum display and navigation options such as skins, time zone, posts per pages, how the posts are ordered and shown, and message box complexity. There is also an "Ignore list" option here that you can use to block members who are annoying or insulting you, which is a great tool to make use of if someone is bothering you.

Avatar: Cannot be larger than 100x100 pixels in image size, and cannot be bigger than 20KB in file size. Yiffy avatars are fine, but please don't make these "overly" suggestive.

Question: Can you have an animated avatar?
Answer: If you have donated to F2F, YES, you can, however I recommend against it. I will explain later in the guide.

Signatures: Cannot be larger than 150x height by 500x width in size. Cannot exceed 4 lines of text or 500 characters. CAN include hyperlinks and images. Again, please don't make this overly suggestive.

Note: Signatures can also be animated if you've donated enough to F2F, but again, I recommend against using them.

Posts per page: Maximum setting is 40. Can be newest or oldest first. This also applies to viewing threads, not just posts.

(D.) Private Messages.
- Here you can compose a new private message to send to somebody (up to two members at once), view older messages (received and sent), track messages sent to others, and edit your messages with several different folders. This has its own section later in the guide.

(E.) Subscribed Threads.
- Here you can view threads that you have subscribed to. A subscribed thread notifies you whenever there is a new post in the thread, allowing you to stay up to date on it. It is recommended that you don't subscribe to too many threads, if at all, because it can severely clutter your email and your PM box. Use at your own risk.

(F.) Misc.
- You can view event reminders about upcoming events and updates to the forum. These are usually dispatched via PM and email as well, or made as a general announcement.


"More to come."

Fox-hound
November 9th, 2008, 10:26 PM
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V: The Private Message Box.
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Inside the Private Message box you can get an accurate account for all of the private messages (PM's) that you have sent, replied, or forwarded to other members, or received from other members. PM's are organized according to the time received or sent, from newest to oldest, and organized according to days or weeks of time.

Unread PM: A PM that you have not yet read or have marked as unread to keep new.

Read PM: A PM that you have already read or have marked as read for later viewing.

You may use the folder to alter the status of your PM's or delete them outright, or you can download and store them to your PC for later use. You are allowed to have 100 PM's in your box maximum; after this you will not be able to receive anymore until you make space.

Note: The maximum number can be increased through donating to F2F.

Composing a new message: By clicking the "Send Private Message To" button, you first start by entering the name of the recipient (which will already be entered if you selected this option from a persons profile page). Then you fill in the subject of the PM, and then the content. You have access to all of your normal posting tools when forming PM's, so use whatever you need, be it hyperlinks, colorized or sized text, or images.

Note: You can send PM's to two different people at once. Use a ; after the first recipient name and type in a second name. (Example: User1; User2)

Replying to a message: Click the Reply button to any message you have received to send a new message back to the sender. The subject title used for this will be the titled the sender used, with a RE: in front of it (which means Reply). Fill in the message as normal (and decide whether to keep the quote or not) and send.

Forwarding a message: Basically the same as Replying, except you click the Forward button, the subject title has a FW: in front of it (which means Forward), and you have to input the new recipients name. After that, fill in the message and send.

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VI: Messages and Threads.
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When posting a new message or thread, you have a lot of options available to you for composition. Let's start with forming a new thread.

Starting a new thread: Fill in the subject title; this should be a description on what the thread is about. Make this detailed; do not be vague. If people do not know what the subject is then they will not know what to post.

After this, you have to type in the opening post. This is much like normal posts; you have all of the tools available to use. You have different fonts, colors and sizes. You can use Bold, Italics, and Underline for Emphasis. You can use smilies, hyperlinks, quotes, images, and even set how the post is indented and organized according to its page alignment. PLEASE DO NOT ABUSE THESE TOOLS! They are meant to be used for emphasis or reference, such as to point out an important statement in a post or refer someone to a website or image related to the subject at hand. THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD TYPE IN ALL CAPS OR IN COLORED TEXT! It's only meant to be used occasionally for emphasis, and it irritates people to have to read posts like this all the time, so please do not abuse it.

You can also make a thread into a poll by selecting the "Poll" option just below the "Submit New Thread" button. When you do this, after you submit your thread you will be taken to another page where you must choose the Poll Question and set the choice options (how many, and what the choices are).These are usually restricted to the Statistics subforum, but can be used anywhere.

Once your post is finished, click the Submit New Thread to have your thread logged and posted on the subforum. You can then read what you've posted and see who else is viewing and/or replying to it. This applies to threads not made by you as well.

When posting a message: The same thing applies. Try to stay on topic and avoid abusing the tools (this applies to smilies too).

Editing a post: Simply click Edit and you can change anything you want about your post. There is no time limit for this unlike other forums, so don't be pressured to change what you say immediately.

Quick reply: Make a quick post in the thread. You have limited tools to use here, but it is faster if you are just making a small post to add to the thread or point something out.

Quote: Use this button to quote the post of another member for emphasis. That way, the member quoted will know who your post is referring to and will be able to communicate with you better.

Multi-quote: Same, except you quote multiple people. Click the Multi-Quote button of each person you want to quote and then click the Quote button, and all the quotes will be listed on your reply post. This is very helpful when communicating with multiple members.

There will be more guides you can use towards the end of this guide to help with posts.

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VII: Reputation.
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Liavain Axon has several very detailed threads on Reputation in the Messageboard Help subforum. I advise everyone to take a look at them.

(A.) What is Reputation?
- Reputation is basically a measure of how well-known and respected a member of F2F is. People with high reputation tend to have very good, coherent posts and threads as well as lots of friends, and tend to be very well-known by everyone. People with low or negative reputation tend to be poor posters in general and don't have many friends or much respect. Both aspects of this can be false, though. High-Rep members can be disrespected and hated, and low-rep members can have lots of friends and respect. Reputation is merely a visual representation, and it carries no awarded privileges with it other than respect in the community.

Your Reputation is measured in terms of Power Level and boxes. In the upper right corner of each of your posts and in your Profile Page, you will see your Rep Power, and a number of boxes below that. That shows you how much Reputation you have. Positive rep is represented by green boxes, negative rep is represented by red boxes (and a power of 0), and neutral rep (none) is represented by a power of 0 and a gray box. Reputation boxes can also be disengaged for members so that they don't display ranking, only Power.

(B.) How do I go about gaining Reputation?
- Reputation is given by the members of F2F. In the upper corner of every post is a hyperlink button that looks like a Justice Scale. That is the Rep user button, which allows a member to positively (or negatively) rep the specific post you've made. When clicked, you selected either Agree or Disagree (positive or negative), a comment for why you are repping that person (optional), and then submit. Once you've repped a person, you cannot rep that same person again for approximately two weeks.

(C.) How can I calculate my Reputation?
- In the User CP, at the very bottom, you will see a number called your Reputation Points, which tells you exactly how much reputation you've received. Reputation Points are earned equal to the rep-givers own Rep Power level. If someone, for example, with a Power of 12 reps you positively, then you have earned 12 Rep Points. Every 100 Rep Points increases your power by 1.

You can also increase your Rep Power and Green Boxes through other methods, such as (that I know of):

-Rep Power goes up by one for every 500 posts made.
-Positively Repped by an Admin or a Super-Moderator (all of which have a Rep Power of 100): Rep automatically goes up by 1 and Green Boxes increase (theory).

There are other ways to earn Reputation, but their details elude me.

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VIII: Moderators and Administrators.
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(A.) What is a Moderator or Administrator?
- An Administrator is the owner or full controller of a site. They have power over everything regarding the site, including installing and updating new add-ons to the site such as skins and new subforums, power over all of the forums members, and authority over all of the forum sections, allowing them to move threads, lock threads, temporarily or permanently ban members for breaking rules, and other things. Respect them.

A Moderator also has powers over the members (they can ban too), but only has powers over specific forum sections. Each moderator is designated one or two forum sections to mediate over, and they have no power over the forum sections outside of these. Super Moderators have power over all forum sections. Respect them too.

The Moderators and Admins of F2F have a very hard job to contend with. They have to maintain the peace and order on the forum when things get out of hand, deal with constant issues and PM's from the members, and more, and none of this applies to whatever they have to do outside of the forum. THEY DO NOT GET PAID FOR THIS OR GET ANY SORT OF PHYSICAL REWARD; EVERYTHING THEY DO IS VOLUNTEER WORK AND COMES OUT OF THEIR OWN FREE TIME! They have a very difficult and stressful job, so please behave yourself and make it easier on them. That makes them happy, and that will make you happy.

Fox-hound
November 9th, 2008, 10:33 PM
(B.) Who are the Moderators and Administrators?
-

Administrators:
---
Mestopho (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=40295)
Idesin (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=52632)
Rrruff (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=40317)
ufn (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=62206)
Sarion (http://furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=67832)

Senior Moderators:
---
Kcoar (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=54421)
Xavier Uncia (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=63914)


Junior Moderators:
---
BC Fox (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=60250)
Chrissybutt (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=52796)
Grey Wolf (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=62811)
Shy Wolf (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/member.php?u=60924)


(C.) So how do I go about becoming a Moderator or Administrator?
- You don't. If the Mods and Admins feel that you have the right qualities for the job, they will come to you. All Moderator candidates are elected based on a vote from the entire Mod/Admin team. If they all feel that you are worthy to be a Mod or Admin, they will come to you with the offer.

Do not ask for a position or you will never get it. Help out the forum, follow the rules, be a good poster, and all of these will reflect well on you and make the Mods and Admins notice you more, which will make it more likely that you will be qualified for a position.


(D.) How can I help the forum?
- Lots of ways! There's the obvious; you can donate to the forum. Other than that, the Mods appreciate help in maintaining the order of the boards. If someone is breaking the rules or needs help, reply to them with the answer they desire or refer them to the rules or tell them what they are doing wrong and how to avoid it. F2F is always willing to hear your suggestions to make it a better place for everyone as well. If you have something that might help the forum, feel free to post it. If you feel someone is breaking the rules and you can't do anything, tell a Mod or Admin about it. All of these reflect well on you and show the qualities that Mods and Admins like to see in potential candidates, and they make F2F a better place too.

Other than that, ask a Mod or Admin what you can do to help for more information. They're always willing to listen to you.

(D.) A Moderator or Admin is threatening me with claims of breaking the rules, and I am sure I haven't. What do I do?
- DO NOT FREAK OUT OR BLOW UP ON THEM! That is a very big mistake. The Mods and Admins are very good at their job, but they can also take things personally from time to time and that will not look good for you. Don't explode in their face. Be calm and ask about what you've been accused of and how to correct it.

The Mods/Admins will usually not make a claim against you without very good reason (I can almost guarantee that they have evidence against you), so listen to what they have to say and follow their advice, and there won't be any problems. If you try to contest it without a good reason or if you blow up on them, you are in for trouble, so please handle things maturely.

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IX: Donating.
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Although F2F is a free forum, it is encouraged that members at least consider donating, although it is certainly not necessary. When times are at their worst and problems arise, such as down servers, it's the donations to F2F that keep it up and running. Therefore, it is you who keeps the forum alive, and your donation can make all the difference when hard times hit.

Donating is not without its merits, either.

Originally Posted by Liavain Axon http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/images/styles/hallo2008/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?p=1984677#post1984677)
We do not expect anyone, or require anyone, to donate. It's completely voluntary. If you do decide to donate however, we do have certain rewards. Publicly it may not be apparent other than your user title changing, but there are some internal changes to your user account in thanks.

These are what we have right now (and are subject to addition in the future).

$5
Furry to Furry Supporter Title

$6-$10
Furry to Furry Supporter Title
PM box increased by 25

$11-$15
Furry to Furry Supporter Title
PM box increased by 45
File Uploads increased by 5

$16-$20
Furry to Furry Supporter Title
PM box increased by 65
File Uploads increased by 10

$21-$25
Furry to Furry Supporter Title
PM box increased by 85
File Uploads increased by 15
User Album increased by 5

$26-$30
Furry to Furry Supporter Title
PM box increased by 100
File Uploads increased by 20
User Album increased by 10
Can upload Animated Sigs

$31-$35
Furry to Furry Supporter Title
PM box increased by 125
File Uploads increased by 25
User Album increased by 15
Can upload Animated Sigs
Can upload Animated Avatars

This is total amount. So if you donate $5 one month, $5 two months later, etc. It will be added together for your benefits. :)

These benefits are a thank you for supporting the costs of the site, but there are other ways to support F2F. You can be an active poster who contributes to the forums. A user who reports bad posts for example. Or comes up with new and interesting topics. You could post art in our Gallery, or even contribute by telling your friends about the forums.

We thank you for every contribution you make to F2F, may it be in donations or not.
Now, regarding the animated avatar thing, yes, you can use animated avatars if you donate. However, I recommend against it. Not only are animated avatars larger in file size (which makes it take more work for pages to load for you and other members), but animated avatars can only be saved as a .GIF, which severely compromises image quality. So, an animated avatar image does not look nearly as pretty or as detailed as a .PNG or .JPEG. So, animated avatars are best avoided, for the sake of the forum and for your benefit.

Otherwise, as said, donating is not necessary and you can help out in other ways, but when times are hard it's the donations that keep F2F alive. The rewards are nice, and you'll feel very good about doing it. The link is on the bottom of the home page, so please keep it in mind.

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X: Conclusion and References.
------------------------------

This is basically the end of the guide, but there are a number of links to other posts you can use to further your knowledge of the forum and how to be a good member. I strongly suggest reading some of these over when/if you can.

Rules of F2F by Mestopho: http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?t=43380

The Answer FAQ for F2F (LOTS of useful information to be found here):
http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?t=62124

General Furry Life stickies:
http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?t=61926

Fox-hounds guide to basic post composition: http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?t=58505

ThefallofJordan's guide to how to be a nice, kind member: http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?t=58504

Tux's guide to how to avoid being an idiot and an asshole: http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?t=58964

Note: If you are planning to make an art request, PLEASE READ THE NEXT GUIDE BEFORE DOING SO, or suffer Kcoar's wrath!

Kcoar's and Foxhounds guide to requesting artwork: http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?t=62920

Equium's thread on Reputation: http://www.furrytofurry.com/furry/showthread.php?t=54580

~Foxhound