[MUST READ!] Episode Night Survival Guide (Read this or Smokey will get you!)

[Raven O'Reilly]

All Questions/Comments/Complaints/Concerns may be directed to the QCCC Forum

Lost Forum FAQ – Episode Night Policies:
(To alleviate bandwidth so everyone may have smooth viewing)

• Search is turned OFF
• Who’s Online is turned OFF
• Guest Viewing is turned OFF
• New Registrations MAY BE turned off if necessary (rarely does this happen)
• New episode forum may be opened 1/2 HOUR before it starts at 9 PM EST
• Only ONE Live Episode Discussion thread will be allowed (by the user: get it?), as per tradition
• NO new threads other than Live Episode Discussion will be allowed prior to 9 PM EST

All Forum Rules Apply – The Least You Need To Know:

• NO double posting
  -- No "bumping" threads either
• Duplicate threads will be MOVED (not deleted) to Purgatory or another corresponding forum
  -- Your Profile will have the option for you to look at all posts and threads you have made.
• Sticky threads are your friends - they help reduce duplicate threads
• Prefixes (like the [MUST READ] on this one) are your friends as well
  -- It means the Staff has approved the thread and all dupe threads will be merged into the prefixed one
• Spoilers require spoiler tags – [spoiler]I am a good LF member.[/*spoiler] – or stay in the Spoiler Forum

For New Members:

• PLEASE familiarize yourself with the Forum Rules!
• 5 Post Moderation: Staff will be working as quickly as possible to approve new posts
• Try not to make a new thread as one of your first 5 posts – post in other people’s threads
• In fact, there is a Newbie Practice Forum

[Wagsy]

DO's:

• Start your thread with character name(s) you are talking about.
  i.e. "Locke: Is he evil or not?" This will make it easier for others to find the proper threads they want to share their ideas in.
• Be as descriptive with your thread title as possible.
  This will generate more visits to your thread, encourage discussion, and you may just avoid having your thread shut down by the LF staff.
• Read around before you create your own thread.
  Chances are there are already existing threads you can discuss in, especially the stickied threads up top.
• Make sure what you want to talk about is CURRENT EPISODE-SPECIFIC.
  Theories go in the Theories Forum, spoilers go in the Spoiler Forum, character discussions go in the Characters Forum, etc.

DON'Ts:

• Don't be suspenseful with your thread title.
  It is not a game show ("Sayid...?" would be a terrible thread title). Keep it as descriptive as possible if you want to generate visits and discussion or it'll be locked and set on fire.
• Don't ramble.
  If the first post of a thread is incoherent, no good discussion can follow. Also, if you have to apologize for your "bad English", perhaps it's best you leave thread making to others who can express themselves better.
• Don't make threads before reading around first.
  Always look for existing threads to post your ideas in before creating a thread. This is especially important when you don't watch LOST at it's earliest show time.
• Don't create non episode-specific threads.
  We have various other subforums for pretty much anything you can come up with but if you insist on creating your unrelated thread(s) in the episode forum, it will be locked and the kitten gets it.
• Don't make threads asking "Where's [insertcharactername]?"
  If the character in question did not appear in the episode, it is clearly not episode-specific. You can avoid wasting our time by posting your missing persons thread in the appropriate Characters Forum.
• Don't title your thread "I solved it!", "I have the answers!", etc.
  Lets face it; NO ONE except the show producers have the answers to LOST and being so pompous a fan is just begging for a lynching. We may not be around to protect you from the lynching mob, or we may not feel like protecting you. Just don't do it.
• Don't start your first post with "What do you think of [insertsubjecthere]? Discuss".
  If you have nothing to say about your own topic in your first post and you continue to create threads in such fashion, you will be labeled a thread-whore and will not be allowed to create threads again.
• Don't PM the staff to argue the closing/moving/merging of your thread. Instead of bugging us with nonsense such as "it's harsh" or "why can't you just move it?", do us (and yourselves) a favor by re-reading this post, then finding the appropriate forums to discuss your non episode-specific ideas. If you won't read around first like a good member should, we are not obligated to explain anything to you.