Frequently Asked Questions - Minitokyo (original) (raw)

Index

About Minitokyo

What is Minitokyo and what may I do here?

Minitokyo was founded as an anime art source and has become one of the largest Japanese pop culture communities on the Internet. Here at Minitokyo, you may browse through, and contribute to, a large selection of stock anime art and a showcase of anime-related artwork created by members in the galleries. You may also discuss and chat about all aspects of Japanese pop culture, current events, daily life, etc. in the forums. Furthermore, you may look through a library of user-submitted reviews on anime series, manga, games, and the like. Finally, you may join groups of users from around the world who share similar interests as you in order to further your understanding of and appreciation for numerous subjects. In short, Minitokyo is what you make of it, so feel free to explore, socialize with people from across the globe, and most importantly, have fun!

What are achievements?

Achievements are a way of formally recognizing members for their contributions to Minitokyo. In general, benefiting the community will allow you to be rewarded by having your individual achievements noted on your userpage. There are quite a number of different achievements, so everyone, even those not particularly artistically inclined, may find a way in which to contribute. One point per level of achievement is awarded, and ones total points will appear on their userpages. Please note that a few achievements only have one level. Achievements to where one has not yet made any progression will be grayed out, and fully completed achievements, where all levels have been attained, are duly indicated as such. All achievements at or above level three (or at the maximum level) will be displayed on your userpage. The highest level is generally quite rare to achieve, members who do so, deserve special recognition. Members may go to �My Achievements� to check on the progress toward the next level of each of their individual achievements. You may quick link here, to see your Achievements. Note: The Minitokyo Staff reserves the right to add or remove achievements at any time, especially if they incite unwanted behavior.

Where should questions be addressed?

If you have a question about the rules, a dispute with another member, are running into technical difficulties, or just need general assistance and the Policy and FAQ don't seem to be of help, feel free to raise your question in the Minitokyo Discussion forum. Just make sure that your query has not yet been asked and answered already by other members. Please see the Minitokyo Discussions forum for more information.

How do I delete my account?

Accounts cannot be deleted. Although you aren't able to erase your account, you may simply just stop logging in here. If you prefer, you may delete all of your gallery submissions and blank out your userpage and profile information.

Administration

What do I do if I have been banned?

If you've been banned all you may do is wish that you had been a good, rule-abiding member of the community. Members who have been banned are not allowed to return to Minitokyo. A warning may be posted on the guest book of a member who has committed an offense, but, if the transgression is severe, one may be immediately banned with no additional consideration or any warning. Note Please refer to the Minitokyo Terms Of Service, for a more detailed description under Member Conduct as to the Minitokyo Staff's expectations of how members should behave.

WARNINGS "I was warned, why?"

This is a partial list of many of the reasons why one might receive a warning.

Who are restricted and muted members?

Restricted members are disabled from downloading or uploading any items from the gallery. Muted members are banned from posting comments.

Who are Elite Members? How do I become one?

Elite members are members who have devoted significant time and effort to assisting the moderators in running the community. The staff chooses which members are eligible for �Elite Membership� Please do not ask any staff member(s) how to, or if you may become, an Elite Member.

May I change my username?

Although it is strongly discouraged, one may change their username at Minitokyo, but only one time, and only under certain circumstances. You may PM one of the Moderators if you have a very good reason for wanting to change your username. Please provide your reason(s) when submitting such a request.

What restrictions are there on uploading and downloading?

Criteria for uploading and downloading may be found in the Minitokyo Policy, please refer to the Minitokyo Terms Of Service.

What may I submit as a scan?

Criteria for submitting scans may also be found in the Minitokyo Policy. IMPORTANT NOTE: Scans from the following websites are not permitted:

May I submit a scan that already exists in the gallery?

If your scan is of a higher quality than an existing scan, you may upload your scan and report the existing scan, indicating that it is a lower-quality version of your scan. It is expected that members submitting a scan have checked for any duplicates in the gallery first and reported any that were found during the submission process. for Also remember to include the URL to your scan. Otherwise, instead of submitting your scan to the gallery, you may wish to find out if it would be accepted at

What is expected of me when submitting a scan?[/dt]

Those who submit scans are expected to look for duplicate scans that exist in the gallery already and notify staff of the inferior duplicate using the "report" feature. Using a tag search for key words, character, mangaka, series, etc. will help make finding duplicates easier and less time consuming. Basic tagging of Series, Character, Artbook, Magazine, or other source is also a minimum expectation and If the scan contains more mature, but not explicit content, it must be tagged as "ecchi". Reminder, as per policy, no explicit material is allowed

What type of scans are not allowed?

As mentioned above, enlarged scans are not permitted, warnings may be issued to offending members. Please feel free to ask if you are not certain how to determine as to whether or not a scan has been enlarged. Scans which have been grossly over-filtered so as to blur details is not advisable as they are subject to deletion as are low quality scans containing artifacts, also referred to as "lossy data". Scanned screenshots are not acceptable as they are of low quality. Poorly scanned submissions and those with too many jpeg artifacts and also, any without a significantly usable or noteworthy main subject like these are not saved in the gallery:

Why are some duplicate scans kept?

Usually the largest and most complete scan with the least amount of text will be saved but often two very similar scans will both be kept. In regards to magazine scans, if we have a version containing text and a text-less version and they both have similar qualities and the same size we keep both. If two scans have visual elements that are not contained in the other, such as part of the subjects head, foot, weapon, etc., (geometric and meaningless shapes do not count) then both scans many stay in the gallery. Also there may be a larger scan with text and a smaller one without text, so long as the one with no text is official then both will be found in the gallery. If there is a scan which is slightly bigger but incomplete and and we have another scan which is more complete but a just a bit smaller, then we delete the bigger but incomplete version. If a scan has a gap and someone repaints that gap and they do so it in a professional way then the new scan without the gap (joint/seam) will replace the scan that contained the gap. Both versions have to be the same scan with the same size and it only replaces the older scan if the quality of the repainting is exceptional and if it is saved with the same quality, meaning that it contains no jpeg artifacts. In regards to black and white manga scans, they have to be full manga pages or chapter covers. Cut manga panels won't be added to the gallery.

May I submit a watermarked scan?

Watermarked scans may be acceptable, provided that the object does not interfere with the aesthetic quality of the image or block a significant amount of the subject matter. Shadows from scans are permitted as long as they do not extend too far from the edge of the scan into the subject so as to deteriorate its quality and usability. Finally, self-scanned images often contain such detail that it displays much of the paper's texture along with the scanned image itself. This is acceptable so long as the overall quality does not disqualify it and that it has no apparent artifacts.

What may I submit as a wallpaper?

You may submit finished wallpapers that you have made yourself using stock images and graphics software such as Adobe Photoshop. This means that you cannot submit wallpapers that you have found elsewhere, even if you have modified them. Please be considerate and give proper credit to people whose elements you have used (brushes, textures, etc.) this is just a plain and simple matter of exercising good manners.

What are the acceptable wallpaper resolutions and what may I submit to the Art Gallery?

A list of all acceptable wallpaper resolutions and what is, or may not be acceptable to submit to the Art Gallery, is indicated here in the Minitokyo Terms Of Service here under Wallpapers or Art Gallery, respectively.)

What may I submit as Indy Art?

2D Anime, manga, and game-related artwork you have drawn and created on your own using traditional art mediums or digital mediums should be submitted as "Indy Art" (an abbreviated form of independent art). A "Member Art" or "Fanart" tag must be added to all submissions. Submissions must have a minimum of six-hundred-thousand (600,000) pixels. Member art must feature a manga, anime, or related character or be drawn in the style typically associated with manga and anime. For submissions featuring an original character (OC) the "Original" tag must be used. You may not submit drawings done on lined notebook paper or other unsuitable stationery. All artwork submissions must be properly scanned using a scanner. You may not submit digital photographs of your drawings.

What is a "quarantine"?

When a gallery item is slated for deletion as part of moderator arbitration, it is suspended for a period of 30 days before it is permanently removed from the gallery. That period of suspension is called a "quarantine". While an item is in quarantine, members may not access the gallery item in question. However, an item in quarantine may be restored if it is determined by the moderators that it was erroneously slated for deletion any time before it is permanently erased. Moderators will delete submissions and posts at any time for infringement of the rules stated in the Minitokyo Terms of Service and further clarified here in the FAQ. This should be common sense, but as a reminder, do not resubmit or re-post anything deleted by a moderator.

How are quality and effort determined?

Minitokyo prides itself on providing high quality content, and for this reason, minimum requirements on quality and effort are enforced. Setting a threshold on quality and effort helps to save space and bandwidth, which is always a plus! It is difficult to precisely specify quality and effort, but the following four points should serve as a basic guideline to help ensure that a particular work meets the minimum requirement.

Extraction

Extraction is the act of taking a subject out of a scan to place in a wallpaper. Using a polygonal lasso tool or pen at over 400% magnification is effective if well-used. Using the magic wand tool is not advised, as it generally results in poor extractions.

Cleaning

If a scan is grainy, contains artifacts, or is otherwise noisy, cleaning the image is crucial.

Layout

Having a decent composition, with all elements carefully planned and positioned, is important.

Background

A background that both complements and accentuates the subject is key. Backgrounds that are monochromatic, simplistic, or are essentially the result of applying multiple filters, are not indicative of a requisite level of creative application. Of course, members both new and old, are not expected to consistently create absolutely flawless works. However, all members are expected to devote considerable hard work and dedication to creating wallpapers. Therefore, wallpapers created with the above points in mind will be more likely to be accepted. It is also highly recommended that you include a detailed summary of your creation process in your submission description to help moderators judge the efforts made on a particular wallpaper. As a final note, if you are new to submitting wallpapers here at Minitokyo, or are unsure of your wallpaper creating ability, consider making a submission to the Sandbox forum first, rather than submitting your wallpaper directly to the galleries. (Please refer to the next section.)

What is The Sand Box and how can it help me?

The Sandbox is as an excellent resource for any member who wishes to receive constructive criticism so that improvements, if any, may be made before submitting their artwork to the gallery. Please click on the following link for a Guide To The Sandbox.

Should I keep the Photoshop/Corel/GIMP/etc. files that I used for making my wallpapers?

Yes, just in case a moderator needs to verify that you created a particular wallpaper. Be advised that if a moderator asks for proof that you created a wallpaper you submitted, send the moderator the original file that you used to create your wallpaper. Once the moderator has finished evaluating your work, he or she will delete your source file.

How are wallpapers featured on the front page?

There are two types of images featured on the front page: highlighted works and popular works. Highlighted works are recent submissions selected by the moderator staff that stand out in terms of quality or innovation. These highlighted submissions will then be temporarily featured on the front page for all members to see. Popular works are recent submissions that have been added by many members into their favorites.

When I want to save a file, it's a bitmap! Why does this happen?

This is an Internet Explorer bug. Simply delete your Temporary Internet Files. Here is a convenient link to the Microsoft Guide On "How to delete temporary internet files".

Forums

What are the Forums for and what should I know before posting in them?

This link to information about the forums is a must read and will answer the most commonly asked questions regarding them: Forum Guidelines Below, you will find the answers to many general questions and instructions regarding the forums.

May links be made in posts?

Yes, you may include URLs, either to pages within Minitokyo or to external websites in your posts, as long as they serve to complement the point of your post. Linking to sites offering copyrighted material, torrents, or suchlike is prohibited. Do not link to sites advocating illegal activities, hate speech, violence, or porn. Note: Links to shopping sites are also not allowed. Please do not post in threads which have remained inactive for longer than a month, unless you have some meaningful or significant information to add to the discussion. It is permissible to open a new thread on the same topic, but only if such a thread has been inactive for over a month. If you do open another thread on the same topic please report the inactive thread after you open the new one, so that it may be closed by a moderator. PLEASE refrain from, or be advised about, creating the following types of threads:

Can XHTML be used in posts?

No, XHTML does not work for formatting in the forums. Formatting is done through tags in a simple markup scheme known as bbcode that are similar in many respects to xhtml. For an explanation of bbcodes and a list of supported smilies, see the bbcode and smilies section of Minitokyo Support.

May posts contain smilies?

Yes, smilies allowed here at Minitokyo, yet they will not be converted into an image. You may feel free to use text emoticons in moderation in addition to other textual content.

What are the letters in the corner of posts?

If you have your post display set to Minimal (as opposed to Full) in Minitokyo Options in your Control Panel, five links will appear at the upper right hand corner of individual posts, denoted by the letters r, e, d, q, and g. In the full display, these letters are replaced by a series of full-word links at the bottom of the post.

Tagging

What do I do if I want to make a new tag or have questions about tagging gallery items?

For answers about and information regarding tagging, please see the guidance provided on this group's page: Tag-licious Note: Please remember, as with any group, you should become an approved member before posting in it. You may also find the following links helpful:Tag Administration Thread (dedicated to reporting and managing tags)Tagging Guidelines Minitokyo Terms of Service (see "Tag Policy" section)

Reviews

What should I know when making a review?

You must write your own original reviews. You may not use reviews found on third-party websites or online communities. All content in reviews must be written in your own words and be indicative of being your own work.You may not submit reviews for unfinished series. Minitokyo aims to provide members with a holistic view of different series, and you must wait until a series finishes airing or its serialization before submitting a review. Additionally, please refrain from excessive spoilers or swearing. In such cases, your review may be edited or deleted by a Moderator, depending on the severity of the infringement. For information about reviews and what qualities make for a good review visit: Minitokyo-Review.

Userpages and Customization

How may a userpage layout be customized?

For more information on this topic please see the Userpage Customization forum here: Sheqel's Userpage Customization Tips and Tricks and/or here: MapleRose's New Layout Customization Tutorial

How may the content of a Userpage be changed?

You may customize the content area of your userpage by going to the Customize Userpage Content button in your Control Panel. Customization is done using XHTML, which is the standard markup language for websites on the Internet. There are many good tutorials on XHTML both on the internet and in print that you can take a look at if you are unfamiliar with it.

Is there a quick and easy way that I may customize my Browsing Skin?

Yes, click on this link to your Browsing Skin. Replace your username with that of another member whose browsing skin you prefer and your browsing skin will be replaced with theirs. Note: You must be certain to type in the other member's name accurately for this feature to work properly. Note: It may be necessary to exit your web browser and delete your internet cookies first in order for the changes to take place on your screen.

What is a watchlist and what is a friendlist?

A watchlist is a list of members whose contributions you wish to remain updated on. As such, you will receive notifications for wallpapers, art, scans, and reviews submitted by members on your watchlist. A friendlist is a list of members who you consider to be friends. As such, you will receive notifications, depending upon your notifications settings when they create threads in the forums so you may participate in discussions that they begin. If you have only added another member to your friendlist you will not receive notifications when they submit wallpapers, art, scans, or reviews. To add people to one of your contact lists, click on the appropriate link on their profile page. Note that anyone who you indicate as a friend who has also indicated you as a friend will appear on your profile page under the Mutual Friends list and your name will appear on theirs as well.

Groups

Why might I wish to join a group?

Members join and participate in groups because they have similar interests with the creator of the group and want to have fun. To this end, Minitokyo allows groups some autonomy in determining their subject, membership criteria, language, and rules of conduct.

What might happen if something goes wrong in a group?

If a member decides that he or she doesn't feel a certain kinship towards a particular member, or other members in the group, the member may leave the group or may ask for help interacting with other members from another group member or a member of the Minitokyo staff. Members should always try to cooperate with each other in solving issues first before notifying a staff member. Furthermore, if there are members who applied to groups and the moderators or administrators are not active in the group any longer, any member of the group may send a support inquiry to the Minitokyo Moderators, filing a technical inquiry about what is wrong with the group and/or a request to appoint a new group administrator. Be advised that members of a group who aren't active in the group may be eliminated from the group by one of the group's administrators at their discretion.

How are group pages customized?

Customization may only be done by a group administrator. Group administrators may customize their group by going to their Control Panel, clicking on the My Groups button, and selecting the control panel of the group in question. When customizing groups, XHTML coding is used the same way it would be used in a member's own userpage. Customization should also prominently feature the purpose of the group to make it easier for members to know what the group is about. You may even sponsor contests to customize the group's page so that the other members would be able to have fun competing to create the best unique look for it. Once a new member of a group is approved by a group moderator or administrator their user name will appear on the groups page and they may begin actively posting. It is always a good idea to have a minimum of 2 or 3 administrators in a group in the event one or more of the administrators leaves Minitokyo for a prolonged period of time. Please note, no member may be an administrator of more than four different groups at any given time.

What is the Group Gallery?

The group gallery is a section of a group page where group administrators may feature selected works by members of the group. Group administrators may add items to their group gallery by going to their Control Panel, clicking on the My Groups button, selecting the control panel of the group in question, and clicking on the Group Gallery button.

Policy

What is "Policy" or "Terms of Service" and why is it important?

The Minitokyo Terms of Service is an important guide that outlines the expectations of behavior and social interaction between members and explains other policies and what is acceptable in concern to submissions and what is not. You may view the Minitokyo Terms Of Service.

The FAQ was edited and updated by Hooyaah with the assistance and support of the Minitokyo Staff, January, 2014