One of the things I've come to notice about New Member Q&A is how many times I've seen several topics repeated again and again and again. I've been meaning to do this for quite some time and just now finally got around to doing it. I've spent the past two days putting together what I believe to be the most-asked questions in NM Q&A in the hopes that it'll help keep these topics to a minimal. Others may be added in the future if they were forgotten or just need to be added.

Please, if you have any feedback, whether it's suggestions, criticism, questions, or anything else, don't hesitate to leave a comment. Also, if you deem this worthy, I wouldn't mind some signature/blog advertising of some sort. Anything that will actually get this seen by the people who need it is most appreciated.

Before even asking or answering a question in NM Q&A, one should be sure to read the New Member Q&A Guidelines. The specific things I'd like to highlight for those asking the questions are:

1) Check the BZPower Compendium before asking any question.

2) Make sure the same question wasn't just asked recently. Check the recent pages in NM Q&A and/or use the search function with key words.

3) If you do make a topic, please put the question directly in the topic's title. This is helpful for those after you who are checking to see if the same question has already been asked.

Finally, I can't stress this enough. NM Q&A is for BZPower-related questions only. If what you're asking is a personal request (i.e. I've been out of the loop. Can somebody bring me up to speed on Bionicle's story?) then this either belongs in your signature or, if you're a premier member, you can use your blog. If your question has to do with Proto Energy, Premier Membership, Pictures, Brickshelf/Majhost/photo-hosting sites, or BBCode then use the topics listed below in the "Helpful Topics" section rather than posting a topic in NM Q&A.

Frequently Asked Questions

The topics are all messed up for me. All the posts now show up as a list like this.

Your forum display mode has been switched to Outline, most likely by clicking a link provided by somebody else who uses this mode. To switch back, click the drop down menu in the upper-right corner of a page's first post and then click "Switch to: Standard" (or Linear+ if you so prefer that style).

Spoiler tags don't work when I click on them.

1) Make sure you have the BZP skin set to "IPB 2.2.0 Default". This can be easily changed on most pages in the lower-left corner of the page.

2) *note to self: possibly a javascript problem for the culprit as well?*

The Proto Bars/Spinnies/Rank Images are missing!

1) This also can be caused by using the wrong BZP skin. Make sure you have the BZP skin set to "IPB 2.2.0 Default". This can be easily changed on most pages in the lower-left corner of the page.

Can I delete a topic I made?

1) No you cannot. However if you report the first post in your topic you can make a request to have it closed. The staff will typically not delete a topic you've made.

I can't change my display name.

1) After changing your display name you must wait a certain period of time. For regular members it's 90 days. For Premier Members the wait is 45 days. If you're an Outstanding BZPower Citizen (OBZPC) the wait is 30 days, regardless of premier status. Also keep in mind that you must wait until the exact same moment of the day to change. Has it been 89 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes? Well then, the wait isn't over.

My name accidentally got changed into something wrong. (OR) I don't like my current display name. Can I get the staff to change it back/into something else?

1) Sorry, pal, but you're stuck with it. No matter how bad you want your name changed, unless it is actually breaking the rules, the staff are not going to change it. You'll just have to wait it out.

Is there any way I can send a PM to more than one person at a time?

1) The short answer: No. The long answer: Nope.

I currently see that I have -1 New Messages on BZPower. What is this? How do I get rid of it?

1) It's just a bug and it will go back to normal next time you receive a PM. If it really bothers you that much you can send a PM to yourself to fix it.

How can I report an offensive or rule-breaking comment on my/somebody's profile page?

1) All you need to know is right here.

I see that some people have things like "Turaga", "Tohunga", "Emerging Flying Force", etc. under their avatar when they post. What are these?

1) Those are the posting ranks. After you post so many times your rank will go up and this will change to reflect that. If you're premier you also get images to go with the ranks. What all the ranks are and how many posts are required for each is a secret, so don't bother asking. Also, posting in the New Member Q&A, Bionicle Artwork II: Shops & Kits, Bionicle Games & Trivia, BZP Voting Booth, or Completely Off Topic subforums do not increase your post count or rank.

How do I start my own blog?

1) You must be a Premier Member to start a blog of your own. Check the Blog HQ for all your blogging-related questions as well as this topic about Premier Membership.

My friend/sibling/etc. signed up for an account on BZPower but now they can't log-in.

1) If their account was made on the same computer as the one yours was, odds are it was automatically deleted. BZPower automatically deletes second accounts coming from the same IP address to prevent members from making multiple accounts for themselves. Send Black Six a PM about it and he'll take care of you.

HELPFUL TOPICS

New Member Q&A Guidelines

BZPower Compendium

The final topic on Proto Energy (PE)

!Pictures Topic!

Official Brickshelf/Maj Help Topic

Official BBCode Help Topic

Premier Membership

Change log

02/21/11: First release

02/22/11: Made a couple small changes suggested by Mysterious Minifig. Also added question about siblings/etc. having their account deleted. I knew I was forgetting something...

02/23/11: Added question regarding missing proto/spinny/rank images at Mysterious Minifig's suggestion.