News Submission Guide

[bapenguin]

The following are our news submission rules. Please follow the accordingly when submitting a post.

To submit a story click the "Submit News (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=2)" Link in the main menu on the front page. You must have at least 10 posts to submit news.



Steps to a Submission


1) Nice catchy headline. Capitalize all words except a, the, etc.

2) Don't post an entire URL string, instead make some meaningful text.

For instance, don't do:

http://www.somesite.com/story.php?252&blahgarbageblah
Instead do:

Really Cool Story (http://www.somesite.com/story.php?252&blahgarbageblah)
3) To quote from a story:

quote goes here
4) If you want to put a nice witty comment at the end, put it in italics. Remember to be concise.

I'm really witty!
5) Refer to your source if you didn't already. Make sure you give props where props is due.

Thanks to Site X (http://sitex.com) for the tip.
6) This is a big one: Uncheck the box that says "Show your signature." The news post shouldn't have the user's signature in them.

7) Keep it short. The standard format is 1) intro paragraph, 2) quote, 3) the source, and 4) short comment at the end.

8) Make sure there aren't unwarranted inflammatory remarks in the headline or body (i.e. RETARDED, GAY, etc.) unless overtly stated by the article itself.

9) Check and recheck spelling, grammar, punctuation, format, and sentence structure. Make sure that you write in complete sentences.

10) Spacing: Use "Preview Changes" to make sure it looks neat. Correct the spacing is it isn't. A well-groomed story is a story worth reading.

11) Finally, submit your story. Be patient as an editor will on-hand to review the item shortly.

12) Embedded Youtube or other videos cannot go in the news post. You may put a link to the video in the news post, or embed the video in the comments, but not the front page post itself.

13) Images in newsposts are limited to 350px in any dimension. If the image you want to include is larger, use a service like Resizr (http://www.resizr.com/) to scale the image down.

14) Do not hotlink images. If you want to include an image in a newspost, either host it yourself or use a service like Imageshack or Photobucket to host it for you.

[Heretic Machine]

5) Refer to your source if you didn't already. Make sure you give props where props is due.

Unless your source is Kotaku, in which case the new post will be ignored and we'll wait for someone else to post it with an alternate source.

[DaedalusFolly]

Perigon from the top rope!


ouch

[bapenguin]

Unless your source is Kotaku, in which case the new post will be ignored and we'll wait for someone else to post it with an alternate source.

I refuse to visit that site, so it's never my source.

[ezzkmo]

ditto on kotaku. i thank bap for not letting news from that site get on here anymore.

[Draft]

I'm a big fan of that style of posting. Keep "facts" in regular font, put your opinion in italics.

[agentgray]

I agree...and if you're making an announcement for something you've done (and gotten the ok by the big EA), please don't make it sound like a press announcement.

I also like the opinion in italics. Some of the best threads have been because of one little italic blurb.

[bapenguin]

updated this to include the signature policy. :)

[NoName]

updated this to include the signature policy. :)
Har har, I've posted news for awhile and I never thought about the sig thing. Good rule.

[Ultima Thulian]

Kotaku is just plain old bullshit.

[Varsity]

The code colours in the guide are very hard to read, how about brightening them up a little?

[MrMeatshake]

oops, just left my sig on.

[fitbabits]

Bumping this to remind people to uncheck the 'display signature' box before submitting your news post. Please. :o

[Nojiko]

Doh, I see this after I submit my first news article. I did forget to uncheck the display sig thing, *falls*. Oh well.

[Miyamootoo]

Kotaku makes me so angry with it's BS storys and headlines aimed at pissing people off.

[wmxscn]

Editor's Note - Text removed.

[Karas]

How do you submit stories? At the bottom of the page it says I may post new threads but when I try to, it say I dont have privliges or I have yet to register.

[Zechs01]

whats kotaku and whats wrong with it?

[J Arcane]

Kotaku is a blog created to exhibit the worst qualities of the online game news media, concentrated into one single focus point of absolute suck.

It is a staggering combination of blatant rumormongering, holier-than-thou ego wank, childish attempts at being "edgy", and blatant slander, with a touch of sexist twattery tossed in to spice it up when one of the editors is feeling especially bored.

It is, without question, the single worst source of gaming news on the entire web, and it is the only one I have blocked from my Gametab sources list.

Does that answer your question?

[Ultima Thulian]

Kotaku is a blog created to exhibit the worst qualities of the online game news media, concentrated into one single focus point of absolute suck.

It is a staggering combination of blatant rumormongering, holier-than-thou ego wank, childish attempts at being "edgy", and blatant slander, with a touch of sexist twattery tossed in to spice it up when one of the editors is feeling especially bored.

It is, qithout question, the single worst source of gaming news on the entire web, and it is the only one I have blocked from my Gametab sources list.

Does that answer your question?

Best description possible. Well spoken.

[Borys]

Some of the recent submissions, from cool dudes nonetheless, have been misformatted(?) and kinda weird with no italized text at the bottom, CAPSLOCK SCREAMING and personal views injected into the leading text.

Note that I have nothing against that news, it was interesting it's just about the format in which they appeared.

[fitbabits]

Some of the recent submissions, from cool dudes nonetheless, have been misformatted(?) and kinda weird with no italized text at the bottom, CAPSLOCK SCREAMING and personal views injected into the leading text.

Note that I have nothing against that news, it was interesting it's just about the format in which they appeared.
Duly noted, and it will be addressed where appropriate. :)

[Evil Avnovice]

I have a question for the members who moderate this thread: For rule #7, is it necessary to add a comment (I may have trouble adding something that would be insightful), or is it okay to include just the intro and quote paragraph? :confused:

[fitbabits]

I have a question for the members who moderate this thread: For rule #7, is it necessary to add a comment (I may have trouble adding something that would be insightful), or is it okay to include just the intro and quote paragraph? :confused:
You do not have to include a comment! It helps, but it's not a requirement.

[fitbabits]

What other sites should be avoided (besides Kotaku, I mean)?
Spong.............

[Evil Avnovice]

You do not have to include a comment! It helps, but it's not a requirement.

Just wondering. Thanks! :)

[Ultima Thulian]

What other sites should be avoided (besides Kotaku, I mean)?

Gamefaqs is great for strategies and codes, but avoid their forums at all costs.

[InfiniteAmmo]

I have recently started posting news here, and I just wanted to say, great guide. I knew pretty much what to do by observing, (that and the fact that I have a strong journalism background), but this guide was very helpful with the forum code!

[fitbabits]

I have recently started posting news here, and I just wanted to say, great guide. I knew pretty much what to do by observing, (that and the fact that I have a strong journalism background), but this guide was very helpful with the forum code!
Thanks for the compliment. What's your journalism background?

Oh, and don't forget to uncheck the "include signature" box when submitting news.

[Buggo]

Is there any sort of automatic submission for news from gaming companies, i.e. press release etc? I'm asking because I work at Relic Entertainment and would like to post some news :)

[anakin876]

I just submitted some news and forget to uncheck the sig box - is there any way to set up the "submit news" link on the side so that it automatically unchecks the "include sig" box? I imagine those who are used to submitting news on a regular basis do not have this problem - but those of us who are infrequent news submitters would appreciate it.

[r84nf04n5937f423]

6) Uncheck the box that says display Signature. The newsposts shouldn't have the user signature in them.


shit. =\
sorry.

[Liquidize105]

Added 9, 10, 11, and various other small details; tidied up guide.

[Ultima Thulian]

****** is just plain old bullshit.

Ha! It's hard to believe how such a simple comment has become so funny.

[maverickcowboy]

hi peeps, has anyone else come across the viral awards germ? i've just seen this link <snip> apparently it's the equivalent of the viral oscars or somethign. anyway, i've created some cool new stuff so will def be entering. i think the deadline is march 31st.

And, you're ban hammered! - fitbabits

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/fitbabits/BanHammer.jpg

[RorschachCCCLX]

you know, I pitty da foo, but if he had read my book, he might have survived.


http://www.worth1000.com/entries/82500/82568hnPM_w.jpg

[dojoteef]

For someone who has been a front pager for years and never actually visited the forums without going through the front page, it turns I out I submitted a news post without even knowing there were rules (though I knew the general format from visiting the site so often). It seems that this thread needs to be prominent from the front page when you click the Submit News link. Now I know there are rules, but not before I made my first news submission.

[fitbabits]

Bumping for a reason.....

We just banned EIGHT users for posting from the same IP address. Their crime? Shilling. To be clear, shilling will never be tolerated and will always result in a ban - both of the user and any associated IP addresses.

[Sandman]

Bumping for a reason.....

We just banned EIGHT users for posting from the same IP address. Their crime? Shilling. To be clear, shilling will never be tolerated and will always result in a ban - both of the user and any associated IP addresses.

How do you bump a stickied thread?

[Ultima Thulian]

Well, it comes up as fresh in your user CP, so it's kinda like a bump.

Eight people fits? Jesus...fucking shills.

I tell ya, they are fucking cock-a-roaches! DIE MARICONES!

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o110/ultima13/scarface4.gif

[fitbabits]

How do you bump a stickied thread?
In order to get it on the sidebar.

[Sandman]

In order to get it on the sidebar.

News stories don't show up on my sidebar.

[RestlessAvenger]

Bumping for a reason.....

We just banned EIGHT users for posting from the same IP address. Their crime? Shilling. To be clear, shilling will never be tolerated and will always result in a ban - both of the user and any associated IP addresses.

If they were found where I think they were found... I thank you.

[fitbabits]

News stories don't show up on my sidebar.
Ack! I meant on the New Posts screen. Anyway, you replied, which validates me bumping it.

[AnDhiRi]

Visit the DARK SIDE OF THE WORLD ... .

And get yourself Ban Hammered while you're at it! - fitbabits

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a390/fitbabits/BanHammer.jpg

[Ultima Thulian]

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o110/ultima13/Ban-Bucket.jpg

[DylonCorp]

So where do we go to apologize for submitting an old story that already has a thread with 100 comments?

[Dr.Finger]

People, please don't just submit press releases as news posts. If you have a press release that you want to put out, PM me. If you're a press agent I'll gladly give you my email and you can send it to me directly.

If you're quoting a press release, don't quote the entire thing. Just give the important details. We've had a lot of news submissions the last few days that are absurdly and needlessly long.

Quick, catchy, concise.

[Johan]

People, please don't just submit press releases as news posts. If you have a press release that you want to put out, PM me. If you're a press agent I'll gladly give you my email and you can send it to me directly.

If you're quoting a press release, don't quote the entire thing. Just give the important details. We've had a lot of news submissions the last few days that are absurdly and needlessly long.

Quick, catchy, concise.

Unlike your post? ;)

Pity! I mean, pithy! :D

[Bone]

Crap.. so I forgot to uncheck my sig, like a jackass. Any way for me to edit the submitted story?

EDIT: Just waited for the story to post and fixed it. Nevermind ;)

[Dr.Finger]

Another rule: Just submitting a link with "and there's nothing more to say" as the entire news post is not going to fly. If you can't be bothered to write an actual news post, then don't bother.

[Dr.Finger]

New Policy on Images in News posts

We're instituting a new policy on putting images in front page news posts.

- No more than two images in the news post. If there are more, just link to them or add them to the first reply.

- Center the image. Either use the 'center justify' button in the editor, or use the (center)(/center) tags around the image (subbing [] for () of course )

- Images are limited to no more than 500px combined in any dimension. If your image is larger, then use a service like Resizr (http://www.resizr.com/) to adjust the size. If you want you can make the image itself a link to the larger version by placing (url=larger image location) (/url) tags around the image (subbing [] for () of course )

- No Hotlinking. If you want to use an image in your post, copy it and either host it yourself or use a service like Imageshack, Flickr or Photobucket to host it for you. Bad things happen when you hotlink without permission.

- Animated .gifs and embedded videos are not allowed on the front page. If your post centers around one, either include a link to the video, or embed it in the first reply.

- Ask yourself if the image is really necessary before posting it.

[Dr.Finger]

Another reminder everyone - a quote is not a news post.

A proper news post needs to have the key elements of the story spelled out in the body of the story. It can be supplemented by a blockquote, but it cannot consist entirely of a blockquote. Even if a bit of info is in the headline, you should still include it in the body of the story.

[Talon-]

Serious question: Why exactly did we lose the Edit button in the News forum?

[Dr.Finger]

Serious question: Why exactly did we lose the Edit button in the News forum?
Someone got pissy and edited their news post to include porn. We cannot allow that to happen. Unfortunately we can't just disable edit in the actual newspost, so we had to kill the edit button in the entire news forum.

[Talon-]

Someone got pissy and edited their news post to include porn. We cannot allow that to happen. Unfortunately we can't just disable edit in the actual newspost, so we had to kill the edit button in the entire news forum.

Ah that's a shame. And, again, one bad guy ruins it for everyone.

[f1sh3r]

Someone got pissy and edited their news post to include porn. We cannot allow that to happen. Unfortunately we can't just disable edit in the actual newspost, so we had to kill the edit button in the entire news forum.

why can i still edit my posts in the news forums?

[NoName]

why can i still edit my posts in the news forums?

Because you're not wearing pants?

[f1sh3r]

Because you're not wearing pants?

is that really it? i was under the impression nobody could (other than reds of course). i'm not complaining, god knows i say a lot of dumb things that need to be edited, but i was always curious.

[Talon-]

Dr. Finger, I will sell you my unborn children (or my tests, whichever you prefer) for the ability to edit news posts.

Seriously.

[Talon-]

Irony is a cruel, cruel mistress.