Welcome to the Zombie Preparedness Initiative
As a new user, we would like to welcome you, but also offer some advice. Many new users to the site have questions, ranging from questions about our organization or perhaps some questions about zombies themselves, or perhaps just about how to use the site. The links located towards the bottom of the page (no, not the Google ads, just above that) should be able to answer nearly any question you may have. That said, we have found that new users could generally use a few pieces of advice.
How To Get Along & Not Get Banned
Follow The Rules
This site is, first and foremost, a place for knowledge to be shared, but we have found that some people don't understand how to share their knowledge in a constructive way, so please, follow the rules. The site rules are created for everyone's benefit to help make discussions and debates more successful and interesting.
Post Relevantly, Post Intelligently
If you have read the rules page or the FAQ page this point will be clear -- we don't like sieving through crap on this site, so make your posts clear and interesting. Use whole words (as opposed to IM shorthand), proper spelling/grammar/punctuation, and avoid cursing. You should also check through the forums for topics previously posted, it is all too common for someone to post something that has been posted before, striking up a new debate that everyone has already talked about. You should also be aware of the forbidden topics which will result in anything from a very disruptive flame war from members to an outright banning.
Observe And Inquire
One of the best pieces of advice that can really be given to users is to sit back and observe. Fill in your profile, perhaps create a little fiction and leave some comments, but for the first week or so that you are on the site, play it cool and get an understanding about what ZPI members are interested in. Of course you can always directly ask users, either through private message or by just dropping a comment in the forum.
Creating New Content
This is just a simple two-step tutorial to get you started posting material. There is more information that you will want to know, and there are many subtleties involved with the different types of content, so you may want to check the new content tutorial. If you do become confused with how the content is arranged on ZPI, it may help you to dig a little into the Drupal website as ZPI is built on the Drupal site framework.
Step One: Create Content
In the main menu click Create Content and choose the content type that you want to create.
Step Two: Fill in the Blanks
Depending on the type of content you choose, there will be a number of things that will need to be filled in. Generally speaking, you will need to enter a title in the Title field and add the main content in the Body field. In some situations you will need to assign a parent category or you may need to fill in other fields which are explained further on the tutorial explaining how to set up new content.
Remember: Follow the Guidelines
Make sure that when you create new content you follow the guidelines laid down in the help section. You should remember that one way to make great posts is to keep them short, concise, and simple while still conveying precisely what people should be responding to. Remember forum topics are used to illicit debate and discussion so when you make a post, it should leave the reader with a clear understanding of what they are to respond to.
A Side Note About Points
One question that frequently plagues new users is the question about what the points are for. The answer is simple: nothing. Alright, that's a vague lie, it is used for something, but nothing you can control nor anything you should worry about. Points are one method we use to determine seniority and/or site participation and they are also used in some functions that will change site functionality. Points will limit the type of content you can create and will control where you are directed when you login. In the future, points may play a bigger role, though at this time it is minor. Ultimately, you shouldn't worry about points -- focus on participating in the most constructive manner possible and points won't matter in the slightest.
