Style Guide for EMF Fansites
Introduction - Learn about EMF
Register - You gotta sign up to contribute!
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions.
Step-By-Step Tutorials - Don't know how to do something? Look here!
Style Guide - Learn this so your contributions don't get deleted.
Members Code of Conduct - Follow this so your account doesn't get deleted.
Fansite List - See all contributor's fansites.
In order to present a professional image to the public, and to keep CBM editors from having to spend all their time editing, we require that fansite owners follow some basic guidelines in order to participate as a contributor to CBM.
NOTE: User contributions that do NOT follow the below guidelines may be deleted.
- Write Well:
- Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation is a must. Please capitalize new sentences and especially "i".
- No "mobile phone" language allowed. Any articles that look like a teen's text message will immediately be deleted.
- Use a "spell checker" or dictionary if you are unsure of a spelling.
- Proper layout and spacing required. If you are cutting and pasting a lot, check your article and make adjustments if it looks wonky.
- DO NOT USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IN HEADLINES OR CONTENT. IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD AND IT'S JUST DAMNED ANNOYING.
- We cannot abide PLAGIARISM!
- When aggregating news from other websites, avoid taking too much.
- ALWAYS credit your source. Use the "source" fields in your newstool.
- Rewrite and provide unique content whenever possible.
- NO Messageboard "Threads" Allowed:
- Provide CONTENT, not a question meant only to get comments. We have a forum for that.
- Any contribution under a paragraph is at risk of getting deleted.
- True "articles" do NOT rely on user comments. If yours does, it may get deleted.
- If your contributions are uninteresting to a general audience, they may be deleted.
- If your editorials are not self contained, or in other words, if you are posting open-ended "thoughts" without providing analysis or argumentation, they will be deleted.
- Fill out All Fields in the Articles Management Tool:
- ESPECIALLY THE SOURCE FIELD
- Headlines need to be descriptive of the content. "My next editorial" isn't a good headline.
- Don't leave the teaser section blank. It is meant to advertise your article on the main.
- Use the source fields to credit your source if applicable.
- Click on the question marks (?) in your newstool to understand what each field is for.
- Duplicate Articles WILL be Deleted:
- Check before posting so that you aren't wasting your time doing an article someone else has already done.
- Our rule for deleting dupes is simply this... The best one stays up.
- We will try to notify the contributor through the email they registered with to explain why an article was deleted. So, please make sure you are checking your email and junk folder in case it gets junked.