Notes and Thoughts in a Virtual World

Unofficial FAQ Version 19.00

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Part 2-3 Follow immediately after this post.

[color=#000000]Home[/color]
To navigate the guide click on one of the blue links to forward you to the section described:
Generic
Generic questions.
User Specific Information Questions
Questions about your personal preferences, your profile, how to change certain options, and features of your profile page.
Contributions
Contributions: Explains how you can contribute to a guide and what the various forms of contributions are. Also elaborates on proper format for quotes and what the comment section on the submission form is for.
Forum Questions
Questions (or link) to rules and regulations on the Forum, and generic questions about forum usage.
HTML/BBCode
How to use HTML and BBcode.
Forum/Smiley Emoticons
How to make various :) ;) smilies.
Show Guide Questions
Questions about how to see the show guide in the method prefered by the user (i.e. an episode guide without ads; episode list numbered the way you want).
Known Bugs
Known bugs: a collection of known bugs, solutions (if available) and/or reminders of particular bug issues on the website.
TV.com Staff List
A list of TV.com's staff, as maintained by [b]The_Huntsman[/b].
Other Guides
There are many user made guides and threads that can be helpful to those trying to better use and understand this website.

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[color=#000000]Generic:[/color]

Q1) What is a “FAQ”?

A - Frequently Asked Questions

Q2) Could someone explain TV.com, present and future, to me?

Past: TV.com started life as TV Tome (a website that contained episode guides for tv shows). Somewhere along the line, Collaborative Content was formed (either before TV Tome was launched or after launch). Then "CNET purchased Collaborative Content which owned both TV Tome and Movie Tome" (quote from TVTome_John). After about three months of work (according to Snide’s blog) the new TV.com website went live on June 1st 2005.

Present: "They chosen for now to focus TV.com on only TV and not list movie credits."

Future: "They do however own Movie Tome and have access to all the info listed there. It's likely that at some point the TV and Movie info will be more highly integrated than it is now but exactly how that will happen hasn't been decided yet."

Thanks ntonks_tvtome & TVTome_John

Q3) How does the System work?

Question is too broad.

Q4) Who can contribute to a television guide?

Any registered user that is at least Level 2. To register, click here.

Thanks for reminding me summer_heat

Q5) How do I become Level 2, you might ask?

Basically: As summer_heat notes: "All registered users earn points toward their level for browsing the site, writing reviews, posting on the boards and posting in their blog. Levels are calculated nightly."

Q6) Is the contribution immediately added?

No, the contribution must be processed by an editor (or a moderator if there isn’t an editor, or if the editor doesn’t have control of processing contributions yet).

Q7) Is there a cap on the amount of points that I can receive in a day from contributions?

Yes, see this thread.

Q8[b][/b]) How do I become an editor?

For shows without an editor: Contribute enough information to receive at least 80 points before someone else passes that mark.
For shows with an editor: Contribute enough information to have more points than the current editor. The total number of points needed is not clear, but it has been reported that 76 points more than the editor (for example the editor has 80 points and you have 156 points) is not enough to become the new editor, and 105 points more than the current editor (same example, modified: editor: 80 points, you: 185 points) is enough to be named editor.

People Guides: Need at least 40 points to be made the editor of a People Guide.

Q9) I have 105 points more than the current editor has, but I have not been named editor. Why?

It is possible that a bug is keeping you from becoming the new editor. A more likely answer, though, is that the title has not yet shifted because a certain amount of time needs to occur before the title shifts, and that needed amount of time has not yet occurred. How much time? Not yet determined.

Q10) Why is there a point limit to how many more points you can have over a current editor to take the show away from them? Why doesn't it happen when you have more than one point and wouldn't it happen by the time you hit 30 more points?

Why? I do not know TV.com's exact reasoning, but it is my understanding that the need to have significantly more points than the current editor to assume the editor title is based on a desire to keep the editor title from switching hands every day (or something along these lines; also, it is something of a "wake-up call" to the editor to get a move on and start contributing to the guide). Why not switch over by the time you get more than 30 points? Maybe it does. The only evidence that I currently have is that 76 points more than the current editor is apparently not enough, and 105 more points is enough to switch the editor title. The total number of points needed is probably somewhere in between, and the point threshold might actually be 77 points above the current editor.

thanks for the tip Yakira.

Q11) How do I get "points" on a specific show guide/In general?

Specific show: Make Contributions to the show including trivia, notes, allusions, stars (guest or show stars), etc.

General (as in, how do I advance in levels): Contribute to a show, rate episodes, write reviews, post in forums, in your blog (blog = web log, somewhat like a web diary), etc.

As neutronvortex05 notes: Do the following and your level/rank percentage will increase:
“Not exactly in order, but some do give more to the level/rank percentage than others do. No one really knows which ones give the most though.

1. Post in the forums.
2. Blog.
3. Comment in other people's blogs.
4. Submit reviews for shows and episodes.
5. Add shows/persons to your favorites' lists.
6. Get added to other people's friends' lists, add people to your friends list.
7. Surf the site.”
8. Work on your profile (banner/picture/etc.).

Q12) How many points to I get for various contributions?

The information can be determined by trial and error, but is currently and purposely left undefined by TV.com. Some speculation can be found in comments made in Snide’s blog. Note: If you think you have figured out the point system, well, be aware that the system is being changed (use the link above).

Q13) Can I step down from becoming an editor?

TV.com prefers that “you handle retirement by setting a trusted user and letting them naturally score more points then you” (trusted user or trusted contributor).

Thanks ianolito for the Q&A

Q14) What is a trusted contributor/How do I become one/What powers do they have?

A trusted contributor is chosen by the editor. A trusted contributor must have 40 points, and only two contributors may be made trusted contributors at one time. A trusted contributor has their submissions processed immediately. Powers: Trusted Contributors can do "Everything that the editor is able to do except adding/editing show summary and show stars and they do not have access to the Mod Queue for the guide."

Thanks Yakira and neutronvortex05
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[color=#000000]User Specific Information Questions:[/color]

Q15) What’s this weird puppet picture by my name/How do I change my icon picture?

That is the default icon. To change the default icon go to “preferences” in the upper right corner next to your user name. A pop-up window will appear (at least in Internet Explorer). Select the Profile tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Use the pull-down menu to select a new icon (menu next to current icon picture).

Q16) Is there a free image hosting website that I might use?

Suggestions: Photobucket.com, 2and2.net, and www.imageshack.us.

Thanks Yakira

Q17) How do you put shows onto your profile so you can makle that little pie chart work (so that the show is added to your favorites)?

Go to a show, I'll randomly pick Family Guy for this example. Look at the right hand column. Look below the advertisement, see that "Add to My Shows" button? Click on it. That show will now appear on your profile.

Q18[b][/b]) How do I see my level/profile, etc.?

Click on your user name at the top right of the screen.

Q19) Why do they allow others to see my personal information?

Important: That personal information (real name, age, etc.) listed under your personal profile section on your user page? Apparently only you can see that information, except for the website one.

No need to set your profile to private to hide your personal information.

Q20) What does my rank (level) mean/What are emblems?

There are 50 ranks/levels, and an unknown number of emblems. Click here to find out about ranks and emblems.

Q21) What are the powers associated with acquiring a particular level/rank?

Level 2: Can now contribute to guide
Level 3: Can now use bbcode/html
Level 5: If editor, now have access to your show's mod queue.

Q22) How do I tell if someone is tracking me?

First Note: Social Butterfly Emblem: as noted in the thread linked above, this emblem is for a “[u]ser [that] has over 20 friends.” If a person has this emblem, then this means that they are tracking over 20 people. Is there an emblem for those that have over 20 people tracking them? No.

Second Note: How do I tell if someone is tracking you? At the moment, the method is somewhat similar to attempting to see which shows that you have contributed information. You have to individually inspect each and every person on the system to find everyone that is tracking you, and if they have a private profile, you will not be able to tell if they are tracking you (just like you have to inspect each show to see if your name is on the contribution list).

Thanks Yakira, for reminding me of this issue

Q23) What does that graph in my profile display?

The graph displays your percentage in a particular level. If you are 1% away from the next level, then most of the bar on the graph will be filled, and once you reach the next level, the percentage bar starts over.

Q24) What does that pie chart in the “Personal Statistics” displaying, and how does it work?

This pie chart breaks down all of the shows that you have selected as your favorites, and displays them according to the show’s genre. A show can have more than one genre. If a show is both a comedy and a drama, then that show will count in both the comedy and drama section of the pie chart (which is why it can seem as if you have more shows in your pie chart than you have selected as favorites).

Thanks Yakira

Q25) How do I know how many contribution points I have for a particular show/How do I tell which shows I have contributed for?

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, there is not a quick method to check your total contribution points or find out which shows you have contributed information. If you scroll down your profile page, you will come to a section titled: “Contributions”. If you are an editor (only one possible per show) or a trusted contributor (only two possible per show), then you can click on the show displayed in this section. Scroll down, find the “Top Contributors” section, click on the “All Show Contributors” button. There is your contribution points for that particular show. For all other shows where you are not a trusted contributor or editor, you will need to search all shows to find your contribution points if you are in the top ten (clicking on the “All show Contributors” button as mentioned above, and found as indicated above).

Another method of finding your contribution points is to use Google. On Google: Go to advanced search, enter “TV.com” in the domain name section (make sure the drop down menu says “only”), insert your user name in the “with all of the words” field at the top of the screen, press the “Google Search” button. The Google's results will also have a "cache" button next to the result. If you are not currently in the top ten for a particular show, then you might find some notion of what your points might be by clicking on the "cache" button. It is possible that you were on the top ten list in the past and the cached website that Google finds for you might reveal this fact.

Note: The Google search method does not seem to work for all user names, for some reason. Still seems to only work for certain user names.

Q26) How often does my rank/level change?/When is my rank/level updated?

As ntonks_tvtome notes: "the update is very erratic, it doesn't seem to be automatic yet." And adds that the TV.com staff work on the west coast of the US, and therefore "bear in mind, that the staff is on pacific time zone." See Snide’s Blog: “Yes, it will be automated and run nightly. Not the whenever we decide to run it system we've used the last couple weeks.”

Special mention: Yakira

Q27) How do I add a picture to my profile?

Click on “Preferences” at the top of the screen (next to your user name). Click on the “Profile” tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Insert a URL address into the “URL for Personal Image” field (yes, you need to have the image somewhere on the internet, there are hosting websites; do not violate copyright laws).

Q28[b][/b]) How do I add a banner to my profile?

Click on “Preferences” at the top of the screen (next to your user name). Click on the “Profile” tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Insert a URL address into the “URL for Profile Banner Image field (yes, you need to have the image somewhere on the internet, there are hosting websites; do not violate copyright laws).

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[color=#000000]Contributions:[/color]

Q29) I would like to contribute information about a show, how do I do that?

Go to the show that you would like to add information to (found by entering the show name in the search bar). I do not want to get to detailed at this time. If you have something to add for a specific episode, go to that specific episode and add the information in the correct section (have guest star information? Click on the episode tab, then click on the episode title, then click on the cast tab, then click on the add button).

Q30) What do the various sections mean?
(Allusions, Notes, Trivia, Episode Quotes, etc)

Using Dream On as an example: Starting on the front page you see:
Left Column:
Top: Station: The channel or station that the show appeared on in its initial run (Dream On was on HBO first, and later in the broadcast run, an edited version of the show appeared simultaneously on FOX, but only the HBO shows up on the page).
Show Status: Ended (original show run is over), Returning Series (show is currently on the air, or between seasons), New Series.
Show Category (a.k.a "Genre"): Show might fall into 1 of 14 categories (Action/Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Drama, Game Shows, Movie/Mini-Series, News/Documentary, Reality, Science-Fiction, Soap, Sports, Talk Shows, Variety Shows).
Right Column:
"Add to My Shows" button - this is the button to press to add a show to your list of Favorite Shows (or shows that you track, this is also the list that is used for updates that are sent out).
"Review this Show" button - this allows you to review the entire show (Episode specific review - go to that episode and click on "review" button; Review section - Important Note: The summary section is for a summary of your review, not a summary of the show).
"Print Episode Guide" - Clean ad free copy of the episode guide (list of episodes with stars/writers/directors/and a summary of each episode).

Allusions: As mgreen789 noted: "Allusion is a reference to something else, as in a historical, literary, or TV reference of something that is mentioned in the episode.” As GeorgeFergus noted: "An allusion is a reference to something outside the show that the viewer might not be familiar with. This includes people, objects or events currently in the news, or from history, or from books, movies, or other TV shows." As my dictionary puts it: "an indirect reference to something." Example: 20th Dream On episode is titled: "Futile Attraction" which might be referring to the "Fatal Attraction" movie, both contain a relatively insane woman.

Notes: Again, as mgreen789 noted (and sorry to others who have provided good answers, hope to track them down eventually): "all the facts about the episode, if it was the first, how many viewers it had, if it was an actor's last appearance on the show, if someone didn't appear, etc." Basically, anything show related that doesn't belong in the episode synopsis/summary. For example, I have noted in the Notes section on the Dream On guide when a particular actor is listed in the credits as a "Special Guest Star."

Episode synopsis/summary: Basically: a short description of an episode, should contain something about the plot, characters in the episode, etc., but without giving away the ending.

Recap: A summary of the episode that details the entire show, beginning to end, and includes all the characters, plot points, etc.

Trivia: At the moment, this is the category to place goofs (which had its own category at one time). A brief example of a goof: In a scene on Dream On: Martin is given a tray with food on it, the camera looks away, then back at Martin, the tray has mysteriously disappeared. Trivia also contains the somewhat less show specific information that does not normally appear in the synopsis or Notes section. For example, for certain episodes of Dream On, I've included information about the actor in the trivia section (like the actor later starred on "Friends").

Episode Quotes: Quotes from the episode.

Look at this thread. Thanks KarenHilly, very informative answer.

Q31) What is the Proper Format for Episode Quotes:?

The proper format for quotes is based on the format used in a TV script, where there are no quotation marks:

<>Speaker One< /b > (falling off his bike): @#5*%$!
<>Speaker Two< /b >: Is that a banned word?

Thanks GeorgeFergus; left out the ""'s around your words as I didn't want to complicate the issue

Q32) What is the Comment Section on the Submission Form for?

A: It is there to help the person moderating your submission process it more quickly. It is the first thing the moderator sees, and should describe what you are submitting, and provide any additional info the moderator may need to judge that it is an accurate contribution. If it is something simple like a new quote, very little comment is needed. On the other hand, if you are editing one word in the middle of an episode summary, you'll need to point that out so the moderator knows what to look for. If you are correcting a factual error, you may need to give a reference that allows it to be corroborated.

Another good reason to add a comment is to help you keep track of your own submissions. Suppose there is a delay in the acceptance of submissions, like there is right now, and you forget whether or not you have submitted a particular piece of information. If you go to the history of your submissions at http://www.tv.com/usersubmission/submission_profile.html and check the pending ones, all you will see is the date it was submitted, the name of the show, the type of submission, and your comment. A meaningful comment may be the only thing that allows you to remember exactly what each entry is.

Thanks GeorgeFergus; left out the ""'s around your words as I didn't want to complicate the issue

Q33) How do I add a person’s name (as guest star, producer, etc.)?

See above then continue here. Go to the “Add a new show star” section. Enter the last name of the person in the correct box. Press the search button. Move your mouse to that section. Highlight/select the first name in the results box. Press the key on your keyboard that corresponds to the first name of the person. (Example: looking for James Brown. Enter Brown, press the search button, “highlight” Deborah Brown (or whatever top name you get), press “J” on your keyboard, keep pressing “J” until you find James Brown).

Note: Please double check your work before you decide to “add” a name. If you are having trouble finding the name in the search box, check to see if the name exists by searching on another browser to see if the actor has a Person Guide. Thank-you. Thanks Yakira.

Q34) "How does one designate a special episode when adding it?"/How does one add a special episode like a pilot or TV movie?

Beginning of season/series: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "Well, if the episode is at the beginning of a season before the first episode, then you can type in "special" or another word, and the episode number will disppear.

Middle of season/series: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "If it appears later in the season, you can set it as the same number as another episode by just adding a ".5" after the number."

GeorgeFergus: "No, you shouldn't do that. When it has the same number as another episode, then neither of them can be edited. Every episode MUST have a unique number.

It is a bug in the entry form that it allows you to enter a number with a decimal and doesn't recognize it as a duplicate number."

What do you do if it is a special that occurs during the normal production run (in season special)? At the moment, I do not know.

End of season/series special: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "If it's at the end of a season, you can set the lifetime number as a high number and then set the season number to after the last episode of that season."

Thanks General_Atreyu & The_Unknown2, and GeorgeFergus

Q35) How do tell when your submission is accepted or denied?

Submissions/Contributions: As jekyll notes: "Go to your Profile>>>>My History>>>>Submissions" Click on your user name at the top right hand corner of the website screen. Click on the tab labeled "My History." Click on the tab labeled "Submission Status."

Q36) Why are the line breaks not showing when I preview submissions?

Look at the discussion at this thread.

Thanks ianolito

Q37) How do I add an episode?

TVTome_Shadow: "Yes, click the blue "Contribute" button on the right, then click "Add a New Episode" on the following page."

Q38[b][/b]) How do I delete an episode?

As VillaFan notes: "Only TV.com staff can delete episodes at the moment. I believe Cooncesean is in charge of that area of guides."

Q39) How do I add a show?

Use the Request to Add a Show form.

Q40) How do I delete a show?

Use the Request to Delete a Show form.

Thanks ianolito

Q41) I would like to add information to the news section, can I do that?

Simple answer: No. At the moment the news section is updated by TV.com staff. Eventually (if not now), an editor for a particular show will be able to add news information.

Q42) I would like to add pictures to show guides or people guides, can I do that?

Simple answer: No. Users cannot add pictures to the episode guides (shows) nor can they add pictures to the people guides. Because of copyright concerns, TV.com adds pictures, not users.

Q43) I could add pictures at TV Tome, why not here?

The seemingly simple answer is that TV Tome was a free website and TV.com is a commercial website. At the moment, though, this distinction is not easy to see, as both allowed free access to the guides, but required registration to contribute information. Both, also, had advertisements. Neither had/has a section or sections that requires payment to access (other CNet websites, though, have premium sections).

Q44) Who controls banners for shows?

At the present time, TV.com staff create and place the banners onto the various show guides. This might change in the future.
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[color=#000000]Forum Questions:[/color]

Q45) Are there rules and regulations to using the Forum?

See GameSpot Community Terms of Service By Gamespot.com. I've been informed that the GameSpot TOS will be the basis for the rules and regulations to be used on TV.com.

Q46) Is it possible to report someone who is offensive/abusive and if so how?

VillaFan: "Just select the offending post from that individual and in the bottom right hand corner there's a "Report Abuse to Moderator" function you can use to alert staff of that offending post and member."

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Q47) How do I make the various types of emotions (like :))?

[color=#000000]Forum/Smiley Emoticons:[/color] credit to The RagingGamer

“These forums use the same smiley system as GameSpot, but in GameSpot we have a little pulldown bar for them that automatically inserts them in the post. Since this site doesnt have that (hint hint), heres a guide to all of them. Feel free to post this in other parts of the forums.

In order to use any of these smileys, simply insert the part left of the '=' anywhere in your post.
[b]
:D = :D
:arrow: = :arrow:
: = :
:? = :?
8) = 8)
:cry: = :cry:
:evil: = :evil:
:!: = :!:
:idea: = :idea:
:question: = :question:
:lol: = :lol:
:x = :x
:oops: = :oops:
:P = :P
:o = :o
:roll: = :roll:
:( = :(
:shock: = :shock:
:) = :)
:twisted: = :twisted:
:wink: [/b]or ;) = :wink:

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[color=#000000]HTML/BBCode:[/color]

Q48[b][/b]) I've made a list/FAQ/other and every time that I get to #8, I get a smiley face, what do I do?

Well, you could put the number down as #8, or - 8 - or the like, but if you want to put the number as 8[b][/b]), instead of 8), then you will need to put [ b ] [ /b ] between the 8 and the ).

Q49) How do you use bbcode/html code?

If you are below Level 3, according to Snide’s blog, you will not be able to use bbcode or html code, unless you are a level 2 and you are contributing something.

If you use html/bbcode, don't forget to include both the opening and ending code (i.e. bold: opening: <> closing: < /b > (Very Important, easy to forget, like I do sometimes :oops:, and don't forget to use that [ b ][ /b ] trick if you are going to use the ) for something other than a smile next to :[b][/b]).

Bbcode: see the HTML guide below (substitute [ ] for < >, does not always work). Differences between HTML and bbcode are here:

1: [color=#FF5500]Color[/color]: [ color = #FF5500 ] [ /Color] -> slightly different than HTML.

For colors: Collection of Color codes

Another collection of colors: Colors

Another Guide, this one specifically for HTML codes by rwing8 with modest additions and editing by me.

Ok I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what you can and can't do with html on this site and I found this information. Feel free to use it, just if someone asks were you learned please give me (rwing8[b][/b]) some credit, thanks.

Here are some of the HTML codes: Spaces have been included to allow the code to be displayed (you can also see the how someone does something particularly neat by clicking on the “Quote” button as this will reveal the code for you) but remember to not include spaces between the codes or they will not work.


Text Modifiers:

<> Bold < /b >

Bold

<> Italic < /i >

Italic

<> Underlined < /u >

Underlined

<> mssage < /em><>
<> message < /strong><>

example: Emphasized text
br another way to hit enter
Strong text


Text with Color: < color = "Color Name"> message here < /font>

example: message here

Text Size: < size = "Any number"> message here < /font> (Any number - I believe that it is 1-25).

example: this is 12 font

Text Font: < face = "Type of font"> message < /font>

example: this is Times

Links:
< href=" http://www.tv.com/"> TV.com Home Page (description of link here) < /a>

example: TV.com Home Page

Color Links:

To make a link be something other than blue (on TV.com), you need to change the color of the text.

< href=" http://www.tv.com/"> < color =" red"> TV.com Home Page (description of link here) < /a > < /font >

example: TV.com Home Page

Images/Pictures:

< src = "http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/MikeBriggs/maui.jpg">

example: (image wasn’t working, so here is one of the house cats for an example).

Resized Images/Pictures:

This is how you can resize an image:
Original image code:
[img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/Yakira620/1624d931.bmp"]
Gives you:


Changing the code to: < src = "web site link" width = "number" height = "number">

To Change the width/height of an image, example: This:
[img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/Yakira620/1624d931.bmp" width = "200" height = "125"]
Gives you:


Remember to replace the [ and the ] with <> , repectively.

If you use this you will want to use a ratio so that the image does not end up distorted or stretched out.

Lines:

message <> message

example: Top of line

---

bottom of line

Preformatted Text:

<>< /pre > (for preformatted)

Q- I don't understand how to use the preformatted option. I don't know what it does or how it works. But it looks like something I would want to use. Could someone please explain it to me?

A- In general, on web pages in html, multiple spaces are ignored. They are reduced to a single space. So, even though you may have arranged something into nice columns in the editing window, the columns disappear when you view the result:

Example:
Starting
Title Season Year Rating Eps
1 Random 1 1952 4.45 83
2 Random2 83 1932 4.44 50

If, on the other hand, you precede and follow the exact same block of text with the tags <> and < /pre >, then you get what you originally intended:

My Favorite Shows:
                                   Starting
   Title         Season      Year      Rating   Eps
1 Random            1        1952      4.45      83
2 Random2          83        1932      4.44      50

Thanks Yakira and GeorgeFergus

Another HTML guide: Basic HTML Tutorial Guide

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[color=#000000]Show Guide Questions:[/color]

Q50) Is there a way to see just the episodes (with summary) without all the advertisements and searching all the sections/Is there a “clean copy” of the episodes (with summary)?

Go to the show you wish to examine. Click on the "Print Ep Guide" button that is located on the right side of the screen (below the advertisement), and in the "Community" section. Clicking this button with provide you with a "clean" episode guide.

Q51)Formatting: I do/don't like seeing the episodes listed as: 2-1 (season 2, episode 1) or 15 (overall episode number, might be in the 1st, or later season)?

Click on the "Preferences" button at the upper right hand corner of the screen. Click on the "Profile" tab. Scroll down to the second section ("Browsing Preferences"). Change the first selection as desired ("Episode Number Format": Flat Count ("also referred to as the lifetime episode number when you submit a new episode"), Season-Episode number (i.e. 2-6), both).

Thanks Yakira
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[color=#000000]Known Bugs:[/color]

Q52) I can't see images, why not?

Some users will have some initial problem seeing images. As GeorgeFergus notes: "If you can't see any of the images on the site, such as buttons you need to be able to click on, it's probably because images are stored on a separate site called images.com.com, and you'll need to change the security settings in your browser to allow access to that site." Also: "Some of the content on the TV show pages may not be visible unless your browser has Macromedia's Flash plug-in installed. To test if you have Flash, you can go to the Macromedia website." As Digger 3000 noted: "I located the "HOSTS" file in my system directory and removed the line "image.com.com 127.0.0.1" from the file. That's the line that was redirecting image.com.com back to my computer." And as Talvix noted: "You can safely delete the entire line, it really shouldn't be there in the first place. Or you can comment it out by placing a # (hash character) in the beginning of the line:
# 127.0.0.1 image.com.com

It is also possible to change the numerical address to the corresponding IP address for image.com.com. But they might change addresses in the future so it would cause problems then."

Q53) When I click on the Next Button in a forum thread, I get a 404 error message (or something similar), why is that?

This is a known bug. Try refreshing the screen or trying again later.

Anyone have an answer? I normally don't notice this error

Q54) Review Bug:

If you click on “Edit this Review” (for your own review) you will be taken to a “404 - Page not found” page. TV.com Staff are working on this bug.

Q55) Credits Bug - Cannot add titles of Producer, Executive Producer, Associate Producer and certain other crew

Crew: There are two places to add crew. 1) Show level crew: Click on a show guides website. Now click on "Cast," now click on either "Writers/Directors" or "Crew." Unfortunately, not all crew titles are available to be added for the entire show. 2) Episode level crew: go to a show guide. Click on the tab that says "Episodes." Find the episode that you know some crew information about (do not click on the title of this episode). There will be a large "Community Score" scale below the title of the episode, above this scale is a row of words, starting with "Recap" and ending with "Reviews." Click on "Cast." Click on either "Writers and Directors" or "Crew." Click on "Add." Unfortunately some people are have trouble accessing this form.

Thanks Yakira.

Q56) Why can't I put "February 29th" in for the air date?

This appears to be a bug. As GeorgeFergus notes: "There does not seem to be any way to enter February 29, no matter what the year is. Looks like it's another bug." Update: apparently you can change the date to 29, 30, or 31 if the episode is already listed as being in February, but if the episode is not already in February, then there appears to be no way to change it to Feb. 29th without first switching the show to a day in February, and then in a separate change, changing the date to February 29th. (Thanks: The_Huntsman).

Q57) Why are my posts count going down, doesn't that have an impact on my rating/Is this a bug?

The number of posts credited to you goes down if a post is deleted when: 1) a thread is purged, 2) a message/post is deleted, 3) Some mysterious energy is surrounding you that resets your post count to 332 after 24 hours (I believe #3 only applies to one individual).

Snide: "It is in fact a bug that post counts are dropping and yes, that it effects your level. It's one of our major priorities of the moment and hopefully we'll have it addressed by the end of the week. I really appreciate your guys patience in this and know it's frustrating."
(click here for the thread this appeared in).

Q58[b][/b]) Another Reviews Bug:

As Yakira found: “bug: the number of reviews by the pie graph reads zero even though a review has been written for the episode
http://www.tv.com/episode/802/summary.html
http://www.tv.com/the-west-wing/two-cathedrals/episode/38668/summary.html"

Q59) Yet another Reviews bug: Why do I see my own reviews when I go to someone else's review page and click on "2" below their reviews (or another number)?

A's - "[I]t's a known bug, we've already mentioned it a few times. weird that they haven't fixed it yet."
"In the meantime, as a temporary fix, put the person's username in the URL between the "users" and "history" slash.

Example:

http://www.tv.com/users/username/history.php?pg_user_reviews=2

And the number at the end is the page number, obviously. You can change that to the following page, as well."

thanks Z-Ring, ntonks_tvtome, & TVTome_Shadow

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[color=#000000]TV.com Staff List:[/color]

[u]Q60): Were can I find a staff member to contact, and which staff member should I contact about a specfic problem?[/u]

This is a list created by [b]The_Huntsman[/b] (and others) of a list of staff members and the jobs they do:

Actiontwinkle - TV.com News Reporter/Author
BallGame - TV.com Developer
bboys577 - Data Manager
Butlers - CNET Developer
Cooncesean - TV.com Developer
CybertronR - Gamespot Staff
DaoJonz
Dudelance
Emaldalani
Freaksngeeks - TV.com Designer
GregK - Executive Editor at Gamespot
Honeybuzzer - Gamespot Staff
Lilaholland - TV.com News Reporter/Author
Missribs
Mr_Lara - Gamespot Staff
Noelmo - Gamespot Staff
sbritton
Sedrik
Smushmeg - TV.com Developer
Snide
Symlink - CNET Engineer
TVTome_John - Former TV Tome Webmaster
Vinbro - Gamespot Staff
VinceL - Gamespot Staff
Waltmor - CNET Data Producer

Back Home

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[color=#000000]Other Guides:[/color]

Archive of the Unofficial FAQ thread.

Basic HTML Tutorial Guide By The Web Design Resource
Note: The above guide appears on another website.

List of bbcode and who can use it By _B-radG_

Guide to Ranks and Emblems By The_Hams

Guide to Emotion Faces :) By TheRagingGamer

A Guide about "Website/Forum/Smilie Tutorial & Forum Rules" By neutronvortex05

List of Things not carried over from TV Tome By TVTome_John

List of Actors with Multiple Guides By Yakira

Tips and Tricks! by TheMartini (and others).

List of New Shows + List of Shows without Level 5 Editor by ntonks_tvtome

Forum Rules and Regulations By The_Huntsman

List of Tv.com Staff Prepared by The_Huntsman

A User's Explanation of the Level System by The_Huntsman

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Back Home
Thank-you to everyone that helped provide the basis for the questions and answers.

Technorati Tag: TV.com

Technorati Tags: Movies Reviews Movie Reviews Fantastic Four Comic Book Movies Wedding Crashers Comedy Romance

I had a free ticket for the Fantastic 4 movie, so I decided to watch it on Saturday. I headed off to AMC Hoffman (whatever it's official title), but the I-95 N ramp was blocked off, so I took the next exit and headed off to National Amusements Arlington/Lee Highway. I arrived around 12:36, and the next Fantastic 4 movie didn't start until 2:00 pm, and as I actually preferred to watch the Wedding Crashers movie, and as it was starting at 12:30, I saw it instead (I rarely miss any of the action that occurs in the movies, and I rarely arrive before most of the previews and commercials are over (or at least half-way done) and I always get reasonably good seats). After that movie I noticed that the start time of Fantastic 4 had just passed, so I used my free ticket and created a double feature for myself.

Wedding Crashers (IMDb.com's web page for that movie): Rated R (for sexual content/nudity and language); Romantic Comedy 119 minutes
Director: David Dobkin ("Shanghai Knights"; next "Jack" (2006))
Writer: Steve Faber (next "We're the Millers" (2006)) & Bob Fisher (TV: "The Trouble with Normal"; next: "We're the Millers" (2006))
Starring: Owen Wilson (John Beckwith; "Shanghai Knights"), Vince Vaughn (Jeremy Klein; "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" (2005)), Rachel McAdams (Claire Cleary; "Mean Girls"), Isla Fisher (Gloria Cleary; "I Heart Huckabees"), and Christopher Walken (Treasury Sec. William Cleary; "The Stepford Wives" (2004) Also: Jane Seymour (Mrs. Kathleen Cleary), Bradley Cooper (Zach or Sach(Claire's boyfriend)), and cameo by Will Ferrell (Chaz).
Setting: Washington DC, and Maryland.
Plot: Wilson (John) and Vaughn (Jeremy) work as divorce mediators, but they seem to live for wedding season. John and Jeremy crash weddings to meet hot available women for mostly one night stands. The movie opens with John and Jeremy mediating a divorce (interesting little scene). Rather quickly wedding season is upon them, and the movie morphs into a montage of dancing partying wedding parties (note about the R-rating and the nudity: for the most part, the nudity occurs very quickly in during this montage of scenes, though there is some quick nude scenes later in the movie). Then wedding season is over (and the montage is over) and the men are back in their office. John's happy that the season is over (getting a little burned out by the whole deal), but another wedding pops up, and while John is reluctant, Jeremy talks him into attending the wedding of the daughter of the Treasury Sec. (Walken, playing William Cleary). John ends up targeting Claire Cleary, and Jeremy ends up targeting Gloria Cleary (both daughters of William Cleary). One thing leads to another, and the two men are invited back to the Cleary house after the wedding party is over (Jeremy had hooked up with Gloria, and she talked her father into inviting them; Jeremy is very reluctant but John hasn't been able to separate Claire from her boyfriend Zach yet). The movie continues down this path, but I don't want to give everything away.
Review: Ok film. The movie had its funny moments, but also seemed a little forced, at times. I didn't rate the film at the time (mildly distracted with rushing off to Fantastic Four), and I haven't rated it yet. Thinking about it now, after two days, I would give the film a solid 4 stars out of five. (WashingtonPost.com's review (by Stephen Hunter - believes it is funny, too long, and Wilson and McAdams are boring); Roger Ebert's review (he gives it 2 stars); and a collection of reviews (from RottenTomatoes.com: 72% of 111 critics liked the movie, giving it a rating of "Fresh")).

Fantastic Four (IMDb.com's web page for that movie): Rated PG-13 (action and suggestive content) Action/Adventure/SciFi/Superheros 105 minutes
Director: Tim Story ("Taxi", next "Ralph" (2006))
Writer: Michael France & Mark Frost; based on the comic book characters by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee.
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd (Reed Richards, the rubber guy "Mr. Fantastic"; "King Arthur" (and one of the rumored contenders for the 007 role)), Jessica Alba (Sue Storm, "Invisible Girl"; "Dark Angel"), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm, "The Human Torch"; "Not Another Teen Movie"), and Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm, "The Thing"; "The Shield") are the Fantastic Four. Julian McMahn is the villain Victor Von Doom ("Nip Tuck," "Charmed")
Plot: I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that 5 people go up to a space station to examine the effect of a space storm on genetic material (apparently, according to Reed, a storm just like it might have started the life cycle on earth). The storm hits early and all are exposed and genetically altered. They fight each other. The end.
Review: The space scene, at least the view of the ship flying up to the space station and the outside view of the space station itself was neat. None of the stars are A-list actors, but all can act. The story-line/plot-line was decent. Another movie that I have not yet rated. So . . . I'll give this movie 4.15 stars. (WashingtonPost.com's review (by Stephen Hunter - um, I think he likes this origin tale, though would have liked more plot); Roger Ebert's 1-star review - just for comparison sake, I really liked "Batman Begins" and gave it a great rating (which escapes me at the moment, something like 4.89 out of 5), and Ebert? He gave that movie 4 stars out of 4 stars (I believe that he is on a 4 star scale, but I do not see anything that mentions what he is using); and a collection of reviews located at RottenTomatoes.com (24% of 153 critics liked this movie, so it gets a score of "Rotten")).

Above: One of the House Cats, using Blogger.com

. . . came here to test it and found out that I can upload images directly from the computer. So I'll test both systems at the same time.

Test went well enough but was messing up the layout of the page, so I've removed the largest of the pictures.


Photobucket.com (Scottish Fold (pet verison, normally, the ears are folded, as can be seen at this website)

Technorati Tags: Books Reviews Book Review Nancy Kress Oaths and Miracles

Finished this book July 3rd 2005, but do not feel up to writing a full review for it.

Title: Oaths and Miracles
Author: Nancy Kress
Series: FBI Agent Robert Cavanaugh
Place in Series: First (Stingers, from 1998, seems to be the only sequel).
Copyright: 1996
Books Read by Author: only this one
Book Average Rating: 3.80
Short Stories: 13
Average Rating: 3.76
Highest Rated: 4.90
Lowest Rated: 3.00

Read Author Again?: In book form, not likely.

Plot: The book is told from the point of view of four characters (some have more "screen time" than others), and their stories only sometimes touch. The book opens with a Vegas show-girl stumbling down the stairs during a performance (the person in front of her on the stairs keeps her from falling completely). She appears glassy-eyed, and maybe drugged. Eventually she completes the fall by slumping forward and sitting down on the steps. The girl behind her in the line steps down onto her, and the entire line on that side of the sage ends up lying on the stage. The singer continues singing (red-faced), and the other line of dancers continues to dance. The stage manager drags the drugged looking girl off the stage and deposits her in the bathroom. The girls friend, a fellow female dancer, searches for her, finds her and drags her from the building (oh, and the stage manager informs this friend that the girl is fired). Apparently, the glassy-eyed dancer isn't on drugs but is in fact in a state of shock. Her boyfriend was murdered that day and the girl believes that she is next. The friend shoves her into a car and drives to the airport. They head towards the entrance, but the friend returns to her car because she forgot something. Just then, a car picks up speed and slams into the glassy-eyed, now dead, girl. The girl's friend (who's name is unfortunately forgotten by me) is one POV (1), but a very minor character. Another character, a much larger character, and another POV, interviews the girl. FBI Agent Robert Cavanaugh (POV 2) was in Vegas on other business and was the closest agent. Cavanaugh interviews the girl but can't get anything out of her, except that the girl plans to leave immediately, return home, and enroll in college. After that interview Cavanaugh returns to Washington DC. Meanwhile, a husband and wife were also in Vegas and are also on their way back to the east coast. The wife (Judy O'Brien Kozinski; POV 3) is another POV and major character. Dr. Ben Kozinski is a very handsome intelligent and prominent DNA scientist who is in Las Vegas to present a paper. Judy, a very insincere woman that can't stop nagging her husband nor think that she isn't really good enough for him, is in Vegas to interview a prominent scientist (she is a science reporter). While in Vegas, Ben receives a very good offer to join a struggling biotech firm. The husband and wife fly back to the east coast, the husband interviews for the job, and shortly afterward, he ends up dead. Right before Ben is murdered (the fact of his death has already been mentioned in the book by this point, the book goes backwards in time, somewhat, to get the FBI's story), FBI Agent Cavanaugh is informed of a potential mafia connection with the particular biotech company and is sent off to investigate (one of the pieces of evidence is an anonymous tip sent in that mentions the possible connections, and warns that Ben Kozinski should be warned off). Right as Cavanaugh is leaving the office to head up to the biotech company, a phone call is received noting Ben's death. Cavanaugh interviews Judy. Later both Cavanaugh and Judy separately search for Ben's killer, while Cavanaugh is also trying to tie the company to the mafia (referred to in the book as "The Relatives"). The fourth POV, whose storyline started earlier in the book, is one Wendell Botts. Mr. Botts had been a drunk and abusive man who broke his own little girl’s arm and ended up in jail. Oh, and at the time, he was a member of the "Soldiers of the Divine Covenant" cult that really hates blood (can’t get blood transfusions, can’t eat meat, etc.) but likes ritualistically sacrificing animals. Botts isn’t a member of the pacifist Soldiers anymore, but his ex-wife, daughter, and young son are still members. Botts has tried to clean up, he has stopped drinking, goes nightly to AA meetings and has a steady construction job (he’s saving up his paychecks to show his worth). Botts wants to get his wife and children back, but at the moment, only gets very brief visitation rights. Somewhere along the line, Botts gets it into his head that the Soldiers are now conducting human sacrifice and tries to spread the news to the media. Eventually some in the media pay attention to him, but in the end, this doesn’t help him retrieve his kids. Yes, this particular POV thread does in fact eventually interact with two others (the now college student POV thread is very small, and never intersects Bott’s POV thread). The book continues . . .
Review: The various POV threads is distracting and annoying, and none of the characters are very interesting (or someone I’d like to read about). Judy is too whiny, the ex-Vegas show-girl’s part is too small and thin to get a handle on, the FBI Agent is to full of himself and anti-lawyer, while Botts swears too much. Three of the main POV characters are fully formed, with just the ex-Vegas show-girl ending up having a rather thin cipher-like character. The story structure is annoying, and the plot is somewhat absurd. Overall, I’m very disappointed that I ever started to read this book and would highly recommend readers to skip this book (but I would recommend these readers to sample Kress’ short stories, because Kress does know how to write). Overall, I gave the book 3.80 stars.

Don't agree? Well, these seven reviewers at Amazon.com seemed to like the book, (the overall score is 4 stars out of 5, though 1 reviewer gave the book 2 stars and another gave 3 stars). Epinions.com does not have this book. Nancy Kress official website. Here's a short story by Kress on the Scifi website (and another).

Technorati Tags: Movies Reviews Movie Review Batman Begins Superhero Comic Book Movies War of the Worlds Science Fiction Alien Invasion

First two movies in a long time that I've really enjoyed, but I don't feel up to writing a full review for them, so these mini-reviews (watched Batman Begins 3 weeks ago and War of the Worlds on July 2nd (nothing in-between, or since, at a theater):

Warning: Important Plot points revealed. Don't Read below (at least not the plot section; so you don't need to read below, I give Batman Begins 4.89 stars out of 5 and War of the Worlds 4.64 out of 5 stars):

Batman Begins (2005): Starring: Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Michael Caine as Alfred, Liam Neeson as Ducard, Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow and more. Director: Christopher Nolan ("Insomnia", "Memento"); Plot: As a young kid, Bruce fell down a hole in the ground and had to be rescued by his dad. Ever after the kid was very frightened by bats (that "hole in the ground" had a lot of bats in it). While Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, and little Bruce attend a musical, Bruce starts to become very scared and begs his father to leave immediately. They do, mother and father are killed by a mugger and little Bruce blames himself. He ends up hating himself and with a huge need to understand the criminal mind, and ends up in jail in Asia. Movie continues, don't want to give too much away. Review: All other superhero movies pale in comparison to this film. This is what all other such films have been striving for (if they weren't going down the campy path). A great movie that is well worth watching. (4.89 out of 5 stars)

War of the Worlds (2005): Starring: Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, Dakota Fanning as his daughter Rachel Ferrier, Justin Chatwin as his son Robbie Ferrier, Tim Robbins as strange guy Ogilvy, and more. Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on an H.G. Wells novel (which has been previously turned into a movie). Plot: While construction worker Ray Ferrier has the kids for a certain period of time (separated from wife, kids visiting Ray), some strange storm clouds erupt worldwide ("the wind is heading toward the storm"), shooting out strange lighting, thunder-less lighting. Ray finds this to be quite interesting and fun, until the lighting gets too close and he ends up hiding under the kitchen table with his daughter. Eventually the storm ends and Ray goes hunting for his missing son Robbie, who earlier had speed off in Ray's car (before the storm attacked). Ray finds him, sends him home, and goes to investigate (and find his car). He finds a group of people around a spot in the ground that had been repeatly hit by lighting. Suddenly the ground splits, and a massive machine raises out of the ground and looks around. Ray and the huge crowd around him run away, and the machine starts to shoot the running people . . . and the rest of the movie occurs (don't want to give everything away). Review: A very interesting exciting movie. This version has both important differences from the book and the prior movie, and important similarities. Of the three (the 1953 movie and the 1898 book, and the 2005 movie), this version seems to be the best of the three projects. (4.64 out of 5)