Why it's important to read this before you begin writing
Everything2 may be unlike anything you have met before. We have rules and standards that are not always common on the rest of the internet.
Q: What is Everything2?
A: It is a collaboration of writers, who post original work. It's a place to read. It's a place to socialise. See An Introduction to Everything2.
Q: Can I post anything here?
A: Yes, pretty much. Anything posted here should be your own work. It should not be hateful in nature, nor a personal attack. We do have standards, as we mentioned above. See What writings are accepted on Everything2?
Q: So, anything goes?
A: Mostly, yes. We don't restrict submissions to particular types or genres of writing. We have factual articles, fiction, prose, poetry, opinion, politics, stuff about sex. What you write should be relevant and interesting to others, though. A writeup saying that Jennifer James is in the X class at Y school is not likely to stay for long, neither is the kind of entry you'd find at urbandictionary.com.
Q: Why should I write here?
A: Mostly because you may write about almost anything, in a social environment in which you can get feedback and responses. Plus we are a friendly bunch, mostly, and you may well make like-minded friends.
Q: So what do you not want?
A: Try this simple test: would what I'm writing appear in graffiti, or in hate mail, or on my yearbook or Facebook page? If so, we suggest that those would be better places. See What not to do on Everything2.
Q: Can I post something that I wrote elsewhere on the Internet?
A: Yes, but we advise that you make mention of that in a footnote. You may also be required to prove that you wrote it. See Everything2 Copyright and Fair Use FAQ.
Q: Who owns the copyright on what I post here?
A: You do. Unlike many websites, what you post here remains yours unless you specifically state otherwise. See Everything2 Copyright and Fair Use FAQ.
Q: Why do I have to have an account to post here?
A: So we can reach you in the event of any problems or questions. And because it's also a social place. People may want to talk with you, and vice-versa.
Q: Do I need to give you my personal info?
A: No. We require that writing is attributable to a consistent username, but you need not link that username to your real world identity. We ask you to provide an email address by which messages can reach you. Your email address will only be used by the Everything2 system for password resets and the like.
Q: Do I have to write to be an Everything2 user?
A: No, many people have accounts just to read and socialise. Writers are nothing without readers, and neither are as fulfilled without conversation. You're welcome here to do any or all of those.
Q: Why do I have to link everything?
A: One of the things that makes E2 different is the way it connects to other ideas and writings on the site. E2 is in some ways one enormous group project. Links are how your work is connected into the rest of the project. It is intended to present user's writing as part of the whole, rather than to be a vanity publishing site for individuals. Simply put, linking is not optional, so learn early on how to do it. See Linking on Everything2.
Q: How long do writeups have to be?
A: There are no rules about this. As long as it needs to be. Bear in mind though, that users may vote on your work, and anything that is scrappily short, or too wordy may receive negative votes.
Q: Why was my writing downvoted or deleted?
A: There are many possible reasons, too many to go into here. Votes reflect the opinions of the other users on the site. Their reasons for downvoting may vary, and a few downvotes are inevitable, but strong trends should not be ignored. Each user may only vote on your writeup once - so each vote reflects a different user's opinion. See Why was my writeup deleted?
Q: English is not my first language. Do I have to write in English?
A: Yes. We have many writers here whose first language is not English. It may be a learning challenge, but be patient and we will offer what help we can. See Using languages other than English on Everything2.
Q: What help is there for me to become a better writer?
A: We do not have a formal program for improving writers. Help is available if you ask in the chatterbox, or by creating a draft and making it available for review. See Using Drafts on Everything2.
Q: When do I get my homenode picture/votes/C! to spend?
A: When you have established yourself as a writer. See The Everything2 Voting/Experience System.
Q: Is there any interactive help?
A: You can try typing /help {topic} in the Chatterbox. To see how this works, use /help help.
Q: I know how to write, why should I follow your guidelines?
A: Because this is how it is. Sometimes writers are able to break the guidelines, but this is rare. We advise you to submit a draft for review when you want to contribute something that might be outside of the large box Everything2 contains. Ultimately however, no-one is exempt from our long-standing rules, traditions, and standards. Most people on E2 write and socialize happily within these standards.
Q: My question was not answered, what should I do?
A: If you need immediate guidance, see Everything2 Help. If that does not answer your question, either ask in the Chatterbox, or seek out one of the E2 Staff. If you believe that something is missing from this FAQ, tell Virgil using the message box.
If this is not clear, ask questions in the Chatterbox or approach the E2 Staff
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Last updated on 6th April 2022 by wertperch