Now that the Moderator’s FAQ is finally up, I’m going to turn my attentions to a Newbie FAQ. However, my newbie status on these forums has long since expired, so I’d like to have some input as to what sort of questions need to be asked and answered. Silly replies will get floundered sooner or later, so try to be useful! 
I would emphasize clarity.
Too many posts are posted while the poster is agitated, drunk, or just plain lazy. This is something that we all succumb to, but I believe that it should be clarified straight from the get go.
I guess this falls under that “think before you post” theme. However, this could be augmented by getting more poeple to PREVIEW their posts. Try to educate posters how their posts will APPEAR to others on the forum. For jargon, verbage, and plain old gibberish. Let alone puncktuation.
My 2 sense…
Please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease introduce them to something called the search function.
How about this - give us a question that isn’t already in the “How to use Forumosa” page AND a solid answer for it, and you’ll qualify for a random drawing for 2 Forumosa T-shirts (1 grey and 1 black) - shipping expenses included.
All Q&As must be in by 30 April and we’ll announce the T-shirt winner on 1 May. Each Q&A pair will be considered a separate entry - but Maoman and I decide which entries qualify
Cool?
Re: The
Q: How do I post a link within a page?
A: To link to a web page, including the page for a Forumosa thread, open in a separate browser window the web page you want to link to, and simply copy the URL (web address) for the page from your browser’s Address or URL window. Paste this in the appropriate location within your post. Then select (highlight) exactly the URL you’ve just posted, and click the far right URL button which appears below the Subject line window and above the main text window. This should bracket your URL in
and (like bookends). If this fails, you may instead type these bookends manually. Hit Preview to see if it worked.
Q: How do I link to a specific post instead of a thread?
A: This is similar to linking to a thread, except that once you open the Forumosa thread as a separate browser window, you must click on the small white rectangle to the right of the user name and to the left of the “Posted: date”. This will seem to refresh the page, but the result is that the browser URL will become specific to the post in question rather than the whole thread. Copy the post’s URL, and paste it and bracket it within and as above.
Good stuff, Dragonbones.
While you’re at it, could you possibly answer this:
Once you’ve successfully copied and pasted a link to your post, how do you change the way the URL address appears to something more snazzy like here, or you won’t believe this s**t?
Cheers
You write something like this:
[url=http://www.forumosa.com]Forumosa[/url]Which looks like this:
You should always do that if the address is really really long, because it mucks up the screen.
PS. I think dragonbones wants a T-Shirt. 
Q: How do I add an image to a post?
A: To post an image, you need to find it on the web or upload it to the web first, for example via ImageShack.com or Flickr (which are free). You’ll then copy and paste the uploaded pic’s web address (URL) into your Forumosa post, highlight the pasted URL, and click the “Img” button below the Subject line window (2nd from right). This should bracket your pic’s address in , like bookends. If that fails, you may instead type these bookends manually.
IMPORTANT NOTES: 1) Pornographic and sexually explicit pictures, including cartoons, are strictly prohibited on Forumosa, and are cause for banning. 2) Please exercise caution when posting pictures, as other viewers may open the page at work or in the presence of sensitive company. Be sure to use obvious NSFW (not safe for work) labels and/or emoticons, including in the subject line if appropriate, when posting such material. 3) Please do not post overly wide pictures, as these disrupt the text on the page, forcing subsequent readers to use the horizontal scroll bar when reading each line of text in other posts on the page. Overly wide pictures may be removed at the moderators’ discretion.
[quote=“Big Fluffy Matthew”]You write something like this:
[url=http://www.forumosa.com]Forumosa[/url]Which looks like this:
You should always do that if the address is really really long, because it mucks up the screen.
PS. I think dragonbones wants a T-Shirt. [/quote]
Ha ha! I have 3, I think. I don’t really need or want another. But I like to contribute to the communities I’m part of.
As for your above code, remember that this is for NEWBIES. It needs to be much more user friendly than your above post. E.g.,
Q: How do I make longer URL links appear as something short and spiff, e.g., Forumosa instead of http://www.forumosa.com?
A: Copy (but don’t yet paste) the URL you want to link to, e.g., forumosa.com. Now you have code along the lines of [url=http://www.forumosa.com]Forumosa[/url], which should give the desired effect.
Hmm, maybe that’s too long and complex.
Or this?
A: Type this code: [url=RealAddress]VisibleLink[/url], pasting the web address (URL) and inserting the word(s) you wish the link to appear as.
Q: Can I post anything I want?
A: No, definitely not! Civility and respect are required of members of the Forumosa community. Bigotry, personal attacks, and advocating illegal activities are expressly prohibited. Please comment on the message, not the messenger. Do not divulge personal information about other posters. For further details, please see the RULES.
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Q: Can I start my own topic?
A: Before you do, please be sure to use the Search function to find out whether the topic has already been posted, and attach your comments to an existing thread wherever possible.
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Q: What are Emoticons?
A: Emoticons are small graphics such as this which you may insert in your posts to add flavor. Please note that emoticons are the spice and not the substance of posts. Posts that consist mainly or exclusively of Emoticons may be deleted or floundered.
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Q: What do I do if I see someone being rude or breaking the rules?
A: Do not act as a “back seat moderator”, i.e., read them the rules and correct them online. If you see something that is against the rules, PM the moderator of the forum in question, or hit the SQUEAL button, which brings the post to the moderator(s) attention. Do not respond to such topics yourself. If you find someone to be consistently irritating, consider using the “Ignore” button – then in the future, you won’t see what they post.
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Q: How do I start my own topic?
A: First, do a Search to see if an appropriate topic already exists, and have a careful look at the various forums to see which would be the most appropriate location for your post. Please do not post the same thing in more than one forum. Once you have determined the right location, click “New Topic”, and be sure to use an appropriate, descriptive title. Examples of bad titles include; “Help me!”, “I’m stuck!”, “Don’t know what to do!”, etc. Examples of good titles include; “My language school won’t refund my tuition”, “My software won’t display Chinese characters”, etc.
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Q: Can I discuss sexual topics on Forumosa?
A: Do not post sexually explicit images or messages. If you wish to discuss topics of a sexual nature, please exercise an appropriate level of maturity and sensitivity.
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Q: Can I post entire articles?
A: NO, please do not post articles - use links instead. Quoted sources should be limited to one paragraph in length, or less. Try to keep the text relevant to the topic as much as possible.
Do all the questions have to be about how to use the website? Or can the Newbie FAQ also direct people to posts answering frequently asked questions, like “what’s the cheapest way to call home,” and “what song is the garbage truck playing”?
Although I think we have that sort of thread in the general living section, it’s a good idea to put a sticky/faq at the top where we compile the most common questions, or at least link the various threads.
Yes, they have to be about how to participate in Forumosa effectively and how to get the most out of our Forum Community.
We plan to have special (non-discussion) pages for Newbie’s to Taiwan - and we’ll be inviting you to contribute directly to those once we’re ready. Look out for an announcement later this month 
Q: How do you get to page 2 of “new posts by topic” without getting the “no topics met criteria” message 90% of time?
A: ???
Q: What is SQUEAL?
A: SQUEAL is a convenient button for you to contact moderators when you see anyone posting anything objectionable, such as personal attacks, bigotry or pornography.
Q: When I use OWN/NEW/24 to look at posts and click on the 24, sometimes I get a list by topic title and sometimes it’s a list also showing the beginning of each message. What’s up with that?
A: 24 shows you the posts made in the last 24 hours. However, the digits 2 and 4 are actually separate links; the 2 will give you a list by topic title, while the 4 will also show the first few lines of each message.
Q: Can I post the same message in more than one forum?
A: This is generally discouraged. Instead, please try to select the one most appropriate forum for your post.
Q: Can I delete my posts?
A: If no one has responded to your post, you can Kill or delete it. However, once people have responded to it, please do not delete it, as this greatly reduces the intelligibility of the thread.
Q: Can I have more than one logon name?
A: No. Each member is permitted one forum account. If you have reason to require more than one account please check with Admin.
Q: How do I add a signature line?
A: Go to “Update my Forumosa Profile”, click the Profile tab within that page, and add your signature in the Signature block. Please see the RULES regarding signatures before adding one.
Well, that page looked pretty sparse, so I just posted a bunch of Q&A above… then I noticed that some of those are already covered under the Q&A in “SEARCH RULES Q&A WIKI FLICKR”. Oops. Ok, I’ll stop now.
Don’t stop
We’ll tally up the new Q&A pairs for the raffle. Just go ahead and ask/answer away
Ok.
Q: Why did post disappear from the forum I posted it in?
A: If a moderator felt your post belonged in a different forum or needed a clearer title, it may have been moved or renamed. If a mod felt it was of temporary value to the forum, it may have been moved to the temporary forum. Either way, you may be able to find it using the OWN posts link at the upper right of the page.
Q: Why was my post temped (moved to the temporary forum)?! :fume:
A: There’s nothing wrong with having a post temped. This is just a special section for topics that don’t belong in any of the other forums, or which don’t need to be kept as a permanent part of the forum. Don’t worry, other posters can still read and respond to your post within a 15-day period, and if the thread is felt to be valuable enough, it might later be moved back to a relevant forum. Note that if you wish to make a particularly silly post which is not relevant to any of the forums, you should post it in the temp forum.
Q: Why is my name in maroon (red) in the Who is Online section at the bottom of the page, and who are these people with tan or green names?
A: Normal posters appear in maroon; the moderators appear in green, and the administrators in tan.
Q: Is Big Fluffy Matthew really Fluffy?
A: Yes; he’s often mistaken for a poodle.