Frequently Asked Questions

A: That question is answered in detail at our 'About Elfwood' page. There you can read about our mission and goals, as well as some history of the site.

Q:Who runs it?

A: Elfwood is run as a small company in Linköping, Sweden. Thomas has been a Lysator member since '92, and has studied computer science. He has a Master of Science degree in computer science and currently works for Zenterio AB in Sweden as a usability professional. Elfwood is a hobby of his and he does it for fun. He doesn't get paid for it, in any way. He also gets help from a lot of nice people.

Q:Who founded it? And when?

A: Thomas did, the 1st of May, 1996.

Q:Who is this Thomas guy, anyway?

A: Please refer to his homepage, or his Elfwood art page, for more info...

Q:Who's Kenth?

A: Kenth is a business developer at Elfwood, see Kenth.

Q:Who are the ERB?

A: The ERB is the 'rule crew' of Elfwood. Please see the ERB page. They are ordinary people who work for free for Elfwood. The ERB are not the Moderators: Moderators review new submissions with images and stories to be published , while the ERB take action on already published material. The ERB may also help the Moderators if they are unsure about any new submission or rule.

Q:Who are the MODERATORS?

A: The Moderators are a group of volunteers who help Elfwood by reviewing new submissions to Elfwood, deciding what to let into Elfwood and what to reject based on the Elfwood rules. They check everything before it's let in, including new pictures and stories, and new versions of pictures or stories. The Moderators are not the ERB: the Moderators deal with pictures and stories coming into Elfwood, and the ERB take action on already published material. The Moderators are also ordinary people, and are Elfwood members themselves.

Q:Sounds interesting, how do I become a Moderator?

A: We are constantly adding new moderators, because Elfwood is growing, and because moderators get tired and slow down or leave. To become a moderator you just write to us using the contact form, and let us know that you are interested.
To be a Moderator, you must have an Elfwood gallery that hasn't had too many rejections, and you must be over 18. Once you send in your request it might be several months before you hear back from us, so you must also be patient and prepared for a bit of a wait!

Q:Do you have to live in Sweden to be a moderator?

A: No, we have moderators from all over the world.

Q:So, Basically, I can upload anything and the Moderators will check if it's OK?!

A: No. Please read our rules and use your best judgement BEFORE you upload anything. The Moderators have enough to do anyway.

Q:OK, so, if the Moderators accept something, it's OK?

A: No, not always. Cases may occur when we change our decision, especially if we find out something that we didn't know before (like it's a piece of fan art in the ordinary art area, it's copied or stolen work, etc.) In that case, it's the ERB who take action!

Q:What on earth is a "ticket"?

A: It used to be a request for changes to your published material. They are not in use any more!

Q:Where is Elfwood located?

A: Here!!! In Linköping, Sweden. Elfwood runs at the NetCamp ISP, on two powerful dedicated PC servers using Mandriva Linux, the Roxen web server and lots of custom made software.

Q:I have a question not answered by this FAQ, how do I get the answer?

A: Use the contact form.

Joining Elfwood

Q:How do I join Elfwood!?

A: Please visit the join page and follow the instructions given there.

Q:I made an account before, but never received a confirmation email. What should I do?

A: Sometimes email servers don't receive our emails. You can do a few things and see which works best for you: 1. Try making another account, preferably with a different email server. 2. Email support, they can manually activate your account for you.

Q:I went through the joining process, but never received any emails afterward, why?

A: New join applications are reviewed by a program, and you should recieve a reply within a few minutes or hours. How long it takes depends on the speed of your e-mail service, some are faster than others. Try sending in a new application. If it still doesn't work, it might be that the e-mail address you have doesn't work properly - check with a friend that can e-mail you. As a last resort, please contact the Elfwood staff. Also, some e-mail sites (hotmail, AOL) now and then refuses to take mails from Elfwood.

Q:How do I start publishing art or stories?

A: (See http://www.elfwood.com/quickguide.html) First join Elfwood as a normal member. Then upgrade your account under the Profile / Tools, Go to the 'Upload' page where you upload material. Upload all you want... When done, wait for a while until your material is moderated by our Moderators (staff)

Q:Where is the upload?

A: You can upload art by first signing into your account (which must be -upgraded- (which is free, no costs) to the Area of your choosing), and placing your mouse on the tab labeled 'My Account' and then clicking on 'Upload'. (Note: The upload area once was a separate website called 'The Extranet'. That area was deleted, and we now have better tools integrated into the main website.)

Q:How do I view the files I uploaded before its published?

A: The files become visible directly on your page as 'unpublished'. So, just upload, fix any problems with the items (like missing descriptions, etc, if needed) and wait for a moderator to approve it. This will happen automatically, and you will receive an email once it has been done. (Note: The old 'ticket' system is replaced by a new automated system that does not require you to submit any tickets)

Q:I can't find the "Publish material" button...

A: That is because there isn't one, anymore. If you have provided the information we need to publish your work, we automatically have it, and it is simply waiting for approval by a moderator.

Q:So, What happened to the extranet?

A: It was updated, remade and integrated into the main Elfwood pages, under the 'My Account' tabs, etc The Elfwood Extranet was the place where all images were uploaded, edited, and then moderated. This place no longer exist, but better tools are now available on the main Elfwood page.

Q:Wooo... wait a minute! I uploaded stuff under The Extranet a while ago. What happened to it?

A: It has been kept in our system and it will be moderated and published without you doing anything more, just relax and wait.

Q:I uploaded stuff under The Extranet, but didn't mean for it to ever be published? What do I do?

A: Why did you do that? :-) OK... Log into your account, and simply delete all material you don't want to be published.

Q:...Legal stuff, What are the Elfwood terms of service?

A: Please read our terms of service page.

Q:Who may join?

A: Anyone, amateur or professional, who is 13 years or older can join Elfwood. However, the fan art area requires an existing membership in another part of Elfwood before you can join there.

Q:Why 13 years!??!

A: First of all, we want it that way. It's been like that from the start. There are also a lot of good legal reasons. For details, please see Children's Online Privacy Protection Act [Also an Elfwood copy here]

Q:OK, some galleries are reserved for amateurs?

A: No.

Q:Is Elfwood limited to amateurs only?

A: No. We had such a rule several years ago, but that has changed.

Q:Is it OK if I sign up some of my friends for Elfwood?

A: No, see our rules section, please.

Q:Is it OK to join several areas?

A: Sure, just keep in mind that is not possible to use the same account name , so you will have to create separate accounts. You can only have ONE account in each area, though!

Q:May I share a gallery with a friend?

A: No, not even if you have permission and state that. Your page at Elfwood is strictly for your work!

Q:If I want to join another area (like the library), are there any rules I have to follow or something I should keep in mind?

A: Well, yes. You need to create a new separate user profile for this to happen. Please select a different username (Sometimes we call it the 'UID', the user identity) for the other area. The recommended rule is to use your existing user ID (for example 'thomas') and add a number after it for each new area ('thomas2', 'thomas3' and so on)...

Q:How do I join another area, like, I want to publish stories too but I only publish pictures now ...

A: Unfortunately, Elfwood was designed ages ago to have a very tight connectivity between content type (image, story, etc) and the user profile name. In practice, this means that you need to sign up for a second user profile at Elfwood. Follow the normal procedures to do this, then make sure to upgrade your account and join the new content type area you want. Hint: Under the 'Personal Settings' you can then manually link the user name of your previous user profile to the new one, making these little navigation tabs appear on your page to easily take the users to your other profiles.

Q:No matter what name I enter, it always says it's either taken (used at another gallery) or faulty (like too long, or short), why?

A: Try a few different combinations. Also try to add a number behind your name, or modify it slightly. If you STILL get an error message, this is likely to be a cache problem, e.g. the same error result page is being remembered and displayed over and over again. Please see Appendix A for details on the cache problem!

Q:If I upload a picture how do I know the Moderators got it?

A: If you've fixed all items that needed fixing (if any), like entering a description etc, they will get it automatically

Q:I have uploaded, Still, my material doesn't appear on the public site, why?

A: Material that is uploaded never goes public right away, but is passed through a manual process to be reviewed by a MODERATOR. This can take a while.

Q:I never heard anything from anyone in the Moderator staff, why?

A: New join applications are reviewed by a program, and you should recieve a reply within a few minutes or hours. How long it takes depends on the speed of your e-mail service, some are faster than others. Try sending in a new application. If it still doesn't work, it might be that the e-mail address you have doesn't work properly - check with a friend that can e-mail you. As a last resort, please contact the Elfwood staff. Also, some e-mail sites (hotmail, aol) now and then refuses to take mails from Elfwood.

Q:Can the moderators answer my questions about Elfwood?

A: In theory, yes, perhaps. But let's not use them as a technical support personnel, instead, read our contact page.

Q:Do I need a web page on my own to get my stuff up at Elfwood?

A: No, but you need a working e-mail adress.

Q:Do I have to go through some test to qualify and show that I'm good enough?

A: Kind of... We are not the ones who judge art as "good" or "bad". However, we have the right to reject artists or writers and items if we feel that there are good reasons (e.g does not FIT our AREA definitions!)

Q:Is there some demand for a certain level of quality in the material posted?

A: We're not the ones who judge if art is good or bad. We let most people join, if they follow the Elfwood rules on creating their own material and not breaking any legal or Elfwood specific rules. However, we do keep the right to remove art we feel show little to no effort -- for example, art that look like a 4 year old has made it won't fit here. We also ask that you present your work neatly - remember that this is an art gallery, and everyone wants to be able to see the picture easily.

Q:If I make a link to this site, and give credit, is it OK to use the graphics I find at Elfwood?

A: No, not without written permission. (Unless the graphics are under a Creative Commons License that allow it) (More: See the 'What is Creative Commons' FAQ question elsewhere...)

Q:May I post collages and pictures that are not my own?

A: See our rules section, please.

Q:Is it OK to post just about anything I want at Elfwood, as long as the MAJORITY of the stuff is SciFi/Fantasy?

A: In general, It all has to be within the area definition. However, there is a section within each area where you can upload 'Other Works', and as long as it doesn't break the rules regarding Forbidden Content, and we can see it, it will be accepted into that area.

Q:I have signed up, but haven't been able to finish everything - is there any time limit for my applying?

A: Yes, two months. Then your material and user-id are automatically erased. If that happens, you need to join up again. Sorry, but this is needed to clean out all the hoards of people that try to join but give up half way for various reasons.

Q:Do I have to keep uploading and refreshing my part of Elfwood with new material on a regular basis?

A: No. You are totally free to upload new material whenever you want to. You can leave your old stuff hanging around here to collect cobwebs for as long as you want, we have no rules about your activity.

Q:Can I remove, or add more pictures to the gallery after I have joined?

A: Yes, of course. It is easy to remove and add new items from your page...

Q:How do I remove some of my items?

A: You must be signed into that account, and you can click on the image (or story), and on the right side, there will be a button that says 'Delete'.

Q:Can I leave after I have joined?

A: Yes. Of course - look under 'My Account' and tools...

Q:How do I leave Elfwood?

A: Use the tools function under My Account.

Q:How often do pictures get taken down? ...or do they continuously stay up?

A: They stay up forever, or until the artist removes them. We can't help you to locate images that aren't there any more, you have to ask the artist. However, we reserve the right to remove items later on if they break our Terms of Service or any other rule, or if the owner of them images has broken any TOS/rules.

Q:How do I get a copyright on the stuff I have created?

A: Current copyright law protects original artwork from the moment of its creation, regardless of registration. For more info, please see an article at FARP. As a publishing member of Elfwood, you can manually and specifically for each picture/story set the wanted copyright level following the Creative Commons initiative. (More: See the 'What is Creative Commons' FAQ question elsewhere...)

Q:I have joined Elfwood and have uploaded some pictures. My question is, what is the public URL for my gallery?

A: Simple! http://www.elfwood.com/~xxxxxxx where xxxxxxx is your username! If you become a Patron, you'll get a fancier address, like http://xxxxxxx.elfwood.com/

Donations, Patrons and Money...

Q:What is an Elfwood "Patron"?

A: A really nice person!

Q:What, really, is a "Patron"?

A: A Patron is a caretaker of the fantasy realm we know as Elfwood. Patrons support Elfwood with a small yearly amount and in return gets some extra features.All moderators are also given Patron status, and we have the right to give away Patron status as the prize for competitions.

Q:What is a Donor?

A: Over the years, many members and visitors have supported Elfwood and helped creating Elfwood as we know it today by donating money to our project. These are the people we know as Donors. They will continue to have the Donor icon besides their names. Any expired Patron will also be referred to, for all time, as an Elfwood donor.

Q:Do I have to be a Patron to join or publish material at Elfwood?

A: No, the Patron is an optional "add-on" for those who wish to further
support the site and get access to a few extra features and
functions...

Q:Why should I become a Patron?

A: Because you love fantasy and science fiction and meet your friends at
Elfwood frequently. You will also get access to a premium set of
additional features, for example, if you take pride in your
personalized icon you will love the fact that you can make an animated
version if you are a Patron. Last, but not least, you wish to help
Elfwood to grow and develop and continue to be the fantastic place it
is today.

Q:Where do I become a Patron?

A: At our Patron page : http://www.elfwood.com/donate.html

Q:How do I know if an Elfwood member is a Patron?

A: There are many ways to see that. Elfwood Patrons have a special Patron
logo icon next to their name in their gallery, profile, comments
etcetera. They also have the opportunity to design their own animated
smiley that is used widely throughout the Woods. At most places in
Elfwood, their name will also be decorated by glitterdust.

Q:Why is there a time limit?

A: Everything comes to an end, and so does the Patron period. But do not
despair. After one year, you can renew your Patron membership to
continue to support Elfwood. And by then we might have new features in
store for our Patrons.

Q:What do I buy? What do I get for the money?

A: You buy a time limited status as an Elfwood Patron. Most important,
you make it possible to keep Elfwood alive and to develop our
community. But we have also prepared a number of extra features for
our Patrons.

Q:Can I get a refund?

A: Sorry, but that will not be possible. We would need more resources to handle refunds and as transferring money has a cost, much of the amount would disappear anyway. Instead we aim at making the Patron membership so good that nobody will regret their upgrade. If there was some major mistake, and you donated a very large amount (for example, in error), we will of course assist with help.

Q:Where can I find the terms of service and legal text for Patrons?

A: At http://www.elfwood.com/patron_tos.html.

Q:May I donate more money than asked for?

A: Yes, please! Donations are always welcome. It is possible to pay any
amount higher than the price for Patron and we promise to make the
most out of every penny we receive.

Q:What happens if I donate more money than asked for? Do I get more time as a Patron?

A: You will be a happier person, we promise!

- We might also
extend your patron period for some additional time!

Q:When do I get my Patron status after I payed?

A: The system is automated, and no manual steps are (usually) involved in
the process. This means that you will see your Patron status at
Elfwood after just some hours. If it takes more than a day, maybe
some error occured. (We have implemented a way to speed up the web
site, normally known as 'caches', that reduce the database load. The
caches for Patrons are updated every 12th hour, so it means that in
the worst case - this process takes 12 hours)

Q:Do I have to donate for my 'wyvers library' and 'fanquarter' accounts too?

A: No, but make sure you write them down as Aliases for your user profile
before you donate.

Q:If I buy Patron status for one of my Elfwood account (user id's), will it automatically be transfered to my other accounts?

A: Yes, but only if you write them down as Aliases for your user profile before you donate at Paypal.

Q:What happens when my Patron time has expired?

A: You will be 'downgraded' to donor status and get an email telling you
that your time as a Patron at Elfwood has expired.

Q:Can I trust Paypal?

A: Yes, being an old company (by Internet standards) and also part of the
well known eBay group, our opinion is that Paypal is very, very
trustworthy.

Q:I don't have a credit card, can I use some other method?

A: Paypal accepts a variety of ways to fill your account at their site,
please see their options.

Q:What if something goes wrong with my payment?

A: Check at Paypal that the money has really been sent, and to the right
recipent. If all fails, contact us.

Q:Is Elfwood no longer a non-profit organization?

A: Yes and no. Elfwood was in the beginning of this year formally
registered as a Swedish company and we also started with advertising
and other commercial activities on the site in late 2007. So per
definition, we guess we are no longer non-profit. These changes were
made for the good of Elfwood and to ensure a bright future and to
cover our hosting costs. There are no employees in Elfwood (Unless you
count Thomas, but he isn't working day time at Elfwood anyway) and the
money earned on advertising, etc is used to pay for servers, hosting
etcetera. They also cover the cost when we need help from external
developers to build new things at Elfwood or maintain what we have. So
far, all money earned, and then some more, has been re-invested in
Elfwood. So even if we no longer are non-profit, our interest is still
to work for the good of the fantasy and sci-fi community.

Q:Who gets the money? What is it used for?

A: The money will land in the bank account of Elfwood AB. (An 'AB' in
sweden is an incorporated company) They will be used for covering cost
for hosting, maintenance and further development. But we also hope
that we will earn enough money to arrange competitions and activities
like Elfwood User Meetings and maybe have Elfwood present at
conventions. They money is handled and formally controlled by a
registered company (Elfwood AB - i.e. real accountants, CEO, etc) and
doesn't end up in the pockets of any slacker :-)

Q:I can't really afford buying Patron status - is there something else I can do?

A: Just stopping by to enjoy Elfwood is flattering enough for us. And if
you draw or write, submitting your material at Elfwood is a great
support (And also free of charge). Inviting your friends and family to
enjoy our community is also a great support. You may also help us by
helping us moderate our content , all moderators automatically get
(free of charge) Patron status and can benefit from all features
associated with it as long as they are Moderators.

Q:So moderators automatically get Patron status?

A: Yes. As long as they work for Elfwood as Moderators, they will enjoy
the Patron status for free. When they leave their moderator
assignment, they will have a 90 days extra of Patron status,
but then its automatically removed.

Q:May moderators manually add Patron status to their other Elfwood user accounts?

A: Yes, in a limited way. They may set the Patron status for their
own, additional user accounts for personal use only, only as long as
they are moderators. After maximum 90 days after resigning as a
moderator, all Patron status for any user account associated with the
former moderators must be remove; and downgraded to a 'donor' status
or less.

Q:So, 'less limits' for Patrons? What is that - really?

A: Here are the hard facts: 150 pictures or stories (Normally 100), 100 Fan Art pictures (Normally
50) and up to 300 favorites (normally just 150) can be tagged.

Q:Pretty pretty please - Can you give me Patron status for free? I can't afford it...

A: Unfortunately we cannot give away Patron status to everyone that
asks. But there are other ways! Throughout the year, we will run
different competitions where the prize list includes Patron
membership. And our hardworking moderators get Patron status as
well. Why don't you sign up to become a moderator and help Elfwood that
way?

Q:I donated money some years ago - I don't see any badge on my page?

A: If you donated some years ago, we will make sure you have the
'donor' status. We still keep the option open, though, to give away
patron status to old donors - but no promises :) ... Anyway, send
us an email and we will make sure you are correctly marked as a donor.

Q:Can I donate for someone else? For example, I pay to make my friend a Patron...

A: Yep! Just enter their Elfwood username into the form where you donate!

Finding and using material at Elfwood...

Q:I am searching for someone at Elfwood, where can I do a search?

A: Try out our searchable user database at http://www.elfwood.com/members.html.

Q:My favourite artist no longer has a page on Elfwood. Do you know where I can find that artist now?

A: Sorry, no. We don't keep track of artists that are no longer in the woods.

Q:Where can I find some legal text on the copyright status of the material at Elfwood?

A: Please read our legal text for that. Al

Q:What is the Creative Commons (CC) initiative? Why is it used at Elfwood?

A: The Creative Commons (CC) is a non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative work available for others legally to build upon and share. The organization has released several copyright licenses known as Creative Commons licenses. These licenses, depending on the one chosen, restrict only certain rights (or none) of the work. At Elfwood, we use some of the licenses, so you can set a specific license for a specific work you have. Our legal text explains some more...

Q:Is there a way to find a specific PERSON at Elfwood?

A: First, check out the people list. Also try to use the search engine. For art, find a link on the very mainpage of Elfwood, to what is called 'Free text art search'; It covers the artists' bio pages, as well as all picture pages. For the library, use the library search page, it covers *all* pages within the library (it's on the entrance page of the library).

Q:I am looking for a specific piece of art, I can describe it, can you help me to find it?

A: No, I'm sorry, we cannot help you with that. Please use the search engine, it works very well since all pictures are tagged with keywords and a textual description.

Q:What does the hits and percentage (%) mean that comes with the search results?

A: The hits means the number of words that match your query. If you enter three words, and two are found in the document, you will get 2 hits. The percent is 100% for the best search, and then goes downwards. The best match is always shown first. This figure is based on several things, like how many times the word occur in the document, and where...

Q:Can I use the background images of Elfwood on my own webpages?

A: Yes. Just don't HTML-link it to our server! Copy it to your own web server and link to it from there!

Q:Who made that leafy background by the way? Is it (C) to Elfwood?

A: The main wood image was created by Claudya Schmidt, see here: http://www.elfwood.com/~alector/Alikened_to_the_Forest.2500799.html

Q:What's the copyright status on all stuff at Elfwood?

A: Only original art may be posted. For fanart, the user must have some kind of permission to use a copyrighted or trademarked character/concept. Everything at Elfwood is covered by copyright laws. It is not a clip art site. Some artists have chosen to give away some rights for their works under certain conditions, following the Creative Commons (CC) guidelines. (More: See the 'What is Creative Commons' FAQ question elsewhere...)

Q:Is it OK to post images that I like, but haven't done myself, at Elfwood?

A: No, it's never okay!

Q:Can I use this picture on that page, for my own project/webpage/whatever...

A: Generally, the answer is NO. All pictures are copyrighted to their respective owners. Some artist would give permission for their pictures to be used by you, and usually would ask that their name/e-mail/URL be included with it. So BEFORE you use ANYTHING from anyone's gallery, e-mail and ASK the artist FIRST! Also check the copyright status for the item, if it is classified under one of the more open Creative Commons licenses, chances are that you're allowed to use it!

Q:So, Elfwood isn't a "clip art" gallery then?

A: No. All art is copyrighted by the authors, unless they've selected the Public Domain or some more open Common Creatives licese for it. The current copyright status is always indicated on the page where the item is published. Please read the Legal page for more information on this topic!

Q:I have a request, can you please do a picture for me?

A: No. Currently, Thomas does not have any time to do commisions. Feel free to e-mail any other artist though.

Q:Wait, I've seen that Bluestar picture by Thomas on the web, isn't it free?

A: It is, if it is used in its original and unmodified form (click to view the original), along with a copyright notice. All other versions and uses are illegal!

Q:I really need to contact a specific artist/writer, can you help?

A: No, I'm not their manager or something, I'm just a good guy providing them with a place in my gallery. If you want to contact them, e-mail them directly. All e-mail adresses can be found in their individual gallery pages. If these e-mail addresses don't work, there is nothing I can do about it -- I have no other contact methods at hand. The members of Elfwood are responsible for keeping their own personal and contact info updated. Because people can put up a gallery and stay as long as they want to, some of them forget they are in Elfwood and don't update us when they change e-mail addresses or URLs. So if the e-mail bounces or the homepage URL is invalid, there's nothing we can do about it. The only thing you can do is leave a comment and a contact e-mail in their gallery, and hope they see it and reply.

Q:I'm looking for artists for a new project, can you ask the artists?

A: No, sorry, we're not having the role as their agent.

Q:OK, if all is copyrighted... can I still store some material at my local harddisc?

A: You may use them for you personal viewing/reading pleasure.

Q:Can I make a print of a specific painting and put it up on my wall at home?

A: Well, we can't possible stop you from doing that either, can we? If you ever consider to use this material for anything else, like on a school magazine or selling printed T-shirts, forget it! That's a crime, unless you have permissions.

Q:Can I make a HTML img link to the graphics here, and use it on my web page?

A: No, never, even if the images are in practice stored at Elfwood, you will steal of our bandwidth. We will never allow that, even if you have all the permissions needed to use the pictures.

Using Elfwood

Q:How do I get to be a featured member of the day?

A: We pick people by random, but we always start to pick among the nice folks who have donated to our site. Do not e-mail me and beg me to feature you, please. Of course, we do not have enough donators to fill every spot every day, so we pick a lot of people from the rest as well.

Q:Why don't I appear in the search engine?

A: No new artists or any material appear directly into the search engine. The search engine has a huge, complex database. It takes a lot of computing power and time to re-create it with the amount of material you can find at Elfwood. The database is updated the first monday every new month... (or, when we feel like doing it - check the footer of the search engine page for details on when the database was last indexed). Anyway, Just be patient, you will end up in the search engine sooner or later... We promise!

Q:Where did that nice old leafy background go?

A: It was replaced. Due to the demand, its still accessible from here: http://www.elfwood.com/gfx/lea.jpg

Q:What fonts are you using for the Elfwood logotype and the Headlines?

A: For the Elfwood logotype, "Buckingham Regular". For the Headlines, "BlackChancery".

Q:Is it OK if I make a link to Elfwood?

A: Yes, please! Link to us though the front page (http://www.elfwood.com/). Please go to the Banner Room for details on how to link to us and banners you can download and use 'em.

Q:My Elfwood URL is so long. Is it OK to cover my Elfwood page behind a 'come.to/' (or similar) address/service?

A: No, we do not allow that. First of, we want it to be seen that it *is* Elfwood. Secondly, this might mean commercials/advertisments, something that is not allowed. Sorry.

Q:Now, can you give me a link back to my own site? please?

A: We do not have any link list anymore (We used to have something called fantasyhoo) - so, sorry.

Q:Does this nifty-name-thing use cookies in any way?

A: Yes, it does remember the user ID you used, to make it more convenient.

Q:Why do some galleries have fewer inhabitants than others?

A: Artists that leave Elfwood leave empty spaces behind. We do this to avoid a shift of allsubsequent artists (The first artists in the next gallery would hop down to a previous gallery, etc, etc). On a historical sidenote; this spot used to be assigned to the fictional artist 'none'. Occasionally, all galleries are compressed so that each gallery has the maximum number of artists...

Q:What on earth is RSS? I sometimes see little RSS icons at Elfwood...

A: RSS (usaully) stands for Really Simple Syndication. We've prepared a special RSS page explaining what an RSS is and how you can benefit from them!

Elfwood rules and regulations...

Q:Where can I find the Elfwood rules?

A: Here. Also check out the ERB page. The ERB = Elfwood Review Board.

Q:What powers do you have as Elfwood maintainers?

A: We have the right to reject and/or remove any material and/or person at any time if there is a good reason. Read more details about the Elfwood Review Board by clicking here!.

Q:Are nudes OK?

A: See our rules section, please.

Q:I've seen some nudes around, would you mind to remove them?

A: No! Nude art is allowed (to some degree). This is art, and some art contains nudity. Sorry, if it offend you, please visit another site. See our rules section, please.

Q:OK, I am planning to sell some of my pictures - can I promote this on my Elfwood pages? Like including an ebay item number?

A: Please understand that Elfwood is not a market place. However, You can include smaller notices that your art/material is up for sale - but do not include price tags and such. You can always link to your own gallery or homepage; selling your stuff there!

Commenting on pictures or stories...

Q:How does this comment thing work?

A: When you see a picture or story you would like to comment on, you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find a empty text box. At the top it will say 'write in the guestbook'. When you are done with your comment, click Post Message.

Q:What does the check box labeled 'Private Message' next to the comment box do?

A: Checking this box will make your message private, so that only the user and you can see the message. This is for special request or notifications you wish to keep private.

Q:How do I do these nifty names (My name, and a link) at the comment boards, with the "click here to visit" links?

A: Use the "login" button to the right when you're adding a comment.

Q:I added a comment. It doesn't show up! Why? (or: I know people added comments to my page, but they disappear!)

A: Very common question! It is a "cache" problem, your browser remembers an old web page. Please see Appendix A for information on how to get rid of this problem...

Q:Do you keep track of who have commented, and when?

A: Yes, we keep detailed logs and keep track of all IP numbers for security reasons.

Q:I saw a *very* rude, or even obscene, comment on a page at Elfwood - what should I do?

A: Please contact the artist or writer about it, they have the ability to edit and even remove comments.

Q:AAagh! I've was just banned from writing more comments! What to do?

A: We're terribly sorry. We have an automated function that triggers on bad language and words. If you feel that you have been banned unfairly, you can always mail us and we will remove the ban as fast as possible. If your IP domain is banned, without you having any idea why, we can remove the ban as well. Just wait a day or two, we go through our logs frequently, and remove unjust bans quickly...
Some more info: These triggers work like an automatic obscene word-filter, that makes a temporary ban of you at a simple kind of 'black list'. No big deal, really, We erase that list regularly, so soon (in a few days or so) you will be able to comment again (unless we move the ban to the permanent ban list - we do that with really sick people, of course). Don't take this personally. I'm not stalking or tracking you, this is simply a dumb computer program that really can't understand what you wrote, and just happily triggers on a specific list of 'bad' words.

Q:So bans are usually removed after a few days then?

A: Usually. We also have permanent bans. These are never removed, or might be after a while. If you are on a permanently banned IP; we're sorry... But thats the drawback of the Internet and bad people; if someone goes berserk from your area or ISP, there is nothing else we can do.

Q:Why don't you simply ban the person that offensed you, rather than a whole Internet domain?

A: Simply because it's technically impossible. Once upon a time, when the Internet was new, most users had a fixed computer they used to surf from. Now, with Internet Service Providers (ISP's) that have thousands and even millions of users, with dynamically assigned IP-numbers for each Internet session, there's no way to ban. We could of course set, use and ban a cookie - but cookies are stored on your own computer and can easily be deleted by any user with some basic computer knowledge.

Preparing material for Elfwood

Q:What image types do you accept?

A: Only .gif and .jpg formatted pictures.

Q:What is a JPG?

A: A JPEG (pronounced JAY-peg) is a graphic image created by choosing from a range of compression qualities (actually, from one of a suite of compression algorithms). When you create a JPEG or convert an image from another format to a JPEG, you are asked to specify the quality of image you want. Since the highest quality results in the largest file, you can make a trade-off between image quality and file size. Formally, the JPEG file format is ISO standard 10918. JPG's are very suited for compressing photolike images.

Q:What is a GIF?

A: A GIF (the original and preferred pronunciation is DJIF) is one of the two most common file formats for graphic images on the World Wide Web.

Q:What is a PNG (and do you support it?)

A: A really nice picture format. We're planning on supporting the PNG picture format soon!

Q:Why do I need to use GIF or JPG compression? Why do I need to compress at ALL?

A: Uncompressed images are usually very big, while compressing them usually makes them like half, or even a fourth of their original size. This helps to speed up the download time, and it also saves some valueable space at the Elfwood PC's.

Q:How do I convert my TIFF/BMP/whatever picture to GIF or JPEG? How do I rescale my pictures?

A: Get a tool that can do that. Recommended the Gimp, IrfanView or the evaluation version of Paint Shop Pro. If you know of more good tools, feel free to tell us.

Q:What is the maximum picture file size?

A: It is 1 MB (= 1024KB or 1048576 bytes)

Q:What is the maximum story HTML file size?

A: It is 200 KB.

Q:What are the maximum picture dimensions?

A: It is currently 1600 pixels in width and height.

Q:How many pictures can I upload?

A: 100 in the art area and 50 in the FanQuarter.

Q:What happens after you upload as many pics as you can [the whole 100]?

A: You can't upload more picture. However, you can delete or replace old or unpopular ones.

Q:Is 1 MB before or after JPG compression?

A: After, of course...

Q:How do I make images that are 1MB or smaller in file size?

A: The file size depends on what the picture displays, the file type and quality/compression level, if it has a lot of contrasts and details, it will always be bigger. It's all one big tradeoff, really. Try to finetune the parameters until you find an image you are happy with, increasing and decreasing the size and quality.

Q:What kind of file formats for written material do you accept?

A: Only HTML (Hypertext markup language) formatted texts...

Q:How do I create one of these JPG's or GIF's, then?

A: You need a decent computer paint or image processing program for this purpose. It must be able to scale images, and save them in JPG or GIF format. Some programs, like the lame paint program that comes bundled within Windows, sure can't do that very well...

Q:My scans are HUGE, how do I make them smaller?

A: Most likely, your scan program have these options to resize the image. Resize them down for fewer pixels in width and height. Then save them as JPG's. Look at the FARP article about image formats for more info!

Q:Can I resize the images from my account?

A: Images are automatically scaled down to meet our max size requirements. They are scaled down to our max size, and then shrunk again to the best fit for the page. (We also plan to add a manual resize option later on)

Q:How do I view an image in it's full size?

A: When viewing an image, it normally has a bigger version then what you see at first. If you click on it, and NOT where the arrows are showing up, a much larger version should load automatically for you.

Q:My pictures are too big. I don't have any paint program; how do I scale them down?

A: You need a paint program for this. See the download question a little bit below...

Q:I dont have any paint program; how do I save as a JPG or GIF?

A: You need a paint program for this, too. See the download question a little bit below...

Q:Where can I get hold a decent paint program?

A: First, There's the commercial lot of program. The most famous is Adobe Photoshop. Luckily, you don't need to invest your last bucks into this program, there's a lot of free- or shareware available on the Internet.
For Microsoft Windows, check out these programs:

Paint Shop Pro
The JPEG PNG GIF Optimizer for Windows® 95/98/NT
The WinFiles for tons of other options!. The GIMP is also a very good program, easily comparable to Photoshop!

For Macintosh, download.com is a good starting point to start searching for a decent program.

Q:How do I create a text formatted in HTML?

A: Either you can write your HTML manually, or you can use a program that aids you in a more what-you-see-is-what-you-get (wysiwyg) way. Anyway, I can't teach you that in this FAQ. Please check the Internet for HTML tutorials, or download a HTML editing program -- there are tons, and they are usually free or shareware. Here are a few links for the HTML tutorials, if you want to mark up your text on your own:
- Annabellas HTML help (Thanks Angela!)

And here are a few links to software you can use to do HTML:
- TONS and TONS of HTML editors for Windows at Winfiles.com

Updates and Publishing Queues
Huh - Is there a queue?

Q:How do I create a text formatted in HTML?

A: Yes. At Elfwood, we have a dedicated staff of volunteer Elfwood members that check the material before its published. These are the moderators. This means that there's a queue and a waiting time (usually a day or a couple of days) before your material gets published to the general public.

Q:Its been around a month since I put my work on and it?s still not published. I'm going insane, how much longer do I have to wait!?

A: First, while you are signed in please check that the image is showing up in your gallery and it still says 'Unpublished'. Then be sure there isn't a message on the right that says 'Some of your items still needs your attention before they can get published at Elfwood!'. If there is such a message, click it and fix the issues; we will not look at your material until everything is fixed... If the image is there and says unpublished, and you don't have that message, it is just to wait until the moderators look at it and publish it!

Q:What's the average wait time when you wait for a Moderator to review and approve artwork? I've been waiting three days now...so just curious

A: There is not a solid answer for this. It always depends on many factors, one of which being whether the system is ready for moderators to do their work. Another being how many moderators are working and how much time they have available to work. However, usually, Patrons and members very active at Elfwood (commenting, etc) are promoted in the queue to be moderated quicker...

Q:If I upload a picture or story, how do I know the Moderators got it?

A: If you've fixed all items that needed fixing (if any), like entering a description etc, they will get it automatically. You do not have to do anything else but wait for the picture to be moderated.

Q:Some of my friends art are published and mine aren't. Why?

A: An Elfwood moderator has to approve all artwork before it is ever published. There are various reasons why it may take longer than expected, but the most common reason is all updates are placed in a queue of updates, and someone else is in front of you.

Q:Thank you for publishing my pictures! Do you know why some of it goes into the 'Other Works' tab and how I can get it into the main area tab?

A: Pictures that are placed in the 'Other Works' tab, were put there by a moderator as they were found to not belong in the main area. Usually, the moderator will inform you of why, if not, consider the image and read up on the rules of Elfwood, and if you still are unsure feel free to contact support. There is a function to unpublish that item and send it back to the moderators for re-consideration; please click 'Edit' on the item in question, and go the Status headline - there's a function that lets you unpublish the item...

Q:Why do you update the the different areas at different speeds?

A: Different moderators. Different pace.

Q:Is there any pattern to the updates?

A: No. We update when we have time.

Q:I have uploaded pictures, and there has been a publishing of my material since, but my art or stories doesn't show up.

A: Make sure to reload your public page carefully, clearing caches and all that.

Q:Will I be placed in the very last gallery, or where there's some empty space?

A: You will be placed in the end. The empty spaces that are created when people leave Elfwood, remains as empty spots. On a historical side note, I might mention that these we're once held by the infamous artist 'none', eventually replaced by my kitten, but after several complaints of people without any humour -- its now the black void. Sometimes, very seldom, we move people who have done a lot for Elfwood to an low number empty spot.

Q:There is a picture missing on my image map, but it lists among the shortcuts, why?

A: First of all, it always take some time for our scripts to redo the image map. After a day or so, if the problem isn't fixed, its probably just a cache problem. Please see appendix A in this FAQ for more info.

Q:I removed a picture a while ago - its still on my page, and on the image map, why?

A: First of all, as mentioned in several other questions here; you must press the 'publish changes' button and then wait until we accept the application and remove the picture. After that, your browser might still remember and display an old copy of the page - see Appendix A for details on how to carefully reload your page.

Q:OK, my page is now at Elfwood - but my Bio is missing! I am sure I wrote one, where is it?

A: We allow some HTML in the bio. If you do some errors in that HTML, the table cell that is supposed to show your bio will be empty. Make sure you check all of your HTML tags, make sure all quotes are closed, that all tags are closed, and so on. If you are unsure about this, do not use any HTML tags at all please.

Q:So, I wrote my age in the Bio, will I need to update that every year manually?

A: Yes, you would have to do that.

Q:There is a field to fill out what year I was born, isn't that one used?

A: No, it's only for our records and is never used in your public page

Q:What are keywords/tags?

A: Keywords are single words, not sentences, simply describing what is on the picture and how it was made. For example, this can be: 'girl cute sword hair swamp dragon swampdragon jungle'

Q:How do I do these nifty names at the comment boards, with the "click here to visit" links?

A: Just use the "login" button to log in with your usual Extranet user id and password. (Footnote: The uid: system no longer works.)

Q:How do I get an e-mail every night of the comments that I've got during the day?

A: You can enable or disable, as well as set the frequency of this option, under the 'My Account' section..

Q:I can't pick a spot on the worldmap (Under tools section). It doesn't work, and tells me that an error occured.

A: Some browsers can't cope with a simple server side image map, like this one. Or it might be a proxy of firewall that interfers. No matter which, there's nothing I can do. However, you could try a cludgy workaround: The worldmap picture is just one big image map. When clicking on it, you will go to a page with an adress similar to 'http://www.elfwood.com/Extranet/worldmap.html?xxx,yyy', where xxx is the X-position and yyy is the Y-position on the world map. The down-right corner is at 1000x530, so by carefully tweaking these figures between 0 to 1000 and 0 to 530, you might be able to find the correct spot. For example, 'http://www.elfwood.com/Extranet/worldmap.html?531,90' is Stockholm, Sweden.

User accounts

Q:How many accounts may I have?

A: One in each area. (And one in FanQuarter, but only if you're already present with an account in the ordinary art area)

Q:I got another account up now. How do I make them connect up?

A: Update your personal information and type the username of the other account in the appropriate field. Look under aliases under the settings for your account.

Q:I want to change my e-mail address, how do I do that?

A: You just go to the personal info page, change it, save it, and then you must press the 'publish changes' button - when you want something changed online, like your mail address, you must always press it.

Q:Can other users access my files?

A: No, they can't. (Unless they crack your account, or otherwise crack themselves into the system). We keep detailed logs of all activities. If you suspect anything unusual, please contact us!

Q:How do I upload a new version of an existing picture, replacing the old one?

A: Use the upload button and use the same file name.

Q:Can I use HTML tags in my descriptions of myself and my pictures or stories, to make them look better?

A: Yes, some. We limit it for both security and aestetic reasons! HTML tags do work in the picture description and even in the bio field, but it doesn't always work. If it works, you should be able to see your changes in the picture list. For example, if you put in a hyperlink, you should be able to see it in the list as it should appear on the page. If you see some 'raw' HTML, go back to edit the picture and click on Save again. It should work then.

Not all HTML tags are allowed. We have a special page that list the possible HTML at elfwood, go read it here!

Q:Why is it no longer possible to include external images (pictures, ads, banners, etc) in the bio area of the personal Elfwood gallery?

(any!) ads can kick us out of our current situation to somewhere that we have to pay for bandwidth and computer hall space
an external image has unknown copyright permissions; Elfwood, and particularly Thomas can get sued for copyright issues even if the image isn't on our site - we want to avoid that, since even the suit itself would destroy the site
... an external image that doesn't load can "hang" the page so it's not viewable at all, mostly due to table issues and Netscape
...the web page design can be too far from what the designed intended (this isn't very much of a problem, since the original design isn't that much anyway - although blinking stuff isn't that fun)

Q:Can I change my user ID?

A: No, It's currently not possible to do that.

Q:I signed up with Elfwood a LONG time ago. I haven't been around at the site for a long time, and I have forgotten it all. Like, the user id (name), my password, the page I was at and how I updated my material... What should I do?!

A: First, you have to find out your User ID. Find out your page by searching for it in our search engine or have a look at the people list:

The easiest is to use the people list. Use the browsers built-in page search (usually ctrl+f) to find yourself!
If you are in the art area, you can use the free text art search to find your page. Just enter your name, or part of it, (If your name is Brian Mcneal O'Conner, you could search for Mcneal). The search engine searches for names, just as well as art descriptions.
If you are in the Library, go to the library and use the library specific search page, and search for your name in a similar manner. If you used a faked name that you can't remember, we can't help you (you know, faked names are not allowed...).

Q:How can I find out my user ID number?

A: We have no numbers, the user name (some times called the user ID), is what identifies you. It is always one unique word, without any spaces. See previous question for the answer!

Q:So, What is my username and password?! (I can't even remember my user ID!)

A: First, Use our search engine to find yourself. Then go here: http://www.elfwood.com/members/lostpass.html

Q:I created a user a while ago. I never completed my stuff, and when I came back to finish it all, I couldn't log in. What to do?

A: If you have waited more than two months, chances are that your user has been automatically purged (deleted) by our scripts. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but we get a LOT of people signing up for an account that never goes public. Please go to the joining page and re-apply for a spot at Elfwood.

Q:Oooops... I joined the wrong area, what should I do?

A: Well, you can downgrade the account from the Profile/Tools, then upgrade your account again, joining the correct area...

Q:Can departed (dead) members still be published at Elfwood? We would like to keep his/her page up in memory...

A: Yes. Please read more at the ERB rule page about this topic before you contact us...

Q:Can I join up a friend of mine to Elfwood who is dead? His/Her family has given their consent.

A: No, sorry, we don't allow this. Elfwood is supposed to be a creative art community, not an art gallery of paintings of long gone individuals, no matter how good they were.

Q:Person X has died - How can we have his/her page removed from Elfwood?

A: Elfwood staff can remove it - read more at the ERB rule page about this topic before you contact us...

Q:I have Hotmail and I can't receive emails from Elfwood.

A: If you use Hotmail, that service deletes Elfwood emails off and on. If you want to avoid that, you should add the Elfwood domain to your Safe List in Hotmail: *@www.elfwood.com

Q:I don't want a link on my page so people can email me comments, Is there a way to remove it?

A: Yes, there's a flag at the personal info section that you can set.

Favorites & Friends

Q:What can I do with the favorite function?

A: It allows you to 'tag' favorite Elfwood members, or specific items. This makes it easier for you to find your way back to your favorites at Elfwood, and you'll also get a mail with a notice when some of your favorite members publish anything new!

Q:How many favorite items can I have?

A: In total, 150 favorite items for normal members, and 300 for Patrons.

Q:What can I do with the 'friends' feature?

A: You can mark other Elfwood members as your friend. New functions will be added over time. In your profile some of your information is only viewable by "friends" Your screen names (if you have them) for ICQ, Windows Live, Google Talk, Yahoo Chat, Skype and AIM, etc...

Q:How do I add a friend?

A: When you are on someone's page, and you click on either their 'Profile' tab OR are viewing their entire gallery under the 'Artwork' tab, you will see a small icon on the right side, with a little person and a plus sign on top of that person (

). Click that, and you will get to make a friend request, as well as choose what relationship you have with this person...

Q:How many friends can I have?

A: The sky is the limit :-)

My page at Elfwood...

Q:It is possible to have links between my pages at Elfwood, but when I use one, I am taken to a lost-in-the-woods page, why?

A: Then you've submitted an erroneous alias user ID's under your account.

Q:My pictures look fine on my computer, but all weird on your site, why?

A: OK, so your pictures look ok on your computer - You upload them, stored as JPG-pictures, which goes fine. But when you view them though, they look all crippled; grayish and odd, not at all like on my computer screen...
Sounds familiar?
You have saved your JPG's in a color mode called "CMYK". This is a color mode that many programs use, like Adobe Photoshop. Also JPG's can be stored in this format, however, most net browsers and programs can't display them. The solution is to convert your images to the "RGB" color mode. Then save them, and re-submit them to us.

Q:I uploaded an image, and it looks transparent on my page. Certain colors aren't there, and you can see the background through. Why?

A: What you see is a transparent GIF image. Elfwood doesn't modify the picture, so it's your paint program that has created this effect. Some paint programs automatically do this, some don't. With GIF (unlike JPGs) you have the option to specify one (or several) colors as transparent. Make sure your paint program DOESN'T do this when the image is saved. (And then resubmit the picture)

Q:For the individual thumbnails of my art, do I make the thumbnails and send them in or do you automatically make them?

A: We automatically make them, not too long after we make the page for you. Note the slight delay here, thumbnails do not appear right away.

Q:My image-map of thumbnails on my page doesn't work... Why? The links are there below, but no small images...

... they haven't been built yet. Please give us some hours to let them be created...
...caches; typical of this is that the index picture look warped. The caches can be in your browser or at a proxy. Please read the appendix A, "about the cache problem", at the bottom of this page, for more details.
...the images doesn't load, or at least not for the index generator. Check by loading them yourself (by clicking below the index map).
...something messed up in the index map generation. There has been a such problems from time to time (some images may crash our programs). [rare]

Wyverns' Library specific questions

Q:What is the Wyverns' Library?

A: The Wyvern Library is part of the Elfwood Project. Writers from all over the world gather their fiction here for public viewing and comments. What all of these stories and poems have in common is their foundation on imagination. They look at fantastic worlds, strange new futures, and the other sides of reality.
Being included in this library doesn't mean the stories have been edited or chosen because of their quality, though we do monitor them to make sure they fit the genres we're collecting. If you'd like to contribute to this library, Click here! for joining instructions.

Q:What Genres are there at the Library?

A: High Fantasy (ie sword&sorcery), Science Fiction, Horror, and Mystic&Others.

Q:How do you upload a story?

A: You need to have an account that has been upgraded to the Wyvern's Library. From there you must hold your mouse over the 'My Account' tab, and then click on the button labeled 'Upload'. From there you can choose up to five files at a time, but the kicker would be they have to be supported by our system. Currently we support: .html

Q:How many stories do I have to submit?

A: Minimum 1, Maximum 100.

Q:Can I use a writer name ?

A: No, You must use your real name at Elfwood. If you don't want to publish it, and use a handle/alias instead, then you can't join. I'm sorry. But that is the policy we have. There are legal, as well as personal reasons for this. There's no need begging for any change to this, ok?

Q:Do I have any control on the layout or the text?

A: Yes, text should be submitted as HTML: this means you can use <font>-tags, bold, italics and much more. We do not allow http-links (<a href...) yet, though.

Q:Do I *have* to write in HTML?

A: Well, yes......... We only accept PURE text with HTML add-ons. This means that Microsoft Word and other word processors own formats are not accepted. However, Word and most others can save text as in HTML format too. (Check out the 'save as...' options)

Q:I write science fiction. What is this thing you call HTML?

A: Are you sure you should be writing science fiction?

Q:How do I publish writing? I used Microsoft Office Word 2003 and 2007 so why won't it upload and what should I use instead?

A: Currently the only acceptable file formats for Wyverns are: .html and .txt. You can save a word document as a .html by selecting to save it as a webpage. The Elfwood management is slowly working on a way to convert normal Word Documents into stories that we can present, but it is not ready yet.

Q:I have uploaded a story. It was written in HTML. It ends up as an 'illustration', why?

A: The file name of the story must end with either .html or .txt.
_
Can I use illustrations (pictures, etc) within my text?

Q:I have uploaded a story. It was written in HTML. It ends up as an 'illustration', why?

A: Yes, <img> tags are possible within the text. Make sure to ALSO upload the image files needed.

Q:How do I put an illustration in my story?

A: Just the same way as you do it in normal HTML; by using the <img> HTML tag. For example, if you have a picture called 'whatever.jpg', you can upload it, and then use the tag <img src=whatever.jpg> within your story to embed it. This is they way you connect a story with an illustration, there is no magic connection between the file names of the pictures and the file names of the stories. Also note that a story can have one, several or no illustrations -- it's all up to you.

Q:Are poems OK?

A: Yes, As long as they are within the genres and spirit of Elfwood (ie, fantasy & scifi)

Q:Is fan fiction OK?

A: No, see our rules section, please.

Q:Can anyone join the library?

A: Yes. Amatuers and professionals are all welcome. However, you must be at least 13 years or older.

Q:What about copyright and stuff on stories?

A: Basically, you give Elfwood the right to publish your material. We can not give away this right to any third party, and you still own the copyright and publishing right to your work. We do, however, respect other people's copyright. We don't tolerate people putting their names on things they didn't write.

Q:So, any other rules for the library?

A: See our rules section, please.

Q:Are there any words you don't want us to use?

A: Yes, See our rules section, please.

Q:What languages are OK?

A: Only english. (Well, English is preferred, please go read the rules for further explanations)

Q:Just how big can my stories be?

A: In order to get your stories at Elfwood, You need to break them down in to chapters so each one, including all chapters, is below 200KB in size! If you want people to read it, then smaller chapters will encourage reading

Q:My story looks all weird. It's aligned wrong on the page, and I am *SURE* the HTML is correct...

A: This might be due to the reason that the story is too big. Our engine has a limit when it comes to parsing HTML for special tags, and that goes around like 100kb in size. Please cut down your story into several files...

Q:How do I put the illustrations in my story? Do I need to put them in before I upload the story or what?

A: You can put them in before or after your upload your story. The images used in the HTML code of the story much match the filenames and number of illustrations you provide - that is automatically checked.

Q:At the library, how do I get a bunch of chapters into one upload or story? Do I have to make them separate story listings?

A: Yes. Separate files. And all need to be below 100kb. Do separate files and upload them each. Keep in mind that they are sorted by file name, not by title (if you want them listed in a specific order).

Q:After I have uploaded a story, it turns out to be empty.

A: Yes, we do some postprocessing of the uploaded text. For example, it checks for the 'body' part of the story, and extracts it, throwing away header tags and other unnecessary stuff. Now, try this checklist:

Make sure you have written the text in HTML.
Make sure the story has a start <body> and a corresponding end </body> tag - without these, your story will be zero bytes.
Make sure the story is saved in plain text format. If you have saved it in word (.doc), word perfect (.wpd) or any other binary format, we can't use/process it.

Q:How do I list my stories in a specific order?

A: They are sorted by file name. So if you name your stories, for example, story1.html, story2.html and so on, you will have them in order. But, remember that story11.html is listed before story2.html -- as they are alphabetically sorted! So one solution to this could be to go for some other naming system, like poem_a.html, poem_b.html ... etc.

Appendix A - The Cache Problem & how to solve it...

Q:Appendix A

Appendix A - "The Cache problem"

The cache is the part of your internet browser that remembers recently visited pages and pictures, in order to speed up your surfing. Unfortunately, it often remembers too much, which includes old Elfwood web pages and Image maps. In most web browser, like internet explorer and netscape, there's a clear cache function (browse around in the menus of your program until you find it!).

The easiest way to get a *new* page, though, is to hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard while you click in the 'reload' button in your browser!
You can also add a "query" to your URL, and thus go around the cache. Try adding "?abc" to the URL, like this: http://www.elfwood.com/faq.html -> http://www.elfwood.com/faq.html?abc (It doesn't matter what it says after the "?" )

Elfwood™ is a site for Fantasy and Science Fiction art and stories created by Thomas Abrahamsson and helpful assistants and moderators, owned by the Elfwood corporation.

[More...]