by Tooey
Models
There are several sites on the internet that can provide you with pictures to use. The most popular sites are model websites, because models are people who are paid so that others can use their pictures to represent things. Please credit the site you got your pictures from, it's very rude not to.
Of course, things can get tricky. Sometimes you go into the chat with your shiny profile and web site and picture, and... somebody already used that model. Sadfaces abound! Unfortunately, these things do happen, and it's difficult to avoid, since it'd be impossible to keep an updated database of who had used what model when and at what point they decided that character was inactive, so on and so forth. If you go into the chat and somebody goes, "Hey! That's the picture I used for Jane, you can't use that," whoever has been using that picture or model for the longest amount of time has rights of seniority.
On another note. If you make a shiny new character and bring it into the chat and someone private messages you with, "Hey, I was going to use that model soon," you have every right to continue to use said model. Claiming models is not allowed. It is absolutely a matter of first come, first serve.
Some people have varying opinions on what represents a character. Some people find one picture, and that picture is their character, but other pictures of that model don't really apply. In any case, if the two conflicting puppetmasters choose to use different pictures of the same model, that is entirely their decision. If, however, the member with seniority asks the other member to please choose a different model, there is no other option.
On to what is generally accepted and what we like to discourage. There are lots if image websites out there that work perfectly well for tracking down pictures of models who look like your character- just do a quick internet search. Gettyimages has been popular in the past, but is no longer allowed due to some complications. (More information on that in the forum.) We much prefer that you use pictures of relative unknowns. Avoid using well-known actors, actresses, and musicians to represent your character. There's obviously a bit of grey area as to who is too well-known to be used, but people such as Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, and George Clooney are strictly out-of-bounds. If you have any doubts about whether the model you wish to use is inappropriate, please ask any mentor, and we'll let you know.
Banners
A banner is what you get when several images of your character are smashed together in various ways to produce a larger image. Lyrics are often but not necessarily included, along with pretty fonts, names, the whole shebang. A banner can run the gamut from very simple (one picture, no text) to very complex (three or more pictures plus lyrics and a name). There is no restriction on banners except that they must adhere to the PG-13 rating of the chat (for more information on that, see here. No nudity, no violent or disturbing images, none of the obscenities listed as inappropriate.
Banners are difficult to make. Some members have Adobe Photoshop and are banner whiz kids. Other people choose to make do with Microsoft Paint or other programs, and others do without banners. We ask that you do not excessively beg and plead with other members to make your character banners. If they offer, it's fine. If you ask as a personal favour, it's fine. But do not make your rounds in the chat, asking everybody with Photoshop to make you a pretty banner. That's what we like to call rude.
Song Lyrics
Some people like to use lyrics to represent their characters. For quite a few members, the lyrics become as much a part of their character as the model does. Because of this, we sometimes run into the same problem as we do with models. Somebody wants to use the song, but somebody else has already used it, and there's a big mess and it generally results in unfriendly feelings, and nobody wants that.
As song lyrics don't actually belong to anybody but the person(s) who has them copyrighted, we can't actually forbid anybody from using song lyrics that somebody else has already used. However, there are basic rules of etiquette to be followed in instances such as these, and they are much the same as model etiquette. Whoever has used those lyrics for the longest time has seniority. However, we can't actually tell anybody to change their lyrics, but it would be a mark of respect to do so. It would then be assumed that the other member would show you respect in the future. Things like that can be worked out between members, in private discussion. You may have noticed, for example, that most songs have lots of lyrics. Why not try splitting the lyrics up, so that one of you uses half and the other uses the rest? But use good judgment, and remember that it's first come, first serve.
Avatars
Even though this is not really the best place for it, I'm going to briefly explain how to put avatars up on your character's handle in the chat. It's so easy! 1-2-3. Literally.
- Find the picture you want to use, or make an avatar out of the picture you want to use.
- Host the picture on a photosharing website. Photobucket works, as well as imageshack, graffiti, or flickr.
- Copy the image's URL and paste it into the Avatar text box that you see when you register your character or edit his/her profile.
You can just take any old picture and squash it in there, but chances are, since the chat allows for pictures of 75x100 pixels only, your character's avatar will come out stretched and/or pixellated. In order to avoid this, use a photo-editing program to trim/size your picture down to 75x100 pixels. If you do not know how to do that, feel free to ask around in the chat. Chances are, someone will offer to help you, or even make an avatar for you.