How/Where do you get your information? How reliable is it?
The vast majority of information on the site was contributed by users just like you. All submissions have to undergo a moderation process. If you see errors on the site, by all means edit to make them accurate.
A brief overview of the show. A summary should not contain personal opinion. You might think that Wonder Hamsters from Outer Space is the most awesome thing ever to grace your TV screen, but we've got much better places for you to share that info: Reviews and Forums.
What is the "episode summary"?
The episode summary contains all the stuff people want to know about an episode, like the plot or when it aired. Summaries (a brief overview of the plot) and recaps (a detailed roundup of everything that happened on the episode) should be neutral. Again, save your opinions for your review or your forum thread.
What is an "allusion"?
An allusion is an indirect, unexpected reference made to something else, like a book, a movie, a historical event, or another television show. TV is filled with them, because nothing is as satisfying as catching that obscure reference and being in the know. Fill out the allusion form with as much detail as possible about the original source for the reference.
i.e. Sam: (to Dave) That's one small step for Sam, one giant leap for Samkind!
Sam's exclamation as he climbs the tree echoes astronaut
Neil Armstrong's famous first words as he planted his feet on the
moon in July of 1969.
"Trivia"? "Note"? What's the difference?
Generally, trivia is any noteworthy on-screen detail, while notes occur off-screen. Charlie Harper's address spotted on a piece of mail is a trivia item; Charlie Sheen delaying filming of the episode because he refused to work is a note.
How do I use the "quotes" form?
Quotes are dialogue between characters and should be specific to the episode, not the show. No catchphrases allowed! Please don't submit Homer saying "D'oh!" to every episode of The Simpsons. Please. The quotes form contains separate fields for character name and dialogue. Put the context of the quote within parentheses and in italics with <em> tags
How does the friends system work?
Click on the "Start Following" link on any user profile in order to track their blog. If they follow you back, you are now considered "friends".
Editing
There's an Edit Button on the page. What's it for?
Clicking the button will take you to the page's submission form, where the information on that page can be edited.
I can change the information on the site?
You sure can!
Wait, you're putting a lot of responsibility on the users. How can you tell whether the info people are submitting is correct?
Submissions have to go through a moderation process before being added. At the bottom of every submission form is a text box where users can put in a source for the information they're submitting. A TV.com staff member or a TV.com editor will check that source and verify whether the info is correct before allowing the information on the site.
What are some important must-knows about contributing to TV.com?
All info on TV.com is dynamic and is subject to change.
Keep all info neutral and accurate.
Don't copy/paste info from another site. TV.com emphasizes original content for summaries and recaps. What's the point if all the same stuff can be found on Wikipedia?
Most additions to the site are made through a text editor. Use italics to indicate show titles, movie titles, book titles, and album titles. Indicate episode titles by placing them between quotation marks. Remember: it's Lost but "The Long Con".
To make sure your submission is approved, be sure to include a credible source, correct spelling and grammar. You're helping to create a resource for the world's largest audience, the Internet. Write for readability.
If your submission is rejected, don't despair! Check your private messages and read the notes you were given about why your submission was rejected. Chances are if you make the changes requested and resubmit your info, your submission will get accepted.
How long do submissions normally take to reach the live site?
The vast majority of submissions will be cleared within 24 hours, but very very rarely, it could take up to a week for your info to appear.
When you submit info to the site, you earn points. Gaming is essentially cheating in order to hike up your score. Making a single change at a time on a form that has multiple fields, or adding a single cast member at a time when you can easily add more than one person are typical examples of gaming the system. Anyone found to be gaming will first be given sufficient warnings and then dealt with according to the decision of the staff.
Are all submissions scored the same?
No, every type of submission earns you a different number of points. Points range from 1 for a single trivia item to 10 for a fully filled out episode form.
Editor
What are TV.com editors? How can I become an editor?
Editors are the curators of the content on TV.com. They can submit info to their guides without having to go through the moderation process, and they also have access to the submission queue for their guides, which means that they can control the info that gets posted to their guides.
A user automatically becomes an editor for a guide after earning 80 points on that guide.
How often is an editor expected to check their editor's queue?
Editors are given a week (seven days) to check on their queue. All submissions will be cleared by TV.com staff on the eighth day.
What does an editor do in case of special circumstances (like vacation, etc.)?
Contact a TV.com staff member (nilla_chelle01 or etong87)
What constitutes "MIA" status?
If an editor hasn't cleared out all submissions to their queue by the eighth day, they will be contacted by staff.
If an editor hasn't logged into the site in a month, staff may retire them from their guides.
Can editors resign?
Yes! They must go to the Contribute page in order to retire: http://www.tv.com/shows/[showname]/contribute/
Can a retired editor still submit to a show?
Yes, submit away!
How can I dethrone an editor?
You have to earn 80 points above the current editor to become editor yourself.
How do I report a Problem Editor?
If you have any issues regarding editors, please contact a TV.com staff member (nilla_chelle01 or etong87)
What are trusted users?
Trusted users can also submit to guides without going through the moderation process. The editor of the guide can assign Trusted User status to another user by going to the "Contribute" section of a show guide: http://www.tv.com/shows/[showname]/contribute/
Other
My question isn't on here. Where can I go for support?
For all other site issues, contact TV.com staff members nilla_chelle01 or etong87 via private message.
