Hello, and welcome to the Supernatural.tv forums! Kittsbud and Yoda started this messageboard in October 2005, shortly after Supernatural's pilot episode aired. Since then the forums have grown and we continue to be one of the largest Supernatural fan communities on the web.

A volunteer staff of moderators and administrators maintains the forums and operates independently from BuddyTV, which owns www.supernatural.tv (the main site).

Please bookmark both the main site and the direct link to the forums in case either is ever unavailable.

We hope you enjoy your time here. This guide covers everything members need to know about our forums. Please read the Forum Rules before posting in any of the forums. (Note that only registered members have full access to forums and features.)

Feel free to post a thread in this forum to introduce yourself. If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to contact any of the staff members.

- Yoda (board administrator)


Contents of this thread
Structure of the Board
Board Overview
User Groups
Post Ranks
List of Common Board Abbreviations
Episode Title Abbreviations
How To...
Additional Resources

Structure of the Board

When you log on to the board, you see a list of all the forums. That is the board index page. From there, you can get to any forum on the board.

Examples of forums: Forum Rules, Site News and Announcements, Introduce Yourself, Help Desk.

Forums may have sub-forums in them. These are sections within the forum. For example, the Help Desk is sub-divided into Supernatural-related; Avatars, Banners, and Signatures; and Forums, Threads, and Posts.

When you click on a forum or sub-forum, you will see a list of discussion topics. These are called threads. For example, the Fan Fiction forum has sub-forums for various genres of fanfic and then each story is in its own thread.

When you click on a thread, you will see a list of posts. These are the individual comments written by members. For example, when you click on the Behind the Scenes Pictures thread, you will see the member named pietie made the first post. The second post was written by bjxmas. New posts are added to the bottom of the page.

Board images

Here are explanations for the images you see on the board.

Forum Markers

- This image marks forums and sub-forums with new posts in them.

- This image marks forums with no new posts.

- This image marks sub-forums with no new posts.

Thread buttons

- New Topic. Click on this button in forums to start a new thread (a.k.a. discussion topic).

New Poll. Click on this button in forums to start a new poll.

- Closed (thread). This marks threads that are locked. No new posts can be added to locked threads.

- Add Reply. Click on this button in threads to add a post to a thread.

- Fast Reply. This button appears at the bottom of threads. You can click on it to open a text box below the thread to write a post.


Post images

- This image shows up on posts you have made, but not posts other members have made. You can click on it to edit the content of your post.

- This image appears on all posts. You can click on it to quote the content of a specific post and add your comments below the quoted part.

- Click on this image if you see a post that violates the forum rules. Fill out the form on the next page, and a mod will receive the information and look into the issue.

- This image appears on all posts. You can click on it to send a PM (private message) to the person whose post you clicked on.

Here's a quick run-down of the main forums on this site. **Guests can view many of the forums here, but only registered members can post and start topics.

Forum Rules: Please read the rules before you post. There is important information there about board conduct, signatures, and penalties for violating rules.

Site News and Announcements: Check here for announcements about the main site and board activities, such as challenges and site competitions.

Introduce Yourself: A place to say "hi" after you've joined the board and to welcome new members.

Help Desk: Feel free to post any questions about the site, forums, or Supernatural. Chances are someone will be able to respond. Of course, you can also PM a mod or admin at any time with any questions, comments, or concerns.

General Discussion: Discuss Supernatural in general. Talk about news, reviews, awards, and the overall season. No spoilers may be posted in this forum.

Across the Ocean: This is an area of the board mainly for our members overseas in the UK and Australia, but anyone is welcomed to post there. Please be careful about discussing current Supernatural episodes, because they are aired much later overseas than they are in the U.S. or Canada.

Episodes: Talk about individual episodes.

Characters: Talk about our favorite Winchesters and other characters on the show.

Actors and Staff: Talk about Jensen, Jared, other actors, and behind-the-scenes crew on the series.

Winchester Journal: Talk about urban legends, myths, and supernatural stories here.

Spoilers: The only place on the board where upcoming episodes that haven't aired in the U.S or Canada may be discussed.

Fanart: View, comment on, and post fanart. You can also request graphics to be made.

FanVids: View and post fan videos made by Supernatural fans.

Fan Fiction: Read stories posted by fans and post your own. We have them separated into several genres so they're easier to find.

Virtual Seasons: We have excellent virtual seasons that post new episodes throughout the year. If you can't get enough of Supernatural or need something during a hiatus, this is the place to go!

Challenges: If you're up for a little competition, this is the place to go! The forum staff hosts fanart, fanvid, and fanfic challenges throughout the year.

Games: Play non-RP games in here.

RPGs: All of our role-playing games are in this forum.

Walk in the Shadows: Are you familiar with the party game called Mafia or Werewolf? This is the place to play our version of it on the Sn.tv Forums.

Off-Topic Discussion: The bottom area of the board is where you'll find sections to talk about current events, hobbies and interests, and advice. You can also participate in Fan Groups, wish members happy birthday, and post links to advertise other sites.

User Groups

You'll notice we have several user groups in our forums, and each one is differentiated by the color of members' names.

There's a legend at the bottom of the board with the active user list that shows what each color stands for, but here is a more detailed explanation.

Members (names in white): most of the users on the board. Members can post and start threads in the forums, send and receive private messages, and participate in board activities.

LIMS Champ (name in light blue): We hold a competition roughly once a year called Last Icon Maker Standing. Many artists compete to create icons from given images. We vote on the icons and artists are eliminated until there is only one person left. That remaining artist is named the LIMS Champ. He/she can do whatever Members can do and is the reigning LIMS Champ until the next competition.

Writer of the Month (light green): The staff selects a member in the forums who has shown significant progress in their writing to be the Writer of the Month. For the duration of the month, the member has his/her name in green in the forums. Otherwise the writer is the same as Members.

Artist of the Month (purple): The staff selects a member in the forums who has shown significant progress in their art to be the Artist of the Month. For the duration of the month, the member has his/her name in purple in the forums. Otherwise, the artist is the same as Members.

Forum moderators (blue): Forum moderators are staff members who are assigned to specific forums. Their responsibilities include organizing threads, editing posts with rule violations, sending PMs to members when they violate rules, and helping out with board activities. You can see which mods are in charge of which forums by clicking on The Moderating Team at the bottom of the main board page.

Super Moderators (a.k.a. global moderators) (dark green): Super moderators are staff members who look over the entire message board. Their responsibilities are the same as forum mods, except that they oversee all the forums instead of only specific ones.

Administrators (red): Administrators oversee the super mods and forum mods. They perform moderating duties as well as make final decisions on issues of rule violations. Administrators have the highest authority on the message board.

Post Ranks

The text below members' avatars/icons is called the Member Title. After you have made 5 posts, you can edit it by going to My Controls --> Edit Profile Info.

However, if you don't have a custom member title, the default title is determined by the number of posts you have made on the board. The default title changes as your post count increases. The progression roughly follows seasons 1 and 2 of Supernatural.

Post rank:

Name -- number of posts

Newbie -- 0
Member -- 10
Advanced Member -- 30
Woman in White -- 200
Wendigo -- 500
Bloody Mary -- 800
Shapeshifter -- 1000
Hookman -- 1200
Ghostly Mental Patient -- 1350
Scarecrow -- 1500
Shadow Demon -- 1750
Shtriga -- 2000
Vampire -- 2500
Fire Demon -- 5000
Demon Hunter -- 8000
Winchester -- 10,000
Hospital Ghost -- 12,000
Creepy Clown -- 14,000
Zombie -- 16,000
Psychic Kid -- 18,000
Usual Suspect -- 20,000
Crossroad Demon -- 22,000
Possessed Hunter -- 24,000
Trickster -- 25,000
Highway Ghost -- 26,000
Werewolf -- 28,000
Jail House Ghoul -- 30,000
Djinn Dream-maker -- 32,000
Seasoned Hunter -- 35,000

List of Common Board Abbreviations

Admin(s) - administrator(s)
AU - "alternate universe": usually refers to a fic that takes place in an alternate universe with at least one major difference to how Supernatural is on TV.
Avi - avatar/icon (the pictures below members' names)
Fanfic - fan fiction: stories based off of TV shows, movies, or novels written by fans
IMO - "In my opinion"
IMHO - "In my humble opinion"
J2 -Jensen and Jared
JA - Jensen Ackles
JP - Jared Padalecki
Mod(s) - moderator(s)
PM - private message: equivalent to email in the forums
RPG(s) - role-playing game(s). Text-based games where at least two members write as if they are characters in a shared story
Sig(s) - signature(s): the space below a member's post. Each member can customize his/her own signature space to put in banners, text, or links in accordance with the Forum Rules.
SN/SPN - Supernatural
TPTB - "The Powers That Be" - refers to writers, producers, and creators of a show.
VS - "virtual season": a series of long fanfics that are written by a group of people. Virtual seasons usually jump off from a specific point in the TV series and then take the characters in an original direction.

A string of letters all in capitals usually refers to an episode title. For example, IMTOD is the abbreviation for In My Time of Dying, the season 2 premiere. Generally, the abbreviation is the first letter of each word in the episode title. Please see the next post for episode abbreviations for seasons 1 through 5.

Episode Title Abbreviations

Season 1

Pilot
Wendigo
Dead in the Water -- DitW
Phantom Traveler -- PT
Bloody Mary -- BM
Skin
Hook Man -- HM
Bugs
Home
Asylum
Scarecrow
Faith
Route 666
Nightmare
The Benders
Shadow
Hell House -- HH
Something Wicked -- SW
Provenance
Dead Man's Blood -- DMB
Salvation
Devil's Trap -- DT


Season 2

In My Time of Dying -- IMTOD
Everybody Loves a Clown -- ELAC
Bloodlust
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things -- CSPWDT
Simon Said -- SS Same abbreviation as "Swan Song"
No Exit
The Usual Suspects -- TUS
Crossroad Blues -- CB
Croatoan
Hunted
Playthings
Nightshifter
Houses of the Holy -- HotH
Born Under a Bad Sign -- BUABS
Tall Tales -- TT
Roadkill
Heart
Hollywood Babylon -- HB
Folsom Prison Blues -- FPB
What Is and What Should Never Be -- WIAWNSB
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part One -- AHBL1
All Hell Breaks Loose, Part Two -- AHBL2


Season 3

The Magnificent Seven -- TM7
The Kids Are Alright -- TKAA
Bad Day at Black Rock -- BDABR
Sin City -- SC
Bedtime Stories
Red Sky at Morning -- RSAM
Fresh Blood -- FB
A Very Supernatural Christmas -- AVSC
Malleus Maleficarum -- MM or WH (for Witch Hunt)
Dream a Little Dream of Me -- DALDOM
Mystery Spot -- MS
Jus in Bello -- JiB
Ghostfacers
Long Distance Call -- LDC
Time Is on My Side -- TIOMS
No Rest for the Wicked -- NRFTW


Season 4

Lazarus Rising -- LaR
Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester -- AUTGIMDW
In the Beginning -- ITB
Metamorphosis
Monster Movie -- MM
Yellow Fever -- YF
It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester -- ITGPSW
Wishful Thinking -- WT
I Know What You Did Last Summer -- INWYDLS
Heaven and Hell -- HaH
Family Remains -- FR
Criss Angel Is a Douchebag -- CAIAD
After School Special -- ASS
Sex and Violence -- SaV
Death Takes a Holiday -- DTAH
On the Head of a Pin -- OTHOAP
It's a Terrible Life -- IATL
The Monster at the End of This Book -- TMATEOTB
Jump the Shark -- JTS
The Rapture
When the Levee Breaks -- WTLB
Lucifer Rising -- LuR


Season 5

Sympathy for the Devil -- SFTD
Good God, Y'All! -- GGY or GGYA
Free to Be You and Me -- FTBYAM
The End -- TE
Fallen Idols -- FI
I Believe the Children Are Our Future -- IBTCAOF
The Curious Case of Dean Winchester -- TCCODW or CCODW
Changing Channels -- CC
The Real Ghostbusters -- TRG
Abandon All Hope -- AAH
Sam, Interrupted -- SI
Swap Meat -- SM
The Song Remains the Same -- TSRTS
My Bloody Valentine -- MBV
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid -- DMDWP
Dark Side of the Moon -- DSOTM
99 Problems -- 99P
Point of No Return -- PONR
Hammer of the Gods -- HOTG
The Devil You Know -- TDYK
Two Minutes to Midnight -- TMTM
Swan Song -- SS Same abbreviation as "Simon Said"

How To...

Topics are listed alphabetically.

How to...

Add or change your avatar or signature
Full instructions are posted here.

Please remember to credit the artist if you use graphics you did not make yourself. If you're looking for avatars and signatures to use, feel free to browse our fanart forums. Be sure to ask permission before using a piece made by another person and please read the request rules before you place a request for a graphic to be made for you.

Bold font
See "Use tags"

Change your member title
This is located below a member’s name or avatar. To add or change it, click on “My Controls” and then “Edit Profile info.” Type in the Custom member title box and then click “Amend my profile” at the bottom of the screen.

Delete a post
Members cannot delete their own posts. You can edit and remove all the text, but your post will still be there. If you'd like to have one of your posts deleted, please contact a mod or admin.

Delete a thread
Members cannot delete threads. If you accidentally start a thread and want it deleted, please contact a mod or admin and ask them to delete it.

Edit a post
Members can edit only posts they’ve written. Click on the “Edit” button towards the top right of your post. Make your changes and click “Submit Modified Post.” This is used when a member makes a mistake in a post or encounters a problem with formatting. Also, instead of double posting, members will edit their post to add to their comments. Admins and mods can edit any posts on the board. This is done when a member violates a board rule. An admin or mod will edit the post so that it no longer violates a rule and usually includes a reason for the edit. Sometimes, an admin or mod will edit a member’s post to fix something in it, such as a link or formatting problem.

Fast Reply
Clicking on the “Fast Reply” button opens a text box underneath the thread to add a comment. To enable it, click on My Controls, click on “Board Settings,” and click Yes where is says, “Open Fast Reply automatically when available?” “Fast Reply” is a convenient way to reply to threads without going to a different page.

Italicize font
See “Use tags”

Move a thread
Members cannot move threads. If you accidentally start a thread in the wrong forum, you can contact a mod or admin and ask them to move it. Admins and mods promptly move threads if they see them in the wrong place.

Pin threads
In most forums, a few threads remain at the top, regardless of the last time a person posted in it. These threads have “Pinned:” at the beginning of their titles. Usually, these threads are announcements or contain important information. Threads are pinned to prevent them from sliding down the page because they’re important to keep available and/or visible. Only forum staff can pin and unpin threads.

Post images
First, you need to find the direct link to the image. Then in a post, use image tags and the direct link.

Post links
You can include links in your posts by using the url tags.

Example:

The above text will display like this:

Post spoilers
Generally, spoilers should be only in the spoiler forums, but when you need to have something spoilery elsewhere on the board, you can hide the text by using spoiler tags.
[*spoiler=title]Spoiler text here[*/spoiler]

Take out the asterisks, and the above will look like this:
[spoiler=title]Spoiler text here[/spoiler]

*Note, you MUST have a title.

Reply to a thread
Click on the “Add Reply” button at the top or bottom of a thread to add your comments. After typing your message, click on the gray “Add Reply” button.

Report a post
If you see that a member violated a board rule in a thread and it doesn’t seem like a moderator or administrator has responded, use the Report a Post button to let a mod or admin know where the rule was broken. Please do not click on the “Report” button to send an admin or mod a regular PM.

Send a private message (PM)
Private messages are similar to email between members of the board. Members can use PMs for private conversations or to discuss something in more detail. Often, sending a PM is the easiest way to contact a moderator or administrator for questions or concerns.

Use tags
Tags help you format posts and signatures. In posts, tags use brackets ( [ and ] ) and in sigs, tags use carets ( < and > ), like html format.

To use a tag in a post:

Click on the “Reply” button at the bottom of the thread you want to reply to. Type your comments. Highlight the text you want to change. Click on the buttons at the top of the text box to format the text.

B = bold
I = italic
U = underline

You can change font, size, and color as well.

Click on “http://” to add a hyperlink to your post. “Quote” will put highlighted text in a box within your post.

You can also type tags by hand. This is helpful if you use Fast Reply.

[“tag”]Include text here[/“tag”]

The first part in brackets is the tag you want to use. The second set of brackets end the tag, like when you want to end bold font.

Some common tags. Replace “tag” in the above example with one of these:

For example, to make a line of text bold:

To use tags, in sigaturess, simply replace the brackets with carets.

For example:

Underline text
See “Use tags”

Where to post a thread - an explanation of where certain kinds of threads belong in the forums written by Irishgirl