I've spent the last fortnight or so getting a little peeved with certain things on Fanpop, they're mostly the tiny things, but if I don't mentioned them, I'm going to outburst on some poor person who doesn't deserve it, so instead, I'm giving a bit of global Fanpop advice, you ready? Here we go...


Get off your soapbox!
Lately I’ve been noticing the most frustrating thing from a lot of rather popular and regular Fanpoppers. Writing articles that don’t have any heart, they barely have content and they’ve clearly just been added to voice a passing opinion that could have been done in pick form or forum post, or to get ratings in a spot so they can get a medal. Let me explain about the content thing, if your post is under a page in a word processor, WITHOUT pictures, then don’t post it as an article, put it in a forum post. Articles are for lengthy commentary on something, forum posts are for those passing opinions you want people to know about. Oh, and always remember to keep those soap boxes original, if you copy from someone/thing else, you’d be better off posting a link instead unless it’s something that cannot directly be linked to.


Do you like my icon?
I like my icon, yes, I do, at time of writing it is Zidane Tribal from Final Fantasy IX, at this point I’ve had it for two months with no intent to change it, it’s a nice piece of artwork from it, and the important thing is that I like it. Not anybody else, other people may like it, but that’s their opinion, so please stop asking “what should I change my icon to?” or any variant because you should be making a decision on an icon that identifies you.

Oh, and an icon doesn’t identify you if you change it too often, try and at least stick a month for the sake of getting to be a well known member!


Do I hear an echo?
Okay, repeat picks, understandable sometimes, I can see why you might not remember a pick, but before you post a pick, try to use the option in the list of picks to view to all unanswered questions before you post a new pick, just in case you missed it out. It’s an easy thing to do, and it means you’re more active as well so it’s win-win! Sometimes a pick may still be repeated, but if you did your best to check, it’s fine and dandy. Keep in mind, that romance picks have almost definitely been asked before, so unless you’re 100% sure they haven’t been asked, don’t even think about posting it please.


Lookin’ good!
When we step out into the world, we all like to go somewhere that looks good, that feels stylish, it’s the same when you step into the internet. Spots get far more members if they have a good looking banner and icon, they help identify the spot for others on their ‘Fan of’ menu, and it makes everything look much better. Not only that, but for picks, it isn’t hard to find a picture and post it with an option on the pick, once again, it looks good and more people will vote. Try and remember :)


I’m kerrrraaaayzeh and random!
The spots that are designed to have everything, any question you feel doesn’t belong to somewhere else, newsflash, if there isn’t a spot dedicated to it, make a spot about it! If you can be bothered to make a ‘random’ spot, be bothered to put the picks in a spot they belong in, because I assure you, there is or should be one for everything! Let me just list these off and explain myself…

link: Was pointless, all the icons belong in the Fanpop Users spot.
link: All those picks? They should go in a spot dedicated to something else. Of all the random spots, this is really the only one that I can completely understand, even if I have issues.
link: Outright pointless.
link: No offence to tubby or emilee intended, I like them both, but spots dedicated to certain users are not right, that’s what the Fanpop Users spot is for, not self-promotion, which is ironically one of the points I’ll talk about later.
link: Look right back at The Random Spot.
link: And one more repeat of “Anything” and “Random” that could just have been done in the Fanpop Users spot.

Now I’ll admit, I’ve joined some of these spots, I’ve even actively participated, but at this point it’s just getting silly. Do as I said above, make the picks in a spot dedicated to it, or in the Fanpop Users spot, where opinions of users are the key to the spot!


Trolls stay under the bridge, please?
Rare, but it does happen, the internet term is a ‘troll’, someone go who goes somewhere (on Fanpop it’d be into spots), just to say they dislike something that other people are talking about. For Fanpop this would be a spot/person/pick etcetera, people being so negative breeds arguments and bad feelings, which is not what Fanpop is about. As has been quoted many times since I made the Fanpop Community article, the key word in community is unity.


Don’t cheat the ballots!
Simply, unless it’s not a popularity/activity vote (like Fan of the Fortnight), don’t vote for yourself. If you think you’d be best as a character from LOST, choose yourself in a pick, but otherwise, leave yourself out and earn the number one position by doing good work and being a nice member!


I swear, by the moon and the star of Fanpop!
Sorry about the All-4-One reference, but again, something simple, swearing and bad language. Children use Fanpop, so please censor your swears with ** or some variant or just plain don’t swear, it is a parents responsibility to watch what kids are doing, but we can help out. I know that adult comments are likely to come up, but you should try to always be aware of who uses the site.


I am so great! I am so great! Everybody loves me I am so great!
Self-promotion, not all self promotion, just making picks that are made to make you look good, picks that are dedicated to you or comments on how good you are. Nothing makes people dislike another more than being self-obsessive, it’s destructive to friendships and makes you come across as vain in a very bad way.


Am you grammar letting we down?
I felt the single most common peeve was meant to go last for a reason, it is the least annoying, I get it, sometimes you’re in a rush. That’s not me giving an excuse, it can still be frustrating trying to read what people have written, texts are where this kind of speech belongs. Comments are fair game, I can understand, but when titling a pick, an image, a video, a link, a soapbox, a spot or anything involving an actual item on the site, please try to spell correctly and use good solid grammar.


Last words...
That's all really for now, keep in mind, I'm not singling people out, everything on this list more than one person has done, and I felt it needed to be said to keep up a good atmosphere and top class website. So come on people, smiles on, logical caps on and let's get to some more Poppin'! :)