Frequently Asked Questions: madnesswithin

halffling in madnesswithin

Frequently Asked Questions

May 01, 2005 17:17

Most of the general rules and information can be found on the Rules post, as well as our userinfo. However, we realize there may be some specific questions unaddressed in either of those areas, so we created this FAQ page. It'll continue to grow as we receive more questions, so don't hesitate to comment on this entry if you have something to ask.

But why is the rum gone? (a.k.a. Frequently Asked Questions)

Who are inevendim and halffling, and what is this madnesswithin?
We are but two wandering Hobbits (slash) Wizards: inevendim is better known as Mira, while halffling is better known as Bikuki. We share a love for creating graphics, not to mention a numerous amount of fandoms! It was inevitable that we'd eventually combine our passions; thus, this community was born. Inspired by the words exchanged between Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, you are now witnessing the creation and growth of The Madness Within! Not only does it reflect our adoration of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (whom we both worship), but it's also a little hint at the sheer insanity we both fall into... once and a while ;)

More information about us, and the community, can be found on the sidebar on the main page and our userinfo.

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Can I join this community?
Nope, sorry. madnesswithin is the personal icon journal of inevendim and halffling, so we're the only two allowed to post. Since this community is not "elite" (that's not the purpose) or "friends-locked" (all of our entries are public), there's actually no reason for you to join - simply add madnesswithin to your friends list, and you're good to go! (See Can I watch this community? below.)

Please don't request to become a member.

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Can I watch this community?
You may, indeed! In fact, we hope that you do friend this community :D Keep tabs on us by adding madnesswithin to your friends list.

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Do you require credit?
Yes, please credit us when you take or use any of our icons, graphics, mood themes, screencaps, tutorials, templates, or anything else offered on this community.

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How do I give credit...
- ... when I use your icons?
  The best way to give credit is in the icon's keywords. To do so, first save the image to your computer, perhaps in a folder labeled "madnesswithin" so you'll remember where you got it from. Next, go to your Edit User Pictures page. (Found by going to Manage --> Userpics)
  
  Scroll down until you see Upload a New Picture. (If you're at your limit, you may have to delete one of your icons before you are able to upload a new one.) It should look similar to the screenshot below:
  
  Click the "Browse" button to find the icon you want to use. In the keywords box, type in a word that will help you remember which icon it is (in this case, the words "Captain Jack"). Afterwards, credit us - like the "(by madnesswithin)". Alternatively, you may type in "inevendim" (if Mira made the icon) or "halffling" (if Bikuki made the icon). Do this in whatever style you feel most comfortable in.
  
  Additionally, you may give credit in the comments area. Here, LiveJournal allows you to use LJ-specific tags, so we recommend you type something like the following:
  
  by halffling at madnesswithin
  
  (or)
  
  by inevendim at madnesswithin
  
  That way, when people look at your icons, it will appear somewhat like this:
  
  Allowing viewers to visit the community directly! :D
  
  When you're done, click the "Proceed" button, and LiveJournal will do the rest.
  
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- ... when I use your mood themes?
  Mood themes are (usually) posted with instructions on how to properly give credit during installation. However, we also ask that you give credit in your userinfo. Simply venture to your Edit Info page (Manage --> Info) and in the About You box, type in the following:
  
  [subject] mood theme created by halffling at madnesswithin
  
  Of course, enter either "halffling" for Bikuki's themes, or "inevendim" for Mira's themes. In addition, you can also link to the post where the mood theme was offered, such as the following:
  
  [subject] mood theme created by halffling at madnesswithin
  
  Where you replace "http://community.livejournal.com/madnesswithin/00000.html" with the proper URL to the entry.
  
  How you enter it is up to you, the above are just examples of the many different ways to give credit :)
  
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- ... when I use your screencaps?
  You can credit us in each individual post where you use the screencaps, in your resource page (if you have one), or simply in your userinfo. An example of how to do so follows:
  
  [subject] screencaps by halffling at madnesswithin
  
  Like the mood theme, you can also choose to link to the post where the screencaps were offered.
  
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- ... when I use your brushes?
  Brushes are the same as screencaps, simply credit in the post itself, on your resource page, or your userinfo. An example follows:
  
  brushes by inevendim at madnesswithin
  
  Likewise, you may choose to link to the post where the brushes were offered.
  
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- ... when I use your templates/layouts/tutorials?
  By this we mean customized or instructions on how to install Overrides, S1/S2 Styles or icon templates/tutorials made public. Please credit us in your resource page/userinfo, similar in fashion to those mentioned previously. Example:
  
  Opal template by halffling
  
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- ... when I use anything else?
  Chances are, you can use one of the methods above :) We're not picky, so long as you give credit when credit is due.
  
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Can I take your icons and say I made them?
NO! This is called STEALING and we do not tolerate it one bit. Do this and we'll be very, very, very VERY mad. Siriusly, we doubt anyone would ever ask this, but it's best to address the issue so you know where we stand.

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Can I edit your icons?
Generally, the answer is no - so please do not edit any of our graphics unless we specifically indicate in the post that you are allowed to customize the icons, as in the cases of bases.

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Can I direct link?
OMG NO. Please don't hotlink, it eats up our bandwidth and we will be very upset with you. Read this article at altlab.com for more information.

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Then, can I upload your graphics to my server/image host?
The only situation where we'd allow this is if you are nominating us at an Icon Award community (in which case, *SQUEE!* thank you! <3) or if you're being so sweet enough to host a slew of screencaps. In either case, please let us know, too! Hotlinking is bad, so we love you for uploading to your own host, but please refrain from posting them on your websites/journals/etc. without asking us first.

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Can I use your icons/graphics/mood themes/etc. on GreatestJournal? Xanga? My personal website?
Our graphics are intended for LiveJournal users, but we're pretty much okay them being used on GJ. HOWEVER, we still require credit - please indicate that we're from LiveJournal when doing so (such as saying: "madnesswithin on LJ")

As for Xanga, we're more strict. We aren't 100% sure of how it works or its customizabilty, but do not believe that it's easy to give credit on Xanga. Unless you can properly give credit on the page and icons (not just your recent entry) - please do not use any of our work on Xanga so we can avoid any finger-pointing.

Since personal websites are flexible, you can use our mood themes there (for instance, with the PHPCurrently script offered by CodeGrrl.com). Icons are a bit tougher, since it can lead to a "gallery" of icons - which we don't really like. We ask that you do not use our icons on your site, unless it's just one or two. You can help prevent theft by including "madnesswithin" in the icon's name itself (like captainjack-from-madnesswithin.gif), and providing a link to the community on your site.

In conclusion: If you plan to use our works ANYWHERE BUT LIVEJOURNAL - make sure to tell us when commenting on our entry, and give us credit with a link back. In some cases, we may not allow you to use it elsewhere, so please ask first.

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What does the text say on that icon?
We're pretty good at mentioning what the icon text says in their respective posts. Usually it's a quote (when it's from a movie, text-only icons) or lyrics from a song (for instance, musical artists or actors). We'll always give full credit to the artist when using their lyrics.

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Where can I find your old icons/mood themes/caps/tutorials/etc.?
All of our past posts are archived by subject in our Memories. It's frequently updated, so if you can't find something, chances are we never made it.

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Can I nominate your icons at -suchandsuch- community?
Ah, why thank you! You don't need our permission to nominate, we'd be too thrilled that you wanted to in the first place! XD Just drop a friendly message when you do, so we're aware.

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Do you take requests?
Generally, no. Please don't make a request unless we have a post saying that we are accepting them. Sometimes, we may ask what sort of icons you would like to see in an upcoming batch, which would be the opportune moment to make your requests. We hope you understand that we don't have very much time to create custom icons/graphics.

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Can you help me with this icon/layout?
Sorry, the purpose of this community isn't to provide help on customizing your journal or creating icons. Occassionally, we may post tips on how to get certain effects and the like, but don't come to us to solve your problems. Good communities like howto, s2styles and icon_help are fantastic sources created specifically to help you - simply do an LJ search for more! :)

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What programs do you use?
Mira (inevendim) uses Adobe Photoshop 7.0 - and occasionally Adobe Illustrator 10 - for her icons and graphics. For animated icons, she uses Adobe ImageReady 7.0. To take screencaps she uses PowerDVD/PowerVCR.

Bikuki (halffling) uses Adobe Photoshop 7.0 for all her icons and graphics. For animated icons, she uses Adobe ImageReady 7.0. To take screencaps, she used some free software that expired 15 days later, so she is in the middle of trying to get decent program to make caps in the future she finally got her hands on PowerDVD :D

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Where do you get your images/brushes/caps/etc.?
For a complete list of all the sources we've used, please check out our Resources Post! If you see something of yours that we've used but have not credited, post a comment to let us know. It is never our intention to skip crediting, it sometimes just slips our mind. By bringing it to our attention, we'll remedy the situation as soon as possible.

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This thing you offered (typically a mood theme or brush set) is a .zip/.rar file. How do I unzip/unrar it?
Windows XP is able to unzip the file without any other program, simply by double clicking on it or right-clicking and choosing "Extract All..." (follow the instructions afterwards). Otherwise, please read this tutorial at Mantex.co.uk to learn how to unzip (and zip!) files using various free programs on the web.

For Windows users, we recommend WinZip.
For Macs, we recommend Stuffit.

As for .rar files, download the program WinRAR. 'Tis a wonderful thing!

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Would you like to affiliate with my icon journal?
Yes, we're always looking for affiliates! Please read the guidelines on the Affiliates Post for more information =D

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OMG LIEK I LUV U AND UR SOOOO HOTTT MARRY ME!!!!one1!!1?
*hits with stick* We're not anyone famous, and we don't know anyone famous - we're just two silly gals from opposite sides of the world. Comments like these are annoying, so we make sure to delete them ;D Frequent offender? You'll be banned.

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I love you guys! How can I thank you?
Awww, how sweet! So long as you're loving our icons, consider it the biggest thanks you can give! But you know, we wouldn't mind if you sent over a commandeered ship navigated by a certain swaggering Pirate.

Hee, honestly - just comment with a "thank you". Hearing that we're appreciated is all we need <3

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You suck. Your icons suck. I hate you.
DID YOU KNOW:

At the turn of the millenium, a South African penguin named Henry set out on an endeavour to meet his soulmate named Margot. They lived a happy life guarding their eggs from seagulls until the day an oil slick ruined their idyll. Luckily the local South Africans had a parade and fixed the penguins, and Henry and Margot were reunited. They lived happily ever after.

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