To Apply: Read the following seven pages:
1. Guide to Newbies
2. How to Write an SCP
3. Site Rules
4. Chat Guide
5. FAQ
6. Deletions and You
7. One Last Thing
Read these first. All of them. Do not think of applying before you read them, because you will be denied. None of these articles are optional, no matter what you may think.
In the form provided, please provide: age, location, and your reasons for joining. Failure to provide all three will result in denial.
Additional Ways to Get Your Application Denied: Comments that indicate that SCPs are real, use of [DATA EXPUNGED] or [REDACTED], misspelling the three letters that make up our abbreviation, or comments that try to humorously show there isn't a lot of space to wri- will be denied. If you tell me your real name, or screen name, in the application, you will be denied. I don't need to know the first, and already know the second. User names that involve the phrases 'SCP' or 'O5' or are otherwise inappropriate, will be denied out of hand.
Crap! I Got Denied! Now What?: You may always reapply. Should you be denied, we strongly encourage you to re-read the required reading to find out why or send a private message to Dr. Bright for the reason. (If you want a specific reason for denial, please include a copy of your application; otherwise, you will receive a very general response. Please note: This IS what Bright does for the site. There is no reason to apologize for messaging him, or to think you're wasting his time.)
Other Important Information:
First Note: Because this keeps coming up: Just because you desire to/are using the Foundation for some other project, video game, rpg, what have you, does not exempt you from answering the required questions, or reading ALL seven pages of the required reading.
Second Note: We ask that there be only one person per account. Wikidot accounts are free, so there's really no need to share them.
Third Note: If you got joining information from anywhere but these pages, they are wrong.
Humorous Note: Don't forget, naked self pictures and monetary donations are always welcome, and may help process your application.
Final Note: No ponies.
DISCLAIMER: None of this information is in anyway shape or form recorded. Dr Bright has the effective memory of a goldfish, and will not remember your application seconds after approving or denying it. (Largely because of the volume of applications.) Please do not expect Dr. Bright to remember your application if you mess it up.
Introduction
Welcome to the SCP Foundation! This is the Guide for Newbies, your introduction to site etiquette and standards. However you may have found your way here, we welcome you as a member and a potential author of SCPs and SCP-related stories and documents. While this document may seem long, everything in this guide is very necessary to getting a handle on how to behave on the site. So please: read, don't skim.
Let's start from the beginning: getting from casual reader to site member.
- 1. Make an account with Wikidot, our glorious overlord host site. Go here to do so.
- 3. Even with a Wikidot account, you still aren't a member of the SCP Foundation site itself. To join the site itself, you have to go to this page and write your application.
Hey, that's odd. We went from step 1 to step 3. What's step 2? Wait, here it is:
- 2. Your application will be a short paragraph, not more than 200 characters. However, we get a significant number of applications every day, and we have certain standards for joining. Specifically, you have to read all of the information (including all of the tabs) on all of the following pages:
- Guide to Newbies: The page you are on now.
- How to Write an SCP: The guide to writing for the site.
- The Chat Guide: Instructions, rules, and expectations for participating in the Realtime Chat on synIRC.
- FAQ: Frequently asked questions. Should explain at least some things you aren't yet familiar with.
- Deletion Guide: What you need to know about deletions.
- Site Rules: Rights, obligations, and expectations for users and staff.
Some tips on applications from Dr. Bright, who is one of the administrators who might be accepting (or rejecting) your application:
Some good topics include:
- Why are you interested in joining?
- Do you have any particular skills that you pride yourself on?
- What can you offer the wiki to enhance the community?
Keep in mind, you're not the only applicant. Don't write a novel in the text box to waste the reviewer's time; just keep it concise and to the point.
To navigate this page, scroll to the top and click on another tab. (The next one is "Site Behavior," if that helps.)
Site Behavior
The rules page that you should have read by now contains a very clinical list of things you are allowed to do, things you are expected to do, and things you are not allowed to do. However, the SCP Foundation is a writing community, and no list of hard-and-fast rules will explain the nuances of social interaction for you. There are some behaviors that will simply grate on different people's nerves; you can't, as the quote says, please everyone. There are, however, behaviors that annoy everyone, and these will get you banned. Keep this in mind.
Wil Wheaton's Law: Also known as simply Wheaton's Law, this is possibly the single simplest and most effective way to keep yourself in the good graces of those around you. It is a summation of social morality and behavior that encompasses the Golden Rule, Hobbes's theory of the State of Nature, and Kant's categorical imperative, with a simplicity that goes far beyond all of these in its delivery and conciseness:
Don't be a dick.
So much of your life, and your time here at the Foundation, will be much easier if you remember this.
Sassing the Mods: Don't. The tab at the top that says "Senior Staff" has a list of people who have some degree of authority on this site; every one of them is at least a trusted user, and has a great deal of experience in writing and interacting with people on the site. You are required to know who these people are! Mods and Admins in particular have very specific authority in controlling inter-personal interactions on the site.
- That said: Staff, Mods, and Admins are allowed to have and express opinions just as writers and site members. You are advised not to behave obnoxiously towards them (or anyone—see the first rule), but you as a member are allowed to debate, disagree, and discuss whatever you like, however you like (as long as you're civil), with Senior Staff, Mods, or Admins in their capacity as members. This changes when the Staff, Mod, and Admin hats come out. See:
Staff/Mod/Admin Posts: This is a member of staff acting in a position of authority. Do not respond to any Staff, Mod, or Admin post. They will be clearly marked as "Staff Post", "Mod Post", or "Admin Post". Don't reply to them. It is possibly the fastest way to irk the entire administrative body of the site, and makes you look dumb. Those are discussions to be read by members, but contributed to by Staff.
Editing: The SCP Foundation is a wiki, meaning you are encouraged to write and contribute to the site. Likewise, you are permitted to improve the site by editing existing pages, to an extent. Editing is broken up into different ranks:
- Minor edits: These include minor grammar, spelling, or punctuation fixes, or adding (correct) tags to a page. The rule is: as long as the change doesn't alter a sentence's meaning, the edit is fine. If you plan to do a lot of minor edits, be sure to let a moderator know, to avoid misunderstandings about the changes.
Also important: Make sure you know what you're doing when you edit. Don't make a sentence worse by a) changing something that is supposed to be whatever it is, like an intentional misspelling, formatting quirk, or an acceptable but alternate spelling of a word (color/colour, analog/analogue, etc.), or b) fixing something that literally isn't wrong in the first place. Remember: every edit you make is visible for all to see.
- Major edits: This includes changing paragraphs, altering pictures, or other concept changes. These types of changes should be run past the original author if possible. If the original author can't be found, ask a moderator or administrator for permission or advice.
Appropriate Content: We give writers a great deal of latitude with what they want to do (see Procedure 110-Montauk, for example). We're likewise fine with "squick," body horror, etc. However, no pornographic or excessively gory content is allowed. Again, if you aren't sure, ask a moderator or admin.
In-character Behavior: Don't. Yes, you've read Duke Till Dawn or The War of the Doctors, and many of the characters in that are avatars of writers here. But we don't talk like that on the forums. Everything on the site and in the chat is out-of-character, meaning you are to write as if you understand that this is a fiction site and we are writers of fiction.
Spam: Don't. Don't bring up your new SCP every two minutes. Similarly, don't post responses to forum posts that are several months old. This likewise will give off the indication that you don't know what you're doing. In fact, if you want a general guide to how not to behave on the forums, go here, read as much as you can physically tolerate, and then never do any of that.
Self-Upvoting: Don't. Upvoting your own article is considered bad form and people will likely downvote it for that reason alone. The only valid reason for upvoting your own article is to counter malicious downvoting, and only with the blessing of a staff member.
Tips for Members
While we've covered things you can and can't do, let's spend some time with things you should and shouldn't do.
- Leave constructive comments: This is a big one. Simply telling an author "your idea sucks" or "it's cool" doesn't do much. Here are some tips you can keep in mind when you leave a comment:
- What makes it good/bad? (They can't fix what they don't know.)
- What could they do to either enhance or fix it?
- Ask questions that can make an author think of alternate ideas or perspectives about the article. Asking questions make them think of an answer, potentially letting them realize another point that can improve the article.
- Why did/didn't you like it?
We're not asking you to write a report on each article in the comments, but these extra points help improve the nature of the community.
- Don't rush to contribute: This is another big one. Newbies often assume that because they joined a collaborative writing site, they must submit something to look smart or seem like a constructive person. This isn't the case. Generally, quality writing takes time. Trying to submit some thing as fast as you can to seem like you're being a good member of the community will generally lead to sending in a shitty article that is downvoted to oblivion. Ask users in-chat for critiques or feedback, and get more info about the article you're trying to write. As brusque as some chat ops may seem, we are all ultimately there to help you create something new, unique, and interesting. This brings us back to the main point, which is take your time. We're not going anywhere.
- Experiment with new concepts: While it may seem like the main focus of this site is the SCP articles, there is more for you to contribute. We have sketch artists, storytellers, and graphic artists. People write stories about the Foundation universe, exploring the concepts behind various SCPs. Others help flesh out universe through sketches and posters, even going so far as to design animations. There's just so much you can contribute, other than just an SCP article. Give your idea a shot! We'd love to see it.
- Read the articles: Before trying to critique SCPs, read through the articles and links to get an understanding of the Foundation universe. Building up a knowledge base helps to give your articles a better chance at being accepted in the site. Too much knowledge is not a thing that exists.
- Member Pages: These are reserved for when you have written three successful, well-rated SCPs or Tales. If you aren't sure if you can write one yet, ask a mod. When you do create one, remember that self-deprecating humor is better received than Mary Sue power fantasies. You are generally allowed to write whatever you like without fear of deletion, so long as you keep at least three pages on the site.
- Modesty: You don't need to be the most awesome thing in the site, and trying to be will generally result in the opposite reaction. Just be what you are and let the flow of the environment guide your decisions.
Tips on Writing
- RTFM: Or, in our case, the How to Write an SCP Page. This entire guide is just about how to write for this site. If you like, we also have the Cliche Guide; this is a list of topics and concepts that have been written about extensively (though that list is both somewhat outdated and incomplete).
- Search: There are literally hundreds of articles on this wiki. It is a sure bet that any new ideas you have have either been done before, or something close to it. Use the search function to check and see if we already have your idea here. It's not a bad thing to use an idea that has already been done; you just need to give it a unique spin. Once you join the Realtime Chat, you'll have access to dozens of seasoned veterans who can further tell you if your idea has been done or needs work.
- Announce your SCP in the Announcement thread: When you're finished, put up a post in the SCP announcement thread here under the most recent "New SCP" thread, telling the world it's ready to be viewed and critiqued. How are we supposed to know your article exists if you don't tell anyone? The flipside of that is that you should not make an entirely new thread simply to announce your SCP. It belongs in the designated announcement thread. The other flipside is that you should not post in an outdated "New SCP" thread.
- Your first may suck, and that's okay: Statistically speaking, your first SCP will probably fail. It's just a trend that's happened for as long as this community has been in existence. Don't feel bad if/when yours fails, but instead take the feedback and use it to make your next one even better. Don't dwell and complain how we removed it or people downvoted it for being blind to your genius. That sort of behavior is the most idiotic sort of thing anyone in this wiki knows about. You will be awarded no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
- Don't post works in progress on the forums: This especially includes not creating sandbox pages on the main wiki. Yes, I know we have a few of these on the site, but they're inactive and no more are being made. They clog up the forums, including the New Posts page, which some of us use to navigate the site quickly. You have two alternatives to on-site sandboxes:
- Pastebin - You can type it up in pastebin, click Submit, copy the new URL, and paste the link in the chat.
- Sandbox - Your second option, if you want a dedicated sandbox or if you want to be able to look at your draft using the wikidot format, is to go make a page here or at http://scpsandbox2.wikidot.com/ (same thing). Just create a page for yourself, and share the link.
Senior Staff and You
Who are the senior staff? We are the veterans and gurus. We have experience built up from the time spent here. We run the site, making sure everything goes smoothly and well. Here's a small dossier to help show who the senior staff are.
You'll notice a separate section for "Senior Staff" at the bottom. This is because Admins and Mods are also senior staff, but with additional staffly powers.
PS: Yes, there is humor here. However, these are also pretty damn accurate descriptions of us all, so don't be surprised. We warned you.
Admins:
- Gears: Head admin of the site, and a generally awesome guy. As may be evident by the name, Gears is our resident steampunk expert. Has a fairly high tolerance for newbies, and is fairly easy going. Just don't piss him off. The 'True Neutral' of the admin team.
- Bright: A self described "crotchety old man" and perv, so beware. He's blunt and crude, but always working for the best. He spearheads the application process, so if you want to contact someone about that, he's the first one to talk to. He's second in command on the site, taking charge during those times when Gears is unavailable. He's also one of the GMs of Tamlin House, the SCP RP.
- Clef: Rumor has it, Clef has no penis, just another hand, holding a gun. Clef may come off brusque, but he only has the good of the site in mind. Don't kiss up to him, or he'll probably shoot you in the face. A tip: when Serious Clef speaks, you better listen. Also spearheading the nascent Global Occult Coalition sub-wiki, so if you're more interested in shooting werewolves to save the Earth, you may want to talk to him.
- Kain Pathos Crow: Kain is our lawful good guy on the admin team. He can be hard to get a hold of, but he's a very nice guy; generally kind hearted, and slow to anger. No kind of push over, but he's a lot more even tempered than a lot of us (which admittedly isn't saying much).
- Dr. Mann: A pretty cool guy, and a great writer. He's got a very impressive creative mind, though sometimes it's used for evil. He's also sometimes a chat op and GM. Runs the Wanderers Library.
- Photosynthetic: She's a great girl, and one of our resident scientists! Can you guess what her specialty is? In any case, she's very helpful, and great with science; so if you need to science up an article, she's a great person to ask. She's hard to catch in chat, but she answers her private messages.
- Quikngruvn: Not that quick and rarely ever groovin', he is actually a cynical but easy-going old fart. Most likely to edit your article with some obscure grammar fix. Handier for formatting and syntax issues than on actual concepts.
- Sorts: Might be recognized due to a certain webcomic he stopped drawing years ago and doesn't want to talk about. If you have questions about the Creative Commons license or products with SCP branding let him know. Sorts is also the current chat owner and can be found there most weekdays during the day.
- TroyL: A good guy, and a better writer. TroyL is known for quality work, and you'll recognize his stuff when you see it. Easily the most approachable admin, as well as one of the nicest. Troy is the guy who gets shit done. If you have a problem, talk to him.
Mods:
- Dexanote: Dexa's friendly. Good at mediating arguments and pretty good at brainstorming. PM him if you need to hash out ideas. He is also a butte plateau SHIELD (You all flatter me. Lets just say… that I rock.)
- Drewbear: As Waxx said, "A bear is just a man who made a choice." (wait, Burns already did this joke. Damn.) Will likely not maul you, despite the name. Actually does want you and your articles to succeed, but won't pull punches if the piece in question is seriously flawed. Erratically shows up in chat, but responds to PMs fairly quickly. WILL ding you for getting your science precepts wrong.
- Eskobar: Graduate student and daycare worker, Eskobar specializes in explaining redaction, formatting, tone, and syntax to newbies. He has terrible taste and will tell you your SCP does not suck, even when it does. Can generally answer questions relating to Western philosophy and American history. He invented Alexylva University and wishes you would use it. Goes exclusively by Eskobear in chat, except when he doesn't; don't send messages to "Eskobar" if you want him to get them.
- Heiden: One of the nice guys. Wow, we're really moving away from the random asshole mods, aren't we? Somewhat approachable, vaguely acerbic if you're too dumb.
- Pig_catapult: Pig's been here a while, and generally has a good instinct for whether an idea will go over well. She might not say much most of the time, but she's usually just a ping or private message away, and is almost always ready to give some constructive criticism. She's also a stickler for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, so if you need another set of eyes to help proofread your article, just ask.
- Scantron: The least responsible moderator, he is vaguely knowledgeable on a variety of scientific topics, or possibly just good at using Google. Major stickler for good formatting and making articles look nice visually, and can back up the zeal with competence. Good at sentence structure and general flow/organization of SCP articles, and can help think of twists to put on ideas. Probably memetic or something. Don't ask for help with tales.
- Sophia Light: Admin emerita. Dubiously well educated, and constructive in her criticisms. She's been around the site for a long time, and is (one of) our resident biologist(s)! She can help with sciencey things, or questions about jellyfish.
- TheDeadlyMoose: Kind of sassy, but has a good eye for what works. Good editor and rewriter. Reads every posted article on the site (eventually) and has a tendency to leave lots of criticism. Can generally answer questions about anthropology, psychology, gender, and sexuality. Willing to take and relay questions about site administration to the rest of staff. An active administrator at the Wanderers Library.
Senior Staff:
- Burns: As Waxx is fond of saying, a bear is just a man who made a choice. Well, Burns is a man who made a choice to be an imbecile. Feel free to show your ideas to him. Useful in the ideas department, not so much in the editing. Wiki name: Arlecchino. Also goes by Doctopus and related handles on chat.
- Dmatix: Historian-in-training. Is willing to offer advice on the subject, as well as general information on the humanities. Just don't ask about Rome unless you have a supernatural tolerance for long, mostly pointless lectures.
- Dr. Kens: Materials scientist and engineer (in training), and also a freelance photographer! He does a lot of research work with nanomaterials in a lab. Feel free to ask him anything about science/engineering, research, lab work, and/or nanomaterials! He's usually willing to offer feedback and grammatical help.
- EchoFourDelta: Jarhead extraordinaire. If you need ideas on containment procedures, fact-checking on tactics, weaponry, radio procedures, or anything of the like, he's your man. Stickler for practicality, realism, and precision of language.
- Eric_H: Possibly the oldest member of the site, at 49. Tends to ignore the Cliche List and get away with it, and write up ideas multiple people have failed with. Happy to proofread (PM him on the Wiki). Has a background in Mathematics and Computer Science, and has been on the Internet since Biblical times.
- Jekeled: He…does stuff! Fairly active in the chat and on the wiki. Likes to write tales. Tries to respond to every PM requesting criticism (both in IRC and on the site) that he can.
- murphy_slaw periodically shows up in #site19, yells something inane, and then leaves. Can give decent critique if you don't mind being laughed at. A cornucopia of useless trivia. System administrator by trade, but will not help you fix your computer.
- RhettSarlin is one of the older members and reads pretty much every damn thing on the wiki. He has excellent taste and is basically what you get when you put a lurker through 914 on Very Fine. Able to assess any idea and give you a realistic prediction of how well it will do. Will jump at the chance to proofread your article if you let him.
- Roget: The staff member with 12 different ways to pronounce his name. Pretty nice and willing to help people out, but is better at the general idea and structure criticisms than grammar or spelling. Also currently in charge of Far Recon and staff in the Wanderers Library.
- SoullessSingularity: Most likely to want to touch your eyes. Quirky and odd as a rule with a passion for the written creepy but he's generally harmless. Considered to be a good writer and great at critique. If you can find him through wikidot PM or #site19, he'll be happy to look drafts and ideas over.
- Spikebrennan: Avuncular, cerebral, and probably older than you. Also, a lawyer. More interested in science fiction than horror. If you catch him on the chat, pitch your draft of your work to him: he is often willing to offer constructive criticism.
- Zyn: is happy you scrolled down all this way and read her name. Biology student, poetry fan, part-time violin tutor, and butterfly caretaker (generally of Nymphalis antiopa, in the spring). Zyn is readily available for answering of questions in #site19 and through wikidot PM.
Inactive Staff Members
These staff members have been deemed inactive, whether voluntarily or through a prolonged absence.
- Inactive Staff: The Administrator, far2, FritzWillie, Paradox / Pair Of Ducks, snorlison, Adam Smascher (Nusquam), Fat Ghost, Dr. Gerald, Iceberg, Kraito, Lt. Masipag, Mr. Unimport, Ekzentric Lohner, Fifthman, Agent Kramer, Kulzn, Metaphorphosis, Bouncl, Pooryoric, Waxx, Aelanna
So You Want To Write an SCP
You're reading How to Write an SCP 2.0. If you're reading this, you're probably a member of the SCP Foundation and want to try your hand at an article. This page is to help point you in the right direction when getting started.
Before You Start: Some Things to Consider
In general, successful SCP articles have most or all of the following components:
- An interesting idea.
- Reasonable containment procedures.
- A clear description.
These are necessary for a good SCP. An SCP should immediately draw the reader in; they can't be muddled under a lot of exposition. Try to get a clear idea of what your SCP does before starting.
Many first SCP articles fail miserably for one reason or another, primarily due to the writer's lack of experience. This is not an excuse. This is a challenge. SCP writing is not for everybody, and there are site members who have never written a successful article. It is a very specific style that we're looking for; if you can't really manage to turn your idea into an SCP article, try to write it into a standalone Tale.
As a sidenote: please remember when writing your first SCP, that when we say 'Many first SCPs fail' there is not a curse on them. Some first SCPs do wonderfully! Some do not. Always ask for feedback. While the majority of your feedback will be cruel, depraved, RAMBLING scatological comments about your mother and ancestors, some will be helpful. Let the ruder feedback wash upon you as water on sand. It's fun to leave mean feedback, but it is usually not meant hurtfully. Learn from your first SCP, see if the idea is salvageable. Sometimes your skill as a writer isn't up to the level of your idea, and keeping track of your old ones for re-writing is a good tactic.
Also please note: Uploading a crappy SCP to 'get the bad luck out' does nothing except clutter the site up with crap. When writing your first SCP, put your best foot forward, because it is part of the standard by which your future works will be judged. Make jokes in chat. Put actual work up on the site. It'll make people think better of you, it helps improve the site, and it sets an example for the other newbies.
Really, the best possible piece of advice that any of us can give is to be patient. Sit back and lurk; we've got all kinds of articles. Spend some time to get an idea of how the site works. See what's good and what's bad, what's highest rated and what's downvoted. Learn what kinds of things people look for in an article; you'll be better equipped to succeed in your writing.
What Do You Do Next?
To see what you should do next to write your own SCP, return to the top of this document and choose another tab.
Getting Ideas
The idea is the soul of your story, whether as a Tale or as an SCP. A good idea will carry you far and help you succeed. Here are a few tips to help you conjure a good idea for your article:
- First things first; think of what scares you. The site has its roots in Internet horror, and we try to keep with that tradition. The stranger the fear the better; a lot of the common terrors and phobias have been covered, and we love creativity.
- If you cannot pull off horror (and not everybody can), try for something weird. The stranger and more original your article is, the better it'll stand out from the crowd.
- Try to find an interesting photo. The Internet is a strange, strange place, and there are thousands of strange or creepy photos you can use as a seed for an idea. Something unusual, to grab the reader's attention that inspires your imagination. If you're having trouble finding a pic, check out the photobuckets on the site; there's always a few dozen photos waiting to be used. Not to mention that pictures usually strongly enhance an article, and if you're writing from a good one, it enhances them that much more.
- Take a look at our SCP fuel pages. You can find these by checking the "scp-fuel" tag. We've got a whole lot of material there.
- When you DO come up with an interesting idea, look through the list for similar SCPs. We have over 1000 SCPs; there's a fairly good chance that there's an article similar to your idea floating around somewhere. If you do find an existing article with a similar idea to yours, see if you can put a spin on your article to set it apart.
Don't force an idea. Going and trying to force an idea that feels incomplete will usually end up with an underwhelming article or story. If you're having trouble with a piece, try to bounce it off other members in the chat, or make a thread on the forums.
General Tips
Here are some general tips to help guide you in writing your SCPs.
- Act as if every SCP will be the first that someone will read. That means do not put too much in there that requires knowledge of anything else on the site. While many people enjoy linking things together into a larger story, it really improves the quality of the work when each SCP can be enjoyed in full as a stand-alone work.
- Less is more. While some articles successfully pull off multi-page exploration logs, recovery logs, and experiment logs, a majority of SCPs are best left as brief, easily-digested pieces of fiction. Don't begin writing with the assumption that your SCP needs a huge amount of explanation, logs, and addenda; you're free to include them if they improve the article, but they are not required if they don't add anything.
- Get a clear idea of what your thing will do, before you start writing. This will help you narrow down what details you include, and which you leave out. Leaving out the right details can add mystery to an article, and keep the reader thinking about why, or how, the object works.
- Dangerous does not always equal interesting. An item that has the ability to instantly liquefy bone in a 100 mile radius is dangerous, yes, but unless you can write it in an interesting way people won't like it.
- Find a hook of some sort. SCPs that are merely anomalous rarely are successful; there needs to be something more to draw the reader in. What that something is depends largely on you.
- Accept what critique you get. Nobody is obligated to be gentle with you once you've posted on the main wiki. If you sincerely think you are being treated unfairly, contact a mod or admin. Do NOT engage in a running shouting match with someone you think is being mean or cruel. Take their advice into consideration, even if it's terse or harsh.
- Gore for the sake of gore is stupid. Dropping a blatantly gory or shocking image at the top of an article gives off a bad first impression and usually acts as a downvote magnet. Some articles do use fairly disturbing imagery, but they do so with context. If you do use a disturbing image, give context for the photos before showing them to the reader.
- Don't be stubborn, and don't be afraid to ask for help. There's almost always a bunch of us in the chat room and on the forums who are more than happy to give a hand or a read-through.
- There are no happy endings. At best, bittersweet. The Foundation universe isn't ultra super grimdark all the time, but happy stories should come as a breath of fresh air. If there are multiple outcomes that your SCP can have, the scariest or most bittersweet should be the one you choose.
- There is no such thing as a bad idea. Only poor execution. If someone tells you your idea sucks, that's their opinion. It means your execution wasn't good enough to convince them that your idea had merit. Try again.
Containment
The very first thing you need to know when writing your article is that the SCP Foundation stands for Secure, Contain, and Protect. Not for Destroy, Destroy, Destroy. Very few SCP articles can get away with intentionally calling for the destruction of an object.
Containment of an object should be clear and logical. No flourish, no extraneous resources; every SCP should be provided with what it needs. No more, no less.
Some SCP objects can get away with fairly lax containment procedures because they're easily contained or controlled, while others need strict and sophisticated containment systems to keep them contained safely. It's very hard to generalize while talking about Containment Procedures, because they need to be tailored to the specific objects.
One thing to consider while writing your containment is what the SCP might need. Some Containment Procedures may include such things as television or books for an intelligent SCP, for example. This is fine to do, within limits. As a rule of thumb, remember: The Foundation is cold, not cruel.
Overall, containment must strike a balance between logically and successfully containing an object as well as current technology is capable of, and being reasonable in its demands for resources.
Object Classes
Each SCP must be assigned an Object Class based on their overall containment difficulty. Essentially, the three main object classes follow these guidelines:
- Safe Class objects are easily contained, and/or pose little to no threat to human life. Safe class does not automatically mean harmless; instead, it means that we can lock them up and not have to worry about them. Safe Class objects come in all shapes, and include the The Skin Wyrm, the Endless Garage, the the Brahmastra.
- Euclid Class is best understood as the 'baseline' Object Class. They require fairly specific containment procedures, but if they're followed, the object's easily contained. Assume your SCP is going to be Euclid from the start. Euclid Class SCPs are some of the most varied SCPs on the entire site; the class includes the first SCP, SCP-173, the Nexus of Abandoned Places, and Demisers.
- Keter Class SCP objects are objects that require extremely specific Containment Procedures, and are so inhumanly dangerous that they must be contained at all costs. Alternatively, Keter Class objects are simply so difficult to contain effectively that they need higher levels of care and resources to suppress. A Keter Class needs to stand out from other SCPs, and be a unique threat all its own. The Keter Class includes the Shadow Person, the Incomplete Chronicle, and the Maybe There Monsters.
- Neutralized SCPs are items which have been… well, neutralized. They are no longer anomalous, either through their death, destruction, absence, or cessation of activity. Generally, this is a case-by-case, situational classification.
Certain SCPs do use other Object Classes; indeed, there's no rule saying you can't use a different object class. However, using a unique object class isn't recommended; Safe, Euclid, and Keter are usually sufficient.
On Tone
The writing style of your article is almost as important as the article itself. We are going for a specific kind of tone here, and it can be tricky to strike the balance between clear and clinical. Here are a few tips to help your tone.
- Don't refer to the subject of your article as "the SCP"; SCP in-article stands for Special Containment Procedures. Instead, use "The subject", "The organism", "The specimen", "The object", "The artifact", "The entity", and so forth. In interview logs, try to write what would sound most natural when spoken by an actual person; "the entity", "the scip", and so on.
- Avoid giant blocks of text. They're visually unappealing and unstimulating. Break up walls of text with paragraph breaks, sub-headings, or bulleted lists.
- Write plainly and objectively. For example, if describing a werewolf, you should not write "The entity is a ten foot tall wolfman with glowing crimson eyes and teeth like daggers. Its howl sends shivers down your spine, as if you instinctively know that we are its prey." Instead, write something like "The entity is a canid biped, standing 3 meters tall with luminescent red eyes and prominent teeth. Its vocalizations universally trigger a fear reflex in human subjects."
- Use metric. Try to round to two decimal places, max. It looks cleaner.
- Proofread. Do this to avoid plot holes, check spelling, and remove redundant phrases and words.
On Censorship
Redactions, [DATA EXPUNGED], and similar censorship should only be used to add mystery or remove extraneous data. The best single piece of advice to give when dealing with expungement is to know what information you are expunging. Don't expunge something so you don't need to write it; hide key information to draw the reader in deeper. Make them wonder what's behind the hidden information.
Also: don't redact anything in containment procedures. If the procedures are redacted, how can personnel know how to contain the item?
Writing a Humanoid SCP
Humanoid SCP objects can be some of the most difficult objects to write. Why, you ask?
For many reasons. The most common reason is something we've termed the "X-Man Syndrome". That is, making a humanoid with "powers", instead of "an anomaly". However, there's no real set way to tell if a humanoid SCP will be an X-Man, or if they will fit in with the site; as stated before, there's no such thing as a bad idea, only bad execution.
Here's a brief list of things to remember when writing your humanoid article:
- Don't write its containment procedures to essentially be "Give it What it Wants". The Foundation is not a hotel, it is a prison.
- Don't go into an inordinate amount of detail regarding the humanoid's personal tastes. This is a very easy way to make them look like more of a character, and less of an SCP.
- Try to avoid using personal pronouns; try to refer to the object as 'it'. While some humanoids are referred once or twice as male or female in their articles, there is usually a reason for this.
- Don't make it so that everyone automatically loves your SCP object in-universe. Unless it's a byproduct of an effect, there's usually no real reason for personnel to voice positive feelings towards an object.
- That being said, don't make the Foundation be needlessly evil. As said before, the Foundation is cold, not cruel.
- Try to avoid reality-benders, magic users, or overtly superpowered people. While some have been successfully pulled off, it usually takes a seasoned, experienced writer to do them well enough to not divebomb into a negative rating. Examples of well-received reality benders/magical people/superpowered people are the Abandoned Project, Totenkinder, and the Rocket Surgeon, respectively.
- If your humanoid has more than one anomaly, make sure that they make sense and go together.
Remember, even though they are humanoid, they're still SCP objects in the Foundation's eyes.
Text Formatting
These are some of the most common formatting styles used:
**bold** -> bold
//italics// -> italics
__underscore__ -> underscore
--strikethrough-- -> strikethrough
[[[SCP-173|On-site links]]] -> On-site links
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page External links] -> External links
██████ or (U+2588, FULL BLOCK) -> Black boxes for hiding blanking information (copy and paste); alternatively, use [ALT]+219 to get the same character.
A complete list of supported formats and how to get them to show up can be found on the Wiki Syntax page. You can also find many commands available in buttons above the editting module.
Rating Modules
Place a rating module on every page you create. The individual code for one is shown here:
[[>]]
[[module Rate]]
[[/>]]
Placing an Image
Pictures are optional but generally improve an article, so long as they are appropriate for the subject, don't break realism, and follow all of the site rules.
Do not use a picture if:
- It is an illustration, where, realistically, a photograph would be used.
- It has visible watermarks
- It contains illegal or pornographic material (Cause for removal of the picture)
To place an image, you must upload your image onto the website. To do this, go to the page your article will be on, and scroll to the bottom. Click the "Files" tab, then "Upload a File from Your Computer", then select the image and click "Open". Be sure that any files you are uploading do not have spaces in the name and are valid image formats (.JPG, .PNG, etc.) Note that you can select multiple images at once. Then click "Upload."
Once you are done, the uploaded images will appear as links at the bottom of the page. Open a link to get the URL. Then, go back to your file, and copy and paste the following onto the page under the rating module.
[[div style="float:right; margin:0 2em 1em 2em; width:300px; border:0;"]]
|||| [[image COPY-AND-PASTE-IMAGE-URL-HERE width="300px"]] ||
||||~ ^^ Description of the picture ^^ ||
[[/div]]
Replace the appropriate text with the URL, and add a description of the picture (in the context of your article) in the labelled area. You can also scale the size of the picture by adjusting both "width" numbers.
Test Logs and Records
Test logs are also optional, but can make or break an article. They come in a variety of formats, from the in-depth:
__**Test A - Date**__
> **Subject:**
> **Procedure:**
> **Results:**
> **Analysis:**
To the casual:
*Time*: Event
Create a format appropriate for your article and use the same format for every entry in the log.
Collapsibles
Collapsibles may be used to hide long logs or lists without taking up page space. To get an effect like this:
Use this code:
[[collapsible show="+ Title for showing text" hide="- Title for hiding text"]]
[Your text]
[[/collapsible]]
Basic Article Template
[[>]]
[[module Rate]]
[[/>]]
**Item #:** SCP-XXXX
**Object Class:** Safe/Euclid/Keter (indicate which class)
**Special Containment Procedures:** [Paragraphs explaining the procedures]
**Description:** [Paragraphs explaining the description]
**Addendum:** [Optional additional paragraphs]
Interview Template
> **Interviewed:** [The person, persons, or SCP being interviewed]
>
> **Interviewer:** [Interviewer, can be blocked out using █]
>
> **Foreword:** [Small passage describing the interview]
>
> **<Begin Log, [optional time info]>**
>
> **Interviewer:** [speech]
>
> **Person:** [speech]
>
> [Repeat as necessary]
>
> **<End Log, [optional time info]>**
>
> **Closing Statement:** [Small summary and passage on what transpired afterward]
Note: When inserting block quotes with the > symbol, make sure you add a space after each > you use— otherwise your text won't show up.
To post your SCP, follow these simple steps.
- Once you're finished your article, pick an open number from the main sequence. These will read "ACCESS DENIED".
- Click the number. You'll be brought to a page saying that this page does not exist; Click "Create Page".
- You should have written your article in a word processor program on your computer. First go through to make sure that all references to your SCP's number match that of the one you chose off the list. Then simply copy and paste the article into the text box.
- Fix the page title from "Scp ####" to "SCP-####", where #### is your list number.
- Save.
- If you know how to tag properly, then you can go ahead and do so now.
- . . . but if you need this guide, you don't know how to tag properly. Let someone else (ahem, Mackenzie, ahem) do it for you.
- Go to the SCP Series page that your article's listed on. Scroll all the way to the bottom; these pages are just really big wiki pages. Click "Edit" and find your SCP number; replace ACCESS DENIED with an appropriate name.
- Announce your SCP in the Announcements forum. Optionally, also announce your SCP in the chat.
- You're done!
Now to post a Tale, you have a slightly different process to get everything set up.
- Go to the "Add a new page" slot on the right hand side of the wiki. Type in the Tale name and click "Add Page".
- Copy and paste your Tale, in its entirety, into the text box.
- Save
- If you know how to tag properly, you would do so now…
- … but as has been said before, you don't know how to tag properly. Let Mackenzie do it for you.
- Go to the "Foundation Tales" page, found under the SCP Series tabs on the right hand side of the wiki. Click "Edit" at the bottom of the page, adding a link to your Tale. Do not edit other member's Tale links.
- Save.
- Announce your Tale in the Announcements forum. Optionally, also announce your Tale in the chat.
- You're done!
Users
As a user, you are entitled to the following rights, and held to the following obligations:
Rights:
- You may comment however you wish on any entry, provided it is done so in the spirit of constructive criticism or conversation, and not as a personal attack or “troll post”. If you feel a user’s comments are not being posted in the spirit of constructive criticism or conversation, please contact a Mod or Admin.
- You may vote however you wish on any entry, provided that this is done as an honest expression of opinion on the article and not the author or other outside factors, and not as an attempt to artificially boost/reduce an article’s position as part of a “group strike”. A “group strike” is defined as the mass voting of an article based on things other than the article’s merit, such as a personal opinion about the author, outside pressure, or other things with no bearing on the entry itself.
- You are allowed to post your submissions, provided that this is done in the correct location.
- You may request assistance/comments/review by other users and staff, with the understanding that they are under no obligation to do so, and that the choice is wholly voluntary on their behalf.
- You may question the actions of other users and staff as long as it is done in a calm, mature fashion.
- You may make minor edits for grammar or spelling to other peoples' articles if you accurately fill out the "Short description of changes" box. Larger edits require permission from the original author, moderators, or admins.
- You may appeal a permanent ban one year after it has been enacted. Staff, however, may deny your request for any reason.
Obligations:
- You are to be a mature member of the community. Heated arguments, vandalism, trolling, and general immaturity, including intentionally writing badly to provoke a reaction, will not be tolerated.
- You are to be open to criticism, and to tolerate the opinion of others whom you may not agree with. If you feel a commenter is being unnecessarily harsh, please contact a Mod or Admin.
- Entries may be edited/moved/deleted at any time. As an original author, you may undo edits if needed, and repost deleted articles upon revision.
- If a mod or admin says a discussion is over, it is over. If you continue, you are now open to any punishment deemed necessary.
- If you receive multiple comments calling for editing, please do so. If you choose not to, please state the reason.
- If you constantly have entries deleted, undergo major edits, and be decommissioned, please stop and consult an Admin or Mod before continuing to post new entries. This will allow us to determine what the issue is, and hopefully keep it from happening any more.
- Respect Mod and Admin staff decisions. If you feel you are being treated unfairly, please appeal to a different staff member, and they will review the situation. If the situation is deemed “fair”, please do not continue to appeal to other staff members in hopes of getting a different response.
- Suggestions for editing by Mods and Admins should be given careful consideration.
- Know who the Admins and Mods are.
- You are not allowed to have a signature for your forum posts.
- You will not post unfinished works on the site proper.
- Know how to use the 'Edit' and 'Reply' functions before posting in the forums.
Nonmoderative Senior Staff
As a Senior Staff Member, you are held to all the above mentioned items, in addition to the following:
Rights:
- Senior Staff are allowed to vote on the deletion of pages.
- Senior Staff may call for the mass review of a particularly good/bad entry. Mass Review is defined as the presentation of an entry to garner additional comments or votes, without positive or negative bias. A entry would be presented as such: “Please read <entry>. I would like to see what the community opinion of <entry> is.” As opposed to “Read <entry> and tell me how bad it is.”
- Call for a “Stop.” order on a conversation if it is determined to no longer have any merit as a constructive argument. Moderators and Administrators may override a Stop order issued by a nonmoderative Staff member, if they feel that the discussion still has merit.
Obligations:
- Staff members are held to the same series of obligations as regular users, except where special circumstances apply. Additionally, site staff are held to a higher standard of conduct and ethics than other users, and failure to honor the expected role of site staff will be seen as grounds for demotion from such a position.
Mods
As a Site Moderator, you are held to all the above mentioned items, in addition to the following:
Rights:
- You may vote/call for the deletion of any page.
- Delete/move forum threads that are old/out of use/incorrectly placed.
- Deletion of pages (within guidelines).
- Call for a “Stop.” order on a conversation if it is determined to no longer have any merit as a constructive argument.
- Nominate users for banning/tempbanning.
- Edit forum and discussion posts in violation of site rules and expectations of users and move out-of-place threads. The reason for this must be clearly given.
- Give permission for rewrites in lieu of the original author, if the original author is no longer present.
Obligations:
- Try to maintain an objective viewpoint at all times.
- Keep the community civil, and attempt to defuse arguments.
- Report any and all major actions, such as deletions.
- Give warnings/recommend punishments in proportion to the offense.
Admins
As an administrator, you are held to all the above mentioned items, in addition to the following:
Rights:
- Banning of users
- Deletion of pages (with minimal guidelines)
- Accepting member applications
- Making alterations to the site format after review
- Act as a “supreme court” in regards to issues brought up by users and Mods
Obligations:
- Provide comments and decisions from an objective viewpoint at all times. Always keep the best interests of the site and community in mind, even if it may run counter to your personal feelings.
- Always attempt to be as reasonable and fair as possible.
- When forced to act quickly, or without staff approval/review, please state the reason and course of action as soon as possible.
- Maintain the site, and attempt to improve it whenever possible.
The following offenses may result in a permanent ban at staff discretion:
- Obvious and Blatant Site Vandalism (deletion/vandalism of wiki pages.)
- Evasion of lesser disciplinary measures (for example: creating an alt and logging onto the site when under a tempban.)
- Obvious and blatant trolling (Forum posts intended to incite extreme emotional reaction; this includes trolling other sites in the name of the SCP Foundation.)
- Spamming the forums.
- Blackmailing or extensive harassment1 of a user, group of users, or the site as a whole.
- Excessive or flagrant breach of lesser rules.
- Other equally horrible things that the staff has yet to think of or that should be a given to any sane person.
The following offenses may result in a 24 hour temp ban for the first offense, 7 day ban for the second, and permaban for third offense, all at staff discretion:
- Excessive rudeness to Senior Staff, Moderators, and/or Administrators acting in an official capacity.
- Failure to comply with a mod/admin directive delivered within the rights listed above.
- Voting on articles for reasons other than their literary merits.
- Excessive or flagrant breach of lesser rules, especially excessive rudeness.
The following offenses may result in a warning for the first offense, 24 hour temp ban for the second, 7 day ban for the third, and permaban for the fourth, all at staff discretion:
- Excessive rudeness to other users.
- Excessive or flagrant breach of general site guidelines or the Obligations listed above, i.e. repeated posting on staff posts.
The following offenses will never result in bannings.
- Writing shitty SCPs (although spamming the site with shitty SCPs can be considered an instant permaban.)
- Voting on any particular article as an expression of opinion on its quality or merits.
- Respectful disagreement with staff decisions.
It is also hereby stated that any and all of these rights, obligations, and punishments are subject to alteration, deletion or addition after review by the Staff.
This guide outlines the SCP Foundation IRC chatrooms, and the rules and expectations therein. All of our chatrooms are IRC channels in the SynIRC irc network. If you don't know what anything I just said means, you can find some help here: http://www.ircbeginner.com/ircinfo/ircc-commands.html.
For further information: Google is a lovely and welcoming friend.
For the purposes of this guide, we'll be focusing only on #Site19, General Chat. The other IRC channels have their own rules and administration, talk with an operator there if you have any questions.
Introduction to #Site19
#site19 is open to all: you don't have to be a site member to join. It's a great place to talk about SCPs, get advice about your article, and the like. It's an even better place to socialize with members of the site from around the world, including some of our oldest and most involved members. The chat, like the wiki, has a variety of rules that you will be expected to follow. Claiming ignorance of a rule is never a proper defense, so read these rules and take them to heart.
Registering
You must have a registered nick to join #Site19. For those unfamiliar with registering a nick, here's how to do it:
Type the following: /msg NickServ register [password] [email]
Substitute the stuff in brackets with your desired password and email. (And remember to not leave in the brackets!) Once this is done, you should get a confirmation email. Follow the directions in the email. Once that's all taken care of, to identify, you simply type "/msg nickserv identify [password]" without the quotes. Alternatively, "/ns identify [password]" works as well on some clients. (Again, no brackets.)
Congratulations, you have now registered and identified and can join the channel. Some chat clients can ID automatically once you've registered. It is highly recommended that if you don't ID automatically, you don't type out the command in a public channel. If you screw up and, say, forget the / or type a space in front of it, you just announced your password to everyone.
Connecting
Here are some common free IRC clients:
- Xchat - Windows: http://www.silverex.org/download/ , Linux: http://xchat.org/
- Chatzilla (Firefox) - http://chatzilla.hacksrus.com/
- mIRC (Windows) - http://www.mirc.com/
- Mibbit (Web) - http://www.mibbit.com/
- Pidgin (Multiplatform IM) - http://www.pidgin.im/
Instructions for mIRC
- Set up mIRC for your computer.
- Copy paste this (without quotations) "irc://irc.synirc.net" into your browser and hit enter.
- Type "/join #site19"
Instructions for Chatzilla
- Set up Chatzilla for your computer.
- Copy this into the text bar: /attach irc.synirc.net (or just click here: irc://irc.synirc.net/site19)
- Type /join #site19
If you still want to use a brower based client:
Instructions For Mibbit
- Go to http://www.mibbit.com/chat
- Select "SynIRC webirc" from the drop down menu.
- Pick an appropriate handle and click "Connect"
- Identify your nick as listed above, then type "/join #site19" and press enter.
- Enjoy your pie.
To get to the other rules for #site19, click on the other tabs. Read all of them. Not skim, read.
General Principles
- When in doubt, apply Wheaton's Law: Wheaton's law states, quite simply, "Don't be a dick." So if you're doing something, and it makes you a dick? Don't do it. That covers 90% of everything in the rules below.
- These rules are by no means exhaustive: No set of rules can cover every possible situation. That doesn't mean that just because something is left out in these rules, it's not important. Where there is any doubt, the decision of the OP is final.
Banning
If you break the rules to the point where the OPs deem that the chat would be better off without you, you will most likely get banned. You can appeal bans you don't think were warranted, but don't expect any sympathy unless you both have a damn good explanation and a damn reasonable attitude.
Doing any of these things will probably get you banned immediately:
- The Game.
- Trolling the entire site. You know who you are.
- Threatening members, the site, or the chat.
- Taking personal grudges beyond this room or this site, i.e. harassing a user elsewhere.
- Ban evasion.
- Being underage.
- Spamming.
Doing any of these things will probably get you banned if you keep it up:2
- Asking people for nudes.
- Failing to tag non-work safe images.
- Telling us how great or terrible your sex life is.
- Talking about how high you are, or what drugs you do.
- Excessive /me's. You'll see this repeated several times, which should give you a clue as to how annoying it is.
- Excessive evangelism about how great Linux is, how much Windows sucks, or what a piece of shit Internet Explorer is, and so on and so forth. Nobody cares.
- This reasoning extends to other subjective, highly debated topics: don't act like your opinion is fact.
- Being stupid or creepy.
- Disobeying the OPs.
- Excessive rudeness.
For elaboration, go on to the next tab.
Chat Behavior
- No Spamming: This is one of the most bannable offenses we come across in the chat. Anything where you disrupt the flow of the chat by making repeated posts with no content is considered spamming. This includes advertising other sites or products, by the way. And excessive name changes.
- On a related note: do NOT feed the trolls. Don't encourage disruptive behavior, don't comment on it. Just ignore it as best you can and move on. Feeding trollish behavior is trolling in itself.
- No Roleplaying: There are rooms made specifically for this. Take your excess of /me's there, please. Some playing around is usually permitted but try to keep it from cluttering up the discussion. If you need to change your name for it, then it's too far. Go elsewhere.
- Be Civil: Anything excessively derogatory, racist, sexist, homophobic, et cetera, will not be tolerated. This being the internet, we do expect people to play around, even disagree with each other, but flaming and nasty behavior is strictly discouraged. "Just stating your opinion" or the like is not an excuse.
- Leave your baggage at the door: Disagreements outside the chat should stay outside the chat. This is not Facebook. We're not interested in your personal drama.
- Be Understandable: This is a writing community. The primary language is English. We expect you to use the language properly so we can understand you. This also applies to your chat nickname: Names with unnecessary numbers or alternative characters in them are discouraged though not strictly prohibited. Don't use colored text in chat. Don't spam. Don't use excessive formatting. Don't lay on the capslock too thick.
- Maturity: The SCP Foundation is a creepypasta wiki that covers some fairly mature subject matter. We expect chat users to be able to handle the same level of mature subject matter. For this reason, children under the age of 15 are strictly forbidden from entering the chat, as are any people who have a similar maturity level. If you're under 15, don't advertise it.
- On that note, any NSFW (Not Safe For Work) content MUST be tagged as such. This applies even if you think it's obvious from the link name: tag ALL NSFW content. NSFW generally covers nudity and gore, but final discretion goes to OPs.
- Special Snowflake Rule: If there's some aspect of yourself (a mental or physical condition, a fetish, a lifestyle, a nationality, a quirk, etc.) that you feel the urge to bring up in order to bring attention to yourself, don't. Of course, we're not asking you to not be that thing, or to deny it if asked directly, but don't interject aspects of yourself into a conversation to get attention, or in a manner that unnecessarily draws attention to you.
- As a side note, your mental problems are not an excuse to act inappropriately or idiotically. You will be held to the same standards as everyone else.
Chat OPs
Chat OPs are the people we trust to run the channel and keep order. They have the following powers:
- Bossing you around: This essentially means ending a discussion or calling for a change of topic, or telling one user or group of users to shut up. If an OP tells you to drop a subject, drop it immediately: don't get in the last word, don't say one more thing, just stop and move on.
- Kicking users from the chat: This just removes you from the chat until you rejoin. If you're kicked, feel free to re-enter unless told otherwise. However, if you were kicked, it's for a reason, so if you get kicked for doing something, stop doing that thing. OPs used to be able to kick for lulz, but that's no longer allowed.
- Banning users: Prevents the user from speaking or joining the chat; often accompanied by a kick. Usually preceded by a warning (except for egregious offenses), bans can be temporary, usually 24 hours, or permanent. If you get permabanned, wait a year or so, and if you can show that you've improved, you might be let back in.
- If you see someone kicked and banned for something that isn't banworthy, and then unbanned shortly afterwards, that's just to stop people's autojoin from activating. Don't sweat it.
- Setting Channel Modes: The only one of these you really have to worry about is +m, which prevents anyone who doesn't have OP or Voice from talking. If an OP sets the channel to +m to talk, listen up, and don't change your name to comment on the situation.
Respect the OPs: The Chat OPs in #site19 are, for the most part, not evil. They're there to keep the chat moving smoothly and to deal with any problems as they come up. Don't make their life harder.
- In particular: if an OP is carrying out disciplinary actions, that is not the time to make stupid smartass comments. It's also not the time to "backseat mod". Hopping in on berating a user who has broken the rules is unhelpful and makes you look bad.
- If you think a chat OP is abusing their power, tell someone. Start with a different OP first. The final authority in the chat is Sorts, the Chat Owner: report any serious misuses of authority to him.
While there is quite a bit of overlap between wiki staff and chat staff, they are not one and the same: we have several Chat OPs who are not Wiki Staff and should not be treated as such. Likewise, not all staff on the wiki have power in chat, and should not be expected to wield any.
Name | Wiki Status |
---|---|
Sorts | Admin |
Bright | Admin |
Clef | Admin |
Quikngruvn | Admin |
TroyL | Admin |
Waxx | Admin |
Dexanote | Moderator |
Eskobar | Moderator |
Light | Moderator |
thedeadlymoose | Moderator |
Dr_Kens | Senior Staff |
EchoFourDelta | Senior Staff |
Nusquam | Senior Staff |
Roget | Senior Staff |
Tox | Member |
Wogglebug | Member |
Xiao | Member |
Discussion Suggestions
The primary purpose of #site19 is the discussion of the SCP Foundation wiki and its related works. Secondary discussions, like socializing and such, are also allowed, but not to the detriment of the main subject. It is up to the chat operators to decide if a topic has gone too far and too long and should be stopped or taken to another room. The decision of the operator is final; complaining about it is annoying and unproductive.
The following topics have a tendency to take over and disrupt the chat when brought up, so do your best not to. If you must discuss them, make a separate room for it, or if there's an existing room for it (see below), go there. This list may be added onto or expanded in the future.
- Politics
- Religion
- MLP
- Firearms
- Rape
In addition, we're not interested in talking badly about people behind their backs. Several prominent site users left under inauspicious circumstances; don't ask what happened to them. If you must know, PM someone instead of bringing it up in public.
One last note: #site19 is a strictly out of character3 environment. No roleplaying is to be done here, with /me's or otherwise acting like the chat is anything but a chatroom. If you must roleplay, we have a variety of wonderful roleplaying chatrooms to participate in, as listed below.
Secondary Chatrooms
The following chatrooms are associated with the SCP Foundation Wiki and #site19:
Roleplaying:
- #farrecon - Far Recon - Foundation-based RP run by Roget.
- #farreconooc - Far Recon's out-of-character chat.
Extracurricular:
- #scpminecraft - All discussion of the game Minecraft takes place here, plus some shenanigans every now and then.
- #scpguntalk - All things firearms and political.
- #scp-ponies - All discussion on MLP takes place here, not in the main chat
- #Area14 - EchoFourDelta's chatroom, just for SCP critique. Heavy on moderation. Goes by a one-strike rule, so tread carefully.
Miscellaneous
- Do not bring any of your own bots into this chat. Do not abuse bot functions by spamming commands; if you must, PM the bot instead. Don't force the bot to update unnecessarily, as it puts strain on several things.
- Nala is a chatbot provides a variety of features within the chat, many of which were previously performed by a variety of currently non-functioning bots (Magic-8_Ball, Grapewhistle, etc). Nala is maintained by Mackenzie (Aelanna in chat) and is currently our primary bot. Nala has recently been upgraded to include almost all of Grape's functions, as well as several new, unique ones. Type .help for a command list, or go here.
- If you have any further questions, contact an OP. If they have time, they should be able to give you an answer. If they don't they can point you to someone who can.
Got all that? Awesome, go read it again.
The Site
Is this real? No. This is a collaborative writing website.
What is the Foundation? We are the last bastion of security in a world where natural laws rapidly break down. We are here to protect humanity from the things that go bump in the night, from people who wield power beyond mortal understanding. We are here to make the world a safer place. We are the holders of wonders, and the crafters of dreams. We are why the world continues. In the short form, we're a creative writing site, devoted towards horror.
What does SCP stand for? "Special Containment Procedures". We generally go with "the Foundation". It also stands for the site motto: "Secure. Contain. Protect."
How long has this site been around, anyway? Read this forum post for details. Basically, the original SCP (SCP-173) was written back in 2007, the first incarnation of this wiki (on editthis.info) was made in early 2008, and we moved to Wikidot in the middle of that year.
Have the owners of the wiki ever considered expanding their universe to other media (television, film, podcasts, etc.)? Ugh, yes, and if we hadn't had the idea on our own, plenty of others have mentioned it to us. Licensing is an issue; we have debates about the implications of Creative Commons almost weekly now, especially now that SCP: Containment Breach is getting so big. We honestly prefer that you didn't, at least not without contacting the authors or staff.
Should I join if I don't want to write an SCP? That depends on whether you want to vote, join in on the discussions, or edit existing articles. We've got some people who have been in chat for years, and still haven't bothered to join the site. We've also got huge fans who just don't want to actually get involved. You don't need to join to read the discussion threads, as they are now open for all to read.
Is this a roleplaying site? No. While many writers appear to have characters, or avatars on the site, these are really just characters we've created for the various stories and articles. Although many of us share common names with these characters, that's just because those are our user-names. It's easier that way, and allows for our younger members to feel safer in anonymity. A good rule of thumb is that Dr/Agent/Whatever (Name) is the character, while (Name) is the writer.
Can I roleplay anyway? Not on the main wiki. The site is out-of-character only. RPing can be done elsewhere; ask around for details.
What if I just write myself as a character? You can; it's pretty common. Keep in mind that self-inserts are automatically judged negatively until the quality of the character is established. Over the top avatars are typically not thought of very well around here anymore, in spite of whatever older material you may have read. This goes double for avatars who are supposed to be funny or awesome or your idealized self. (Google "Mary Sue", or go here - warning, TVTropes link.)
How do I get to know the SCP foundation better? Read as many SCPs and tales as you can. Seriously, that's the easiest way.
What are all those [REDACTED] and [DATA EXPUNGED] that are everywhere? They are information removed from the article, generally in order to make it scarier. While most writers know what is behind the removal, they are unwilling to tell. It's a lot worse when you have to imagine what it is. Note: Don't redact information (besides site locations) in the containment procedures. In-universe, all information in containment procedures must be available to all Foundation personnel, in case they need to contain the SCP object and these procedures are all they have.
Why does the Foundation keep this SCP around? Why don't they just destroy/kill it? Well, for starters, if you've read our motto, you know SCP stands for Secure, Contain, Protect, not Destroy, Destroy, Destroy. Most of the objects and people the Foundation houses are being kept for study, which is not at all the same as sitting on death row. Why obliterate something when you have enough resources to try to discover how it works? (That said, if we destroyed everything, we wouldn't have much of a site, would we?)
Why am I being asked for my password? No one on staff will ever ask you for your password. If you think that's what they're asking for, you might want to read again.
Is this the entire FAQ? Nope! Scroll up and click on the other tabs to read the rest.
SCPs
I got an idea for an SCP! What do I do? The How to Write an SCP guide explains how to conceive, write, format, and post an SCP. Short answer: You can make an account on the sandbox wiki, post your drafts there, and share the link with people on the forums and the Realtime Chat. When you're satisfied that you've received enough feedback, go ahead and post it. Or, you can take the plunge and just post it directly to the wiki, with no feedback. This is the best way to get a lot of feedback really fast, with the downside of not having anyone to catch glaring errors for you. But the worst that'll happen is downvotes and deletion.
There's already one or more SCPs really similar to my idea! What do I do? Write something else. Or, if you think you can, write your idea differently so that it's actually unique. Also, good.
But I can't think of a new idea! What do I do? Relax. Don't panic. Inspiration will come to you eventually. Many of our writers go months without posting anything, simply because the inspiration isn't there. And that's fine. For more on getting ideas, see "Developing Thoughts" in How To Write An SCP. Also, check out the various challenges in the forums, or ask around in chat. There are always people with ideas that they just don't have time to write up.
How do I know if there is already one or more SCPs really similar to my idea? If you can't be arsed to search the site, ask around in chat. Someone will know.
How is the number for my new SCP chosen? Just pick an empty one and fill it. Some people prefer to take the next available slot, some don't. Up to you.
Can I kill SCP-XXX? Of course you can. In a story, not in an article. Anything can happen in your stories, because there is no canon.
I keep hearing that phrase, 'There is no canon'. What does it mean? It means that none of the stories, and not even all the articles, have to be considered when writing your own article. It's perfectly okay to ignore what's been written. Of course, if you take things too far off the concept, your article may be downvoted into oblivion.
What are examples of going "off concept"? Think of it this way: tone is canon, but the actual details are generally open for exploration. Just because, say, someone has written a story where SCP-343 claims he can't do anything to SCP-682, doesn't mean you can't write a story where he always whales on the reptile like nobody's business. But if you write this in a style or tone that doesn't fit what's already on the site - like making 682 a wacky mutant elephant, and adding a Mary Sue version of SCP-076-2 who can shoot Goku's Spirit Bomb - then we're going to downvote. Also, try to keep your characters in character. Gears doesn't display emotion. Bright is bound to SCP-963. Rights is a mother. Mann is willing to go to extremes for the sake of research. Gerald is highly accident-prone. You don't have to use previously written characters, but if you do, and you write them out of character, people will likely be unhappy.
Do all D-class really get terminated at the end of the month? Are they really all death row inmates? Isn't that canon? Not quite. Yes, writers agree that in-universe, these beliefs are standard. However, many writers believe that this is just a "party line" told to researchers so they don't object to subjecting these people to horrible things. Many believe that D-class are not killed at the end of the month, but instead mind-wiped and reassigned to another site. Or that the Foundation clones them using SCPs. Or that the Foundation adds political dissidents, homeless people, or people from third-world countries to the ranks of D-Class. It's up to you what explanation you choose.
Which class of amnesiacs are the strongest? Up to you. Different articles have different takes on this. Some articles say Class A is the strongest, some say Class A is the weakest, and some articles use alternate classification systems or don't specify.
How do you spell "amensiac"? Up to you. See above. Examples that have been used multiple times by other articles include "amnesiac", "amnesic", and "amnestic".
My article/story/whatever is very similar to another article/story/whatever. Can I still post it? As long as it's sufficiently different to be new and exciting. Otherwise, it is likely to be deleted.
Can I cross-test other SCPs in my article? There's no rules against cross-testing, but we don't like it. These are dangerous items we're working with. Most of them act bizarrely enough on their own, and now you want to combine them to see what happens? This ranges from "bad idea" to "extremely dangerous". Plus, cross-testing needs to add to the quality of a piece. You CAN do it, but if you do, you better do it well, and if you are doing it with SCP-682 or SCP-173 or another popular SCP, the odds that you are doing it well are somewhere between zero and zero.
I get it that you don't like cross-testing SCPs, but what about just referencing other SCPs I like in my article? Remember, a crosslink should add something interesting to the article, and it should make sense in context of the article. A short list of bad reasons to crosslink:
- To try this SCP on this other SCP just to see what will happen! (See previous Q).
- To show that your SCP is better than this other SCP
- To show that your SCP is kind of like this other SCP
- To show that your SCP is (or might be) somehow related to this other, more popular SCP, written by another author
- To say that 'SCP-████ should never come into contact with SCP-███'. (Everyone knows that SCPs shouldn't come into contact with each other.)
What is a -D? A decommissioned article. One that was so bad, we couldn't just delete it, but had to actively put it out of its misery.
What is a -ARC? An archived SCP. One that might not be real good, but is kept around because either the Senior Staff like it, or it has been used in other stories. NOTE: -ARCs are much rarer these days, so don't think that by using an SCP in a story you can save it from deletion.
What is a -EX? An "explained" SCP. This is a particular genre of SCP that addresses phenomena that would once have been considered inexplicable or unnatural, but for which regular science later developed an explanation. Read through the extant -EXs to get an idea of what they look like.
What is a -J? A joke SCP. The main rule about -J's is that they have to be funny. Once upon a time we allowed SCP-ified versions of things from other fictions as -J's, but that got cut out during the mass edit. A -J has to be funny, not just a failed regular SCP.
Can I decommission an SCP? No. Decomms are special occasions, and generally, decomms no longer fit the theme of the site.
Can I use something from an anime/tv show/movie/comic book/something else I'm into as an SCP? No. SCPs must be original. If your idea is "An X from Y," you're probably going about things the wrong way.
Is an SCP's Object Class a community decision, or entirely up to the creator of the SCP? Object Classes have specific definitions, found on the SCP Object Classes pages. Try to assign your SCP the Object Class that best fits. If you're not sure what class your SCP falls under, there's nothing wrong with asking.
What exactly is Procedure 110-Montauk? Let's ask the experts, shall we?
An amateur shadowcast of the Rocky Horror picture Show.
Giving SCP-231 a plate of the driest chocolate chip cookies - with no milk. All the rest of the people required by the containment procedures watch and laugh at her.
Well, you see, first you [REDACTED] until the elephant begins to trumpet, spurting the [REDACTED] holding her upside down over a bed of live cobras, wherein [REDACTED] but you have to make sure you do it no more then three [REDACTED] Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits [REDACTED] over seventeen feet long, but that's not the worst part, because the staple remover [REDACTED] make absolutely sure that the feather boa is black and not dark blue, or else you risk [REDACTED] followed by the plutonium splitting the atom, until [REDACTED] and that's it, really.
Here's the deal. It's never said, and the author has laughed in the face of everyone whose asked. Remember: whatever you think happened to her, you're the one that did it. It came out of your head. You're the bastard torturing this poor girl. That is the fundamental nature of the page.
SCP-173 is totally based on the weeping angels, right? No, actually! 173 came out a couple of months before the weeping angels. And way before the Endermen.
About Critique
Why are you guys so mean? We aren't actually mean, per se. We tend to be straightforward, we don't sugarcoat, and have little tolerance for stupidity. If this is something you can't handle, it's likely that this is not the site for you.
Are there "right" and "wrong" ways to give criticism on an article? Yes. Don't be an asshole. You don't have to say nice things, but focus your criticism on the article. Don't attack the author. It's fair not to go in depth (such as a post of "meh"). If you do go in-depth, make sure your criticism is helpful. For the long version of this answer, read this post drafted by the site administration.
Okay, someone responded to my new article by saying 'Meh'. How is that considered constructive criticism? "Meh" generally translates to: "This is an overall lackluster idea, presented in such a way as to actively emphasize its mediocrity. It is theoretically possible that a rewrite for tone and the addition of materials intended to up the ante of the article could bring about improvement, but I find it unlikely. So unlikely, in fact, that I'm not quite willing to go on the record saying so, and prefer to remain noncommittal. Chances are the boring concept makes this one unsalvageable. One out of ten."
Why are people criticizing/downvoting my article or idea? Because they don't like it. Just because you think an idea is going to be great doesn't mean it is. Do not develop the idea that you're being persecuted or belittled; that attitude is very poorly received here, as is usually true elsewhere. If you can't handle being told something of yours sucks, this isn't the right site for you.
This got decent feedback in the forums. Why is it getting downvoted? What most people don't understand is that the people posting in the advice forums are idi-er, people who are new to the site and have no real idea of our standards. That's why going on chat is a good idea, since a lot of our more experienced writers hang out in there. When looking for advice in the forums, pay the most attention to those who are staff or who have author pages.
What are some things that generally cause an article to accumulate downvotes? That's like asking how many shades of gray exist. Everyone has a different reason for downvoting. But, some simple reasons: Bad grammar, poor writing, doing something that's already an SCP, or failing to write in the tone of the Foundation. Or simply because they don't like it.
About Wiki Etiquette
What happens when I write a SCP article/story/creepypasta that people don't like? Once it hits -10, a member of senior staff will call for a deletion on the article's discussion page. If they can get three other members of Senior Staff to agree to it, the page is deleted. If there is discussion, and someone thinks it can be saved, we go from there. See the Deletions Guide for more information.
Is there a penalty for having an article deleted? Absolutely none.
Can I put my article back up after it has been deleted? Yes, as long as you have sufficiently edited the article to make it better. While some ideas are better off just leaving to die, some just need a lot of work.
How many times am I allowed to repost an SCP/story idea that got deleted? As many times as you can rewrite it to improve it. Never post the same deleted version.
Can I upvote my article to prevent it being deleted? No, not unless someone has maliciously downvoted your article. If this is the case, bring the malicious downvote to staff's attention.
Can I downvote the articles by someone I don't like just to make a point? No, and don't be an asshole. This is called 'malicious downvoting' and is against the rules.
Man, I really want to delete my own article. Can I do it myself, or do I have to wait for it to hit -10 and for the four senior staff/mods to agree to delete it? You are always free to delete your own work, no matter the vote. Just make sure you're actually deleting it, and not just renaming it. To delete a page you created, click the "+Options" link at the bottom of the page, and select delete. Make sure you check the "delete completely" box, though, or you'll just rename the page and piss us all off. Read the Deletions Guide for details.
Where do deleted pages go? Oblivion. Wikidot doesn't cache deleted pages in any form, including the discussion pages. If you want to back up your own work and/or any critiques you received from it, it's entirely up to you to do so. We don't keep them around because we don't want to clutter up the site with sub par articles that never go away.
So I have this great idea to make an article better, I can just dive in and change whatever I want, right? Absolutely not. While this is a wiki, we're a little bit more strict on who can edit what than most wikis. Spelling is generally okay. Grammar… if it's something that doesn't change intent, it's okay, but not everyone has perfect grammar. Adding, taking away, or otherwise altering any article is not okay without consent from the author, or from senior staff if the author is missing.
If you've read the required reading, make sure to include the words 'Machine Empire' in your application, along with everything else you've been told to put in.
My application has been rejected and I… uhm.. The paragraph directly above this one is probably why, isn't it? Yup. No password, no join. It's not a joke.
Can I reapply? Of course! Simply go to 'my account' and withdraw your application, then apply again.
I totally put the passwords in, but you still denied me! Well, either you missed something somewhere, or you tried to get cutesy with your passwords and so I missed it. Seriously, just tuck those words at the end of your application, don't try and weave it in.
Is it kosher to go through and comment on every article? No. Commenting on every older article is just going to piss staff off, especially if you post on a whole lot of old article threads at once. If you downvote and feel you have something significant to add in explanation, sure. And you don't need to comment on every single article. Trust us.
Do we have to ask permission to use other authors' characters and SCPs in our stories? No, you don't. But it's better to ask, especially if you want to get their SCPs or characters right.
About Chat Etiquette
Hey, I'm running this idea by the chat and no one is looking at it. What should I do? Wait a bit, then try again. The chat doubles as a social hangout, so it may take a while to get people's attention. Whatever you do, don't spam your link. It just pisses people off.
Oh no there is a troll! What do I do? Whether it's a troll or a spammer, don't feed them. Meaning, don't respond to them. Both want attention. Don't give it to them. But, if you have to do something, ping a channel operator - they just may have not noticed it.
hay is it ok if i tak liek dis lol We will hunt you down, make sure you never have children, and then break all your fingers to keep you away from the internet. We are all adults here, or damn close to, so let's type like it.
So I get that spamming the chat with something is bad, but what exactly constitutes spamming? Basically, if you're reposting the same link or question several times in quick succession, it's spamming. It's like awkwardly trying to cut into a conversation by shouting "SO DOES ANYONE ELSE LIKE ASPARAGUS" until someone answers or tells you to shut it. Maybe they do like asparagus. Maybe they really, really do. Thing is, if you keep screaming about it, nobody's going to want the asparagus you're offering. Keep your links and such under control, and you'll do fine.
In the Chat Guide, you tell us to avoid talking about politics and religion and firearms and My Little Pony. Why? Simply put, these topics tend to overwhelm all other conversation when they come up. People have strong opinions or feelings about these topics. This makes talking about them a good way to start a flame war. At best, these topics just make it impossible for other people to get in a word edgewise about anything else. Things like the SCP wiki and its related works, or feedback sessions on users' sandbox drafts.
About Staff Etiquette
Who are the Senior Staff? They're the people under the Senior Staff tab in The Guide to Newbies. Senior Staff are the people who run the site. They've been around for a while, have some good articles, and generally know what they're talking about. And remember: you are required to know who they are when you encounter them. There are four levels of Senior Staff:
- Just plain Senior Staff have no extra powers, besides the ability to vote for article deletion. They act as role models and teachers, trying to help people.
- Mods are the next step up, and help keep the general populace in check.
- Admins are the ones who run the Site.
- Finally, there's the Owner, Dr. Gears. If there is dissension in the ranks, his decisions are final.
No mods are around! Who are some people to ask for help? It might actually be better if you just waited until a member of Senior Staff was around. Nothing on this site is especially time sensitive, but if you really need help, send a wikidot PM to someone. Several of us check their computers multiple times over the course of the day, so don't be afraid to write.
Can we ask why so-and-so was banned? Yes, you may.
Honest But Brutal Answers To Further Questions
This tab is not required reading. If you are newly applying for site membership, you are not required to read this. If you continue… brace yourself. This is the honest but brutal answers section, written by several of our most honest yet brutal mods and admins. You have been warned.
<Bright | Yoric | Echo | Other Member> is being mean to my article!? Yes, and? Did you actually read the FAQ section on "Critique"? Are they breaking any rules?
No, but I want them to stop! It's not going to happen. That's just how we are. If we actually are being mean, and you aren't just misreading our sarcasm, there's a reason for it. The reason is you're a moron. Maybe you should get some help with that?
I put my SCP up for review and not that many people responded. Then I posted it and it was rejected. Can I blame other people for its failure? HAHAHAHAHAno. Seriously, deleted SCPs are a part of life. Deal.
But, we're like, totally an amazing member of this other community, and we have so many ideas to improve the site! Why is everyone being a jerk when we tell them how they should be doing things? Because we don't know you from Adam. Or Eve. Or Steve, Adam's gay roommate. We're old coots, set in our ways, because they work. If you do have an idea, don't feel like you can't send it past us, but don't be disappointed when it gets shot down. And, when someone tells you no, that is not permission to go ahead and do it anyways. If you expect to come in and be instantly recognized for the genius you are, not only will you be severely disappointed, BUT! This might not be the right site for you.
I have an awesome site and am currently the admin there. May I please have admin here? No. We do not know who you are. We do not know your site. We do not care if you are those guys from Penny Arcade, when you join up here, you start at the bottom. Eventually, if you're not a moron, you might move up. But we doubt it.
I own an IRC channel on the synIRC network and it is quite successful. May I please have admin in our chat? Fuck no. Stop being stupid.
When a mod says "Stop" they mean, "Talk louder and more stupid", right? Were you dropped on your head a lot as a child, while eating paint chips, underneath powerlines? If a member of the Senior Staff tells you to stop, you stop, then and there. You are more than welcome to PM them to ask why you have to stop, as long as you understand that when they say a conversation is over - it's over.
Hey, those decomms are pretty funny. Can I write a shitty article just so you can decomm it? No. No, no, no, no, no. Did we mention no? Having an SCP so terrible that it has to be decommissioned is NOT a good thing. One of the reasons we rarely do them anymore is because people wanted to gain infamy. Also, don't be a fuckwit.
<Bad SCP> is so bad in so many ways! Can we keep it around as an example of what not to do? No. As you already read, there are as many ways for an article to be bad as there are shades of gray. Anything we keep around as an example is going to be ignored by people who would actually benefit from its advice and would be useless to those who would actually need it. Also, worse things have been posted (yes, they have), and we didn't save those either.
So, I'm a Furry and… Stop. Stop right there. There is absolutely NO reason to tell us that information apropos of nothing. I (Bright) don't walk up to random people on the internet/street and say 'Hi, I'm a sadist.' Hell, the subject of sexuality doesn't even come up unless I'm attracted to someone. Or drunk. Or it's REALLY boring at work. My point is, whether you're a Furry, Little, Sadist, or Professional Dominant, it's not information we need to know. Now, on to your question…?
There wasn't one. I'm just a fictional strawman for you to make that rant. Oh yeah… Thanks for doing your job, then.
What advice would you give a new writer? Read. The. Goddamn. Required. Fucking. Reading. No, seriously, read it! Absorb it. Read it again. Look at some examples, read through the forums and discussion pages, (they are open to public viewing) and then read it a-fucking-gain. It makes you look pretty god damn stupid when you post an SCP, half finished, and people start yelling at you for it, when it tells you in the rules NOT to do that. Or if you have a signature. Or if what you've written is an unreviewed piece of utter trash. You have a great idea? Good for you! guess what, we've seen most of them. This site has been up for… Three, four years? We have almost five THOUSAND members. We've got almost two THOUSAND SCPs. We've seen damned near everything, at least once. And what you think is OH MY GOD AWESOME, we think is just another piece of shit we'll have to delete. Lurk. For the sake of humanity, lurk. Take part in the discussions, talk in the forums and the chat, find out why people are downvoting something you think looks cool. Then, go back, and READ THE REQUIRED READING again, and make sure you do it RIGHT.
Where do babies come from? Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much [REDACTED] and then the mommy says 'Oooh, I've never seen one so big!' [REDACTED] seven dwarves, but not those seven dwarves, that'd be silly, [REDACTED] which is the exact moment your uncle Steve comes out from behind the camera [REDACTED] 17 monkeys, three camels, and a VERY frisky otter [REDACTED] which kind of makes sense, considering your hair color [REDACTED] dirty, dirty, dirty whore [REDACTED] "It'll never fit!" [REDACTED] and then, nine months later, with your mother cussing the entire time, and plotting your eventual demise, bam, a baby is adopted from an Asian country by two happy lesbians.
Foreword
In order to maintain our standards of quality, pages found to be substandard are deleted. These deletions are, in the vast majority of instances, decided upon by the community through voting and carried out by the administration. There are exceptions for submissions that are found to be in violation of site policy. Below is a concise explanation of standard deletions policy, special deletions policies, and other pertinent information. No matter the reason for deletion, deletions are always announced, with reasons clearly given.
Grace Period
Pages are typically afforded a grace period of 24 hours after posting, during which time they are not eligible either for deletion and cannot be voted on for such, even if their rating falls below the deletion eligibility threshold of -10. There are circumstances in which this grace period is waived, but generally speaking, it’s safe to assume this applies.
Standard Process
When a page’s rating falls to -10, that page becomes eligible for deletion. As noted, pages are afforded a 24 hour grace period to allow the author opportunity to review feedback and make changes as necessary. Following expiration of this grace period, if a page remains at or below -10, a member of Senior Staff will make a post in its discussion thread, titled Staff Post, suggesting deletion. Only members of Staff are to reply to these posts, and generally will do so in one of three ways: concurring, voting against, or suggesting -ARC. A Staff vote against deletion negates one vote for. -ARC entries are explained later in this guide.
When a page reaches four Staff votes for deletion, a fifth will then delete it. The Mod or Admin who carries out the deletion will make a post in the current deletions thread on the announcements forum, stating the deletion has been carried out, typically confirming the number of votes and the page's final rating. Pages may be deleted by Mods or Admins who voted for deletion, but not by whomever fourthed the vote.
If a page’s rating rises above -10, all Staff votes for deletion prior to this are voided. Should it fall again, voting for deletion must begin anew.
If an author requests a stay of deletion to make edits or rewrite a page, these may be granted. Consideration of these requests is on a case-by-case basis, as oftentimes, the best thing is to start again from a clean slate.
Supplementary pages, such as interviews, incidents, experiment logs, and the like, will generally be deleted when their parent article or page is. There is the possibility that these materials could stand on their own. If this is felt to be the case, or if a supplement is missed during deletion of the parent page, then they will be judged separately.
Early Vote
If a page’s rating falls to -25 or lower, Staff may begin a deletion vote prior to the expiry of the 24 hour grace period. However, the page may not be deleted until the grace period expires. Aside from beginning early, this is identical to the standard process.
-ARC
-ARC refers to pages which have been archived instead of deleted outright. Archived pages are appended with -ARC. There are a few reasons for a page to be archived rather than deleted. Most often, it’s because an SCP is old and referenced in Tales, and its wholesale deletion would muddle works which reference it. There are also things that Staff simply want to keep around, albeit off the main list. The process for archiving a page is identical to the process for deletions, with suggestions for -ARC typically occurring after initiation of the deletion vote, save the page is renamed rather than culled.
Plagiarism and Intellectual Theft
If a page is believed to have copied from another work, in part or in whole, from a work on this wiki or elsewhere, or if it conceptually borrows heavily from another work, it may be deleted on the basis of plagiarism or intellectual theft. A member of Staff will recommend deletion for plagiarism/intellectual theft, and indicate how the page in question is in violation. This is done independently of a page’s rating or age. Aside from beginning early and being conducted regardless of a page’s rating, the process is identical to standard deletions procedure, including the affording of a 24 hour grace period prior to which the page in question will not be deleted. Copies may be retained for record-keeping purposes.
Reasons for Deletion Without Grace Period
Trolling
If Staff believe a page was posted with the intent of trolling, they will vote for expedited deletion. Voting for deletion of troll pages may begin without respect of the page's current rating, and the grace period is waived in its entirety. With the agreement of four members of Staff, a fifth will confirm and delete, with posts made in the announcements forum as normal. Copies may be retained for record-keeping purposes.
Reasons for Summary Deletion
Malicious content, such as links to viruses, sexually explicit material, spam, advertising, and illegal content are all grounds for summary deletion. If a member of Staff believes a page to fall into one of these categories, they will bring it up for consideration in the admin chat channel where, after review, if three members agree, the page may be summarily deleted. Copies may be retained for record-keeping purposes. Summary deletion may also be enacted if members attempt to "game" site procedure, such as re-posting an un-rewritten article in an attempt to get around downvotes.
Other Pertinent Information
Author Request
If an author should request their material be removed, and be able to prove authorship beyond a reasonable doubt, these requests are granted with no further questions asked.
Self-Deletion
Authors have the ability to delete their own work at any time. This is accomplished by clicking “Options” at the bottom of the page, clicking “Delete”, and selecting checkbox for, “Delete Completely.” Be sure to select “Delete Completely,” as a failure to do this does not remove the page, it simply renames it. These deletions should be announced in the current deletions thread in the Announcements forum, just like any other deletion.
If an author attempts to self-delete their work and fails to do so properly, either by blanking the page or renaming it, it will be deleted fully by Staff. Two staff members are required in order to complete a failed self-deletion: one to delete the page and another as a witness. Please feel free to bring improper deletions to Staff's attention, but don't revert or edit them yourself. As above, if an author requests the page be deleted, Staff will do so.
Votes From Deleted Accounts
All votes on a page from deleted accounts are voided; if a page is at -10 with two downvotes from deleted accounts, that page is treated as being at -8, and would not be eligible for deletion. Similarly, if a page were rated -8, with two upvotes from deleted accounts, that page would be eligible.
Though everything in the Guides is important, here are the overarching things that are the most vital.
Everything in the Guides is Important. Each required guide has been carefully reviewed and edited by Staff members to ensure clarity and brevity. Small things that are in there really are important, and I don't think I can stress that enough. This guide is here to go back over the most basic and important things, but everything matters.
We are a community… We're a creative writing site, not a corporation. Nobody has any obligation to read, critique, or vote on anything. We're also mostly college-aged or older here, and for those of us who aren't, we try to act like it. This site is something we do for fun and nothing more. Acting like an immature brat won't win you any favors.
—on the Internet… Normal Internet etiquette applies here. Not necroposting, acting mature, and respecting the staff (know who they are) are just as important here as they are on any forum or creative writing site. Utilize the chat. Also, we want you to take the site seriously if you plan on staying, but nothing here is life or death. It's the Internet; relax a little.
—full of assholes. Yep. We have extremely high standards here. No matter how good a writer or person you think you are, it's different here. Taking your time with writing and getting help in #site19 or the forums is the best way to go. We'd rather have good material than a piece of shit: period. Though the community can come off as brusque and mean at first, if you're polite, patient, and mature, we open up rather quickly.
You are not the next "thing." Nobody should expect to make the next group of interest, finally kill 682, or create the next best agent. Don't join expecting to make a huge splash. Most importantly, don't expect yourself to be superior to anyone. We generally tell people to shy away from Keter, Joke, and Humanoid SCPs for their first attempt because they're really, really hard to pull off. Anything that difficult to execute, or more difficult, should never be attempted on a first try. If you think you have a great idea to make your mark on the site, don't do it first. Please don't take this as a challenge. If you want a challenge, try to pull off 'next big thing' after you've got a few successes under your belt. Few people can pull this off either, but trying won't annoy as many of us. Maybe.
There is no single way to write. There are many different schools of thought on how to write an SCP (or tale), all of which can work. For this reason, some advice may be contradictory. In general, you can tell from a user's profile and/or authorship how good their advice is. Keep in mind that it's still your SCP though, so go with whatever idea you like best and think can work. If multiple people tell you an SCP is going to fail, it is going to fail.
Reading's really important. Read everything you can. No one will ask you to read the thousands of pages on the site, but the best way to get the grasp of site culture, tone, and other things is to read a lot. If you can't stand reading tons of pages, this site isn't for you. Also, read all the guides, because everything in them is important and if you can't manage to read six pages there's no way you're gonna last here.
Beyond this, I have decided to compress this guide into a short sentence, that you should remember during your time with us: Don't be an annoying dumbass, and read all the guides.