Registration Issues
Character Name Issues
Character History Issues

And finally....
Some things to consider when creating a character - handy hints for new members.


Contacting Staff
For those not yet registered who may have questions, please email questions to the following address:

propmaster[at]harrypotterfanfiction[dot]com

~ FAQ's about Registration ~

1. I can't seem to register. Is your site closed to new members?
   PottersWorld stays closed to new members for approximately four (4) weeks. This is to simulate a normal "year" for the students at Hogwarts. At the end of those 4 weeks, they are considered graduated to the next year, and registration opens to new members over a 2-day weekend period.
   
   For the next date of open registration, please see our site Calendar.
   
   
2. This registration form is a little confusing. How do I know where to put my character's name?
   Following are the questions that are on our registration form:
   
   -- Enter your desired log in username -- This is the spot to enter what you wish your login to be. This is used to login to your account - it is NOT your character name. There are no limits/requirements over what this name should be. This can be changed by you at any time in the future. This name will NOT be viewable to other members
   
   -- Enter your desired display name -- This is the place to enter your character name. This is the name that will appear to everyone else, and should be a first and last name. This CANNOT be changed by you once entered.
   
   -- Enter your password -- This is the password you wish for your account. No one will be able to see this. This should be an easily remembered word for yourself. You will be required to enter this word in twice for registration. This can be changed by you at any time in the future.
   
   -- Enter your Email Address -- This is where you enter your VALID email address. This is where the system will automatically send you a verification email so that you can complete your registration properly. Only one email account per account is allowed. This can be changed by you at any time in the future.
   
   -- What is 2+2? -- This is a simple question put in to prevent spambots (automatic registering programs that assault forum boards sometimes). You only need enter the character "4" into this space.
   
   -- Security Code Confirmation -- This is another entry that must be made for security purposes.
   
   
3. I registered but I haven't gotten the confirmation email yet!
   Please check your email account again by logging out, then logging back in. Some email accounts don't "refresh" properly unless you log out/log in.
   
   Then check your email account's Spam or Junk folder. Because our emails are automatically generated by our system, it may be confused with spam/junk mail.
   
   If this still doesn't work, email the address above (in the first post) and explain your problem. BE SURE to give your "display name" and the email address you registered under in that note!
   
   
4. I registered and got my confirmation email, and I even made a few posts, but now my account looks like it disappeared!
   Did you register with an illegal name (see FAQ's on Character Names below)? Are you a returning member who has a LOT of alter accounts (more than, say, 5 and you haven't met minimum post count for some of them)? Are you a formerly banned member trying to sneak back on the site?
   
   All of these are reasons why your account may have suddenly been deleted or suspended. If you don't think you fit in any of these categories, email the address above (in the first post) and explain your problem. BE SURE to give your "display name" and the email address you registered under in that note!

~ FAQ's about Character Names ~

1. What is a character name and what do you mean by this?
   When you register, you should have put your "character name" into the space that asks for your "display name". The character name is the name you want your character known by. If your character is going to be an 11yr old pure-blood girl named Sharon Brown, then you should have entered "Sharon Brown" in for your display name.
   
   Pennames -- We have no use for pennames at PW. Pennames are those names you use at discussion forums, names like "dramoine783" or "Lupins_gurl". You could possibly use your penname for your login, but we do not use them on our site in any way that someone else can see.
   
   
2. At other RPing sites I've been on, you have one account that you can run several characters from. Why don't you do that here?
   Quite simply, because it is too confusing, both for the staff and for those reading your posts. Each account is for each character -- this way you can use a different avatar/signature set, have different things on your profile page, and when someone is reading your post, they know exactly which character wrote it by glancing at the account name.
   
   
3. I registered as "John Mark Smith" but now it's been changed to "John Smith". Why did this happen?
   This happened because PW only allows a first and last name, not middle names. A member of the staff saw your character name and removed the middle name.
   
   Hyphenated last names -- Those who wish two last names can do so, but their last name must be hyphenated (with a "dash" between them like "John Smith-Jones"). This is also the case with two first names -- they must be hyphenated. For those characters from non-British cultures who wish three names (like some Asian cultures), you will need to choose which two names should be hyphenated. I know this may not be the "true" way in which the name would appear in your own country, but to be fair to everyone, you will need to hyphenate two of the three names to be allowed on this board.
   
   
4. I want to have a really unusual name for my character like "Sparkle Moonbeam", yet every time I try to register, my account is deleted. Don't you allow creativity?
   Yes, we allow creativity, but we also wish a touch of reality. If you want an utterly ridiculous name, you can have an utterly ridiculous first or last name --- just not both. So you can be "Sparkle Jones" or "Sarah Moonbeam". As stated in our ToS rules for just about anything.... the final judgment on the appropriateness of something that goes on our site rests with the staff.
   
   
5. What should I do about a nickname? Should I put in my character's full name or their nickname?
   That is entirely up to you -- you can put down your character's formal name, or their nickname. But a word of advice.... those of you who put your display name as "Isabella Jones" but decide to have your character get very irate every time someone does NOT call them "Bella" are in for a long haul. Those people role-playing with you, especially new people, will tend to call your character by the name they see on the account. If you don't want the hassle of continually correcting everyone on what your character wants to be called, you should put their nickname down for their display name.

~ FAQ's about Character History ~

1. What is a character history?
   A character history is your character's backstory. It can be anything from information about their parents and home life, to incidents from their childhood, to what socio-economic niche their family is in (rich, poor, etc.). Some people come to our site with very elaborate backstories; some with little or none.
   
   Because our site does not make you fill out a character application (in which a history of your character would be given), you are fairly free to develop your backstory how you choose (as long as you do NOT violate ToS or use any of the "Forbidden" topics). Quite often, a character's backstory will begin when they type their 5th post, the "How I Got My Hogwart's Letter" post.
   
   
2. Will I be able to show my character's history some where?
   Yes. Once your character gets to be a Hogwart's student (a "1st Year"), some new forums will become visible to them, including some OOC (out of character) forums for discussions and record-keeping. One of these is called "Character Libraries". In this forum, members are allowed to post a topic detailing all aspects of their character's life -- ancestry, likes/dislikes, dreams/aspirations. This is an excellent place to start to plan out your character's history.
   
   
3. Are there types of character histories that are not allowed?
   Yes. There are certain histories that we just don't permit on this site. Please review the forbidden items in the ToS first -- none of these will be permitted. The staff reserves the right to allow or reject any character history we see as possibly causing future problems. There are also some histories or backstories that are considered "undesirable". These may be because they are either extremely cliche (been done many many times before), or stretch the boundaries of believability.
   
   Below are some backstories that came up in the past but that caused some problems:
   -- Street Kid -- Your character is a "street kid", growing up in the mean streets of some large city, having to eat out of garbage cans and fend for themselves. This is not believable in today's society; we are not living in Charles Dicken's victorian London! If a child was orphaned or their home became too bad for living, they would be growing up in the foster-care system or at an orphanage. This plot would not be allowed.
   -- 11year old Mobster -- Your character is so bad, at the ripe age of 11, they already have a crime syndicate, are an assassin, or control some other under-world organization. Please! This is just utterly unbelievable!
   -- Mum/Dad is an alcoholic -- VERY brief mention can be made about a parent having problems with alcohol, but it should not be glorified or done repeatedly. They cannot be a "mean" drunk, only a neglectful one (think of the Dursley's neglect). Mention it once then move on. NO mention can be made of a parent/relative/anyone's problems with drug addiction. We simply do not want to address those types of issues on this board.
   -- I have amazing powers! -- Nope, everyone on PW starts out as a rather normal 11yr old witch or wizard. With experience and years comes more power. When you get to be an adult character, you will then be able to take on some special abilities, but not before then.
   
   Some cliches (these are used so often, you may want to come up with a different backstory if you want to be original):
   (you are not forbidden from doing these, but just realize that many others have done this too)
   -- The Orphan (oh yes, we have a LOT of those!)
   -- A student who's family is assassins/crime lords (been done a lot; it probably won't promote your reputation as a bad-ass to have a family who are bad-asses)
   -- The suave Lady's Man (come on.... at 11?? At least try to develop your male character INTO that over time!)
   -- Parent(s)/relative(s) who were killed by dark wizards (many people have this)
   -- The Sad Introverted Recluse (you will have a miserable time RPing with others if your character is too sad or reclusive to talk to; no one wants to talk to these types -- they are real downers to be around! A series of open threads in which your character is sighing repeatedly whilst looking out at the lake will probably get you few if any replies.)
   -- The Social Butterfly (this is the type of character who comes blasting in determined to be "the most popular". Usually a 'she', she has such cliche items as glitter and marshmallows. Do not ask me why)