Bulbanews:FAQ
This guide will attempt to address all issues and questions that a user may have during their time on Bulbanews. If there are any questions not addressed here, by all means, please bring them up with a staff member.
Links to other helpful pages can be found at Help:Contents.
Am I allowed to write a news article?
Anyone who has registered an account with Bulbanews, Bulbapedia, or the Bulbagarden Archives is allowed to write a news article. This will be published as a draft in our Draft namespace, and once a staff writer or editor has checked your article, they will publish it.
If you are unfamiliar with Bulbanews style, have a look at the manual of style and the submission guide. If you have unresolved questions, bring these up with an editor.
What do I need to include in my news articles?
A basic rule to remember is "Five W's and an H": what, where, when, why, who, and how. Use the first few paragraphs to give the main facts, before providing extra detail.
Please try and include relevant pictures. If you do not have a picture for your news story, you may be able to find one on the Archives.
You should always include a source for your news story. This is not necessarily where you heard about it from - if you got it from another fan site, work out where they got the information from. This prevents inaccuracies as news passes from distributor to distributor - like a game of Chinese whispers.
How do I publish an opinion or column?
If you have an opinion, editorial piece or regular column you'd like to share with Bulbanews readers, then the first thing you should do is check with the Bulbanews editors by emailing [email protected]. If your idea is approved, then you can submit it as a draft. Unapproved opinion articles may be deleted.
Why was my article not published?
Bulbanews reserves the right not to publish articles that are submitted. This may be for a variety of reasons, including poor spelling and grammar, already reported news, or news that is not relevant to our readership. If you feel your article has been deleted unjustly, raise your concerns with the deleting administrator or talk with a member of the Board of Editors.
How often does Bulbanews update?
Bulbanews updates as fast as its writers work. New articles are published as they are written, and will feature on the front page usually less than fifteen minutes after publication. A discussion thread on Bulbagarden forums will be automatically created shortly after.
Who do I ask for help?
If you spot an error in an article, use the "report error" button to point that out to Bulbanews editors. A staff member will correct the article, if necessary. To ask a general question, find a staff member from the list of staff members and leave the question on their talk page. You might also want to consider asking your question in the Bulbawiki forum at BMGf.
Another user is being rude to me, what do I do?
Sometimes users do occasionally disagree. It happens. However, if a user is bullying you, it is unacceptable. If you feel that a user is bullying you, please bring it up with an admin right away and explain the situation to us and we will step in and will handle the situation. Bulbanews does not tolerate bullying behavior and neither should you.
Another user is reverting me, what do I do?
Users do fight over content, however, instead of getting in an edit war, bring it up on the other user's talk page, a staff's talk page or the talk page of the page itself to solve the problem. Edit wars are frowned upon and users caught in edit wars can face short blocks depending on the revisions they've changed.
How do I become an admin or a writer?
To become a staff member on Bulbanews, you need to familiarize yourself with Bulbanews style and policy and regularly report articles. Occasionally recruitment drives will be held, but staff members are generally selected by the editorial staff following a period of successful reports.
Can I use the talk pages to talk with my friends?
Talk pages are for users to discuss Bulbanews related matters with each other. They are best used for reporting errors or asking for help. You can talk to your friends who join Bulbanews over on the forums.
What is Bulbapedia?
Bulbapedia is a part of Bulbagarden that is a large encyclopedia of all things Pokémon. You should link to Bulbapedia in your Bulbanews reports if relevant. Linking to Bulbapedia may help your readers understand the subject.
For questions about Bulbapedia, see this page.
What are the Bulbagarden Archives?
Bulbagarden Archives is part of Bulbagarden that hosts images that are uploaded for usage on Bulbapedia and Bulbanews. All news articles should have one or two images attached to them. These can be uploaded to or sourced from the Archives.
Why can't I rename or delete files?
Renaming (moving) and deleting files is restricted to Junior Admins and above. However, if a user wishes to let an admin know that a file needs to be deleted or moved, they can place the {{delete}} or {{move}} templates on the page.
For questions about Bulbagarden Archives, see this page.
Other
Who can I contact if an admin isn't online?
Usually there is an admin online somewhere. Only staff members can edit news articles once they are no longer drafts, so check the Recent Changes to see if anyone has recently published or edited a mainspace article.
How do I get rid of the advertisements?
Usually logging into Bulbanews or a Bulbagarden site will get rid of advertisements. If you spot an advertisement you think inappropriate, report it immediately to a staff member. You will need to provide a description of the advertisement in question or a screenshot.
