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This page is meant to aid new users or users unfamiliar with the Fallout Wiki's Discussions forum (often referred to as /d) in the use of the platform and to help answer questions that might not be adequately addressed in the guidelines.
Categories and Tags[]
As outlined in the guidelines, discussions should be placed in the most relevant category, e.g. discussing Fallout 3 companions should be place in the Fallout 3 category, roleplays in the roleplay category, etc. Any discussion of site rules, policies, public notices by staff, etc. should be placed in the rules/notices category. Off-topic discussions are allowed in the general topic category.
Categories are the means by which the filter works, meaning they are essential to the platform's smooth operation. A category must be selected when posting. The default option selected is the "General" category; however, the appropriate category can be chosen by clicking on it to reveal the full listing.
Tags are a separate feature to categories, which do not work with the active filter featured on the discussions homepage. Tags instead offer a link to a specific wiki article, such as Fallout 4 settlements or Elite riot gear. Any users who click on the tags can then view the linked article and are given a listing of discussions threads which have also used the tag. This is an example of a tagged article for Fallout 4 settlements. Though a beneficial feature, tags are not mandatory.
Posting etiquette and actions[]
On the right side of a comment, there are three small vertical dots which can be clicked on for a list of actions applicable to the post. Posts can be edited, reported, and threads can be unfollowed here (removing new reply notifications).
When replying, avoid double and multi-posting. If you were the last person to respond on a thread, and you now need to add something new, please edit your comment rather than post a new comment(s) for each new thought you have. Using the "Edit Post" option, you can add to or alter your existing comment as needed.
Posts which you believe violate the rules can be flagged for moderators by hitting the "Report Post" button. While it is better to be safe than sorry, remember that reporting is only for posts that break rules, not for things you disagree with. If you use reporting in this manner, staff will ask that you stop, and if you continue to abuse the report feature you may be subject to moderator action, including a ban. If you would like one of your own posts to be deleted, you may edit the post to request deletion, and reporting it gets staff's attention.
Meme only posts and posts otherwise devoid of any discussion are likely to be deleted. There is a weekly thread, Meme Monday, where such posts are welcome. This thread can be easily found by selecting the "Notices & Editing" category, and scrolling down until reaching the most recent posting of it.
When posting, the "@" symbol followed by a users name can be used to alert or "ping" that user with a notification linked to the post and the thread. This will appear for any user, even one who is not currently following a particular thread. While handy, excessive pinging is discouraged and may result in moderator action.
Talk pages and voting[]
Talk pages are an important part of wiki communication, offering a place for one on one conversation between users and addressing particular questions and concerns with wiki staff. Talk pages can be used for anything from friendly bantering to questions about editing to discussions about instances of moderator action.
On desktop, a talk page can be reached by clicking on the user name, the profile, and then the talk page. On mobile, reaching a talk page can be more difficult. You can reach a talk page via direct link, if one is available, but otherwise, you will need to log onto the wiki via mobile browser to reach them. It is important to note, if you have the app, then redirect must be turned off, otherwise a link will likely open the app version of a user profile, which does not access talk pages. Redirect can be disabled in your phone's settings. A longer, more detailed guide specific to talk pages can be found here.
Once at the talk page, you can click the "Leave message" button on the upper right hand side of the screen. Messages should be formatted as follows:
Voting for policy changes and petitions for user rights takes place in the old forums which also rely on basic editing knowledge. Voting is not compulsory, but if done, needs to be formatted correctly or a vote may be voided. Within the forum, there will be Yes, No, and Neutral options available. Optionally, a short message explaining your reasoning, often referred to as a rationale, may be left alongside your vote. Overly lengthy talking points should be referred to the comment sections present on that thread. The vote cast should appear under the appropriate section and formatted as follows:
Editing help[]
The life blood of the wiki, editing is how all the information on the site is collected and added by users. There are numerous tools and policies relating to editing, but most are straight forward. Links to editing specific information can be found in the navigation box above. In addition to seeking assistance in discussions, good editors should be receptive to questions and are more than happy to help if they can. A talk page message is direct way to receive one on one assistance from another user. The editing bullpen, on the official wiki discord, is also available and is frequented by editors who may be able to assist you
Discord link:https://discord.gg/d4Ne6zK