A Note (Or Two) To Guests

[Sparky]

Right now there are two major issues plaguing some guests who try unsuccessfully to register over and over; and the only way I can think of to tell them what they're doing wrong is to post it here on the forum as I can't contact them personally (if they don't contact me first).

One: You must be 13 or older to register. That fact seems to escape a lot of people's notice - it is in the forum rules but I guess some people figure they don't need to read those until they've actually registered. In fact, I suggest that anyone considering joining this forum read the rule and FAQ threads first, in case they see something in there they don't like. Accounts, once created, cannot be deleted except by myself, and its a messy process. So be sure you want to join before you do it.

Two: You must provide a valid email address when you register. Why? Because when you submit your registration an email is sent to the email address in your profile with a link you must click in order to activate your account. If you do not click that link, your account will never activate. Unactivated accounts will be purged weekly too, so make sure you activate your new account quickly. The majority of unactivated accounts are duplicates by the same individuals who just keep registering over and over again, either never checking their email or simply providing fake emails. You cannot be a member here without a valid email account. That's just how it works, people.

More to come if its needed.

[Sparky]

Here's another note for potential or newly-registered members:

Sometimes, for some reason, vBulletin doesn't send emails when it should. This goes for everything, such as email notification of new PMs or thread updates if you have that option set, and even email notifications that *I'm* supposed to get, as the admin. Sometimes emails simply are not sent. It seems pretty rare but, it does happen.

You should receive your activation email fairly shortly after signing up. I'd give it a little while though, I mean, email can be slow for several reasons. But if you have signed up and you have not received your activation email in a day, please email me at sparky -at- theneitherworld.com (or just use the "Contact Us" form on the forum, that will email me). I do delete unactivated accounts periodically, so don't wait more than a week or so to do this. But, if I delete your unactivated account, you should be able to register again with the same info later without a problem.

[Sparky]

Again, guys, if you have registered and haven't received your activation email within a day or so, contact me. It does seem that hotmail and other free email accounts sometimes route the activation emails from forums such as this one straight to the junk folder or what-have-you, so be sure to look for it wherever your email program puts junk/scam emails. I do delete unactivated accounts periodically, if they're over a week old, so don't wait too long (though again, if your account does get deleted before its activated, you can simply register again).

One more tip for people for whom the forum keeps telling them they "cannot register at this time" - try either clearing your cookies or simply using a different browser for registration. That seems to do the trick for many people.