FAQ?

These require updating, but you can find them here:

https://www.devstrike.net/forum/214-frequently-asked-questions/

Also, notice at the top the "Site Content" pull-down menu:

This is where you now can also access "ClubHouse" content.

Forum software settings need to have link embedding allowed. We have that.

Then, the shocker: There is no magic with a link generated by the YouTube share function. You should use it as the website/owner requests, though it sometimes still does not work.

Here's the reason, basically always, for YouTube videos:

We’re on a website, where everything we read is Formatted. We might not see the formatting, but it’s coded in the background. It’s a bit like rich text from a word document, or such. It's got blocks controlling the formatting, somewhere. So when you start a new post, copy paste text into it or type and format text, then innocently add your link, it might not work, no matter the source or format you’ve chosen, because of surrounding formatting blocks. Often, but not always, removing a link that doesn’t work and pasting it again either as 1) the YouTube share link, 2) unformatted text, 3) pasting it and unformatting it and the surrounding text 4) any combination of these steps, repeating till the cows come home, hammering at the keyboard etc, will still not work.

Yet sometimes it just does. Why? Because we cannot see the background format blocks, and they may even be outside of the area of your link text. You can prove that because you can copy any of the “not working” links above, open a new reply post, add nothing to it but paste the copied link as unformatted text. It works. All of them do. So the problems arise with the formatting blocks for the copied text or of the surrounding text block. I did this for all of the links that didn't work mentioned in this thread, and here are the results:

Links that didn't work as posted, re-pasted here with no formatting, before adding text to this post.

So, in summary, there is a foolproof workaround.

At least I haven’t encountered an instance where this does not work. You might want to resort to this if you current post refuses to behave, or just get used to posting this way.

First, only use links you have permission to use, in the format the owner specifies. That bit out of the way, do this

1. Start an empty, new post.

2. Hit carriage return, for an empty line (not essential, but otherwise you need to use the bent arrow symbol to move the link down later).

3. Post the link you want to use, first. Use the Paste as unformatted text, from the right-click pulldown menu. Hit carriage return.

4. Add your text before or after, in the normal fashion.

Of course, you can try equivalent workarounds, like copying the link text that doesn't work, and finding a spot in your post to repaste it (good tip, at the very top), as unformatted text, then reshuffling the post around, bit by bit, but the principle is the same.

Answer

DevStrike! offers several key sections for new players to explore:

New Player Resources

- FlimsyLunchTray's World of Warships - New Player Guide Series: Located in the Reference Section, this is the primary starting point for newcomers.

- Ship Help subsection in Discussion Forums.

https://www.devstrike.net/forum/115-ship-help/

- Reference Section with guides and tutorials.

https://www.devstrike.net/forum/7-reference-section-reviews-and-discussion/

Recommended First Steps

1. Watch New Player Videos
   - Navigate to the Reference Section

https://www.devstrike.net/forum/7-reference-section-reviews-and-discussion/

   - Look for FlimsyLunchTray's video series specifically designed for new players

2. Explore Discussion Forums
   - Check the "General Discussion" area

https://www.devstrike.net/forum/10-general-discussion/

   - Visit the "Ship Help" subsection for specific ship-related advice

https://www.devstrike.net/forum/115-ship-help/

3. Review Game Terminology
      - Key terms like "Devstrike" (Devastating Strike) can help you understand game mechanics

https://wiki.wargaming.net/en/Ship:Terminology

4. Join Community Discussions
   - Browse threads in the Discussion Forums
   - Look for topics like "Operations & Scenarios" and "PvE - Coop, Operations, etc."

5. Check Game News and Events
   - The "Game News, Events, and Codes" section will keep you updated on current happenings

6. Be sure to read the Guidelines and other documentation

https://www.devstrike.net/forum/25-disclaimer-forum-clanbase-rules/

Compiled with AI assistance by Perplexity.

Option 1 - Using Devstrike! storage to post images

To post a new image: To use the Devstrike! allocated storage, use the options available below the post field next to the paperclip.

1. Drag the image(s) to the paperclip or click the link 'choose files...' to select the image(s) to post.

To post an existing attachement:

1. Click on 'Other Media' button displayed in the same box as the paperclip to access the pull down menu.

2. Select 'Insert existing attachment'.

3. Select the image(s) to post.

NOTE Over time, your storage on DevStrike! will run out. Look at the other options on how to use external storage services. The other option is to delete images from your DevStrike attachments. To delete images do the following:

Click on your portrait/name in the upper right corner to open the menu. It will look like this:

Click on 'My Attachments' to open up a full list of them. You can tick any you don't want to keep, and then press the bin in the pop up bar to delete any attachments to make room for new ones.

Option 2 - Using Devstrike! tools to post an externally stored image (URL)

To post from URL:

1. Click on 'Other Media'

2. Select 'Insert image from URL' from the pull down menu.

3. Write or copy/paste the image URL to post the image.

- or -

1. Copy/paste the image URL directly to the post editing window.

You can use either method for posting images available on the Internet, but be mindful of copyright issues if posting an image not created by yourself.

Photo sharing services you can use to store your images

You can upload your images to an external service and link back to them to post the images here on Devstrike!. Currently, Imgur cannot be recommended due to their restrictive policy and incompatibility with the Invision platform.

The following free options are available and they support direct link options for you to display your images here on Devstrike!.

ImgPile

Signing up to ImgPile will give you access to all the features, including uploading and sharing images such as you may want to post on any forums you are using.

For a quick description of ImgPile:

Follow these steps to share an image using ImgPile:

1. Go to https://imgpile.com and sign in,

2. Select the image you want to share.

3. Locate the 'Embed codes' below the image on the left side and select one of the option.

4. Go to Devstrike! post editor and paste the image link in the editor window.

Read the ImgPile terms of service here.

PostImage

PostImage allows you to upload and share images either anonymously or by creating a free account.

For more information on PostImage read this:

To share an image using PostImage, follow these steps:

1. Go to https://postimages.org/ main page and click 'Choose images'.

2. Select any image(s) you want to upload by using the file browser and click 'Open' to begin the upload.

3. Once your images have uploaded, you will see your images in the admin gallery view. Click open the second drop down menu on the left side of the code box to select 'Hotlink for forums'.

4. Find the 'Copy' button to the right of the code box and click it.

5. Go to the Devstrike! post editor and paste the code you copied in the editor window.

For the full PostImage FAQ go here.

For the PostImage Terms of Service go here.

Google Photos

Google Photos is part of the services offered by Google. Find some more information and instructions here:

If necessary, for instructions on how to create a Google account go here:

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441?hl=en

How to share Google Photos and Videos on your PC:

1. Go to https://photos.google.com/

2. Sign into your Google account.

3. Place the cursor over the photo or video you want to share and click 'Select'.

4. Click 'Share'.

5. When given the options how to share, choose 'Create link'.

6. Share the link here on Devstrike!.

For instructions on how to do this on other devices, go here:

For all the Google Photos help topics go here:

Google terms of use: https://policies.google.com/terms

Wrapping Things Up - by @HogHammer

There are several other image hosting services I came across, so the above are recommendations only.  I looked for ease of use and the ability to use direct links for posting images.  If you would like to explore others, just search "Imgur Alternatives for Uploading and Sharing Images," and you will be offered numerous sites to visit.  Do your homework!

The three mentioned above have been tested and work perfectly here on DevStrike.  If you have Google Photos and post an occasional image here on DevStrike, it is really a great option.  Just follow the instructions in the video.  It is super easy to use.

PostImage and ImgPile are also great and offer a little more flexibility to those who like to share more images as direct links.  If you plan on doing content creation, I would seriously look at ImgPile.

I check for Spelling, Caps and Underscores and their names Are in our clan roster. 

Also, If a member tries to join the group and it does not recognize their name, are they required to register for Dev Strike to proceed?

If you receive an invite to join a Clan or a Club, it will appear in your notifications drop-down menu.

select your Notifications button and click on the Invite message.

You are taken to a page of Rules within the clan or club, and you need to accept these by clicking on "Accept" in order to proceed.

Now, although you were invited to join, and accepted the Rules, you still need to confirm your intention to join on the next page that pops up:

Here, click on "Request to join" to finish the process. If you click on "Dismiss" instead, you will be booted from the registration process and will need to start all over again.

DevStrike! staff will also be happy to help you with individual steps, if issues persist.

Note: ClubHouse was previously called ClanBase. Some material may thus still refer to ClanBase.

DevStrike! now supports the uploading of images with maximum dimensions 1920 x 1080 pixels. If you start with a higher resolution image, the image you paste into your post will be automatically processed and downsized (to 1920 x 1080 pixels). This processing leads to a loss in quality (e.g. image sharpness). Note that the saved image is then processed anew to downsize it further to the thumbnail image, which is the image you see by default in a post. Hence the thumbnails may get processed twice, which results in even greater loss of quality. If you click on a thumbnail, a window opens up showing the full-sized, saved image, which will usually appear larger than the thumbnail (if the saved image is larger than 800 x 800 pixels).
So basically you have 1) the original screengrab or image, 2) the saved, clickable image, and 3) the maybe doubly processed, thumbnail image in the post.

As a rough illustration of the results of uploading images of various sizes, we can look at the following practical examples. Here, the browser window was set to 100% size and variously large portions were copied using the screen snippet tool, pasted into a DevStrike! text editor window and saved. 
First, as a control, a screengrab was made of the browser window, this was saved as jpeg, and a segment thereof magnified to see the quality of the saved image in detail. 
 

Now the results of saving variously sized images (going from large to small in the figure):

In effect, therefore, at every stage of downsizing, there is a significant loss of image quality. Images that are saved at less than the upload limit, or thumbnails that have not been reduced in size, approach the quality of the control image.

In summary, when pasting an image into a DevStrike! post, to achieve the best image quality consider the following:
•    To achieve the best image quality of images for immediate viewing, keep images below 800x 800 pixels. Here, clicking on the thumbnail will not show a better quality image.

•    If you need more pixels (larger image, with lots of detail in it) do not exceed 1920x1080 pixels (dimensions of most monitors, today). Your image will have a lower quality thumbnail, but will look great when clicking on it.

•    If you need even more pixels (larger than 1920x1080) you will get a reduction in quality. If you want to avoid this, consider using an external image database for hosting (see here for further info). 

If they decided to ignore me -> does that mean I can no longer see their missives?

It's not a big deal and there was no coarse communication so whatever; but I haven't ignored anyone so I think I should be able to see the messages, that if they ignored me, then they would not see mine?

Cheers to the staff.

Posting any copyrighted material in any form is not permissible unless you

1. have explicit permission from the author, i.e. copyright owner, or

2. own the copyright yourself, or

3. have confirmed that the publishing of the material is covered by a license you hold, or

4. know that the material is in the public domain, either because the copyright has lapsed or it has been waived.

'Fair use' policy

Criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research are typically given as examples of using copyright protected material that may qualify as 'fair use', depending on how it meets certain statutory and legal requirements. The more 'transformative' the use of the copyrighted material is, the more likely you can make the 'fair use' claim. At the opposite end of the scale, 'transplanting' copyright protected material, i.e. re-publishing it on DevStrike! clearly does not fall under 'fair use', it's merely substituting the work of the original author.

One factor in order to qualify for 'fair use' is that generally you are safe if you only use a small percentage of the copyright protected material in your work. As a general rule, quoting a limited amount of text, something between two to four percent of the original text may be fine, but remember that for every quote you need to have a clear reason why you are using the quoted material. The publisher of the original text may also have a very different view of the amount they will allow as "fair use". Find out first. Importantly, you must be aware that ultimate determination of "fair use" in case of a dispute is something that can happen in court. It is therefore an active (and potentially expensive) process whereby you need to explain and defend your case. It is thus better to obtain permission for reproduction first. You cannot use copyright protected material as a substitute for your own work.

Furthermore, if you are using copyright protected images (or other media) as part of your work, our policy states that you need to obtain permission from the original author for the image(s), or otherwise check that it meets the other criteria by which you can avoid committing copyright infringement as outlined in this article.

Plagiarism

In short, plagiarism refers to presenting someone else's work, their ideas, words, reasoning or information provided by them as yours. You can still do this, with or without the author's consent, but you will need to give them the credit and cite your sources properly. Remember, that paraphrasing can still be plagiarism unless credit is given to the original author.

Facts and information - what is not protected by copyright

According to the US copyright office (USCO), 'facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation' do not receive copyright protection, though the medium through which they are published still will likely be under copyright protection. Remember, however, that you still need to avoid committing plagiarism unless the information is in the public domain. A good rule of thumb for whether the information is in the public domain, as facts generally are, is if the same information is publicly available elsewhere, in one or more generally accessible sources.

How to refer to your sources

A. Quotes

Depending on the nature and extent of your work, you may use different methods of referring to your sources. As a general rule, be more explicit, when producing longer quotations. If you know the source, always state it. It's good practice to give enough information for someone to track it down independently, in case of it being an online source, provide the hyperlink.

B. Images and other media (below understood to be also referred to with the term "images")

With images, make sure you are not committing a copyright infringement. For this purpose, state the copyright status of every image you are using, and additionally give the source for any images. For any online images, provide the hyperlink.

Use the following type of expressions:

1. If the copyright is owned by the original author:  Reproduced with permission from (c) Name of Author

2. If you own the copyright: (c) Your name (year)

3. If you are publishing it under license: Give the license details and name of author

4. The work is in the public domain or is copyright free: Give the details and name of author and/or original source (good practice though not a legal requirement)

A good option is to include this information below the image.

Some members, however, cannot be ignored. This includes moderators, administrators, and section managers.

The Forum provides you with an "Ignored Users" list to add or remove members to or from. You can choose to specifically ignore the User's forum posts, their messages sent to your inbox, their in-text mentions of your name (for example @nobody), or you may simply wish to not see a specific User's garish/ annoying/ whatever signature. You may also choose a combination of these.

This is how you do it. Select your name tab at the top right.

Choose the "Ignored Users" option.

Select the User concerned (don't use @) and choose what you don't want to see from the checkboxes.

You can reverse your choices at a later time.

Send an email to support@devstrike.net detailing the issue. You will need to provide your in-game name and perhaps other registration details as well. You may also need to log in to WoWs to verify your game account with the aid of a DevStrike! moderator.

Click on your name tab in the upper right corner.

Select “Account Settings” from the drop-down menu.

Select "Password"

Enter your current (old) password and provide a new one. Hit save and you're done.

To select and/or change the theme, the easiest method is as follows.

1. Scroll down to the very bottom of the page. Any page will do, as the themes are accessible on every page.

2. Use the pull up menu at the bottom of pages marked by the arrow next to 'Theme'.

3. Click on any theme to select it. The site will automatically switch to use the selected theme.

Select “Account Settings” from the drop-down menu.

Choose “Signature”

Note: If you’re fed up of seeing peoples’ signatures, the “View Signatures” slider takes care of that.

Click on your name in the upper right corner

Select “Account Settings” from the drop-down menu

Choose "Email address"

Add the new address and click "Save"

If you cannot send a PM contact Support by email for further help. Note that this option will require a verification step in-game.

Once the support process is initiated you will receive a ticket number for future reference.

Note: This Support system is not intended to be used for post moderation requests.