Fanq- Frequently Asked Newbie Questions

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Dec 14, 2009
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Because I am a kind, benevolent dictator, *ehem*, I mean fierceboarder, I thought the time had come to find a way to consolidate the Frequently Asked Newbie Questions into one thread. I'm not talking about how the board works or the ever popular '3 days and 72 hours' thing. I'm talking the rather repetitive cheer ones that are asked time and time again that have been beaten to death so bad that they have resurrected as zombies. This is for YOUR benefit AS WELL AS everyone else's. Not only will your question be answered in a consolidated way (hopefully- I can be long-winded), but it will save you from general harassment on the boards due to your lack of searching/the search bars occasional malfunction. So, some of the more commonly-asked questions and their 'answers:'

*Why can't juniors/youth/senior restricted 5 go to Worlds? They work just as hard as everybody else! Some of them are better than senior teams that can go!
-You're right. They do work hard (as everybody else is a relative term). I'm sure some are 'better' than senior 5s who go. However, they do not meet the current age guidelines or skill guidelines in the case of senior restricted (restricted is limited to running fulls, etc). If they are all over the age of 12 in the case of Junior teams OR senior restricted teams, they can compete somewhere as senior and earn a bid if they're THAT desperate to go. Juniors have only been at Worlds for 4 years, and even then it was all girl and coed with no size splits for a while. There are way too many people at Worlds (an issue in and of itself), and while we all love junior teams, anything to decrease the amount of people in the Milkhouse is OK by us..trust me, they won't reverse that decision anytime soon. There are plenty of other 'large events' that give a similar Worlds feel, like NCA.

*Who will win XXX division at Worlds?
-Don't bother asking this question before..say late January/Early February. Most gyms haven't competed at a larger nationals until around that time so it's pointless to even really guess as to what the routines look like/how they hit.

*What do you think about X team stealing Y team's choreography/uniform/music?
-You don't own choreography or a skill unless you patent it. Until such a time, nobody owns anything. Although it may seem otherwise when somebody has their name attached to a set super-unique skill, they don't own anything. If a uniform is a stock one, it has to be expected that somebody else will use it. Some gyms can't afford a custom uni every year. Stock unis wouldn't be there if people weren't using them..keep that in mind when you're commenting.

*LARGE SENIOR-
-Stop. Large senior is a VERY touchy subject on the boards, and if you go in guns ablazing without being able to back something up, you will be derided by both the team you're rooting for AND the team you're rooting against. Nobody wants to be associated with a fan too strapped to the bandwagon to function. It's just awkward sauce.

*Why did Team X lose to Team Y??! Team X was CLEARLY better!
-This question came up quite a bit at Worlds this year. If you think they got it wrong, look at what the scoresheet calls for and then check over the routine. Look at the deductions that ACTUALLY are used at each event. Some are CRAZY strict (like Cheersport) and some take off next to nothing unless you completely bust to the ground. Keep that in mind before you start bashing a team. Plenty of people on here know these sheets like the back of their hand and WILL correct you if you're talking out of your bum. Don't do it..

*Questions about size of athletes?
-Some girls/guys are big and some are small. Each contribute something to the team no matter their size. Some of the best bases are pint-sized powerhouses and some of the most graceful flyers are taller girls. Some girls look YOUNG for their age and some look old. It's the way life is. Just worry about how well YOU are doing, ok?

*What do you think of X gym? Who do you think the best gym is in X state and Y region?
-Please don't fish for compliments. With questions like these, you might as well just ask 'Who is the best gym from NYC, NY that begins with Kristen the Great's and ends with Allstars?' If you're not sure how your gym is received, try a board search of your gym's name and see what comes up. If nothing does, take the chance to give everyone a great first impression of your gym and its athletes by NOT asking one of these questions above! :D

*Why does F5 have a million different uniforms?
-This is actually one of life's great unsolved mysteries. They just do, many of them beautiful, and they are a fortunate group of ladies. Lucky them..

These are the main ones that come up often enough (usually in the summer), particularly when the Worlds lurkers decide to try out the Big People Board. If you have another question that you're not sure if it's been asked out there, ASK IT HERE. I promise to only roll my eyes once before answering.. ;) Remember- this is to help you avoid a post where the first six replies mock you. I'm sure there are more that the others might add (or have answers different to mine), but I tried to keep the issues as neutral as possible.
 
This is a FAQ I made up and sent to king but idk if it ever made it anywhere...
Fierce Board Newbie FAQ’s

1. How do I start a new thread?
To start a new thread, go to the section where you want to post it, and you should see “Post New Thread” in the top right.

2. Why can’t I post anywhere?
You are only allowed to post in the Newbie section of the boards until you have been a member for 72 hours and have 3 posts. If you can’t automatically post after these requirements have been met, just be patient and the system will catch up soon! This is a requirement because before there was a separate forum for newbies, people got annoyed by the questions they were asking and some people thought it would be funny to stir the pot and cause lots of DRAMA. This way, you have to read a bit of the boards and understand how people think and what not before you can add your own thoughts in the BIG forums!

3. Why can’t Senior Open 5 or Junior 5 teams go to Worlds?
If you asked this question, people will get angry. Just don’t do it. There is a good explanation behind it. Use the SEARCH BAR to find all the old threads on this issue. And if you do decide to ask it, be prepared for sarcastic comments.

4. What teams in this division have bids to Worlds? What gym is near this city?
Both of these answers and lots of others can be found in the Wiki section of the board. You can find this tab at the top of the board. If any information is missing, you can even edit it to keep it up to date once you have access to the full board (after the 3 day/3 post requirement)

5. How do I upload a picture?
Lots of times, newbies get a little blue box with a question mark posted instead of the picture they want! To properly upload a picture, you can either:
· Upload the picture to tinypic.com or a similar photo site and copy the Message Board/Forum URL. This is the one that has the around it. This would be what to do if the picture is saved on your computer.
[FONT=Symbol]· [/FONT]If it’s coming from a website, right click on the picture and see if there’s an option to copy the link directly to the picture. This link would typically end in .jpg or .png or etc. When you get the link, click the TREE icon in the reply box, and paste the link there.

6. What does CP stand for?
Parents on the board use this as a way to say their son or daughter. It means “Cheer Princess” or “Cheer Prince”. You’ll see it all over the place!

7. How do I send a PM?
A PM is a Private Message only readable by the person you sent it to. To send one, click on the person’s avatar picture, and a box should pop up. Click “Start a Conversation” and send your message!
8. What is a shimmy?
A “shimmy” is basically the same thing as a “Like” on facebook. People will shimmy a post if its agreeable, helpful, or just funny!
 
Thank you for this Kristen, I feel this thread will benefit newbies and us that have been on here for a while.

Here is a good hint, if you want to post in a thread that has 7 pages try your hardest to read that thread or at least skim through it. When the same question or speculation gets asked or mentioned 10 times in a thread and answered over and over again then it gets aggrevating. It will make the thread go much smoother if everyone reads what is written before posting.

Also this goes along with what I just said but if you have a "rumor" about a division size or something like that see if it is already mentioned somewhere before making 3 threads about it.

DO NOT MAKE THREADS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL MINORS!
- Why did Susie leave World Extreme Athletics? Well that is her and her family's business and not yours. If that athlete wants you to know they will tell you personally so keep the speculation and rumors about them off the board. They do not have to give you a reason so step away and move on to the next topic.
 
* I LOVE *X* Cheerlebrity! How can I appropriately show my adoration?!
-For the love of all things holy, you can PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do us all the favor of NOT adding every Maddie Gardner, Erica Englebert, Angel Rice, etc you see on facebook! There are MANY fakes and we of the board work tirelessly to get those profiles deleted. Not only is it HORRENDOUSLY CREEPY, STALKERISH, AND BORDERLINE OBSESSIVE BEHAVIOR, in many cases this is how gossip is started and rumors of bad behavior are spread. To quote the MTA: If you see something, say something! Is a profile saying something really harsh/rude/lewd/inappropriate? Ask in the Fake Social Networking Pages thread if it's the real deal. We can let you know and you can help spread the word!

If you are considering starting a fan page/a 'fake' page- PLEASE DON'T. I'm sure you'd like to consider yourself *X*'s greatest fan and you worship their awesome, but you are in fact doing them a great disservice. These are average girls (and guys!), MANY OF THEM MINORS, who just want to be able to cheer without worrying about what some 'unauthorized' person may be saying about them. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CREATED ONE- we WILL find out and we WILL get it deleted. Period. I don't care if you try to create a fake page of their boyfriend/sister/third cousin twice removed and make fake relationships, WE WILL KNOW. Do yourself the favor and either don't start or delete the page now. And you DON'T want to deal with me/their parents if it's found out you're behind one of them. I am not afraid to blow the Creep Whistle on you..I'm mean that way :D
 
I'm bumping this thread back up since it's the summer season. It is shockingly timeless info (not JUST because I wrote most of it. Maybe that's 50% of it.. :D), and these questions are still asked.

Also, in light of recent events:
*I can't wait to get out of the newbie section and post on the real board!!
-This is like when you're 8 and you want to be an adult so you can stay up past 9 pm and eat candy whenever you want. Until suddenly you have to be responsible, pay bills, go to the doctor, work a job, etc. Or in fierceboard terms, be responsible for your actions/words or risk getting ripped apart. It's summertime. 13 is the minimum age to have an account on here without adult supervision, but I suggest if you're between the ages of 13-16 to take it easy on the main board. Post on maybe every 3rd thread you want to reply to. Read the ENTIRE thread before commenting, and maybe read it again. If you want to make sure your post is taken the correct way, I typically have used smilies in this manner to great success:
:) - Trying to be sweet and nice. This is my 'I'm being friendly!' smiley.
;) - Joking/teasing. This is my 'Jokes on us!' smiley. Great for 'Just kidding!' posts.
:p - Teasing smiley. GREAT FOR SARCASM. When in doubt, add <sarcasm> tag.
:D - I am awesome and fun. Good all-around smiley.
:( - Pretty self-explanatory. SADNESS.
:mad: - Also pretty straightforward. Annoyance.
:confused: - When someone uses this on you, you have either said something SUPER stupid or SUPER out of place. Consider either apologizing or clarifying.
:eek: - You are about to get yourself told, more than likely. Usually in place of someone starting drama.
:cow: - Thread is going downhill. Bust out :enjoyshow: and wait for the drama to unfold.
 
"It's the INTERNET. Whatever. Kthxbai! It's a joke don't be so sensitive!!"
^^ None of these, either individually or collectively, are appropriate responses to anyone who has schooled you on inappropriate newb behaviour.
- Do NOT be rude to any of our venerable and wonderful cheer parents. If you spend some time looking around you will figure out who they are; they deserve respect. Consider banning yourself for a few days if you commit this sin and PMing the parent you sassed to apologise.
- The above rule applies across ALL social media. There are spies and sources everywhere, you will get caught out. Without parents, cheer wouldn't exist. Be thankful they care enough about the sport to be involved, whether they are your own parents, your digitally adopted parents or someone else's.
- If you write in CAPS, With A Capital Letter For Every Word, in neon or in any other ridiculous manner, be prepared to be ignored or ridiculed.
- Try to use proper spelling and grammar. I understand that sometimes the squiggly red line doesn't work on people's phones, but as a general rule if you establish a reputation as a literate person we will let the odd typo slip. If you refuse to abide by the basic rules of spelling, grammar and punctuation, again be prepared to be ignored or ridiculed. Also remember that not everyone on this board speaks English as a first language, or American English. And no one eats my casserole.
- You cannot delete threads or posts, only an admin can do that. Keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to post; your idiocy or brilliance is a permanent record. Don't screw up.
 
I know! My team is a new small senior restricted 5, and we work so hard and definitly have the talent to go to worlds. We may not have doubles, but we have like whip fulls and stuff. Also, I seriously dont understand why Youth/ Junior 5's can't go to worlds....i mean REALLY
 
I know! My team is a new small senior restricted 5, and we work so hard and definitly have the talent to go to worlds. We may not have doubles, but we have like whip fulls and stuff. Also, I seriously dont understand why Youth/ Junior 5's can't go to worlds....i mean REALLY
her post was sarcasm.
 
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