UESPWiki:Blog
The Blog is a service provided to users of the UESP to allow them to write about subjects relating to the UESP, gaming, or other topics on their mind. The blog can be found at blog.uesp.net. Anyone wishing to contribute to the blog can be given the rights upon a request made to a blog administrator.
How To Join
The blog is ran separately from the wiki, so account registration is necessary even for those who already have an account on the UESPWiki. The account registration page can be found here. Fill out the fields on the form, and your account will be created. However, your account will have none of the necessary permissions to create new blogs. To gain the necessary permissions, provide a blog administrator with your account details so they can consider your request.
Generally speaking, access to the blog will be based on your standing in the UESP community. A brand new user will almost certainly be denied permission to write for the blog, while a more experienced user in good standing will almost definitely be allowed in. While determining who gets access to the blog is determined on a case-by-case basis, users who have already granted some position on the UESP (e.g. patrollers) will virtually be guaranteed blogger rights.
Blog Guidelines
The blog exists to provide UESP users a place to voice ideas, beliefs, and provide their opinion on subjects that they care about. However, there are still a few things to keep in mind while blogging.
- Avoid behavior you wouldn't use on the UESPWiki. If you couldn't justify your behavior on the wiki, you shouldn't do it on the blog. As your blog account is going to be associated with your wiki account due to the account creation process, your actions there will be directly linked to your actions on the wiki. While the blog by its very nature allows more discussion on subjects the wiki would cut off were they posted there, essentially every other part of the UESP policies and guidelines is the same.
- Avoid writing about certain subjects. The blog allows you to voice your thoughts on subjects that normally aren't allowed on the wiki, but that does not mean it's a free-for-all. Avoid rude discussion about other people, obviously inflammatory subjects (e.g. real life politics, religion, and conflict), and generally any topic that will clearly cause issues simply by bringing it up.
- Try to write about certain subjects. The UESP has a very clear audience. Writing about gaming, roleplaying, pop culture, or other forms of entertainment is entirely encouraged. While the Elder Scrolls and the UESP should be some of the primary topics that come up, branching out from those two subjects is completely alright.
- Please keep discussion PG-13-rated at most. This means minimal swearing, no explicit sexual content, and no other clearly mature topics.
Modifying Blog Guidelines
These guidelines are subject to community consensus, just the same as any other policy on UESP. If any member of the community believes that modifications to the guidelines (other than typos and grammar) are needed, the changes should be proposed on the Blog talk page. If a community reaches a consensus in favor of the change, then it will be implemented into the main article.
Blog and UESP
The blog can be an important part of UESP discussions. The blog offers a platform for a user to talk about changes to the site and the Elder Scrolls franchise. However, the blog is not the place to actually set in motion changes to the site. While blog entries can be cited in a discussion as it keeps archives unlike the IRC, it cannot be used as a place to inform people of an intended future change to the site. In those cases, it is better to use channels such as the Administrator Noticeboard or the Community Portal instead. As blog contributions are easier to miss as it does not update recent changes, leaving users out of discussion if they don't check the blog regularly, it can't be used in this way.
Bloggers
Bloggers are anyone with the necessary permissions to contribute to the UESP Blog. However, there are four distinct user groups for the Blog.
Basic Users
Basic Users is the default user group for new accounts. They have no more access to the blog than anonymous users. As they cannot do anything by default, an additional request for privileges must be made by these users to the blog administrators.
Bloggers
Members of the Bloggers group gain the additional ability to post blogs.
Privileged Bloggers
Privileged Bloggers have all the same rights as Bloggers, with the additional ability to view all blogs, view stats for specific blogs, the ability to add files to allowed roots, full access to antispam controls, and the ability to view user group details and settings.
Administrators
Administrators have full access to every part of the blog, and the ability to alter it.