Welcome

Rena

First and foremost, time and date stamping a post, otherwise known as "timestamping," is mandatory. All first posts must have a time stamp. This includes both thread starters as well as any thread entrants (because you can enter a thread at a different time than the thread starter has started it). This thread will attempt to guide you through the process, and explain why it is necessary.

This is done to preserve continuity. This little tool not only helps the writers keep on the same page—as a lot of people neglect to offer a concrete time of the day in their opening posts—but it also allows the entire board to coordinate events and a cumulative timeline better. Characters, obviously, should not be in two different threads with the same timestamp; it simply is not feasible.

This also allows players to create 'serial threads,' or where one thread transitions into another, usually because it moved locations from one place to the next. With a timestamp, it allows all the members and the administrators to keep track of how much time elapsed through a thread, as well as how much time has passed between threads. In general, having a timestamp simply makes everything easier for us and you.

As mentioned, every poster must have a timestamp on their first post. This allows us to keep a live track of your time from the moment your character enters a thread.

Please remember that the timestamp is solely an out-of-character addendum. Your character can still be completely oblivious to the time of day should you chose that to be the case. You can present your date and time in any manner, but it must contain the date and time of day. An acceptable post with a timestamp will look something like the following:

You can be creative with this if you like. In fact, you can even work it into the normal continuity of your post if you like. However, should you choose to subtly work the time and date into your post, make sure you italicize, bold, underline, or somehow make the timestamp visible to anyone who glances through the posts. This will help potential thread mates, storytellers, and even yourself at keeping track of what has happened when and where.

The format of the date and time does not matter. You can choose to report it in military time, the 24 hour clock, the AM/PM system, you could choose to write out the time (fifteen minutes 'til eight o'clock), or however you wish. The important part is that you convey the necessary information explicitly. The date and time stamp should be fairly easy to read.