FAQ's - Read Before Posting Help Questions

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In the hopes of answering all those frequently asked questions.
Please post your your questions and answers here.
It would help if you were to post a single FAQ and answer, with the question in the subject line.
Thanks to Ejfan for coming up with the initial idea and to Erika for pushing things along.

Thanks to Sweet Erika for doing all the hard work.

FAQ on the Forums, Posting, Rules, and Finding Info

Forum Guidelines

The FAQ's FAQ

Why does it say I'm a virgin?

How do I change my title?

AVATAR (pic under a username) INFO / How do I get an avatar? / Why can't I post an avatar?

Where should I post? What's the difference between How To and HT Cafe?

Posting to a thread/Should I post to old threads?

How do I find information on a specific topic?

How do I check my spelling? Is there a spellcheck feature?

What are some guidelines and etiquette for Private Messages and Email?

What do all these chat abbreviations mean?

Why can't I get my sig line to look right?

How do I insert an image directly into a post/sig/PM instead of attaching it?

Adding attachments so that they automatically show up in your posts.

Embedding images.

I'm new to How To and the HT Cafe. Any suggestions on fitting in here?

How do I delete a post?

How do I (get someone else to) delete my account?

How do I change my username?

How to Search Literotica Using Google

1. How do I index (list) my pics or links?

2. How do I index my pics? ~ Instructional with images.

Need a pic resized for your Av? Post it here...

Test your posting here.

How do I make text links and make colored, bold, larger, etc., text?

How do I Delete or Edit my story?

How can I get my 100 posts for an avatar in a hurry?

Most Frequently Asked Topics in How To/HT Cafe

Is my penis too small?/Does size matter?

How do I find someone to chat/webcam/date/fulfill my fantasies?

I'm a guy. Am I gay if I like a finger/dildo up my butt?

How do I get/make/convince my SO to __________?

I have questions about anal sex.

I'm having fantasies about members of my same gender; does that mean I'm gay?

For these and so many more topics please visit THE BLANK MANUAL.
 
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Is my penis too small?

According to the editors of "Men's Health", the average penis is 5.03" in length and 5.14" in circumference.

If you're bigger than that, you're "above average".

But, for your information, the BRAIN is the largest sex organ that anyone has... Use it!
 
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Why does it say I'm a virgin?

Your title depends on the number of posts you have:

1-29 - Virgin
30-99 - Experienced
100-299 - Really experienced
300-499 - Really Really Experienced
500-999 - Literotica Guru
1000+ - Custom Title
 
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Avatar Info/How do I get an avatar?/Why can't I post an avatar/picture under my name?

You must have at least 100 posts for an avatar.

Once you've reached 100, you may have to wait a few hours for the system to update. Then:
1) Log out of Lit
2) Clear your temporary internet files/cache
3) Close your browser (if you use multiple browsers, tabs, or windows, close them all)
4) Come back to Lit and log in
5) Go to the User CP>Edit Avatar
6) Refresh the page.
7) Click the Browse button, and upload the file.

***Your image can't be more than 150 pixels in the largest dimension or greater than 15.0 kb, whichever is smaller. If you need image editing/resizing/management software, many people here recommend a free program called Irfanview. You can also use a program called GIMP, which is like a free version of Photoshop for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
 
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How do I find information on a specific topic?

It's always a good idea to search and check the stickies (threads that are permanently "stuck" at the top of the forum) at the top of the forums before starting a new thread. :)

To search for info on certain topics, you can either use the forum search function or google. Both methods are described below and take a little practice, but are well worth taking the time to learn because Lit is a goldmine of incredible info, stories and resources!

Using Google to Search for Topics or Stories (Very quick and easy when you're trying to find specific info!)

You can find specific topics discussed on the forums by entering site:forum.literotica.com search terms into Google.

Example: Typing site:forum.literotica.com "how to" g-spot orgasms into the box and clicking 'Search' will give you threads that talk about how to achieve g-spot orgasms and g-spot orgasm threads that are in the How To forum.

Example: You want to search for info on threesomes. Type site:forum.literotica.com "how to" threesome 3sum 3some into google to find threads on this topic.

- Put quotation marks around words if you're searching for an exact phrase (e.g. "how to" in the above examples will pull up results that contain those two words, in that same order).


To find stories or other things on the main site, here are detailed instructions, courtesy of HotCappuccino. In more simple terms, you just take out the 'forum' part in the instructions above and use'site:literotica.com search term(s)'.

Example:
site:literotica.com black BBW incest mother son

Example: site:literotica.com resources punctuation for guides on using proper punctuation in writing.

FYI: You can use the 'site:domain.com' to find specific info on most websites!

The Board's Search Function
(A little more time consuming than the Google method, but great for finding specific threads and posts, and a useful tool to add to your bag of tricks!)

At the top of your screen, there's a 'Search' link/button. If you want to perform an advanced search by date, forum, user, etc., go to: https://forum.literotica.com/search.php?

I usually stick to the advanced search feature (link above), and have good luck finding info with the following procedure:

1) On the Search page, enter a search term in the Key word(s) field. It must be at least four or five characters long to work, and I generally stick to just one word. The asterisk (*) can be used as a wildcard for word beginnings/endings.
Example: If I want threads on threesomes, I might enter three* because people often spell it as 'threesum(s)' or 'threesome'. I could also try *somes or *sums, but have found using the most common terms/spelling first usually produces the best results.
2) If I'm searching for thread topics, I select Search Titles Only from the drop down box below the Key Word(s) field.

3) Under Search Options, I select:
a) Find threads with At least 1 Replies (so I don't get threads no one has answered)
b) Find Posts from Any Date and Newer (unless I'm looking for a specific thread that I know started in the past three months/year/etc.
c) Search in Forum(s) How To (if I'm looking for info/advice, but your choice will be dictated by what you're looking for, and All Forums will pull up everything)
d) I leave the rest of the fields on the default/pre-selected options

4) Hit the 'Search Now' button, and the results wil come up

Searches can only be performed every 20 seconds, so if you don't see what you want on the results page and click 'Back' button quickly, you'll need to wait a bit to refine or perform another search.

Most of the best and informative threads from How To have also been indexed in The Blank Manual Sticky at the top of the How To forum.

BDSM Talk also has a BDSM Library sticky for topics related to the lifestyle.
 
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How do I check my spelling? Is there a spellcheck feature?

You can get free plug-ins for your browser which allow you to highlight and check the spelling of the text you've written.

Internet Explorer: ieSpell

Mozilla: SpellBound

Opera: Aspell
 
How do I find someone to chat/webcam/date/fulfill my fantasies?

Head on over to the Lit Personals and place an ad. You can also place personals on other sites and find chat and webcam buddies through instant messaging programs and groups such as Yahoo.
 
How do I change my title?

Once you have your 1000 posts, go to your Control Panel, click on "Edit Profile" and fill in the field.









I`m sensing a lot of repressed feelings here.
 
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What are some guidelines and etiquette for Private Messages and Email?

Most members appreciate PMs. Some general guidelines:
-Remember you are talking to a person with thoughts and feelings.

-Be polite. More vulgar language, propositions, and tons of personal questions may not be well received.

-Read the intended recipient's profile. Doing so may answer your question(s) and give you something to talk about.

-Participate in the community. Contribute through posting and fill out as much of your profile as you're comfortable with. A lot of people will browse a post history and profile before responding to a PM, and may not respond to someone who hasn't made an effort to post.

-Include a short introduction and/or reason you're writing. A comment, question, or compliment on something the person's posted can be a good way to start a conversation.

-If you'd like to start a conversation, ask a question or two on a neutral topic.

-If you don't get a response or don't like the reply, don't harass the person.
 
What do all these chat abbreviations mean?

Below is an incomplete list of chat abbreviations for newbies who are unfamiliar with this kind of thing. I've included the ones most commonly seen on Lit. Warning: Overuse of these abbreviations is discouraged, as it can make your posts difficult to decipher.

AFAICT As far as I can tell
ASAP As soon as possible
A/S/L? Age/sex/location?
BF Boyfriend
BFD Big fucking deal
BRB Be right back
BTDT Been there, done that
BTW By the way
CYA Cover your ass (or See ya)
FAQ Frequently-ask question(s)
FUBAR Fucked up beyond all repair/recognition
FWIW For what it's worth
FYI For your information
GF Girlfriend
GJ Good job
GL Good luck
HTH Hope this helps
IAWTC I agree with this comment
IDK I don't know
IIRC If I recall/remember/recollect correctly
IMCO In my considered opinion
IMHO In my humble opinion
IMNSHO In my not so humble opinion
IMO In my opinion
IOW In other words
IRL In real life
J/K Just kidding
JMO Just my opinion
KISS Keep it simple stupid
LDR Long-distance relationship
LMAO Laughing my ass off
LMFAO Laughing my fucking ass off
LOL Laughing out loud
LTR Long-term relationship
MorF Male or female
NM Never mind
NP No problem
OMG Oh my God
OTOH On the other hand
PDA Public display of affection
PITA Pain in the ass
PIV Penis-in-vagina
PM Private message
PMSL Pissing myself laughing
PYL/pyl Pick your label (BDSM)
RL Real life
ROTFL Rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFLMAO Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off
ROTFLMFAO Rolling on the floor laughing my fucking ass off
RPG Role-playing games
RT Real time
SNAFU Situation normal, all fucked up
SO Significant other
SOL Shit out of luck
TANSTAAFL There ain't no such thing as a free lunch
THX Thanks
TIA Thanks in advance
TMI Too much information
TTFN Ta-Ta for now
TTYL Talk to you later
TY Thank you
WRT With regard to
WTF What the Fuck!
YMMV Your mileage may vary.
YW You're welcome

If I've left anything out, please PM me so I can add it. Thanks.
 
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Where should I post? What's the difference between How To and HT Cafe?

LadyG said it best in the Welcome to the How To Forum and Welcome to the HT Cafe stickies. To paraphrase:

How To: Questions asking for information or how to do something. Not for chat, opinion surveys, polls, etc.

How To (HT) Cafe: A sub-forum for mature, polite discussion of issues that come up in How To threads, relationships, sexuality, society, and life.
 
I'm having fantasies about members of my same gender; does that mean I'm gay?

No, it does not. Having thought/fantasies about those of your same gender does not make you homosexual or even bisexual. It is completely normal to have those sexual thoughts. You may decide, in the end, that you are bisexual, or homosexual, or that it was just something that momentairly helped you achieve a lovely little orgasm.
In any case, sexuality is something that you can freely explore at literotica, and by all means are welcome to do so.
 
Posting to a thread

This isn't a commonly asked question, but some advice:

If you want to post to a thread, be sure to check the date of the original post and the date of the last post. The person with five posts who asked for advice back in 2003 and hasn't been heard from since has probably resolved the problem in one way or another by now. This normally won't apply unless you're digging into the older threads.

It's pretty much okay to resurrect an old thread if it ties in with a question/issue that you wish to have addressed or you're updating one of your own threads.
 
Why can't I get my sig line to look right?

HTML has been permanently disabled in signatures. See this post.

You can also go here for help.
 
EJfan: your sense of what makes a good thread knows of few equals.

[takes hat off to EJfan]

i'm a deliriously happily-married man in my mid-30s who at the time of this writing is working in material to submit as a story. when i do, i will put a link to my stories in my user profile. i write in several genres, erotica being but one. i'm a die-hard gamer as well, a former english major and despite my dislike of the shift key, am a bit of a grammar nazi. :>

ed
 
How do I insert an image directly into a post/sig/PM instead of attaching it?

If you want an image to appear in a message, sig line, or PM without attaching it, the image must be hosted online somewhere (i.e. NOT just in your computer).

To insert an image that's hosted online directly into your post:

1) Right click on the image in your browser
2) In Firefox, select "Copy Image Location" (Firefox)
In IE, select "Properties" and copy the URL/Address from the box that appears.
3) In your post/sig line/PM, either:
a) Click on the yellow and gray 'Insert Image' icon (
insertimage.gif
),paste the url into the dialog box that appears and hit OK.
OR
b) Type:
type the URL of the image here

***If that doesn't work/the image appears as a link, the site may not allow hotlinking. You can check whether or not a site allows hotlinking by going here. If not, you'll either have to find or put it on another site (there are tons of sites that will host your adult images for free and allow hotlinking), or attach it.

To attach images to posts:
1) At the bottom of the post, click on "Manage Attachments"
2) A new window will pop up
3) Click "Browse" and find the image on your computer
4) Click "Upload"
***A window will tell you if the dimensions or file size of the attachment(s) exceed the limit.

Can you use the same attachment more than once? NO.
However, you can: (a)rename and resave the file and attach it to a new post, or (b)create an "index" by posting a link to the attachment. An index is what you see in many AmPics threads that have the links to many attached pics in the first post.
To post the link to the attachment/create an index of attached images in a single post:

1) Go to the original post (the one that contains the attachment(s) you want)
2) Click on the attachment (it's helpful to open this in a new tab or window)
3) When it opens, copy the URL from the address bar
4) Now go to your second post (the one you want the link to the attachment in, or the attachment copied to)
5) Press the
createlink.gif
icon at the top of the text box
6) Write in the text you want, and press OK
7) Insert/Paste the URL to the attachment that you just copied, and click OK again.

Your code should look like (without the asterisks):
[*URL=http*://www.literotica.com:81/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=539251]Here's Your Attachment from Your Other Post[/URL*]

The result: Here's Your Attachment from Your Other Post


To add an image to your profile

1) Click on User CP
2) Under the Control Panel menu, click the "Edit Profile Picture" link
3) If the image is hosted online, insert the URL of the image. Again, the site must allow hotlinking for this to work. If the site doesn't, try uploading it to an image hosting site.
OR
1) If the image is on your computer instead of a website, click Browse, and upload it as an attachment.
 
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I'm new to How To and the HT Cafe. Any suggestions on fitting in here?

  • Respect others...treat them as you want to be treated. If you have a problem with someone, you may want to try to solve it via PM, or simply use the Ignore feature.
  • Participate. Read, join, and start conversations. Have fun!
  • Remember miscommunication is more likely in this medium. Read what you've written before submitting...check spelling, grammar, abbreviations, and think about how it might be interpreted. If you're confused by another member's post, kindly ask for clarification instead of jumping to conclusions or making accusations.
  • Do some research before starting a thread/asking a question. Google, The Blank Manual Sticky , an advanced search of Lit , the vBulletin FAQ , and the thread you're reading now may answer your question quicker than you can post it and people can reply.
  • Respond to threads you start. People are contributing time and effort, and will often ask the thread starter for additional information and clarification. Acknowledging that and participating in your own threads is common courtesy.
  • Avoid asking questions you don't want answers to. People who frequent How To are generally very honest and may be speaking from experience. If you're not prepared to hear and deal with honest answers and opinions, it's probably best you not ask. Respectful disagreement is fine, but attacking posters because they aren't telling you what you want to hear is not.
  • Don't feed the trolls. If you see a particularly mean/rude/out of context comment, you're probably dealing with a troll. Trolls thrive on the attention and emotions their personal attacks garner. Ignore them, and they'll usually get bored and go away rather quickly.
 
Eilan said:
Below is an incomplete list of chat abbreviations for newbies who are unfamiliar with this kind of thing. I've included the ones most commonly seen on Lit. Warning: Overuse of these abbreviations is discouraged, as it can make your posts difficult to decipher.

AFAICT As far as I can tell
ASAP As soon as possible
A/S/L? Age/sex/location?
BF Boyfriend
BFD Big fucking deal
BRB Be right back
BTDT Been there, done that
BTW By the way
CYA Cover your ass (or See ya)
FAQ Frequently-ask question(s)
FUBAR Fucked up beyond all repair/recognition
FWIW For what it's worth
FYI For your information
GF Girlfriend
GL Good luck
HTH Hope this helps
IIRC If I recall/remember/recollect correctly
IMCO In my considered opinion
IMHO In my humble opinion
IMNSHO In my not so humble opinion
IMO In my opinion
IOW In other words
IRL In real life
J/K Just kidding
JMO Just my opinion
KISS Keep it simple stupid
LDR Long-distance relationship
LMAO Laughing my ass off
LMFAO Laughing my fucking ass off
LOL Laughing out loud
LTR Long-term relationship
MorF Male or female
OMG Oh my God
OTOH On the other hand
PDA Public display of affection
PIV Penis-in-vagina
PM Private message
RL Real life
ROTFL Rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFLMAO Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off
ROTFLMFAO Rolling on the floor laughing my fucking ass off
RPG Role-playing games
RT Real time
SNAFU Situation normal, all fucked up
SO Significant other
SOL Shit out of luck
THX Thanks
TIA Thanks in advance
TMI Too much information
TTFN Ta-Ta for now
TTYL Talk to you later
TY Thank you
WTF What the Fuck!
YMMV Your mileage may vary.

A couple more for your list. Hope you don't mind :)

LMAO Laughing my ass off
PMSL Pissing myself Laughing
 
Bitoruff said:
A couple more for your list. Hope you don't mind :)

LMAO Laughing my ass off
PMSL Pissing myself Laughing
LMAO's already there. I'll add the second one.

Thanks. :)
 
How do I delete a post?

You can't delete a post. However, you can edit it to something like '.....' or 'Deleted'. To do so, simply click the 'Edit' button on the offending post, replace the text, and save the changes.

This will NOT change the text in other posts if someone has quoted you before you edited though...you'd need to speak to the person who quoted the offending post about removing the quote.
 
How do I/get someone else to delete my account? AND How do I change my username?

How do I/get someone else to delete my account?

You can't delete your account. Your best course of action:
1) Edit all of your posts to '.....' If you have a lot of posts, tough.
2) Delete/clear your cookies and cache/temporary Internet Files.
3) You can add http://www.literotica.com to the sites you don't want your computer or browser(s) to access.
4) Never come back here again.

In very rare circumstances, such as those in which your life is being threatened, accounts might be modified or deleted. If you feel this applies to you, contact a moderator for suggestions on how to best proceed.

How do I change my username?

You can't change your username yourself. Cathleen had a great explanation on your best course of action though...

Cathleen said:
There have been occasions where Laurel and Manu (the owners of this site) will allow you to change your name.

I was told the procedure to change your name is as follows:

At members.Literrotica.com you would log in to the name you wish to change. Then follow the procedures to submit a story, except in the 'Title' area write 'Name Change'. Then in the body were the story would go write the name you want. Make sure that new name is available before starting the request.

It might take a few days for the change as it won't have the same priority as story submissions. Patience and gratitude will always be well received.
 
Reply Screen Navigation

Hey there Erika......firstly thanks for your time and efforts here.....much appreciated.
I use an eMac with Safari as the browser. I just cant make head nor tail of some of the stuff on the above screen......is there somewhere I can get an explaination......... or are my problems my browser, or me just not being familiar with the way stuff is entered.
thanks
GG :)
 
GarrettGirl said:
Hey there Erika......firstly thanks for your time and efforts here.....much appreciated.
I use an eMac with Safari as the browser. I just cant make head nor tail of some of the stuff on the above screen......is there somewhere I can get an explaination......... or are my problems my browser, or me just not being familiar with the way stuff is entered.
thanks
GG :)
Sorry...I don't know Macs anymore! I think it'd be very appropriate and the most useful to post a thread in How To asking for help from Mac/Safari users. Tell what you're having trouble with, and hopefully someone will give you some better advice.

Welcome, and it's nice to see a newbie who's trying to get the lay of the land! :D :rose:
 
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