Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Questions and Answers Regarding SIGHTINGS
I posted a sighting as a visitor, but don't see it on the recent sightings list?
Sightings must be reported by members. This is a simple mechanism for giving credit (and points) to the right people in the LOTR collector community at The Green Dragon. In the future, we plan to allow visitor sightings, but not yet at this time.
How do I update a price listing or sighting report?
First of all, you must have 10000 points to be able to edit sighting reports. Further, you can ONLY modify the address and/or price listed for that sighting. The name and report details will be retained in any case. Site MODERATORS have the ability to edit all fields, however, only in cases where abuse is reported or the report is completely erroneous.
I cannot find the store to make my sighting report?
We are always updating our database of retail and comic locations as well as our online partners. There is a form in the HELP section that will enable you to SUGGEST a new store. Once the store is 'approved' (i.e. added to the database) you should then see it in the listings. If you are the originator of the suggestion, you will get a private message confirming the approval/disapproval of your suggested store.
Should I be reporting only GOOD deals or ALL deals?
We STRONGLY encourage you to report ALL sightings. What one deems a GOOD deal, someone else may consider questionable and vice versa. Having ALL sorts of deals and availability of items reported will only help everyone find that item they are looking for.
Some members are reporting false sightings or wring information! What do I do?
There are a couple ways to proceed in this case. 1) Try to contact the member through the forum and a private message. 2) You may have the ability to correct the errors yourself (if you meet the minimum points requirement). 3) Contact a Moderator (Contact Us) to help you resolve the problem.
Questions and Answers Regarding POINTS and POINTS EARNINGS
Whats the deal with the little icon by my username?
Members earn an icon for achieving certain levels in points. These icons are shown in the forums, on sighting reports, and in comments. This is our fun little way of tracking seniority as a Dragonspy. The table below shows the points breakdown for each level:
| Icon |
Consecutive Day Awarded Icons
90 Days
60 Days
30 Days
|
Points Needed |
|---|---|---|
| NONE | NONE | 0-9999 |
 |
   |
10000-19999 |
 |
   |
20000-29999 |
 |
   |
30000-39999 |
 |
   |
40000-49999 |
 |
   |
50000-64999 |
 |
   |
65000-79999 |
 |
   |
80000-99999 |
 |
   |
100000-124999 |
 |
   |
125000-199999 |
 |
   |
200000-499999 |
 |
   |
500000-999999 |
 |
   |
1000000-1999999 |
 |
   |
2000000-UP |
 |
|
TheGD Admins ONLY |
How do I earn points?
Once registered and confirmed, members can earn points by reporting collectible sightings at retail stores, comic book shops, online retailers, and even things found on e-bay. Members also earn points for posting in the forums, reading the news articles, visiting the archives, posting comments and rating, telling friends about The Green Dragon, and simply for becoming a member. In the future, we are planning an online classified section where members can also earn points for buying/selling their wares using the Green Dragon classifieds. The current points breakdown is listed below:
| Points Earned | Activity Completed | LIMIT |
|---|---|---|
| 150 | Report a Product Sighting | 750 Daily Max |
| 100 | Read a News Article | 500 Daily Max |
| 50 | Visit an Archive | 250 Daily Max |
| 25 | Post a Comment (news or archive) | 125 Daily Max |
| 25 | Post a Message in the Forum | 125 Daily Max |
| 50 | Vote in TheGD.com Polls | One Credit per POLL |
| 25 | Post a Rating of an Archive Item | 125 Daily Max |
| 150 | Tell A Friend About TheGD.com | 1500 TOTAL |
| 100 | Become a Member of TheGD.com | One Time Good Deal |
What are these points good for?
FREE STUFF! We are contently giving away products, collectibles, giftcards, and store coupons! Each contest requires you to spend your points for EACH entry. While you retain your overall points earning status, you 'pay' for contest entries with your earned points. Check out the Recent Winners Page for a list of recent winners!
Why didn't I get my points?
Each point value may be limited. For example, the Tell-A-Friend feature is limited to 1500 points TOTAL (forever) and the Forum Post points are limited to a certain amount each day. While you can post as many messages in a day as you desire, you will only earn points for the first 5 posts. The same is true for the other points categories. See the question about how to earn points (above) to see the limits for each points earning activity.
Why are their no other ways to spend points?
Giving away stuff depends on someone actually contributing those items to be given away. Trading in points for actual collectibles, while a awesome concept and idea, requires someone to contribute those products basically free of charge to TheGD.com for us to giveaway. If you know of a company or individuals that would be willing to contribute stuff, please Contact US so we can get more stuff to purchase with points! (NOTE: When the Classified Section is up and running, we are considering the requirement of PAYING to post a classified using points)
If I spend my Points, does my point total go down?
Actually, your point total and your point standing does NOT change, EVER! However, when you 'spend' points to enter contests, your point BALANCE will go down. This is our way of tracking the activities of the members and controlling the contest entries, etc. Your point BALANCE is ONLY VISIBLE to you, the member, and not seen by any other members.
What is this Consecutive Days thing?
If a member has earned points EACH and EVERY day for the past 30 days, their icon will reflect that achievement as well as be listed in the consecutive days member listing.
For the consecutive days calculation, we determine daily activity up until MIDNIGHT (i.e. if today is Oct 6th, then consecutive days are calculated up to 11:59PM on 5 Oct). This is simply because TODAY is not over yet and you have until 1159PM to make a contribution and gather points to get credit for TODAY. The consecutive days changes your icon status at some notable levels. You earn a new icon upgrade for 30, 60, and 90 consecutive days on the site.
Questions and Answers Regarding FORUMS
How do I search the forum to see if a topic already exists for what I want to discuss?
Currently, there is NOT a forum search feature. Just look through the appropriate categories and see what you find...then start a new discussion if appropriate. We are working on an upgrade to insert a searchable feature into the forums. Search code is pretty simple, but display is the tough issue at the moment.
Some topics appear to be in the wrong category?
We are bulding a 'REPORT THIS POST' feature that will allow you to report any post to the site admin staff. If you find a topic that appears to be in the wrong section, you can use the Report This POST button/link to report this error to a moderator or a Site Admin. This is a large site with lots of stuff going on, so we will not catch everything and appreciate any help from members to clean things up a bit!
A member is posting BAD messages! What can I do?
The first step is to simply ignore the TROLL! In most cases, ignoring someones blatant attempt to garner a reaction is the best defense. If it gets bad enough, you can use the coming REPORT THIS POST feature to report the abuse to a moderator. For future releases, we are considering an 'IGNORE THIS USER' feature which will remove anything from that member from your view of the forums.
How do I edit my POST?
When viewing your forum message, you will notice a DOUBLE CLICK to EDIT over the message when you HOVER. If you comply and DOUBLE CLICK, you can edit the content of the posting. There is a time limit to editing posts. You have 10 minutes in which to edit any post that YOU made. If it is beyond the 10 minute time limit, you will not be able to edit your message. If you realize an error AFTER the 10-minute time limit, use the CONTACT FORM to submit to the site admin.
There is a lot of JUNK in a thread! Why not delete it?
If a thread or topic is actually disrupting the community, we will remove it or lock it down to prevent additional postings. However, as with most online forums and communities...members tend to stray away from the topic at hand and have side conversations. We will allow this as long as it is not too disruptive. Bottom line...try to stay ON TOPIC.
How do I add a link or modified HTML to my post?
At the bottom of every forum page is a REPLY form. This form accepts BBCodes (these are htmlized codes that allow for images, links, font changes, etc.). Use these codes to enhance your replies and posts! We DO NOT ALLOW html whatsoever.
Why can't I add a Signature to my messages?
All pertinent user information is already displayed with each message or available through clicking the persons profile. Adding signatures may be implemented in the future (as part of the Classified/Trades forum) but this remains an open discussion topic.
How do I contact another member?
For now, use the WHITEBOARD method to hit a user's profile page and drop them a note on their whiteboard. We are working on the BUDDY system as well as the PRIVATE MESSAGE feature that will be accessible through the forum and your profile page!
Questions and Answers Regarding Green Dragon Badges of Honor
What are the Badges of Honor?
As a reward for site participation, there are various awards that are bestowed upon active members. These awards are earned through posting of sightings, rating archive collectibles and toys, posting comments, and posting in the forums. These awards are seen in a members forum profile window and on a members profile page. If you have ideas for additional awards, hit the Green Dragon Badges of Honor threat topic in the forums or submit through the contact form.
How do I earn Green Dragon Badges of Honor?
For a detailed explanation on how to earn Badges...visit the Earning Dragon Badges Page under the Points Tab.