===Section 1: General Questions and Answers=== [i]This section intends to answer frequently asked questions and offer tips on recruiting members and joining and creating groups.[/i] [u]Groups, a Brief Summary:[/u] Groups were originally brought in during the pre-2004 build of the Bungie website. The main purpose was to allow Halo: Combat Evolved players to collaborate in order to find local players to participate in LAN (Local Area Network) events. This was because of the absence of Online play for the Halo franchise at this time. While the original purpose for groups has been almost forgotten their scope for nation building remains. Groups have their own news feed and access to their own private forums. You are free to use these however you see fit (groups don't even need to be Bungie related). [u]"Wait! I don't want to found a Group, I want to join one!"[/u] Most users don't want the hassle of maintaining a group. While there is a [url=http://www.bungie.net/Community/GroupSearch.aspx]group search[/url], it is quite limited. Instead you might want to consider using The Classifieds; [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=68115043]check out this thread for tips[/url]. Alternatively you could look under the groups of likeminded users in the public forums, by clicking the "groups" link to the top right of their posts. They may be part of groups relevant to your interests. To join a group look for the "join this group" link beneath the motto on a group homepage. You can be a member of up to 25 groups in total. Note that this includes groups you are in the membership queue of ("groups membership requires approval"). Be wary of joining inactive or exclusive groups. [u]Founding a Group[/u] To found a group [b]you need to have been a member of the site for at least 14 days[/b], after this period you may visit this [url=http://www.bungie.net/Group/CreateNewGroup.aspx]link[/url] to create a group. Groups may break away from the public forum rules, within reason. However, your group must not violate the [url=http://www.bungie.net/help/code_of_conduct.aspx]Code of Conduct[/url], or [url=http://www.bungie.net/help/terms_of_use.aspx]Terms of Use[/url] that you agree to upon making an account. Don't jump into the process, take some time thinking of a good group name and purpose. Once you've hit submit the name cannot be changed, not unlike your username. [u]Sixty Days Probation? Help![/u] Upon founding a group you will get a warning message that says you have sixty days to reach minimum activity levels or your group will be deleted. Don't worry! The minimum activity level is a mere 3 members. If you can't get 3 members in 2 months you can be certain something is very wrong with your group. The database does 'scans' at intervals. Often daily. This means you might have to wait a short while for the error message to disappear. If you have more than 3 members and the message is still showing on your homepage just be patient. [u]How can I make a Successful Group?[/u] One frequently asked question is "How can I make my group successful?". For a group to be successful over a long period of time it needs something to separate it from the crowd. What is most crucial is creating an environment people want to return to, this is usually achieved through a common purpose or goal. [u]"I have something great but I need to recruit, what can I do?!"[/u] Although a large member base doesn't indicate success -sometimes small tight-knit groups are more enjoyable - a healthy member base is usually vital for activity. Once you have everything set-up you may want to try these recruitment techniques:       1.      [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/topics.aspx?forumID=9][b]The Classifieds Forum:[/b][/url] Post a good, well laid out, informative advert every few days and eventually somebody who is generally interested will see it; this type of person is much more likely to be active as they sought the group out of their own interests. [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=68115203]See here for tips[/url].       2.     [b]Private Messages:[/b] This is the best way to get lots of members quickly, however it can also be somewhat annoying. The best thing to do is create a polite message which is concise yet informative. Don't make it too personal, you seem insincere and desperate. Also avoid sending users more than one invite, or else they may block PM communications with you.       3.      [url=http://www.bungie.net/community/default.aspx][b]Private Groups Spotlight:[/b][/url] This method is out of your control but everyday 10 (semi)active groups are selected at random. A bit of luck and a bit of activity may benefit your group here.       4.      [b]Affiliate your group with other groups:[/b] If you find a group you feel could complement your own or think would be a nice community to be friendly with (or rivals for humpdays) then consult the group admin(s) via private messages and try to work something out. [u]How do I delete my group?[/u] Feel a fresh start would be beneficial? There is a way of deleting your group but it isn't as simple as finding a "Delete group" button. The only way to delete a group is for every single member to have left. A founder can remove people manually on the "Members" page before leaving themselves. [b]WARNING:[/b] As soon as the last person leaves the group will be gone forever. If the founder leaves but there are still members in the group another user (the oldest member in terms of group join date) will be given full control. This transfer only occurs every database 'scan' so there may be a lag time of a few days. [url=/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=34357838][b]Back to Navigation[/b][/url] [Edited on 12.21.2011 11:04 AM PST]

===Section 2: Group Tools=== [i]In this section group information, group news and group administration will be covered.[/i]. [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] [quote][b]Section 2 Contents[/b] I - Changing group information II - Posting News III - Admin Tools: Security Role editor III : I - Admin Permissions III : II - News Permissions[/quote] [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] [b]I[/b] - [u]Changing Group Information[/u] If you wish to change group information you'll need to use the Group's "[url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/GroupSettings.jpg]Group Settings[/url]' Page. - Quick Linkname: Here you'll be able to set up a 'Quick Linkname'. If you look at [url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/GroupSettings.jpg]this image[/url] it is the 'halowars' section of the url. You will only be able to choose link names unused by other groups. Link names cannot include numbers unless the number matches the group's ID number (the link name by default). Special characters are also not permitted. - Description/Motto: [url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/GroupSettings.jpg ]See this image[/url] - the section that reads: "A group where Halo Wars discussion is permitted unlike the public forums", is the description. The group motto appears below, in bold. - Membership Open/Closed: The option "Open/close Group" membership is important. If a group is closed people who attempt to join will go into a queue awaiting acceptance or rejection, rather than becoming members. An admin (or user with accept/reject permissions) must go to the "members" page to manually accept them into the group. If you have membership set to closed make sure you check regularly. - Theme: A theme changes the way a group looks. There are presently more than 40 themes to choose from. Manually selecting each theme in turn, to decide which fits your group best, can be a painful process. Thankfully [b]ARBITOR 5[/b] was awesome enough to compile all the available themes in one place. I strongly advise using this excellent resource, which is available [url=http://bungie.wikia.com/wiki/Chapter_Themes]here[/url]. [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] [b]II[/b] - [u]Creating News:[/u] All group members (by default) have the ability to submit news, this can be approved by users with the appropriate permissions using "admin tools". BB codes cannot be used in news stories, instead a HTML editing tool is provided. It allows text colour to be modified among other things (youtube videos can be embedded; see section 4 for details). Please note that formatting will not be in the forum topic attached and that only users who can "post news directly" can link stories to the forum via a "Discuss" link, as seen in the Bungie Weekly Updates. Creating a news story is simple enough, where it appears on the frontpage is more complicated. When creating a news story you can choose whether it is "News" or an "Announcement". Whether you click "Submit News" or "Submit Announcement" on the frontpage has no effect on where it appears, the location is dicatated by the news category: Selecting Statement or Memoranda adds the article to the news listings, while Declaration or Directive adds an announcement. This is illustrated by [url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/Newscatagory.jpg]this image[/url]. See "[b]III : II[/b] - News Permissions" for insight into how to give out news controls. [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] [b]III[/b] - [u]Admin Tools: Security Role Editor[/u] If you look at the nav bar as an admin you'll see a link titled Admin tools, this part of the guide will look at the tools available, explaining how they can be used. Most admin tools are self explanatory, however it will help if you understand the specifics of each and how to assign different tools to members in your group. This generally comes under the [b]Security Role Editor[/b]- {[url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/CreateNewSecurityRole.jpg]See Here[/url]} [b]III : I[/b] - [u]Admin[/u] [i]Modify Group Settings - Edit this group's general settings (* caution!)[/i] - A user with this power can alter quicklink, motto, location and open or close the membership. Generally there is no reason to hand out this power. [i]Edit Security - Edit any user's assigned security role except for roles that have Full Control permissions. (* caution!)[/i] - Users who have this power may promote any account to any role, aside from those that have full control permissions. They may also demote anyone but a full control user. This could be used quite creatively... [i]Full Control - Perform any action in this group, including kicking you out of it. Be careful who you give this power to! (* caution!)[/i] - Gives any user the same powers you have. Be extremely careful handing this out, there really isn't a need to hand it out at all. [i]Approve Members - Approve or reject members that wish to join this group. (* caution!)[/i] This power is only needed if groups are set to "Closed Membership", this grants a user the ability to approve or reject people on the member queue. [i]Kick Members - Boot existing members from the group for any reason. (* caution!)[/i] - They can boot anyone without full control, be careful or all your group members might disappear over night. [b]III : II[/b] - [u]News Permissions:[/u] [i]Post News Directly - Post news directly to the front page, bypassing the news submit queue.[/i] - Be moderately careful or you may have a frontpage of nonsense. Note that this power is essential for linking a discussion topic with a news article. [i]Edit News - Edit and delete news stories, either in the submit queue (if you have Approve News Permissions) or posted to the front page of the group.[/i] - Users with this power can delete news. Back up important files. [i]Create Resource Entry - Create new entries in any of the resource repositories[/i] this refers to the "Articles" section the "FAQ" section and "Group Links"- Articles and FAQ entries are text resources which allow BB codes. They can be useful for storing information, like a group's rules and affiliates and explaining the purpose of the group. Resources can be visible to non-members, unlike the forum. [i]Edit Any Resource Entry - Edit any resource entry visible to them (even if they did not create it)[/i] Edit the above; be careful, back-up important files. [url=/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=34357838][b]Back to Navigation[/b][/url] [Edited on 03.10.2012 12:41 PM PST]

===Section 3: Moderation and Protection=== [i]Section covers group moderation, how to protect your group from takeovers and other misconduct.[/i] [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] [quote][b]Section 3 Contents:[/b] I - Security Role Editor - forum permissions II - Group Protection       II : I - How takeovers Occur, how to avoid them       II : II - Getting group back       II : III - Suffered takeover attempt / spam attack[/quote] [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] [b]I[/b] - [u]Security Role Editor - related forum permissions:[/u] These permissions control a user's ability to interact in the group's forum. It is generally recommended that a pinned topic containing the group's rules is created so there is no confusion and excuse for bad behaviour. You may wish to look at how other groups have laid out their rules or the [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=55733729]public forum rules[/url] for ideas. [i]Moderate Forum Pin, lock and reveal threads in the group's private forums.[/i] - [b]Pin:[/b] See group Forum {[url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/gruntythemeforum.jpg]Image[/url]}, if you look to the right there is a box "Pinned topics". Any pinned thread {[url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/Moderationtools.jpg]Image[/url]} will end up on the right hand side rather than in the main listings. This can be used for important threads. You may also use it to unlock archived threads (see section 4). - [b]Lock:[/b] A locked thread stops further replies (unless reopened). - [b]Reveal:[/b] A banned user's posts are hidden from public view. Clicking this allows a group moderator to see posts hidden on the page. This is down locally which means the posts are still hidden when the page is refreshed. [i]Edit Other's Posts - Edit other user's posts in addition to their own.[/i] - Allows users to modify content of all posts on the forum, including yours. Back-up important posts. [i]Delete Posts - Delete topics and individual posts.[/i] - I hate deletion and tend to never hand this out. [i]Temporary Blacklisting - Blacklist posters for short period of time.[/i] - User can ban any user that does not have full control for 3 or 7 days. [i]Blacklist Members - Complete control over the blacklist for this group.[/i] - User can ban anyone without full control for as long as they wish. They can also modify and remove bans using the "Blacklist Management" admin tool. [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] [b]II[/b] - [u]Group Protection:[/u] Sadly, as with most aspects of life, there are people out there that aren't really very nice. Either they're genetically -blam!-s, nurtured -blam!-s or just plain bored. With this in mind groups are not entirely safe -- well, not safe for those without a bit of "street knowledge". This aspect of the guide looks at the threat of group takeovers/hackings/warfare and how to avoid them. [b]II : I[/b] - [u]How takeovers occur[/u] The most frequent method is for a user to join a group and slowly gain the owner's trust until they eventually give them full control, they can then boot the founder and claim the group as their own. This can be easily combated, simply: Never give out full control to people you don't completely trust - it isn't worth it. A second, less frequently used method, is finding out an admin's details and hacking their account. This is also easy to combat provided you're not foolish. The secret is to NEVER give out your WLID email to anyone. If you want people to contact you via email setup a separate email. Finally, conquerors may create an account that looks the same as another admin/moderator account (it may use a capital "i" instead of a lower case "L" for instance). They might claim they "accidentally left" or something similar, asking you to restore their privileges. Check it is them by looking at their join date, groups, post history etc. [b]II : II[/b] - [u]Getting your group back after a takeover[/u] [u][b]IMPORTANT:[/b][/u] Generally if your group is taken the site admins will not assist you in getting it back. Moderators (orange text folk) have no authority in groups whatsoever and will not be able to assist you. If you believe you have a case contact the bungie webteam or site staff (e.g. urk, DeeJ or Achronos) and explain your situation. While they may help you shouldn't expect too much; remember bungie.net is their place of work and they're not going to shy away from work to sort 'a playground squabble'. [b]II : III[/b] - [u]Suffered takeover attempt / spam attack, what should I do?[/u] - I myself have had some experience, back in '07, where I orchestrated the retaliation side after my group suffered an attempted takeover. I am not proud of it and think of group warfare as petty and stupid, however with my experience I can at least offer insight into what not to do. First thing and perhaps [b]the[/b] most important rule, [b]DON'T RETALIATE[/b] if somebody spams your group/tries to takeover. The reason is that retaliation only leads to escalation. Allow me to explain what happened in my little ordeal of '07. Initially the user attempting to takeover tried to takeover the group CompoundIntelligence (the largest group at the time). User, now moderator, x Foman123 x ignored the pathetic efforts. I on the other hand, founder of the second group targetted, did not (I was younger, less mature and less experienced). Instead I humoured the pathetic effort, which eventually resulted in a large group conflict. Retaliation gets you nowhere, my group had to be locked down for months because alts kept appearing on the member queue; it hurt member growth and lead to a lot of things that could have been avoided. [u]Steps to take:[/u] 1. Tell group moderators about the scenario so they are alert. 2. Block/ignore PM communications with offending users. 3. Lock down group if need be (closed membership). [u]What not to do:[/u] (no particular order) 1. Retaliate 2. Cry about it in the public forums 3. Run straight to the webteam/community team and give them more spam to deal with in their overflowing in-boxes. [url=/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=34357838][b]Back to Navigation[/b][/url] [Edited on 12.21.2011 11:09 AM PST]

===Section 4: Tips and Tricks=== [i]Here some tricks have been complied to hopefully make your life a little easier.[/i] [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] [quote][b]Section 4 Contents:[/b] 1.) Linking to a Specific Post in Groups 2.) Unlocking auto-locked threads 3.) Adding Youtube Videos to News [/quote] [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] 1.) [u]Linking to a Specific Post in Groups:[/u] First you need the forum link for posts - retrieved by copying the url from one of the group's topics and removing the numbers at the end.                                                                     ---------- [b]Groups:[/b] [u]http://www.bungie.net/fanclub/[/u]{quicklink}[u]/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=[/u] [b]Public Forums:[/b] [u]http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=[/u] - can also be found from "more posts by this user" link.                                                                     ---------- Once you have this link you need the correct post ID. The easiest way to get this is from copying the attached "message user" link or "reply" link. Here's an example: [url=http://www.bungie.net/Account/Profile.aspx?postID=34263370&act=msg]message user[/url] [url=http://www.bungie.net/fanclub/299903/Forums/createpost.aspx?postID=34263370&act=reply]reply[/url] * [i]If you wish to link your own post the topic must be unlocked as the reply and edit links are the only way you can view the post ID.[/i] In the link you'll see this http://www.bungie.net/fanclub/299903/Forums/createpost.aspx?[b]postID=[u]34263370[/u][/b]&act=reply The underlined section is the part you need. Once you have the number (34263370) add it to the forum link detailed above. http://www.bungie.net/fanclub/299903/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=34263370                                                                     ---------- You can also link to a specific post without opening a new window, like the navigation links within this thread. Rather than using "http://www.bungie.net/fanclub/299903/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=34263370" you instead use [url]/fanclub/299903/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=34263370[/url] as your link (removing "http://www.bungie.net"). [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] 2.) [u]Unlocking Auto-Locked Thread[/u] Threads automatically lock after 60 days of inactivity. Unfortunately using the "Unlock" moderation tool will not open an archived thread. The only way of getting around this is the pin thread tool. First pin the thread, and then unlock it. Pinned threads do not auto-lock so you will now be able to post within the thread. After having posted unpin the thread and it will have been bumped back to the top of the forum. [u]_________________________________________________________________________________[/u] 3.) [u]Adding Youtube Videos to News[/u] Something that is not very well known is the ability to embed youtube videos into a news story. Below is an image walkthrough with a supplementary commentary.                                                                      ---------- [b]NOTICE[/b]: [i]Embedding videos currently only works in Internet Explorer based windows.[/i] 1 ---- Press submit item on your group homepage to go to the news submission screen. 2 ---- Next add hyperlink (seen on [url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/Postingyoutubevid1-1.jpg]this image[/url]); it will open a black box that contains several options. 3 ---- Now go to youtube on another tab/window and find the video you wish to embed. Beside the video you should see a box that says "embed video" with HTML inside. You need to copy the text highlighted in [url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/Postingyoutubevid4.jpg]this image[/url]. *Update* [url=http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&answer=171780&expand=UseOldEmbedCode][b]You must use the old embed code.[/b][/url] 4 ---- Now you have the HTML you need to [url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/Postingyoutubevid5.jpg]paste it[/url] into the URL box on the Hyperlink manager box. Then hit "OK". 5 ---- The video should then [url=http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t183/tomt117/Postingyoutubevid6.jpg]appear[/url] (to reiterate [b]this only works in Internet Explorer[/b]). There will however (for some bizarre reason) be 2 identical videos and "'>" inserted. Delete the excess and hit submit. You should now have a news story with the video attached. [url=/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=34357838][b]Back to Navigation[/b][/url] [Edited on 12.21.2011 11:32 AM PST]

- [Edited on 03.10.2012 12:42 PM PST]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] TOM T 117 There seems to be some odd rumours going around that I am hacking groups. Anyone hacked please calm down. I can assure you I had nothing to do with it. Please refer to section 3 in this guide on how to avoid being duped by this "[url=http://www.bungie.net/Account/Profile.aspx?memberID=6744418]Group Conqueror[/url]".[/quote] He "conquers" groups by impersonating members with full control that have capital i's or lowercase L's in their name by using the opposite character. He then mimics their avatar, signature, and most things, but he's fairly bad at it. Then he messages another "full control" member and asks them to boot him from the group and repromote him so that he can "test a glitch" or some crap, at which point he joins the group with his impersonating alt and then receives a promotion. After that he destroys the group. Pretty lame strategy if you ask me, but people seem to have fallen for it. [Edited on 12.21.2011 8:28 AM PST by Tom T]

(This guide is awesome... Thanks for the tips!) And quite a few people have fallen for his tactic's - ODST Content Alliance, for one. [Edited on 07.23.2009 2:08 PM PDT]

Trust is difficult, I reccomend only having one Full Control user and that person has an ALT with the same power and never, never trust anyone that you don't know in real life, and even then be carefull.

I alone have Full Control and I recommend that every Founder share the same conviction.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Mahdi I alone have Full Control and I recommend that every Founder share the same conviction.[/quote]You mean Founder's that don't trust their friends. The United We Forge staff have four or five members with full control, and we're very careful about promoting. We love our group, and so do our members, and we remember this when we promote people.

Updated 27th July - Added "How to add youtube videos to news" to Section 4 * Updated 28th to include guide for Firefox users. Updated 29th to add some frequent questions to section 1. [Edited on 07.29.2009 1:41 AM PDT]

Thanks this is awsome!

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Lief106 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Mahdi I alone have Full Control and I recommend that every Founder share the same conviction.[/quote]You mean Founder's that don't trust their friends. The United We Forge staff have four or five members with full control, and we're very careful about promoting. We love our group, and so do our members, and we remember this when we promote people.[/quote]Good point that you bring up for all to learn from. Your group [b]DID[/b] in fact go through a power struggle a while back and if you only had [b]one full control user[/b] you would not have had that problem. Trusting your friends is great until you have a disagreement and one decides to take his issues to a higher level.

Please, from now on, could people that reply to this topic relate to the guide itself and additions they would like to make. Let's move away from the subject of group takeovers and power struggles. Thanks.

WOW, thanks man :D

this is awesome

great info man.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Mahdi I alone have Full Control and I recommend that every Founder share the same conviction.[/quote] Well, my group went through a situation where it was very good that we had more than one Full Control user. You see, it was a dispute between some members and him, and disciplinary action was able to be taken this way. You just need to have people that have to have the correct view on the world.

I am the founder of the ODST Armed Forces, and I feel the same way.

Goood work!

Hey you have provided great information on group guide. Thanks And Regards Martin Senior Coordinator Data recovery utility http://www.recoverybull.com

What does the unleash ninjas button do ?

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] JammyJack143 What does the unleash ninjas button do ?[/quote] Bans people for a certain amount for time.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Jose291 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] JammyJack143 What does the unleash ninjas button do ?[/quote] Bans people for a certain amount for time.[/quote] Josh gets a Cookie! :D

great info! thanks!

I couldn't put it any better.