| Here we'll list all the most commonly asked questions regarding this website. If you still have a question that isn't answered here, check on the Message Boards - and you can ask your question there as well. Alternatively, feel free to comment below with your question.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Basics
Q: What is this site for?
A: This site was set up in September 1999 as a fansite for the Obernewtyn Chronicles. Since then the site has grown and spouted a variety of sub-cultures! Obernewtyn.net is considered the resource for information on not only the Obernewtyn Chronicles, but also the rest of Isobelle's novels, and Isobelle Carmody news. As well as a resource, Obernewtyn.net is a thriving, continually growing community, where you can talk to and make new friends, enter a variety of creative competitions, theorise about Isobelle's books, and much, much more!
Q: Who is Isobelle Carmody?
A: Isobelle Carmody is an Australian speculative fiction author who is responsible for writing many wonderful books for Young Adults/Adults. If you'd like to know more about her, we have a shiny IC FAQ you can read up on.
Q: How can I contact Isobelle Carmody?
A: Please see the IC FAQ for any information about Isobelle Carmody.
Q: Help - I'm doing an essay on the OC/Isobelle Carmody and I need some information please!
A: There are many places to get information from:
- The Encyclopedia
- The Booklist
- Who is IC?
- Interviews
You can also:
- ask for information or help on the Members Message Board, or Help Board.
Q: What's the story with Wavesong and Red Queen?
A: This is covered quite extensively in the IC FAQ. Let us know if that doesn't clear it up for you.
Getting Involved
Q: What do I get if I join? / How do I join?
A: If you join you can officially call yourself a member of the largest Misfit community on the web! Membership also allows you to be a member of one of our four guilds (see 'About Guilds') and allows you to take part in all our competitions and events.
You will also receive our monthly newsletter "The Moonwatcher", and be entitled to enter our special 'freebies!' competitions, when Penguin or Isobelle donate prizes to us.
Joining is completely free, you just click sign up, fill out the relevant details (no personally identifiable information, please!) and that's it!
Q: ...Guilds?
A: If you're confused at all about guilds, please consult our About Guilds page.
Q: Are there any site rules or guidelines I need to know about?
A: A couple. Most of them are mentioned in the Message Board Lore, and Ober-net-iquette. If you have any questions still, though - don't hesitate to ask! Please make sure you consult and understand the Safety on the Internet section of the Message Board Lore - for everyone's sake! All of the Guidelines in place on Obernewtyn.net are there to endeavour to make the site an enjoyable experience for every member who joins.
Q: How can I help with the site / How can I become a moderator?
A: Well for starters you can help us out by being an active member of your guild. Guilds are responsible for many of our site features and are a great way to start finding your niche on the site!
If you have any suggestions or ideas for the site please submit them to the Suggestion Box.
Moderators - or, "Guardians" as we call them on Obernet - aren't selected for their winning a competition or event. You can't just ask to be a moderator. Guardians are selected very carefully, based on a number of (internal) criteria.
And one of the cardinal rules is, if your purpose for helping someone is that you want to be a moderator (and believe me, it is obvious when this is someone's intent), you probably never will be. But it is more complicated than that, of course, and there's many things we check against before deciding on who will moderate which area of the site. There is also quite a LOT of background work that goes into being a mod and you have to be prepared to spend hours in the wings, with the prospect of very little reward or notice. If you are still interested in one day being a Guardian, then our advice is just help people out because you genuinely want to be helpful. Kindness is noticed, but do not expect rewards other than "thank you".
Q: What's this inside joke / reference to a "Destroyer Pig"??
A: It started - long ago - when Isobelle told us in this interview that the Destroyer is in the first book. This started a string of theories, one of which in particular where we listed every single character that appears in Obernewtyn, and tried to figure out the plausibility of each character and rate their likeliness of being the Destroyer.
An oldbie member, Miska, came on and said something along the lines of "You've left off the piglet that Rushton's carrying when we first meet him! I think it's that pig!" only in a much funnier way 
that spawned the joke.
Rumours
Q: Is it true there's going to be an Obernewtyn movie?
A: Not to our knowledge. There have been various production companies of the years that have optioned Obernewtyn, and at one stage a company in Canada looked to be going ahead with a mini-series - but nothing has come of any of these rumours, yet. We will be sure to update as soon as we have any more definite information!
If you are interested in discussing the plausibility of an Obernewtyn Chronicles movie, head to our Movie Ideas forum!
Q: Is it true there's going to be a movie based on The Gathering?
A: At one time, this was true. But, there were a ton of dramas surrounding the production and funding, and the project was eventually dropped. So, no, there is no longer going to be a Gathering movie, unless someone else picks it up 
?
Q: When is The Sending/Darkbane/any other new Isobelle book coming out?
A: Please see this page for details.
Competitions
Q: When is the next Writing Competition?
A: Please check the Writing Competitions page for details.
Q: When is the next Art Competition?
A: Please check the Art Competitions page for details.
Q: Do I need to be a member of the site / a guild to enter?
A: Yes, you need to be a member of Obernewtyn.net to enter our competitions. But you do not have to be in a guild, because guilds are optional. It is recommended you be part of a guild, however, so any points you earn can be allocated somewhere.
Q: How do I apply to be a judge?
A: Before you can be a judge you must be a member of the site. Every competition has a Judging Coordinator (an Obernet moderator usually. If no mods volunteer a non-mod may be selected, though) and two other judges. These other judges are appointed by the coordinator for that competition, but are normally allocated on a first come, first served basis once competitions are announced and you can apply by commenting on the competition page itself.
Your requirements as a judge will be to give fair, unbiased marks to the entries of the competition you're judging. Most competitions we run will have three judges, and the coordinator will collate the scores and average them to determine the comp winner.
Once a competition is over, you will be sent a PM (Private Message) from that competition's coordinator that explains what you need to do more specifically, and when the results are required by.
Just a note - if you are a judge and do not hand in your results by the set time after the close of the competition you will be replaced without notice and it is unlikely you will be allowed to judge again, unless you can convince the MoOs otherwise. Some judges have been known to disappear at the closing date of the competition, which is a headache for the organisers and annoying for the people who have entered.
How To...
Q: Put Images in your Signature / create an Avatar
A: To use your own images, check out the Signature & Avatar Help Page.
To use one of the default Obernewtyn.net avatars, just go to your Settings, click "Choose Avatar" in the "Choose site-stored avatar" section, and simply click on the avatar you want to use.
IF you have troubles setting your Signature or Avatar:
First, make sure you have read the Signature & Avatar Help Page. If you ask a question that is answered on that help page, you will be referred back to it!
Then, try these threads:
- Image Help
- From the teknoguild: Posting Images
- What is Image Hosting?!
There are also some image size restriction information threads here:
- Message Board Lore
- Signature Sizes
Q: Add formatting to your posts
A: Check out the Index of UBBC and How To Use It thread.
Q: Submit a Theory to the Archives
A: Check out the How To: Submit Theories to the Archives thread.
Q: Submit an Article to the Bookshelf
A: Check out the How to submit an Article to the Bookshelf thread.
Q: Submit a work of Fanfiction?
A: Check out the Fanfiction FAQ thread.
Commonly used terms and abbreviations on the site
- PM: Private Message — the private messaging system
- MoOs: Masters of Obernewtyn - main site administrators
- Guardians: Moderators of various forums
- DPM: Double Post Monster. He will get you, if you double-post (post, and then post again straight away). Please see this thread for rules about double-posting.
- OCPD: Obsessive compulsive posting disorder. A quite common ailment on Obernet
- grugs: commonly displayed as *grugs*, as they are an action - it means "group hugs"
- The Sneding: (< note spelling) Derived from an accidental misspelling of "The Sending". Has retained a 'joke' status on the site and is used occasionally in discussion.
- IC: Isobelle Carmody
- Ober: usually means the Obernewtyn Chronicles, and sometimes used for the first book in the series. May also be referring to Obernewtyn.net
- Obernet or Ober.net: Common abbreviations for Obernewtyn.net
- Obernetters: Members of Obernewtyn.net
- TF: The Farseekers, the second instalment in the Obernewtyn chronicles
- TKP: The Keeping Place, the fourth instalment in the Obernewtyn chronicles
- TLOTRQ or LOTRQ/LotRQ: The Land of The Red Queen or Land of the Red Queen
- TSK: The Stone Key, the fifth instalment in the Obernewtyn chronicles
- TS: The Sending, the sixth and final (not yet released) instalment in the Obernewtyn Chronicles
For explanations on any other non-Obernewtyn.net specific internet slang (for example, ROFL, LOL, ATM, PML/PMSL, LMAO) - there is a very helpful article on Wikipedia that explains each term.
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