Answerbag User-Guide Glossary

This page contains at least expansions of abbreviations and acronyms (if not full definitions) and other words, phrases and terms associated with the Answerbag Glossary with which the reader may not be conversant.

Abbreviations and Acronyms will have the "extended name" (the phrase or words they stand for) listed first followed by the definition, if necessary.

PLEASE NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the definitions in question are MY take on what each term means. In other words, they may or may not be actual definitions.

If you find any terms or abbreviations/acronyms on this site that you believe should be or that you wish were here, please be sure to let me know. (Include the item and the page on which it was located, please. - Thank you for your help.)

aka AB FAQ Permalink

Also Known As
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

AB, bag, Answerbag AB FAQ Permalink

Answerbag
As a noun, it means Answerbag or the website Answerbag.com.
As a verb, it means "to Answerbag", meaning to participate as a member of the Answerbag website..
NOTE: An ABer, Answerbagger, or bagger is a person who is a participating member of the Answerbag website, and ABing, Answerbagging, or bagging is a member of the Answerbag website, participating in questions, answers, ratings, moderating, and comment threads.
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

AB Profile AB FAQ Permalink

Answerbag Profile
Contains your information. There are two versions:

1. Your Profile
   Reached by clicking the blue "View my Profile & Activity" bar under your info box in the top right of very page. This version is recognizable by the fact that it looks very much like almost every other page on Answerbag, and your information box is on the right side of the page, where it "normally" is. This version is only viewable by you.
2. Your Public Profile
   Reached two ways:
   1. For you (ONLY) clicking the "View Public Profile" from #1 above.
   2. For everyone, clicking your avatar on most screens, or clicking your username on all screens.

   This version contains your "About me" section, where you can enter whatever you wish to share about yourself with the AB community. (See Answerbag User Guide - "Prettifying" Your Profile for possible things to do - based on what I did.) Your information box is blue and on the left side of the page, and contains more information than the Info Box on the top right of the page. This version minus a couple of items, is viewable by all members of Answerbag.

See Answerbag User Guide - Profile Pages for more.

Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

bookmark AB FAQ Permalink

Named link within a document to which you may link from other pages. When used, they will position the page with the bookmark at the top of the browser window if there is enough page beneath it. Otherwise, it will be ON that page within the window.
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

category AB FAQ Permalink

A group of questions that share similar subjects.

Answerbag questions are organized into a number of main categories, each of which are split into subcategories, which can be considered a section of the category. Many times, these subcategories are split further.

When choosing a category (subcategory) into which to place a question, you should do one of two things:

1. Enter a keyword, either from the question, or possibly a category name into which you believe the question belongs.

   This will display a list possible (sub)category options. If one of them seems right, choose it. If not, try another keyword.

    

2. Using the categories selection process:
   1. Figure out the broadest category into which the question belongs. If the (sub)category has an arrow to the right of it, there are subcategories available to it, Click on that level of categories., This will open that set of subcategories.
   2. Continue Step 1a until you have reached a subcategory suitable for your question.

   NOTE: If there is no subcategory in the last one you clicked on that fits your question, just stay with the last one you clicked, or choose the next highest category/subcategory level.

Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

CL, Community Leader AB FAQ Permalink

Community Leader
Members selected by staff for this voluntary position. They help police Answerbag for no money, no points for their moderating, and a lot of guff from other members.
(See Answerbag User Guide - Policing the Site for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

comment thread AB FAQ Permalink

A comment thread is the way users can comment about a given answer, or existing comment on that answer (discussion, you know). It remains tied to the answer in question, thus it is a "thread". It's also one of the main ways that Answerbag users converse with each other (short bursts, usually).

Below each answer is either one or two "buttons", depending on whether a comment thread is already started, or whether you have already commented within the thread.

The first, "Add a Comment" will appear under every answer, or existing comment thread. Click it, and a bordered window will open, into which you may type your comment. Simply enter you comment, and press the "Submit Comment" button, below this box. If you decide you don't want to continue entering the comment, and to leave, click the "Cancel" button. This will close the comment window.

The second, "Unsubscribe from Comments" will appear when you have entered at least one comment in the thread. You will then be notified on your Feedback page whenever a new comment is added to it. Clicking this button will turn off notifications for any more comments added to a thread.

NOTE: If you Unsubscribe from a thread, you may "re-subscribe" simply by commenting in it. This will turn the Feedback notifications back on for that thread.
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

DR, downrate AB FAQ Permalink

Downrate
As a noun, it means a negative rating.
As a verb, it means "to downrate",  or "to give a question or answer a negative rating".
NOTE: A DRer or Downrater is a person who downrates others' question or answers, and DRing or Downrating is the act of giving a downrate.
(See Answerbag User Guide - Points, Levels, and "Ratings Power" for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

FAQ AB FAQ Permalink

Frequently Asked Questions
From answers.com at http://www.answers.com/faq&r=67 New Window: "A list of frequently asked questions and their answers about a given subject." My FAQ Central contains not only questions I have been asked, but questions I wanted the answers to, myself. Most of the time, the answers are "as I understand it".

SPECIAL NOTE: This FAQ is also called the "Answerbag User Guide". It it NOT in FAQ format, but can and will be used to answer questions on Answerbag and elsewhere about how it works.
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

FF AB FAQ Permalink

Firefox
The Mozilla Firefox Browser (available HERE New Window )
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

flag (aka moderating or "moderation flag") AB FAQ Permalink

To flag or "moderate" a question or answer for abhorrent content.

Flagging questions or answers (moderating) for objectionable behavior by members is allowed and encouraged by Answerbag. This helps make AB a "self-moderating" site. While staff moderators must review and accept or reject each flag, having users note the problem areas with flags reduces the thousands of new items daily that must be reviewed to a much more manageable few hundred.

Users receive points for flagging (or moderating) duplicate questions, nonsense questions and answers, spam or offensive questions and answers, and suggesting a more correct category for questions than those in which they are currently found.
(See Answerbag User Guide - Moderation Guidelines for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

IE AB FAQ Permalink

Internet Explorer
The Microsoft Internet Explorer Browser (available HERE New Window )
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

link (aka URL, aka "hyperlink" or "web link") AB FAQ Permalink

From the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) New Window, who "develop interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential.") at Links in HTML Documents New Window (note: may be too technical for non-web authors) - "A connection from one web resource to another." It is the "basic hypertext construct."

These are the items you click (buttons, images, text, etc.) to "navigate the web". As noted, they "link" one website to another, one web page in a site to another within the same site, one part of a large page to another part of the same page (like FAQs), email addresses to "mailto:" code, etc., (You "clicked a link" to get here!)

URLs are "links" in HTML format, and appear as "http://www.website.dom/[probably more]". You should notice, at the top of your browser window, the URL for the page on which you are located.
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

LOL AB FAQ Permalink

Text-speak for "Laugh out loud" or "Laughing out loud"

While the meaning is to Laugh out loud, in many cases, it's mean to denote "Amusing", "Humorous", "This is a joke", "Isn't that funny?", or "I was smiling when I typed that".

This is "text-speak", which is shorthand, popularized in chats, message boards, forums, and cell-phone texting activity. Because of space limitations or desired speed, many common phrases have been abbreviated.
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

Nuke, Nuked, Nuking AB FAQ Permalink

Nuke a user or account, a "Nuked" Answerbag Account
Usage: "to nuke an account", "to nuke a user", "Nuked Account", "Nuked Member", "[member] was nuked", "account was nuked", "nuking an account" "should be nuked", etc.
This is a furthering of " PBed for Life". Not only will the user's account become inaccessible to them, but their member name will be reset to "anonymous", their avatar will be reset to the default, and all questions, answers, and comments are deleted from the site.
(See Answerbag User Guide - Policing the Site for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

Permalink AB FAQ Permalink

Permanent Link - Basically, a bookmark for (in Answerbag) an answer, or in the AB FAQ/User Guide, the spot on the page where the permalink is located.

On the Answerbag site, Permalinks are used on each answer, to bring up the "Answer View" (only that answer appears in the list of answers). They are located on the right side of the "by" line of the answer (where the answering member's name, rank, and the date and time of the answer are located). Users should be able to copy the link by using the steps, below.

Each bookmark in the AB FAQ/User Guide should have one of the following buttons beside it: AB FAQ Permalink.

To bring a user to the permalink's spot from anywhere, all you should need to do is:

1. Position the cursor on the button
2. Right click (Click the mouse's right button)
3. Highlight and click "Copy Shortcut" (IE) or "Copy Link Location" (FF)
4. Switch back to to page to which you wish to copy the bookmark
5. Position your cursor to the location in the page where you wish to copy it
6. Control-V (Paste)

It should copy the link.
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

PB, Penalty Box AB FAQ Permalink

Penalty Box
This is where Answerbag puts people who cause problems.
NOTE: PBed or Penalty Boxed is the act of being put into the penalty box, and ABing, Answerbagging, or bagging is a member of the Answerbag website, participating in questions, answers, ratings, moderating, and comment threads.
(See Answerbag User Guide - Policing the Site for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

Posi-Troll AB FAQ Permalink

"Posi-Troll" (Positive Troll) can be both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it means "those who exhibit posi-trolling behavior". As a verb, it means, basically, "doing what posi-trolls do". On Ansewrbag, this means a person who uprates a large number of a member's questions or answers, or of a question's answers.
(See Answerbag User Guide - Trolls and Posi-Trolls for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

sockpuppet AB FAQ Permalink

A "sockpuppet" is a secondary account on Answerbag.

This is not illegal. They may be used to ask sensitive questions that you don't want associated with your main account.

PLEASE NOTE: While it is not illegal to have a sockpuppet account, it is illegal to use it to uprate your own account or those of your friends. Nor can you use it to downrate or harass others. If it is found out that you have used your sockpuppet for any of this, you may or may not be warned, and risk being Penalty Boxed for Life (read: Banned from AB for Life) of any and all of your known accounts.

Troll AB FAQ Permalink

"Troll" can be both a noun and a verb. As a noun, it means "those who exhibit internet trolling behavior". As a verb, it means, basically, "doing what internet trolls do". On Ansewrbag, this means multiple downrates like a large number of a member's questions or answers, or of a question's answers.
(See Answerbag User Guide - Trolls and Posi-Trolls for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

TOU, Terms of Use AB FAQ Permalink

Terms of Use
Guidelines and rules for using the Answerbag Site.
(See Answerbag User Guide - AB Terms of Use for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

UR, uprate AB FAQ Permalink

Uprate
As a noun, it means a positive rating.
As a verb, it means "to uprate" or "to give a question or answer a positive rating"..
NOTE: A URer or Uprater is a person who uprates others' question or answers, and URing or UPrating is the act of giving someone a uprate.
(See Answerbag User Guide - Points, Levels, and "Ratings Power" for more)
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

View AB FAQ Permalink

A way of looking at data or a page.

Some types of data have various ways of being looked at, depending on the page-type involved.

For example, a Question/Answer page may be seen in the Question View (the URL contains "q_view/" followed by the question number), where all answers available will be listed (10 per page); or it may be seen in the Answer View (the URL contains "a_view/" followed by the answer number), where only one (1) selected answer is shown.

In Question View, you may select a "sort" for the Answers. They SHOULD appear, by default, in descending rating order. with the "best" answer, selected by other members, being first.

Just under the right side of the Question box, it shows, "Sort answers by: Rating | Date v".
"Rating" and "Date v" are links. Selecting "Rating" (default) sorts the Answers in descending rating order. Clicking on "Date v" will resort the Answers in descending date order - Newest dates first. (This is handy if it's your question, and you wish to uprate and comment on the latest answers.) If you click date again, it will change to "Date ^" and resort the Answers in Ascending date order - Oldest dates first.

In Answer View, you are viewing a single answer. Note that each Answer's "permalink" is a link to the Answer View for that specific answer. This is handy if you wish to point out that specific answer elsewhere, say, your profile, or another question or answer.

PLEASE NOTE: Because Answerbag stores everything as data, there are other "views" available, the most prevalent will be Category View (URL contains "c_view" followed by the category number.)

Bill Sanders (aka BS, William D. Sanders, WDS, BigDaddyBS)

Bill Sanders (BS, WDS, or wds), Owner/Designer/Developer/Editor of the Orange Frog Productions website and various websites with the OFP logo. Some of my other aliases include BigDaddyBS - NOTE: The "BS" is for "Bill Sanders", not "Bullsh-t"!) and BigDaddyWDS (either can be with or without caps), especially in messaging and emails. (BigDaddyWDS was created when, apparently, there was another BigDaddyBS around on a site requiring registration. I don't know that he still is. Hopefully, you'll be able to tell the difference!)

NOTE: My Answerbag nickname is BigDaddyBS New Window, author of the Ansewrbag User Guide in Orange Frog Productions website, FAQ section.
Use your browser BACK button to return to your prior location

Send email to Bill Sanders ()
with questions or comments about this page or site.

This site, all text and graphics (unless otherwise noted) on it
were designed, developed and published by Bill Sanders of Orange Frog Productions.
It and it's CSS was validated and complies with both the: CSS and HTML 4.01 validators from W3C.
NOTE: All CSS validates except the "New Window Buttons" which include some invalid code (ie: hacks),
added PicoSearch Tables, and warnings for using transparent backgrounds when color foregrounds defined.
Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 by Bill Sanders / Full site last modified: October 21, 2006
Any reproduction, printing, or selling of this content is prohibited without express written consent from William D. Sanders.