Frequently Asked Questions

Can I log in as invisible?  Yes, if you are of appropriate rank: see your preferences page.  It's a permanent option now.


What are the system requirements for DarkPoetry?  DarkPoetry looks and works best using the Firefox web browser.  However it is also regularly tested to be sure it works in Internet Explorer 6-8 (some features may be troublesome on some IE versions).  If you encounter a problem while using a supported web browser, please DPmail DarkPoet.


How do I get rid of that cheesy guy on my profile picture?  Click on it and upload something else. Or set your preferences to not show the profile picture.


How do I sponsor another member?  For now, visit the GeniusWeb.com payments page and send a corresponding email to helpme at darkpoetry.com to explain what the payment is supposed to be for.  We'll have something more professional soon.


What's a "credit?"  Each new poem or other work you post to your profile uses up one credit. When you're out of credits, you can upgrade to a site supporter for next to nothing.


How do I change the order in which my works or favorites display?  Using a mouse (or possibly by a finger on a touchscreen) , you can click and hold an item (title of a work, or favorite author's name) and then drag it while still holding the mouse to a new position. When you release it, it should save its order automatically. Once you manually order your works, they will stay in the order you chose regardless of the works ordering preference you have set, which will only apply to works that are posted since your last re-ordering.


Can I change my username?  Yes!  You can now change your username for a nominal fee (or free).

What is Workrank™? WorkRank is the algorithm that calculates the relative importance of one work vs another, mostly based on popularity.  This information is used for programming purposes to determine which works are more influential or popular, but it is not qualitative at all.  Some great works are out there with a low workrank: they've not been discovered yet.  To prevent overt exploitation, the exact algorithm is secret, but some clues are leaked regularly about what it does and how it changes if you watch the announcements.

Naturally, brand new works have a workrank of 0, or very low.  Only after being on the site for awhile and getting some exposure will that increase.  It's rumored that the best way to raise your workrank in the short term is to leave comments on other members works.


What is this chat box doing in my DPmail?  It's a new feature to allow you to keep an eye on chat while browsing DP.  You can turn it off by visiting your preferences anytime.


Can I post images that I did not create along with my poem?  The answer here is "???."  You can read the United States version of fair use doctrine.  The most relevant part seems to be "The safest course is always to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material."  Of course, if you get caught using someone's copyrighted material in a way that doesn't count as fair use, it's YOU not DarkPoetry that's in trouble, so interpret fair use with that in mind.


I'm a Gold member but I don't want certain poems featured on the front page.  Just set the works to "members only" and it will not show up on the main page as a featured work.   You may also choose to set it to "possibly offensive" and the same result will occur. There is also a profile-wide setting now in the preferences section which disables showing any of your works there.


What do the new free stickers look like?

See the kitsch page for more on that.



How do I become Poet of the Month?

DarkPoetry encourages and rewards members who leave quality comments. The Poet of the Month is chosen each month based on the feedback of DarkPoetry members. Winners are generally the most active members with the most positive response to their work.


What is a chat channel, and how do I change it?

The main site channel is "none" and can be switched back to by typing the following command into the chat box:

/channel none

Sometimes you want a private channel. You can actually create or join any channel you like:

/channel gothpiratefantasy

The trick is getting others to join you. So you might consider first suggesting to friends that they make their chat channel the same as yours. Cabal members can also use their "official" chat channels listed on their pages instead of the default chat.


How does DarkPoetry define an "Active Member"?

Active members are those who have logged in at least once in the last 90 days. For those who have not logged in for a very long time indeed, we have a special designation, so that you should not expect a timely response from them at all.