Recent diary entries
[Please don't post above] Essential information for new users and the comprehensive OGF guidebook (February 2021 update)
Posted by admin on 1 February 2021 in English (English)Hello all,
I bring to you another updated version of the OGF Blue Book:
The OGF Blue Book, linked below, is a document which compiles all of the essential information about rules of the website, territories and mapping, and it is strongly recommended that all new or recently joined users read it.
It continues to serve as an alternative (in some ways as a replacement) to the OGF Wiki, which at the moment offers limited functionality, and can not be repaired by the currently active members of the admin team.
Quick advice: which territories can new users edit?
More information is listed in the blue book.
Quick advice: what are the basic rules of the website?
- Being realistic — no fantasy, science fiction, joke countries, etc.
- Being original — no copying of real world maps or other people's mapping, no using of real world company names and well known place names.
- Being respectful — no mapping in others' countries, no drawing new islands on the open sea, no vandalism
- Only one account per user
More information is listed in the blue book. Please be aware that violating the rules may result in suspension or termination of your account.
Does this mean no new user diary posts?
No, as long as you copy and paste the following text (including the hyperlink) into your post:
- ATTENTION NEW USERS – AS THE WIKI REMAINS INACCESSIBLE, ALL RULES AND INFORMATION ARE LISTED HERE IN THE OGF BLUE BOOK
Diaries without this text may be deleted. However, even if you do include it in your post, please think twice if what you have to say is really that urgent and necessary before uploading. Now is not the time for off-topic discussions.
Found outdated information? Please let me know in the comments.
From the OGF admin team, this has once again been Eklas.
[Please don't post above] Essential information for new users and the comprehensive OGF guidebook (December 2020 update)
Posted by admin on 28 November 2020 in English (English)Hello all,
by now, you are probably familiar with the OGF Blue Book:
The OGF Blue Book, linked below, is a document which compiles all of the essential information about rules of the website, territories and mapping, and it is strongly recommended that all new or recently joined users read it.
It continues to serve as an alternative (in some ways as a replacement) to the OGF Wiki, which at the moment offers limited functionality, and can not be repaired by the currently active members of the admin team.
Quick advice: which territories can new users edit?
More information is listed in the blue book.
Quick advice: what are the basic rules of the website?
- Being realistic — no fantasy, science fiction, joke countries, etc.
- Being original — no copying of real world maps or other people's mapping, no using of real world company names and well known place names.
- Being respectful — no mapping in others' countries, no drawing new islands on the open sea, no vandalism
- Only one account per user
More information is listed in the blue book. Please be aware that violating the rules may result in suspension or termination of your account.
Does this mean no new user diary posts?
No, as long as you copy and paste the following text (including the hyperlink) into your post:
- ATTENTION NEW USERS – AS THE WIKI REMAINS INACCESSIBLE, ALL RULES AND INFORMATION ARE LISTED HERE IN THE OGF BLUE BOOK
Diaries without this text may be deleted. However, even if you do include it in your post, please think twice if what you have to say is really that urgent and necessary before uploading. Now is not the time for off-topic discussions.
Found outdated information? Please let me know in the comments.
From the OGF admin team, this has been Eklas.
[Please don't post above] Essential information for new users and the comprehensive OGF guidebook
Posted by admin on 5 October 2020 in English (English)Hello, mappers, a message from Eklas.
Recently, there has been an increase in new users on the website editing the map where they're not allowed to, citing that they couldn't access the wiki About page, where important information about our rules is stored. While the admin team doesn't consider that an excuse for not following the rules (because you can always stop the loading after a few seconds and then read the plain HTML version), it is becoming a problem. This is why I have put together a document which compiles all of the essential information stored on the wiki not only regarding the rules, but also other information and resources. I've named it the User Bluebook, in reference to, well, the usual color of guidebooks.
The OGF Bluebook, linked below, compiles all of the essential information about rules of the website, territories and mapping, and it is strongly recommended that all new or recently joined users read it.
Quick advice: which territories can new users edit?
More information is listed in the bluebook.
Quick advice: what are the basic rules of the website?
- Being realistic — no fantasy, science fiction, joke countries, etc.
- Being original — no copying of real world maps or other people's mapping, no using of real world company names and well known place names.
- Being respectful — no mapping in others' countries, no drawing new islands on the open sea, no vandalism
- Only one account per user
More information is listed in the bluebook. Please be aware that violating the rules may result in suspension or termination of your account.
The wiki is broken. What now?
As explained before, the admin team is well aware of the issue, but has limited ways of dealing with it, because the one critical member who has all the necessary access is currently away. This post is a makeshift effort to at least somewhat relieve the situation, making the essential contents of the wiki available elsewhere.
Until the situation is resolved, please limit the amount of new diary posts as it is very important that new users see this. The document will be updated and reposted periodically, but I can't promise that I won't hide new entries that I won't consider helpful or relevant in order to make more space for it.
From the admin account — Eklas
We are a worldwide community, one which users in different countries are being subject to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in different phases.
It is unacceptable to role-play this, to project it onto this geofiction. There have been numerous very poorly-judged attempts at this already. This is unacceptable.
The admin team would like to remind editors of the territory request procedure at https://wiki.opengeofiction.net/wiki/index.php/OGF:Admin_regions
Requests which do not follow the procedure are likely to take much longer to consider. Please help us to help you by making good requests.
Every request this week has failed to indicate the requested territory in the subject line. This makes it hard for individual admins to know if the request is for the continent for which they are responsible.
You are welcome to apply for, and discuss, OGF:AR001b
"a collaborative territory, which is inspired by the real-world island of Timor (shared between Timor-Leste and Indonesia) The provinces are owned by individual users so long as they agree to adhere to to collective territory goals and coordinate on development:
- Low GDP
- Poor infrastructure
- One major city
- Colonial history: TBD (Portuguese analogue?)
- Languages: TBD; assumed Tetum-analogue, Indonesian-analogue, colonial"
Territory applications for South Archanta open
Posted by admin on 27 February 2019 in English (English)Effective today, February 27, applications are being accepted for territories in South Archanta. This is one day sooner than initially expected.
See requirements at:
https://wiki.opengeofiction.net/wiki/index.php/OGF:Admin_regions#South_Archanta
Send request messages to admin, not to Luciano's private inbox.
Happy mapping
Luciano - for OGF Admin team
Restarting the territory assignment process
Posted by admin on 21 February 2019 in English (English)Finally, the admin team will be able to handle territory claims again soon. However, we made two decisions about the assignment process.
First, we decided not to work through the backlog of messages received during the recent months, but ask everyone to submit their application again. We will however try to give precedence to older claims as much as possible, using the received messages for verification.
Second, we divided the OGF planet into several regions, each being administered by a different team member. These regions will have different rules, and also might not start accepting territory claims before early March.
Before submitting any territory claim, please read the detailed descriptions about the new assignment process and the different regions.
Sorry, we've been really busy recently. Territory claims and other submitted requests will be processed, but it might take 2-3 weeks until we're back to normal, thanks for your patience.
New Rule: Consult admin before forming any OGF-related group off-site
Posted by admin on 5 September 2018 in English (English)For more information see forum post.
The first round of AR120 discussions and voting are beginning, and coordinators for the collaborative states have been selected. Also, we're looking for someone to take over management of the OGF:Submissions for AR120 page.
For more info see the latest forum posts.
AR120 states are now available! Plus, we want your suggestions!
Posted by admin on 28 April 2018 in English (English)For details visit the forum!
Check out the forum post, info page, and feel free to send ideas to admin.
Mappers who wish to report flooded continents may now do so at OGF:Report flooding.
Please be advised that future flood posts in User Diaries may be removed.
New users mapping in the wrong areas... how you can help
Posted by admin on 16 December 2017 in English (English)
Ever since the beginning of this website, people have been tracking down and redirecting new users mapping in the wrong areas.
Now there's a space where we can share who we've contacted and when we contacted them. This will help us reduce the amount of contacts we make, not only by eliminating duplicated contacts, but also by encouraging others to join the effort.
If you're an experienced mapper and you'd like to help make OGF a better place, check out OGF:New user patrol to find out more.
Many thanks!
"Change password" function for wiki accounts seems to be working again
Posted by admin on 13 September 2017 in English (English)For those of you hoping to change your wiki password, it appears to be possible again. Please let us know if you encounter any difficulty.
OGF (including the wiki) will be offline for maintenance on Saturday, September 2, starting at 14:00 UTC, for several hours (4-6 presumably).
Copying/pasting others' mapping, without their permission, has always been against the spirit of our site rules, "Be original" and "Be respectful."
From today forward, copying other users' mapping is also explicitly against the rules: "No copying others' mapping, without their permission."
If our multilingual users can take a moment to add this to the translations of the rules, under the "Be original" header, it would be much appreciated.
Announcing OGF:Photo resources, where you can find photos from other mappers to use in your wiki articles, and you can share your photos for others to use in their wiki articles.
Just read the important guidelines for photos, then set up a photo collection on any photo sharing site, and then link to it on the OGF:Photo resources page. Easy!
(Photos above from Sarepava, Isleño, & Stjur)
Thilo has created a new version of his handy scale tool:
http://tile.opengeofiction.net/util/map_scale.html?map=13/20.73/86.72&map2=x/38.89/-77.04&pxpt=0.277
It's a split screen with the OGF world on one side and the real world on the other, shown at the same scale. Each side can be moved around independently, so you can compare anywhere in OGF with anywhere in the real world. By switching layers on the right, you can also compare any two places in OGF. Comparisons can be shared with other mappers by copy/pasting the URL.
As in the previous version, zooming by mouse wheel or double-click is disabled, but there is a zoom control (& measuring tool) in the upper left corner. You can also set the zoom by entering a value into the "Zoom" or "Scale" input fields and hitting "Enter." If you want the number in the "Scale" field to be accurate, the "pxpt=_____" part of the URL must be adjusted for the pixel pitch of your monitor.