VGG User Guide: My VideoGameGeek 
Users are essential to the growth and success of VGG. You contribute the database items and the discussions. An anonymous user can always browse the site, but a registered user can truly participate.
Account Creation
To create your own account, click on the Register link in the User Block of the navbar.
Your username is unique to you, and will be what you use to login to the site. Choose it well.
Your password is also unique to you, and is used to login to the site. Follow good Internet behavior and choose a complex password utilizing different cases, numerals, and symbols.
Your email address will be used to send your account verification, along with being used in case you forget your password. It won't be exposed to other users, and you won't receive unsolicited email from VGG.
The information you provide under PUBLIC Information is visible to all users. You must provide a name, but you may choose to use a pseudonym if you wish. State/province and Country are optional, but please only use your real information as VGG users use these features to find gamers near them.
Your Date of Birth is kept private, and used to confirm that you are at least 13 years of age.
Lastly, read and accept the Terms of Service, and fill in the reCAPTCHA field. You'll receive an email to your registered address providing a link to activate your account.
Profile
Your profile is where you provide public information about yourself to other users, and control your avatar and badges. Filling out your profile is optional, and you can provide as much or as little information as you wish. Each section of your profile is editable using the pencil icons at next to the section's header.
Preferences:
This section allows you to opt-in to the Gamer Database, a user-searchable database by zipcode. It also allows to to control Event notification. You can also use this section to control adblock and social networking functionality.
User Profile
Editing the profile section allows you to write a public description about yourself. You can also see your information block as it appears to other users.
A New User
An Old User
Every user has a block of information that is associated with their contributions. Initially, this consists of their username, real name or pseudonym, a geekmail icon, and a drop down menu with links to that user's public profile pages. As a new user, you'll also have a NewUser badge for a short period of time. Badges are used to provide certain information about users. Admins, game designers, and other special roles have their own badges. Additionally users may create their own custom GeekBadges.
Avatars , GeekBadges, and MicroBadges can all be managed from the profile section. Users can purchase these items with GeekGold, a virtual currency earned by contributing to the geekdo sites.
Avatars
An avatar requires a one-time purchase of 30 GeekGold. Once purchased, you can edit and change your avatar at any time. Avatars are 64x64 jpg or gif images. Please use an avatar unique to you, and only use someone else's art with their permission. Animated avatars are allowed.
Geekbadges
This is an admin badge, but geekbadges look similar.
An Ubergeekbadge
A GeekBadge is a text label that appears on your user profile. A normal geek badge is a one-time 50 GeekGold purchase, and is limited to two colored blocks of text only. An UberGeekBadge is an additional GG purchase, but can be a small image.
MicroBadges
Some microbadges
MicroBadges are small icons that represent your geekdo participation and interests. Some MicroBadges are awarded for contributing content or participating in contests. Others can be purchased via Geekgold. You can browse purchasable MicroBadges here. Using the Edit MicroBadge link in your profile, you may choose up to 5 MicroBadges to display in your user block. All of your MicroBadges will display on your profile page in the MicroBadges section.
User Details
The User Details section shows your most recent visit to the site, and allows you to display your location to other users. You can also provide a link to your own personal website if you choose.
The tabs on the top of the profile page allow you to view additional information about yourself or other users.
Game:
Your Collection Summary provides an overview of your collection that you have entered into VGG, as well as the other geekdo sites. You can select the desired domain, and then click on either the gallery icon or the number to see the appropriate part of your collection as either a gallery of images or a list. More on your collection can be found here
You can also use this section to create and edit your own personal Top 10 and Hot 10 lists.
GeekStuff
The GeekGold section shows your current geekgold, along with allowing you to view a history of how you've acquired and used it. This section is also one of the ways you can send GG to other users.
GeekBuddies is a way of following your friends on geekdo. You can add a user as a geekbuddy by clicking on the dropdown menu in their user block, and choosing "Add GeekBuddy".
GeekQuestions is one of several ways of getting information about the site. More on GeekQuestions can be found here
Interests
This section allows you to fill in additional information about your other hobbies and interests.
Contributions
Like the collections section, the contributions section allows you to see your or another user's contributions to the geekdo domains. See the contributions part of this guide for information on how you can help make VGG a better site.
Initially, this section will be pretty barren, but as you post and reply to threads on the forums, submit database items, and upload images and files, it will begin to fill out. Each contribution type will contain a numerical link that will show a user's relevant contributions. Items waiting for approval will show as (pending).
Thumbs received and given will show a breakdown of other user's approval for your contributions, as well as your own approval of other users' contributions.
The Stats section provides links to information calculated from your collection and ratings within the database. Currently VGG information is not included, but this should change shortly.
Gallery
The gallery is a place to upload personal images related to the geek. These images do not require mod approval, and are not associated with any particular item, so they can be used in creating your own reviews and walkthroughs. Note that image guidelines do apply, and violations can be removed.
Guilds
The guilds section lists a user's guild memberships. More on guilds can be found here.
My Account
Selecting "My Account" from the "My Geek" menu will take you to your account manager.
From here you have several sets of options to work with.
Security - This section provides a means for changing your password.
Forums - Edit Threshold allows you to choose to if you want to see flagged posts or not.
Hidden Users lists users whose posts you have chosen to hide. A user can be hidden by selecting the appropriate option on their info block drop down menu.
Subscriptions provides another link to your subscription page.
Bookmarks shows you all your bookmarked sites.
Forum Settings allows you to specify your default timezone, and choose to view emoticons.
Forum Filters allows you to specify specific forums not to display in your front page modules.
Layout - Edit Layout allows you to hide the Quickbar, subdomain icons (on BGG), camera details on images, geeklist comments, and microbadges. You can also customize the number of items shown in the Recently Viewed column, or hide it and/or The Hotness altogether. Lastly you can specify the default size images are displayed in.
- Customize Front Page is another way to get to the Front Page editor.
- Customize Quickbar is another way to get to the Quickbar editor.
- Configure Ad block allows you to choose which, if any, types of advertisements you wish to see on the site. Ad block is an option available to Site Supporters, information which can be found here.
User Profile - These options provide another way for you to edit various portions of your profile.
Notifications - This is another method of getting to the Preferences section of your profile.
Delete Account - If you should decide that you no longer wish to be a member of the community, you can choose to delete your account. Make sure this is really what you want to do (give yourself some time to think about it), as once deleted, your account is gone for good.
GeekMail
Geekmail is a private messaging system for Geekdo users. You may access your mailbox at any time by clicking on the Mail icon in the user block. The system works similarly to most web-based email clients, but only is capable of messaging other geekdo users. To send a message to a user, you can use the Compose Mail link from your mailbox, or you may click on the envelope icon in any user's information block. Remember, when composing a message to address the message to a user's geekdo username, and not their real name.
Messages may be deleted, marked read/unread, archived, or labeled through the buttons or More Actions menu on the mailbox page.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are a way to have the system notify you when a new post or thread is created in a chosen topic of interest. You can subscribe to virtually any item, forum, or thread using the "Subscribe" link at the top of the related page.
This link changes to Unsubscribe when you are subscribed to the thread, and clicking on it is all you have to do to stop following a topic.
The drop down arrow next to the Subscribe/Unsubscribe link allows you to customize the filters for that subscription, or to block it.
The Subscriptions link in the user block will update as items you are following receive new posts. Clicking on it will take you to your subscriptions page, which is broken down by type: Forums, Images, GeekLists, Videos, Files, and Marketplace and Auctions. Subscriptions for each type can be sorted by most recent first or oldest first, and you can choose to view only new updates, all updates, or no updates for each. Individual subscriptions will be updated as you view their associated pages, or you can choose to mark individual or all subscriptions as read.
You can also choose to view Items by Subscription, which provides another method of sorting your subscriptions.
The Next New Item link on the subscription page, as well as the "Next:" link in your user block will automatically take you to the next unread subscription.
Manage Subscriptions lets you view all your subscriptions and unsubscribe from any you wish to.
Manage Blocks allows you to view blocked topics and remove the blocks.
Preferences provides a number of filters and options you can choose for your subscriptions.
Bookmarks
Bookmarks provide a method of linking to a specific thread. Unlike subscriptions, bookmarks do not trigger notifications when replies or updates are made. Unlike the Quickbar, bookmarks can only be used for threads, but you can have as many as you like, and the summary page provides more information.
To create a bookmark, click on the Bookmark link at the top of the thread. To remove a bookmark, click on Unbookmark.
To view your bookmarks, you can choose the Bookmarks option from the Forums menu. This menu shows information on the bookmarked thread, it's parent forum, and it's activity.
Collections
Your collection can be a key part of your profile, allowing to track items you own, have previously owned, or wish to own, as well as rate them and provide public and private notes on each item.
All collectible items have a User Information section at the bottom of the item page. Collectible items on VGG include video games and game hardware.
From here you can choose to add a copy to your collection, to record personal information about the item, or to record a play of the item.
Add an Item
To add an item to your collection, choose this link. A record for your item will be created. This record is unique to you, and associated with your profile.
 From here you can do the following:
Rate the item - Items can be assigned a rating from 1-10. A rating of "0" is unrated. A rating of 10 represents an "outstanding" game, while a rating of 1 represents a "horrible" one. You are encouraged to use your own personal thoughts about a game to rate it.
Status - Add an Item automatically selects the "Own" box for an item. You can unselect this if you do not want the item to be listed as owned in your collection. You can also select other status types such as preordered, previously owned, or want to play. Selecting the wishlist option adds the item to your wishlist and allows you to choose the priority of that item.
Private info - This is a place for personal notes about the item which only you can see.
Version - Clicking in the version field allows you to select a version of the item where applicable. On VGG, this allows you to choose a specific release of a Video Game. Hardware does not currently have versions.
Plays - (Video Game only) clicking in this field allows you to record a play of this game. Different users have different definitions, uses, and reasons for tracking plays, so you may choose to use this as you wish, or not to use it at all.
Game Play Weight - (Video Game only) clicking in the weight field allows you to determine how complex and difficult a game is to learn and play. This value is aggregated across all users specifying it for an item, and displayed in the game's item record.
Comment - This is a public comment, and can be used to provide a brief review, or some other note on the item you wish to share.
Trade Condition, Want Parts, Have Parts - These fields, where present, allow you to provide public notes on items you have for trade or want in trade.
Wishlist Comment - This is a public comment that will be visible to users browsing your wishlist.
You can choose to Add an Item multiple times, using multiple records to record different copies of the item in your collection.
To remove an item from your collection, click on the red "X" in the upper right corner of the module.
Record Information
Record information works identically to Add an Item, but doesn't automatically assign ownership. You can use this feature to add an item to your wishlist, to rate an item not in your collection, or for recording other information.
This option can only be selected once, and is not available if you already have a record for the item in your collection.
Record a Play
This link provides you with the same fields as the Plays field in the Add an Item module. Use this to track your gameplay as you see fit.
Manage your Collection
You can access your entire collection from the Collection option under the "My Geek" menu. This will allow you to view all items on a single page (or multiple pages if your collection is large enough), and view or modify their status, rating, and public comments.
The buttons in the upper left allow you to change how you view your collection: List, Galleries, or Slideshow. The image oriented views will display your personal representative image for the item.
The Add a Game function allows you to quickly add a game item to your collection.
The Search menu will allow you to search your collection.
The Filters, Columns, and Views drop downs enable you to customize how and what information is displayed when viewing your collection.
Wishlist
Your wishlist is a subset of your collection, consisting of items you have marked with the "wishlist" status. You can view your wishlist by choosing the "Wishlist" option under the "My Geek" menu. Like the Collection page, you can view or edit the items on your wishlist, and use the same view, search, and filter functionality.
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