# Sticky  A3 (8P) New Member Information Thread



## limesparks (Apr 15, 2004)

*New Member Guide- Audi A3 (8P) Forum*
_Please read to ensure maximum benefit and enjoyment from the forums!_
Hi and welcome to the Fourtitude A3 (8P) discussion forum. Fourtitude/VWVortex has over 230,000 registered users and over 200 specific forums. As you can imagine, there is a huge amount of information within the forums! Here are a few guidelines to think about and abide by when posting responses or questions in this forum:
1. This forum is intended to be a resource for Audi A3 owners, prospective owners and fans. It is not a soapbox for people that just want to post inflammatory comments, bash people and more. Posts that break this rule will be removed at the discretion of the moderators of this forum.
2. Please treat people with respect in this forum. What gets written on the Internet is often misinterpreted by others, so read what you write carefully before posting and if you are angry walk away and don't post until you cool off.
3. Everyone is a "newbie" at some point. When you first started posting you hopefully got some constructive answers to your questions. Pass that along to other new people that may be asking a question that has been asked before. A little bit of kindness goes a long way...
Lastly, have fun. These are Internet discussion forums about cars, not life or death so don't take things too seriously or too personally. Overall we hope this forum proves to be a valuable resource for Audi A3 owners now and in the future.
The following points are suggestions for added value that can be found within the forums:

*Search*
Search is our most valuable resource. A link to the search is provided at the top right hand corner of every page (*NOTE: currently, if logged into fourtitude.com (and not vwvortex.com) the search is broken, so use the link above to conduct your searches). Upon choosing the search feature, you'll be presented with several options.
-_Search For_: You want to be as general as possible (ie. when searching for information on what options there are for Cold Air Intakes start with the term "CAI" or just "cold air"). Unfortunately, the vwVortex search function does not index common words (a, the, of, and so on) or anything less than three characters.
-_Forum_: This field will allow you to limit results to a certain forum. For example, if you want information on an intake specific to the Audi A3 (8P), it may be helpful to set this field to our forum.
-_Data Set_: This allows you to search both recent threads and archived threads. After a set period of time, threads are filed in the archives. If you do not take advantage of the "archives" selection, you're missing out on alot of helpful results. Unfortunately, you cannot search both current threads and archived threads simultaneously, so searching both types of threads will require two searches.
-_Creator_: In this field, you can limit results to either threads or posts by a certain forum member. See _Search In_ below for the method for dictating which you are searching for.
-_Search In_: You can search topic titles (quicker) or post bodies (slower). However, the slower post body search will return the most precise information. If you set this option for topic titles and also utilize the _Creator_ input above, you'll be returned threads by that member. 
If you set this option for post bodies and also utilize the _Creator_ input, you'll be returned posts by that member.

*Do-It-Yourself (DIY)/ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)*
We have compiled a thread of the most commonly asked questions as well as do-it-yourself procedures documented by forum members. This thread is "stickied" (it doesn't move) at the top of the forum index and is filled with excellent resources for both beginners and the experienced alike. It is suggested that everyone familiarize himself or herself with this thread. If someone responds to a post by saying "It is in the DIY" or "Check the FAQ," this is the thread they are talking about. To get a DIY or a FAQ inserted into the thread, simply report the post to a moderator (see Moderators below). We do our best to ensure these links are current; however, we have no control over external links and as such, some may be dead. 

*Members Gallery*
Stickied at the top of the Forum is a picture gallery of the A3s owned by many of our members. Visit the gallery to see instructions for adding your own picture:
A3 (8P) Members Gallery

*Personal Profile*
Your personal profile is available in the "Personal Profile" link at the top right hand corner of every page. This is where you can change individual options, forum browsing options, your location, vehicle, or signature, see a list of your watched topics or even a recent history of IM conversations (see Instant Messaging below).

*Forum Rules*
Please be aware or and abide by the Forum Rules. The rules are in place in order to ensure that *everyone* has an enjoyable and safe experience.

*Consequences for Violating the Forum Rules*
If you violate the forum rules you will be held accountable. We use a system of user points to keep track of a member's status within the system. Points will be removed if a post or a thread violates the forum rules. *There is no way to get back lost user points*- once they are gone, they are gone. If you hit zero, you will be banned. In addition, if the violation is serious enough, a user can be banned at any time without any warning. 

*Moderators*
These forums are moderated. Moderators enforce the forum rules and make sure that things run as smoothly as possible. You can assist the moderators in their job by *reporting* threads or posts that clearly violate the user agreement. The http://****************.com/default/report_post4.gif icon, located under the username of every post, allows you to alert a Moderator to a specific post. Moderators are not perfect, and they cannot be everywhere at once. Reporting posts helps us a great deal with our duties. In addition, if you have a problem with a specific action taken by a moderator, feel free to contact them via IM for an explanation. You may also contact one of the administrators if you feel that a situation was handled unjustly. Moderators can edit a post, delete a post, lock a thread (no more replies allowed), or "black hole" a post. The Black Hole is where threads go to die, so not only are no more replies allowed, but users cannot access the post at all.

*Instant Messaging*
The forums have a built-in instant message program that lets users converse between themselves. The







icon, below the member name on every post, will open an IM window and will allow you to carry on a conversation. IM's also serve as a notification tool for the moderators to alert users of locked posts, edited threads, member point deductions, and any other administrative issues that may arise. You may choose to turn IM's off in your preferences panel, but it is generally not encouraged unless there are unique circumstances. You may also block individual users from communicating with you via the IM feature. 

*Forum Help*
Forum Help is always available at the upper right-hand corner of your screen. This contains links to common questions about the forum software, how to post pictures, how to report a post to a moderator, how to make a post, etc. 

*Posting*
Please use the search before posting. Once again, you get more information from a list of old threads on the same subject than you do by posting a new thread. You need to be as *descriptive as possible* with your thread titles. The more descriptive your titles are, the quicker you will get an answer or the more responses you will get. Additionally, it assists people who are searching for the same type of information in the future.

*Posting Pictures*
Images posted on the forums need to be hosted on the internet. A how-to on picture posting is available under forum help. For the benefit of users it is also advised to not host from places with bandwidth quotas as our forums receive many views a day. Similarly, please resize all photos to a manageable size (800x600, for example) before posting.

*Other Forums*
The A3 forum is not the only one here. The various forums can be accessed from the Fourtitude forums main page or from the "Forum Jump" bar at the bottom right hand corner of forum and thread pages. Don't limit yourself to just one forum!
- We have a number of *Technical* forums that are often more technical (who would have thought) and helpful on the more specific issues as compared to the general model (A4, TT, Q7, etc.) forums. Some of the more common A3 related ones:
2.0T FSI Engine Forum
3.2L VR6 24v Engine Forum
1.8T FSI Engine Forum
TDI Engine Forum

- Our *Regional* forums are for regional specific gatherings, events and issues.
Regional Forums
- Our *Classifieds* forums are where private buying and selling is conducted. *Classified posts are not allowed in the general (A3 8P, 2.0T, Electronic Gadgets) forums* and will be moved to the correct forum or will be deleted.
Please read the updated Rules for Posting in the Classified Forums
A3 (A5) Classifieds Forum
All Audi and Miscellaneous Classifieds Forums
- Our *Community* forums include such things as Food and Beverage, Movies and Television, Home Improvement, and other forums that do not necessarily have to do with Audis. *Note:* Fourtitude does not have an Off-Topic forum, and any thread that is deemed as such will be locked or removed.
Community Forums
- Our *Help and Suggestion* forums are the place to go if you are still confused about something or have some suggestions for the forums or site. This also includes a *Testing* forum.
Help and Suggestion Forums
*Advertisers*
Our advertisers (indicated by "Forum Sponsor", "Banner Advertiser", or "Classified Advertiser" below their username in posts) are what keep this forum alive. Please thank them by taking your business to them. Certain levels of advertisers have more privileges than a normal user (ie. posting Group-Buys in the general forums) and are often seen helping our readers throughout the forums. Our advertising policy is located here. In addition, if you are interested in becoming a Fourtitude/VWVortex Media advertiser, you may contact our advertising group.
Thank you for taking the time to acquaint yourself with the forum. We hope you enjoy it! Feel free to IM a moderator if you have any questions!
Current regular A3 (8P) moderators include:
Pete (limesparks)
Tom (A4Jetta)




_Modified by limesparks at 4:21 PM 6/11/2006_


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