zeogold: Right, then. A lot of you have probably seen this before and are wondering why I'm reposting it. The reason is that I've gotten clearance from Fables this time to have it stickied. If anybody has any suggestions to add to the list or clarification to provide on certain points, please let me know. I'll try to keep this updated as best I can.

Howdy, folks. This here thread is a list of commonly-asked questions which newbies or members who haven't checked the forum in a while may be wondering. It's primarily aimed at new members (such as individuals who are coming because of Gwent, GOG Connect, etc.) to prevent endless threads/questions on the same issue. I remember when I first arrived here, and I certainly could have benefited from such a topic.

Basics/Getting Started
I'm new to the forum! What should I know?
- You should read the forum code of conduct, located here.
- This FAQ thread references less technical aspects and more common topics of the forum.

I don't feel like reading all this crap! I'm only here for a short while. Give me the bits I actually need!
- If you have a game-related question to ask, there are game-specific forums for each game in the store. If the forum is inactive, try asking in the main forum. If you made a question thread, please remember to mark a post as the answer.
- Before asking your question, check to see if it's already been asked before by searching site:gog.com followed by your keywords in Google.
- If you're having an issue with posting, try deleting the links in your post and checking the formatting of your tags.
- If you wish to see a game to GOG, do a search in the Community Wishlist. If there is an entry for it, you can vote for it. If there is no entry, you can make one yourself.
- If you have questions for the staff of GOG itself, please understand that the staff very rarely reads the forum. You will be more visible and would likely get a swifter answer if you click on the "support" tab instead and go from there.

What is GOG?/What does "GOG" stand for?
- GOG is a digital game store committed to selling DRM-free games.
- It was originally named "Good Old Games" in reference to the fact that it began with the goal of bringing quality retro games which don't work on modern systems or generally aren't available anymore to be available for purchase and play.
- It rebranded itself to just the acronym "GOG" after focusing more on modern and/or indie games to appeal to a broader audience.
- The store still continues to hold to its core values of DRM-free and retro gaming.

What is a PM?
- "PM" stands for "private message". It refers to the GOG chat system.
- If you wish to start a chat with somebody, hover over their forum avatar and click on "start conversation". If this option is greyed out, it's possible that their privacy settings only allow people who they've registered as friends to chat with them. It could also be that you've been blocked or that they've made their settings to disallow chat messages from anybody. The only way to find out is to ask the user and indicate your intention to chat with them.
- As of July 2017, GOG has altered the chat settings so that chat is restricted to "friends only" by default, even for old users who had it set to "everyone" before. If you wish to change these settings, go to "Orders & Settings" from your account tab, then click on "Privacy".
- The reason people tend to refer to the chat as "private messaging" is because the system used to work differently, somewhat of a paragraph-style private forum post setup rather than an instant messaging system.

How can I trade on GOG?
- GOG currently has no trading system implemented.
- Trading is possible via the forum. The trading thread is located here.
- In your post, explain what you have as well as what you're interested in.
- Directly trading a game for money is frowned upon. Consider asking what game the other party would be interested in, buying that for them, and giving that to them instead.
- An easy way to get somebody a game is to buy the game (or multiple games) as a gift, email that gift to yourself, and provide the other party with the code included in the email. If there are multiple games on the code, the giftee can choose what to redeem (see: "How does gifting work?").
- BEWARE OF SCAMMERS! While the community is friendly and open, there are some unsavory individuals who will attempt to take your games and leave you with nothing in return. If ever unsure about a deal, try asking the community itself what they think.

What is rep?
- "rep" or "reputation points" is the number located just underneath a user's avatar. Its intended purpose was to show how active or "involved" a person is in the community.
- The number increases 1 point per day for posting. You can also gain more points from receiving +1s on your posts or being marked as the answer on question threads.
- The number decreases when you receive -1s on your posts.
- You'll receive stars next to your rep number for hitting certain rep marks. You'll have 1 star at 25 points, 2 stars at 150 points, 3 stars at 450 points, 4 stars at 1,000 points, and 5 stars at 2,500 points.
- Neither rep nor stars gives you anything extra besides the number beneath your avatar in the forum.

maxleod: How do I add an avatar to my profile? Can't find the option...

InkPanther: You can do it in your account settings. Hover mouse cursor over your nickname at the very top of the site, from the drop down menu select Orders & settings, and then go to Account and Locale.

maxleod: Thanks!

edit: still doesn't work in the forum :(

InkPanther: You're welcome.
It takes time to update for some inexplicable reason, it's been like that for years. It was uploaded all right, you can see it when you hover your avatar next to your posts.

Fisimatent: Hello,

what about picture upload?

It can often be helpful to attach pictures from games, e.g. to show PC settings or a scene from the game.

I tried "attach", but both jpg, png, webp and gif tell me "wrong file format".

1. is it the case that pictures are generally not allowed? This function is really dead?

2. and if it is allowed - what about rights? Are screenshots or visible thumbnails (or links to hosters with screenshots) allowed?

I didn't find help in the FAQ.

Thanks
Fisimatent

ConsulCaesar: Might be, there are some restrictions to accounts with a rep value lower than... 10 I think?