We realize that a great many games use the character's personal journal as a way to post in-character and receive replies from others in-character. However, at this game, that isn't the case.
Since we have paragraffiti, that is where all of the posting/replies in first person IC is meant to take place. The journals are just that. Personal journals that your character can either write down their thoughts and whatnot in, or can just leave sitting on a shelf collecting dust. Think of them as diaries that the character is given upon arriving in Los Angeles through some means (it can be on their person without rhyme or reason, given to them by someone else, purchased, found, what have you).
The only people who should be replying to these entries are people who would logically have access to the journal. And even then, they shouldn't be used as a means of communication in any real form. That's what graffiti is for, in regards to general posts that anyone can reply to, and paracomms is for, for specific communication between specific characters.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
In regards to updating:
Since the holidays are over, activity checks are going to start being enforced. This is just a reminder that the only place where activity is counted is parabolical. While paragraffiti and paracomms are great ways to interact with fellow characters, these posts do not count for actual activity within the game. Only posts made (and replied to) in parabolical count. Also, our minimum requirement is TWO WEEKS, not one month, as provided by many other games.
If, for some reason, you're unable to post for two weeks with your characters in parabolical, please let us know. We're not trying to be strict fascists, we're just wanting to ensure we have an active game with characters that all players can interact with, not just a limited few in a limited capacity.
Also, USE YOUR TAGS. While we may not use these tags as the sole means of checking for activity, they will be a handy tool we, as the mods, will rely on. They are also very handy for you, the player, in finding 'lost' threads for your character. So use them.
If you have any questions about any of this, again please contact us and we'll help you the best we can.
In regards to locations within Los Angeles:
Okay folks. First and foremost? Los Angeles is big. Really, really big. It encompasses a good hunk of land and there are more things to do in that city than in a great many others put together. There are all sorts of parks, a zoo, Hollywood right around the corner, various shops/tourists spots, etc.
This being said, no. Neither of your mods live in Los Angeles. We are not L.A. experts. We are not tour guides. It is not our responsibility to offer a map of the city nor point out places of interest for your character to go.
If you have any questions about the city, its layout, attractions, whatever, do a search.
Google is your friend. Use it. A simple search of, for instance, Los Angeles at www.google.com will come back with all sorts of results. An even more narrow search of restaurants in Los Angeles or parks in Los Angeles or, really, anything you're looking for at the time, will still come back with tons of results.
So yes. Please use the internet/various search options to get any answers for general locations (or even specific ones). The only time we would prefer to have to answer such location type questions is if your character needs to know of a specific place in Angel the Series canon to go. (Such as Wolfram & Hart, the Hyperion Hotel, Caritas, and so on). Then, we'll happily do our best to explain but, really, there are also websites that will tell you all about the L.A. from Angel the Series, as well.
At some point, we may make a list of these well-known locations that are specific only to Angel the Series canon. We may also make a list of places that are well-known in the real world that didn't survive the battle. For now, though, let common sense be your guide and use Google or some other internet search option to find the answers you're looking for.
In regards to canon puncturing:
While we do allow a character's canon to be punctured in this game, we require that the player of that character give their permission first. This means before your character can know and comment on the fact that another character is fictional, you must speak to that character's player first to make sure it's okay.
The only exception to this is if your character is reflecting on the fact that fictional people are here in a private journal entry. Even then, however, the entry must be clearly marked private. Not because the other characters can read it (as we just explained, no one can technically read the entries and use them in-game) but because it keeps confusion for the other players to a minimum.
The best way to clearly mark an entry in a personal journal as private is to use an lj-cut. Everyone should know how to use them considering you should also be using them for longer entries in parabolical, paragraffiti, and paracomms (especially parabolical), but if you don't know how to make one, please ask us and we'll steer you in the right direction.
Or, for smaller entries in personal journals, feel free to use the {PRIVATE} {/PRIVATE} method.
Example:
{PRIVATE} Journal entry goes here. {/PRIVATE}
This way, everyone is aware this is a private entry and will know, since all private entries must only be in your character's personal journal, that it is a journal entry and not open to commenting, etc.
Again, any questions? Ask us. It's what we're here for.
And, that's about it. Thank you all for the wonderful activity and following of the rules thus far and here's to more awesome RPing!