Welcome! Add your Sig & Avatar, Create a DSM Profile, and Read This!

Thanks for registering on DSMtuners.com - the largest and most active DSM-specific resource on the web! Here are some steps to take to get the most out of your membership:

1. Create a signature and include your first name so others get to know who they're talking to. Upload an Avatar that depicts your face or your DSM/vehicle so others can quickly identify you when you post in the forums:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/account/signature
http://www.dsmtuners.com/account/avatar

2. Create a DSM Profile. This is a dedicated vehicle profile for your DSM - if you have multiple DSMs, create multiple profiles. Add your mod list, photos of the car, timeslip and dyno info, etc. This will help other members see what mods you have so they can better answer your questions. Your DSM profile will automatically show up in your signature when you post in the forums. Follow this link and click Create New DSM Profile:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/dsm-profiles/

3. Introduce yourself. Start a thread in the Welcome Forum and tell the community about yourself and your goals with your DSM. Don't make your intro thread your build thread, read the next bullet point for that, but do describe what is done to your car and what you plan to do. Take the time to welcome others who join too:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forum/welcome-forum-member-intros.89/

4. Create and Update your build thread. After you've created your DSM Profile, a build thread is automatically created for that profile. Under the DSM Profiles main navigation menu, click Your DSM Profiles. You will see the profiles you've created. There will be a link next to the profile titled "Post Build Update". You'll be taken to your build thread. Post photos of your build and updates on your progress.

5. Before you post questions in the forums, read through the Resources section to learn how to find answers to many of the common questions in the community.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/pages/resources/

When you're done browsing those sections, try doing some keyword searches for the topic you need help with. To post a thread, simply go to the Forums section linked in the main menu and choose the appropriate sub-forum to post your question in - most questions fit well in the Maintenance & Repairs forum or the Newbie Forum. We just ask that you try doing some searches before posting a new thread. Here's a link to the main forums page:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forum/

Once you click into a sub-forum there will be an orange "Post New Thread" button in the upper right, assuming you're logged in.

6. Answer questions. Either go to the Forums section and browse the forums where you want to participate or just click the "New Posts" option under the Forums menu to see where you can answer questions posted by others. We encourage people to post links to answers if the questions are repetitive in nature, but taking the time to type out detailed answers helps build a strong community. If you do come across a repetitive question, post a link to the answer and describe how you found it. Be respectful, don't post misinformation, and add value to the discussion.

7. Post some How-To articles for others to benefit from. Document an install or a repair so that others can learn from your experiences. This is one of the best aspects of forums - archived data libraries. Choose one of the following categories and post some detailed write-ups with photos wherever and whenever you can:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forum/tech-article-archives.42/

8. Participate and invite other DSMers in to help keep our community growing. Yes, this site is a massive archive of information, but more importantly, it's a COMMUNITY first. In order for us to sustain a strong archive, we need members to actively participate and interact with others here on our site. Be welcoming to new members and treat everyone with respect. Our goal is to continue to offer the DSM community a valuable resource where members help each other out and build friendships that last a lifetime. Help us achieve that goal by being active and participating in a positive way. Anything you would post on Facebook about your DSM, be sure you post that stuff here in the forum. Let the trolls have Facebook. Read about Facebook's negative impact on automotive enthusiast culture here.

9. Use our Classifieds. Buy and sell DSM parts and cars here:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/categories/classifieds.215/

10. Support the site. If you want to contribute to the resource outside of regular participation, you can also purchase DSM apparel, calendars, and decals here:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/pages/dsm-merchandise/

We also have premium memberships available with added perks. We now give out free sets of spark plugs to Supporting Members and special edition calendars for Supporting VIP Members. To see all the perks of each membership, and to sign up, follow this link:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/account/upgrades

11. Help Moderate and keep the site clean. Most people think of moderators in forums as power-hungry egomaniacs. The reality is, every community like this needs volunteers to help keep things organized, clean, and free of trolling. Our moderators aren't banning people left and right, they're usually moving threads to the best forum category, deleting off topic posts, merging duplicate threads, removing misinformation, and occasionally stepping in to resolve conflicts between members to keep the forum clean and useful for all. If you want to get involved and volunteer as a moderator, the best way to work towards doing so is to first "Report" posts that need attention. This helps show our moderating team that you understand the rules of the site and that you are interested in helping resolve the issues. After reporting threads regularly, send a private message to me and mention you're interested in helping out as a moderator. The team will take a look at your posting history and your reported post activity and will see where we could use help.

Thank you again for registering on the site. And feel free to give us any feedback you may have, or post a thread to bring up any issues you're having with the site here:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forum/site-problems-feedback.9/

We appreciate your participation!