How fanart.lionking.org Accounts Work

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Fanart.lionking.org is a database-driven system with many features tuned to serve each user and contributing artist according to his or her preferences. I have worked hard to make the system user-friendly and easy to understand; however, there are some parts of the system that can be confusing. This page aims to answer common questions about how user and artist accounts work.

User Profiles and Artist Accounts

There are two kinds of accounts here at fanart.lionking.org: user profiles and artist accounts.

• User Profile: This is what allows you to set up a Favorite Artists list, post comments on artists' gallery pages or pictures, vote for the Artist of the Month, and other personalized features. You can have a user profile and take advantage of all these features even if you do not have an artist account. The user profile login works using "cookies"; as long as you are logged in, the system recognizes you and allows you post comments, add Favorite Artists, and so on.
  
  
• Artist Account: Full-fledged contributing artists have this kind of account, which allows them to log into the system, upload pictures, and manage those pictures along with characters, art trades/requests, and profile information. You log in to the artist account under the Artist Login: heading in the upper right, or using the "Express Login" page. Unlike the user profile, however, the artist account does not use cookies to keep you identified; if you close the browser while editing your pictures, you become logged out.

The tricky bit is when a person has both a user profile and an artist account. How is this handled?

The answer is that the two accounts become linked together. This linking is a one-time action, after which all the comments you've posted under your user profile become displayed under your artist name rather than your user profile name. To link your accounts together, do the following:

1. Log in to your user profile, so that your Favorite Artists list is showing.
2. Log in to your artist account.

You can then leave your artist account page and go browsing through the rest of the site, and your comments will be posted under your artist name.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding User Profiles and Artist Accounts

1. I can't post comments, set up Favorite Artists, or use any other personalized services. Why not?
   First of all, make sure you've set up a user profile. To do this, click the "Create Profile" link in the User Profile: login box at the right side of the page. When you complete this process, you will be logged in using your user profile.
   
   If you've done this before, you might just need to log in again; user profile logins time-out after 90 days. Enter your user profile name (not necessarily the same thing as your artist name) and password in the User Profile login box and click "Login". If this is successful, you will see your Favorite Artists list instead of the login box.
   
   
2. I'm trying to log in to my user profile, but the page just reloads and the login box is still there.
   This is likely because the username and password you're putting in are not correct. Remember that the user profile name is not necessarily the same as your artist name; the password may be different, too, from your artist account password.
   
   If you can't remember your username or password, contact me and I will assist you.
   
   
3. Can I change my user profile's name or password?
   Not directly. Artist account names and passwords can be changed by the artist; but if you need to change your user profile's information (including its password, name, or e-mail address), you'll need to contact me for assistance.
   
   
4. My user profile is using an old name that I don't use anymore, and it no longer matches my artist name.
   When you first create an artist account, a user profile is automatically created as well, using the same name. However, if you then change your artist name to something else, your user profile name is not changed along with it. Please contact me to have your user profile name updated to match your artist name.
   
   

Important Information for Artists Sharing Computers

If you and one or more other people use the same computer to access fanart.lionking.org, there are some important issues you should be aware of. Because your user profile name is stored in a "cookie" in your browser, each time you or another person logs in using your computer, the browser's cookies are updated to reflect the last user profile that was used. If you and your friends also have artist accounts, this can lead to the wrong user profile becoming linked with the wrong artist account.

To avoid this problem, the best solution is for each person using the computer to have their own separate user account on the computer, and log in using that user account for the entire computing session. (This is good security practice anyway—it's never a good idea to share your computing environment with others, because a lot of other things on your system can get mixed up too, between two or more people all using the same files.)

In Windows, create additional user accounts by going to the Control Panel, then User Accounts, then selecting Create a new account.

On the Mac, create additional user accounts by opening System Preferences, then Accounts, then clicking the + button at the bottom of the list of accounts.

Note that both Windows and the Mac allow you to quickly switch from one user account to another without logging out of the first account. In Windows, Switch User is an option available when you choose Log Off from the Start menu; on the Mac, enable fast user switching in the Accounts pane of System Preferences (click Login Options), and then switch users using the User menu in the upper right corner of the screen.

Always be sure to use the user account specifically created for you in this way; it keeps all your files private and secure, and it ensures that your browser's cookies don't get jumbled up with someone else's using the same computer.