_B4U_ wrote:
There seem to be a lot of topics about getting frozen. So I figure we can pool our knowledge together and come up with a bunch of suggestions on how to avoid getting frozed. I'm at 41 months currently, coming up at 42, and have never had an incident, other than warnings from my own stupid mistakes on the neoboards. So here goes.
•First and foremost, you do not want to draw any unnecessary attention to yourself. You want as few people viewing your userlookup/shop/gallery/whatever as possible.
•Never use the Neoboards. Ever. Doesn't matter what you're excuse is, don't do it. Not even for shop ads or helping others.
•Don't reveal your username anywhere other than Neopets. For PPT, erase your username/pet names in screenies, don't link to your user lookup, don't post your username, nothing.
•Don't join/run a guild. It's the same concept as the Neoboards, it gets your username out in public and increases views of your userlookup.
•Don't hog the highest places on the high score tables month after month. Get the first place trophy, then back your score down so you get max np or whatever each time, but without going for first place. You'll have your trophy and your high score list will state your high score if you ever feel like other people are challenging your competance at the game.
•If you have an avatar pet or petpet, don't link to your pet's page.
•Reject all neofriend requests except those from personal friends.
•Reject all two player challenges except those from personal friends.
•If you're really good at a game and have written a guide, submit it to a help site like PPT and use a name other than your Neopets username.
•Don't use the trading post as a gallery. 1, TNT said not to do it, so it's freezable; 2, it's a pain for others; 3, it makes you stand out.
•If you have a rare item gallery in your shop, don't make the prices weird (123321, 123456, 100001, etc.). A 100000 is much more boring than a 123321 and will probably get less views.
•Block all neomails. It saves you having to deal with stupid people. If your friends want to talk to you, have them e-mail you instead, e-mail is much better than neomail anyways.
•If you really don't want to take any risks, don't do a gallery at all.
•Don't make your avatar an expensive avatar. When people lookup your username and see the MSPP - Evil avatar, they're going to think you're rich automatically, even if you don't have the card.
That's about all I can think of.
Ok, well I'm basically unknown except for a select group of people.
First - drawing attention to your self. That for me is pretty easy. I've entered a few of the contests (lookup, random) and have never won. I have seen people who've won those, been published in the NT, art gallery, etc. be harrassed. But that's not their fault - that's what those contests are for -- to see who can do their best and have Neopets find it the best!
As to never using the boards. I was actually frozen long before I discovered the boards - I'd fallen for a fake log-in page scam. Had I known about the boards and read enough/asked questions when the scam happened, there's a good chance I'd not have lost my account (which I did get back a few months later - empty except for my pets). The boards can be a hotbed of trouble. They can also be a good, helpful, informative place. It depends on the people involved. Personally? I never argue on the boards - I "walk" away.
Not revealing username - I agree with that, but not specifically for your reasoning. I've known too many people who've been contacted and tried to be scammed/cracked/hacked/stalked (why I'm adamant about not having any personal information such as email, IM, etc. anywhere). Plus, what I say off the site is my business -- no one else's.
I am in a guild, if you can call it that. It's more just a very tiny haven - and because I'm in a guild I don't get inundated with guild invites (and yes, those along with everything else is blocked).
High score table? Impossible for me -- I'm just not that good at games. I think I have 3 game trophies and those were lucky flukes.
My petpages aren't linked to per se, but they are known as being help pages by some people. But by no means are they "famous".
NF requests I do keep blocked as a general rule - getting random, unknown people requesting is annoying.
2 player challenges? My pet's not strong enough/my strategy is truly bad/I don't have the weapons needed and I don't like the idea that someone could poison or otherwise hurt or change (Chia Flour anyone?) my battle pet.
Not good enough at any game to write a guide.
The TP's not been allowed to be used for nft since the Mystery Island plot/TP debacle, and I don't own anything worth "showing off" on the tp.
UB in shop? not at the moment (heck, right now nothing's priced since the whole duping thing), but I don't see where that would make anyone stand out more.
My neomails are always blocked. Same reason nf requests are -- I find random neomails annoying and pointless.
A gallery should not make anyone a "target", especially since so many people have one. Unless of course, you have a gallery filled with rare/retired/uber expensive UB. Even then, people have the right to have whatever they want in a gallery.
Avatars -- well I have had my problems with those - I have the Number Six avi and I don't use it anymore simply because I get tired of the "OMG you must be so rich!" posts and having to explain that I got the avi when Adam had around 15k out. So that I do kind of agree with. Not that it'll get you frozen just for having a particular avi, but that you can be hassled from beggers/jealous people.
To me, as long as you follow the rules (as much as any of us know the rules); try to be a good member; be polite, don't argue - not matter what, if someone's trying to get to you just leave the board; don't draw undue attention to yourself (don't be a drama queen, don't brag, don't start arguments, never post another person's username in a bad way, watch the RL topics), then I don't think you should have much to worry about.
That doesn't mean I don't worry sometimes, more with things like setting up a junk trade on my spare so I can send alot of food from my main for the pets on that account; and the fact that there are 2 people using this computer who both play Neo - and yes I have written to support and I have gotten an answer which I've saved. Otherwise, I just go about my own business and let others do the same.
I don't ever do dailies, play games, sell from a shop/tp/auctions on my other account - anything for that account comes from my main.
As to David's site, well he was a long time, well known, savvy, uber elite player. It was a sad night when he finally had enough. If he seems bitter, it's because he saw too many of his friends frozen and other things I won't go into. I don't' know all the facts, I just know enough to say that I still miss him and his smarts, his sense of humor, his honesty in his dealings with other members.