Frequently asked questions

DISCLAIMER PLZ READ: Urban exploration is often dangerous and/or possibly illegal. Common sense should be exercised at all times. So if you do fuck yourself up don't come crying to us, pointing your broken fingers and yelling about how teh interwebs told you it was all going to be ok and then it wasn't. You are responsible for your own safety. Be careful out there.

The admins of this system accept NO RESPONSIBILITY for user submitted content. We do not keep logs.

RESPECT the locations you visit. Not only is it totally lame to smash up and deface places that often have historical and cultural significance but if you're nabbed by the authorities then its alot harder to talk your way out of it when you've left a trail of destruction in your wake. Visibly messing up a place also alerts the powers-that-be to the fact that you've gained access to an area they are trying to keep you out of; the consequence of this is that the spot is often ruined for future missions and explorers. Enjoy yourself, but don't be a dick ;)

As a general policy the moderators reserve the right to delete/alter photos or experiences we deem too incriminating for the protection of the poster. Probably not the best to give explicit instructions how to get into places or post photos of illegal (well, more illegal) activity :P

None of these frequently asked questions have ever even been asked once, let alone frequently.

Contents

1. A location that I link to has disappeared!
2. Do I have to crop photos before I upload them? What formats can you handle?
3. I can't write HTML in my experiences and they're coming up all bad looking! What can I do?
4. How can I get an account?
5. What is your privacy policy?
6. What is Urbex all about?
7. How do I add a location?
8. Can I just add photos to some else's experience with out writing one of my own?
9. Why are ratings out of 5 where there are 6 stars?
10. I've just thought of this incredibly amazing feature that you guys should do!
11. Isn't this illegal?
12. Who owns the copyright to my images/experiences?
13. Why isn't my vote being counted properly?

1. A location that I link to has disappeared!

A location will disappear if all all the experiences for them are deleted. Only the author of an experience can delete it.

2. Do I have to crop photos before I upload them? What formats can you handle?

We like big images! Your image will be stored at full resolution as well, so you can download them yourself later if you wish. The system automagically thumbnails images for use on the site so don't worry about size too much. The maximum file size for photos is currently set at 5 MegaBytes which is sufficient for most things. Crop a photo if it improves the aesthetics. We can handle most image formats (png, gif, jpeg, tiff, bmp etc).

3. I can't write HTML in my experiences and they're coming up all bad looking! What can I do?

Experiences are formatted using textile. Visit this wikipedia article for more information on how it is used.

4. How can I get an account?

All you need is an email address. Click Signup and follow the instructions. Some email services (particularly gmail) seem to think the slackninja.com activation email is spam, so if you have tried to register and haven't received an email check your junk folder.

5. What is your privacy policy?

The only information we record is the information necessary to maintain your account. We store an id number, an alias, a hashed version of your password and your email address. We do not record your IP. Your password is not sent in the clear when you log in. Our web server does not keep access logs (/dev/null) for visitors to this site.

6. What is Urbex all about?

Well, according to some.

"the whole enterprise is a disgusting display of decadence, yes, decadence, as in decay, as in decay of respect for others, decay of critical faculties, decay of the understanding of worthwhile endeavor. Exploring your city? Great. Understanding its underlying structures? Doubleplusgreat. Invading spaces other people are using just for the hell of it? You're an asshole."

7. How do I add a location?

First of all, you must have an account and be logged in to add a location. Then go the maps page and find the physical location of the place you want to add. Zoom in to as high a detail level as possible! The satellite imagery option will help you accurately position the cursor. You can change the position of the cursor by clicking on the map. Also, it is possible to search for a street address by entering the info in the fields at the top of map to quickly find a location.

When you have positioned the cursor where you want it, click add location. The new experience page will come up. Simply add a new experience and you're away!

8. Can I just add photos to some else's experience with out writing one of my own?

Yes, if you log in as the experience's author and do it. At this stage only the author of the experience can upload photos and videos for it.

9. Why are ratings out of 5 where there are 6 stars?

Aren't statistics great? It all came from a discussion in the comments of a news item that you can read here.

10. I've just thought of this incredibly amazing feature that you guys should do!

Get in touch with us!

11. Isn't this illegal?

Probably ;)

12. Who owns the copyright to my images/experiences?

The person that uploaded them. We will not resell or otherwise use your work commercially, or do anything with it outside the usual function of the site. You have the full right to remove your images/experiences, or do with them as you see fit.

13. Why isn't my vote being counted properly?

To prevent one user completely controlling the rating of an item, votes are weighted towards 50% when the total number of votes are small.