Frequently Asked Questions

Why aren't there any drawing tools on The Island?

You don't have to register to view or chat at The Island, but you do if you want to draw. There are several reasons for this, but the most important is that we want to prevent random griefing (scribbling and clearing) to our Groupboard. While this isn't a fool proof method, it will help us serve you better in the long run. There are many other benefits to having a Burning Gates membership and remember - it's free!

Someone just scribbled/cleared my drawing at The Island! What do I do?

We do our best to protect your drawings but there is only so much coverage we can give you. If an administrator is present, they will take the appropriate necessary actions against the offending user. If you are really digging your drawing, we recommend that you "screen shot" your progress every so often as a safety precaution. Administrators can upload your "screen shot" to The Island and you can then continue from where you last left off.

Is there some sort of draw limit on The Island? I suddenly can't make anymore progress.

Yes there is a draw limit on The Island that we can not control. In the event that you have hit this limit and want to continue, please "screen shot" your drawing progress and have an administrator upload it. After it is re-loaded, you can continue your work with a refreshed draw limit.

Where can I see the drawings I've made at The Island?

You can see all of the drawings made at The Island using the Active Gallery. We periodically archive stellar artwork created at The Island and add it to the permanent galleries under the year they were created in.

I was banned! What do I do?

We ban or remove users from The Island that are breaking core rules. If you feel you were banned unjustly and have an appeal, please contact either TsaoShin or Anon Twentyseven. Please refrain from posting your appeals on the forums at the Burning Gates.

Who are the administrators at The Island?

A list of all of the administrators and staff are listed here. All of the Burning Gates staff are volunteers and devote their personal time to maintaining this website.

Can I be an administrator to The Island?

The Burning Gates owners assign administration rights to users who they deem appropriate. We love our users and appreciate their dedication to the website but we don't give out administration rights as rewards.

Why do I have to register again to use the Oekaki?

The Oekaki at the Burning Gates uses a different registration, therefore, we ask that you register separately for this service. To avoid confusion, we recommend that you use the same username at the Oekaki that you use for the Burning Gates.

Why was my drawing removed?

We hate to remove drawings and take no pleasure in it. Despite this, we have limited amount of bandwidth and server space so we must remove drawings that don't meet the minimum submission guidelines. Please remember to only submit drawings that take at LEAST 30 minutes. While we do not have a limit to the amount of drawings you can create in a day, we ask that you practice self moderation. Keep in mind that scraps, doodles, and sketches stand a higher risk of being removed. Always remember to save your drawings to your personal spaces so that you can retain a copy. Don't rely on us!

Some of the drawings on the Oekaki have animations. How do I make an animation for my drawing?

The animation feature is included for some of the Oekaki drawing methods. It appears as a check box as you create your canvas size. Having an animation is simple! Just check the box if you would like other users to see your drawing played out step by step as you created it. We can not add an animation to your drawing if you forgot to check the box.

Why are some drawings archived?

Administrators archive drawings on the Oekaki that showcase quality finished work. The most recent archived drawing then appears on the main page of the Burning Gates.

How do I submit an old drawing I saved from The Island to the gallery at the Burning Gates?

Great! Please submit your drawing to the forum and let us know who worked on it (if not just yourself) and the date that it was created. We'll do the rest!

How long has this website been around?
That's a little confusing, but here it goes...

The Burning Gates as a community has existed since 2000, but it only lived as its own Angelfire powered website for two years before it was decomissioned.

The Island and the community relocated to Tsao's personal website, The Broken Ladder.

In 2007, we pulled all the content off The Broken Ladder and replaced it with a temporary site, which still housed The Island and community. Unfortunately, we let the site linger in this temporary state, let The Island's lease expire, and generally abandoned the site.

In June 2009, we moved the The Island community to its rightful place at the Burning Gates, and finally made use of the domain we've owned since 2001.