User accounts
Even though using GaySpiralStories doesn’t require anyone to create an account (we understand that privacy and anonymity are really important for many of our visitors), there are several features that are only available to registered users with a valid email address.
Reminder: Even though we keep your email private and won’t publish it (unless you explicitly tell us to when submitting a story), it’s always a good idea to use an innocuous address which doesn’t give away your real name and is not associated with you in public. At least if you’re concerned about anyone learning about your… more special interests.
There are many free email hosters on the net who’ll provide you with an anonymous email address. Here’s a list of such posters:
Registered Users
If you’re a registered user and if you’re logged in, you get this menu on the top right. The same symbol will also be used on all the comments you write.
Also, you get the following advantages:
- You can “like” stories and get a list of all your liked stories. To like a story, click this button which can be found above and below the story text:
- You can get a list of all comments you ever wrote (planned for a future update: Option to delete and edit comments you’ve written)
- Option to use the community forum with a custom name and profile picture. Many functions of the forum are only available to registered users. Unregistered users can still write in the form, but each posting has to be approved first.
- You get an “Edit Profile” menu which gives you the option to set an “Author Name”. This name will be the default name on your comments (it can still be altered for every comment you write, though).
Registered Authors
If you’re a registered author and if you’re logged in, you get this menu on the top right. The same symbol will also be used on all stories and comments you write. As soon as you submit at least one story while logged in, a normal user account becomes an author account.
Stories can also be submitted anonymously if you are extremely concerned about your privacy. However, if you use a user account when submitting your story, you get the following advantages:
- You can easily edit your stories (even if you’re not registered, you can edit your story by clicking the “secret link” that’s sent to you if you’ve provided a valid email address).
- You get a read statistics overview on each of your stories:
The numbers meaning (left to right):- Number of people who liked your story
- Number of comments written to your story
- How many times your story has been visited
- How many unique registered users have visited your story
- Click to edit your story
- You get to see the current ratings and rating statistics to your stories:
The top display (which cannot be used to give a rating, because authors are not allowed to rate themselves) shows a graphic representation of average ratings your story got.
The bottom display gives a more exact, numeric statistic, separated by anonymous and registered users:- #: The number of ratings
- Ø: The average rating (arithmetic mean)
- x̄: The geometric mean
- In the “Edit Profile” menu you can activate an option to get notified by email each time someone adds a comment to one of your stories.
Patreon Users
If you’re an active Patreon donator, you’ll get this nice medal on your account, which represents my feeling towards anyone who helps me maintaining the site. The same symbol will also be used on all stories and comments you write.
Read this if you want to know what Patreon is and why we use it.
You have to use the same email address in your Patreon account and on GaySpiralStories for the site to recognize your Patreon status.
Besides my eternal appreciation, active Patreon donators get the following additional options on the “Edit Profile” menu:
- Get a notification email each time a new story is published on GaySpiralStories
- Hide the Patreon button
Admin users
In some cases, you might see the following icons on comments and stories:
Story Approver
Site Administrator
Site Owner