Frequently Asked Questions

Tuataria? It’s a bit of a strange name, we know. The server was started to help us collaboratively solve John’s scavenger hunt, which all started with the phrase “it’s a tuatara.” We were called #itsatuatara for a little bit, but decided we needed a better name. Tuatara + Nerdfighteria = Tuataria.

What is the website for? The website is our way of introducing new people to Tuataria. We also have lots of information for people wanting to learn more about Tuataria, Discord, and the TATWD scavenger hunt. If you think something should be added, let Allison know!

Can I invite people to Tuataria? Sure! We just ask that you make sure the people you invite are familiar with the vlogbrothers and nerdfighteria (it’ll help a little with the confusion), and who will follow our rules and guidelines. Please give them the same link we use for everyone else who joins: http://tuataria.com/join.

Who or what is a “modmin”? Modmin is a portmanteau of the words “moderator” and “administrator.” We have a team of about 20 people from around the world, and ranging in age from mid-teens to mid-30’s. We are listed at the top of the Member List and can be DMed with any questions or if you need help!

People keep talking about time zones and pronouns. WHY? Also, I can’t upload any pictures. WHY? We have roles for time zones and preferred pronouns. Those can only be added by a modmin. Hang around for 10π hours and you can ask for one, or we might reach out to you if we notice you’re missing one. You can view someone else’s roles by clicking/pressing and holding on their username. These roles give you a few more permissions for uploading media and enabling previews for links you post, which you won’t be able to do if you don’t have a role – this is just a safety precaution in case some decepticons come in and try to cause trouble right after joining.

Why 10π? Because we’re nerds. Why isn’t it 5τ? I don’t make the rules I just type them onto this website.

What do these role colors mean? Colors mean a few different things in Tuataria. Some of them represent someone on the modmin team, others are for special honors in the community, and others still are to show the diversity of our community! Pronouns and most ceremonial roles don’t add username colors.

  • Modmins are TEAL
  • The Real and Legit John and Hank Green are BRIGHT GREEN
  • The other colors correspond to general global regions, by time zone
      • GMT+4 to GMT+7 (approximately West Asia) are RED
      • GMT+8-GMT+13 (approximately East Asia and Oceania) are ORANGE
      • GMT-11 to GMT-2 (approximately the Americas) are BLUE
      • GMT-1 to GMT+3:30 (approximately Europe and Africa) are PURPLE
      • GMT-less (chose not to share their timezone) are GREY
      • Sometimes, special events or celebrations give people a temporary role in GOLD

What are all of these channels? Where do I talk about what? We have…a lot of channels in Tuataria. It’s too many for post people, and you’re welcome to mute channels or categories for topics and areas you’re not interested in. There may also be temporary voice or text channels added for events or projects that may not make the list below. You can view each channel’s description on discord for more info, but we’ll give you an overview of the categories we have:

  • #rules and #useful_info: Rules, info, and important links for Tuataria. This won’t change often, but if you do see a new post you should read it – it’s going to be an important change!
  • Server & Community Business: Channels for announcements from big server-wide changes to community bulletin board posts, as well as channels for server-related discussion.
  • General Chatting: Our general, no-specific-topic channels live here.
  • Events & Temporary: Where we keep…event and temporary channels.
  • John & Hank: All things Green brothers, Vlogbrothers, complexly, and Nerdfighteria.
  • Topical Discussions: topic-specific channels on everything from fandom to fitness to food, and things that don’t start with F.
  • Education & Advice: Advice and learning channels.
  • Creative: Talking about and sharing creative work and the creative process.
  • Voice: voice channels and their corresponding text channels. Having trouble with connecting to voice or using Push to Talk? Check out the discord basics page.
  • Archives: We put old, recurring, and reusable channels here so they can still be read! May include retired channels, temporary event channels, media-specific spoiler channels, and Q&A channels for when John stops by.

A bot just yelled at me? Tuataria has 1, sometimes 2 bots that help with various things, and there is a default Discord bot.

  • Steve helps with modmin tasks and has a bunch of fun and useful features anyone can use. If he yelled at you, you either did something bad and we told him to, or you tried to use him and you messed up. Don’t worry, so do the guys who coded him.
  • Molly/Gritty/Kassandra is only around sometimes, mostly for the Kindness Challenge, and helps with getting forms and stats. She shouldn’t be yelling so if she is something is very wrong…
  • Clyde is the default bot run by Discord, who isn’t in our server but is always watching. He’s also kind of a buzzkill. If he’s yelling at you, you did an uh oh or at least he thinks you did. Or sometimes he just lets you know something he thinks is helpful. If Clyde posts a message, you are the only one who can see it.

Why are there koalas everywhere? We like koalas. A lot. The heart of this obsession was the discovery Koalas to the Max, which may be the most important website ever created. “I Am Koala” was then the first of many Tuataria original productions, written by Andythewestie, sung by Jessieinez, and assembled by Rith. There have been several other Tuataria parodies since then, but you may have to join and ask to get links to those…

How many docs do we have? There has not yet been a method devised to count the number of documents in Tuataria. Estimates vary from 1 to infinity. You can find a link to the folder containing all the docs in #useful_info. Please be aware that this is a shared drive, and if you are adding a document from a community project or collaboration, please put it into the folder that makes the most sense. If you’re unsure, ask a modmin for help!

What does _____ mean? Check in the Google Drive for a Doctionary, which should explain most inside jokes, nicknames, portmanteaus, and other inside jokes you may see in Tuataria. If something is missing, feel free to ask about it!