Meanings Of Common Symbols
For New Members
For Everyone
Updated:
Icons are used heavily on this site to provide information about content and access. As a new user, you won't know what all of them mean, so here are some of the most common symbols you will encounter here, and what they mean.
Post Icons
When you open a post category, you will see these icons next to each of its posts.
From left to right, these icons mean the following, when illuminated:
1: Post contains links to other resources
2: Post has attached images
3: Post has embedded video
4: Post has embedded audio
5: Post has attached tool profiles
6: Post was created or updated since your last visit
7. Content user level (see section below)
When any icon is dark, its meaning does not apply to that post (for example, no tool profiles are attached).
Content & User Levels
These icons are displayed next to content to show which user level is required in order to access it. The same symbol is shown next to any user having that access. A user having a higher access than needed can view the content as well.
Content that is fully visible to all members, as well as to anonymous visitors, has this icon:
Guest
Content that only requires a user to sign in, but does not have any specific level requirement, has this icon:
Free Member
Content that is visible to bronze, silver, gold or platinum supporters, respectively, will have one of these icons:
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Gold membership can be attained by interacting with the content and users through the post and recording comments. Platinum level is discretionary, and may be awarded by an administrator, to any gold member.
A contributor is anyone who has contributed in some way to the website, itself, including guest authors, technical advisors, podcast guests, and so on. Contributors can create public profiles to showcase their contributions, and may also enjoy additional content, as and when it is made available. The icon looks like this:
Contributor
There are several staff and partner roles. The ones you will see most are:
Moderator - Responsible for approving new accounts, addressing flagged content, accepting contributor submissions, etc..
Administrator - Responsible for maintaining the site, managing content classes like mailing lists, category permissions, and so on. Administrators also assign and manage user groups and their membership, and create content.
Advanced Levels
The first four user levels (from Free Member to Gold Level) are the most important for most people, as they determine which content can be accessed at which user levels. Content with advanced access levels will not be visible unless you hold the appropriate key, so you will not see them, generally. Key holding is usually permanent, but can also be granted on a temporary basis. The access that any given key will provide is typically vast, opening entire sections of the site, with unlimited amounts and types of content.
If you obtain a key, you will see it on the main menu, next to "My Account".
Just for fun, there are a few keys that can be obtained by searching for their 'cheat codes', and those codes are occasionally left hanging around for people to find. There are also some areas that will be available after you have read their terms, and their keys can be obtained simply by clicking a link that shows your acceptance of those terms. Areas that use this mechanism do so to protect the rights and shield from liability. The terms are always reasonable, and you will always have the option not to accept them.
Flagging
The content flagging icon looks like this:
Flag For Moderator
Click it to report a comment or user profile to a moderator, if it contains spam, inappropriate or offensive content, or if it is repeated many times. If a comment is flagged by three users, it will be taken down automatically, pending review. Once a comment has been approved, it can no longer be flagged. If a comment or profile is found to violate our 
Basic House Rules, it will be deleted by a moderator. Users who are flagged often may be prevented from further posting.
If you find an outdated or incorrect article, broken links, missing images, etc., please comment on that post to let us know. We will then be able to address the problem quickly.
Other Icons
Bug reporting is an important part of site development. If you find a problem with any part of the site, you can click the Bug icon to report it. Reports help get problems fixed faster and helpful reports can earn rewards. :)
Report A Bug
We are growing as a resource for van-lifers everywhere, and would love your input on the website and its content. If you would like to write on any of the topics covered on this website, get in touch - we'd love to hear from you! You can email content [at] burtman.net, or you can sign in and leave a comment on a relevant post.