Alternative FAQ (or "How to enjoy this site and stay out of trouble") [WIP]

Closed

This project doesn't seem to be taking off, so closing for now.

Update: The latest draft FAQ is on Draft (draftin.com). This FAQ is work-in-progress. Feel free to suggest questions or volunteer to write answers.

Below you'll find a snapshot of the FAQ from Aug 6, with some background about this little project.

An L0 GA:

Moribund

I think it's about time for this site to have a single document that covers the information in the Guidelines and FAQ, does it in a more streamlined way and includes more up to date information about some hot subjects that are frequently discussed in the forum. My goal is to cover everything people need to know about how to use and enjoy this site, and of course stay out of trouble. It will obviously end up as a pretty big chunk of text, but I'll worry about ease-of-consumption later. Proper order, sections and table of contents will be done after most questions are answered. Hopefully proofreading by a native English speaker (which I'm not) will also happen at some point in time.

As a first step I'd like to capture the questions that this document needs to cover. Below is what I have so far.
Note: I already added some questions from the comments, and Reforced helped to re-organize this into sections. Thanks everyone!

Snapshot of the FAQ as of Aug 6, 2017. Latest version is on draftin.com

TL;DR

How to stay out of trouble?

There are a few simple rules you need to follow to ensure you're in good standing with the site and other users. Ignoring these rules will get you suspended and potentially banned, so if you don't read the rest of this FAQ do spend a couple of minutes to read and understand the following points:

Don't join giveaways for games you already own. If you mistakenly did so and won, don't use the key and ask the giveaway creator to request a new winner ("re-roll").
Don't join giveaways for games you previously won. If you mistakenly did so and won, do the same as in the point above.
Redeem games you win onto the Steam account linked to your SteamGifts account.
If you win, don't badger the giveaway creator to send you the key. According to site rules, they need to do it within 1 week, not 1 hour. Pushing them do send it early may only result in the opposite, so just be patient.
Mark a giveaway you won as Received, but only after you successfully received and activated it.
If something goes wrong during activation (e.g. the game is already owned, or the key is duplicate or region locked), contact the giveaway creator. For an already-owned game simply ask them to request a new winner. For a bad key ask them (politely) for a solution. If you don't get a satisfactory solution, contact Support. Do not create a new thread about it in the forum.
If you had any issue with a specific user, contact Support if you think what they did is against the rules. Do not start a new thread in the forum. For advise, read site FAQ, this document or previous threads in the forum about similar issues. In any case, do not call out another user whom you have issues with - not in the forum or in giveaway comments.
"Referral links are not allowed in the community, and if you choose to post a link, please be sure all referral codes have been removed (http://www.example.com?ref=12345 to http://www.example.com)." [^1]
"When posting links or content, that content should not force users, encourage users through reward, or primarily exist as a traffic source for users to perform an action for promotional, commercial, or monetary benefit. Such actions include but are not limited to clicking a referral link, liking a Facebook page, following a Twitter account, joining a Steam group, completing a survey, or making a donation. (Please note, in giveaway descriptions we do allow users and developers to link to their related Steam Greenlight, group, and store pages, as well as their social media channels. Users are also able to reference their group giveaways when posting in the Group Recruitment category of our forum.)" [^1]
If you post anything NSFW (not safe for work), tag it as such. And don't use NSFW images for your avatar.
A few important tips about issues that are not suspension-worthy:

‎1. Read giveaway descriptions. It's the least you can do, and there can be some very important (or interesting) information there.
‎2. Don't feel obligated to thank giveaway creators when you enter (especially if they requested not to), but do thank them if you win (again, unless they request not to).
‎3. Don't be rude to anyone. Not only is it the right way to communicate with people, being rude will likely get you blacklisted by people who read what you wrote. This will prevent you from entering many giveaways. Being nice to people may have an opposite, positive effect (learn about whitelist below).
‎4. Don't beg for gifts. Enter giveaways and be patient. It can take a while to win, you may need to enter a few thousand giveaways until you win.

[Todo: points from Guidelines\General]

General

Is this site a scam?
No, the site is definitely not a scam. It's common for people to win hundreds of giveaways, but it can take some patience, as the odds of winning are not very high when a typical giveaway has hundreds of entries. To learn how to improve your odds, see Winning giveaways ("Why have I not won yet? How to win more?")
Why would people give gifts to strangers?
Many people start giving games because they have some leftover keys from bundles and instead of letting these keys rot they prefer to give them away and make someone else happy. Try it, it really does feel good to give. So much so that many people end up giving more expensive games, including AAA ones that were never bundled.
Where can I find the rules of this site? I only see FAQ and Guidelines. Are these obligatory or just tips? The official FAQ and Guidelines are the rules of the site and are obligatory. This alternative FAQ just aims to unify the most useful information from these two documents into one, and add answers to additional questions that commonly come up. It attempts to be accurate and up-to-date, but is not a replacement for the official documents and should not be consider as a rule-book. When in doubt, always check the official SteamGift pages linked above.
What are the options provided by the site interface?

The navigation on top has the following options:

Giveaways (Shows all the available giveaways)
- Create a New Giveaway (Start your own giveaway)
- Community Wishlist (See the combined wishlists of everyone on SteamGifts)
- View Created (Shows all your previously created giveaways)
- View Entered (Shows all the giveaways you have entered)
- View Won (Shows all the giveaways you have won)
Trades (A link to SteamTrades.com)
Discussions (Shows all threads in the SteamGifts forum)
- Create a New Discussion (Start your own new thread in the forum)
- View Created (Shows all your previously created threads in the forum)
Support (Shows all your previously created support tickets)
- Create a New Ticket (Start a new ticket for support's help)
Help (Links to the SteamGifts FAQ)
- Comment Formatting (Shows the guide for formatting text in SteamGifts)
- FAQ (Shows the Frequently Asked Questions)
- Guidelines (Shows the community rules and guidelines)
Icons (This is the group of icons beside the Account menu)
- Gift Icon (Shows all your previously created giveaways)
- Trophy Icon (Shows all the giveaways you have won)
- Envelope Icon (Shows all the messages/replies that have been sent to you)
Account (Shows the account settings)
- Sync with Steam (Shows the account settings and allows you to sync your SteamGifts account with your Steam account)
- My Stats (Shows your statistics, including chances of winning and your interactions with the community)
- Logout

While the footer below has the following options:

Steam (Links to the Steam Store)
Archive (Shows all already-closed giveaways)
Stats (Shows your statistics, including chances of winning and your interactions with the community)
Roles (Shows the different roles and their permissions on SteamGifts)
Users (Shows all existing users on SteamGifts)
Steam Group (Links to the SteamGifts group on Steam)
Chat (Opens the SteamGifts group chat on your Steam client)
Privacy Policy (Discusses how the SteamGifts website handles your data)
Terms of Service (Discusses the legalities of your use of the SteamGifts website)

When does the site resync with my Steam account and should I trigger it manually? The site synchronizes with your Steam account once a week. This is done primarily to update the database with the list of games you own, so that you're not presented with giveaways for those. It also syncs the list of groups you are a member of (to allow you to access their giveaways) and your Steam avatar. It is recommended that you trigger synchronization manually after winning a game or joining new groups. To do this, use the Sync Account button in your profile page.
What are some useful scripts and applications you'd recommend to improve the experience on this site? ESGST is a very feature rich script that includes most of the functionality provided by other scripts. RaChart™ Enhancer is another highly recommended script which highlights the games you own or have wishlisted in many of the forum threads about new game bundles. A complete list of scripts and add-ons is available in this thread.
Is there a way to see exact dates on this site? The site uses human-friendly relative date formatting, like "1 year ago" or "6 minutes remaining". To see the exact dates and times (in a tool-tip), just hover the mouse cursor on the date.

Giveaways

Findings giveaways

Is there a way to filter only for games that are on my Steam wishlist? Yes, when browsing giveaways, scroll to the page to see the left pane menu, then click the Wishlist filter (under Browse section)
Can I filter out games I'm not interested in? Yes, just click the eye/slash button: This button is available for each giveaway in the list of giveaways, as well as from within the giveaway page. Once you click it and approve the game will be added to your hidden games list. You can remove games from this list and see giveaways for them again by clicking here.
Why do I not have permission to view a group giveaway, when I'm a member of the related Steam group? From SG FAQ: "This typically happens if you recently joined a new Steam group, and your account has not yet synced. Insure you have your Steam profile set to public, and then force a sync with Steam. Once complete, you'll be able to access the giveaway."
I think I spotted a fake giveaway, what should I do? From SG FAQ: "We typically allow all giveaways to run their course without judgement, and allow the giveaway creator a fair chance to prove themselves and to come through with the gift in the end. An exception is when the giveaway creator enters a description that clearly states the giveaway is fake, or if the description illustrates a lack of understanding of how the giveaway system works. Please refrain from posting any comments accusing the giveaway creator of posting a fake giveaway, and only create a support ticket if the giveaway is fake beyond a reasonable doubt."

Entering giveaways

How to enter giveaways? [include points from Guidelines\Entering]
How do I know if I won a giveaway? From SG FAQ: "If you win a giveaway, you'll see a popup on the site notifying you of the win. You'll also see a notification in the navigation bar, linking you to gifts won."
Should I thank giveaway creators when I enter? Should I thank them if I win?
What are the rules for entering to win Steam packs if I currently own a number of the games contained within? From SG FAQ: "We ask users not to enter giveaways for packages if they already own the majority of the games. This allows for winners that will receive the most value out of their gift. In the end, the giveaway creator has the final say, and if they believe the winner owns too many of the packaged games, we'll allow them to request a new winner."
What are points (P)? [base on official faq; also cover 0P games]
How many points (P) can I receive? From SG FAQ: "Users are limited to 300 points at any given time."
How do I receive or earn more points (P)? From SG FAQ: "All users on the site are given an equal number of points, and you cannot do anything outside of waiting patiently to increase your number of points. The number of points being distributed to users is based on the number of giveaways being posted to the site, and you'll frequently see your points automatically rise throughout the day."
Can I enter a giveaway for a friend? From SG FAQ: "You should only enter to win giveaways for yourself, and if you win a game, it must be activated and redeemed to the Steam account used during registration. If a friend is interesting in joining giveaways, they'll need to register for their own account."
Can I use scripts or bots to automatically enter giveaways?

Winning giveaways

Why have I not won yet? How to win more?
You may need to join hundreds or even thousands of giveaways until you win your first game. This depends on the total number of entries in the giveaways you join. The chances to win Public Level 0 giveaways are typically very low. To improve your odds, look for giveaways with a lower number of entries, such as those posted in the forum (also known as "invite-only giveaways"). Joining giveaway groups or leveling up to join higher level giveaways would also increase your chances. See this guide for more information.
What to do after I win? [include points from Guidelines\Winning]
If I win a gift, when can I expect to receive it? From SG FAQ: "Giveaway creators are allowed one week to send the gift after the giveaway has ended. Depending on the type of gift and the giveaway creator, you might receive the gift to the e-mail address you have listed on the account page, a key might be added beside the gift you won, or the giveaway creator might have sent you a friend request on Steam to make the exchange. Please remain patient, and do not contact the giveaway creator during this time. If the gift is not received after one week, you can mark the gift as not received, and attempt to contact the giveaway creator on Steam to follow-up."
Do I get points (P) back if I don't win? From SG FAQ: "Points are used for a chance to win, and they're not returned if you do not win. If you choose to remove your entry from a giveaway that's still open, the points will be returned to your account."
What to do if the key is bad (e.g. already used or region locked)?
Add a comment in the giveaway explaining the problem. DO NOT post about it in the forum. If you don't get a response from the giveaway creator after a day or two, add them on Steam to explain the problem over chat. The creator may provide you an alternative key, if they have one. If they don't, they will probably ask you to agree to giveaway deletion. Since this is likely to be due to an honest mistake, the friendly thing would be for you to agree, unless of course you see a good reason not to. If you don't get any response, mark the giveaway as Not Received. In any case never mark a giveaway as Received if you couldn't successfully activate the game.
Is it possible and allowed to change my feedback after I already marked the game as Received or as Not Received?

Creating giveaways

How to create giveaways? [include points from Guidelines\Creating; include differences between key and gift in light of recent changes]
What is the difference between Everyone (public), invite-only (forum) and Steam group / Whitelist giveaways?
How does region restriction work and what to do if the giveaway creation page doesn't allow me to properly define regions?
I want to create a giveaway for a game but it's not listed. Is there a list of such games, and what would you suggest to do with this key?
How do giveaway slots work? [Cover both addition and removal of slots; base on the official faq]
I have free keys I want to give. What would be the best way to go about it?
Starting August 2017, SteamGifts allows giveaways to be created for games that were previously given for free. Note however that contributor value of these games is 0, so they won't help you level up.

Ended giveaways

I accidentally created a giveaway, or the gift is no longer available, how do I delete my giveaway? [base answer on official faq]
Are there other situations where I can I delete a giveaway?
How (and why) to check that a winner is not a rule breaker before sending the key?
Can I refuse to give a game to a winner?
The winner has not redeemed my gift, and I'm unable to get into contact with them. How do I proceed? From SG FAQ: "If you've been unable to reach the winner of your giveaway using e-mail and Steam after seven days of your giveaway ending, and they have not yet activated or redeemed any keys or gifts you attempted to send, please contact support to request a new winner. When creating a ticket, we ask you to include data that suggests you made an adequate attempt to contact the winner, such as screenshots of e-mails, friend requests, or gifts pending on Steam. If the request is approved, a new winner will be generated by the site."
What are valid reasons to request a new winner? [Also include the keyword "reroll" in the answer; Cover flow for infractions older than 1 month]
The winner has redeemed my gift, but not marked it received. How do I proceed? From SG FAQ: "If your gift has been activated or redeemed by the winner, and they have not left feedback after seven days, please create a support ticket to request received feedback. A support member will review and ticket, and if the gift is activated on the winner's Steam account, approve the ticket and update the feedback to received."
How are giveaway winners selected? From SG FAQ: "All giveaway entries are treated equally, and when a giveaway ends, the site will randomly select a winner. Users that are suspended during the selection process are unable to win, and their entries will be excluded when the winner is generated."

User profile

Level

What are levels, and how can I increase my level? [base on official faq]
Is it possible to see the exact level of a user?
Is there a way to level up if I don't have money to buy games for giveaways?
My level dropped. What's going on? [Should also cover "Do I have to remove my entries from higher level giveaways after dropping a level?" Or "What happens if I win a higher level giveaway I no longer can enter after dropping a level?"]
What's the difference between a bundled and an unbundled game and where can I find which games were bundled?
I'd like to know how much I need to spend to move up to the next level. How can I find this information?**

Whitelists and Blacklists

How does a whitelist work? From SG FAQ: "If you view a user profile, you'll see a button with a heart icon in the left column. If you click this button, the user will be added to your whitelist. If you click this button again, the user will be removed from your whitelist. When creating a giveaway, you have the option to limit the giveaway to users on your whitelist. By doing so, the giveaway will only be visible to these users, and only they will have permission to access the giveaway and be able to enter for a chance to win. If you add new users to your whitelist after the giveaway is created, they will instantly gain access to the giveaway as well, and it'll appear on the giveaway list on their homepage. If you remove a user from your whitelist, they will no longer have access to your whitelist giveaways, but their entries will remain valid for any previous giveaways they might have entered."
How does a blacklist work? [base on official faq, refer to "A Paranoid Guide about how to avoid being blacklisted" by faboitas, and "Reasons for blacklist..." by wany1981]

Misc

What are valid reasons to report a user?
How long does it usually take to get a response from Support?
How do suspensions and bans work?
What is considered inappropriate behavior worthy of suspension?
What is CV? [Also cover what happens when a game is removed]
What are ratios?

Discussions and Chat

How to format comments on the forum and in giveaways? [include how to escape formatting]
What are SGTools-protected giveaways, are they allowed and how to enter them? [Also cover how to create such giveaways]
What are trains?
What are puzzles and how to solve them?
I noticed a new bundle or a deal I want to share on the Deals forum, is there a preferred format I should use?
What is Cake Day? Why is there a weird icon next to my username?
Why do some giveaway creators request that people bump their threads? Am I obligated to do it if I enter their giveaways?
Does this site have a group chat?
Can you explain the meaning of... [Cover SG, GA, Potato, Gib etc...]

[^1]: Quoted from SteamGifts Guidelines

I'm planning to write the answers to all of these questions, but this can take quite a bit of time. If there are any volunteers who would like to own a specific question, I'd be happy to get help. Just let me know in a comment and I'll append your name to the question as the owner.

An L0 GA: