Hi there all I just wanted to write a bit of advice about the shields we recieve and get so excited over on Minti...I was having a converstaion on meseenger with a dear friend and she told me she had no idea about the shields and didn't even realise hers had changed...So here is my take on what happens with the sheilds you have next to your names on Minti...

When you first join Mint you will see next to your name a sheild which is bronze in colour with one stripe across the corner of it...This shows you you are in your first stages and also shows other members that you are fairly new to Minti...It is called "In Nappies"

After you have been active in your blog, commenting, asking and answering  questions or even writing articles you will wake up one morning and see your sheild has changed and you no longer have just one stripe but two...This shows that you have been active on Minti and is a nice change for you...This next shield is called "Crawling"

Again after you have participated more on Minti your sheild will again change to a bronze one with three stripes across it...By this time you pretty well have an idea about the basics of Minti how to blog, comment and vote etc...This sheild is called "Standing"

After enjoying more and more time on Minti you will notice one day that you sheild has turned to Silver...The first in the silver set of sheilds has one upside down V on it and  is called "Walking" It a nice feeling to be rewarded for your participation all over the site...

The next in the silver set of sheilds has two upside down V's on it...It is called "Speaking" and with this sheild comes something called admin functions...This means that you have been around long enough to be trusted by admin to have a vote and say on things like...

• Reported advice...
• Reported comments.
• Reported images...
• Reported members...
  

I have written another article here to explain more about admin rights for you when you reach this stage...

By the time you reach the next sheild which is silver and has three upside down V's on it  is called "Talking" You have been active in all of Minti by this time...It also shows newer members of minti that you can help them if they need a hand...

On to the Gold sheilds...This is where I will have problems and will probably have to add to this article as time goes by...Even though sheilds and ranks do not make anybody better than anyone else...The feeling people get when we change to Gold is one that makes you smile and feel good about how much you have participated in the site and how much you have gotten from it yourself...The first gold sheild is Gold with one V on it and it is called "Talking Back"...

The next gold shield down the line is gold with two Vs on it and it is called "Young Parent"  It is the second last sheild in the gold set of sheilds...This is also awarded for participation all over the Minti site...

This is the highest that people on Minti have made it to so I really can't tell alot about the other sheild in the gold ones...So I will have to add to this article as time goes by...

There is one more sheild that is next to peoples names on Minti and that is a gold  sheild with a cross type pattern on it...These are admin people Like Clay, Rachel, Matthew Joeyjo and Angieh...

While the sheilds were not created to be competive about it is still something to be proud about...to feel good about and to give yourself a pat on the back for....

I hope this article has helped people to understand the sheilds a little better and will help other who newly join Minti to know what they are for....SO go on Peoples get out there participate and have fun...Keep an eye on those sheilds....

Have a great day
Cheers
Angie