Frequently Asked Questions

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Login and Registration Issues: Why can’t I login?; Do I need to register?; Why do I get logged off automatically?; How do I prevent my username from appearing in the online user listings?; I’ve lost my password!; I registered but cannot login!; I registered in the past but cannot login any more?!; Why can’t I register?

User Preferences and settings: How do I change my settings?; The times are not correct!; I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!; How do I show an image below my username?; What is my rank and how do I change it?; When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?

Posting Issues: How do I post a topic in a forum?; How do I edit or delete a post?; How do I add a signature to my post?; How do I create a poll?; Why can’t I add more poll options?; How do I edit or delete a poll?; Why did I receive a warning?; How can I report posts to a moderator?; What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?

Formatting and Topic Types: What is BBCode?; Can I use HTML?; What are Smilies?; Can I post images?; What are global announcements?; What are announcements?; What are sticky topics?; What are locked topics?; What are topic icons?

User Levels and Groups: What are Administrators?; What are Moderators?; What are usergroups?

Private Messaging: I cannot send private messages!; All my sent private messages are stuck in the outbox!; I keep getting unwanted private messages!; I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this board!

Friends and Foes: What are my Friends and Foes lists?; How can I add/remove users to my Friends or Foes list?

Searching the Forums: How can I search a forum or forums?; Why does my search return no results?; Why does my search return a blank page!?; How do I search for members?; How can I find my own posts and topics?

Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks: What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?; How do I subscribe to specific forums or topics?; How do I remove my subscriptions?

Attachments: What attachments are allowed on this board?; How do I find all my attachments?

Other Issues: Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this site?; My question is not in this Help/FAQ section, how should I proceed?

Login and Registration Issues

Why can’t I login?: There are several reasons why this could occur. First, ensure your username and password (case-sensitive) are correct. If they are, contact the site administrator to make sure you haven’t been banned. It is also possible that there is a site maintenance being performed at the moment.; Top

Do I need to register?: You may opt not to and still have access to all posts and reply to any message subject to moderator approval. However, registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, creation of new topics, private messaging, emailing of fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few minutes to register so it is recommended you do so.; Top

Why do I get logged off automatically?: If you do not check the Log me in automatically box when you log in, the site will only keep you logged in for a preset time. This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else. To stay logged in, check the box during login. This is not recommended if you access the site from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university computer lab, etc.; Top

How do I prevent my username from appearing in the online user listings?: Within My Control Panel, under “Board preferences”, you will find the option Hide your online status. Enable this option with Yes and you will only appear to the administrators, moderators and yourself. You may also wish to do this for one session only by ticking Hide my online status this session when you log in. You will be counted as a hidden user.; Top

I’ve lost my password!: Don’t panic! While your password cannot be retrieved, it can easily be reset. Visit the login page and click I’ve forgotten my password. Follow the instructions and you should be able to log in again shortly.; Top

I registered but cannot login!: First, check your username and password (case-sensitive). If they are correct, then one of two things may have happened. This site requires new registrations to be activated by yourself before you can logon --please follow the instructions in your e-mail. If you did not receive an e-mail, you may have provided an incorrect e-mail address or the e-mail may have been picked up by a spam filter. If you are sure that the e-mail address you provided is correct, try contacting a site administrator.; Top

I registered in the past but cannot login any more?!: Attempt to locate the e-mail sent to you when you first registered, check your username and password and try again. It is possible that the administrator has deactivated or deleted your account for some reason. Also, this site might periodically remove users who have not posted for a long time to reduce the size of the database. If this has happened, try registering again and being more involved in discussions.; Top

Why can’t I register?: It is possible that the administrator has banned your IP address or disallowed the username you are attempting to register. It is also possible that the site is undergoing a periodic maintenance. Contact a site administrator for assistance.; Top

User Preferences and settings

How do I change my settings?: If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the site database. To alter them, click My Control Panel located at the top of all pages in this site. This system will allow you to change all your settings and preferences.; Top

The times are not correct!: It is possible that the time displayed is from a timezone different from the one you are in. If this is the case, click My Control Panel and change your timezone to match your particular area, e.g. London, Paris, New York, Sydney, etc. Please note that changing the timezone, like most settings, can only be done by registered users. If you are not registered, this is a good time to do so.; Top

I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!: If you are sure you have set the timezone and Summer Time/DST correctly and the time is still incorrect, then the time stored on the server clock is incorrect. Please notify an administrator to correct the problem.; Top

How do I show an image below my username?: There are two images that may appear below a username when viewing posts. The first may be an image associated with your rank, generally in the form of stars, blocks or dots, indicating how many posts you have made or your status on the board. The second, usually a larger image, is known as an avatar and is generally unique or personal to each user. You may upload this in your My Control Panel.; Top

What is my rank and how do I change it?: Ranks, which appear below your username, indicate the number of posts you have made or identify certain users, e.g. moderators and administrators. You may not directly change the wording of any board ranks as they are set by the site administrator. Please do not abuse the site by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank. This site will not tolerate this and the moderator/administrator will simply delete your posts and/or lower your post count.; Top

When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?: Only registered users can send e-mail to other users via the built-in e-mail form. This is to prevent malicious use of the e-mail system by anonymous users.; Top

Posting Issues

How do I post a topic in a forum?: To post a new topic in a forum, click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You will need to register before you can post a message. A list of your permissions in each forum is available at the bottom of the forum and topic screens. Example: You can post new topics, You can vote in polls, etc.; Top

How do I edit or delete a post?: Unless you are a site administrator or moderator, you can only edit or delete your own posts. You can edit a post by clicking the edit button for the relevant post, sometimes for only a limited time after the post was made. If someone has already replied to the post, you will find a small piece of text output below the post when you return to the topic which lists the number of times you edited it along with the date and time. This will only appear if someone has made a reply; it will not appear if a moderator or administrator edited the post, though they may leave a note as to why they’ve edited the post at their own digression. Please note that normal users cannot delete a post once someone has replied.; Top

How do I add a signature to my post?: To add a signature to a post you must first create one via My Control Panel. Once created, you can check the Add signature box on the posting form to add your signature. You can also add a signature by default to all your posts by checking the appropriate radio button in your profile. If you do so, you can still prevent a signature being added to individual posts by un-checking the add signature box within the posting form.; Top

How do I create a poll?: When posting a new topic or editing the first post of a topic, click the “Poll creation” tab below the main posting form; if you cannot see this, you do not have appropriate permissions to create polls. Enter a title and at least two options in the appropriate fields, making sure each option is on a separate line in the textarea. You can also set the number of options users may select during voting under “Options per user”, a time limit in days for the poll (0 for infinite duration) and lastly the option to allow users to amend their votes.; Top

Why can’t I add more poll options?: The limit for poll options is set by the site administrator. If you feel you need to add more options to your poll than the allowed amount, contact the site administrator.; Top

How do I edit or delete a poll?: As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a moderator or an administrator. To edit a poll, click to edit the first post in the topic; this always has the poll associated with it. If no one has cast a vote, users can delete the poll or edit any poll option. However, if members have already placed votes, only moderators or administrators can edit or delete it. This prevents the poll’s options from being changed mid-way through a poll.; Top

Why did I receive a warning?: This site has a set of rules (see Terms of use) that must be followed by everyone. If you have broken a rule, you may be issued a warning. Contact the site administrator if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning.; Top

How can I report posts to a moderator?: There is a button for reporting posts next to the post you wish to report. Clicking this will walk you through the steps necessary to report the post.; Top

What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?: This allows you to save passages to be completed and submitted at a later date. To reload a saved passage, visit My Control Panel.; Top

Formatting and Topic Types

What is BBCode?: BBCode is a special implementation of HTML, offering great formatting control on particular objects in a post. The use of BBCode is granted by the administrator, but it can also be disabled on a per post basis from the posting form. BBCode itself is similar in style to HTML, but tags are enclosed in square brackets [ and ] rather than < and >. For more information on BBCode see the guide which can be accessed from the posting page.; Top

Can I use HTML?: No. It is not possible to post HTML on this board and have it rendered as HTML. Most formatting which can be carried out using HTML can be applied using BBCode instead.; Top

What are Smilies?: Smilies, or Emoticons, are small images which can be used to express a feeling using a short code, e.g. :) denotes happy, while :( denotes sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen in the posting form. Try not to overuse smilies, however, as they can quickly render a post unreadable and a moderator may edit them out or remove the post altogether.; Top

Can I post images?: Yes, images can be shown in your posts. You can either upload the image or link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.example.com/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible server) nor images stored behind authentication mechanisms, e.g. hotmail or yahoo mailboxes, password protected sites, etc. To display the image use the BBCode [img] tag. The maximum size for the image not to appear as an icon/link is 768x768.; Top

What are global announcements?: Global announcements contain important information and you should read them whenever possible. They will appear at the top of every forum and within My Control Panel. Global announcement permissions are granted by the site administrator.; Top

What are announcements?: Announcements often contain important information for the forum you are currently reading and you should read them whenever possible. Announcements appear at the top of every page in the forum to which they are posted. As with global announcements, announcement permissions are granted by the site administrator.; Top

What are sticky topics?: Sticky topics within the forum appear below announcements and only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read them whenever possible. As with announcements and global announcements, sticky topic permissions are granted by the site administrator.; Top

What are locked topics?: Locked topics are topics where users can no longer reply and any poll it contained has automatically ended. Topics may be locked for many reasons and were set this way by either the moderator or site administrator.; Top

What are topic icons?: Topic icons are author-chosen images associated with posts to indicate their content.; Top

User Levels and Groups

What are Administrators?: Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire board. These members can control all facets of board operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc., dependent upon the board founder and what permissions he or she has given the other administrators. They may also have full moderator capabilities in all forums, depending on the settings put forth by the site owner.; Top

What are Moderators?: Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) who look after the forums from day to day. They have the authority to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally, moderators are present to prevent users from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.; Top

What are usergroups?: Usergroups are groups of users that divide the community into manageable sections board administrators can work with. Each user can belong to several groups and each group can be assigned individual permissions. This provides an easy way for administrators to change permissions for many users at once, such as changing moderator permissions or granting users access to a private forum.; Top

Private Messaging

I cannot send private messages!: There are three reasons for this: you are not registered and/or not logged on, the site administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the site administrator has prevented you from sending messages. Contact a site administrator for more information.; Top

All my sent private messages are stuck in the outbox!: Newly-sent messages are stored in the Outbox folder until they are opened by the recipient. This will automatically move to Sent messages folder once the recipient opens it.; Top

I keep getting unwanted private messages!: You can block a user from sending you private messages by using message rules within your My Control Panel. If you are receiving abusive private messages from a particular user, inform a site administrator; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages.; Top

I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this board!: We are sorry to hear that. The e-mail form feature of this board includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so e-mail the site administrator with a full copy of the e-mail you received. It is very important that this includes the headers that contain the details of the user that sent the e-mail. The board administrator can then take action.; Top

Friends and Foes

What are my Friends and Foes lists?: You can use these lists to organise other members of the board. Members added to your friends list will be listed within your My Control Panel for quick access to see their online status and to send them private messages. If you add a user to your foes list, any posts they make will be hidden by default.; Top

How can I add/remove users to my Friends or Foes list?: You can add users to your list in two ways. Within each user’s profile, there is a link to add them to either your Friend or Foe list. Alternatively, from your My Control Panel, you can directly add users by entering their member name. You may also remove users from your list using the same page.; Top

Searching the Forums

How can I search a forum or forums?: Enter a search term in the search box located on the index, forum or topic pages. Advanced search can be accessed by clicking the “Advanced Search” link which is available on all header pages of the forum.; Top

Why does my search return no results?: Your search was probably too vague and included many common terms which are not indexed. Be more specific and use the options available within Advanced search.; Top

Why does my search return a blank page!?: Your search returned too many results for the web server to handle. Use “Advanced search” and be more specific in the terms used and forums that are to be searched.; Top

How do I search for members?: Visit the “Members” page and click the “Find a member” link.; Top

How can I find my own posts and topics?: Your own posts can be retrieved either by clicking the “Search user’s posts” within the My Control Panel or via View your posts link at the top of every page. To search for your topics, use the Advanced search page and fill in the various options appropriately.; Top

Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks

What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?: Bookmarking is much like bookmarking in your web browser. You aren’t alerted when there’s an update, but you can come back to the topic later. Subscribing, however, will notify you when there is an update to the topic or forum on the board via your preferred method or methods. You may view your bookmarks and subscriptions from My Control Panel.; Top

How do I subscribe to specific forums or topics?: To subscribe to a specific forum, click the “Subscribe forum” link upon entering the forum. To subscribe to a topic, reply to the topic with the subscribe checkbox checked or click the “Subscribe topic” link within the topic itself.; Top

How do I remove my subscriptions?: To remove your subscriptions, go to your My Control Panel and follow the links to your subscriptions.; Top

Attachments

What attachments are allowed on this board?: Almost all file types may be uploaded to this board except web files (.htm, .php, .exe, etc.) which may harm the site in general. You may compress/zip the file using any file compressor if it cannot be uploaded. Otherwise, please notify the administrator if you believe a file type/extension should be supported.; Top

How do I find all my attachments?: To find your list of attachments that you have uploaded, go to your My Control Panel and follow the links to the attachments section.; Top

Other Issues

Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this site?: Any of the administrators should be an appropriate point of contact for your complaints.; Top

My question is not in this Help/FAQ section, how should I proceed?: When you have queries or suggestions regarding this site, do not post it in any forum category. Please contact the site administrator for your concerns. Your query and its corresponding answer may be included in this section afterwards.; Top

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