To login into the Forum you must use the Username and Password that you entered when registering for the Forum. If you have not yet registered then you must first do so in order to login. If you have registered and still are unable to login then first check that you have all cookies enabled on your web browser, you may need to add this web site to your browsers list of trusted web sites. If you are banned from the Forums then this may prevent you form logging in, in which case check with the Forums administrator. Back to Top
Do I need to register?
You may not need to register to post in the Forums, it is up to the Forums Administrator as to whether they allow you to post in the Forums as an unregistered user. However, by registering you will be able to use additional features. It only takes a few minutes to register, so it is recommended that you do so. Back to Top
Lost Passwords
If you have lost your password then don't panic. Although passwords can not be retrieved they can be reset. To reset your password click on the Login button and at the bottom of the login page you will have a link to the lost password page to request that a new password be emailed to you. If this option is not available or you do not have a valid email address in your profile then you need to contact the Forum Administrator or a Moderator and ask them to change your password for you. Back to Top
I Registered in the past but can't login
It could be that you haven't posted anything for a while, or never posted anything. It is common for the Forum Administrator to periodically delete users from the database to free up usernames and reduce the size of the database. Back to Top
User Preferences and Forum Settings
How do I change my forum settings?
You can change your forum settings, profile information, registration details, etc. from your Member Control Panel Menu, once you have logged into the Forum. You will be able to control many aspects and access member features from this central menu. Back to Top
Forum Times and Dates are not set to my local time
The time used in the Forums is that of the server time and date, if the server is located in another country then the times and dates will be the local times of that country. To change the Times and Dates to your own local settings then simply edit your 'Forum Preferences' through your Member Control Panel Menu, and set by how many hours the time is offset from your own local time. The Forums are not designed to adjust between standard and daylight saving times, so you may need to adjust the time offset in your Forum Preferences during these months. Back to Top
What does my rank indicate?
Ranks in the forums indicate which user group you are a member of and to identify users, for example, moderators and administrators may have a special rank. Depending on the setup of the forum you may be able to use different features of the forum depending on which rank you belong to. Back to Top
Can I change my rank?
Normally you can not, but if the forum administrator has setup ranks using the ladder system you may be able to move up groups in the forum by the number of posts you have made. Back to Top
What web browser can I use for this forum?
All of the latest, most popular, web browsers on both Windows XP, and the Apple MAC OS X can be used with this forum, including; Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Firefox, Safari, Netscape, Opera, and other variants of these browsers. Although all these browsers can be used for this forum, we highly recommend using Firefox on all platforms. Back to Top
Posting Issues
How do I post a message in the forum?
To post a message in the Forums click on the relevant button on the forum or topic screens. Depending on how the forum administrator has setup the forum depends if you need to login first before you can post a message. The facilities available to you in each of the forums are listed at the bottom of the topic screen. Back to Top
How do I delete posts?
Unless you are a Forum Moderator or an Administrator you can only delete your own posts and only if the forum has been setup with the relevant rights for you to be able to delete your post. If someone has replied to your post then you will no-longer be able to delete it. Back to Top
How do I edit posts?
Unless you are a Forum Moderator or an Administrator you can only edit your own posts and only if the forum administrator has created the relevant rights for you to do so. When you edit your posts depending on the forum setup, it will display the username, time, and date of when the post was edited at the bottom of the post. Back to Top
How do I add a signature to my post?
If the forum administrator has allowed the use of signatures in the forums you can add a signature to the bottom of your posts. To do so you need to first create a signature in your 'Profile Information' through your Member Control Panel Menu, once you have done this you can add your signature to the bottom of your posts by checking the 'Show Signature' checkbox at the bottom of the posting form. Back to Top
How do I create a poll?
If you have sufficient rights to create a poll in a forum you will see a 'New Poll' button at the top of the screen on the forum and topic screens. When creating a poll you need to enter a poll question and at least two options for the poll. You may also select whether people can vote multiple times or just once in the poll. Back to Top
Why can I not view a forum?
Some forums are setup to allow only certain users or groups of users to access them. To view, read, post, etc. in a forum you may first need permission which only a forum moderator or a forum administrator can grant you. Back to Top
My post is not displayed, is ‘Hidden’, or ‘Pending Approval’
This means that you have submitted a New Post or Topic to a forum that requires the a forum admin or moderator to approve your post before it is displayed to other members or the general public. The Post is still available for the member who submitted the Post to edit or delete during this time. Back to Top
Rich Text Editor (WYSIWYG) posting issues
If you are using Internet Explorer 5+ (windows only), Netscape 7.1, Mozilla 1.3+, Mozilla Firebird 0.6.1+, and if the forum administrator has enabled it you should have a Rich Text (WYSIWYG) Editor to type your messages with. If you find that you are having problems posting using the WYSIWYG editor then you can disable this WYSIWYG Editor by simply editing your profile and selecting to turn off the WYSIWYG Posting Editor. Back to Top
Message Formatting
What are Forum Codes?
Forum Codes allow you to format the messages you post in the forums. Forum Codes are very similar to HTML except tags are enclosed in square brackets, [ and ], rather than, < and >. You can also disable Forum Codes when posting a message. Click here to view Forum Codes that are available in the forums. Back to Top
Can I use HTML?
HTML cannot be used in your posts, this is done for security reasons as malicious HTML code can be used to destroy the layout of the forum or even crash a web browser when a user tries to view a post. Back to Top
What are Emoticons (Smilies)
Emoticons or Smilies are small graphical images that can be used to express feelings or show emotions. If the forum administrators have allowed Emoticons in the forums then you can see them next to the posting form when posting a message. To add an emoticon to your post then simply click on the emoticon you would like to add to your post. Back to Top
Can I post images?
Images can be added to your posts, if the forum administrators have allowed uploading of images you can use this to upload an image from your own computer into your message. However, if image uploading is not available then you will need to link to the image that needs to be stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.mysite.com/my-picture.jpg. Back to Top
What are closed topics?
Closed Topics are set this way by forum administrators or moderators. Once a Topic is closed you will no-longer be able to post a reply in that topic or vote in a poll. Back to Top
User Groups
What are Forum Administrators?
Forums Administrators are people who have the highest level of control over the forums, they have the ability to turn on and off features on the forums, ban users, remove users, edit and delete posts, create users groups, etc. Back to Top
What are Forum Moderators?
Moderators are individuals or groups of users who look after the day to day running of the forums. They have the power to edit, delete, move, close, unclose, topics and posts, in the forum they moderate. Moderators generally are there to prevent people from posting offensive or abusive material. Back to Top
What are User Groups?
User Groups are a way to group users. Each user is a member of a usergroup and each group can be assigned individual rights in forums, to read, view, post, create polls, etc. Back to Top
Private Messaging
What is Private Messaging?
If the forum administrator has enabled Private Messaging you can use the forums built in Private Messaging System to send Private Messages to other forum members. The system works very much like email, but within the Forum System. Back to Top
I cannot send Private Messages
There maybe several reasons for this, you are not logged in, you are not registered, or the forum administrators have disabled the Private Messaging system. Back to Top
I cannot send Private Messages to some users
This maybe because the person you are trying to send a Private Message to has blocked you from being able to send them Private Messages, the persons 'Inbox' is full, or you have exceeded the number of Private Messages you can send in this hour. If any of these are case you should receive a message informing you of this if you try to send the member a Private Message. Back to Top
How can I prevent someone from sending me Private Messages
If you do find that you are getting unwanted Private Messages from a user you can block them from sending you Private Messages. To do this go into the Private Messaging system and go to your buddy list. Go to add the user as a buddy, but instead choose the option from the drop down list 'Not to message you', this will prevent this user from sending you anymore Private Messages. Back to Top
RSS Feeds
What is an RSS Feed?
RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a technology using XML that allows web sites to syndicate web site content. If the forum administer has enabled RSS Feeds you can subscribe to any of the RSS Feeds available in the forum so you are always up-to-date with the latest Posts or Calendar Events. Back to Top
How Do I Subscribe to the Forums RSS Feeds?
There are many ways you can subscribe to one or all of the RSS Feed’s available within the forum, by either; using a Web Browser that supports Live RSS Bookmarks (Firefox, IE7, Safari, Opera), using an online RSS News Reader, installing an RSS News Reader on your computer, or using an email program that supports RSS like Mozilla Thunderbird. Back to Top
Calendar System
What is the Calendar System?
The Calendar System is a built in Calendar System that works very much like a normal calendar or diary, with Week View, Month View, and Year View. You can select what Week, Month, or Year, you wish to view and see Calendar Events and member birthdays for your selected date. Back to Top
How do I create a Calendar Event?
If the forum administrator has granted a member or group permission to create a Calendar Event you can select an ‘Event Date’ when creating a New Topic. This Event can then be viewed in like any other Forum Topic or through the Calendar System where it is displayed under the date the event occurs on. Back to Top
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