Registering
Registration is required if you plan to post new topics or reply to existing topics in most forums. There are two forums that do not require registration: Welcome, Vistors! and Free For All. Registration is free, and you can chose any username not already in use. Your password will be mailed to the email address you provide.
Smilies
You've probably seen others use smilies before in email messages or other bulletin board posts. Smilies are keyboard characters used to convey an emotion, such as a smile :) or a frown :(. This bulletin board automatically converts certain smilies to a graphical representation. For example, if you type :o in your BB post, it will automatically be converted to - an embarrassed face. The smilies are listed here.
Using HTML and/or UBB Code
You can use HTML and/or UBB Codes in your posts in all forums. You may use any HTML tags, but please be very careful that you use proper HTML syntax. If you do not, your moderator or administrator may have to edit your post. UBB Code is similar to HTML but uses square brackets instead of angle brackets, and it offers some higher level functions such as quoting. A complete list of current UBB Codes are listed here.
Moderators and Administrators
Moderators control individual forums. They can edit, delete, or prune any posts in their forums. If you have a question about a particular forum, you should direct it to your forum moderator. Administrators have the same power as moderators in all forums.
Changing Your Profile
You may easily change any info stored in your registration profile using the "profile" link located near the top of each page. Simply identify yourself by typing your username and password and all of your profile information will appear on screen. You may change any items, except your username.
Customizing User Preferences
As a registered bulletin board user, you may store your username and password in memory for up to one year at a time. This will prevent you from having to type your user name and password every time you post a note. You also have the option of changing the default number of topics to view. Just click on the "preferencess" link located near the top of each page and you can change either of these settings.
Cookies
This bulletin board uses cookies to store the following information: the last time you logged in, your username and password, and your preferred "topic view", if you set it in preferences. These cookies are stored on your browser. Cookies are not used to track your movement or perform any function other than to enhance your use of the bulletin board. If your browser does not support cookies, or you have not enabled cookies on your browser, many of these time-saving features will not work properly.
You may delete all cookies set in this forum by visiting the "preferences" area of the forum and selecting the "delete cookies" link.
Editing Your Posts
You may edit your own posts at any time. Just go to the topic where the post to be edited is located and you will see an edit icon. Click on this icon to edit the post. No one else can edit your post, except for forum moderators and board administrators. A note is generated at the bottom of each post that is edited so that everyone knows when a post has been edited.
Adding Signatures
You may use a signature in your posts. If you click on the profile link at the top of most bulletin board pages you will be able to edit your profile, including your standard signature. Once you have a signature stored you can choose to include it any post you make by checking the "include signature" box when you create your post.
Note: You may not use UBB codes in your signature.
Attaching Files
For security reasons, you may not attach files to any posts. You may cut and paste text into your post, however, or use HTML and/or UBB Code (if enabled) to provide hyperlinks to outside documents.
Searching For Specific Posts
You may search for specific posts based on a word or words found in the posts, user name, date, and particular forum(s). Just click on the "search" link at the top of most pages. Note: announcements are not included in the search returns.
Announcements
Announcements are one-way communications from either a forum moderator or a bulletin board administrator. No one may post replies to these announcements. If you want to talk about specific announcements, you will have to create a new topic in the appropriate forum.
Lost User Name and/or Password
Retrieving your username and password is simple. All of the pages that require you to identify yourself with your username and password carry a "lost password" link that you can use to have your username and password emailed instantly to your email address of record.
Email Notification
If you create a new topic, you have the option of receiving an email notification every time someone posts a reply to your topic. Just check the email notification box on the "New Topic" form when you create your new topic.
What is the Topic List for All Forums?
When you visit this bulletin board, you will see a link at the top of the list of forums called "View All Active Topics". Clicking on this will provide you with a time-ordered list of topics in all open (non private) forums.
What are archives?
Archives are read-only areas that contain topics that were previously posted to one of our forums. You may not add a reply to a topic that is in an archive. Topics in an archive may have been completely removed from the original forum where they were started, or they may still exist in their forums.
What are icons?
You can associate an icon with each message that you post. There are currently 14 icons, each expressing a different emotion or identification. These icons range from a simple note to sadness to warning. These icons appear next to each topic in a forum listing and on each post.
- an embarrassed face. The smilies are listed