Post by admin on Jun 18, 2006 1:27:28 GMT 1
Are there any special codes/tags I can use to markup my posts?
For the most part, your posts will contain plain text, but on occasions, you may want to emphasize certain words or phrases by making them (for example) bold or italic.
Depending on the rules of the forum, you may use UBBC code to produce these effects. UBBC: a special set of tags which you can use to produce the most popular text-effects. UBBC code has the advantage that it is very simple to use, and is immune to malicious javascripts and page layout disruption.
You may also find that the administrator has enabled smilies, which allow you to use small icons to convey emotion, and the [img] code, which allows you to add pictures to your message.
For more information about UBBC code, click here.
What is email/pm notification?
If you post a new thread, or reply to an existing thread by clicking reply
, you can choose to be notified by email or private message when someone else replies to that thread. Tick the Bookmark check box under the message field . You can also choose to receive email or a private message notifications of new posts in a thread without posting in that thread, by clicking the 'bookmark' button displayed at the top and bottom left the thread.
If you choose to stop receiving email notifications from a thread, you can turn off the option by either clicking the remove bookmark button on the thread, or by unsubscribing from the thread in manage bookmarks.
Manage bookmarks by going to your profile, clicking on 'Bookmarks' link at the top of your profile, clicking on the 'manage bookmarks' link at the top right of your list of bookmarks.
you then have
The option of checking a box and clicking 'update bookmarks and preferences' to delete a bookmark. To check all boxes check the subject box.
The option to choose no notification, email, or private message(pm) for each thread.click 'update bookmarks and preferences'.
The option to set your default notification, no notification, email, or private message(pm).click 'update bookmarks and preferences'.
Only registered users may receive email notification.
What are smilies?
Smilies are small graphical icons which you can insert into your messages to convey an emotion or feeling, such as a joke or embarrassment. For example, if you entered a sarcastic comment, rather than type 'that was a joke', you could simply insert the 'wink' smilie.
If you have used email or internet chat systems, you will probably be familiar with the concept of smilies already. Certain combinations of text characters are converted into smilies. For example, :) is converted into a smiling face
. To understand smilie codes, tilt your head to the left and look at the text: you will see that :) represents two eyes and a smiling mouth.
For a list of the smilies currently used by this forum, click here.
On occasions, you may want to prevent the text in your message being converted into smilies. You will see a checkbox which you can select when you make a new post, which will allow you to 'Disable Smilies'.
Code Buttons and Clickable Smilies
These controls allow you to quickly and easily enter ubbc code into your posts and messages. To use them, simply click the appropriate buttons or select items from the lists to enter ubbc Bcode.
There are two ways to use the code buttons.
Highlight the code first, the whilst it's highlighted click the button, this will place a start tag at the beginning of the highllighted text, and an end tag which closes the the command, at the end of the highlighted text.
or
click the buttton place the cursor in the middle, between the start(opening) tag and end(closing) for example, to make text bold...
click
This gives you [b][/b]
put your cursor between the ][ and type your text [b]your text[/b]
this gives you your text
If using multiple code tags always close the last one you opened first, for example bold and underlined text. your text [b][u]your text[/u][/b] open bold open underline, close underline close bold. [b][u]your text[/b][/u] is wrong and won't always work
A more detailed explanation and guide to using all the code buttons will be available soon.
To use the clickable smilies, simply click the smiley that you want to insert into your message, or click the Show All Smilies link (if available) to access the full list of smilies. Extra on site smillies will be added soon.
How do I create and vote in polls?
You may notice that some threads on this forum also include a section where you can vote on an issue or question. These threads are called 'polls' and this is how to create them:
Creating a new poll
When you post a new thread, simply click the new poll button
instead of 
on the top or bottom right of the Board
This function allows you to give the thread a subject, ask a poll question and specify a number of possible responses, click at the bottom to display more response fields. choose your message icon and Add your post underneath, as with a standard post, explaining the poll. Other members will then be able to vote for the response they wish, and the results of the voting will be displayed in the thread.
An example poll might be:
What is your favorite color?
1. Red
2. Blue
3. Yellow
4. Green
5. Sky-blue pink with yellow spots
To vote in a poll, simply select which option you want to vote for, and click the [Vote!] button. Voting in a poll is entirely optional. You may vote for any of the available options, or cast no vote at all.
Generally, once you have voted in a poll, you will not be able to change your vote later, so place your vote carefully!
What Are Attachments?
The administrator may allow you to use the attachment feature of this forum, which gives you the ability to attach files of certain types to your posts. This could be an image, a text document, a zip file etc. There will be a limit to the file size of any attachments you make.
To attach a file to a new post, simply click the [Manage Attachments] button at the bottom of the post composition page, and locate the file that you want to attach from your local hard drive.
Only certain types of files may be attached: these are the valid file extensions for files to be attached to this forum: bmp doc gif jpe jpeg jpg pdf png psd txt zip.
After posting, the image attachments may display a thumbnail, depending on the forum settings. To view the contents of the attachment (if it is not already displayed) simply click the filename link that appears next to the attachment icon.
What are message icons?
The administrator may have enabled message icons for new threads, posts and private messages. Message icons allow you to specify a small icon to accompany your posting, which is used to convey the emotion or content of a post at a glance. If you do not see a list of message icons when you are composing your message or post, the administrator has disabled the option.
Can I edit my own posts?
If you have registered, you will be able to edit and delete your posts. .
To edit or delete your posts, click the edit button
or delete button 
in the top right corner of the post you want to edit or delete. If your post was the first in the thread, then deleting the post may result in the removal of the entire thread.
After you have made your modifications, a note will appear, which notifies other users that you have edited your post and also when. . Administrators and moderators may also edit your messages, in this case the edit note will give the moderators/admins display name and time/date of edit .
What Are Moderators?
Moderators oversee specific forums. They generally have the ability to edit and delete posts, move threads, and perform other manipulations. Becoming a moderator for a specific forum is usually rewarded to users who are particularly helpful and knowledgeable in the subject of the forum they are moderating
Global Moderators oversee all forums.
Administrators oversee running and maintenance of the whole site.
Why have some of the words in my post been blanked
Certain words may have been censored by the administrator. If your posts contain any censored words, they will be blanked-out like this: *****, or substituted for a more suitable word.
The same words are censored for all users, and censoring is done by a computer simply searching and replacing words. It is in no way 'intelligent'.
For the most part, your posts will contain plain text, but on occasions, you may want to emphasize certain words or phrases by making them (for example) bold or italic.
Depending on the rules of the forum, you may use UBBC code to produce these effects. UBBC: a special set of tags which you can use to produce the most popular text-effects. UBBC code has the advantage that it is very simple to use, and is immune to malicious javascripts and page layout disruption.
You may also find that the administrator has enabled smilies, which allow you to use small icons to convey emotion, and the [img] code, which allows you to add pictures to your message.
For more information about UBBC code, click here.
What is email/pm notification?
If you post a new thread, or reply to an existing thread by clicking reply
, you can choose to be notified by email or private message when someone else replies to that thread. Tick the Bookmark check box under the message field . You can also choose to receive email or a private message notifications of new posts in a thread without posting in that thread, by clicking the 'bookmark' button displayed at the top and bottom left the thread.If you choose to stop receiving email notifications from a thread, you can turn off the option by either clicking the remove bookmark button on the thread, or by unsubscribing from the thread in manage bookmarks.
Manage bookmarks by going to your profile, clicking on 'Bookmarks' link at the top of your profile, clicking on the 'manage bookmarks' link at the top right of your list of bookmarks.
you then have
The option of checking a box and clicking 'update bookmarks and preferences' to delete a bookmark. To check all boxes check the subject box.
The option to choose no notification, email, or private message(pm) for each thread.click 'update bookmarks and preferences'.
The option to set your default notification, no notification, email, or private message(pm).click 'update bookmarks and preferences'.
Only registered users may receive email notification.
What are smilies?
Smilies are small graphical icons which you can insert into your messages to convey an emotion or feeling, such as a joke or embarrassment. For example, if you entered a sarcastic comment, rather than type 'that was a joke', you could simply insert the 'wink' smilie.
If you have used email or internet chat systems, you will probably be familiar with the concept of smilies already. Certain combinations of text characters are converted into smilies. For example, :) is converted into a smiling face
. To understand smilie codes, tilt your head to the left and look at the text: you will see that :) represents two eyes and a smiling mouth. For a list of the smilies currently used by this forum, click here.
On occasions, you may want to prevent the text in your message being converted into smilies. You will see a checkbox which you can select when you make a new post, which will allow you to 'Disable Smilies'.
Code Buttons and Clickable Smilies
These controls allow you to quickly and easily enter ubbc code into your posts and messages. To use them, simply click the appropriate buttons or select items from the lists to enter ubbc Bcode.
There are two ways to use the code buttons.
Highlight the code first, the whilst it's highlighted click the button, this will place a start tag at the beginning of the highllighted text, and an end tag which closes the the command, at the end of the highlighted text.
or
click the buttton place the cursor in the middle, between the start(opening) tag and end(closing) for example, to make text bold...
click
This gives you [b][/b]
put your cursor between the ][ and type your text [b]your text[/b]
this gives you your text
If using multiple code tags always close the last one you opened first, for example bold and underlined text. your text [b][u]your text[/u][/b] open bold open underline, close underline close bold. [b][u]your text[/b][/u] is wrong and won't always work
A more detailed explanation and guide to using all the code buttons will be available soon.
To use the clickable smilies, simply click the smiley that you want to insert into your message, or click the Show All Smilies link (if available) to access the full list of smilies. Extra on site smillies will be added soon.
How do I create and vote in polls?
You may notice that some threads on this forum also include a section where you can vote on an issue or question. These threads are called 'polls' and this is how to create them:
Creating a new poll
When you post a new thread, simply click the new poll button
instead of on the top or bottom right of the Board This function allows you to give the thread a subject, ask a poll question and specify a number of possible responses, click at the bottom to display more response fields. choose your message icon and Add your post underneath, as with a standard post, explaining the poll. Other members will then be able to vote for the response they wish, and the results of the voting will be displayed in the thread.
An example poll might be:
What is your favorite color?
1. Red
2. Blue
3. Yellow
4. Green
5. Sky-blue pink with yellow spots
To vote in a poll, simply select which option you want to vote for, and click the [Vote!] button. Voting in a poll is entirely optional. You may vote for any of the available options, or cast no vote at all.
Generally, once you have voted in a poll, you will not be able to change your vote later, so place your vote carefully!
What Are Attachments?
The administrator may allow you to use the attachment feature of this forum, which gives you the ability to attach files of certain types to your posts. This could be an image, a text document, a zip file etc. There will be a limit to the file size of any attachments you make.
To attach a file to a new post, simply click the [Manage Attachments] button at the bottom of the post composition page, and locate the file that you want to attach from your local hard drive.
Only certain types of files may be attached: these are the valid file extensions for files to be attached to this forum: bmp doc gif jpe jpeg jpg pdf png psd txt zip.
After posting, the image attachments may display a thumbnail, depending on the forum settings. To view the contents of the attachment (if it is not already displayed) simply click the filename link that appears next to the attachment icon.
What are message icons?
The administrator may have enabled message icons for new threads, posts and private messages. Message icons allow you to specify a small icon to accompany your posting, which is used to convey the emotion or content of a post at a glance. If you do not see a list of message icons when you are composing your message or post, the administrator has disabled the option.
Can I edit my own posts?
If you have registered, you will be able to edit and delete your posts. .
To edit or delete your posts, click the edit button
or delete button in the top right corner of the post you want to edit or delete. If your post was the first in the thread, then deleting the post may result in the removal of the entire thread.After you have made your modifications, a note will appear, which notifies other users that you have edited your post and also when. . Administrators and moderators may also edit your messages, in this case the edit note will give the moderators/admins display name and time/date of edit .
What Are Moderators?
Moderators oversee specific forums. They generally have the ability to edit and delete posts, move threads, and perform other manipulations. Becoming a moderator for a specific forum is usually rewarded to users who are particularly helpful and knowledgeable in the subject of the forum they are moderating
Global Moderators oversee all forums.
Administrators oversee running and maintenance of the whole site.
Why have some of the words in my post been blanked
Certain words may have been censored by the administrator. If your posts contain any censored words, they will be blanked-out like this: *****, or substituted for a more suitable word.
The same words are censored for all users, and censoring is done by a computer simply searching and replacing words. It is in no way 'intelligent'.