Post by Gromit on Sept 14, 2011 19:20:18 GMT
This item is intended to serve as a source of answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions being asked about how to use the features of this forum.
As more questions arise, answers will be added to this FAQ as quickly as possible.
1. Your Profile:
Each registered user has a recorded profile stored as part of this forums database. You can customise that profile in many ways.
There are four common items to customise in your profile.
a) Personalized Picture: This is the avatar or thumbnail image that is displayed alongside users posts, there are a few included within the system that you can select from.
As an alternative you can use your own image but be aware that the image must be available at an Internet address for this feature to work. For example, if your image is a file called 'me.jpg' in a folder called 'mypics' at a website called 'www.mywebsite.com' then the address of that file would be 'http://www.mywebsite.com/mypics/me.jpg'. This address should be entered in the I have my own pic: box and the check box next to it needs to be checked.
Please try to keep the size of the image under 100x100 pixels, if your picture is bigger you can force the forum to display it at 100x100 pixels by setting the Custom Avatar Width: and Custom Avatar Height: boxes to 100 each.
b) Hide E-mail from public?: If you don't want other forum users to be able to see the e-mail address you used to register with then check this box.
c) Time Offset: This has caused some confusion, the forum runs on a computer based in the USA, as a result its default time setting is US, some 5 hours behind the UK. You can use this option to adjust the time you see on the forum, note that it only applies to your profile, making a change yourself will not change the whole forums time settings. This feature allows overseas users to adjust time settings to match their locale.
d) Signature: If you add text to the signature box it will be appended to every post you make, it would be useful if users would include their current IPMS membership number as part of their signature. Please note that there is a limit on the number of characters your signature can contain.
2. Making Posts:
a) Add tags: This forum provides a number of facilities for including text and layout effects in your posts. The trick is to click the button you want first and then type your comments over the word TEXT that the button click inserts.
b) Keeping up to date: When you make a post you can choose to check the Notify of replies: box, this means that whenever a user replies to a post you've made you will receive and e-mail alerting you. If you want to track other users posts then click on the 'notify' button at the bottom of their post and again you will be sent an e-mail alert.
c) Quoting: This feature can be very useful if you want to highlight the comments of another user or reply directly to something they've said. When you click the 'quote' button on someones post the reply box you see will contain the original post enclosed between an opening and closing 'quote' tag, you can edit the quoted text, you can also create more 'quoted' text by clicking the 'insert quote' button, it is the second to last button on the second row of the Add tags: section of the reply screen.
d) Private message: The forum provides every user with a private messaging function, you can use this to contact another user directly without needing to know an e-mail address. On any screen where you see the users name just click on it and you will be given the option of sending them a private message. If you receive a private message you will be notified of it when you login to the forum. The notification is at the top of the forum page in the fixed header banner.
As more questions arise, answers will be added to this FAQ as quickly as possible.
1. Your Profile:
Each registered user has a recorded profile stored as part of this forums database. You can customise that profile in many ways.
There are four common items to customise in your profile.
a) Personalized Picture: This is the avatar or thumbnail image that is displayed alongside users posts, there are a few included within the system that you can select from.
As an alternative you can use your own image but be aware that the image must be available at an Internet address for this feature to work. For example, if your image is a file called 'me.jpg' in a folder called 'mypics' at a website called 'www.mywebsite.com' then the address of that file would be 'http://www.mywebsite.com/mypics/me.jpg'. This address should be entered in the I have my own pic: box and the check box next to it needs to be checked.
Please try to keep the size of the image under 100x100 pixels, if your picture is bigger you can force the forum to display it at 100x100 pixels by setting the Custom Avatar Width: and Custom Avatar Height: boxes to 100 each.
b) Hide E-mail from public?: If you don't want other forum users to be able to see the e-mail address you used to register with then check this box.
c) Time Offset: This has caused some confusion, the forum runs on a computer based in the USA, as a result its default time setting is US, some 5 hours behind the UK. You can use this option to adjust the time you see on the forum, note that it only applies to your profile, making a change yourself will not change the whole forums time settings. This feature allows overseas users to adjust time settings to match their locale.
d) Signature: If you add text to the signature box it will be appended to every post you make, it would be useful if users would include their current IPMS membership number as part of their signature. Please note that there is a limit on the number of characters your signature can contain.
2. Making Posts:
a) Add tags: This forum provides a number of facilities for including text and layout effects in your posts. The trick is to click the button you want first and then type your comments over the word TEXT that the button click inserts.
b) Keeping up to date: When you make a post you can choose to check the Notify of replies: box, this means that whenever a user replies to a post you've made you will receive and e-mail alerting you. If you want to track other users posts then click on the 'notify' button at the bottom of their post and again you will be sent an e-mail alert.
c) Quoting: This feature can be very useful if you want to highlight the comments of another user or reply directly to something they've said. When you click the 'quote' button on someones post the reply box you see will contain the original post enclosed between an opening and closing 'quote' tag, you can edit the quoted text, you can also create more 'quoted' text by clicking the 'insert quote' button, it is the second to last button on the second row of the Add tags: section of the reply screen.
d) Private message: The forum provides every user with a private messaging function, you can use this to contact another user directly without needing to know an e-mail address. On any screen where you see the users name just click on it and you will be given the option of sending them a private message. If you receive a private message you will be notified of it when you login to the forum. The notification is at the top of the forum page in the fixed header banner.