SC User Forums • Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Login and Registration Issues: Why can’t I login?; Why do I need to register at all?; Why do I get logged off automatically?; How do I prevent my username 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?; What does the “Delete all board cookies” do?

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?

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 access a forum?; Why can’t I add attachments?; Why did I receive a warning?; How can I report posts to a moderator?; What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?; Why does my post need to be approved?

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

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?

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 do the various forum and topic icons mean?

Private Messaging: I cannot send private messages!; I keep getting unwanted private messages!

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

Login and Registration Issues

Why can’t I login?: There are several reasons why this could occur. First, ensure your username and password are correct. If they are, contact the forum administrator to make sure you haven’t been banned. It is also possible the website owner has a configuration error on their end, and they would need to fix it.; Top

Why do I need to register at all?: You need to register in order to post messages. This is required to protect the forums from abuse and spam. It only takes a few moments 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 login, the forums 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 forums from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university computer lab, etc.; Top

How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?: Within your User 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 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. Also, our forums require new registrations to be activated. If you were sent an e-mail, follow the instructions. 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 filer. If you are sure the e-mail address you provided is correct, try contacting an 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 an administrator has deactivated or deleted your account for some reason. Also, if you have not posted for a long time, an admin may have deactivated your account 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 an admin has banned your IP address or disallowed the username you are attempting to register. They could have also disabled registration to prevent new visitors from signing up. Contact a board administrator for assistance.; Top

What does the “Delete all board cookies” do?: “Delete all board cookies” deletes the cookies created by phpBB which keep you authenticated and logged into the board. It also provides functions such as read tracking if they have been enabled by the board owner. If you are having login or logout problems, deleting board cookies may help.; Top

User Preferences and settings

How do I change my settings?: If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the forum database. To alter them, visit your User Control Panel; a link can usually be found at the top of forum pages. This system will allow you to change all your settings and preferences.; Top

The times are not correct!: It is possible the time displayed is from a timezone different from the one you are in. If this is the case, visit your User 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?: The image that may appear below a username when viewing posts is known as an avatar and is generally unique or personal to each user. You can add an avatar from the Profile tab of your of your User Control Panel.; 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 an 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. 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. Please note that 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 your User 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?: Currently polls are only allowed by admins and moderators. If you wish to see a pole conducted please contact the admin.; Top

Why can’t I access a forum?: Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view, read, post or perform another action you may need special permissions. Contact a moderator or administrator to grant you access.; Top

Why can’t I add attachments?: Attachment permissions are granted on a per forum basis. Most forums allow the attachment of graphics with the standard graphic file extensions (.gif, .jpeg, .png, etc.). Only the File Area forums allow users to post SuperCard projects or other files; and these must be zipped archives with the ".zip" extension.; Top

Why did I receive a warning?: If you have broken a rule or acted in a manner outside the spirit of these forums you may be issued a warning. Please note that this is solely the administrator’s decision. Contact the board administrator if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning.; Top

How can I report posts to a moderator?: You should see 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 the User Control Panel.; Top

Why does my post need to be approved?: The forum administrator may have decided that posts in the forum you are posting to require review before submission. It is also possible that the administrator has placed you in a group of users whose posts require review before submission. Please contact the board administrator for further details.; Top

Attachments

What attachments are allowed on this board?: Most forums allow the attachment of graphics with the standard graphic file extensions (.gif, .jpeg, .png, etc.). Only the File Area forums allow users to post SuperCard projects or other files; and these must be zipped archives with the ".zip" extension. If you are unsure what is allowed to be uploaded, contact the board administrator for assistance.; Top

How do I find all my attachments?: To find your list of attachments that you have uploaded, go to your User Control Panel and follow the links to the attachments section.; 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 “Advance Search” link which is available on all pages on the forum. How to access the search may depend on the style used.; Top

Why does my search return no results?: Your search was probably too vague and included too many common terms which are not indexed by in the database. 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 webserver 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 User Control Panel or via your own profile 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.; 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 User Control Panel and follow the links to your subscriptions.; 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. The board administrator may also have set a limit to the number of smilies you may use within a post.; Top

Can I post images?: Yes, images can be shown in your posts. You can upload the image to the board, or you can 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.; 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 your User Control Panel. Global announcement permissions are granted by the board 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 forum 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 forum administrator.; Top

What are locked topics?: Locked topics are topics where users can no longer reply. Topics may be locked for many reasons and were set this way by either the forum moderator or administrator.; Top

What do the various forum and topic icons mean?: These icons display various information about forums and topics such as whether they contained new posts. For a complete icon legend please CLICK HERE.; Top

Private Messaging

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

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

Friends and Foes

What are my Friends and Foes lists?: You can use these lists to organise other members of the forums. Members added to your friends list will be listed within your User Control Panel for quick access to see their online status and to send them private messages. Posts from these users may also be highlighted. 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 User 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