How do I format the text of my posts and messages?

When posting messages you may wish to include some formatting of your text such as bold, italic, or underlined.

Adding formatting to your post can be done in two ways:

• Using clickable controls similar to those found in most word processors
• Typing formatting commands in BB code

Clickable controls are available in the Standard and Enhanced WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors. The difference between these is that the Standard editor will show the BB code in your message and be processed when it is displayed. The enhanced WYSIWYG editor will show your message as it will be displayed while you are typing. Go to your Settings Control Panel by clicking on "Settings" at the top of every page. From there choose "General Settings" and scroll down to the "Message Editor Interface" under "Miscellaneous" to change from the default editor (WYSIWYG) to Standard. You may also choose to use the Basic editor, which will disable all formatting options.

To use the clickable controls, simply click the formatting button at the top of the entry box, for example the B (bold) button and then type to get bold text. Click the button again to stop using that formatting. You can also highlight, then click the formatting button to format existing text.

You can format paragraphs within your post or message by using clickable controls, too. Choose from left, center, or right alignments or add lists, tables, and horizontal lines.

In the Standard editor interface, you may choose do to any of this formatting using BB code.

As a registered participant you can go to any non-restricted forum to view threads and leave replies. To reply you have a few options. You can click on the + Reply to Thread button and add a new post to the end of the thread. Alternatively, you can leave a quick reply in a quick editor box listed below the posts in the thread.

To quote a particular post, click on the "Reply with Quote" button to automatically take you to the post page with the post quoted.

If you want to post replies to multiple posts you can select them by clicking the multi quote button . This button will change to indicate that you've selected it. Clicking post reply will then bring you to the full editor with all the posts quoted.

Can I edit or delete my posts?

If you have registered and are logged in, you will be able to edit or delete your posts within 6 hours of posting.

To edit or delete your posts, click the Edit Post button by the particular post. Make your edit and place a comment giving the reason for the edit. If your post was the first in the thread, then you will not be able to delete it.

Once you've made your modifications, a note will appear to inform other users that you have edited your post.

If the edit time and date appear as a link you can click on this to see the differences between the original and edited versions, or between edits if there have been multiple edits.

If the window to edit your post has passed, you can report your own post and provide the change you would like in the reason. Our Message Board Volunteers will help.

Can others edit my posts?

Administrators and moderators may also edit your messages. If they do, there will be a note telling other users that the post was modified and why. You will also receive a private message explaining the reason for the edit.

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".

How do I create a new poll?

When you post a new thread, you may also have the option to create a poll.

This allows you to ask a question and specify a number of possible responses. Other participants 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 of a poll might be:

What is your favorite color?

• Red
• Blue
• Yellow
• Green
• Sky-blue
• Pink with yellow spots

To create a poll when you post a new thread, simply click the "Yes, post a poll with this thread" checkbox at the bottom of the page, and set the number of possible responses you want to include.

When you click the submit button, you will be taken to the poll creation page, where you can specify the question and the list of responses you want to include.

You may also want to specify a time limit for the poll, so that (for example) it stays open for voting for only a week.

How do I vote in a poll and view the results?

To vote in a poll, simply select which option you want to vote for, and click the "Vote!" button. Sometimes you can choose more than one option. You can see the current results for a poll before you vote by clicking the "View Results" link. 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!

How do I attach a file to a post?

To attach a file to your post, you need to be using the main "New Post" or "New Thread" page and not "Quick Reply". To use the main "New Post" page, click the "Post Reply" button in the relevant thread, or choose the "Go Advanced" option at the bottom right of the Quick Reply box.

On this page, below the message box, you will find a button labelled "Manage Attachments". Clicking this button will open a new window for uploading attachments. You can upload an attachment either from your computer or from another URL by using the appropriate box on this page. Alternatively you can click the Attachment Icon to open this page.

To upload a file from your computer, click the "Browse" button and locate the file. To upload a file from another URL, enter the full URL for the file in the second box on this page. Once you have completed one of the boxes, click "Upload".

Once the upload is completed the file name will appear below the input boxes in this window. You can then close the window to return to the new post screen.

What files types can I use? How large can attachments be?

In the attachment window you will find a list of the allowed file types and their maximum sizes. Files that are larger than these sizes will be rejected. There may also be an overall quota limit to the number of attachments you can post to the board.

How do I add an image to a post?

If you have uploaded an image as an attachment, you can click the arrow next to the "Attachment Icon" and select it from the list. This will be inserted into your post and can be located where you want it displayed.

To include an image that is not uploaded as an attachment and is located on a reputable image storage site, you can do so by copying the full URL to the image, (not the page on which the image is located), and either pressing the "Insert Image" icon or by typing [img] before the URL and [/img] after it, ensuring that you do not have any spaces before or after the URL of the image.

Please note: Only images hosted by a reputable image service such as Photobucket, ImageShack, Flickr may be used. No hotlinking is permitted.

What are smilies?

Smilies or emoticons are icons that can be used in your posts to express emotions or feelings. You might wish to use these to show that you are happy, sad, joking, or embarrassed. For example, if you are telling a joke or being sarcastic you may wish to add a wink instead of writing "this is a joke".

The basic smilies are the same as what you would find on any instant messenger system. They are made up of a combination of characters which often show the basis of the resulting image. For example, :) is converted to a smiley face and :( to a sad face or frown. Tilt your head to the left to see this in action as these consist of two eyes and a mouth either smiling or frowning.

How do I add smilies?

Smilies can be accessed from the "New Post" or "New Thread" pages. Clicking them will automatically insert them into your message. You can also type the character combinations for the smilies directly. A full list of the smilies and their character combinations used on this forum can be found 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".

What are message icons?

Message Icons, also known as Post Icons, are small icons that appear in the title of your post. If your post is the first in a thread, then they also display in the thread listings. They can be found below the message box on the "New Post" and "New Thread" pages. Simply select the icon that you wish to use and this will be displayed before your thread title.

What are moderators and administrators?

Moderators oversee specific forums. They generally have the ability to edit and delete posts, move threads, and perform other actions.

Administrators are the people who have overall control of everything that happens on the board. They oversee how the board is styled, what forums to create and how to organize them, what information to require from members, who to appoint as moderators, and enforce the Terms of Service.

BB code is a special set of codes similar to HTML that can be used in posts to the board. To see the full list of BB code tags that can be used on this site and examples of their use, click here.