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| Login and Registration Issues |
Why can't I log in?
Have you registered? Seriously, you must register in order to log in. Have you been banned from the board? A message will be displayed if you have. If you have registered and are not banned and you still cannot log in then check and double-check that your username and password are correct. Usually this is the problem. If you have lost your password you can have a new one emailed to you by clicking the link on the log-in page
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I can log in OK, but why do I get logged off automatically?
If you do not check the Log me in automatically box when you log in, the board 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 board from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university cluster, etc.
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I've checked the Log me in automatically box but I still have to log in again next time I visit!
It's probably because your browser is not accepting the cookie which the forum software needs to deposit on your system to remember your log-in information. This may be because the LSOC site comes from a number of different servers. Internet Explorer users should do the following. Click 'Tools' in your browser menu above, then 'Internet Options'. Select the 'Privacy' tab and the click the button at the bottom marked 'Edit'. In the address box type jkwebdesign.net and then click the 'Allow' button. then click 'OK' (twice) and that should solve the problem. If it doesn't then it's probably because your security settings are too high, or if you are accessing the forum from your office, the company firewall may be blocking the forum cookies. If the latter is the case, your company's IT department may be able to help you.
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How do I prevent my username from appearing in the online user listings?
As long as you're logged in you can't. Why would you want to?
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I've lost my password!
Don't panic! While your password cannot be retrieved it can be reset. To do this go to the login page and click I've forgotten my password. Follow the instructions and you should be back online in no time.
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I registered but cannot log in!
First check that you are entering the correct username and password. If you are newly registered (and assuming your application was accepted) you will need to click on the link in the confirmation email that you received to activate your account.
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I registered in the past but cannot log in anymore!
The most likely reasons for this are: you entered an incorrect username or password (check the email you were sent when you first registered) or the administrator has deleted your account for some reason. If it is the latter case then perhaps you did not post anything? We periodically remove users who do not use the board for long periods so as to reduce the size of the database. Try registering again and get involved in discussions.
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| User Preferences and settings |
How do I change my settings?
All your settings are stored in the database. To alter them click the Edit Your Profile link at the top of any page. This will allow you to change all your settings.
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The times are not correct!
The times are almost certainly correct; however, what you may be seeing are times displayed in a timezone different from the one you are in. If this is the case, you should change your profile setting for the timezone to match your particular area, e.g. London, Paris, New York, Sydney, etc.
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I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!
If you are sure you have set the timezone correctly and the time is still different, the most likely answer is daylight savings time (or summer time as it is known in the UK and other places). The board is not designed to handle the changeovers between standard and daylight time so during summer months the time may be an hour different from the real local time. In the UK you should set the time to GMT +1 hour during summertime.
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How do I show an image below my username?
You can set your Avatar image in your profile. You can select one from the Library, or upload your own assuming it's not obscene or offensive and meets the size and dimension requirements
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| Posting Issues |
How do I post a topic in a forum?
Easy -- click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You need to be registered and logged in before you can post a message. The facilities available to you are listed at the bottom of the forum and topic screens (the You can post new topics, You can vote in polls, etc. list)
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How do I edit or delete a post?
Unless you are the board admin or forum 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 that lists the number of times you edited it. This will only appear if no one has replied; it also will not appear if moderators or administrators edit the post. Please note that normal users cannot delete a post once someone has replied.
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How do I add a signature to my post?
To add a signature to a post you must first create one; this is done via your profile. 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 box in your profile. You can still prevent a signature being added to individual posts by un-checking the add signature box on the posting form.
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How do I create a poll?
Creating a poll is easy -- when you post a new topic you should see a Add Poll form below the main posting box. Enter a title for the poll and then at least two options -- to set an option type in the poll question and click the Add option button. You can also set a time limit for the poll, 0 being an infinite amount. There will be a limit to the number of options you can list, which is set by the board administrator
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How do I edit or delete a poll?
As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a moderator, or board administrator. To edit a poll, click the first post in the topic, which always has the poll associated with it. If no one has cast a vote then users can delete the poll or edit any poll option. However, if people have already placed votes only moderators or administrators can edit or delete it; this is to prevent people rigging polls by changing options mid-way through a poll
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Why can't I vote in polls?
Only registered users can vote in polls so as to prevent spoofing of results. Are you logged in?
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What are Moderators?
Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) whose job it is to look after the running of the forums from day to day. They have the power to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally moderators are there to prevent people going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.
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| Formatting and Topic Types |
What is BBCode?
BBCode is a special implementation of HTML. BBCode itself is similar in style to HTML: tags are enclosed in square braces [ and ] rather than < and > and it offers greater control over what and how something is displayed. For more information on BBCode see the guide which can be accessed from the posting page.
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Can I use HTML?
No. HTML is currently switched off on this forum. This is a safety feature to prevent people from abusing the board by using tags which may destroy the layout or cause other problems.
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What are Smileys?
Smileys, or Emoticons, are small graphical images which can be used to express some feeling using a short code, e.g. :) means happy, :( means sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen via the posting form. Try not to overuse smileys, though, as they can quickly render a post unreadable and a moderator may decide to edit them out or remove the post altogether.
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Can I post Images?
Images can indeed be shown in your posts. However, there is no facility at present for uploading images directly to this board. Therefore you must link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.some-unknown-place.net/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible server) nor to images stored behind authentication mechanisms such as Hotmail or Yahoo mailboxes, password-protected sites, etc. To display the image use the BBCode [img] tag.
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What are Announcements?
Announcements often contain important information and you should read them as soon as possible. Announcements appear at the top of every page in the forum to which they are posted. They will have been posted by a moderator.
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What are Sticky topics?
Sticky topics appear below any announcements in viewforum and only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read them where possible. As with announcements they will have been either have been posted by a moderator, or be a normal posting that a moderator has seen fit to upgrade to 'sticky' status so that it will be more likely to be noticed.
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What are Locked topics?
Locked topics are set this way by either the forum moderator or board administrator. You cannot reply to locked topics and any poll contained inside is automatically ended. Topics may be locked for many reasons.
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| Private Messaging |
I cannot send private messages!
There are two reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, or the board administrator has prevented you individually from sending messages. If it is the latter case this could be because somebody has complained about a message or number of messages that you sent them. It could also be because you abused the facility or sent messages that were against the best interests of the LSOC
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I keep getting unwanted private messages!
In the future we will be adding an ignore list to the private messaging system. For now, though, if you keep receiving unwanted private messages from someone, inform the board administrator or a moderator -- they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages at all.
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All times are GMT + 1 Hour
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