DSLRUsers.com

A discussion forum - and more - for users of Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras.

Skip to content

Frequently Asked Questions

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 board owner 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 may not have to, it is up to the administrator of the board as to whether you need to register in order to post messages. However; registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, private messaging, emailing of fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. 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 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 computer lab, etc. If you do not see this checkbox, it means the board administrator has disabled this feature.
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. If they are correct, then one of two things may have happened. If COPPA support is enabled and you specified being under 13 years old during registration, you will have to follow the instructions you received. Some boards will also require new registrations to be activated, either by yourself or by an administrator before you can logon; this information was present during registration. 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, many boards periodically remove users who have not posted for a long time to reduce the size of the database. If this has happened, try registering again and being more involved in discussions.
Top
What is COPPA?
COPPA, or the Child Online Privacy and Protection Act of 1998, is a law in the United States requiring websites which can potentially collect information from minors under the age of 13 to have written parental consent or some other method of legal guardian acknowledgment, allowing the collection of personally identifiable information from a minor under the age of 13. If you are unsure if this applies to you as someone trying to register or to the website you are trying to register on, contact legal counsel for assistance. Please note that the phpBB Group cannot provide legal advice and is not a point of contact for legal concerns of any kind, except as outlined below.
Top
Why can’t I register?
It is possible the website owner has banned your IP address or disallowed the username you are attempting to register. The website owner 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

Copyright

Can I post images that are not my own?
If you have approval from the copyrightholder of the image to make such a posting, then yes. Otherwise, no. You may post a link to where that image resides, but direct posting of images for which you are not the copyrightholder is not permitted.
Top
Can I use somebody's image from here in another context?
The protection of an individual's intellectual property, as held in a photograph, is an important issue that we strongly support here. Please help us, and respect this important concept. If you see an image here that you like, and you wish to use it within any other context, you need to contact the person who created that image and seek their permission to do so. Any other action is probably illegal, and is not permitted.
Top
What else should I know about copyright?
Copyright is a complex legal issue, and cannot be fully explained in a simple FAQ attached to a board such as this. But overall, the basics are very simple: be respectful of images that were not created by you. In other words, if the image was not your's to start with, unless you have permission from that image's creator, you should do nothing with that image. Do not copy it. Do not use it. Do not change it. Do not post it anywhere else. You may be able to post a link so that others can see it, but beyond that, unless you have sought permission from the image's creator, it's hands off!
Top

Image Critiques

What guidelines apply to the posting of images
The Image Critiques and Reviews section here is for Image Critiques and reviews. It is not a gallery section, and anyone who believes that it's to be used as a form of gallery is mistaken. The concept is that you may post a few images - perhaps up to three or four - upon which you would like to have your techniques, posing, composition, whatever, examined and critiqued. Perhaps you're experimenting with a new technique, or demonstrating a technique to the rest of us. That's fine: posting what is necessary to demonstrate the new technique is perfectly acceptable too. But showing us your day's work at x is more appropriately placed in your own personal gallery. By all means, share your three or four finest images from that session here, for critique. But no more than those three or four. Anything more than that is really little more than ego stroking, and that is not what this section is about. By all means, place a link in your post so that those who may be further interested can follow that link to see the rest of your efforts. But no more than three or four images in your posting. As a general rule, any image posted should not exceed 800px along its largest side. That's height and/or width. Filesizes should be kept minimal too: there is little reason that any image file should exceed about 150K.
Top

User Preferences and settings

How do I change my settings?
If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the board database. To alter them, visit your User Control Panel; a link can usually be found at the top of board 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
My language is not in the list!
Either the administrator has not installed your language or nobody has translated this board into your language. Try asking the board administrator if they can install the language pack you need. If the language pack does not exist, feel free to create a new translation. More information can be found at the phpBB website (see link at the bottom of board pages).
Top
How do I show an image below my username?
There are two images that may appear below a username when viewing posts. Depending on the used style, the first may be an image associated with your rank, generally in the form of stars, blocks or dots, indicating how many posts you have made or your status on the board. The second, usually a larger image, is known as an avatar and is generally unique or personal to each user. It is up to the board administrator to enable avatars and to choose the way in which avatars can be made available. If you are unable to use avatars, contact a board administrator and ask them for their reasons.
Top
What is my rank and how do I change it?
Ranks, which appear below your username, indicate the number of posts you have made or identify certain users, e.g. moderators and administrators. In general, you cannot directly change the wording of any board ranks as they are set by the board administrator. Please do not abuse the board by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank. Most boards will not tolerate this and the moderator or administrator will simply lower your post count.
Top
When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?
Only registered users can send e-mail to other users via the built-in e-mail form, and only if the administrator has enabled this feature. This is to prevent malicious use of the e-mail system by anonymous users.
Top
Signature blocks
Signature blocks may be text only, and should not extend beyond four lines of text. Graphical signature blocks (and any direct references to them) are specifically banned, and will be removed by administrators. Should you decide to offend a second time, you risk suspension or being banned from this site.
Top
Equipment Lists
Many users like to include a listing of their photographic equipment in their profile. Please be aware that if you attend gatherings of members, such as minimeets, shoots, or whatever, this information might represent a security risk. We accept no liability if you choose to display this information, and suggest that you do so using commonsense and bearing the potential for misadventure in mind.
Top

Posting Issues

Important Note
This board contains a sectrion named "Information", which contains our Forum rules and nettiquette, along with other items of general interest. Please note that important information about this forum is contained here, and members MUST familiarise themselves with the posts in that section, as well as what is contained here, within the FAQ. Please do not complain if you ask a question regarding a topic covered here or in the Information section and in response you get a rather brusque, obtuse or sarcastic response. We get sick and tired of answering the same questions, day in, day out, (and I, personally, get really pissed off with this basic rudeness and disrespect on the part of some of our members) who, when the answers are clearly published, in plain view, but they are too lazy - or perhaps too stupid - to open their eyes and read them! No excuses!
Top
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 may 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 a board 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, sometimes for only a limited time after the post was made. 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 at their own digression. Please note that normal 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?
When posting a new topic or editing the first post of a topic, click the “Poll creation” tab below the main posting form; if you cannot see this, you do not have appropriate permissions to create polls. Enter a title and at least two options in the appropriate fields, making sure each option is on a separate line in the textarea. You can also set the number of options users may select during voting under “Options per user”, a time limit in days for the poll (0 for infinite duration) and lastly the option to allow users to amend their votes.
Top
Why can’t I add more poll options?
The limit for poll options is set by the board administrator. If you feel you need to add more options to your poll then the allowed amount, contact the board administrator.
Top
How do I edit or delete a poll?
As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a moderator or an administrator. To edit a poll, click to edit the first post in the topic; this always has the poll associated with it. If no one has cast a vote, users can delete the poll or edit any poll option. However, if members have already placed votes, only moderators or administrators can edit or delete it. This prevents the poll’s options from being changed mid-way through a poll.
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 board administrator to grant you access.
Top
Why can’t I add attachments?
Attachment permissions are granted on a per forum, per group, or per user basis. The board administrator may not have allowed attachments to be added for the specific forum you are posting in, or perhaps only certain groups can post attachments. Contact the board administrator if you are unsure about why you are unable to add attachments.
Top
Why did I receive a warning?
Each board administrator has their own set of rules for their site. If you have broken a rule, you may issued a warning. Please note that this is the board administrator’s decision, and the phpBB Group has nothing to do with the warnings on the given site. Contact the board administrator if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning.
Top
How can I report posts to a moderator?
If the board administrator has allowed it, 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 board 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
How do I bump my topic?
By clicking the “Bump topic” link when you are viewing it, you can “bump” the topic to the top of the forum on the first page. However, if you do not see this, then topic bumping may be disabled or the time allowance between bumps has not yet been reached. It is also possible to bump the topic simply by replying to it, however, be sure to follow the board rules when doing so.
Top
How do I embed an image in a post?
To embed an image in a post, type the url in as you normally would. Then, highlight the url and click the "Img" button. Alternatively, you can press the "Img" button once, type in the url, and the press the "Img" button again to close the image tag up. Note: Image tags can't have spaces in between the [img]]/img] tags. If they do, the tags won't work and your image will appear as a link that can't be clicked.
Top
How do I embed an image in a post from PBase?
View the image on PBase. The url should look something like http://www.pbase.com/image/# ("#" is a series of numbers). Now, just add /medium.jpg or /small.jpg to the end of the url. Example: http://www.pbase.com/image/1234567/small.jpg Now that you have your url, you can embed your PBase image in your post the using the same embed technique as mentioned above.
Top
How far off-topic can I go in my posts?
A certain level off-topic posts will be accepted. For instance, if you're talking about "monitors" and the conversation wanders over to "calibration" or "software," that's fine. But if you're derailing the thread intentionally by stopping it and saying a nice "hi" to a good mate or talking about the weather or what-not, that won't be tolerated. Moderators and Admins have the right to decide what they feel is off-topic, however.
Top
Viewing requirements for this site
All who view or post on this site need to do so with their sense of humour intact and with a sense of levity. This site is a great place for camaradarie, learning, receiving criticism and praise (hopefully in equal measure), lusting after equipment, etc. It is not for making attacks on other people or their beliefs, nor is this a site for taking one's self at all seriously. Many posts made here have a humurous element to them and hopefully the reader can appreciate that. Few of us here make a living with a camera and the ones which do seem to have a great sense of humour, so for the rest of us it is an interest or hobby, maybe not worth getting as upset as some have become recently. Of all the posts and images seen here, not one will cure cancer, bring people back from the dead or bring about world peace. That being the case, let us just all enjoy the amusement to be found here. :)
Top
How do I get "Special Access"?
A number of the forum sections are reserved for access only by members of the "Members" group. To determine if you're eligible for access you should use the following guidelines: 50 posts made. One of which includes an image. You must have a meaningful location included in your profile. You should have been a member for at least one month. Attendance at a minimeet is also viewed very favorably. If you feel you meet these three criteria, please send a PM to one of the site admins or mods. Posting a message in the forums that you don't have site access will NOT help, and may possibly hinder you in this goal. Please understand that our goal here is community participation. Making 50 posts in one (or maybe just 5) days is highly unlikely to cut it, as we'll just defer you on the basis that you're trying (too hard) to get your post count up; consider that if the site admins here only post 5 or 6 messages daily, what is going to make the site admins think that your posts are so much more valuable than their's?
Top
English Spoken Here
This is NOT a dig at those for whom English is not your first language. It is very definitely a wake-up call for you where it is! We speak English here. Not Netspeak. Not some garbled SMS shorthand. English. Punctuated, and capitalised. If you think it's cool to say c00l, or if you decide to speak in unpunctuated and uncapitalised illiterate or unintelligible runon sentences that make life difficult for the rest of us please be prepared to be pulled up for this offence and you may be banned for second or subsequent offences we wont tolerate it. Or to put that another way, we expect you to be able communicate effectively, and not using gibberish such as I've just illkustrated. A special note for those for whom English is not your first language: we acknowledge and respect your efforts to communicate with us, and as a general rule, we have no trouble with how you say things. Please feel free to join us.
Top
Mine is bigger than yours
Pissing contests of any kind are not permitted. Canons are great, so too are Nikons. Leave your interbrand rivalry at the door. It's very nice that you have a 70-200 f2.8 VR and that it's more expensive than my 70-300G. So what? It's the photographer that makes the image, and the camera and lens are merely tools. Engage in pissing contests at your own peril. You may get one warning. If the Site Admin's in a good mood.
Top
Play nicely
We encourage vigorous debate, but it must always be kept civil. Flaming is specifcally banned, and that applies in PMs as well as the more public forums. Don't be rude, and remember that you're here at the Site Admin's pleasure, so please be nice to him. Ticking him off is a great way to find out how well the ban feature of phpBB works.
Top
Linking to other sites
Please read this in conjunction with our rules for copyright observance. When linking to another site, please do NOT link to any site that spawns pop-up windows of any kind. At best, it's annoying. At worst, they drop all manner of turds onto the recipient system and you'll be banned for doing this, because it pisses me off.
Top
I cannot make a post into the
Or perhaps into some other section. Please see the sections on "Special Access". You probably do not yet have members' access, and that's by design. Do not, under any circumstances, try to make a post into a different section because you "don't have access to the correct section" yet. Trying to circumvent these rules is a great way to piss off the admins here. If you find that you don't have access to a section ... then just ask a mod or an admin. Please note that any person making any illegal post into any section will be liable for charges of US$200 for each such individual instance of such a posting.
Top
I received a sarcastic response to a question from gstark
That's too bad, really. The FAQ is here for your benefit. if you have chosen to not read it, that is hardly my concern. Please understand that it becomes rather tedious to have to answer the same questions all the time, and while we will try to help you as much as we can, you need to be prepared to help yourself as well.
Top

Bargains

How do I get access to the Bargains Section
Please see the sections labelled "Special Access"
Top
What is the Bargains Section.
The Bargains section is one (of several areas of DSLRUsers) that requires "Special Access". To gain that access you need to be a member for about a month, and to have made about 50 posts, give or take. What we look for is community involvement and spirit, rather than straight up 50 posts or the month's membership. If you've been to a minimeet or similar, so much the better. Unless and until you have that special access, you won't be able to post in those sections, and you won't be able to see the price list. Its link appears in the leftmost column of our front page, towards the bottom; there's probably just a bargains enquiry link for you now, or maybe nothing at all. Please do not confuse our list of bargains (on the front page) with our bargains forum section. Although you need "Special Access" for both areas, they are very different, and serve very different purposes. And please ... do not, under any circumstances, try to make a post into a different section because you "don't have access to the correct section" yet. You do not have that access for a very good reason, and trying to circumvent these rules is a great way to piss off the admins here. If you find that you don't have access to a section ... then just ask a mod or an admin.
Top
Poon and HK Supplies
Poon is the guy who runs HKSupplies. We have a long and healthy relationship with HKS - please look under Traders Opinions in our very early threads and you'll get a feel for how that all started. The setup today is that you can, if you wish, order directly from HKS. That option has always been available, and to do that, you order through his normal ebay shop, you pay through whatever means is appropriate there ... no dramas, and you'll get your goods in super quick time. Your price will be increased by the cost of shipping to whereever, which is fair enough too. The alternate arrangement that we have, through the forum, is that Poon makes certain lines of product availabe to our members at what can only be described as, in most cases, very attractive prices. Usually these prices are lower than what he sells the same product for in his ebay store, and all of our prices include shipping to .... whereever. So .... our price is lower, and it already includes shipping. Caveats: 1: Prices do not include GST, and you should ALWAYS factor in the possibility that your shipment might get pinged by Customs on the way in. There's no way to predict this, and there's no way we can tell you if you're likely to get pinged. There's a lot of stuff coming in, most of it is well over the AU$1K limit where GSTshould be charged, but very little, these days, seems to get caught. 2: No AU warranty. Warranty is return to Vendor. In HK. That can bother some people, and that's quite a reasonable response from those people too. If that is a concern for you then you need to find a purchasing means that you're comfortable with. 3: Cash only, paid directly to Poon's AU account. We're not a shop, and we make no claims to be. We simply try to streamline the ordering process a bit: you complete a form on the forum, and get an email confirming your order. You then arrange a bank transfer to Poon's account, and complete a second form on the forum, advising us that you've made your payment. At that point, your order goes to Poon. It may take a few days for the banking system to do its stuff; please be patient. Once Poon sees your funds, he then ships your order, subject of course to stock availability. Usually there's no issues relating to stock, but of course, some items are eternally popular, and that's out of our control. Typically, your order will be in your hands within a week; time it right, and could be quite a bit sooner. That said, for some popular items, there may also occasionally be some contention between us and Poon's more traditional channels. Poon is in business to make himself money, and I have seen a couple of instances whereby we have had to take a back seat because he can (and has) sold that item for a better (for him) price. That's a part of the cost of the otherwise favourable treatment that he gives us, and it's up to you as to whether this is acceptable to you.
Top
The Process
We're not a shop, and we make no claims to be. We simply try to streamline the ordering process a bit. 1: You complete a form on the forum, and get an email confirming your order. 2: You then arrange a bank transfer to Poon's account. 3: You then complete a second form on the forum, advising us that you've made your payment. At that point, your order goes to Poon. It may take a few days for the banking system to do its stuff; please be patient. Once Poon sees your funds, he then ships your order, subject of course to stock availability. Usually there's no issues relating to stock, but of course, some items are eternally popular, and that's out of our control. Typically, your order will be in your hands within a week; time it right, and could be quite a bit sooner.
Top
Be patient
Good things take time. The banking system might take up to three days to move your funds into Poon's account. God knows why, but that's how it is. Poon is very busy. So is Daisy, his co-worker. They don't always answer emails sent to them. That's frustrating for all of us, but we have not yet lost an order, and no funds have ever(at this time) gone astray. Bear that in mind, and please do not send us an email every day (or more frequently) asking for status updates; we're busy too, and we need you to please respect that aspect. By all means, if you feel something may be wrong, then please don't hesitate in contacting us, but if you're just being impatient ... And please do not be offended if we ignore your requests for a status update if you're asking within a week or ten days of placing your order. That is TOO SOON!
Top
Shipping?
The prices include shipping to your door. It's that simple.
Top
Payment
Payment is made into Poon's Australian bank account with HSBC. This is best handled by internet banking, direct from your own account. Yes, it's an AUSTRALIAN bank account. Do not believe the Westpac staff who may try to tell you otherwise. No, we do not take Paypal or credit cards. Sorry, but as I said, we're not a shop. Just a means of placing orders. The banking system works. Do not ask me if Poon got your money: if you put the correct BSB and account number in,he will. if you didn't, the funds will bounce, and be returned to your account. The banking system works - accounts have checksums built in to them, and it's highly unlikely that you'l screw up the number so badly as to get someone else's account number instead of Poon's. The banking system works. It may take three days for a transaction that should happen instantly, but it works. Ask yourself how your pay finds its way into your bank account. Now ask yourself what's different with this transaction. Not a whole lot - the banking system works. If you surmise from this that I'm unlikely to answer your question "did Poon get my money?", you surmise correctly. Especially if it's within a week to ten days of you placing your order. Read the bit that says "Be Patient" !
Top
Tax Receipt for GST
You're kidding, right? If you do not pay GST on your import, then why would you expect to get a tax receipt for GST? If you ask this question anywhere on the board, or in an email, please exxpect no sympathy whatsoever. Consider yourself warned.
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. If the administrator has allowed attachments, you may be able to upload the image to the board. Otherwise, you must 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 board 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 board administrator.
Top
What are locked topics?
Locked topics are topics where users can no longer reply and any poll it contained was automatically ended. Topics may be locked for many reasons and were set this way by either the forum moderator or board administrator. You may also be able to lock your own topics depending on the permissions you are granted by the board administrator.
Top
What are topic icons?
Topic icons are author chosen images associated with posts to indicate their content. The ability to use topic icons depends on the permissions set by the board administrator.
Top
English Spoken Here
This is NOT a dig at those for whom English is not your first language. It is very definitely a wake-up call for you where it is! We speak English here. Not Netspeak. Not some garbled SMS shorthand. English. Punctuated, and capitalised. If you think it's cool to say c00l, or if you decide to speak in unpunctuated and uncapitalised illiterate or unintelligible runon sentences that make life difficult for the rest of us please be prepared to be pulled up for this offence and you may be banned for second or subsequent offences we wont tolerate it. Or to put that another way, we expect you to be able communicate effectively, and not using gibberish such as I've just illustrated. A special note for those for whom English is not your first language: we acknowledge and respect your efforts to communicate with us, and as a general rule, we have no trouble with how you say things. Please feel free to join us.
Top
For Sale
Posting into the For Sale section is restricted to those who are members of the Members" group only. Please see the sections relating to Special Access for more details on this aspect of membership here. If you do not have access to the For Sale section, then please accept that this is a deliberate action on the part of the site's administrators. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT POSTING YOUR FOR SALE ITEM IN ANOTHER SECTION. That will be a great way to get yourself suspended from this system, or worse.
Top

User Levels and Groups

What are Administrators?
Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire board. These members can control all facets of board operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc., dependent upon the board founder and what permissions he or she has given the other administrators. They may also have full moderator capabilities in all forums, depending on the settings put forth by the board founder.
Top
What are Moderators?
Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) who look after the forums from day to day. They have the authority to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally, moderators are present to prevent users from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.
Top
What are usergroups?
Usergroups are groups of users that divide the community into manageable sections board administrators can work with. Each user can belong to several groups and each group can be assigned individual permissions. This provides an easy way for administrators to change permissions for many users at once, such as changing moderator permissions or granting users access to a private forum.
Top
Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?
You can view all usergroups via the “Usergroups” link within your User Control Panel. If you would like to join one, proceed by clicking the appropriate button. Not all groups have open access, however. Some may require approval to join, some may be closed and some may even have hidden memberships. If the group is open, you can join it by clicking the appropriate button. If a group requires approval to join you may request to join by clicking the appropriate button. The user group leader will need to approve your request and may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not harass a group leader if they reject your request; they will have their reasons.
Top
How do I become a usergroup leader?
A usergroup leader is usually assigned when usergroups are initially created by a board administrator. If you are interested in creating a usergroup, your first point of contact should be an administrator; try sending a private message.
Top
Why do some usergroups appear in a different colour?
It is possible for the board administrator to assign a colour to the members of a usergroup to make it easy to identify the members of this group.
Top
What is a “Default usergroup”?
If you are a member of more than one usergroup, your default is used to determine which group colour and group rank should be shown for you by default. The board administrator may grant you permission to change your default usergroup via your User Control Panel.
Top
What is “The team” link?
This page provides you with a list of board staff, including board administrators and moderators and other details such as the forums they moderate.
Top

Private Messaging

I cannot send private messages!
There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the board administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the board administrator has prevented you from sending messages. Contact a board 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 a board administrator; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages.
Top
I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this board!
We are sorry to hear that. The e-mail form feature of this board includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so e-mail the board administrator with a full copy of the e-mail you received. It is very important that this includes the headers that contain the details of the user that sent the e-mail. The board administrator can then take action.
Top

Friends and Foes

What are my Friends and Foes lists?
You can use these lists to organise other members of the board. 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. Subject to template support, 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

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 many common terms which are not indexed by phpBB3. 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 to 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 in phpBB3 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

Attachments

What attachments are allowed on this board?
Each board administrator can allow or disallow certain attachment types. 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

phpBB 3 Issues

Who wrote this bulletin board?
This software (in its unmodified form) is produced, released and is copyright phpBB Group. It is made available under the GNU General Public License and may be freely distributed. See the link for more details.
Top
Why isn’t X feature available?
This software was written by and licensed through phpBB Group. If you believe a feature needs to be added, please visit the phpbb.com website and see what phpBB Group have to say. Please do not post feature requests to the board at phpbb.com, the group uses SourceForge to handle tasking of new features. Please read through the forums and see what, if any, our position may already be for a feature and then follow the procedure given there.
Top
Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?
Any of the administrators listed on the “The team” page should be an appropriate point of contact for your complaints. If this still gets no response then you should contact the owner of the domain (do a whois lookup) or, if this is running on a free service (e.g. Yahoo!, free.fr, f2s.com, etc.), the management or abuse department of that service. Please note that the phpBB Group has absolutely no jurisdiction and cannot in any way be held liable over how, where or by whom this board is used. Do not contact the phpBB Group in relation to any legal (cease and desist, liable, defamatory comment, etc.) matter not directly related to the phpBB.com website or the discrete software of phpBB itself. If you do e-mail phpBB Group about any third party use of this software then you should expect a terse response or no response at all.
Top
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Portal by phpBB3 Portal © phpBB Türkiye