How do I? (FAQ Stuff)
Posted: April 8th, 2004How do I...
Welcome to the boards! Whether you are thorn-tree refugee (more on that later) or a vagabonder, this "How To" guide to the boards is sure to answer some of your questions. If you have one regarding the forums, e-mail us and we’ll put up an answer on the site!
What does the name below my avatar mean? How can I change it?
The names below your avatar are light-hearted descriptors that change depending on how many posts you have. Once you hit 500 posts, we’ll customize it for you!
What are personal topics? How do I start one? How do I know if I have one? Can I delete them?
Personal topics are discussions between you and another Bootsnall member. Only you and those you invite can participate in your private discussions. To start a private discussion, go to “Personal Zone†and click on “Contactsâ€. Then, type in the user names of the people you would like to have a private discussion with. You can change this at any time. Add their names and then go to “Private Topics†under the “Personal Zone†category. Click on the “Post New Topic†button on the bottom of the page. A list of all your contact will appear. Highlight the people you would like to invite and press “Addâ€. When you have selected all the names, click the “Invite†button and follow the rest of the steps. Usually, people click the “Post†button when inviting people. Choosing “Read Only†means that the person or people with this option cannot comment on the discussion. Then, write an entry like usual!
You can find out if you have a private message by checking the “Private Topics†area or clicking on the “New Since Your Last Visit†option under the “World†button each time you visit. There is also a blinking "PM" button that will appear when you log onto the boards as well. Topics are displayed with the most recently updated post on top.
How do I change my profile?
Click on the “Personal Zone†button and go to “Profileâ€. Here is where you can edit your biography, avatar and signature.
How do I upload a unique avatar (picture)?
1) You need a digital picture of what you want to be your avatar. The maximum size of the avatar image is 55 pixels by 55 pixels...pixels is a measurement of space for digital images.
2) You can set your custom avatar by logging in and accessing your "Personal Zone" area. Go to this area by clicking the "Go" icon near the top left of the main forum page.
3) From there, choose "View/Edit Complete Profile," which is at the top right of the "Profile" section.
4) Under "Public Profile Fields," there's a section called "Avatar/Picture URL." Click on that "edit" button and then either pick a file to upload or enter the URL of a picture you want to use. Make sure all pictures are in jpeg (.jpg) format. If you're using a URL, make sure to enter the complete path, starting with the http://.
How do I search the forums?
Go to “Find†and enter in a few keywords.
Why are the post times all funny? Can I change them?
The post times and date format are set to a default, which is the time and date at our headquarters in Portland, Oregon, USA, which is on the West Coast. If you want to change the times to display those in your own time zone, go to “Personal Zone†and click on “Preferencesâ€.
What does the “world’ icon do?
When you click on the world icon, which is located above the forums, you have the option of seeing “new since your last visit†or “today’s active topic†which are topics that have been written about that day.
What does the “house†icon do?
The house icon appears above the forums when you have clicked on a specific topic, i.e. Member’s Forum. When you click on the house icon, a list of all the forums and discussions appear. This way, you don’t have to hit the back button to go to the list of all the forums; you can go there directly.
What’s does the “notify†button do?
If you take a particular interest in a topic and you don’t want to search for it every time you visit the boards, or if you’re interested in knowing when people reply, hit the notify button. This allows you to track individual threads and can enable you to create a “What’s New†page under “My Space†which lets you see what’s happening in your favorite discussions. You can only use the “notify†button while you’re on an individual thread.
Do you have another help section?
Yep! Go to “Tools†and brush up on the basics.
What do I do when I see a post that conflicts with the Posting Guidelines?
On the post/thread that is questionable, click on the little exclamation point icon in the lower right hand corner of the post, and leave a message for the moderators.
Welcome to the boards! Whether you are thorn-tree refugee (more on that later) or a vagabonder, this "How To" guide to the boards is sure to answer some of your questions. If you have one regarding the forums, e-mail us and we’ll put up an answer on the site!
What does the name below my avatar mean? How can I change it?
The names below your avatar are light-hearted descriptors that change depending on how many posts you have. Once you hit 500 posts, we’ll customize it for you!
What are personal topics? How do I start one? How do I know if I have one? Can I delete them?
Personal topics are discussions between you and another Bootsnall member. Only you and those you invite can participate in your private discussions. To start a private discussion, go to “Personal Zone†and click on “Contactsâ€. Then, type in the user names of the people you would like to have a private discussion with. You can change this at any time. Add their names and then go to “Private Topics†under the “Personal Zone†category. Click on the “Post New Topic†button on the bottom of the page. A list of all your contact will appear. Highlight the people you would like to invite and press “Addâ€. When you have selected all the names, click the “Invite†button and follow the rest of the steps. Usually, people click the “Post†button when inviting people. Choosing “Read Only†means that the person or people with this option cannot comment on the discussion. Then, write an entry like usual!
You can find out if you have a private message by checking the “Private Topics†area or clicking on the “New Since Your Last Visit†option under the “World†button each time you visit. There is also a blinking "PM" button that will appear when you log onto the boards as well. Topics are displayed with the most recently updated post on top.
How do I change my profile?
Click on the “Personal Zone†button and go to “Profileâ€. Here is where you can edit your biography, avatar and signature.
How do I upload a unique avatar (picture)?
1) You need a digital picture of what you want to be your avatar. The maximum size of the avatar image is 55 pixels by 55 pixels...pixels is a measurement of space for digital images.
2) You can set your custom avatar by logging in and accessing your "Personal Zone" area. Go to this area by clicking the "Go" icon near the top left of the main forum page.
3) From there, choose "View/Edit Complete Profile," which is at the top right of the "Profile" section.
4) Under "Public Profile Fields," there's a section called "Avatar/Picture URL." Click on that "edit" button and then either pick a file to upload or enter the URL of a picture you want to use. Make sure all pictures are in jpeg (.jpg) format. If you're using a URL, make sure to enter the complete path, starting with the http://.
How do I search the forums?
Go to “Find†and enter in a few keywords.
Why are the post times all funny? Can I change them?
The post times and date format are set to a default, which is the time and date at our headquarters in Portland, Oregon, USA, which is on the West Coast. If you want to change the times to display those in your own time zone, go to “Personal Zone†and click on “Preferencesâ€.
What does the “world’ icon do?
When you click on the world icon, which is located above the forums, you have the option of seeing “new since your last visit†or “today’s active topic†which are topics that have been written about that day.
What does the “house†icon do?
The house icon appears above the forums when you have clicked on a specific topic, i.e. Member’s Forum. When you click on the house icon, a list of all the forums and discussions appear. This way, you don’t have to hit the back button to go to the list of all the forums; you can go there directly.
What’s does the “notify†button do?
If you take a particular interest in a topic and you don’t want to search for it every time you visit the boards, or if you’re interested in knowing when people reply, hit the notify button. This allows you to track individual threads and can enable you to create a “What’s New†page under “My Space†which lets you see what’s happening in your favorite discussions. You can only use the “notify†button while you’re on an individual thread.
Do you have another help section?
Yep! Go to “Tools†and brush up on the basics.
What do I do when I see a post that conflicts with the Posting Guidelines?
On the post/thread that is questionable, click on the little exclamation point icon in the lower right hand corner of the post, and leave a message for the moderators.
