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Frequently Asked Questions

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Contents

Topical

Technical

  • How to use the index
  • How to post a message
  • Can I copy text from my word processor?
  • Can I format my text to make it look more nice?
  • Can I add links?
  • Can I add an image?
  • Where is my message?
  • Can I post the same message to several boards?
  • Can I post anonymously?
  • My message looks wrong
  • Using without mouse
  • Reporting problems
  • Purpose of this board

    Discussion of boardtitle.

    What to post

    Discussion and news about boardtitle.

    What not to post

    Please avoid abusive, redundant, off-topic or commercial messages.

    Links to other resources

    Moderator

    The moderator is a person who removes offensive and off-topic messages, and removes old messages to make space for new ones. The moderator is important for avoiding the chaos you see in unmoderated Usenet groups where many of the messages are off-topic. The moderator can be contacted by E-mail to MODERATOREMAIL.

    Occasionally, somebody contests the decisions of the moderator or argues over whether this or that should be allowed on this web board. Such arguments tend to start a long, obnoxious, and unproductive discussion over moderation policy and censorship. Please keep such discussions to a minimum and confine them to the thread where they started.

    How to use the index

    Each topic board has a main index listing all threads and a thread index for each thread.

    Let me first explain what a thread is: Assume that Ali posts a message, Beth and Chang each post a reply to Ali, Dolly comments on Beth's reply, and Ella posts a follow-up to Dolly's comment.This group of connected messages is called a thread. It will be listed like this in the thread index:

    Ali

    Looking at the thread index you will get an overview of the thread, and you can click on the messages you want to read.

    The main index has only one entry for each thread. If you are used to other web boards with only one index then you have probably discovered that big threads tend to clog up the whole index and make it difficult to overview.

    The main index may look like this:

    The number to the left is the number of messages in the thread. Next comes the subject which is the heading of the first message in the thread. After the subject comes the name of the person who started the thread, and the dates of the first and last messages in the thread. You can click on the subject to see the first message in the thread, or click on the number to get the thread index, which is placed at the bottom of the first message in the thread.

    The main index is upside down, with the latest messages first. The thread index has the oldest messages first in order to clearly represent the connection between messages.

    There is also an unthreaded index listing all messages regardless of thread. The purpose of the unthreaded index is to make it easier to search for messages when you don't know which thread they are in.

    How to post a message

    If you want to contribute to an ongoing discussion then go to the message you want to comment on and press the button Submit Follow Up. If you want to post a message on a new topic, then go to the main index and press the button Post message - New thread. In both cases you will get a form where you can write your message. It is important that you choose a subject title that identifies the topic adequately. When you have filled out the form press the OK button. You will now get a preview of your message so that you can check if the message looks as you want it to and check it for errors. The preview has a green background to distinguish it from the final message. When you have approved the preview press the button Post Message.

    Can I copy text from my word processor?

    Yes. If you want to write your message in advance before you log on to the net, or if you want to copy text from somewhere else, then you can use simple cut-and-paste. If you have a Windows system it goes like this: Highlight the text you want to copy by running over it with the first mouse button down or by using Shift+Arrow key. Press Ctrl+Ins to copy the highlighted text to the clipboard. Now go to the place where you want to copy your text to, and press Shift+Ins. This will insert the text from the clipboard. This method works everywhere in almost all Windows programs. Only the plain text is copied in this way. If you want special formatting such as fonts, emphasis, etc., then you may copy the text as html code.

    Copyright law says that you can copy small excerpts from newspapers, books, and other sources for the purpose of discussion. But you are not allowed to copy longer pieces of copyrighted text.

    Can I format my text to make it look more nice?

    There are special formatting codes that you can use. The most useful codes are listed below:
    Subheading
    begin with <h2> end with </h2>
    Bold face
    begin with <b> end with </b>
    Italics
    begin with <i> end with </i>
    Underline
    begin with <u> end with </u>
    Quotation
    begin with <bq> end with </bq>

    Other simple html codes are also allowed, while advanced codes such as scripts and frames will be deleted automatically. Note that <bq> is not a standard html code, but an abbreviation for <blockquote> that has been implemented here for your convenience. The quoted text will be shown as indented and, if possible, with a different font. You may use italics instead for very short quotes.

    If your word-processor can produce HTML code then you may paste the HTML code directly into the text field.

    Check the preview of your message to see if the codes work as intended, or use the test board for experimenting with html code.

    Can I add links?

    You can add a link to another message on this board or to any other page on the web. Insert the address of the link in the field Optional Link URL and its title in the field Link Title. The address or URL can be copied from the location field in your web browser using the cut and paste method described above.

    Can I add an image?

    Only if the image is accessible somewhere else on the web, for example on your own homepage. Insert the address of the image in the field Optional Image URL. To find the address of an image, click on it with the right mouse button and select copy image location or properties.

    Where is my message?

    Looking in the right index?
    Original messages are listed in the main index, follow-up messages are in the thread index. If you don't know which index to look in, then you can always find your message in the unthreaded index.
    Has the index been updated?
    When you follow the links back to an index file (with extension .shtml), then your browser will normally reload the file to get the new version with your link added. However, if you use the back button or history list to get back to the index, then your browser will not reload the file, but show the old version that it has cached. Press the reload button to see the updated version. Follow-up messages (with extension .htm) are not automatically reloaded by your browser, so the links to [ previous message ] and [ next message ] may be out of date in your browser. Press the reload button to see the updated links.
    Have you finished posting your message?
    Posting a message goes in two steps: First fill out the form and press OK, then review your message and press Post message.
    Has the moderator deleted your message?
    Your message may have been deleted if it is off-topic or not following the guidelines in this FAQ. Look in the list of deleted messages to see if your message has been deleted. Messages will only be listed in the deleted messages index for a certain period.
    Has your message expired?
    Old messages are removed in order to save disk space and limit the size of the index. Old messages will be listed in the old messages index for a certain period before being removed completely.
    Are you looking in the right topic board?
    This site may have several message boards on different topics. These boards all look similar, except possibly for the logos.
    Is the message number sequence broken?
    A message number may be missing if somebody has started writing a message but changed his/her mind and not posted it.

    Can I post the same message to several topic boards?

    No. If your message is relevant to more than one topic, then you should post it to only one of the message boards and make links to it from the others. This is necessary in order to keep the thread of follow-ups together.

    Can I post anonymously?

    Yes. However, it is recommended that you provide an E-mail address where you can be contacted. Anonymous E-mail addresses are available for free at USA net, and Hotmail.

    My message looks wrong

    If you have problems with linefeeds then you may use special codes for controlling where you want linefeeds in your text. Use the code <br> to insert a line break. Use the code <p> for a paragraph break. The system will avoid linefeeds anywhere else if you use these codes. Alternatively, you may write your text in a word processor that can make html code and paste the html code into the writing field.

    If the background is green then you are looking at the message preview, not the final message.

    If the background is white or gray then you need to turn off the color settings in your browser. If you have problems printing a message because of the colors then you may need to set the colors to black on white in your browser while printing.

    The messages look different in different browsers. Some browsers support style sheets that allow a more detailed control of fonts, colors, etc. The difference is only aesthetical and not important to the use of this board.

    If you think the time is wrong, then please note that the time is represented as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

    Using without mouse

    You can navigate this message board without using a mouse. A link that looks like this:     can be activated by pressing Alt+N. Similarly, a button that looks like this     can be activated by pressing Alt+O (first letter). This only works in newer browsers. If your computer doesn't have an Alt key, then there may be another key for this purpose. A link without a highlighted letter can be accessed with the Tab key.

    Reporting problems

    Technical problems are often caused by overloading of the Internet. Such problems tend to disappear after a few hours or days. Persistent problems may be reported to MODERATOREMAIL.

    Complaints about improper messages may be directed to the moderator.


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