| Irish Forums Message Discussion :: FAQ |
  | Irish Forums :: The Irish Message
Forums About Ireland and the Irish Community, For the Irish home and Abroad. Forums include- Irish Music, Irish History, The Irish Diaspora, Irish Culture, Irish Sports, Astrology, Mystic, Irish Ancestry, Genealogy, Irish Travel, Irish Reunited and Craic
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| Login and Registration Issues |
Why can't I log in?
Have you registered? You must register in order to log in. Have you been banned from the board? (A message will be displayed if you have.) If so, you should contact The administrator to find out why. If you have registered and are not banned and you still cannot log in then check and double-check your username and password. Usually this is the problem; if not, contact the administrator -- there may be incorrect configuration settings.
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Why do I need to register at all?
Because this is a Irish Community, you need to register in order to post messages. Registration will also give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as avatar images, private messaging, emailing to fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few minutes to register.
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I Can't post or reply to a topic in a forum?
You will need to register before you can post a message. Please note that most Irish Forums are for subscribed supporters only to post and reply to and in some cases even read.
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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 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 they are okay then Your account needs activating, Please read and follow the instructions in the email sent. We require all new registrations to activate their account. We May periodically remove users who have not posted anything 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 (if you are registered) are stored in the database. To alter them click the Profile link (generally shown at the top of pages but this may not be the case). This will allow you to change 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. Dublin, New York, Sydney, London, etc. Please note that changing the timezone, like most settings, can only be done by registered users. So if you are not registered, this is a good time to do so, if you pardon the pun!
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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.
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How do I show an image below my username?
These are for the Irish forums supporters only. Please subscribe to one of the groups that make the Irish forums possible.
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How do I change my rank?
In general you cannot directly change the wording of any rank, However All The Subscribed Irish Forums Supporters can ask for their desription to be set individually.
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When I click the email link for a user it asks me to log in.
Sorry, but only registered users can send email to people via the built-in email form. This is to prevent malicious use of the email system by anonymous users.
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| Posting Issues |
I Can't post a topic in a forum?
You will need to register before you can post a message. Please note that most Irish Forums are for subscribed supporters only to post to or in some cases even read.
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How do I post a topic in a forum?
Easy -- click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You will need to register before you can post a message. Note that some Forums are for supporters Only to post to or in some cases even read.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 a post?
Only Irish Forums Supporters can edit posts.
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How do I add a signature to my post?
Only Irish Forums Supporters can display a signature. 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 (or edit the first post of a topic, if you have permission) you should see a Add Poll form below the main posting box. If you cannot see this then you probably do not have rights to create polls. You should 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 administrator
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How do I edit a poll?
As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original Irish Forums supporter 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 access a forum?
Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view, read, post, etc. you may need special authorization which only the forum moderator and board administrator can grant, so you should contact them.
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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. If you have registered and still cannot vote then you probably do not have appropriate access rights.
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| Formatting and Topic Types |
What is BBCode?
BBCode is a special implementation of HTML. Whether you can use BBCode is determined by the administrator. You can also disable it on a per post basis from the posting form. 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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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 be shown in posts only by Irish Forums Supporters. All Irish Forums Supporters have access to the Irish Photo Albums, (including a personal and private album) 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.
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What is a Irish Forums Memo?
Irish Forums Memo often contain important information and you should read them as soon as possible. Irish Forums Memo's appear at the top of every page in the forum to which they are posted. Whether or not you can post an announcement depends on the permissions required, which are set by the administrator.
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What is the Irish Forums News?
Irish Forums News 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 the board administrator determines what permissions are required to post Irish Forums News topics in each forum.
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What are Locked topics?
Locked topics are set this way by either the forum moderator or 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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| User Levels and Groups |
What are Administrators?
Administrators are people assigned the highest level of control over the entire board. These people can control all facets of board operation which include setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc. They also have full moderator capabilities in all the forums.
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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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What are Interest Groups ?
Interest Groups are a way in which board administrators can group users. Each user can belong to several groups and each group can be assigned individual access rights. This makes it easy for administrators to set up several users as moderators of a forum, or to give them access to a private forum, etc.
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How do I join a Interest Groups ?
To join a Interest Groups click the Interest Groups link on the page header (dependent on template design) and you can then view all usergroups. Not all groups are open access -- some are closed and some may even have hidden memberships. If the board is open then you can request to join it by clicking the appropriate button. The user group moderator will need to approve your request; they may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not pester a group moderator if they turn your request down -- they will have their reasons.
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How do I become a Usergroup Moderator?
Usergroups are initially created by the board administrator who also assigns a board moderator. If you are interested in creating a usergroup then your first point of contact should be the administrator, so try dropping them a private message.
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| Private Messaging |
I cannot send private messages!
Private Messagng Is for Irish Forums Supporters Only. You must Be A subscribed Irish Forums Supporter and logged on. It May also Be that the administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the administrator has prevented you individually from sending messages. If it is the latter case you should try asking the administrator why.
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I keep getting unwanted private messages!
Inform the administrator (Sc�ala admin)-- they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages at all.
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I have received a spamming or abusive email from someone on this board!
We are sorry to hear that. The email form feature of this board includes safeguards to try to track users who send such posts. You should email the board administrator with a full copy of the email you received and it is very important this include the headers (these list details of the user that sent the email).
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| Photo Album |
I cannot see The Irish Photo Album!
The Photo Album Is Provided For The Irish Forums Supporters. Only They will be able to view and manage the albums.
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