| Login and Registration Issues |
I have registered but cannot log in!
Have you ever logged in before? If so, first check that you are entering the correct username and password; If not, your account probably needs to be activated. Our forum requires all new registrations to be activated before you can log on. This is a common security procedure to help reduce the possibility of rogue users abusing the system anonymously. After you registered, you were sent an email containing a special web link that you need to follow. This is your activation key. If you have not done so, find that email and follow its instructions. If you did not receive this email please check that it was not discarded by your spam filtering software. (In the future, set your spam protection to allow email originating from wcdac.org.) It's also possible that the address you provided during registration is not valid. In any case you can always clear up any problems by contacting the forum administrator.
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Why do I need to register at all?
You don't have to but we prefer that you do. You'll still be able to read the forums but you cannot post messages. Moreover, registration gives you access to additional features not available to guests such as definable avatar images, emailing to fellow users, an entry on the memberlist, a personal profile, etc. It only takes a few minutes to register so it is recommended you do so. It's also fun to help build our community. Your fellow alumni will be happy to see you!
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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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How do I prevent my username from appearing in the "Who is Online" listings?
In your profile you will find an option Hide your online status; if you switch this on you'll only appear to board administrators or to yourself. You will be counted as a hidden user. It's fun to see who is online so we prefer that you do not elect this option.
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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've logged in before but now I can't!
Check and double-check your username and password. Usually this is the problem. It's also possible the you have been banned (a message will be displayed if you have) or the administrator has deleted your account for some reason. Either way, you should contact the forum administrator to find out why. If you have registered and are not banned and you still cannot log in then they may have incorrect configuration settings for the board.
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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 all your settings.
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I don't really have a class year. What should I put in the box?
As a general rule of thumb, put the class that you most associate yourself with, even if you graduated late or never at all. So if you were a freshman with the class of 1996 but didn't earn your degree until 1998, you can still put down 1996 if that is what people remember about you. Really, it's OK. No one is going to check and we don't judge. Really.
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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. Please note that changing the timezone, like most settings, can only be done by registered users.
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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 get an image below my username?
You can add an image that will appear below your username in the messages you post and in your profile. This is called an avatar and they are generally unique or personal to each user. Use your favorite image program to make a GIF, JPEG or PNG file to upload to our system. Animated GIFs are not permitted and make sure your image is no bigger than 80 x 80 pixels and 10 KB. Nothing naughty, please. Actors, this is a great opportunity to show off your headshot. 80 x 80 is enough space if you crop your photo correctly. Remember, we want to see your face!
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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 may need to register 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 (sometimes for only a limited time after it was made) 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 (they should leave a message saying what they altered and why). 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 (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 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 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 |
Can I use HTML?
You may not use HTML in text that you post or in your signature. This is a safety feature to prevent people from abusing the board by using tags which may destroy the layout or cause other problems. BBCode can be used instead which will give you a lot of control over how your posts look without the security issues.
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What is BBCode?
BBCode is a special implementation of HTML that you can use to control how your posts and signature look. Tags are enclosed in square braces [ and ] rather than < and > like in HTML. 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.
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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 either 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. Whether or not you can post an announcement depends on the permissions required, which are set by the administrator.
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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 the board administrator determines what permissions are required to post sticky topics in each forum.
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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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| 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 Usergroups?
Usergroups are a way in which board administrators can group users. Each user can belong to several groups (this differs from most other boards) 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. Usergroups are not a feature that we have chosen to enable at this time.
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| Private Messaging |
I cannot send private messages!
Private messaging has been disabled systemwide. If you would like to contact a fellow user you may send them email through the internal "blind" email form. You must be registered and logged in to use this feature. Many users also list their user IDs from AIM, MSN Messenger, or Yahoo Messenger in their profile and can be contacted that way as well. Some have a website that you can explore which might also contain contact information. You must be logged in to see our user profiles.
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What is this "blind" email thing?
Our forum system contains an online form that allows registered users to send email to other users without knowing their real email address. So if someone wants to email you, they simply follow the "email" button beneath one of your posts or from your public profile. This will take them to the online email form. Once complete, the system sends email on that users behalf, using their email address (which you'll be able to see). Your address is not reveled unless you reply. You may elect to not allow others to send email to you in this manner but we prefer that you leave this feature on.
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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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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 forum 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). They can then take action.
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| phpBB 2 Issues |
Who wrote this bulletin board?
This software (in its unmodified form) is produced, released and is copyrighted phpBB Group. It is made available under the GNU General Public License and may be freely distributed; see link for more details
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Whom do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?
You can contact the wcdac.org administrator here. Please note that phpBB Group has absolutely no control and cannot in any way be held liable over how, where or by whom this board is used. It is absolutely pointless contacting 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 email phpBB Group about any third party use of this software then you should expect a terse response or no response at all.
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