Frequently Asked Questions
Login and Registration Issues
- Why can’t I login?
- There are several reasons why this could occur. First, have you registered and been approved for membership? If so, ensure your username and password are correct. If they are, contact the Admin Staff at staff@endtimesroundtable.com for assistance.
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- Why do I need to register at all?
- You do not have to register to view the public forums at ETRT. However, before you can view the private areas, you must register. Your registration information is used to perform a series of background checks. These ensure that you are not a sopammer, hacker or other unacceptable entity. After you have registered, your information is used to prevent others from stealing your identity at ETRT.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- I registered but cannot login!
- First, check your username and password. If they are correct, remember that this board also requires new registrations to be activated by an administrator before you can logon. 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 the staff at staff@endtimesroundtable.com.
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- I registered in the past but cannot login any more?!
- Since we have rebuilt the forum, all past enrollments were deleted. You will need to register with the new forum. Also, if you have been inactive on the forum for long enough, your account will be placed in the "Inactive" group. This allows you most of the reading functions, but restricts any posting. Please email the staff at staff@endtimesroundtable.com for help in these situations.
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- Why can’t I register?
- It is possible the staff has banned your IP address or disallowed the username or email you are attempting to register. Contact a board administrator for assistance.
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- 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 you are having login or logout problems, deleting board cookies may help.
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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.
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- 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.
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- I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!
- Have you also set DST (Daylight Saving Time) correctly for your area? Since this forum is used by people from around the world, it is not possible for the forum to set DST for individuals. You will need to check your setting in the User Control Panel. Contact the staff if you need assistance.
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- 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).
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- 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, known at ETRT as the quills, indicating how many posts you have made or that the person is a member of the ETRT staff. The second, usually a larger image, is known as an avatar and is generally unique or personal to each user. If you are unable to use avatars, contact the staff and ask them for their help.
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- 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.
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- 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. This is to prevent malicious use of the e-mail system by anonymous users.
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Posting Issues
- 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.
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- 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. 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.
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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 via your User Control Panel. Once created, you can check the Attach a 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.
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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 or perform another action you may need special permissions. For example, you can only post to the Introductions and Greetings for your first post. Contact the staff if you have specific questions about your permissions.
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- 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.
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- Why did I receive a warning?
- ETRT has an established set of policies, called the Board Guidelines that you agreed to comply with as part of being granted membership. If you have broken a rule, you may be issued a warning. Warnings can lead to being made inactive or completely banned. Contact the board staff if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning.
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- How can I report posts to a moderator?
- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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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 ETRT BBCode Guide.
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- 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.
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- What are Smilies?
- Smilies, or Emoticons, are small images which can be used to express a feeling using a short code. The full list of emoticons can be seen in the posting form.
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- Can I post images?
- Yes, images can be shown in your posts. The board has made two methods available for uploading files: Attachments and File Upload link. Otherwise, you can 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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. They are generally used for time-sensitive, historic or daily use subjects.
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- 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 a moderator or administrator. Two or more members may move to have a topic locked, as specified in the Board Guidelines section.
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- What are topic icons?
- Topic icons are author chosen images associated with posts to indicate their content.
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User Levels and Groups
- What are Administrators?
- Administrators are members 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. They also have full moderator capabilities in all forums.
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- What are Moderators?
- Moderators are the group of members that 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. Moderators have the authority to issue warnings and bans.
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- 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.
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- What is “The team” link?
- This page provides you with a list of board staff.
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Private Messaging
- I cannot send private messages!
- There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, a board administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or a board administrator has prevented you from sending messages. Contact a board administrator for more information.
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- 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 the staff; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages, and to take further steps if needed.
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- 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.
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Friends and Foes
- What are my Friends and Foes lists?
- You can use these lists to organize 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. If you add a user to your foes list, any posts they make will be hidden by default. It is suggested that, instead of fighting with a person, you set them to foe and move on.
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- 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.
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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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- How do I search for members?
- Visit to the “Members” page and click the “Find a member” link.
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- 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.
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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.
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- 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.
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- How do I remove my subscriptions?
- To remove your subscriptions, go to your User Control Panel and follow the links to your subscriptions.
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Attachments
- What attachments are allowed on this board?
- Most text/document, image, sound and video filetypes are allowed, but there are size limitations. If you are having a problem with an uploaded, contact the staff for assistance.
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- 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.
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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.
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Newsfeeds
- Are your forums accessible as a newsfeed using RSS and Atom protocols?
- Yes. This site has installed the Smartfeed phpBB modification for phpBB 3, which allows access to both our public and private forums. Accessing private forums requires appropriate authorizations. Learn more.
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