Frequently Asked Questions

Forum Rules

Give Feedback
Give feedback, or you will not get anymore replies here (Refer our Friend & Foe system). If someone helps you by answering your question, try to add a follow-up response (within 3 days) letting them know if it worked or not. If you made it work in a different manner or you did not get any result, do make it a point to let the forum know.
Top

NewTopic & Topic Title
Start a new topic to post your queries. Do not ask your doubts as a reply to another post. Posts are to be made in relevant category/Forum. Make your topic title meaningful and descriptive. Do not use words such as Urgent/ Please/ Help! or Important in your subject line. Never use the Forum name as your topic title.
Top

Edit or Remove Policies
The moderating and admin teams reserve the right to edit or remove your posts at any time. The determination of what is construed as indecent, vulgar, spam, etc. as noted in these points is up to Team members and not users.
Top

Advertising & Other Site Links
Putting links advertising websites (eg. New Mainframe or Job sites) or linking to auction websites is strictly forbidden. Please inform to the site Admin, before posting links to other mainframe forums. Signature links to your own websites must be made in Text format which can be set in your profile.
Top

Use of Private Messages
Do not Advertise or request help via Private messages or emails. Post all your queries on forum itself. You will be banned if we receive any complaints from other users regarding this.
Top

Warning and Banning
Users abusing these rules will be given One warning per abuse. If the offence is repeated, they will face a possible ban. Users, their Email and IP will be banned permanently once they received the third warning. And this can not be UNDO even by the site admin.
Top

Login and Registration Issues

Why can’t I login?
There are several reasons why this could occur. First, ensure your username and password are correct. If they are, contact the site Admin to make sure you haven’t been banned.
Top

Why do I need to register at all?
You need to register in order to post or reply messages. Registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, downloading attachments, private messaging, emailing of fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few moments to register so it is recommended you do so.
Top

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. If you do not see this checkbox, it means the board administrator has disabled this feature.
Top

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.
Top

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.
Top

I registered but cannot login!
First, check your username and password. If they are correct, then one of two things may have happened. Our board will also require new registrations to be activated, either by yourself or by an administrator before you can logon; this information was present during registration. 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 filter, check your SPAM Box / Junk mail folder.
Top

I registered in the past but cannot login any more?!
Attempt to locate the e-mail sent to you when you first registered, check your username and password and try again. Our boards periodically remove users who have not posted for a long time to reduce the size of the database. If this has happened, try registering again and being more involved in discussions.
Top

What is COPPA?
COPPA, or the Child Online Privacy and Protection Act of 1998, is a law in the United States requiring websites which can potentially collect information from minors under the age of 13 to have written parental consent or some other method of legal guardian acknowledgment, allowing the collection of personally identifiable information from a minor under the age of 13. If you are unsure if this applies to you as someone trying to register or to the website you are trying to register on, contact legal counsel for assistance.
Top

Why can’t I register?
It is possible the site Admin has banned your IP address or disallowed the username or email you are attempting to register. Contact the administrator for assistance.
Top

What does the “Delete all board cookies” do?
“Delete all board cookies” deletes the cookies created by this Forum/Site which keep you authenticated and logged into the board. It also provides functions such as read tracking if they have been enabled by the board owner. If you are having login or logout problems, deleting board cookies may help.
Top

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 the home page. This system will allow you to change all your settings and preferences.
Top

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. UTC + 5:30 Indian Standard Time 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.
Top

I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!
If you are sure you have set the timezone and Summer Time/DST correctly and the time is still incorrect, then the time stored on the server clock is incorrect. Please notify the admin to correct this problem.
Top

My language is not in the list!
Yes, This Forum supports only British English. But you can use any version of English in your posts. It does not matter if you write grammatically incorrect English, but never try another language.
Top

How do I show an image below my username?
There are two images that may appear below a username when viewing posts. The first may be an image associated with your rank, generally in the form of stars, blocks or dots, indicating how many posts you have made or your status on the board. 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 administrator.
Top

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 ranks as they are set by the administrator. Please do not abuse the board by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank. We will not tolerate this and the moderators will simply lower your post count.
Top

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.
Top

Posting Issues

How do I post a topic in a forum?
To post a new topic in a forum, click the NEWTOPIC button on either the forum or topic screens. You must 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.
Top

How do I edit or delete a post?
Unless you are a board moderator, you can only edit or delete your own posts. You can edit a post by clicking the edit button for the relevant post for only a limited time after the post was made. 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. Please note that normal users cannot delete a post once someone has replied.
Top

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.
Top

How do I create a poll?
When posting a new topic or editing the first post of a topic, click the “Poll creation” tab below the main posting form; if you cannot see this, you do not have appropriate permissions to create polls. Enter a title and at least two options in the appropriate fields, making sure each option is on a separate line in the textarea. You can also set the number of options users may select during voting under “Options per user”, a time limit in days for the poll (0 for infinite duration) and lastly the option to allow users to amend their votes.
Top

Why can’t I add more poll options?
The limit for poll options is set by the administrator. If you feel you need to add more options to your poll then the allowed amount, contact the admin.
Top

How do I edit or delete a poll?
As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a moderator or the administrator. To edit a poll, click to edit the first post in the topic; this always has the poll associated with it. If no one has cast a vote, users can delete the poll or edit any poll option. However, if members have already placed votes, only moderators or administrator can edit or delete it. This prevents the poll’s options from being changed mid-way through a poll.
Top

Why can’t I access a forum?
Some forums are limited to moderators. To view, read, post or perform another action you may need special permissions.
Top

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 moderators can post attachments. Contact the admin if you are unsure about why you are unable to add attachments.
Top

Why did I receive a warning?
If you have broken a rule, you may issued a warning. Contact the admin if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning.
Top

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.
Top

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.
Top

Why does my post need to be approved?
The admin may have decided that posts in the forum you are posting to require review before submission. Please wait for 24 hours and contact the admin, if your posts not been approved.
Top

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 the time allowance between bumps has not yet been reached.
Top

Formatting and Topic Types

What is BBCode?
BBCode is a special implementation of HTML, offering great formatting control on particular objects in a post. 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 guide which can be accessed from the posting page.
Top

Can I use HTML?
No. It is not possible to post HTML on our board and have it rendered as HTML. Most formatting which can be carried out using HTML can be applied using BBCode instead.
Top

What are Smilies?
Smilies, or Emoticons, are small images which can be used to express a feeling using a short code, e.g. :) denotes happy, while :( denotes sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen in the posting form. Try not to overuse smilies, however, as they can quickly render a post unreadable and a moderator may edit them out or remove the post altogether.
Top

Can I post images?
Yes, images can be shown in your posts. You may be able to upload the image to the board as an inline Attachment. Otherwise, you mmay link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server like http://www.imageshack.us/ You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC 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.
Top

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.
Top

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.
Top

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.
Top

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 the forum moderator or board administrator. You may also be able to lock your own topics depending on your permissions.
Top

What are topic icons?
Topic icons are author chosen images associated with posts to indicate their content. The ability to use topic icons depends on your permission set.
Top

User Levels and Groups

What are Administrators?
Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire board. These members can control the entire board operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc.
Top

What are Moderators?
Moderators are individuals who 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.
Top

What are usergroups?
Usergroups are groups of users that divide the community into manageable sections board moderators can work with. Each user can belong to several groups and each group can be assigned individual permissions.
Top

Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?
You can view all usergroups by via the “Usergroups” link within your User Control Panel. If you would like to join one, proceed by clicking the appropriate button. Not all groups have open access, however. Some may require approval to join, some may be closed and some may even have hidden memberships. If the group is open, you can join it by clicking the appropriate button. If a group requires approval to join you may request to join by clicking the appropriate button. The user group leader will need to approve your request and may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not harass a group leader if they reject your request; they will have their reasons.
Top

How do I become a usergroup leader?
A usergroup leader is usually assigned when usergroups are initially created by the admin. If you are interested in creating a usergroup, your first point of contact should be the admin; try sending a private message.
Top

Why do some usergroups appear in a different colour?
It is possible for the admin to assign a colour to the members of a usergroup to make it easy to identify the members of this group.
Top

What is a “Default usergroup”?
If you are a member of more than one usergroup, your default is used to determine which group colour and group rank should be shown for you by default. You can change your default usergroup via your User Control Panel.
Top

What is “The team” link?
This page provides you with a list of board staff, including board admin, Global Moderators and Forum moderators with other details such as the forums they moderate.
Top

Private Messaging

I cannot send private messages!
There are two reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on or the board administrator has prevented you from sending messages.
Top

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 this immediately to the site admin; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages at all.
Top

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 contact the site admin 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.
Top

Friends and Foes

What are my Friends and Foes lists?
You can use these lists to organise 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.
Top

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.
Top

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.
Top

Why does my search return no results?
Your search was probably too vague and included many common terms which are not indexed by our Engine. Be more specific and use the options available within Advanced search.
Top

Why does my search return a blank page!?
Your search returned too many results for the server to handle. Use “Advanced search” and be more specific in the terms used and forums that are to be searched.
Top

How do I search for members?
Visit to the “Members” page and click the “Find a member” link.
Top

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.
Top

Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks

What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?
Bookmarking 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 notification method.
Top

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.
Top

How do I remove my subscriptions?
To remove your subscriptions, go to your User Control Panel and follow the links to your subscriptions.
Top

Attachments

What attachments are allowed on this board?
You should not use our forums to post/attach/link any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, sexually oriented, abusive, harassing or threatening, contains viruses or other contaminating or destructive features, violates the rights of others, such as Content which infringes any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret or violates any right of privacy or publicity, or otherwise violates any applicable law.. Feel free to ask the moderators before posting the downloaded materials from other sites..
Top

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.
Top