What is Registration?
What are Smilies?
Can I use HTML Code in posts?
What Are Moderators?
How can I change my profile information?
Are cookies used?
Can I edit my own posts?
What is the signature for?
How do I Search for Posts?
What are announcements?
Are there any censor features? Why do my posts have words converted to asterisks (*)?
What do I do if I have lost my username and/or password?
What is the email notification options?
What are message icons?

What is Registration?
The administrator has probably required you to register before you can post replies or new threads on the board. Registration also allows you to edit your posts, specify a signature, receive email notification of replies to your threads, and much more. Registration is free, and there is no need to enter personal details. Your email address can be optionally hidden, ensuring complete privacy. The administrator may have chosen to verify all email addresses during registration, so make certain that you have entered a correct email address.

If you are a child under the age of 13, the administrator may require you to provide parental consent before you can begin posting on the board. More information about this is available during the registration process.

Can I use HTML Code in posts?
You may be able to use HTML code in your posts, depending on the administrator's choice. Details of whether you are allowed to or not are available in the Forum Rules, found on most pages within the Forum. If you are allowed to use HTML code, make sure that you close all the tags that you have opened, and don't close any tags that you have not opened - doing so will make sure that the design of the pages is not disrupted.

As an alternative to HTML code, the administrator may have enabled vB code. This provides a sub set of the functionality of HTML code, while maintaining security from malicious scripting and layout damage. More information about vB code can be found here.

What Are Moderators?
Moderators control individual forums. They have the power to edit, delete, or move any posts in their forums. If you are unhappy about a particular forum, you should contact the moderator with the problem.

How can I change my profile information?
It is up to you to maintain an up to date profile. You should make sure, in particular, that your email address is up to date. You can change any fields in your profile, except for your username. Once you have a username, it is yours for life. Information about the various options that you have in your profile are available on this page.

Are cookies used?
vBulletin uses cookies to store your unique user id number and your password if you are a registered member. If you have chosen in your profile, this will automatically fill in your username and password in any place where you need them. Cookies are used to track when you are online - if you have not chosen to be in privacy mode in your profile, your username will appear in the logged in users list. Lastly, cookies are used to track which posts are new since your last visit. It is recommend that you use these forums with a cookie-enabled browser. If you do not, you will have to type in your username and password every time you want to post, and every time you visit a private forum.

You may delete all cookies set in this forum by clicking on the log out link on the homepage.

Can I edit my own posts?
Only registered users can edit and delete their posts. The administrator can turn off this priviledge is he desires. You may also be able to edit your post for a certain length of time after you have posted it, depending on how the administrator have set up the board. To edit or delete your posts, just click the edit/delete icon by your post. If your post was the first in the thread, then deleting your post will result in the removal of the whole thread.

When you make modifications to your posts, a note will appear at the bottom of the post telling other users that you have edited your post. Moderators and administrators can also edit your messages but this note will not appear.

What is the signature for?
Signatures are only available to registered users. If this board's administrator has enabled signatures, then you can specify in your profile a signature to use at the bottom of your posts. When you post, there is an option to use your signature. If you want to turn the signature off in the future, you can come back and edit your post. If you have specified a signature in your profile, the box will be automatically ticked for you.

How do I Search for Posts?
You can search for posts based on username, word(s) in the post or just in the subject, by date, and only in particular forums. To access the search feature, click on the "search" link at the top of most pages. You can search any forum that you have permission to search - you will not be allowed to search through private forums unless the administrator has given your the necessary security rights to do so.

What are announcements?
Announcements are made by the administrator, and are meant to be a simple one-way communication with the users. If you wish to discuss announcements, you will have to create a new thread in the forum, since you cannot reply to announcements.

Are there any censor features? Why do my posts have words converted to asterisks (*)?
If the administrator has chosen censor your posts based on certain words, these words will be blanked out with stars (*) or a similar character in your posts. This censoring is done by a computer simply searching for words, and is by no stretch of the imagination 'intelligent'.

What do I do if I have lost my username and/or password?
If you happen to forget your password, click on the 'Lost Password' link available everywhere you are required to fill in you password. This will give you a form where you can fill in your registered email address, and your password will be emailed to you straight away.

What is the email notification options?
If you make a post in a thread, you can choose to receive email notifications when new replies are made. This option is set when you make a post and can be turned off by by editing your post. Registered users only are applicable to receive email notification and they can set in their profile whether they want email notification on or off by default.