Frequently Asked Questions on CNP's Features/Usage
User Preferences and settings
How do I change my settings?
How do I show an image below my username?
When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?
Posting Issues
How do I edit or delete a post?
How do I add a signature to my post?
Why can’t I access a forum?
Why can’t I add attachments?
How can I report posts to a moderator?
What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?
How do I bump my topic?
Topic Subscriptions
How do I subscribe to specific forums or topics?
How do I remove my subscriptions?
Searching the Forums
How can I search a forum or forums?
Why does my search return no results?
Why does my search return a blank page!?
How do I search for members?
How can I find my own posts and topics?
Attachments
What attachments are allowed on this board?
How do I find all my attachments?
Private Messaging
I cannot send private messages!
I keep getting unwanted private messages!
Friends and Foes
What are my Friends and Foes lists?
How can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes list?
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.
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, 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. It is up to the board administrator to enable avatars and to choose the way in which avatars can be made available. If you are unable to use avatars, contact a board administrator and ask them for their reasons.
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, and only if the administrator has enabled this feature. This is to prevent malicious use of the e-mail system by anonymous users.
Posting Issues
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, sometimes 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.
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 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 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.
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. Contact a moderator or board administrator to grant you access.
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.
How can I report posts to a moderator?
If the board administrator has allowed it, 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.
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.
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, however, be sure to follow the board rules when doing so.
Topic Subscriptions
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.
How do I remove my subscriptions?
To remove your subscriptions, go to your User Control Panel and follow the links to your subscriptions.
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.
Why does my search return no results?
Your search was probably too vague and included many common terms which are not indexed in the site. Be more specific and use the options available within Advanced search.
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.
How do I search for members?
Visit to the “Members” page and click the “Find a member” link.
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.
Attachments
What attachments are allowed on this board?
Each board administrator can allow or disallow certain attachment types. If you are unsure what is allowed to be uploaded, contact the board administrator for assistance.
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.
Private Messaging
I cannot send private messages!
There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the board administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the board administrator has prevented you from sending messages. Contact a board administrator for more information.
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 a board administrator; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages.
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. Subject to template support, posts from these users may also be highlighted. If you add a user to your foes list, any posts they make will be hidden by default.
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.