The Friendly Photography Forums

Frequently Asked Questions

Another Photography Forum?: Why on earth would the internet require another forum dedicated to photography?

The Monthly Front Page Pic: What’s the deal? How can I get my pic up there?

Adding Images To A Post: How do I add images to my post?; After I upload my image, why is it replaced with “Not downloaded yet”?

Login and Registration Issues: Why can’t I login?; Why do I need to register at all?; Why do I get logged off automatically?; How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?; I’ve lost my password!; What does the “Delete all board cookies” do?

User Preferences and settings: How do I change my settings?; The times are not correct!; How do I show an image along with my username?; When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?

Posting Issues: How do I post a topic in a forum?; How do I edit or delete a post?; How do I add a signature to my post?; How do I create a poll?; How do I edit or delete a poll?; How can I report posts to admin?; What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?

Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks: What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?; How do I subscribe to specific forums or topics?; How do I remove my subscriptions?

Formatting and Topic Types: What is BBCode?; Can I use HTML?; What are Smilies?; What are global announcements?; What are announcements?; What are sticky topics?; What are locked topics?

Administrators and Moderators: What are Administrators?; What are Moderators?; What is “The team” link?

Private Messaging: I keep getting unwanted private messages!; I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone!

Friends and Foes: What are my Friends and Foes lists?; How can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes list?

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?

Another Photography Forum?

Why on earth would the internet require another forum dedicated to photography?: Check this page over here for details of how and why the Friendly Photography Forums were conceived.; Top

The Monthly Front Page Pic

What’s the deal? How can I get my pic up there?: All the info you need in regards to the monthly rotating front page pic can be found over here.; Top

Adding Images To A Post

How do I add images to my post?: There are two ways you can add images to a post:

Embedded images
01. You can embed a linked jpg using BBCode from your own hosted site. The BBCode for this to work looks like this: 01. [img]http://www.yoursite.com/photoname.jpg[/img] with yoursite.com and photoname replaced with your details obviously!

Be sure to number your files so when users are commenting on them it’s clear which photo they are referring to. The easiest way to do this is to add the 01. then hit a "hard return" on your keyboard before the BBCode.

Here’s an example of the BBCode for 3 images from a set I’ve previously posted:

01. return key pressed on keyboard
[img]http://www.bjwok.com/photos/event/p/pixies/pixies01.jpg[/img]

02. return key pressed on keyboard
[img]http://www.bjwok.com/photos/event/p/pixies/pixies02.jpg[/img]

03. return key pressed on keyboard
[img]http://www.bjwok.com/photos/event/p/pixies/pixies03.jpg[/img]

Attached images
02. If you don’t have your own hosted site you may attach images to your post using the Upload attachment tab below the main posting form.

Please be aware that either embedded or attached images can not be larger that 1000px on the long side and under 2MB in size; Top

After I upload my image, why is it replaced with “Not downloaded yet”?: You wally, I’ll bet you tried to upload a image that is wider or higher than 1000px didn’t you? The Friendly Photography Forums can only handle images at a max 1000px wide or high, so resize that baby and upload again.; Top

Login and Registration Issues

Why can’t I login?: Have you checked your username and password are correct? Check the email the Friendly Photography Forums sent you when you registered to make sure and If you are certain you are entering the correct details, but it’s still not working contact an admin.; Top

Why do I need to register at all?: Registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, 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 Friendly Photography Forums 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’re using a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university computer lab, etc. for obvious reasons!; 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!: You wally! But don’t panic! While that specific 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

What does the “Delete all board cookies” do?: “Delete all board cookies” deletes the cookies created by the Friendly Photography Forums which keep you authenticated and logged into the board. It also provides functions such as read tracking of threads and posts you’ve already read. 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 Friendly Photography Forums database. To alter them, visit your User Control Panel, a link to it can be found at the top left of board pages. 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. London, Paris, New York, Adelaide, etc.; Top

How do I show an image along with my username?: This is known as your avatar and is unique to each user. To set one for yourself, visit your User Control Panel, then click the Profile tab, then Edit avatar. Dimensions, file size and other info relating to your avatar is all in there.; Top

When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?: Only registered users of the Friendly Photography Forums can send e-mail to other users via the built-in e-mail system, this is to prevent malicious use by anonymous users.; Top

Posting Issues

How do I post a topic in a forum?: To post a new topic, click either New Topic or Post Reply depending on whether you are starting a topic or replying to one.; Top

How do I edit or delete a post?: You can edit a post you’ve made previously 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. Please note that you 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. You can then add your signature by default to all your posts by checking the appropriate radio button in your profile.; 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. Enter a title and at least two options in the appropriate fields, making sure each option is on a separate line in the text area. 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

How do I edit or delete a poll?: 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, you can delete the poll or edit any poll option. However, if members have already placed votes, only moderators or administrators can edit or delete it. This prevents the poll’s options from being changed mid-way through a poll.; Top

How can I report posts to admin?: If you see something here you feel we should know about, click the exclamation mark beside the topic. This will walk you through the steps necessary to report the post, bringing it to the attention of the Friendly Photography Forums admin. Be aware that the very idea of the Friendly Photography Forums is to provide a friendly place for all things photography related. We have open minds and trust our users do too. For example, if someone is fairly animated in their speech, dropping a few f-bombs here and there it’s not the end of the world so don’t bother reporting it. We’re here to discuss and share photography, not correct each other on language or use of language.; Top

What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?: This allows you to save posts to be completed and submitted at a later date. To reload a saved passage, visit the User Control Panel.; Top

Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks

What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?: Bookmarking within the Friendly Photography Forums 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.; 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

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 this 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. Don’t overuse them willy nilly however, as too many can quickly render a post unreadable!; 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. Often topics will be locked when the content is deemed irrelevant, for example a release date for a new product passing etc.; Top

Administrators and Moderators

What are Administrators?: Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire forum. These members can control all facets of forum operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc., dependent upon the forum founder and what permissions he or she has given the other administrators. They may also have full moderator capabilities in all forums, depending on the settings put forth by the forum founder.; Top

What are Moderators?: Moderators are individuals (or groups of 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.; Top

What is “The team” link?: This page provides you with a list of Friendly Photography Forum staff, including forum administrators and moderators and other details such as the forums they moderate.; Top

Private Messaging

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 Friendly Photography Forums administrator; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages.; Top

I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone!: Damn those little buggers! The e-mail form feature of the Friendly Photography Forums includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so e-mail the 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. The board administrator can then take action.; Top

Friends and Foes

What are my Friends and Foes lists?: You can use these lists to organise other members of the forum. 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.; 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 the Friendly Photography Forums. Be more specific and use the options available within the Advanced search.; Top

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.; Top

How do I search for members?: Visit 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

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