YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Forum • Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Login and Registration Issues and Suggestions: Why can’t I login?; Why do I need to register for the YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Forum at all?; What name should I use for the Username?; Why do I get logged off automatically?; How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?; I’ve lost my password!; I registered but cannot login!; I registered in the past but cannot login any more!; Why can’t I register?; What does the “Delete all forum cookies” do?

User Preferences and settings: How do I change my settings?; The times are not correct!; I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!; My language is not in the list!; How do I show an image below my username?; What is my rank and how do I change it?; When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?

Is my personal information safe?: Can people see my email address?; Will people have access to my phone number?

My YMCA Friends: What is my YMCA Friends list?; How can I add / remove users to My YMCA Friends list?

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?; Why can’t I add more poll options?; How do I edit or delete a poll?; Why can’t I access a forum?; Why can’t I add attachments?; Why did I receive a warning?; How can I report posts to a moderator?; What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?; Why does my post need to be approved?; How do I bump my topic?

Formatting and Topic Types: What is BBCode?; Can I use HTML?; Is there an easier way to use BBCode?; What are Smilies?; Can I post images?; What are global announcements?; What are announcements?; What are sticky topics?; What are locked topics?; What are topic icons?; Is there a built-in spell checker?

User Levels and Groups: What are Administrators?; What are Moderators?; What are usergroups?; Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?; How do I become a usergroup leader?; Why do some forum member names appear in a different color?; What is a “Default usergroup”?; What is “The team” link?

Private Messaging: I cannot send private messages!; I keep getting unwanted private messages!; I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this board!

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?

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?

Attachments: What attachments are allowed on this board?; How do I find all my attachments?

YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Forum Issues: Who wrote this forum?; Why isn’t X feature available?; Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?

Login and Registration Issues and Suggestions

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 forum administrator to make sure you haven’t been banned. It is also possible the website owner has a configuration error on their end, and they would need to fix it.; Top

Why do I need to register for the YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Forum at all?: You don't have to if you would like to just browse the YMCA of the Rockies forum as a guest. Guests have "read only" privileges and are not able to post topics, reply to topics, vote in polls, contact other members, etc. However, if you would like to be able to use the many features of this forum, such as post messages, definable avatar images, private messaging, emailing of fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc., you will need to register.

To register, look in the upper right hand area of any page in this forum (just under the search box) for the "Register" link. Follow that link to the Users Agreement. Once you have agreed to the Users Agreement, you will then be taken to the registration page. Fill out the form, including all required fields and click the "Submit" button at the bottom of the form. The forum staff will verify that you were indeed employed by the YMCA of the Rockies, and then activate your registration. This may take some time depending on the available staff, and the number of registrations.

For more information on joining the YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Association, please visit the Alumni Association Join Page; Top

What name should I use for the Username?: We suggest you use your real name as your username. This way it will be easier for other YMCA Alumni members to find you. You can change your username anytime after registering by going to the "user control panel". Once in the user control panel (ucp), click the "profile" tab and then select "edit account settings".; Top

Why do I get logged off automatically?: If you do not check the Log me in automatically box when you login, the forum 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.; Top

How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?: Within your User Control Panel, under “Forum 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 the following may have happened.

This forum requires new registrations to be activated by an administrator before you can logon; this is because you must first be verified as a current or previous YMCA of the Rockies employee. This process may take some time depending on staffing issues, or a sudden rush of applicants. Once your employment has been verified, you will receive an email informing you of your account activation. You will not be able to login until this activation has been processed.

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 and it has not been placed in your spam or junk email folder, try contacting an administrator.; 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. It is possible an administrator has deactivated or deleted your account for some reason. This forum may remove users at any time that violate the Users Agreement. If this has happened, you will have been notified by email of your account termination. If this does not apply to you, please contact a forum moderator or the forum administrator for assistance.; Top

Why can’t I register?: It is possible the YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Forum has banned your IP address or disallowed the username you are attempting to register. Certain "objectionable words" are not allowed in usernames. When registering, you must agree to the Users Agreement and fill out all required fields in the registration form. Contact a board administrator for assistance if you still have problems registering.; Top

What does the “Delete all forum cookies” do?: “Delete all forum cookies” deletes the cookies created by the YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Forum which keep you authenticated and logged into the forum. It also provides functions such as read tracking if they have been enabled by the forum. If you are having login or logout problems, deleting forum cookies may help.; Top

User Preferences and settings

How do I change my settings?: If you are a registered user or a registered non-paid user, all your settings are stored in the board database. To alter them, visit your User Control Panel; a link can be found at the top left of all forum 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, 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.; 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 an administrator to correct the problem.; Top

My language is not in the list!: Either the administrator has not installed your language or nobody has translated this forum into your language. Try asking the forum 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).; 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. It is up to the forum 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 forum administrator and ask them for their reasons. Registered Forum Users have full permission to use avatars, however there is a size limitation of 90x90 pixels, and a file size restriction of no more than 15 KB. Avatars must also be no smaller than 20x20 pixels.; 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 any forum ranks as they are set by the forum administrator. Please do not abuse the forums by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank. This forum will not tolerate this and the moderator or administrator 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 registered 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.; Top

Is my personal information safe?

Can people see my email address?: We use a double blind method for members sending emails to other members. This means that they can send you an email, but it goes through the forum and they cannot actually see your email address. Your email address is safe from other members or guests visiting the site by default.

You can, if you wish, provide your email address in your personal profile for the entire world to see, however we recommend that you do not provide that type of personal information in your personal profile. If there is a member you would like to give your email to, you can always place your email address in an email to that member, or in a private message, assuming your are a Registered User with full forum permissions.; Top

Will people have access to my phone number?: No, the YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Forum does not require a phone number for registration, or to participate in the forum. We suggest that you do not provide your phone number in your Personal Profile, however you may if you wish.; Top

My YMCA Friends

What is my YMCA Friends list?: You can use these lists to organize other members of the board. Members added to your YMCA Friends list will be listed within your User Control Panel for quick access to see their online status and to send them private messages. This is a great way to have easy access to your best online YMCA buddies.; Top

How can I add / remove users to My YMCA Friends 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 YMCA Friends 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

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.; Top

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.; 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 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.; Top

How do I create a poll?: Currently, only the Alumni Site Administrator and Moderators can create polls. If you have an idea for a poll, please suggest it to a moderator or the administrator, or post your suggestion in the Suggest a New Main Topic or Poll area.; Top

Why can’t I add more poll options?: The limit for poll options is set by the forum administrator and only the forum administrator can create polls.; Top

How do I edit or delete a poll?: As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a moderator or an administrator. At this time, only the forum administrator is allowed to create polls.; Top

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.; 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 certain groups can post attachments. Only Registered Forum Users are allowed to add attachments. Contact the board administrator if you are a Registered User and are still unable to add attachments.

It is also possible that your attachment exceeds the allowable size. Images may be no bigger than 200 KB. File attachments may be no larger than 200 KB. Avatars may be no larger than 100x100 pixels and no smaller than 20x20 pixels. Regardless of the dimensions, Avatars can be no larger than 20 KB.

There is a limit of 5 attachments per post.; Top

Why did I receive a warning?: This Alumni Forum has rules, as outlined in the Users Agreement you agreed to when registering for this site. If you have broken a rule, you may issued a warning. Contact the board administrator if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning. If you would like to review the YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Association Website Users’ Agreement, please Click Here.; Top

How can I report posts to a moderator?: If there is a post you feel is objectionable or you think it breaks the Alumni Forum terms of use, you may report the post to the Forum Moderator. You will see a button for reporting posts next to the post you wish to report. (The button looks like a red exclamation point inside of an inverted triangle - a "tool tip" will appear when hovering over the button that says "Report this Post") Clicking this button 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 board administrator may have decided that posts in the forum you are posting to require review before submission. It is also possible that the administrator has placed you in a group of users whose posts require review before submission. Please contact the board administrator for further details.; 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 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.; 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. 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 guide which can be accessed from the posting page, or Click Here to Go to the BBCode FAQ Section now.; Top

Can I use HTML?: No. For Alumni Forum security reasons, it is not possible to post HTML on this forum and have it rendered as HTML. Most formatting which can be carried out using HTML can be applied using BBCode instead. Using BBCode rather than HTML prevents users from posting malicious code in the forum. For more information on BBCode see the guide which can be accessed from the posting page, or Click Here to Go to the BBCode FAQ Section now.; Top

Is there an easier way to use BBCode?: Yes! When creating a post, you'll notice a row of buttons above the area for composing your post... these are BBCode buttons.

If you would like to make a word bold, for example, just highlight the word and click the B button. This will add the BBCode automatically for you. You can use multiples if you'd like, such as adding italics to the word you just made bold. Just re-highlight the word and then click the "i" button... now you have a word that is both bold and italicized. Just remember, you must first highlight a word/phrase/sentence before clicking the BBCode button.

If you would like to make a word, phrase, or sentence a different color, just highlight the word, or entire sentence, and click the "Font Color" button and click the desired color from the color palate that pops up.

For more information on BBCode see the guide which can be accessed from the posting page, (BBCode enabled - just click on the word "BBCode" or Click Here to Go to the BBCode FAQ Section now.; 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. The forum administrator may also have set a limit to the number of smilies you may use within a post.; Top

Can I post images?: Yes, images can be shown in your posts if you are a Registered User. Guest users are not able to attach images or files. If the administrator has allowed attachments in your case, you may upload the image to the board. Also, you may 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.

For allowed image and file types, as well as more detailed instructions, please visit How do I add a picture or file to my post?; 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. Global announcement permissions are granted by the forum administrator.; 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. As with global announcements, announcement permissions are granted by the forum administrator.; 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. As with announcements and global announcements, sticky topic permissions are granted by the forum administrator.; 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 forum administrator. You may also be able to lock your own topics depending on the permissions you are granted by the forum administrator.; 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 the permissions set by the forum administrator.; Top

Is there a built-in spell checker?: No, the forum software does not have that capability, or did not at the time the software was modified for the Alumni Association. However, your browser may have the capability to underline misspelled words and offer correct spelling suggestions using a right click on a misspelled/underlined word. Thankfully, the latest Mozilla Firefox browser (2.x) offers this functionality and is widely considered to be a much better. more secure web browser. as well as easier to use than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Firefox is an "open source" browser and can be downloaded for free at Mozilla.com; Top

User Levels and Groups

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. 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 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 permission to add attachments to posts.; Top

Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?: You can view all usergroups via the “Usergroups” link within your User Control Panel. Unless you have been given Forum Moderator or Forum Administrator rights, you will only have the choice of Registered Users.

There is another type of user, Guests, which have no permissions other than to read posts.; Top

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

Why do some forum member names appear in a different color?: The forum administrator assigns a color to the members of a usergroup to make it easy to identify the members of this group. Registered forum members are dark blue. Forum administrators are dark red, and forum moderators are green.; Top

What is a “Default usergroup”?: If you are a member of more than one usergroup, your default is used to determine which group color and group rank should be shown for you by default. The forum administrator will change your default usergroup, for example, if you become a forum Moderator or Administrator. The vast majority of forum members are in the "Registered Users" group by default.; Top

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

Private Messaging

I cannot send private messages!: There are a couple of reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the forum administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire forum, or the forum administrator has prevented you from sending messages, most likely because you have violated the terms in the Forum Users Agreement.

Only registered members of the YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Association Forum can send private messages. Contact a forum administrator for more information.; Top

I keep getting unwanted private messages!: You can block all users 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 or moderator immediately; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages, or to even revoke their membership in this forum as outlined in the Users Agreement. Abusive private messages will not be tolerated!; 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 forum includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so e-mail the forum 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 forum administrator can then take action. This type of behavior is strictly prohibited as outlined in the Users Agreement!; 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 virtually all pages on the forum in the upper right. Some users may not be able to access all of the search functions depending on their user group type.; 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 forum software. 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 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 to the “Members” page and click the “Find a member” link. Depending on your User Group type, this functionality may not be available.; 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.

There is also a link called "View My Posts" in the upper left area of the page, next to the User Control Panel Link. Clicking this link will show all of your posts.; Top

Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks

What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?: Bookmarking in the Alumni Forum 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 via your preferred method or methods you specify in the User Control Panel.; 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?: The forum administrator can allow or disallow certain attachment types. If you are unsure what is allowed to be uploaded, contact the board administrator for assistance, or go to the "How do I use this forum?" topic on the main page. Remember... only Registered Users (users that have registered for the Alumni Forum are allowed to add attachments. Guests do not have attachment permissions.; 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

YMCA of the Rockies Alumni Forum Issues

Who wrote this forum?: The YMCA of the Rockies Forum utilizes Bulletin Board software. 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. The forum was modified and implemented by Brian Biggs of AlpineGeek located in Estes Park, CO.

Brian also made the Lula W. Dorsey Museum Website, as well as the main Alumni website.; Top

Why isn’t X feature available?: This software was written by and licensed through phpBB Group. If you believe a feature needs to be added, you may visit the phpbb.com website and see what phpBB Group has to say. It is also possible that a forum "MOD" (modification) is available but has not been included in this forum. If you feel this forum lacks a particular feature, you can contact the forum administrator who will in turn contact the company that modified this forum for the Alumni Association. This forum uses a relatively new version of the phpBB software and new features and MOD's are being released all the time. It is possible that when this forum software was originally modified, certain features were not available or were not yet stable at that time.; Top

Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?: Any of the administrators listed on the “The team” page should be an appropriate point of contact for your complaints. The forum is owned and operated by the YMCA of the Rockies.; Top

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