FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS



  1. Do I have to register?
  2. How can I use smilies?
  3. Can I add HTML to my messages?
  4. What are Administrators?
  5. How can I change my registration profile?
  6. Can I customize the bulletin board in any way?
  7. Are cookies used?
  8. Can I edit my own posts?
  9. Can I attach files?
  10. Can I search?
  11. Can I add a standard signature to my posts?
  12. What are announcements?
  13. Are there any censor features?
  14. What do I do if I lost my username and/or password?
  15. Can I be notified by email if someone responds to my topic?
  16. What is Daily Active Topic List?
  17. What are archives?
  18. What are icons?


1. Registering
Registration is required if you plan to post new topics or reply to existing topics. Registration is free, and you are not required to use your real name. You are required to post your actual email address, however.


2. Smilies
You've probably seen others use smilies before in email messages or other forum posts. Smilies are keyboard characters used to convey an emotion, such as a smile :) or a frown :(. This forum automatically converts certain smilies to a graphical representation. For example, if you type :o in your BB post, it will automatically be converted to - a shameful face. Here are a few more examples:

:) smile
:( frown
:o embarrassment
:D big grin
;) wink


3. Using HTML and/or UBB Code
On PFF, HTML is not enabled but UBB-Code is. UBB-Code is similar to HTML, but offers just a few basic functions, such as hyperlinking, image display, bolding and italicizing. A complete list of current UBB-Codes are listed here.


4. Administrator
The Administrator is in control of all forums. He can edit, delete, or prune any posts in the forums. If you have a question about a particular forum, you should direct it to the Administrator.


5. Changing Your Profile
You may easily change any info stored in your registration profile, using the "profile" button located near the top of each page. Simply identify yourself by typing your username and password and all of your profile information will appear on screen. You may change any items, except your username.


6. Customizing User Preferences
As a registered PFF member, you may store your username and password in memory for up to one year at a time. This will prevent you from having to type your user name and password every time you post a note. You also have the option of changing the default number of days back to view topics. Just click on the "prefs" button near the top of each page and you can change either of these settings.


7. Cookies
PFF uses cookies to store the following information: the last time you logged in, your username and password, and your preferred "topic view", if you set it in preferences. These cookies are stored in your browser. Cookies are not used to track your movement or perform any function other than to enhance your use of the bulletin board. If your browser does not support cookies, or you have not enabled cookies on your browser, many of these time-saving features will not work properly.

If you experience any problems with these features, you may delete all cookies set in this forum by visiting the "preferences" area of the forum and clicking the "delete cookies" link.


8. Editing Your Posts
You may edit your own posts at any time. Just go to the topic where the post to be edited is located and you will see an "edit" button on the line that begins with "posted on...". Click this button to edit your post. No one else can edit your post, except for the administrator. A note is generated at the bottom of each post that is edited so that every one knows when a post has been edited.

Although you are allowed to edit your own post, you are not allowed to delete your post. Only the Administrator can do this.


9. Adding Signatures
You may use a signature (commonly used in email messages) on your posts. If you click on the "profile" button at the top of most pages, you will be able to edit your profile, including your standard signature. Once you have a signature stored, you can choose to include it any post you make by checking the "include signature" box when you create your post. PFF's Administrator may elect to turn the signature feature off at any time, however. If that is the case, the "include signature" option will not appear when you post a note, even if you have stored a signature. You may also change your signature at any time by changing your profile.

Note: You may not use HTML in your signature file, but you may use UBB-Code.


10. Attaching Files
For security reasons, files can not be attached to any posts. You may cut and paste text into your post, however, or use UBB-Code to provide hyperlinks to outside documents.


11. Searching For Specific Posts
You may search for specific posts based on a word or words found in the posts. Just click on the "search" button at the top of most pages.


12. Announcements
Announcements are one-way communications from the Administrator. No one can post replies to these announcements. If you want to talk about specific announcements, you will have to create a new topic in the appropriate forum.


13.Censoring Posts
The Administrators has the ability to censor certain words that may be posted. This censoring is not an exact science, however, so certain words may be censored out of context. Please realize that the censoring, is being done by a computer based on the words that are being screened. Words that are censored are replaced with asterisks.


14. Lost User Name and/or Password
Retrieving your username and password is simple! All of the pages that require you to identify yourself with your username and password carry a "Forgot your password?" link that you can use to have your username and password emailed instantly to the email address you used at the time of registration.


15. Email Notification
If you create a new topic, you have the option of receiving an email notification every time someone posts a reply to your topic. Just check the email notification box on the "New Topic" form when you create your new topic, if you want to use this feature. Be aware though that this can actually flood your mailbox if you create a topic that receives a lot of responses!


16. The Daily Active Topic List
When you visit this bulletin board, you will see a link at the top of the list of forums called "View Today's Active Topics". Clicking on this will provide you with a list of topics in all forums that have been posted on that day.


17. What are Archives?
Archives are read-only areas that contain topics that were previously posted to one of the forums. You may not add a reply to a topic that is in an archive. Topics in an archive have been completely removed from the original forum where they were started.


18. What are icons?
You are able to associate an icon with each post that you make. There are currently 14 icons, each expressing a different emotion or identification. These icons range from a simple note to sadness to warning. These icons appear next to each topic in a forum listing and on each post.