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Posting

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There are two different posting screens available. The New topic button, visible in forums and in topics allows you to add a new topic to that particular forum. When viewing a topic, there will be an Add reply button, allowing you to add a new reply onto that particular topic. There is also a third button available, Fast topic/Fast reply, which allows you to write your post without leaving the current screen. Clicking on Fast topic/Fast reply opens up a panel at the bottom of the screen, similar to the regular text editor but with fewer options. Polls are started from the New topic screen. If the admin has enabled polls for the forum, there will be a link immediately below topic title/topic description, which opens up the options for your poll. Polls can also be added to a topic for a short while afterwards, by the topic starter. Just add a new reply; if a poll doesn't already exist you will be given another chance to add one. Posting new topics and replying When making a post, you will most likely have the option to use IBF/BBCode when posting. This will allow you to add various types of formatting to your messages. For more information on this, click the 'BBCode help' link under the emoticon box to launch the help window. Rich text editor The rich text editor (RTE) is a WYSIWYG editor, similar to WordPad. Instead of seeing the bits of BBCode, you'll see how the post will look when it's finally posted, like a live preview. You can take advantage of the RTE if you have Internet Explorer 6 or higher, or Firefox 1.5 or higher. The toolbar From left to right, top to bottom: Remove formatting: This will remove all formatting from the post. Insert special item: This box will allow you to insert items such as Topic Links, Post Links, and other Custom BBCode that the Admin allows. See the BBCode Help for further information on what these objects will look like. Fonts: This will allow you to choose a font for your text. If you have the RTE enabled, the chosen font(s) will be displayed within your post. Sizes: In this box, you can choose from seven different sizes for your fonts. Text color: This box will display a list of several colors in which to apply to your text. Spellcheck: This button starts the ieSpell spellchecker. If you don't already have the program installed, you will get the option to install it. Note: Only for Internet Explorer on Windows. Only English available. Undo and Redo: These two arrows will undo or redo your last action. Entry box size buttons: Here, you can increase or decrease the size of the post box, giving you more or less room to work. Standard Editor/RTE Toggle: This button will switch between the standard editor and the rich text editor. You can also change this setting via "My controls" Styling buttons: Bold, italic, and underline respectively, which will apply said styling to your selected text. Text formatting: This button will let you choose to superscript, subscript, or strikethrough your text. Emoticons: The button with the smiley icon will display a listing of all the emoticons for the board, and allow you to insert them into the post. Insert link/image/YouTube videoclip/email link: Four buttons used to include links to other webpages, images or videoclips, or a clickable e-mail address. Wrap in quote tags: Used when you quote another post on the board or text from some other source, making it easy to see what part of the post is your own text, and what part is not. Wrap in code tags: Similar to quote tags, but this displays the text in a fixed-width font. Very useful for posting bits of computer program code. Wrap in spoiler tags: This button wraps the selected text in spoiler tags (spoiler tags are used to hide information about recent programs and films the other members may not have had a chance to see yet. It makes the text display in black on a black background, so you have to drag the mouse over the text to read it). Outdent/Indent: These two buttons will let you indent your text to the right, or outdent it back to the left. Text alignment buttons: These buttons will let you choose left, center, right, or justified alignment for the selected text. Lists: These two buttons will let you create ordered (ie. numbered) or unordered (ie. bulleted) lists. Toggle side panel Clicking this will bring up a Side Panel containing all 'clickable' emoticons. You can click 'Toggle side panel' to either close or open the side panel. Your selection will be honored board-wide. Post options There are three options available when making a post or a reply. 'Enable emoticons?' if this is unchecked, then any text that would normally be converted into an emoticon will not be. 'Enable signature?' allows you to choose whether or not you would like your signature to appear on that individual post. 'Enable email notification of replies?' ticking this box will mean that you will receive e-mail updates to the topic, see the 'Email notification of new messages' help topic for more information on this. If the admin has allowed it, you can also choose to enable HTML parsing for this post. You also have the option to choose a post icon for the topic/post when creating one. This icon will appear next to the topic name on the topic listing in that forum, or will appear next to the date/time of the message if making a reply to a topic. Poll options When you have the option to add a poll to your topic, there will be an extra panel with multiple input boxes at the top of the screen. The first input box lets you enter the title for the whole poll. Underneath is a link which opens up one of the questions for the poll - there can be a total of three questions. Here you get another input box which allows you to enter the question that you are asking in this part of the poll. Under the question there is a checkbox to make the question a multiple choice question, allowing the voters to give several answers. And under the checkbox is a link to add a choice to the poll question. Clicking this link adds a text field where you input one of the choices. The maximum number of choices is set by the board admin, and this figure is displayed at the bottom of the poll panel. Quoting posts Displayed below each post in a topic, there is a 'Quote' button. Pressing this button will allow you to reply to a topic, and have the text from a particular reply quoted in your own reply. When you choose to do this, an extra text field will appear below the main text input box to allow you to edit the content of the post being quoted. Editing posts Above any posts that you have made, you may see an 'Edit' button. Pressing this will allow you to edit the post that you had previously made. When editing you may see a text field 'Reason for edit'. This field can be left empty, but is useful for giving the other members information on why the post was edited. It will always show in the posts that the post has been edited, and the time at which it was edited. If you are unable to see the edit button displayed on each post that you have made, then the administrator may have prevented you from editing posts, or the time limit for editing may have expired. Fast reply Where it has been enabled, there will be a fast reply button on each topic. Clicking this will open up a posting box on the topic view screen, cutting down on the time required to load the main posting screen. Click the fast reply button to expand the reply box and type the post inside of there. Although the fast reply box is not expanded by default, you can choose the option to have it expanded by default, from the board settings section of your control panel. Pressing the 'More options' button will take you to the normal posting screen.

Here is the topic you chose to view

There are two different posting screens available. The New topic button, visible in forums and in topics allows you to add a new topic to that particular forum. When viewing a topic, there will be an Add reply button, allowing you to add a new reply onto that particular topic. There is also a third button available, Fast topic/Fast reply, which allows you to write your post without leaving the current screen. Clicking on Fast topic/Fast reply opens up a panel at the bottom of the screen, similar to the regular text editor but with fewer options.

Polls are started from the New topic screen. If the admin has enabled polls for the forum, there will be a link immediately below topic title/topic description, which opens up the options for your poll.
Polls can also be added to a topic for a short while afterwards, by the topic starter. Just add a new reply; if a poll doesn't already exist you will be given another chance to add one.

Posting new topics and replying

When making a post, you will most likely have the option to use IBF/BBCode when posting. This will allow you to add various types of formatting to your messages. For more information on this, click the 'BBCode help' link under the emoticon box to launch the help window.

Rich text editor
The rich text editor (RTE) is a WYSIWYG editor, similar to WordPad. Instead of seeing the bits of BBCode, you'll see how the post will look when it's finally posted, like a live preview. You can take advantage of the RTE if you have Internet Explorer 6 or higher, or Firefox 1.5 or higher.

The toolbar

From left to right, top to bottom:

Remove formatting: This will remove all formatting from the post.
Insert special item: This box will allow you to insert items such as Topic Links, Post Links, and other Custom BBCode that the Admin allows. See the BBCode Help for further information on what these objects will look like.
Fonts: This will allow you to choose a font for your text. If you have the RTE enabled, the chosen font(s) will be displayed within your post.
Sizes: In this box, you can choose from seven different sizes for your fonts.
Text color: This box will display a list of several colors in which to apply to your text.
Spellcheck: This button starts the ieSpell spellchecker. If you don't already have the program installed, you will get the option to install it. Note: Only for Internet Explorer on Windows. Only English available.
Undo and Redo: These two arrows will undo or redo your last action.
Entry box size buttons: Here, you can increase or decrease the size of the post box, giving you more or less room to work.
Standard Editor/RTE Toggle: This button will switch between the standard editor and the rich text editor. You can also change this setting via "My controls"
Styling buttons: Bold, italic, and underline respectively, which will apply said styling to your selected text.
Text formatting: This button will let you choose to superscript, subscript, or strikethrough your text.
Emoticons: The button with the smiley icon will display a listing of all the emoticons for the board, and allow you to insert them into the post.
Insert link/image/YouTube videoclip/email link: Four buttons used to include links to other webpages, images or videoclips, or a clickable e-mail address.
Wrap in quote tags: Used when you quote another post on the board or text from some other source, making it easy to see what part of the post is your own text, and what part is not.
Wrap in code tags: Similar to quote tags, but this displays the text in a fixed-width font. Very useful for posting bits of computer program code.
Wrap in spoiler tags: This button wraps the selected text in spoiler tags (spoiler tags are used to hide information about recent programs and films the other members may not have had a chance to see yet. It makes the text display in black on a black background, so you have to drag the mouse over the text to read it).
Outdent/Indent: These two buttons will let you indent your text to the right, or outdent it back to the left.
Text alignment buttons: These buttons will let you choose left, center, right, or justified alignment for the selected text.
Lists: These two buttons will let you create ordered (ie. numbered) or unordered (ie. bulleted) lists.

Toggle side panel

Clicking this will bring up a Side Panel containing all 'clickable' emoticons.

You can click 'Toggle side panel' to either close or open the side panel. Your selection will be honored board-wide.

Post options

There are three options available when making a post or a reply. 'Enable emoticons?' if this is unchecked, then any text that would normally be converted into an emoticon will not be. 'Enable signature?' allows you to choose whether or not you would like your signature to appear on that individual post. 'Enable email notification of replies?' ticking this box will mean that you will receive e-mail updates to the topic, see the 'Email notification of new messages' help topic for more information on this. If the admin has allowed it, you can also choose to enable HTML parsing for this post.

You also have the option to choose a post icon for the topic/post when creating one. This icon will appear next to the topic name on the topic listing in that forum, or will appear next to the date/time of the message if making a reply to a topic.

Poll options

When you have the option to add a poll to your topic, there will be an extra panel with multiple input boxes at the top of the screen. The first input box lets you enter the title for the whole poll. Underneath is a link which opens up one of the questions for the poll - there can be a total of three questions. Here you get another input box which allows you to enter the question that you are asking in this part of the poll. Under the question there is a checkbox to make the question a multiple choice question, allowing the voters to give several answers. And under the checkbox is a link to add a choice to the poll question. Clicking this link adds a text field where you input one of the choices. The maximum number of choices is set by the board admin, and this figure is displayed at the bottom of the poll panel.

Quoting posts

Displayed below each post in a topic, there is a 'Quote' button. Pressing this button will allow you to reply to a topic, and have the text from a particular reply quoted in your own reply. When you choose to do this, an extra text field will appear below the main text input box to allow you to edit the content of the post being quoted.

Editing posts

Above any posts that you have made, you may see an 'Edit' button. Pressing this will allow you to edit the post that you had previously made.

When editing you may see a text field 'Reason for edit'. This field can be left empty, but is useful for giving the other members information on why the post was edited. It will always show in the posts that the post has been edited, and the time at which it was edited.

If you are unable to see the edit button displayed on each post that you have made, then the administrator may have prevented you from editing posts, or the time limit for editing may have expired.

Fast reply

Where it has been enabled, there will be a fast reply button on each topic. Clicking this will open up a posting box on the topic view screen, cutting down on the time required to load the main posting screen. Click the fast reply button to expand the reply box and type the post inside of there. Although the fast reply box is not expanded by default, you can choose the option to have it expanded by default, from the board settings section of your control panel. Pressing the 'More options' button will take you to the normal posting screen.

Lo-fi version

Time is now: 20 May 2013 - 00:17

Licensed to: Lars Eriksson, NTFA