Listed below are the answers to a few questions that may be helpful to forum users.
- Added info on file uploads and image posting 5/20/05.

 

Q. How do I post a message to the forum.
A. Click on either the Post Message link on the main forum page or the Post Reply link on a message page. Posting is restricted to registered users. Register here.

Q. What is the difference between Post Message and Post Reply?
A. Use Post Message when you want to post a message for a new topic. Use Post Reply from a message page to post a message that is related to that topic.

Q. How do I know which messages have been recently posted?
A. A new message will show the date in green bold text for 5 days (7200 minutes) after it was posted. You can also select the list recent messages option located on the left side of the navagation bar. Select a time or option and click GO.

Q. Can I edit a message after I post it?

A. Yes, you can edit a massage up to one month after the posting date. An edited message will show a red bold date for 5 days (7200 minutes) after the edit.

Q. How do I change my forum password and my email address?
A. When you log in, a screen will appear with several options. Choose the "Modify your registration" link.

Q.How can I recover a lost password?
A. To recover a password you must first try to login. If you can not login, you will see the link "Request Lost Password" appear at the top of the login screen. Click this link and follow the directions to obtain a new password. Once you obtain a new password, you can change the password by using the "Modify your registration" link.

Q. What is the Profile about?
A. You can add information about yourself here.
Signature: To add a signature, click the Login link from any forum, login, and scroll to the bottom of your welcome page. Click the "Edit your profile.." link. Add text to your signature and click submit. You should see what your signature will look like after you
click the submit button. You can click the back button if you need to modify the text by re-entering. From then on, your signature will automatically be added each time you post to any forum.

Q. How do I add links, such as web addresses, to my posts?
A. You can add the link in the body of your message or in the "Link URL" at the bottom of the Post Message page. To add a link, simply paste or type the http:// web address in the body of your message. You can also add links by selecting the text that will be the link and clicking the link button in the text tool bar. Messages with a link in them will show a red link indicator by the message title. For email addresses, simply enter the email address in the body of the message. The forum software will automatically convert the email address in an email link..

Q. Can I share files and images with visitors?
A. Yes, you can attach a file to your post by clicking the browse button at the bottom of your message page. Files uploads are limited to 100K in size and will be deleted when your message expires. Files can be of almost any type, such as a document, spreadsheet, PDF, or image.

Q. How do I add an image to my post if the image exists on another web page?
Q: How do I add an image to my post if the image exceeds the upload file size?

A: To post pictures larger than the maximunm file upload size, you will need to select the photo from another web site. Go to the website that has the picture you want to post. Right-click your mouse over the picture then select "properties". You'll see a web address for the picture in the properties window. Copy the address by clicking your keyboard's ctrl and C keys. Now go to the Online forum and start up a new message or a reply. Just above the message section is a toolbar. Click on the "Insert Image" icon (looks like a picture of a mountain). Paste the picture's address in the "source" section. Add a message to your post and then hit "Post".

Q. How long will my message remain on the forum?
A. Each forum will hold about 500 messages. The oldest messages and it's threads will be deleted when the when the forum program runs the clean up routine.

Q. Can I use fancy text formatting in my messages?
A. Yes. You can use the formatting buttons available in the text tool bar. Simply select your text and click the appropriate buttons in the tool bar. Also, If you are familiar with HTML code, you can format your messages as you like. You can click the "Browser Preview" button to see how your message will look before you post it. Note: Carriage returns will be counted and new lines, just like the <br> tag. You could end up with extra carriage returns in your message.

Q. Why is the forum email time wrong?
A. If you receive any email from the forum email system, the time stamp on the email might be off by 5 hours. The email software for the forum is located on a separate computer. The time on this computer is set based on a different time zone.


Q. Why don't I see the message reply I made a month ago?
A. The forum will collapse all threads older then 15 days. There will be a more listed after a collapsed thread. To view the full thread, click on the message title and the initial post will be displayed with a link to all subsequent posts.

Q. What is the Private Message field and how does it work?
A. You can use the forum to leave a private message for any registered user. Private messages can only be viewed by the author and the person that the message is addressed to. Private messages do not appear on the public forum and are useful if you would like to continue a detailed discussion out of the public forum area.
To post a private message, click the Post Message link and add the user name of the person you wish to leave a private message for in the line that says "Private Message For". The user name is the name as it appears next to the posted message title. For example, to leave a private message for the forum administrator, enter Forum Admin into the Private Message For field. To check your messages, select the My Forum link or click the Login link, and then select Go to My Forum. If you have a new Private Message, you will see a notice indicating a new message on the welcome screen when you log into the forum.

As an additional note, The Forum Admin and Moderator(s) can only view the PM titles as part of the forum message management system. The forum software will not allow access to the message body. All private messages can be considered confidential unless specific access is requested by an appropriate authority with proper legal support. Also, password information is encrypted by the web server and can not be viewed as plain text by anyone.

Q: I get a "New Private Message" notice, but why don't I see the message?
A: The On Line Forum is actually a combination of 4 forums working as one. User information is shared between all 4 forums. If you receive an new private message, you will get the notice regardless of the forum that you log in to. However, you will not see the new private message unless you click the My Forum link from the forum that the private message was posted in. For example, if a user sends you a new private message while they are in the Lighter Side forum, you will receive the new private message notice regardless of the forum that you log in to. You will not be able to view the new private message until you click the My Forum link in the Lighter Side forum. Clicking the My Forum link in the other forums will not show the new private message.
Note: We are working on improving the operation of the private message notification. We hope to make the process of viewing private messages a little easier for all users.

Q Can I add emoticons and images to my posts?
A Yes. We have a set of emoticons already installed for use in the body of your message. Enter the required text into the massage body and the corresponding image will appear in the message when posted. See Emoticons.
Images can be added by clicking the Add Image button in the text toolbar.

Q. Why is the read count red on some messages and black on others?
A. If a message receives more than 100 reads, the counter will turn red to highlight the messages popularity.

Q. Is there a privacy policy for the forum?
A. The forum privacy policy is covered under the westford.com privacy statement.

Q. Is there a posting policy?
A. Yes, it is listed here.

Question not answered here? Send us an email.

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