UrbanAreas.net • Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

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!; I registered but cannot login!; I registered in the past but cannot login any more?!; What is COPPA?; Why can’t I register?; What does the “Delete all website cookies” do?

User Preferences and Settings: How do I change my settings?; How do I change my Profile picture?; What is the link to my Profile page (URL)?; How do I view my own Profile page?; The times are not correct!; I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!; My language is not in the list!; 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?

User Points: Overview; Viewing / Accessing Points; The Bank; Ran Out Of Points?; Exchange Your Points; Robbing Members; The Lottery; Playing The Games; Posting Messages; Uploading Images; Donations; Other Ways To Earn Points

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

YouTube Videos: Add a YouTube video to the Videos section:; Add a YouTube video to a Forum post or Private Message:; I'm having a problem with the video play-back of the YouTube videos.

Private Messaging (PM): What is a PM/Private Message?; What is the difference between a private message and an email?; Does this website use private messages or email?; I cannot send private messages!; I keep getting unwanted private messages!; I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this website!

Online Training: Why are you doing this?; Are the courses on this website really free?; How do the Free Online Courses on this website differ from other types of web-based education and distant learning?; Will I earn a degree, certificate, college credits, etc upon completion of one of the courses?; What course materials do I need for the courses?; How do I find what courses are available?; Upon completing a course, can I add it to my resume?; Who owns the intellectual property of the published courses?

Formatting and Topic Types: What is BBCode?; Can I use HTML?; 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?

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?

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 usergroups appear in a different colour?; What is a “Default usergroup”?; What is “The team” link?

Searching the Forums: How can I search the Form or Message Board?; 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?

Website Issues: Who owns and designed this website?; Why isn’t X feature available?; Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?

Login and Registration Issues

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 board owner 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 at all?: You do not have to register to visit this website. However, registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users. 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 website 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. If you do not see this checkbox, it means the website administrator has disabled this feature.; Top

How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?: Within your Profile, under “Website 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 send us an email by clicking the "Help" hyperlink located at the top of the website. Next select, "Email Us" >> "General Feedback".; 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. If you continue to have problems send us an email by clicking the "Help" hyperlink located at the top of the website. Next select, "Email Us" >> "General Feedback".; Top

What is COPPA?: COPPA, or the Child Online Privacy and Protection Act of 1998, is a law in the United States requiring websites which can potentially collect information from minors under the age of 13 to have written parental consent or some other method of legal guardian acknowledgment, allowing the collection of personally identifiable information from a minor under the age of 13. If you are unsure if this applies to you as someone trying to register or to the website you are trying to register on, contact legal counsel for assistance. Please note that the phpBB Group cannot provide legal advice and is not a point of contact for legal concerns of any kind, except as outlined below.; Top

Why can’t I register?: It is possible the website owner has banned your IP address or disallowed the username you are attempting to register. The website owner could have also disabled registration to prevent new visitors from signing up. Contact a website administrator for assistance by clicking the "Help" hyperlink located at the top of the website. Next select, "Email Us" >> "General Feedback".; Top

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

User Preferences and Settings

How do I change my settings?: To change your settings simply Login-in (if you haven't done so already), then click the "My Profile" link at the top-left of the website.; Top

How do I change my Profile picture?: You can edit/add your Profile Picture by clicking the My Profile hyperlink that is located at the top of every page on this website. If the link is not viewable then you are not logged-in... After clicking the My Profile link, click the Profile tab. Lastly, click the Edit picture link.; Top

What is the link to my Profile page (URL)?: You or someone else can easily link to your Profile page by going to: "urbanareas.net/info/yourname". Simply replace the text "yourname" with your actual Username.; Top

How do I view my own Profile page?: Click the "My Page" link near the top-left of the website. Upon clicking the link, you will see your Profile page as everyone else sees it.; 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 Profile 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. After changing the settings to the correct city, if it appears that your time is still an hour off be sure to check the 'Summer Time/DST is in effect' option.; 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 board into your language. Try asking the website administrator if they can install the language pack you need. If the language pack does not exist, feel free to create a new translation.; 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 in the Forum or identify certain users, e.g. moderators and administrators. The more posts you make in the Forum, the higher your Rank will be.; 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 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

User Points

Overview: User Points are points that members earn as a reward for their activity on this website. Members can then exchange their points for an item from the website's online store - among other activities.; Top

Viewing / Accessing Points: Your User Point amount is displayed on the top of the website. If it is not displayed then you are not logged-in. To access the User Point options simply click the Points link. To view the Point amount of another member simply go to their Profile page.; Top

The Bank: Members earn interest on the User Points that they place inside of the Bank. Also, you cannot be robbed of Points that are in the Bank. To access the Bank, simply click the "Points" link at the top of the website then select "Bank".; Top

Ran Out Of Points?: If you ran out of User Points (0 Points) send a Private Message (PM) to "Keith". He will then provide you with a few Points. To ensure that you don't run out of Points and/or that you are not robbed of all of your Points, place some of your User Points in the Bank.; Top

Exchange Your Points: Members can exchange their User Points for an item in the website's online store. To exchange your Points for an item, send a Private Message (PM) to "Keith". In your message be sure to include the Item Number of the item you are requesting, the size, the color (if applicable) and the name and address to ship the item to. The items are normally processed and shipped 2-3 weeks after the message is received.; Top

Robbing Members: Members can rob other members of their User Points. To rob a member of his/her Points simply click the "Points" link at the top of the website then select "Robbery". Robberies are successful only half the time... If your robbery attempt fail, you will lose a small percentage of your Points. You cannot rob members of Points that are inside of the Bank.; Top

The Lottery: User Points can also be obtained by winning the Lottery. To purchase a Lottery Ticket with your User Points simply click the "Points" link at the top of the website then select "Lottery". The Lotto Drawing is done every few days.; Top

Playing The Games: Everytime a member beat the highscore of a respective game in the Games section of the website they obtain Points. You'll earn Points even if your score is the highest and you beat it.; Top

Posting Messages: When a member post a new topic or reply to a posted topic in the Forum section of the website they will obtain Points. You will earn more User Points when you start a new topic than you will if you reply to one.; Top

Uploading Images: Members earn User Points each time they Upload an image to the website's Photo Gallery.; Top

Donations: Members can donate User Points to other members. To donate Points, go to the Profile page of the member you are donating to then click the "Donate" link (located next to their User Points amount).; Top

Other Ways To Earn Points: Other ways for members to earn User Points is by posting events in the "Calendar", and posting Ads in the "Classifieds". You should note that Points for these activities are given at the staff's discretion...; Top

Friends and Foes

What are my Friends and Foes lists?: The Friends and Foes feature of this website help you to easily contact your favorite website members (your Friends) and ignore the website members you would rather not deal with (your Foes). The members you add as a Friend/Foe are easily accessible by clicking the My Profile link at the top-left of this website.; Top

How can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes list?: To add a member as a Friend/Foe simply go to their Profile and click the Friend/Foe hyperlink. You can also add a member as your Friend/Foe by clicking the Friend/Foe icon on a message that they posted in the Forum. To search for Members on this website click the "Members" link at the top-right of the site. To remove a member from your Friend/Foe list simply go to your Profile and click the "Friends and Foes" tab.; Top

YouTube Videos

Add a YouTube video to the Videos section:: To add YouTube video to the Videos section of this website simply click the "Videos" hyperlink at the top of the site then click the "Add Video" link.; Top

Add a YouTube video to a Forum post or Private Message:: To add a YouTube video to your Forum post or to a PM (Private Message): A) Start your topic or private message. B) Paste the url of the YouTube video in the text area (where you write your message)... Highlight the url then click the "YouTube" button.; Top

I'm having a problem with the video play-back of the YouTube videos.: Start the video... As soon as the video begins to play, click the "Pause" button. Wait 30 seconds to a minute (or a little longer). Then click the "Play" button again to start the video. You should be good to go.; Top

Private Messaging (PM)

What is a PM/Private Message?: PM is short for "Private Message". Private Messages(PMs) are messages that are sent between members of this website. They are called "Private" because they are only visible by the sender and receiver(s) of the respective message.; Top

What is the difference between a private message and an email?: The major difference between a Private Message and an Email is with a Private Message, the message is sent and received "within" a website. Emails on the other hand can be sent within or "outside" of the website and are sent to an email address... The message is then accessed outside of the website by the recipient.; Top

Does this website use private messages or email?: Members and visitors can contact the staff of this website by Private Message or Email. However, for security reasons and to prevent spam, we only allow messages to be sent via Private Message between members.; Top

I cannot send private messages!: There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the website administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire website, or the website administrator has prevented you from sending messages. Contact a moderator or website administrator for more information by clicking the "Help" hyperlink located at the top of the website. Next select, "Email Us" >> "General Feedback".; Top

I keep getting unwanted private messages!: You can block a user from sending you private messages by using message rules within your Profile. You can also add the member to your "Foes" list. If you are receiving abusive private messages from a particular user, inform the website administrator immediately.; Top

I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this website!: The e-mail form feature of this website includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so e-mail the website 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 website administrator can then take action.; Top

Online Training

Why are you doing this?: This section of our website was created to provide a means for our members to improve their education and skill level in a free, easy to use, yet effect manner.; Top

Are the courses on this website really free?: Yes. The courses in the Online Training section of our website is 100% free with no strings attached.; Top

How do the Free Online Courses on this website differ from other types of web-based education and distant learning?: In addition to being 100% free, the courses are outlined in a simple, easy to use manner, and they contain video/audio tutorials to assist you.; Top

Will I earn a degree, certificate, college credits, etc upon completion of one of the courses?: No. This website is not a credit or certificate/degree granting program. The content is freely available as an educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners. Likewise, no instructor/teacher is present to teach the courses. However, you can get assistance by posting your questions in the Forum section of the website.; Top

What course materials do I need for the courses?: Each course is different. As a result, the requirements for the courses may or may not be the same. Upon reviewing a specific course, you will then see the materials, software, etc that is required for that individual course.; Top

How do I find what courses are available?: To view the available courses click the "Career" link at the top of the website then click the "Online Courses" hyperlink.; Top

Upon completing a course, can I add it to my resume?: As long as you completed the respective course in its entirety, and studied & understand the material, it is only right that you add it to your resume.; Top

Who owns the intellectual property of the published courses?: The courses and its accompanying materials were created and are owned by a number of organizations. To view the owner/creator of a course, you must view the home page of that specific course. Likewise, you must view the copyright information for each course to see if the owner permits its materials to be used.; 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.; 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. 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 website 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 the administrator has allowed attachments, you may be able to upload the image to the board. Otherwise, you must 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.; 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 Profile . Global announcement permissions are granted by the website 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 board 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 website 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 website administrator. You may also be able to lock your own topics depending on the permissions you are granted by the website 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 website administrator.; 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 Profile. Once created, you can check the Attach a 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?: When posting a new topic or editing the first post of a topic, click the “Poll creation” tab below the main posting form; if you cannot see this, you do not have appropriate permissions to create polls. Enter a title and at least two options in the appropriate fields, making sure each option is on a separate line in the textarea. 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

Why can’t I add more poll options?: The limit for poll options is set by the board administrator. If you feel you need to add more options to your poll then the allowed amount, contact the website administrator.; 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. 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, users 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

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 website 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. Contact the website administrator if you are unsure about why you are unable to add attachments.; Top

Why did I receive a warning?: If you have broken a rule, you may be issued a warning. Contact the website administrator or a moderator if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning.; Top

How can I report posts to a moderator?: If the website administrator has allowed it, you should see a button for reporting posts next to the post you wish to report. Clicking this 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 your Profile.; Top

Why does my post need to be approved?: The website 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 website 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

User Levels and Groups

What are Administrators?: Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire website. These members can control all facets of website operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc., dependent upon the website 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 website 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 access to a private forum.; Top

Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?: You can view all usergroups via the “Usergroups” link within your Profile. If you would like to join one, proceed by clicking the appropriate button. Not all groups have open access, however. Some may require approval to join, some may be closed and some may even have hidden memberships. If the group is open, you can join it by clicking the appropriate button. If a group requires approval to join you may request to join by clicking the appropriate button. The user group leader will need to approve your request and may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not harass a group leader if they reject your request; they will have their reasons.; Top

How do I become a usergroup leader?: A usergroup leader is usually assigned when usergroups are initially created by a board 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 usergroups appear in a different colour?: It is possible for the website administrator to assign a colour to the members of a usergroup to make it easy to identify the members of this group.; Top

What is a “Default usergroup”?: If you are a member of more than one usergroup, your default is used to determine which group colour and group rank should be shown for you by default. The website administrator may grant you permission to change your default usergroup via your User Control Panel.; Top

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

Searching the Forums

How can I search the Form or Message Board?: Enter a search term in the search box located on the top of the website, Forum or topic pages. Advanced search can be accessed by clicking the "Advance Search" link or clicking inside of the search box then pressing ENTER on your Keyboard.; Top

Why does my search return no results?: Your search was probably too vague and included many common terms which are not indexed by phpBB3. 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.; 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 your Profile or via your own profile page. To search for your topics, use the Advanced search page and fill in the various options appropriately.; Top

Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks

What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?: Bookmarking in the 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 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 Profile and follow the links to your subscriptions.; Top

Attachments

What attachments are allowed on this board?: Each website administrator can allow or disallow certain attachment types. If you are unsure what is allowed to be uploaded, contact the website administrator for assistance.; Top

How do I find all my attachments?: To find your list of attachments that you have uploaded, go to your Profile and follow the links to the attachments section.; Top

Website Issues

Who owns and designed this website?: Keith Canady is the founder, admin and owner of this website.; Top

Why isn’t X feature available?: If you have a feature request feel free to let us know by clicking the "Help" link at the top-right of the website.; Top

Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?: Contact the website administrator directly.; Top