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| Login and Registration Issues |
Why can't I log in?
Have you registered? Seriously, you must register in order to log in. Upon registration, you will receive an email with an account activation link. You must click on that link to activate your account. If you never received the email, it could be that you entered an incorrect email address upon registration. Also, if you have a spam blocker or special email filter set up, it could keep you from receiving the activation email. Keep in mind, the most common reason people are unable to login is that they have incorrectly entered their username and/or password. Always double-check! For account inquiries, contact the site owner.
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Why do I need to register at all?
Registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users, such as definable avatar images, private messaging, usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few moments to register!
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Why do I get logged off automatically?
If you do not check the Log me in automatically box when you log in, the board 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 cluster, etc.
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How do I prevent my username from appearing in the online user listings?
In your profile you will find an option Hide your online status; if you switch this on you will only appear to administrators or to yourself. You will be counted as a hidden user.
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I've lost my password!
No worries! While your password cannot be retrieved it can be reset. To do this, go to the login page and click I've forgotten my password. Follow the instructions and you should be back online in no time.
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I registered but cannot log in!
First check that you are entering the correct username and password. It may sound obvious, but nine times out of ten, it solves the problem. Upon registration, you will receive an email with an account activation link. You must click on that link to activate your account. One reason activation is used is to reduce the possibility of rogue users abusing the board anonymously. If you never received the email, it could be that you entered an incorrect email address upon registration. Also, if you have a spam blocker or special email filter set up, it could keep you from receiving the activation email. For account inquiries, contact the site owner.
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| User Preferences and Settings |
How do I change my settings?
All your settings (if you are registered) are stored in the database. To alter them click the Profile link (generally shown at the top of pages). This will allow you to change all your settings.
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The times are not correct!
The times are almost certainly correct; however, what you may be seeing are times displayed in a timezone different from the one you are in. If this is the case, you should change your profile setting for the 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. So if you are not registered, this is a good time to do so, if you pardon the pun!
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I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!
If you are sure you have set the timezone correctly and the time is still different, the most likely answer is daylight savings time (or summer time as it is known in the UK and other places). The board is not designed to handle the changeovers between standard and daylight time so during summer months the time may be an hour different from the real local time.
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My language is not in the list!
The most likely reasons for this are either the site owner did not install your language or someone has not translated this board into your language.
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How do I show an image below my username?
There may be two images below a username when viewing posts. The first is an image associated with your rank; generally these take the form of stars or blocks indicating how many posts you have made or your status on the forums. Below this may be a larger image known as an avatar; this is generally unique or personal to each user. It is up to the site owner to enable avatars and they have a choice over the way in which avatars can be made available. If you are unable to use avatars, then this is the decision of the site owner and you should ask them their reasons.
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How do I change my rank?
You cannot directly change the wording of any rank (ranks appear below your username in topics and on your profile depending on the style used). Most boards use ranks to indicate the number of posts you have made and to identify certain users. For example, moderators and administrators may have a special rank. Please do not abuse the board by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank -- you will probably find the moderator or site owner will simply lower your post count.
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| Posting Instructions and Issues |
How do I post a topic in a forum?
Easy -- click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You may need to register before you can post a message. The facilities available to you are listed at the bottom of the forum and topic screens (the You can post new topics, You can vote in polls, etc. list)
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How do I edit or delete a post?
Unless you are the site owner or forum moderator, you can only edit or delete your own posts. You can edit a post by clicking the edit button for the relevant post. If you edit after 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 that lists the number of times you edited it. Please note that you cannot delete a post once someone has replied.
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How do I add a signature to my post?
To add a signature to a post you must first create one; this is done via your profile. 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 box in your profile. You can still prevent a signature being added to individual posts by un-checking the add signature box on the posting form.
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How do I create a poll?
Creating a poll is easy -- when you post a new topic (or edit the first post of a topic, if you have permission) you should see a Add Poll form below the main posting box. If you cannot see this then you probably do not have rights to create polls. You should enter a title for the poll and then at least two options -- to set an option type in the poll question and click the Add option button. You can also set a time limit for the poll, 0 being an infinite amount. There will be a limit to the number of options you can list, which is set by the site owner.
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How do I edit or delete a poll?
As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a moderator, or site owner. To edit a poll, click the first post in the topic, which always has the poll associated with it. If no one has cast a vote then users can delete the poll or edit any poll option. However, if people have already placed votes only moderators or the site owner can edit or delete it; this is to prevent people rigging polls by changing options mid-way through a poll.
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How do I use the Ignore feature?
We will hide from you any posts made by members that you have included on your Ignore List. (You will still see the member's name and subject as part of the thread, but the contents of his/her post will be hidden from you.) You can add a person's name to your Ignore List by 1)clicking the Ignore button in the top righthand corner of one of his/her posts, or 2)adding his/her username via your Ignore page. If you change your mind later and want to unhide that person's posts, simply return to your Ignore page and remove the username from the list. Please note: the Ignore feature does not hide private messages.
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Why can't I access a forum?
Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view, read, post, etc. you may need special authorization which only the forum moderator and board administrator can grant, so you should contact them.
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Why can't I vote in polls?
Only registered users can vote in polls so as to prevent spoofing of results. If you have registered and still cannot vote then you probably do not have appropriate access rights.
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Why do I get invalid session errors?
To prevent hackers from hijacking your session (and posing as you), phpBB ties each user session to the user's IP address. This is good news for everyone except our AOL users. On AOL, a user's IP address is constantly changing, so the user session is always being renewed as well. Therefore, AOL users may experience invalid session errors while using our Forum. What can you do? Instead of using AOL's browser, please try using Internet Explorer or Mozilla with your AOL Internet connection.
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| Formatting and Topic Types |
What is BBCode?
BBCode is a special implementation of HTML. Whether you can use BBCode is determined by the administrator. You can also disable it on a per post basis from the posting form. BBCode itself is similar in style to HTML: tags are enclosed in square braces [ and ] rather than and it offers greater control over what and how something is displayed. For more information on BBCode see the guide which can be accessed from the posting page.
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Can I use HTML?
No, this is a safety measure to prevent people from abusing the board by using tags which may destroy the layout or cause other problems.
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What are Smileys?
Smileys, or Emoticons, are small graphical images which can be used to express some feeling using a short code, e.g. :) means happy, :( means sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen via the posting form. Try not to overuse smileys, though, as they can quickly render a post unreadable and a moderator may decide to edit them out or remove the post altogether.
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Can I post Images?
Images can indeed be shown in your posts. However, there is no facility at present for uploading images directly to this board. Therefore you must link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.some-unknown-place.net/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible server) nor to images stored behind authentication mechanisms such as Hotmail or Yahoo mailboxes, password-protected sites, etc. To display the image use either the BBCode [img] tag or appropriate HTML (if allowed).
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What are Announcements?
Announcements often contain important information and you should read them as soon as possible. Announcements appear at the top of every page in the forum to which they are posted. Whether or not you can post an announcement depends on the permissions required, which are set by the site owner.
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What are Sticky topics?
Sticky topics appear below any announcements within a forum and only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read them where possible. As with announcements, the site owner determines what permissions are required to post sticky topics in each forum.
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What are Locked topics?
Locked topics are set this way by either the forum moderator or site owner. You cannot reply to locked topics and any poll contained inside is automatically ended. Topics may be locked for many reasons.
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| User Levels and Groups |
What are Administrators?
Administrators have the highest level of control over the entire site. This includes, but is not limited to, all facets of site creation and operation.
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What are Moderators?
Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) who look after the running of the forums from day to day. They have the power to ban users, edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally moderators are there to prevent people going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material. Forum moderating is not open for public discussion - any comments will be removed.
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Who are our Moderators?
The Moderators are a group of 10 anonymous individuals. They are selected by the site owner and are changed periodically.
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What are Usergroups?
Usergroups are a way in which administrators can group users based on common interests. Each user can belong to several groups and each group can be assigned individual access rights.
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How do I join a Usergroup?
To join a usergroup click the usergroup link on the page header (dependent on template design) and you can then view all usergroups. Not all groups are open access -- some are closed and some may even have hidden memberships. If the board is open then you can request to join it by clicking the appropriate button. The user group moderator will need to approve your request; they may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not pester a group moderator if they turn your request down -- they will have their reasons.
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How do I become a Usergroup Moderator?
If you are interested in creating a usergroup, please send us a private message (Username: Persian-Cats.com).
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| Private Messaging |
I cannot send private messages!
There are three possible reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the site owner has prevented you individually from sending messages.
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I keep getting unwanted private messages!
If you repeatedly receive unwanted private messages from someone, please alert us (Username: Persian-Cats.com).
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I have received a spamming or abusive private message from someone on this board!
We are sorry to hear that. The private message feature of this community includes safeguards to try to track users who send such posts. Please send a message to us (Username: Persian-Cats.com) with a full copy of the offending private message you received.
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| Newsfeeds |
Are the forums accessible as a newsfeed using RSS and Atom protocols?
Yes. This site uses the Smartfeed phpBB modification and FeedBurner, making any feed format readable on any subscriber device.
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| Persian Points |
How do I earn Persian Points?
You earn Persian Points when: 1) You start a new thread in the forum, 2) Someone replies to your thread, 3) You reply to another user's thread, and 4) You send a private message. In addition, you may find Persian Points randomly while surfing the Community area. In the future, the site owner may establish other point-earning events.
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What can I do with Persian Points?
Once you start accumulating Persian Points, you can buy a Virtual Persian (VP, for short)! Even more fun, you can start buying virtual items in the Shops.
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How do I donate Persian Points to another user?
For any user who posts in the forum, you should see a mini user profile on the lefthand side of all of their posts. It includes a 'Donate' link. In addition, there is a 'Donate' link on each user's Profile page.
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| Virtual Persians |
How do I care for my Virtual Persian?
It's easy! There are four attributes that you must monitor for your Persian: hunger, thirst, hygiene, and health. As those levels drop, you must feed, water, and clean up after your Persian. (Health decreases as a result of the other 3 attributes decreasing, so be ready to take your Persian to the vet sometimes.)
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What if I'm going on vacation or just need a break from caring for my Virtual Persian?
No problem! We offer a reliable hotel service. You can check in your Persian for up to 50 days, and we will take very good care of him/her.
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What happens if I don't take care of my Virtual Persian?
If you neglect your Persian for long enough, he/she will undoubtedly run away. In some cases, you may have the option of bringing him/her back to you, but it will cost you!
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| Shops & Auctions |
What are the Shops?
Our shops carry items for your Virtual Persians. You can buy items for your VP or to give to others!
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How can I view my Inventory?
Scroll to the bottom of the Shops page for a link to your Inventory.
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Where do I go to give/trade/discard items?
From your Inventory page, you can execute giving, trading, or discarding.
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How come other people can see my Inventory on my Profile page?
All users have the capability of giving and trading items. Therefore, if you want to give another user an item, it would be helpful to know if it's something he/she already owns. Additionally, if you want to propose a trade with another user, it helps to know which items they have available.
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Will the current items always be available to buy?
Probably not. Over time, some items will be retired, and we will restock with brand new products. However, even after an item has been retired from the shops, it will not disappear from your inventory (unless you discard it).
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How do I use the Auctions?
You may have up to 5 auctions running at once, with up to 10 items in each auction set. From the main auction page, you can create a new auction, browse existing auctions or place a bid. A 'buy price' can be set for auctions, however this disappears after a bid is placed.
The system is mostly automated, so when you start an auction, the items you are selling are removed from your collection, and stored in the auction. When the winning bidder pays at the end of the auction, the items are automatically given to them, and the Persian Points transferred to you. If the auction ends with no winner, it will automatically close and return the items to you. Winners have 3 days in which to pay for the auction, after which time the seller may close the auction and retrieve their items. If after 7 days the winner has not paid, and the seller has not closed the auction, it will be automatically closed and the items returned to the seller.
Various notifications are sent via the Private Message system to let you know when an auction has been paid, bought, closed etc, or if you are the winning bidder. Please note: We are aware of a bug within the auctions where some pm notifications may be sent from the wrong username. Rest assured that your payments are sent to the correct user! This is just a messaging bug.
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| Contact Info |
Whom do I contact about site abuse?
If you come across a post that breaks our rules, please click on the exclamation point in the top right corner of that post, which will bring up the Report Post page. In your communication, provide as much detail as possible. Once you click the Submit button, your report will be sent to the moderators and site owner.
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Whom do I contact about legal matters related to this board?
You should contact the site owner by clicking here.
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| Special Thanks |
Dr DLP
We would like to thank Dr DLP for providing components of our Virtual Persian logic.
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Majorflam
Many thanks to Majorflam for developing the Bookmakers mod.
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Umiya
A special thank you to Umiya for the logic behind BlackJack with Licorice, Lollipop's Keno, and the Persian Slot Machine.
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Xore
Many thanks to Xore for providing the building blocks for our Persian Points currency.
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Zarath
We would like to thank Zarath, without whom our Shops, Auction, and Lottery would not exist.
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All times are GMT - 5 Hours
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