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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For a more comprehensive list of questions
(Click Here To View FAQ message board)

                        Questions                         Short
Answer		 Detailed Answer
(Click below for
detailed answer)
"Home" Button - Can I have the "Home" button on my bulletin board point back to my home page? YesDetailed Answer
Direct Link - Can I Create a direct link from my homepage to my bulletin board? Yes Detailed Answer
Board Management - How and Who manages the board? You Do Detailed Answer
Visitor Counter - Can I track/count the number of visitors to my bulletin board? Yes Detailed Answer
Password Protection - Can I password protect my board? Yes Detailed Answer
Photographs - Can I insert photograph(s)/jpeg/gifs with my message? Yes Detailed Answer
Keyword Search - Can I search all messages for a specific keyword? Yes Detailed Answer
Message Formatting - Can I use special effects(i.e. "underline", "bold", "color", "line break" etc.) when typing a message? Yes Detailed Answer
Message Length - How long can a message be? 10 pages Detailed Answer
Custom Logo - Can I have a custom logo at the top of my bulletin board? Yes Detailed Answer
Archive Messages - Can I archive messages on my bulletin board? Yes Detailed Answer
Delete Messages - Can I delete more than one message at a time? Yes Detailed Answer
Who Can Post - Can anyone post messages to my Bulletin Board? You Decide Detailed Answer
Moderated Board - Am I able to approve/disapprove messages before they are posted? Yes Detailed Answer
Threaded Board - Can I set my board up with threaded message capability? Yes Detailed Answer
Changing Categories - Can I change category names or my password? Yes Detailed Answer
Monitoring - Who is responsible for monitoring bulletin board content? You Are Detailed Answer
Voting Messages - Can\How do I create a "Votable" message?

Voting Record   - Can users view how other people voted?

Voting Anonymously - Is my vote anonymous?

Voting Restrictions - Can I restrict who votes?

Voting Totals - How often are voting totals updated?		 Yes

Yes

Maybe

Yes

Immediately		 Detailed Answer
Detailed Answer
Detailed Answer
Detailed Answer
Detailed Answer
Tech Support - Who do I contact for technical support? Us Detailed Answer


 
  • Can I have the "Home" button on my bulletin board point back to my home page? Top
    Yes. On your Management Page there is a 'HomePage URL' field where you can specify the address your home button should point to.

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  • Can I Create a direct link from my HomePage to my bulletin board? Top
    Yes, when your Bulletin Board is set up, you'll receive a URL address that allows you to link directly to your Bulletin Board. This address allows you to create a link/button, on your home page, that takes a visitor directly to your bulletin board without knowing your bulletin board code.

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  • How do I manage my board? Top
    When your board is set up you're given access to a "management site" for your board. Below are some of the management functions available to you at your management site:
    • View/Reset your visitor counter(Shows number of visits to your board).
    • Set your board up as a "Moderated" type board.
      Setting your board up as a "Moderated" board ensures all messages are approved by you before they are available for viewing by the public.
    • Assign System/User passwords and privileges. Allowing you to specify who has access to your board and what they can see and do on your board.
    • Set your board up as a "Threaded" message board. To see the difference between a "Threaded" vs "Non-Threaded" board Click Here.
    • Request automatic email notification, this causes an email notification message sent to you every time a message is added to the board.
    • Add/Change bulletin board Category Titles.
    • Set your Bulletin Board's "Home Page Button" to point to your Home Page.
    • Specify a background color/gif to be used for your bulletin board background.
    • Change your Manager's Password.
    • Specify Meta Tags (Title, Keywords, and Description) for your board (important if you want to register your board with Internet search engines).
    • Specify how messages are sorted on your bulletin board.
    • Specify the Title of your Bulletin Board.
    To view a sample "Management Site" Click Here

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  • Can I track/count the number of visitors to my bulletin board? Top
    Yes, when your Bulletin Board is set up, you're given access to a management site that will allow you to monitor number of visits to your bulletin board. This site also gives you the capability to change other configuration parameters such as categories, company name, etc.

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  • Can I password protect my board? Top
    Yes, when your Bulletin Board is set up, you're given access to your board management site which allows you to specify system and user passwords/privileges. In addition to a "Members Only" password for system wide Bulletin Board access, you can assign individual login passwords to your users and specify level of access (view/post/modify/delete/vote) for each user. You can also protect certain sections of your board by specifying that those sections are only viewable by designated users. If you set up a "Moderated" board you can designate one or more moderators and even specify what sections of your board they have "Moderator" privilege over.

    You as the board manager, control the assigment of passwords and board privileges through your board management page. To view a sample "Board Management Page" Click Here

    Each user, when posting a message can create unique passwords for messages they post, ensuring only they can modify/delete their own messages, although remember, you as the Bulletin Board Manager can delete/modify anyone's message.

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  • Can I insert a photographs/jpeg/gifs with my message? Top
    Yes.
    You or your users can have jpeg or gif files appear within
messages by embedding the html <Img Src="URL"> in your message.
For example if you type the following html line within a message,
it will cause the bb.gif graphic to appear within the message:
  <img src="http://www.bulletinboards.com/gif/bb.gif">
You might want to create a test message on your board with
this line in it to see what happens.

Realize, the jpeg or gif file has to reside somewhere
on the net so that you'll have a "URL" address for the graphic.

So...If the jpeg/gif file doesn't already reside somewhere
      on the net then
      Upload the jpeg/gif file to some web site
      (yours, theirs, somewhere)
      and  then replace the "URL" in the <Img Src="URL"> tag
      with the real URL identifying where the jpeg/gif file resides.

Alternatively you could use the FTP option which allows users to
attach jpeg/gif files to a message in an automated fashion.
However, the jpeg/gif file wont' actually appear within the message
but rather a download link appears in the message allowing
users to download the jpeg/gif file to their computer.

fyi:
  You can find more discussion about this by searching the
  FAQ message board
     http://www.bulletinboards.com/Search.cfm?comcode=faq
  using the search term "img src"
    If you would like to send your photograph or graphic file to us and have us place them in your messages Click Here.

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  • Can I search all or a subset of messages for a specific keyword? Top
    Yes. Click on the "Search" button at the top of your bulletin board and you'll be prompted to enter a keyword to search on.

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  • How can I create special formatting effects, like underlining, bold words, color, line breaks, etc. when typing a message? Top
    Every message you enter will be formatted automatically. However, if you want to add additional formatting features, such as "Bolding", "Underlining", manual line breaks, and Color, with your message text as well as inserting URL links, you can use the full set of HTML formatting codes to accomplish this or simply use the Message Formatting Toolbar:
    Bold Italicized Underline Centered Insert Image Insert List Insert Smilie
    For detailed info on using the Message Formatting Toolbar Click Here.

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  • How long can a message be? Top
    Up to 10 pages of text

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  • Can I have a custom logo or banner inserted at the top of my bulletin board? Top
    Yes. We'll create a banner for you free, automatically, but if you don't like the one we create or have one of your own, send it to us and we'll insert it at the top of your bulletin board free or if it resides elsewhere on the net go to your management page and specify its location in the field labeled "banner logo".
    You also have the ability to add an introductory paragraph/text at the beginning/top of your board.

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  • Can I archive messages on my bulletin board? Top
    Yes, you have detailed archiving capability.
    You can archive messages by date and/or category/date.
    You also have the ability to search/filter archived messages to view a subset of all archived messages.
    When your board is set up you're given the address of your management site, where you can do, among other things, archive messages on your board. To give you an idea of the user interface you'll use to archive messages, following is a link to a sample board's "Archive" page.
    Sample Archive Page
    To view Archived Messages, use the "Search" button on your board.

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  • Am I able to approve/disapprove messages before they are posted? Top
    Yes, If you are the Bulletin Board Manager you have full control of all messages posted on your board. You have the ability to modify and/or delete any message appearing on your board. You also have the ability to set your board up as a "Moderated" board. meaning all messages will have to be approved by you before they will be viewable by the public.

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  • Can anyone post messages to my Bulletin Board? Top You. as the board manager, are able to control who can view/post/modify/delete messages on your board. Using your board management site, you can specify view/post/modify/delete privileges at the entire board level, the category level(i.e. subsections of your board), and/or at the user level.
    You also have the ability to set your board up as a 'Moderated' board, meaning even though you allow users to post messages, you must approve them before they will appear on your board.

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  • How do I create a "Votable" message? Top
    Whenever you post/create a message there will be an option or check box at the end of the 'message create form'. If you want to make your message a 'Votable' message click this check box. Making your message 'Votable' is optional, but if you click in the checkbox, it will allow people to vote 'yes' or 'no' on your message. It's easy, just give it a try. You can always delete the message when your through. To see an example of how an issue/message looks when it's set up as a 'Votable' message Click Here.

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  • Can I view a list of people and how they voted on an issue? Top
    Yes, Click on the "View Detailed Results" button that will be displayed with the voting results.

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  • Is my vote anonymous? Top
    Depends. Anyone viewing your Bulletin Board has the ability to view detailed voting results on the issue/message you voted on. When they do this they will see a list of everyone who voted on the issue with their associated name. Your vote is only anonymous to the extent that someone is able to associate you with the name you gave when you registered to vote. In other words, if you give a bogus name then someone will not be able to associate you with your vote.

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  • Can I restrict the list of people who are allowed to vote on issues? Top
    Yes, as a Bulletin Board Manager, you can set your board up so only you can register voters. This will allow you to control who can vote on your board. The default is, to allow anyone visiting your board to vote on messages set up as "Votable Messages".

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  • How often are the vote totals updated? Top
    The vote totals are updated immediately. As soon as you record your vote, the vote totals will have been updated. To see that your vote has actually affected the vote totals, press the "Reload/Refresh" button on your browser. You can also see that your vote has been recorded by clicking on the 'View Detailed Results' link underneath the 'votable' message you are viewing.

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  • How do I change categories names or my password? Top
    Go to your management page at http://www.bulletinboards.com/usermod.htm you can change/add categories and manager's password as well as other configuration options here.

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  • Who is responsible for monitoring bulletin board content? Top
    The Bulletin Board Manager is.

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  • Who do I contact for technical support? Top
    Send email to [email protected] or call (321) 984 9080 8am-5pm EST..
    Email is answered within 24 hours.

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  • Can I delete more than one message at a time? Top
    Yes, as the bulletin board manager you can always delete groups of messages (by category) by going to your management site and selecting which category of messages to delete. You can also delete message based on creation date.

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  • Can I set my board up with threaded message capability? Top
    Yes, either at the your board is set up or afterwards, by going to your management site and changing the board configuration to "Threaded" will cause your board to be configured as a "Threaded" message board. To see examples of each type of configuation (i.e. "Threaded vs Non-Threaded) Click Here .


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