Frequently Asked Questions
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. Then you should try ’Delete all forum cookies’, this link is available at the bottom of every forum page. If you still can not login, contact us via the contact page to make sure you haven’t been banned and request help.
- Top
- Why do I need to register at all?
- Creating an account with us will allow you create a personalized cupboard for better recipe searching. You will also be able to comment on articles and participate in disscussions on our forum.
- Top
- Why do I get logged off automatically?
- If you do not check the Log me in automatically box when you login, 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 computer lab, etc.
- Top
- How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?
- Within your User Control Panel, under “Board 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!
- Your password cannot be retrieved, but it can be reset easily. 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 and you specified being under 13 years old during registration, you will have to follow the instructions you received.
- Top
- I registered in the past but cannot login any more?!
- It is possible an administrator has deactivated or deleted your account for some reason. Either register again or contact us via the contact page for help.
- 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, contact legal counsel for assistance. Please note that we cannot provide legal advice.
- Top
- Why can’t I register?
- It is possible we have banned your IP address or disallowed the username you are attempting to register. Contact us for assistance via the contact page.
- Top
- What does the “Delete all forum cookies” do?
- “Delete all forum cookies” deletes all our cookies created to keep you authenticated and logged into FoodFerret. The cookies also provide functions such as read tracking so that any new topics and posts are highlighted. If you are having login or logout problems, deleting cookies may help.
- Top
User Preferences and settings
- How do I change my settings?
- If you are a registered user, your settings may be altered by accessing your User Control Panel. The user control panel is accessed via the user menu, top right, the menu icon is a white head and shoulders image.
- 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 User Control Panel 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. If you are not registered, this is a good time to do so.
- Top
- How do I show an image along with my username?
- Go to your User Control Panel, from the Overview menu, select Profile. Now from the Edit Profile menu, select Edit Avatar. Any uploaded image will be used to create your avatar
- 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 or identify certain users, e.g. moderators and administrators. Please do not abuse the forum by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank. In this case a moderator or administrator will simply lower your post count.
- 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 will need to register before you can post a message.
- 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 discretion. 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 User Control Panel. 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, a “Poll creation” section exists 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?
- We set limits for the number of poll options that we think are sensible. If you feel you need to add more options to your poll than the allowed amount, contact an 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 did I receive a warning?
- Contact an administrator if you are unsure why you were issued a warning.
- Top
- How can I report posts to a moderator?
- 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 the User Control Panel.
- 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 all rules when doing so.
- 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. BBCode Tags are enclosed in square brackets [ and ]. For more information on BBCode see the guide which can also be accessed from the posting page.
- Top
- Can I use HTML?
- No. It is not possible to post HTML on this website and have it rendered as HTML. Most formatting which can be carried out using HTML can be applied using BBCode instead.
- 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 User Control Panel. Global announcement permissions are granted by administrators.
- 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 administrators.
- 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 administrators.
- 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 an administrator.
- Top
User Levels and Groups
- What are Administrators?
- Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the forums. These members can control all facets of forum operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc.
- 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 posting abusive or offensive material.
- Top
Private Messaging
- I cannot send private messages!
- There are two reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, or an administrator has prevented you from sending messages. Contact an administrator for more information.
- Top
- I keep getting unwanted private messages!
- You can block a user from sending you private messages by using message rules within your User Control Panel. If you are receiving abusive private messages from a particular user, inform an administrator; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages.
- Top
Friends and Foes
- What are my Friends and Foes lists?
- You can use these lists to organize other members of the board. Members added to your friends list will be listed within your User Control Panel for quick access to see their online status and to send them private messages. If you add a user to your foes list, any posts they make will be hidden by default.
- Top
- How can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes list?
- You can add users to your list in two ways. Within each user’s profile, there is a link to add them to either your Friend or Foe list. Alternatively, from your User Control Panel, you can directly add users by entering their member name. You may also remove users from your list using the same page.
- Top
Searching the Forums
- How can I search the forum?
- Advanced search can be accessed via the search menu (magnifying glass icon - top right). This will allow you to search all forums or limit your search to certain sections.
- Top
- Why does my search return no results?
- Your search was probably too vague and included many common terms which are not indexed by us. 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 our server 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 the User Control Panel 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 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 User Control Panel and follow the links to your subscriptions.
- Top
phpBB 3 Issues
- Forum Software?
- This software (in its unmodified form) is produced, released and is copyright phpBB Group. It is made available under the GNU General Public License and may be freely distributed. See the link for more details.
- Top
- Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?
- Any of the administrators listed on the “The team” page should be an appropriate point of contact for your complaints. Please note that the phpBB Group has no jurisdiction and cannot in any way be held liable over how, where or by whom this board is used. Do not contact the phpBB Group in relation to any legal (cease and desist, libel, defamatory comment, etc.) matter not directly related to the phpBB.com website or the discrete software of phpBB itself.
- Top
All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]