Where do I post my topics?

Please do not post the same topic/post in more than one of the forums.
If you post in the wrong topic, your post will be moved by a moderator to the appropriate forum. Please ensure you post your topic in the correct forum, don't rely on moderators to do it for you. Repeated posting in the incorrect forum may result in a member having all their posts moderated before being available for public viewing.


What do the folder icons mean?

The folder icons represent the viewing status of each topic in the forum based upon the user who is viewing them.
A key can be found at the bottom of a forum page when viewing the forums.


What's a hot topic?
When a topic reaches 19 replies (a full standard page) it becomes a hot topic. It is simply a label for a topic which is popular.

Which members are online?
You can find out which members are online and viewing the forums by going to the homepage of the forums and scrolling down to the 'Board Statistics' section. Here you will find a list of names, these are the members viewing the forum.
You can find more detailed statistics by clicking the 'Last Click' or 'Member Name' links at the bottom of the 'Board Statistics' section.


What's the direct link to the forums?
http://z3.invisionfree.com/BrightLightsForum/index.php

What do these abbreviations mean?

These abbreviations are used widely on the internet now, mainly on instant messaging programs but also on forums. Here is a guide to the most frequently used abbreviations:
LOL - Laughing out loud
LMAO - Laughing my ass off
ROFL or ROTFL - Rolling on (the) floor laughing
ROTFLMAO - Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off
IMO - In my opinion
TBH - To be honest
OMG - Oh my god!

TOPICS, POSTS AND POLLS

How do I post a topic?

A very simple task indeed. Simply select the corresponding forum you wish to post your topic in, and then click the 'New Topic' button:

'From there, simply enter a 'Topic Title', a 'Topic Description' and of course a message!
Once you have typed your message you can either preview your topic by hitting the 'Preview Post' button, this will allow you to check your message and make any required ammendments, or you can post your new topic by hitting the 'Post New Topic' button. Simple as that!

How do I reply to a topic?

Simply hit the 'Add Reply' button (pictured below) found at the bottom of a topic and type your message. Follow the steps in the How do I post a topic? to submit your post.


If you wish to quickly reply to a topic without being redirected to another page, simply click the 'Fast Reply' button (shown below). This will open up the 'Fast Reply' section at the bottom of the topic. Simply type your message and hit 'Add Reply'.

To reply to reply to specific post, it is best to 'Quote' the post. This makes it more understandable and easier for other members to follow.
For more information on quoting a post see: How do I quote someone else?

How do I create a poll?

In the appropriate forum, click the 'New Poll' button (shown below). This will open a page similar to the standard new topic page, however a few more field are available for you to create your poll.

If you have previously created a topic and wish to add a poll to it, you can do this by clicking the 'Add Poll' button.

Note: The add poll function is only available for topics created by yourself.

How do I add images to my posts?

To add an image you need to use the IMG tag. The image you want to use in your post must be uploaded to the web, an image cannot be added direct from your computer. To add an image you must include a URL (link) to the required image within the IMG tag. For example:

[ IMG ]http://www.mysite.com/image.gif[ /IMG ]

This would show up as an image when the post is submitted or previewed.

You can also achieve this by using the IMG button. This will create the IMG tag for you, all you have to do is insert the URL.

Please note: Images of an offensive or inappropriate nature will be removed immediately and the Administrator will be notified of the users activity. Images which exceed 700 pixels in width will be removed as this causes horizontal scrolling for some users. Also images which are unecessarily large in file size will be removed as this causes large loading times, especially for users on dial-up connections.

How do I post a URL (link) or email address?

This can be achieved in several possible ways. You can simply type a full address, for example, [URL=http://z3.invisionfree.com/BrightLightsForum/index.php[/URL] and this will be automatically converted to a link once posted. However is you wish to make a link which displays alternative text to the URL, you can either use the URL button in the 'Code Button' section of the posting page or manually type the following tag:

[URL=http://z3.invisionfree.com/BrightLightsForum/index.php?act=Post&CODE=00&f=2 ]Bright Lights Forum[ /URL ]
would appear as:
Bright Lights Forum

To post an email address simply use the '@' button in the 'Code Button' section of the posting page.

Can I edit my posts?

You can indeed! To edit your post, simply find the relevant post and click the 'Edit' button.

Note: This feature is only available on topics/posts which were created by you. This feature is also recorded to ensure it is not abused.

What are smilies and how do I use them?

Smilies (aka Emoticon) are a small images of faces with different expressions. These help greatly in the communication to other members and 'spice up' your posts.
You can use an smiley by either clicking on the image you would like to include when making a post, or using the smiley code which can be found here, or by clicking the 'More' link in the emoticon section of the post screen.

How do I use the topic options?

Topic options are available on every topic in the forum. To gain access to them, click the 'Options' button found at the base of a topic.

Once this button is clicked, the options section will open at the bottom of the topic. These options include:
• Track this topic - Receive email notification when a reply has been made to this topic and you are not active on the board.
• Subscribe to this forum - Receive email notification when a new topic is posted in this forum and you are not active on the board.
• Download / Print this topic - Download this topic in different formats or view a printer friendly version.

If you choose to track a topic or subscribe the the forum, then you edit your subscription settings in 'My Controls'.

Posting Audio & Video Guidelines

Links to music that infringe copyright laws should not be posted without permission from the company or person who owns the copyright.

No links to sound files of any artist of any kind should be posted on this forum.

Posts / Threads relating to the illegal transfer of copyrighted material will be removed.

Thanks,
Admin