Frequently Asked Questions
Login and Registration Issues
Why can't I log in?
Why do I need to register at all?
I've lost my password!
I registered but cannot log in!
User Preferences and Settings
How do I change my settings?
How do I show an image below my username?
How do I change my rank?
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?
Why can't I access a forum?
Why can't I vote in polls?
Formatting and Topic Types
What is BBCode?
What are Smileys?
What are Announcements?
What are Sticky topics?
What are Locked topics?
User Levels and Groups
What are Administrators?
What are Moderators?
How do I become a Moderator?
Private Messaging
I cannot send private messages!
I keep getting unwanted private messages!
I have received a spamming or abusive email from someone on this site!
General
How do I get a picture on the site?
I have noticed an error/incorrect information on the site!
I have a suggestion for the site!
I would like to contribute to the site!
I would like to advertise on the site!
I would like to organise a Reunion can I post the details on the site?

Login and Registration Issues
Why can't I log in?
Have you registered? Seriously, you must register in order to log in. Have you been banned from the site? (A message will be displayed if you have.) If so, you should contact the Webmaster or Site Administrator to find out why. If you have registered and are not banned and you still cannot log in then check and double-check your username and password. Usually this is the problem; if not, contact the Site Administrator. All registrations are subject to approval by the Site Administrator, it may be that your account has not been activated. There may be reasons for this. Read the Terms & Conditions of the site.

Why do I need to register at all?
Registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as private messaging, emailing to fellow users and access to the images gallery as well as access to the members list Registration is completely free and after your account has been activated you will have complete access to the site.

I've lost my password!
Don't panic! While your password cannot be retrieved it can be reset. To do this just click on the forgot password link in the login box.

I registered but cannot log in!
Before you are allowed access to the site your account has to be activated. When you register an actiation link will be sent to the email account you registered with. Be aware though if you do not follow the activation link and do not acivate your account within 7 days yor account will be deleted.

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 (in the control panel on the top right of the site, when you are logged in). This will allow you to change all your settings.

How do I show an image below my username?
The image below a user's name in posts is known as an avatar; this is generally unique or personal to each user. However this site provides images that reflect the year you left either school. Instructions on how to use these are on the Avatars page. If you would like to upload an image from your computer go to your Profile link in the control panel, click on it and then scroll down to the avatar settings. There are restrictions on these images, and your avatar will not upload unless these restrictions are followed.

How do I change my rank?
In general 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 sites 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 Moderators or Administrators will simply lower your post count.

Posting 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.

How do I edit or delete a post?
Unless you are the Site Administrator or Forum Moderator you can only edit or delete your own posts. You can edit a post (sometimes for only a limited time after it was made) by clicking the edit button for the relevant post. 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 that lists the number of times you edited it. This will only appear if no one has replied; it will not appear if Moderators or Administrators edit the post (they should leave a message saying what they altered and why). Please note that normal users cannot delete a post once someone has replied.

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.

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 Site Administrator can grant, so you should Contact them.

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.However the administration team might decide to make certain polls accessible to guests as well.

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 brackets [ and ] rather than < and > and it offers greater control over what and how something is displayed.

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.

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 Administrator.

What are Sticky topics?
Sticky topics appear below any announcements on the forum and only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read them where possible. As with announcements the Site Administrator determines what permissions are required to post sticky topics in each forum.

What are Locked topics?
Locked topics are set this way by either the Forum Moderator or Site Administrator. You cannot reply to locked topics and any poll contained inside is automatically ended. Topics may be locked for many reasons.

User Levels and Groups
What are Administrators?
Administrators are people assigned the highest level of control over the entire board. These people can control all facets of board operation which include setting permissions, banning users and creating Moderators, etc. They also have full Moderator capabilities in all the forums.

What are Moderators?
Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) whose job it is to look after the running of the forums from day to day. They have the power to 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.

How do I become a Moderator?
You can request this from the Site Administrator, however it is totally at their discretion whether you become one or not. Generally a Moderator is a valuable contributor to the site and is a regular visitor.

Private Messaging
I cannot send private messages!
There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the Site Administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the Site Administrator has prevented you individually from sending messages. If it is the latter case you should try asking the Administrator why

I keep getting unwanted private messages!
In the future we will be adding an ignore list to the private messaging system. For now, though, if you keep receiving unwanted private messages from someone, inform the Site Administrator -- they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages at all.

I have received a spamming or abusive email from someone on this site!
We are sorry to hear that. The email form feature of this board includes safeguards to try to track users who send such posts. You should email the Site Administrator with a full copy of the email you received and it is very important this include the headers (these list details of the user that sent the email). They can then take action.

General
How do I get a picture on the site?
If you would like to add a picture to the gallery you need to send an e-mail to the Site Administrator (obviously with the picture attached) and they will put it on the site ASAP. Please try and give as many details about the picture as possible!

I have noticed an error/incorrect information on the site!
This is easy, just e-mail the Site Administrator and let them know. Make sure that you tell them exactly where the error is on the site, and they will change it!

I have a suggestion for the site!
E-mail all comments or suggestions to the Site Administrator and they will see if your idea is viable. If so, they will contact you and give you a credit on the site.

I would like to contribute to the site!
E-mail the Site Administrator and they will contact you.

I would like to advertise on the site!
Please contact the Site Administrator with your details and they will get back to you as soon as possible. We give special rates (if any) to past pupils of the schools, generally we do not charge for placing adverts on the site however a "good deed" in return is always nice. We are always looking for cool stuff to help us out.

I would like to organise a Reunion can I post the details on the site?
Go right ahead and do this, that is the exact reason this site exists. We will try to help you as much as we possibly can!