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 board? That's not too likely, as we do't generally have to ban people from these forums. If we do, a message will be displayed informing you of that. If you do see such a message, you should contact us 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 us we may have incorrect configuration settings for the board.
Why do I Need to Register at All?
You don't have to register for these forums to browse or view the content here. You will need to register if you want to post a message or reply to an existing post.
We require registration on the forums before posting or replying because we've found that by making people accountable for their posts by going 'on the record' it helps prevent irresponsible, abusive posts and 'trollish' behaviour.
Registration will also give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, private messaging, emailing to fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few minutes to register so it is recommended that you do so.
What is Required for Registration?
There is a variety of information that you can choose to either fill in or leave blank in your member profile when you register.
The only mandatory pieces of information we require are a username (obviously) and a valid email address. We send a confirmation to the email address to ensure that it was actually you who registered, not some other prankster signing up using your name.
You have the option in your profile of keeping all information hidden, including your email address if you so desire. The email address you supply is not used for any reason other than the registration process. We don't share it with anyone; and we don't send you anything.
Why do I Sometimes 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 certain, preset amount of time. This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else.
To stay logged in, check that box during login. This is not recommended if you access the board from a shared computer such as one in a library, internet cafe or university cluster.
How do I prevent my username from appearing in the "Who's Online?" user listings?
The online user listing is displayed at the bottom of the main forum page. It's a display of who's online at any particular time. If you don't want your online status to be displayed in this area, you have the opion to do that. In your profile you will find an option Hide your online status. If you switch this on you'll only appear to yourself and to the board administrators. You will be counted as a hidden user.
I've Lost my Password!
Don't panic! While we can't recover your password (all passwords are encrypted in the database) you can be reset it yourself.
To do this go to the login page and click "I've forgotten my password." Follow the instructions and the board will reset your password to a somewhat cryptic string of letters and numbers.
This new password will be emailed to you. Once you receive that new password, you can log in using it, then go to your profile and change it to something a little easier to remember.
