Do I have to register?
How can I use smilies?
Can I add HTML/UBB code to my messages?
What are moderators?
Can I change my Username?
How can I change my registration profile?
Can I customize the bulletin board in any way?
Are cookies used?
Can I edit my own posts?
Can I attach files?
Can I search?
Can I add a standard signature to my posts?
What are announcements?
Are there any censor features?
What do I do if I lost my username and/or password?
Can I be notified by email if someone responds to my topic?
What is Daily Active Topic List?
Can I search private forums?
What are archives?
What are Avatars?
What are Private Messages?
How do I chat?
What are icons?
How do I post images????

Smilies
You've probably seen others use smilies before in email messages or other bulletin board posts. Smilies are keyboard characters used to convey an emotion, such as a smile :) or a frown :(. This bulletin board automatically converts certain smilies to a graphical representation. For example, if you type :o in your BB post, it will automatically be converted to - a shameful face. The following smilies are but a few that are currently supported:

:)	smile
:(	frown
:o	embarrassment
:D	big grin
;)	wink

Using HTML and/or UBB Code
You may be able to use HTML and/or UBB Code in your posts, if your administrators and moderators have those options turned on for each forum. Some forums may have either HTML or UBB Code turned off, or both turned off. Only your bulletin board's leaders can set this. Every time you post a new note, you will be told whether UBB Code and/or HTML is enabled for that particular forum. If HTML is on, you may use any HTML tags, but please be very careful that you use proper HTML syntax. If you do not, your moderator or administrator may have to edit your post. UBB Code is similar to HTML, but offers just a few basic functions, such as hyperlinking, image display, bolding and italicizing. A complete list of current UBB Codes are listed here.  To aid in the use of UBB odes you will find buttons near the text box when you are composing your message.  These add-ons allow you to click on the button, insert your text, and have that text appear in the composition box with the appropriate UBB code.  For example....you click on the B (for BOLD) button, a small window opens up, you type the text you wish to be in bold, click the OK button, and it is all added without YOU having to know UBB Code!

Moderators
Moderators control individual forums. They can edit, delete, or prune any posts in their forums. If you have a question about a particular forum, you should direct it to your forum moderator.

Changing Your USERNAME
You may change your username, but it is not an easy task...and you must contact a board Administrator to have it done..

Changing Your Profile
You may easily change any info stored in your registration profile, using the "profile" link located near the top of each page. Simply identify yourself by typing your username and password and all of your profile information will appear on screen. You may change any items, except your username.  If you change your e-mail address the board will automatically change your password and e-mail you another...this is to ensure that all registered e-mail addresses are valid.

Customizing User Preferences
As a registered bulletin board user, you may store your username and password in memory for up to one year at a time. This will prevent you from having to type your user name and password every time you post a note. You also have the option of changing the default number of days back to view topics. Just click on the "preferences" link and you can make either of these settings.

Cookies
This bulletin board uses cookies to store the following information: the last time you logged in, your username and password, and your preferred "topic view", if you set it in preferences. These cookies are stored on your browser. Cookies are not used to track your movement or perform any function other than to enhance your use of the bulletin board. If your browser does not support cookies, or you have not enabled cookies on your browser, many of these time-saving features will not work properly. Also, you need to have cookies enabled in your browser if you want to enter a private forum.

You may delete all cookies set in this forum by visiting the "preferences" area of the forum and selecting the "delete cookies" link.

Editing Your Posts
You may edit your own posts at any time. Just go to the topic where the post to be edited is located and you will see an edit icon on the line that begins "posted on..." Click on this icon to edit the post. No one else can edit your post, except for the forum moderator or the bulletin board administrator. A note is generated at the bottom of each post that is edited so that every one knows when a post has been edited. Note that if your post was the start of a new topic, deleting your post will result in the removal of the entire topic (all replies after your topic will also be deleted)...for this reason only Admins and Moderators can delete posts completely.  If you wish to delete a post, simply EDIT the message and remove all the text....you might even leave a note for a moderator to remove the entire message.  If there is a vital issue that needs to be addresses, please contact the forum moderator(s) for assistance.

Adding Signatures
You may use a signature (commonly used in email messages) on your posts. In keeping with standard Netiquette, we ask that ALL signatures be limited to 4 lines MAXIMUM.  Once you have a signature stored, you can choose to include it any post you make by checking the "include signature" box when you create your post. This bulletin board's administrator may elect to turn the signature feature off at any time, however. If that is the case, the "include signature" option will not appear when you post a note, even if you have stored a signature. You may also change your signature at any time by changing your profile.

Note: You may not use HTML in your signature file, but you may use UBB Code (except for the UBB Code Image tag).

Attaching Files
For security reasons, you may not attach files to any posts. You may cut and paste text into your post, however, or use HTML and/or UBB Code (if enabled) to provide hyperlinks to outside documents.

Searching For Specific Posts
You may search for specific posts based on a word or words found in the posts, user name, date, and particular forum(s). Just click on the "search" link at the top of most pages. Note: announcements are not included in the search returns.

Announcements
Announcements are one-way communications from either a forum moderator or a bulletin board administrator. No one may post replies to these announcements. If you want to talk about specific announcements, you will have to create a new topic in the appropriate forum.  These will also be visible on the main page via the NewsFader.

Censoring Posts
The bulletin board administrators have the power to censor certain words that may be posted. This censoring is not an exact science, however, so certain words may be censored out of context. Please realize that the censoring, if any censoring is being performed, is being done by a computer based on the words that are being screened. Words that are censored are replaced with asterisks.

Lost User Name and/or Password
Retrieving your username and password is simple, assuming that email features are turned on for this bulletin board. All of the pages that require you to identify yourself with your username and password carry a "lost password" link that you can use to have your username and password emailed instantly to your email address of record.

Email Notification
If you create a new topic or reply to a topic already in progress, you have the option of receiving an email notification every time someone posts a reply, either to your topic...or to let you know someone replied AFTER you replied in a thread.  Just check the email notification box when you create your new topic or reply, if you want to use this feature.  THIS FEATURE IS AVAILABLE TO VCA MEMBERS ONLY.

What is the Daily Active Topic List?
When you visit this bulletin board, you will see a link at the top of the list of forums called "Daily Active Topic List". Clicking on this will provide you with a list of topics in all open (non private) forums that have been posted to that day.

Can I search private forums?
Currently, only administrators and moderators can search through private forums. We do plan to support searching of private forums for other authorized users in the future.

What are archives?
Archives are read-only areas that contain topics that were previously posted to one of our forums. You may not add a reply to a topic that is in an archive. Topics in an archive may have been completely removed from the original forum where they were started, or they may still exist in their forums.

What are icons?
Depending on the configuration of your forums, you may be able to associate an icon with each post that you make. There are currently several icons, each expressing a different emotion or identification. These icons range from a simple note to sadness to warning. These icons appear next to each topic in a forum listing and on each post. If you do not see icons, your forum administrator may not be allowing icons on this particular forum. (Thanks to Kombat03 for the icon idea!)

Avatars
Avatars are those images seen under the username each time a user posts a message to the board. Avatars are CUSTOM, meaning that a certain Avatar can only be used by the individual it is assigned to. For more information please contact Viper Club UBB Support!  Avatars are for Viper Owners ONLY, and must be of, or include, their Viper.

Private Messages
Private Messages are an add-on feature to the board.  Private Messages allow you to send messages, not unlike e-mail, to registered users on the board.  Once a message is sent, it is held in the recipient's inbox until the next time that person comes to the board.  At that time they are greeted with a note (and possibly an audio prompt) that they have Private message(s) waiting to be read.  You also have the ability to send a Private Message from the board to an outside e-mail address....directions for that are posted inside the Private Messages area.  Soon to be added to Private Messages is the ability to see when a user is online (with an image next to their username that reflects their current status in REAL time) and the ability to send an "Instant Private Message (IPM)" while a user is online.  You send the message and a window pops up to let them read the message.  Comes in real handy if you want to invite someone to a chat room.

How do I chat?
The current Viper Chat rooms are open and available to all registered users of the Viper Discussion Forums.  You MUST be logged in and have your cookie set.  When you want to enter a chat room, just clisk on the link and it will take you straight to that room via direct log-in.  Once you are in the chat room you will see a list of other users in that chat room appear on the left.  To change rooms all you do is click on the "Rooms" button and you will see a dialog window open where you can change from room to room....as well as see who is in the other rooms.  Once logged in you can click on the "Settings" button and modify several settings to suit your needs...just remember these settings are for the current session only; When you log off the settings will reset to default on your next connection.  Text will be viewed in the large window-pane on the left...and other users currently logged in will be viewable on the right.  Please forward any comments or suggestions to Vipermad

How do I post images????
To post images with your message you must have an image, and it MUST have an address on the internet...better known as a URL.  An example would be http://www.yourdomain.com/image.jpg assuming your image was named "image.jpg".   There are several sites on the net that will host images for you...then all you have to do is enclose the image in the proper UBB Code and it will be displayed when you post your message.  It would look something like this:

[img]http://www.yourdomain.com/image.jpg[/img]

Once you do that, and post, the UBB Code will do all the work and make sure the image is displayed. 

If you want to upload an image to the VCA server you can now do that by using the "Upload" feature found right under your password when you go to post a message. You will notice that there are two(2) links there....one to upload your image(s) and another to view (and/or delete) the images you currently have in your folder. Simply click on the link to upload your image(s) and follow the steps. You can navigate to any image on YOUR computer that fits the upload criteria (noted below), and upon succesful upload you will be presented with some sample code that you can copy and paste into your message. Since space is limited, there ARE some upload criteria (noted below), and it is best if images are kept to a size of no larger than 640x480. Please refer to program you use to manage your images for detail on how to limit size.:

[upload]image.jpg[/upload]