| Forums, Threads and Posts |
What is RCGroups.com? RCGroups.com is an online discussion site. It's sometimes also called a 'board' or 'forums'. It contains several categories, consisting of forums, threads and individual posts. How do I find my way around? When you click on a forum's name, you are taken to the list of threads it contains. A thread is a conversation between members or guests. Each thread starts out as a single post and grows as more individual posts are added by different users. Threads can be rated (?) to show how useful or popular they are and may contain polls (?). To
start a new thread simply click on the 'new thread' button Threads can be ordered in many different ways. The default is to have the thread with the most recent activity at the top. But you can easily change this ordering, for example to have the thread with the most posts at the top, or the highest rating. Simply click on the appropriate column heading at the top of the list of threads (Thread, Thread Starter, Rating, Last Post, Replies or Views). You can also reverse the sorting order by clicking the arrow next to the name of the active option. (Note that 'sticky' threads will always be at the top no matter how you change the viewing options). Multi-page views When there are more threads to display than will fit on a single page, you may see the 'Page' box, which contains page numbers. This indicates that the list of threads has been split over two or more pages. This method of splitting lists of items over many pages is used throughout the board. What are sticky threads? 'Sticky' threads are created by moderators or administrators (?), and remain 'stuck' to the top of the listing, even if they haven't had any posts recently. Their purpose is to keep important information visible and accessible at all times. How do I read a thread? To read a thread, click on its title. Each post in a thread is created by a member. You'll see some brief information about the member who created the thread above the main post message. In some cases it will be to the side of the post. To
post a reply to an existing thread, click on the 'Post
Reply' If
enabled, there will also be a 'Quick Reply' box where you can
quickly enter a reply without having to go to the 'Post Reply'
page. You may need to click the quick reply button On long threads you may want to change how the posts are ordered. For more on different ways to view and navigate threads, click (?). How do I find out more about members? To view information about a particular member, click on the user name. This will take you to their public profile page (?). What is the Navigation Bar? The navigation bar at the top of every page has links to help you move around. A 'breadcrumb' area at the top left shows where you are now. A form on the right allows you to quickly login. With one click you can reach areas such as: MyRCGroups, search options (?) and Quick Links (?) to other useful features. What is the 'What's Going On?' box on the RCGroups.com home page? On the RCGroups.com home page you'll see a section at the bottom that tells you what's going on at the moment. It tells you things like the number of registered users online and the number of guests. |
(you
need to be logged in to do this).
button.
If the 'Post Reply' button does not appear, it could mean that
you are not logged in as a member, or that you do not have
permission to reply, or that the thread has been closed to new
replies.
in
a post to activate the quick reply box before you can type into
it.| Registration |
RCGroups requires you to register in order to use all the features of the forum. Being registered gives you an identity on the board, a fixed username on all messages you post and an online public profile. Registration is free and offers an extended range of features, including:
How do I register? You register by clicking on the 'Register' link near the top of the page. You will be asked to choose a user name, password and enter a valid email address. In addition, there will be some other fields to which you will be invited to respond. Some will be mandatory while others are optional. Once this is complete, you will either be fully registered, or in some cases you may have to click on a link in an 'activation email' sent to your email address. Once you have done this, you will be registered. Note that entering your email address will not leave you open to 'spam', as you can choose to hide it from other board users. You will be able to allow other registered users to contact you via email, but the system won't display your email address to them unless you give permission. Multiple accounts are not permitted.
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| Searching Forums and Threads |
How do I search for something? To quickly find a thread or post of interest anywhere on the RCGroups.com, click on the 'Search' link in the navigation bar at the top of most forum pages. Then, type in the keyword or phrase you wish to search for, and select either 'Show Threads' or 'Show Posts' to view the results. By selecting posts, you will be shown only the actual post in which the search word appears. For more control over the search, select 'Advanced Search' from the drop-down box. The advanced search page allows you to restrict your search to individual forums, find posts or threads by user, or return results based on tags (?). There are also options to find posts from a certain date, or threads with a certain number of replies. How do I search a specific forum or thread? If you are browsing a forum, you can quickly search for a thread or post within it by clicking on the 'Search this forum' link near the top of the page (it's above the list of threads). You can also search for individual posts within a thread by clicking on the 'Search this Thread' link at the top of any thread view page. |
| Thread Display Options |
Can I change the order of posts? You have control over how you view threads. Linear Mode - posts are displayed chronologically, usually from oldest to newest. Posts are shown in a flat mode so that many posts can be viewed simultaneously. It is possible to change the ordering by changing your preferences in My RCGroups. Go to "edit options" and "thread display options."
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| Viewing New Posts or Today's Posts |
How can I see the latest posts? RCGroups.com is set so that each thread you read is marked in the database. The new threads (or threads with new posts) will not be marked as read until you have actually read them. There is a built-in time limit to this, however, that will automatically mark all threads as 'read' after a set number of days, whether you really have read them or not. The default setting is 10 days, but the administrator could make this higher or lower. |
| Rating Threads |
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What are ratings? RCGroups.com allows you to rate threads between 1 star (terrible) and 5 stars (excellent). Once enough votes are cast for a thread, stars will appear next to its name in the listings. These show the average vote, and can be an easy way to see which threads are worth reading if you are on a busy forum. On the forum viewing page you can also arrange threads by rating, with either the highest or lowest at the top. It therefore makes sense to rate threads because it helps all users. To do this, click on the 'rate thread' link at the top of the thread viewing page. Choose the number of stars you feel best represents the quality of the thread. You may or may not be able to change your choice of rating at a later date. |
| Thread Tools |
What are thread tools? At the top of each thread, there is a link called 'Thread Tools'. By clicking on this link, a menu will appear with a number of options:
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| Lost Passwords |
I forgot my password. What can I do? If you forget your password, you can click on the 'Forgotten Your Password' link. This will appear on any page that requires you to fill in your password. This link brings up a page where you should enter your registered email address. An email will be sent to that address shortly, with instructions for resetting your password. Since passwords are encrypted, there is no way to resend your original password. This option provides you with the ability to reset your password. You must be able to receive emails to your registered email address for this to work. You may need to check your spam filters and folder if you do not see this email in a few minutes. |
| Calendars |
You will see a 'Calendar' link in the footer in the forum functions list. There is one Calendar that can be viewed and used by all members. Members can add upcoming events that may interest the community. You can also sign up to get email alerts about upcoming events. How do I add an event to the Calendar? If you have the appropriate permissions, there will be a box on the Calendar labeled 'Add New Event'. The administrator may have enabled registered members to post public events, but usually this is not the case. It's more likely that you can only post your own private events that can only be seen by you. There are three types of event that can be added to a calendar:
Just choose the appropriate option for the event you are adding, fill in the required information, then save the event. It will now appear on the Calendar. |
| Members List |
What is the Members List? The members list shows the registered members of the board. You can view the member list ordered alphabetically by username, by the date they joined, by the number of posts they have made(?). To view the members list, click on 'Member List' on main navigation bar at the top of the page. To quickly find a particular member, click on the 'Search Members' link and type a username (or partial username) into the box. For further search options - including searching based on join date, post count or home page - click on 'Advanced Search' on the search menu.
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| Your Notifications |
What are Your Notifications? When you have logged into the board, a link to 'Your Notifications' may be displayed in the 'Welcome' box near the top of the forum. 'Your Notifications' will show if you have any one of the following: By clicking on the 'Your Notifications' link, you will be able to quickly see how many of each type you have received. Clicking on any of the links in the menu will take you to the relevant page within My RCGroups or elsewhere in the system.
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| Navigation Bar |
The navigation bar at the top of each page has several helpful links. |
| Contacting other Members |
Can I email other members Some users have enabled the option to receive emails from other users. Their profile page will feature that option below the private message button. Can I see email addresses? For privacy reasons, the recipient's email address is not revealed to you during this process. Why can't I send an email to someone? If you cannot find an email button or link for a member, it means that the member has indicated that they do not wish to receive email from other members. What is private messaging? Registered members may also be able to send messages to other members of this forum using the private messaging system. For more information about private messaging, click here.
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| Dealing with Troublesome Users |
Can I block posts, emails and messages from specific users? If there are particular members that bother you and you do not want to see their posts or receive Private Messages and Emails from them, then you can add these members to your 'Ignore List'. There are several ways to do this: Through My RCGroups: User CP, Settings & Options, Edit Ignore List. Then, type their name into the empty text box and click 'Okay'. What if I see something offensive? You will find 'Report' links in many places throughout RCGroups.com. These links allow you to alert the forum moderators to anything which you find to be offensive, illegal or that breaks site rules. |
| Podcasting |
How do I listen to the RCGroups podcast? You can listen here. http://www.rcgroups.com/official-rcgroups-podcast-721/ |