Frequently Asked Questions
- Login and Registration Issues
- Why can’t I login?
- How do I join the Advanced Nutrients forum?
- Is it free to join?
- I’ve lost my password!
- Why do I get logged off automatically?
- I have questions about your products and want to receive an answer from your experts.
- How do I contact you?
- User Preferences and settings
- How do I change my settings?
- How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?
- The times are not correct!
- How do I display an avatar?
- Posting Issues
- Are there guidelines for posting?
- How do I create a new topic or post a reply?
- How do I edit or delete a post?
- How do I add a signature to my post?
- How do I create a poll?
- Why can’t I access a forum?
- Why can’t I add attachments?
- Why did I receive a warning?
- How can I report posts to a moderator?
- What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?
- Why does my post need to be approved?
- User Levels and Groups
- What are Administrators?
- What are Moderators?
- What are usergroups?
- Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?
- How do I become a usergroup leader?
- Why do some usergroups appear in a different color?
- What is a “Default usergroup”?
- What is “The team” link?
- 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 board!
- Friends and Foes
- What are my Friends and Foes lists?
- How can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes list?
- Searching the Forums
- How can I search a forum or forums?
- Why does my search return no results?
- Why does my search return a blank page!?
- How do I search for members?
- How can I find my own posts and topics?
Login and Registration Issues
- Why can’t I login?
- There are several reasons why this could occur. First, ensure your username and password are correct. If they are, contact a board administrator to make sure you haven’t been banned.
- How do I join the Advanced Nutrients forum?
- Click on the "Register" button or visit this page, fill in the required information, and follow the instructions to create your account. You must follow our Forum Terms and Conditions if you would like to participate.
- Is it free to join?
- Yes, joining and participating in discussions on the Advanced Nutrients forum is absolutely free.
- I’ve lost my password!
- Don’t panic! While your password cannot be retrieved, it can easily be reset. Visit the login page and click I forgot my password. Follow the instructions and you should be able to log in again shortly.
However, if you are not able to reset your password, contact a board administrator.
- Why do I get logged off automatically?
- If you do not check the Remember me box when you login, the board will only keep you logged in for a preset time. This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else. To stay logged in, check the Remember me box during login. This is not recommended if you access the board from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university computer lab, etc. If you do not see this checkbox, it means a board administrator has disabled this feature.
- I have questions about your products and want to receive an answer from your experts.
- Visit our official Grower Support page for assistance, or participate in our official Grower Support Forum thread.
- How do I contact you?
- For any additional questions or concerns, please contact us. We're here to help make your forum experience enjoyable and engaging!
User Preferences and settings
- How do I change my settings?
- If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the board database. To alter them, visit your User Control Panel; a link can be found by clicking on your username at the top of board pages. This system will allow you to change all your settings and preferences.
- How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?
- Within your User Control Panel, under “Board preferences”, you will find the option Hide your online status. Enable this option and you will only appear to the administrators, moderators and yourself. You will be counted as a hidden user.
- The times are not correct!
- It is possible the time displayed is from a timezone different from the one you are in. If this is the case, visit your User Control Panel and change your timezone to match your particular area, e.g. London, Paris, New York, Sydney, etc. Please note that changing the timezone, like most settings, can only be done by registered users. If you are not registered, this is a good time to do so.
- How do I display an avatar?
- Within your User Control Panel, under “Profile” you can add an avatar by uploading an image with Maximum dimensions; width: 90 pixels, height: 90 pixels.
Posting Issues
- Are there guidelines for posting?
- Yes, please review our Forum Guidelines for rules on respectful behavior and content.
- How do I create a new topic or post a reply?
- To post a new topic in a forum, click "New Topic". To post a reply to a topic, click "Post Reply". You need to register before you can post a message. A list of your permissions in each forum is available at the bottom of the forum and topic screens. Example: You can post new topics, You can post attachments, etc.
- How do I edit or delete a post?
- Unless you are a board administrator or moderator, you can only edit or delete your own posts. You can edit a post by clicking the edit button for the relevant post, sometimes for only a limited time after the post was made. 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 which lists the number of times you edited it along with the date and time. This will only appear if someone has made a reply; it will not appear if a moderator or administrator edited the post, though they may leave a note as to why they’ve edited the post at their own discretion. 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 via your User Control Panel. Once created, you can check the Attach a signature box on the posting form to add your signature. You can also add a signature by default to all your posts by checking the appropriate radio button in the User Control Panel. If you do so, you can still prevent a signature being added to individual posts by un-checking the add signature box within the posting form.
- How do I create a poll?
- When posting a new topic or editing the first post of a topic, click the “Poll creation” tab below the main posting form; if you cannot see this, you do not have appropriate permissions to create polls. Enter a title and at least two options in the appropriate fields, making sure each option is on a separate line in the textarea. You can also set the number of options users may select during voting under “Options per user”, a time limit in days for the poll (0 for infinite duration) and lastly the option to allow users to amend their votes.
- Why can’t I access a forum?
- Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view, read, post or perform another action you may need special permissions.
- Why can’t I add attachments?
- Attachment permissions are granted on a per forum, per group, or per user basis. We may not have allowed attachments to be added for the specific forum you are posting in, or perhaps only certain groups can post attachments. Contact the administrator if you are unsure about why you are unable to add attachments.
- Why did I receive a warning?
- If you have broken a rule, you may be issued a warning. Contact us if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning.
- How can I report posts to a moderator?
- You should see a button for reporting posts next to the post you wish to report. Clicking this will walk you through the steps necessary to report the post.
- What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?
- This allows you to save drafts to be completed and submitted at a later date. To reload a saved draft, visit the User Control Panel.
- Why does my post need to be approved?
- Some posts in the forum you are posting to may require review before submission. It is also possible that we placed you in a group of users whose posts require review before submission. Please contact us for further details.
Formatting and Topic Types
- What is BBCode?
- BBCode is a special implementation of HTML, offering great formatting control on particular objects in a post. The use of BBCode is granted by the administrator, but it can also be disabled on a per post basis from the posting form. BBCode itself is similar in style to HTML, but tags are enclosed in square brackets [ and ] rather than < and >. For more information on BBCode see the guide which can be accessed from the posting page.
- What are Smilies?
- Smilies, or Emoticons, are small images which can be used to express a feeling using a short code, e.g. :) denotes happy, while :( denotes sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen in the posting form. Try not to overuse smilies, however, as they can quickly render a post unreadable and a moderator may edit them out or remove the post altogether. The board administrator may also have set a limit to the number of smilies you may use within a post.
- Can I post images?
- Yes, images can be shown in your posts. You are allowed to upload limited images. You can also add link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.example.com/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible server) nor images stored behind authentication mechanisms, e.g. hotmail or yahoo mailboxes, password protected sites, etc. To display the image use the BBCode [img] tag.
- What are global announcements?
- Global announcements contain important information and you should read them whenever possible. They will appear at the top of every forum and within your User Control Panel.
- What are announcements?
- Announcements often contain important information for the forum you are currently reading and you should read them whenever possible. Announcements appear at the top of every page in the forum to which they are posted. As with global announcements, announcement permissions are granted by the board administrator.
- What are sticky topics?
- Sticky topics within the forum appear below announcements and only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read them whenever possible. As with announcements and global announcements, sticky topic permissions are granted by the board administrator.
- What are locked topics?
- Locked topics are topics where users can no longer reply and any poll it contained was automatically ended. Topics may be locked for many reasons and were set this way by either the forum moderator or administrator. You may also be able to lock your own topics depending on the permissions you are granted.
- What are topic icons?
- Topic icons are author chosen images associated with posts to indicate their content. The ability to use topic icons depends on the permissions set by the board administrator.
User Levels and Groups
- What are Administrators?
- Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire board. These members can control all facets of board operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc., dependent upon the board founder and what permissions he or she has given the other administrators. They may also have full moderator capabilities in all forums, depending on the settings put forth by the board founder.
- What are Moderators?
- Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) who look after the forums from day to day. They have the authority to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally, moderators are present to prevent users from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.
- What are usergroups?
- Usergroups are groups of users that divide the community into manageable sections board administrators can work with. Each user can belong to several groups and each group can be assigned individual permissions. This provides an easy way for administrators to change permissions for many users at once, such as changing moderator permissions or granting users access to a private forum.
- Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?
- You can view all usergroups via the “Usergroups” link within your User Control Panel. If you would like to join one, proceed by clicking the appropriate button. Not all groups have open access, however. Some may require approval to join, some may be closed and some may even have hidden memberships. If the group is open, you can join it by clicking the appropriate button. If a group requires approval to join you may request to join by clicking the appropriate button. The user group leader will need to approve your request and may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not harass a group leader if they reject your request; they will have their reasons.
- How do I become a usergroup leader?
- A usergroup leader is usually assigned when usergroups are initially created by a board administrator. If you are interested in creating a usergroup, your first point of contact should be an administrator; try sending a private message.
- Why do some usergroups appear in a different color?
- It is possible for the board administrator to assign a color to the members of a usergroup to make it easy to identify the members of this group.
- What is a “Default usergroup”?
- If you are a member of more than one usergroup, your default is used to determine which group color and group rank should be shown for you by default. The board administrator may grant you permission to change your default usergroup via your User Control Panel.
- What is “The team” link?
- This page provides you with a list of board staff, including board administrators and moderators and other details such as the forums they moderate.
Private Messaging
- I cannot send private messages!
- There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the board administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the board administrator has prevented you from sending messages. Contact us for more information.
- I keep getting unwanted private messages!
- You can automatically delete private messages from a user by using message rules within your User Control Panel. If you are receiving abusive private messages from a particular user, report the messages to the moderators; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages.
- I have received a spamming or abusive email from someone on this board!
- We are sorry to hear that. The email form feature of this board includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so email the board administrator with a full copy of the email you received. It is very important that this includes the headers that contain the details of the user that sent the email. We can then take action.
Friends and Foes
- What are my Friends and Foes lists?
- You can use these lists to organize other members of the board. Members added to your friends list will be listed within your User Control Panel for quick access to see their online status and to send them private messages. If you add a user to your foes list, any posts they make will be hidden by default.
- How can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes list?
- You can add users to your list in two ways. Within each user’s profile, there is a link to add them to either your Friend or Foe list. Alternatively, from your User Control Panel, you can directly add users by entering their member name. You may also remove users from your list using the same page.
Searching the Forums
- How can I search a forum or forums?
- Enter a search term in the search box located on the index, forum or topic pages. Advanced search can be accessed by clicking the “Advance Search” link which is available on all pages on the forum. How to access the search may depend on the style used.
- Why does my search return no results?
- Your search was probably too vague and included many common terms which are not indexed. Be more specific and use the options available within Advanced search.
- Why does my search return a blank page!?
- Your search returned too many results for the webserver to handle. Use “Advanced search” and be more specific in the terms used and forums that are to be searched.
- How do I search for members?
- Visit to the “Members” page and click the “Find a member” link.
- How can I find my own posts and topics?
- Your own posts can be retrieved either by clicking the “Show your posts” link within the User Control Panel or by clicking the “Search user’s posts” link via your own profile page or by clicking the “Quick links” menu at the top of the board. To search for your topics, use the Advanced search page and fill in the various options appropriately.
Subscriptions and Bookmarks
- What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?
- You can be notified when a bookmarked topic is updated. Subscribing, however, will notify you when there is an update to a topic or forum on the board. Notification options for bookmarks and subscriptions can be configured in the User Control Panel, under “Board preferences”.
- How do I bookmark or subscribe to specific topics?
- You can bookmark or subscribe to a specific topic by clicking the appropriate link in the “Topic tools” menu, conveniently located near the top and bottom of a topic discussion.
Replying to a topic with the “Notify me when a reply is posted” option checked will also subscribe you to the topic.
- How do I subscribe to specific forums?
- To subscribe to a specific forum, click the “Subscribe forum” link, at the bottom of page, upon entering the forum.
- How do I remove my subscriptions?
- To remove your subscriptions, go to your User Control Panel and follow the links to your subscriptions.
Attachments
- What attachments are allowed on this board?
- Each board administrator can allow or disallow certain attachment types. If you are unsure what is allowed to be uploaded, contact the board administrator for assistance.
- How do I find all my attachments?
- To find your list of attachments that you have uploaded, go to your User Control Panel and follow the links to the attachments section.