BFE Users Manual

How do I… set an avatar, get an email when someone posts, follow a thread? Answers and directions on how to move around BFE offered here.

So lets start with the basics. If you are accessing this site from your mobile device you will need to go to the top and click on "Classic Version". Viewing BFE in the classic version will enable you to see a series of "clickable" links.

HOME….CALENDAR….FAQ….SEARCH….MEMBERLIST….USERGROUPS…PROFILE

We are starting with "PROFILE" in this post. Click it…I promise, it won't hurt.

The default tab at the top will land you on the "Information" tab. You can scroll up and down to make sure you got everything like you wanted it when you first registered.

Reading from left to right, the next tab is "Preferences". This tab will allow you to turn emails on and off, chat on and off and other good stuff. Imagine that you have landed in a room of light switches. Each switch does something different so read the fine print. You can always change it later now that you know about the room itself.
Before you leave the room of switches, be sure that you set your local time to your actual local time.

For those that have trouble manipulating around, I am here to help you. Just post a question and I will answer to the best of my ability.

Stay tuned to my next installment. How to Private Message others within BFE.

Private Messaging is relatively easy. There are a couple ways you can approach it.
First, you can click on the MP (a persons upper body) icon under the member's name and you will automatically be taken to the private messaging window.
Or,
Second, you can click on MEMBERLIST at the top of the page and search for a member's name. There will be the same MP (a persons upper body) icon to the right of your screen.

You may ask why you want to know about Private Messaging? It is important that you contact a Moderator or the Administrator if you feel you are being harassed, stalked or anything that really makes you feel uncomfortable. Private Messaging offers you the opportunity to contact us so we can investigate and rectify.

~

While we are discussing messaging, I wanted to offer up the use of the "preview" button. What a wonderful button it is! Elizabeth mentioned in one of her posts on her blog about the importance of proof reading and the "preview" button is your opportunity to double check your post.

Audio carrot can sum times led you wrung.

Your Avatar (if you choose to have one) can be uploaded or selected from a forumotion Avatar gallery the providers have collected for your use. To upload or select the Avatar for you, go to those "clickable" links I mentioned in the above posts. Select "Profile" and you will see a tab called Avatar. There are some restrictions on the size of the Avatar you can use, but for the most part, any picture can be reduced to work. Forumotion will let you know if the picture you selected is too big.

The picture you choose is at your discretion.

Uploading an image… Please use the "Classic Version" for this exercise.

Don't panic, it's not hard (but you'll have to focus). If you are reading this post, scroll down to the bottom and take a look at the little box where you add a reply.

Ok, glad you are back, what you saw were a series of icons (buttons, widgy gigets, whatever you want to call them). Some of them are relatively basic, Bold, Italic, Underline, etc. When you click on the icon, the icon inserts instructions to the software program to bold a word or underline a word. Those instructions look like a "bracket" then the letter b for bolding, or a "bracket" and the letter i for italicizing something.

Now go back down and hold your pointer over the other icons and see the description of each. We are going to focus on the icon that is located first in line of the fourth (4th) section. It looks like a computer with a disk in front of it. When you hold the pointer over it, the pop up says "Host an image".

When you click on the icon a new window will pop up to upload your image. You will have two choices
- File
- url

If you choose to use the File selection, you will then have to click on the "Choose file" button, which should open up a new window for you to search the picture you are going to upload. Once you have chosen your file you simply click the button "Host it". Now… Fourmotion has hosted your picture. You can "copy" the bottom link (with the button they provide).

We can't stop here… to tell the computer to "post" your image you have to click on the icon directly to the right of the "Host an Image" which is "Insert an Image". Another "pop up" window will come up and you will "paste" the link that you copied and click ok. Inserting an image puts those little "brackets" that I wrote about above with the letters "img", remember, "brackets" are our friends.

If you choose to use the url selection, just copy and paste the url that you have for the photo. Some people host their photos on Photobucket, flickr or post image, for example. You can also simply url "Link" a picture from the web using this option.

I normally choose to use the File option. I go to the web and download the picture I want to my desktop and then "upload" the file here. Below is a picture that I uploaded using the "file" option. By the way, have I told you I love my job?

I am going to open up a Testing Thread within this topic so you can practice if you choose. To see if you got it right, you can "preview" before you post but don't worry about double or triple posting because I can delete it once you get it right. Keep trying, and if you have problems, send me a message and I can help you out.

Spoilers -From Wikipedia - A spoiler is an element of a disseminated summary or description of any piece of fiction that reveals any plot elements which threaten to give away important details concerning the turn of events..

Many people seek out "spoilers" for episode television shows. I have to admit I was a CSI Las Vegas junkie and would do just about anything to find out if Grissom and Sara were going to "get together".

It is proper forum etiquette to say to yourself before you post, "is what I am about to post going to give away the plot?" If we need to make a Spoil Free thread we can do that. But, there is a way you can use the tools Forumotion makes available to us to protect other members just in case.

Click here:

In your handy dandy tool bar located in your reply box you will see an icon that looks like a binder with a yellow exclamation point at the lower right hand corner. When you click on it, a pop window will appear and ask if you want to "Title" your spoiler. You really don't have to (it is optional) but it is SMART to do so. Most often you would type in the words "Spoiler Alert" - If you choose NOT to title it, members may be curious and click on it anyway and thereafter be "spoiled".

Spoiler Alert:

I will pass along a hint to those of you that are real newbies - A spoiler is like a whisper, you lean forward to hear what is said but sometimes you may not like what you hear.