 How do I post a new topic? |
 Step One – Once you've reached the desired forum in which you wish to post, click on the Add Topic button.
Step Two - You will now be on the page that allows you to enter the subject and the body of your message. Under the subject field, you will find a set of radio buttons (Message Options) in which you may choose to use The Hot Rock's Mark-Up Codes or include no formatting in the body of your text (Regular Text).
Step Three - Once you have completed the subject, body and message option fields, choose your posting options by marking the checkboxes directly under the content portion of the page. These options include the using emotes in the body of your text, including a personal signature, converting URL links and notification of all replies to this topic/thread. Some of these options are only available to those who are logged into the system.
Emotes: Graphical representation of strings of charaters that can be inserted into messages. For information on the current emotes that we use here at The Hot Rock, please look at our listing of message board emotes.
Personal Signature: Your personal signature is different for each area (all boards within an area share that signature). You may set your message board preferences by clicking on the available link at the entry screen to that message board (at the forums list page). Once you have declared your signature at that page, you can now insert it into any post you make on that board by making sure that the appropriate checkbox is selected.
Converting URL Links: If this option is checked, any URL address that is entered into the body of the message will be converted into a full URL link. (e.g. If you type in http://www.goherenow.com, the message will display with that text as a hot link to that URL)
Notification of All Replies: Check this box and, if your email address is correct in our system, you'll receive mail that someone has posted to this thread. You will also receive mail within The Hot Rock's own mail system.
Step Four - Classify your topic by marking the check boxes at the bottom of the post.
Please take a moment to check the type of post you are submitting. This helps our system categorize it and, later, lets users like yourself find pertinent information more rapidly.
Step Five (OPTIONAL) - If you have publishing permissions for an area, you will have an extra set of options that allow you to publish the topic you are submitting locally. You may also use the description field to write a brief introduction or summary of your topic.
Step Six - Press the Submit Topic button. Or you can use the Undo Changes button to clear the fields and begin again.
NOTE: If you would like to preview your post, mark the Preview Post check box before pressing the Submit Topic button. Use the back button on your browser to return to the content entry screen to make any changes, or press Submit Post to post your message.
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| How do I reply to a message? |
Step one - Click on the Add Reply button at the top of the thread or the Reply Link located under the user/post information under the current message you are reading.
Step Two - You will be on the page that allows you to enter your reply subject heading and the content of your message.
Step Three - Once you have entered these, choose your posting options by marking the checkboxes directly under the content portion of the page.
Step Four - Press the Add Reply button. Or you can use the Undo Changes button to clear the fields and begin again.
NOTE: If you would like to preview your post, mark the Preview Post check box before pressing the Add Reply button. Use the back button on your browser to return to the content entry screen to make any changes, or press Submit Post to post your message.
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| How do I edit a post? |
The option to edit a post is only available to the original author of the post, a moderator of a board, or an administrator of the site.
Step One - Click on the Edit link. (It is located directly under the main text of the message.)
Step Two - You will be on the page that allows you to change your subject heading and the content of your message. This page will look very similar to the add reply/add topic form except for the fact that all of the information previously entered will be filled in for you to edit.
Step Three – Once you have made the necessary changes to your post, choose your posting options by marking the checkboxes directly under the content portion of the page.
Step Four - Press the Edit Reply button. Or you can use the Undo Changes button to clear the fields and begin again.
NOTE: If you would like to preview your post, mark the Preview Post check box before pressing the Add Reply button. Use the back button on your browser to return to the content entry screen to make any changes, or press Submit Post to post your message.
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| How do I make those smilies and other cool faces that I see all over? |
Those are emotes and allow you to show some emotion in your post through animated characters.
If you follow this link, it will list the emotes and what you need to type for them to appear. Play with them and give your posts some character.
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| Can I use HTML on my post? |
No, you cannot use HTML but you may use our Mark-Up Codes. Directly below the subject entry box for the subject heading you will see a section titled "Message Options". There are two check boxes in that section. If you would like to use Mark-Up Codes in your post, mark Use Mark-Up Codes Below. The default is Regular Text. For a list of our current Mark-Up Codes available for use at The Hot Rock, please follow this link.
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| When I put a URL in my post it won't let people click on it, why not? |
You must mark the check box in the "Posting Options" called Convert URL links (http://www.link.com).
You also have to include http:// when you list the URL in the body of your post. In other words, if you put www.thehotrock.com the link will not be active. You will need to type http://www.thehotrock.com to make the link work properly.
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| I see checkboxes at the bottom of the content entry screen when I add a new topic, what are they there for anyway? |
A unique feature of The Hot Rock message boards is the message classification option. By classifying your topic when you originally submit it, you help us index your post and the subsequent thread by topic. That way, if future users want to find information on a topic someone has already posted on, they are able to do so easily. Just mark the checkbox(es) that best describe your post before you submit it.
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| What does "Mark Forum Read" do and how do I use it? |
NOTE: Mark Forum Read is a feature that is available to you only if you are logged into the system.
On the main page of a message board you will see all the forums for that board. If there is an icon beside the forum that means there are new topics/replies within that forum. When you enter a forum that has new topics or replies that you have yet to view, they will be marked with an icon beside the topic name. Once you have finished reading and are ready to leave the forum, click on the Mark Forum Read link. You will be taken back to the main page. There will not be icons beside the forum name any longer. Next time you visit that forum, any threads with activity will be marked for you.
You also have the option to mark all forums read by clicking the Mark ALL Forums Read link on the main message board page. This will mark each and every forum within the entire message board as read. Next time you visit that main page any new forums with activity will be marked for you.
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| How do I rate a topic? |
This option is only available to those who are logged into the system.
Step One - Click on the link to the topic you wish to rate.
Step Two - Directly below the topic's message window, you will see the message "Rate this topic:" followed by a series of radio buttons with one extreme labeled "poor" and the other as "great" or "excellent". Using the radio buttons in between the two extremes, click on the option that you feel is most appropriate for this topic. Clicking on a button closer to the word "great" or "excellent" will submit a higher rating to the topic and clicking on a radio button in closer proximity to the word "poor" will deliver a less acceptable rating to the post.
NOTE: You may only rate a topic once and are not allowed to rate any topic to which you are the author.
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| How do I look around the boards? |
Many different elements exist to help you navigate around any Hot Rock message board:
The simplest form of navigation is clicking on any board, forum, or topic in order to view it's contents.
A cascading menu of your location on a board is also present at the top left-hand side of the screen. To move to a previous page within the hierarchy of the board, just click on the link provided. The hierarchy is presented as follows:
Area Name (to which the message board belongs)
>> Forums (within message board)
>> Topics List (within the forum)
>> Thread/Topic Name
Each thread (topic and it's list of replies) also contains links to the Previous Topic and Next Topic, if available.
When a thread of list of topics is too long to fit completely on one page, a paging feature will appear at the top and bottom of the screen. You may view any specific page or page one-by-one through the list by using this navigation tool. A pull-down menu exists with each page in the list accompanied by a "Go!" button that must be clicked after the page selection is made. A progression of text links is also made available for simple navigation as well.
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| What is that "Board Preferences" link at the top of the page? |
Board Preferences are elements that you may change which help to define the way it is presented. Once you have clicked on the Board Preferences link, you will be taken to a screen with many customization options.
There are many features that you may change (or personalize) for each area (and all boards within the area) that you visit at The Hot Rock:
List Topics By: This feature has two possible options and they are "topics with the most recent replies" and "topics that are most recent". By selecting the "topics with the most recent replies", the topics with the most recent replies will be placed at the top of the topics listing within a forum of a message board. Otherwise, you will see the topics in chronological descending order at the topics listing page.
List Replies By: This feature has two possible options and they are "oldest replies >> recent replies" and "recent replies >> oldest replies". By selecting the "oldest replies >> recent replies", the list of replies within a thread will be listed in chronological ascending order (the most recent reply will be displayed last). The "recent replies >> oldest replies" will yield a list of replies in chronological descending order (the most recent reply will be displayed first).
View Thread Topic: This feature has two possible options and they are "on all pages of thread" and " only on the first page of the thread". This feature gives you the option to turn off the topic description on pages subsequent to the initial page of the thread.
Number of Topics/Posts: This feature allows you to designate the maximum number of items you wish to see on any page within the message board.
Font Size of Messages: This feature allows you to define the font size of the messages and other text contained in the message board.
Signature for This Area: You may use this field to type in a signature (or text that will follow your posts when designated) for this area of the site. You may use our system's available Emotes and Mark-Up Codes to add a little flair to your text. A checkbox also appears below the signature field. You may use this checkbox to update any signatures that were saved with your previous posts or you may choose to leave those signatures alone.
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| How do I bookmark a topic? |
At top right-hand side of the screen when viewing a thread (a topic and it's associated replies), you will be presented with the option to bookmark a topic. Clicking on this link will mark this topic on your Start Page and will also label it on the main topics listing within a forum. From that point forward you may monitor this thread from your Start Page and, when you are finished monitoring it, you may remove it by hitting the appropriate button/link presented both on your start page and at the top of the bookmarked thread.
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| How do I view an author's member information? |
The name of each author is a link to their member page at The Hot Rock. From that page you will have the opportunity to learn more about that member and his/her activity at the site.
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