AoF.SP.METHODOLOGY
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...frequently asked questions + answers

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If your question's not listed or you still need help and can wait for manual reply, email AoF at [email protected]. We will try our best to answer you questions. Complaints, compliments, wish lists...go to SCC2 Chatterbox : Petition Re. AoF


[TOP] What is a bulletin board system?

A bulletin board system functions much like a newsgroup, except it is web based and so you don't need a newsreader program to use a bulletin board. Messages are posted through a html form on a web page and viewed as web pages themselves. The list of messages is itself yet another web page.


[TOP] Do I need special softwares to use it?

No, all you need is your web browser. You post messages through the form provided. You view list of messages and the messages themselves as yet more web pages.


[TOP] How are the messages sorted on the list or index of messages?

Messages are grouped by subject line or discussion topic in what's called a 'thread' in newsgroup jargons (as in a thread of discussion). Threads themselves are listed in reverse chronological order according to the date the thread started -- i.e. the date the first message of the threads were posted. So, new messages starts new threads and are added at the top of the list. Follow-ups or replies to an existing thread of discussion are added beneath the first message of that particular thread, which may not be the most recently started thread on the list. So, look for the topic first, and you shall find the newly added follow-up replies in that thread grouping.


[TOP] How do I sort messages according to author, date, subject line, etc.?

You can't, at least not with this simple bulletin board system. That's the downside to not needing a fancy specialized software or plug-in: that you can't sort the list according to author, date, topic, or whatever else that seems a more intuitive way of organizing messages. Sorry.


[TOP] How do I start a new thread of discussion?

Use the "POST A NEW MESSAGE" form which is on its own page. If you are at a message or follow-up page, you can get back to the page by clicking on the "post a new message" link.


[TOP] How do I reply or add a follow-up message to an existing thread of discussion?

To make-sure your reply to an existing thread of discussion gets grouped with that thread, you must use the "POST A FOLLOW UP" form which is at the bottom of each message and follow-up page. Go to the messages index page. Find the thread you want reply to. Click on the subject line of the first message in that thread. Use the follow-up message pad at the bottom of that message page.

Note that...in the messages index, no distinction is made between follow-ups to the original message and follow-ups to follow-ups. AoF finds it silly to have recursive follow-ups that run off the right side of the window in the index listing. So, assuming most follow-ups will stay relatively close to the original topic, all follow-ups and their descendents are simply listed as follow-ups to the original message. If your follow-up to a follow-up gets too off the original topic, please start a new thread instead.



[TOP] How do I get the follow-up message pad to automatically quote the message I'm replying to?

Currently you can't. Why? Because AoF's seen too much abuse of automatic quoting. What's the point of quoting the previous message in its entirety when the message itself is just a click away? If you must quote, cut and past from the message. And please, edit the quotes to just the essential.


[TOP] Why are there colons in the message when I try to post a follow-up?

Colons appear in the follow-up comment box to indicate that those lines are quoting the previous document. Right now this feature of automatically quoting previous message is not turned on, so you probably won't see these little fellas.


[TOP] Can I put html tags anywhere in my messages?

The only field where you can include HTML tags is in the body of the message (the big box). And please, let's not try any stupid fancy tricks like blinking text. Keep the tags simple and functional. For example, <B>text</B> for bold text emphasis, <I>text</I> for italic song or article titles, and <BR> or <P> for line break.


[TOP] Why didn't my post show up?

Your post most likely did not show up because your browser did not reload the page, it simply pulled the page out of its cache (memory). Please reload your browser and it should then appear.


[TOP] Where can I get the scripts for this program?

The bulletin board and search scripts are adapted from "wwwboard" and "search" Perl scripts created by Matt Wright. Matt's original scripts are free and you can get them as well as other scripts at http://worldwidemart.com/scripts/. The mailing option script is an add-on written by Craig Horton of DBasics Software Company. It's also free and is availalbe from DBasics along with a few other free and commercial scripts.
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