Handy tips and features for the message board.
 

Geez! This new message board software has more bells and whistles than anything I've dealt with before. So many that it can seem overwhelming even for a computer professional like myself.

So, I thought I'd start up a thread for folks to post up about how to use certain features, or to talk about features that you might not even know about.

I encourage everyone to share their knowledge and "discoveries" with your other message board users.

Re: Handy tips and features - Avatars
 

Each user should have two options for uploading photos -

1. Avatar - shown on every post. The picture file must be smaller than 64 KB and it looks like it must be 100 x 100 pixels or smaller.

2. Profile picture - A photo displayed whenever someone clicks on your screen name to views details about the poster.

NOTE: The first time I tried to upload my tiny photo of a lizard, the system told me that the upload failed for some reason. I carefully walked through the steps a second time, and the photo uploaded correctly. Go figure! All I can say here is that if you get a failure notice, try it again. If you still have problems uploading your photo or avatar, then send me a note and I'll take a look at it.

Larry

Re: Handy tips and features - Polls
 

Polls can be another way to communicate useful information.

There are two ways (that I've found so far) to create a poll.

You can create one when you create a new thread by scrolling down under the post and preview buttons, there are a few more options there - one of them being to Add a poll to this thread.

The other way is when you are reading a thread, you can click on the Thread Tools pull-down and choose Add a poll to this thread.

The rest of it seems pretty self-explanotory. Of note however is that you can add or subtract questions once you have typed in a couple of them and the number of boxes changes without erasing ones you've already filled out. (One of the cool little features that comes with AJAX.)

Re: Handy tips and features - Polls
 

Also be aware, I think there is a limit of one poll per thread in vBulletin 3.7.

ERic

Re: Handy tips and features - Avatars
 

On my Edit Avatar page, I've only got an option for Do Not Use an Avatar. No upload option at all. I guess only the cool kids get them. :)

Re: Handy tips and features for the message board.
 

Nah Tony...you're special. :D Everyone is supposed to be able to use an avatar. Please let me know if you have any problems...I'll see what I can do, but I promise that I didn't set anything special up for me or ERic.

You have to go to the User CP area (left-most main menu selection at the top of the screen.

About halfway down the navigation buttons on the left side of the screen, you should see Edit Avatar - click on it. (Sounds like you already found yourself there...)

Somewhere in the center of the screen you should see a couple of radio button boxes choose the one that says Custom Avatar. Once you've enabled that, you have two options: 1. Use avatar that is already out on the web somewhere by specifying its URL or 2. Browse for and upload one from your local machine.

Re: Handy tips and features for the message board.
 

normal members dont see that option

Re: Handy tips and features for the message board.
 

My avatar control will not let me use an avatar.:(

Re: Handy tips and features for the message board.
 

Hmmm....

I checked over all of the main message board settings, and as far as I can tell, it looks like if you are a registered user, then you should be able to upload an avatar. I think that they might have to be 100 x 100 pixels or smaller though...

I'll keep looking to see if there is something else that I have missed.

In the meantime, shoot me a PM if you want to use an avatar and I'll see if I can get your permissions adjusted manually.

Re: Handy tips and features for the message board.
 

I think I've corrected the Avatar settings. Please try again now.

ERic