~This guide is still being developed.~
Guide to Using the Forums
I have created this guide to demonstrate how to use the forums. Although this may seem simple, I have seen that there are many things that people do not know about forum functions, etc. So, this guide has been written to help out those who don’t have much experience with forums or to add on to your knowledge about forums.
Contents
1. Getting Started
- Registration
- Logging In
- Forum Rules
2. Navigating - Forum Menu
- Forum Index
- Message Index
- The Topic
3. Searching
4. Profile
5. Posting - Replying
- Starting a New Topic
- Quoting, Modifying, and Deleting Posts
- Embedding Videos
- Basic BBCode
- Nesting BBCode
- Smileys
- Images
- Additional Options
6. Personal Messages
7. Advanced
Getting Started
In this section, I am going to teach you how to get a forum account up and running. It’s a simple process, but I do know that some people may have some trouble with it if they lack some experience. It is absolutely not required for you to make an account, but I feel it can maximize your experience at YoYoExpert Forums to be at its best.
Registration
To register you can follow this link or button near the top of the forums as shown in the following image (circled in blue) OR you can go to this URL: http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php?action=register.
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2606/59585291.png
Once you have reached the Registration page, you should see a page like this:
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/4328/53742713.png
Fill in the text boxes as shown, but replace them with your own information.
- Choose a Username to fill in. Make sure it’s something that you can remember, because you will be logging in with this and this is how you’ll be recognized.
- Fill in your email address and check “Hide email address for public?” if you wish.
- Then choose a password that you can remember and enter it into the next two boxes.
- Fill in the verification code by using the image.
- Select your country.
- Answer the next to questions that are used to prevent spam.
- Fill in your favorite yo-yo.
After you have completely filled out the form, you’ll need to read through the Terms of Service. Once you have finished, you should see a checkbox near the bottom. Check it and then click Register.
You have successfully registered your account! Follow the instructions given to you on the next page.
Logging in
After you have an account registered, you’ll need to log in to use your account.
Just like when you were registering, there are multiple ways to log into your account. Here, I will show you the three ways you can log into your account.
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/4720/93349945gl3.bmp
- Brings you to the Login page (shown below)
- Allows you to login from the forum index
- Also brings you to the Login page
The Login Page (http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php?action=login):
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8451/74867105db3.bmp
The Login page basically offers the same thing as the login on the forum index.
To login, type in your Username and Password in the specified areas. Also choose how long you’ll want to stay logged in or if you want to always be logged in. Click the Login button, and you’re in!
If you chose to always stay logged in, you won’t need to login in future visits, unless you logout again.
Forum Rules
It is important for you to take a look at the forum rules before fully taking part in these forums. Read the rules thoroughly and take each word to heart.
Navigating
This section is probably one of the most important sections within this guide. Here, I will show you how to get around the forum and things that you can do.
Forum Menu
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7902/11880013.png
Forum Index
http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/2380/46835077.png
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2083/98593766.png
Message Index
The Topic
Searching
Knowing how to search for something properly is by far one of the most important functions of this forum.
Posting
Replying
Starting a New Topic
Quoting, Modifying, and Deleting Posts
Embedding Videos
Videos are an important part to YoYoExpert, because the majority of tutorials today come in the form of a video. Now, you may be wondering how you can embed a video in your post.
It is rather simple to embed a video. There is no need for those embedding codes or anything. All you need to do is post the URL of the video you want. Really.
Say that I type this URL into my post when I am replying to or creating a topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pZSRoJWP28
That will turn out to be this:
Here is an example for Vimeo:
http://vimeo.com/1661789
To this:
http://vimeo.com/1661789
Now, if you don’t want the video to be embedded, surround the URL with [ noembed][ /noembed] (without spaces) like so:
[ noembed]http://vimeo.com/1661789[ /noembed]
That will come out like so:
[noembed]http://vimeo.com/1661789[/noembed]
You can also make it a link by surround it with noembed and url tags:
[noembed]http://vimeo.com/1661789[/noembed]
This will be addressed later in the BBCode section with more information.
Basic BBCode
Bulletin Board Code (BBCode) is a “code” used on most forums that you can use to format your text and things withing your post by using tags. Tags look something like this with the brackets and the ending tag having a backslash:
An alternative to typing each tag is to use the buttons on the Posting page as shown earlier.
Now, I will show you all the tags and what they do.
Bold (b)
This:
[b]Bold Text[/b]
Turns into this: Bold Text
Italicized (i)
This:
[i]Italicized Text[/i]
Turns into this: Italicized Text
Underline (u)
This:
[u]Underlined Text[/u]
Turns into this: Underlined Text
Strike through (s)
This:
[s]Stroked through Text[/s]
Turns into this: Stroked through Text
Glow (glow=color,strength,width)
This:
Glowing Text
Turns into this: Glowing Text
Marquee (move)
This:
Marquee
Turns into this: Marquee
Nesting BBCode
Smileys
To include a smiley into your message, you can simply type the code for it shown below, or click on the smiley images when you are posting a message.
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/6199/29637109.png
This:
:)
Turns into this:
This:
;)
Turns into this:
This:
:D
Turns into this:
This:
;D
Turns into this:
;D
This:
>:(
Turns into this:
This:
:(
Turns into this:
This:
:o
Turns into this:
:o
This:
8)
Turns into this:
8)
This:
???
Turns into this:
???
This:
::)
Turns into this:
:
This:
:P
Turns into this:
This:
:-[
Turns into this:
:-[
This:
:-X
Turns into this:
:-X
This:
:-\
Turns into this:
:-\
This:
:-*
Turns into this:
:-*
This:
:'(
Turns into this:
http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/Smileys/default/cry.gif
Images
Okay, here I will show you how to upload an image to ImageShack and include it in your message (or even your signature!). You can use any other website to upload your image if you want, but for this example I will be using ImageShack (http://imageshack.us)
I will be uploading a bigger version of this image:
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8547/fourfriends.th.jpg
First, once you are at ImageShack’s homepage look for this portion in the middle:
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8576/63162639.png
Click Browse and find the image you want to upload from your computer. Then click Open.
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4613/60465099.png
There are some various, simple options you can change, but you don’t need to add anything else. Click “start upload!” when you are ready.
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5333/17767752.png
You’ll be able to see the progress of your image as it uploads.
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/3503/24363635.png
Once its done you will see this:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5210/17979815.png
Take the Direct link from there and put it between [ img] [ /img] tags like so:
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8547/fourfriends.jpg
That will turn out to be this:
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8547/fourfriends.jpg
Additional Options
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4261/68472754.png
http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/835/82074995.png
Advanced
~This guide is still being developed.~
lol, jk. Kim-Lan, any other guides you think you could make?