Tips for new members

Chippy Ned · **Posted:** Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:51 pm

Hi folks,

There are some facilities I would like bring to the attention of our newer members and those of you that are not familiar with the forum section of the site.

The columns on the left hand side of the forum index page can be quite informative and also help you move around the site easily.

You can't get into any bother by clicking on them, as you can usually get back by using your back button on the top left of your screen.

The Who's Online box will tell you who is browsing on the website at the same time you are. This is helpfull if you wish to send a personal message to a mate and be sure he receives it straight away.

The Who's Chatting Now box will tell you if anyone is in the live chat room and allow you to log in if you have registered.

The others are self explanatory.

Have a look around, you will enjoy it.

If you need any help with the site please give me a buzz and I will try to assist. Just click on my name, on the bottom right of the welcome page.

Cheers.

Chippy Ned · **Posted:** Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:52 pm

The edit button

After you have submitted your post you may notice a mistake. Don't worry' you will see in the top right hand cornor of your post, an edit button. If you click it, your post will reappear and provide you with the ability to edit it. When you have edited your mistake hit submit again and the post will be resubmitted. This can be done as many times as you like and no-one will ever know.

You can also delete your own post with the X button next to the edit button.

Who needs a spell check when you've got an edit button.

Chippy Ned · **Posted:** Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:53 pm

All you ever wanted to know about... PM ...our nifty little RAN Skilled Hands Personal Message System...

As most of you are already aware, RAN Skilled Hands has a private messaging system incorporated into the website for your convenience...

It's private, confidential, (no, Admin cannot read your PM's,) and quick, offering a very efficient method of communication for our Members...

How to initiate a PM:

If you want to send a PM to someone, simply either find a post that they've posted and click on the PM button at the bottom left of their post to bring up the message panel, or alternatively, (if you can't find a recent post by the intended recipient,) click on 'Memberlist' under 'Menu' in the top left hand panel at the edge of your screen, and look for the Member, (you can 're-sort' the 'Memberlist' into aphabetical order to make it easier to find a username,) click on his 'Username', (a mini profile pops up,) click on his PM button, and you're set...

How to write a PM:

Well, the same as you'd post a message to the Forums, just type in what you want, ADD A 'SUBJECT', add a few 'smilies' (these help you with tricky messages that could be misinterpreted, allows you to add facial expressions to your message, almost like talking face-to-face,) format the text colour, style and size, (highlight or select the words you want to emphasise, then hit 'B' for Bold, 'i' for Italic, or 'u' for Underline for example,) and you're almost done...

How to send a PM:

So you've set up your message, formatted the text, added a 'Subject', added a few 'smilies' and you're ready to send... However, do yourself a favour, BEFORE you hit the 'Submit' button, hit 'PREVIEW' instead... This not only shows you how your message is going to look to the receiver, but more importantly, allows you to pick up any formatting, spelling or gramatical errors, thereby avoiding any chance of you being thought of as illiterate by the person you're about to send it to... You can EDIT your PM before sending it by the scrolling down the page, fix up your message, and when you're happy with it, hit 'Submit' and you're away...

How to receive a PM:

Firstly, as the system is part of the RAN Skilled Hands Website/ Forum, you have to be on-line and on the website to read your messages, accessing them is as simple as hitting the 'Messages' link under the 'Menu' in the top left hand panel at the edge of your screen, however, this means that you have to remember to check your messages regularly to see if you're popular or not... THERE IS A BETTER WAY...

How to get notification of New PM Messages:

You don't have to be in the RAN Skilled Hands Website/ Forum to be notified about New Messages... Every time someone sends me one, if I'm on-line, say in Outlook or Outlook Express, (or whatever e-mail server you use,) I'll get an e-mail which says: (from) admin@ran-skilledhands.org (subject) New Private Message has arrived. The e-mail has a link in it which when clicked on, opens up a browser window for RAN Skilled Hands, takes you directly to your messages 'Inbox' where you can click on all your incoming messages... If you followed Ned's instructions when you first joined the website, your profile will have been pre-set in such a way that you'd automatically be notified of any new messages... If you didn't, its easy to set it up yourself...

How to change your Profile so you can be notified of New Messages:

Firstly, click on 'Profile' under the 'Menu' in the top left hand panel at the edge of your screen, then in the little 'tick boxes' at the bottom of your Profile and tick 'Yes' where it asks 'Notify on new Private Message' and tick 'Yes' where it asks 'Pop up window on new Private Message', then hit 'Submit' on the bottom of your Profile' to upload the instructions... and you're done... You'll then be notified by e-mail that there's a New Message waiting for you, or if you're already logged on to RAN Skilled Hands, you'll get a 'POP-UP' telling you a New Message awaits you... (No it's not a 'porn pop-up' or one of those other annoying advertising 'pop-up's, its YOUR very own PM 'pop-up'...!!!)

How to reply to an incoming PM:

Hit the 'Post Reply' button that appears above (or below) the incoming message you've just read, then simply follow the instructions under 'How to write/ How to send a PM:' above, however this time, you don't have to worry about 'Subject' or recipient as it's going back to whoever sent the original one to you...

How to manage your PM mail boxes:

When you're into the message system, you'll notice four headings, Inbox, Sentbox, Outbox and Savebox... the Inbox is just as it says it is, however, the Sentbox is all your outgiong messages that have been READ, whereas the Outbox lists all your sent messages, but as yet UN-READ... the Savebox enables you to save those 'special' messages just too good to delete. To put something into your Savebox, tick the box on the right hand side of the message you want to save, then hit the 'Save Marked' box at the bottom of the screen... The full-guage at the top of the screen indicates the space left in each of the three boxes, and as you fill any of the boxes, the earliest messages set/ received will automatically drop off... However, it does take up space on the Website, so it pays to delete old messages you don't want to keep, on a regular basis...

HOT TIP: If you see a 'long lost buddy' is on-line at the same time as you are, (their name appears in the 'Who's Online' panel on the left hand side of your screen,) and you want to grab their attention before they go off-line, just click on their name in the 'Who's Online' panel, hit his or her PM button in their 'mini-profile' that comes up, type in something FAST, like: "HEY, UGLY, STAY ON LINE FOR A FEW MINUTES..." and hit the 'Submit' button. If they're still on-line by the time you've done that, THEY'LL get a 'pop-up' announcing your incoming message (with your signature automatically added)...!

Well there you have it... the complete guide to the RAN Skilled Hands PM system... ENJOY...!