Frequently Asked Questions

StrictlyWestie.com

Account Information

• Login for existing members. Click the Login tab, type in your email address and password then click the 'Login' button.
• Login for New members. Click the 'Login' tab, click 'Register' button, enter your information, agree to the Terms and Conditions and click the'Register' button. You will receive an email confirmation shortly to the email address you provided. Once you receive the email follow the instructions to activate your registration.
• Why do I need to register? You don't need to register to read posts. However, registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, private messaging, emailing to fellow members, group subscription, Improve Your Dancing, etc. It only takes a few minutes to register so it is recommended you do so.
• Why can't I login? Have you registered? You must register in order to login. If you have registered and you still cannot login then check and double-check your email and password. Usually this is the problem; if not, contact a moderator.
• I didn't receive an email to activate my account. If you did not receive the email then check that your email address is valid. One reason activation is used is to reduce the possibility of rogue users abusing the board anonymously. If you are sure the email address you used is valid, please be sure to check your spam folder, the email may have been redirected there. If you need the email resent please go to www.strictlywestie.com then click on the 'Login' tab and click on 'Resend Confirmation'
• I forgot my login email. To recover your login email, you will need to submit a request on the help page. Once your request is processed, you will be contacted with your login email address.
• I forgot my password. To recover your password, click the 'I Forgot my password?' link on the login page. You will be given instructions on how to contact your system administrator.
• I registered but cannot login. First check that you are entering the correct email address and password. If they are okay then maybe your account needs to be activated. All new registrations must be activated before you can log on. When you registered an email was sent to you with a set of instructions.
• What happens if I check the 'Remember me on this computer' box on the login page? TBD
• Why do I get logged off automatically? If you do not check the 'Remember me on this computer' box when you login, you will only be logged in for a preset time. This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else. To stay logged in, check the box during login. This is not recommended if you access the board from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university cluster, etc.

Profile/Settings

• How do I change my settings? Click on the 'User' tab. Under the 'User' tab you can change your user profile, avatar, region settings and view the events you are registered for.
• How do I add/change an Avatar? You can add a picture that appears on all of your posts! See some of the existing postings so far for examples of these pictures, called avatars. You can add an avatar by: 1. Select User. 2. Go to Avatar. 3. Click on browse, select a picture from your computer. (Avatar pictures must be in a JPG file format, GIF files are not accepted.) 4. Click 'Add Avatar'. Max Image File Size is 300K. You can make your own Avatar from an existing picture you already have. If necessary, crop the area you want in the avatar and then adjust the size. Please note: if you replace an existing avatar you must refresh the browser to see the new picture.

Forum

• How do I post a topic in a forum? Easy -- click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You must be a registered member before you can post a message.
• How do I edit or delete a post? As a member you can only edit your own posts. You can edit a post by clicking the edit button for the relevant post.
• 'Violation' posts Our 'violation' post system allows registered Strictly Westie members the ability to flag inappropriate postings for speedy removal, while preserving everyone's ability to express themselves freely and in a timely fashion. By using the 'violation' post feature located at the upper right corner of each post, you can take action if you feel a post is inappropriate. Once a post has been marked as will be removed from the forum and sent to a moderator for their review and either reinstated or removed based upon their decision. Posters whose postings are repeatedly flagged are subject to administrative review and additional measures.
• How do I change my rank? In general you cannot directly change the wording of any rank (ranks appear below your username in topics and on your profile). Ranks are used to indicate the number of posts you have made and to identify certain users. For example, moderators and administrators may have a special rank. Please do not abuse the board by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank.
• How do I add a signature to my posts? To add a signature to a post you must first create one; this is done via your profile. Under your 'Personal Information' you can add a signature in the 'signature' space provided. Signatures are limited to 200 characters. To add your signature to all of your posts check the 'Attach Signature to Posts' box.
• Can I add a picture to my post? Yes! Please, however, limit pictures in your posts to 400 x 400 pixels in size to minimize page load times for members with slow connections.
• When I click the Private Message button for a member it asks me to log in. Sorry, but only registered members can send Private Messages. This is to prevent malicious use of the PM's by anonymous users.
• What are Announcements? Announcements often contain important information and you should read them as soon as possible. Announcements appear at the top of every page in the forum to which they are posted. Moderators and Administrators are the only ones with permissions to post Announcements.
• What are Sticky topics? Sticky topics appear below any announcements in view forum and only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read them where possible. As with announcements, moderators the only ones that have permissions required to post sticky topics in each forum.
• How do I enter a hyperlink in a post? To make hyperlink in a post you must enter [url=http://then the web address this bracket ] then enter the text you want to appear then enter[ / url] without the spaces. It should appear like this [url=http:www.strictlywestie.com]Test[/url]
• What is the 'Active Posts' Tab? The 'Active Posts' tab allows you to view a list of all the posts that are most recently being discussed.
• What is the 'Unread Posts' Tab? The 'Unread Posts' tab allows you to view a list of all of the posts that you have not read since you last visited. This feature will only appear for members that are logged in.
• How do I mark posts as being read? You may either click on the post individually and this will make it appear as being read or you can click the "Mark all as Read' button and it will mark all of the posts as read.

Group Forum

• What is a group? A group is a forum visible only to the Strictly Westie members you invite. The invited member will be able read and post messages in that group. The group will be listed in Group Forums section of the Forum Index. Any registered member can create a group forum.
• How do I create a group forum? Click on the 'Forum' tab, then 'Group Management'. Click 'Create New Group' fill-in the blanks and click 'Save Group'.
• Moderating a Group Forum. The member who creates the group forum is the only one who can moderate (add/remove/edit, add members or delete members) from the group forum they have created. To add people to the group click on the group name and then click 'add member'. To remove a member from the group click on the group name and then click 'un-join'.

Dances Calendar

• How do I view dances on the 'Dances' calendar? Click on the 'Dances' tab, type in the zip code or city in which the dance is located, select the mile radius then click on 'Search'. This should bring up a list of all the dances with in the zip code and the mile radius you selected. Please note: since this is a new feature dances may not have been entered for your area, thus no calendar events will be listed.
• How do I add a dance to the 'dances' calendar? Select the 'Dances' tab, click 'Add Event', complete the form with the event information and submit your event. Once you have completed the basic event fields your event will be submitted to a local moderator for approval.
• How do I know my event has been accepted? Check your email for a confirmation that your event has been accepted and is awaiting a moderators approval. If you have not received an email please contact your local moderator.
• My event is not showing up on the calendar. Your event will not appear on the calendar until the moderator has approved it. To check the status of your event, please contact your local moderator/s.
• Can I post an event that occurs outside of the United States? Currently, the system only operates for events within the 50 States. We hope to be adding morecountries soon.

Photos

• How do I view posted Photos?. To view photos that have been posted enter the zipcode of the area you would like to view and click 'search'. A list will appear, from there you can click on the link and it will take you to their photos page.
• Who can add Photos? Any registered member can upload photos.
• How do I upload photos?. To upload photos to a locate the event on the 'Dance' tab, then locate and click on the event. The next screen will have all of the event details, click on the'Photos'button Preparing Photos: a) The pictures must be in JPEG format. b) To speed upload reduced pictures to 800 x 600 pixles in size. The uploaded pictures will be reduced in size anyway so save yourself upload time and reduce the picture size before uploading. Tips: Your browser must support JAVA to run the upload program. If you have problems with Microsoft Internet Explorer download the free FireFox browser. A Warning-Security message will appear after you click next. This is the upload program and it is safe to use.
• It's not allowing me to add photos to an event. This may be for a couple of reasons. 1. The event must have occured in the past in order to upload photos. 2. You must have java enabled on your computer. If none of above address the problem please go to the 'Help' tab then 'request help' and submit the details of the issue.
• 'Remove' Photos Our 'remove' photo system allows registered members the ability to flag inappropriate photos for speedy removal. By using the 'remove' photo feature located at the upper left corner of the expanded photo view, you can take action if you feel a photo is inappropriate. Once a photo has been marked it will be removed and sent to a moderator for their review and either be reinstated or removed based upon their decision. Posters whose photos are repeatedly flagged are subject to administrative review and additional measures.

General Information

• What are Moderators? Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) whose job it is to look after the running of the forums and calendar from day to day. They have the power to edit, delete, or move topics in the forum and approve or deny calendar events.
• What are Administrators? Administrators are people assigned the highest level of control over Strictlyweste.com. These people can control all facets of website operation which include setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc. They also have full moderator capabilities in all the forums.

Help and Support

• Where do I go if I need help? To get help on a technical issue or if you have additional problems please go to the 'Help' tab and submit a 'Request Help' message. You may also contact one of your local moderators