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IslamicBoard - Discover Islam | Connect with Muslims FAQ

Here you can find answers to questions about how the board works. Use the links or search box below to find your way around.

What is the reputation system?

What is Reputation?
Some of your may have noticed the little button above your Username- I'll explain what it is for. The reputation system built into vB3 has now been enabled. It's basically an improved version of the old Karma hack, without many of the problems of Karma.

How do I turn on reputation?
To turn on reputation, go into UserCP - Options and put a check in the box next to "Show Your Reputation", and submit. (The reputation is automatically enabled for all users now)


How does it work?
The Reputation system basically allows you to give feedback on users posts. If someone makes a helpful post, you can give them reputation points by clicking on the button beneath your Avatar. This will give you a popup where you can give the post negative or positive reputation, and also submit some feedback on the post:

This is what it looks like:


Click on "I approve" if you want to give a positive feedback followed with comments in the "Your comments on this post" area

Click on "I dissaprove" if you want to give a negative feedback followed with comments in the "Your comments on this post" area

And lastly and obviously, click the "Add to Reputation" button.

If you someone has send you a reputation with feedback, go to your UserCP


The feedback and reputation you receive will appear on the bottom your UserCP




When I give someone reputation, how many Reputation points will they receive?

That depends on three factors: your post count, your time on Li Islamic Forum, and how much reputation you have yourself. The longer you have been on Li Islamic Forum, the more posts you have, and the more reputation people has given you, the more reputation points you give. Also, to discourage negative ratings and encourage positive, you only give half your normal reputation (rounded down) when you give negative reputation..


Are the points I give deducted from my own reputation?
No. No points will be deducted from your own reputation score when you give someone else reputation.


Dots
The green dot(s) indicates your total amount of Reputation - the more Reputation you have, the more dots you will have (at the time of writing, one dot for every 100 rep points you have). There are 6 different dots:

User has chose not to display his Reputation in public
High Negative
Low negative
Low positive
High Positive


Levels
You can also see approximately how much they have, by looking at the ALT-tag (moving your cursor on the green dots and staying on it for atleast 5 seconds) of the reputation dots. These are the current levels - they are most likely due to be changed in the future, though:

User is infamous around these parts (below -50)
User can only hope to improve (-50)
User has a little shameless behaviour in the past (-10)
User is an unknown quantity at this point (0)
User is on a distinguished road (10)
User will become famous soon enough (50)
User has a spectacular aura about (150)
User is a jewel in the rough (250)
User is just really nice (350)
User is a glorious beacon of light (450)
User is a name known to all (550)
User is a splendid one to behold (650)
User has much to be proud of (1000)
User has a brilliant future (1500)
User has a reputation beyond repute (2000)


Can I give as many people reputation as I like?
Yes, but there are some restrictions. You will not be able to give to the same person twice, unless you've given reputation to another members in between. The restriction is set to 5 members instead of the default 20. This means that you have to give reputation to 5 different members before you attempt to give reputation to the same member

What is Private Messaging?

If the administrator has enabled the Private Messaging system, registered members may send each other private messages.

Sending Private Messages

Private messages work a little like email, but are limited to registered members of this forum. You may be able to include vB Code, smilies and images in private messages that you send.

You may send a private message to a member of this forum by clicking the 'Send A Private Message' link in the private messaging section of your user control panel, or by clicking the Send Private Message button in a member's posts.

When you send a message, you have the option to save a copy of the message in your Sent Items folder.

Private Message Folders

By default, you will have two folders in your private message area. These are the Inbox and the Sent Items folders.

The Inbox folder contains any new messages you receive, and allows you to view all the messages you have received, along with the name of the person who sent the message to you, and the date and time the message was sent.

The Sent Items folder contains a copy of any messages that you have sent, where you have specified that you wish to keep a copy of the message for future reference.

You may create additional folders for your messages by clicking the 'Edit Folders' link.

Each folder has a set of message controls which allow you to select messages, then either move them to one of your custom folders, or delete them completely. You may also have a button which allows you to forward multiple messages from a folder to another member of the forum.

You will need to periodically delete old messages, as the administrator has probably set a limit to the number of private messages you can have in your folders. If you exceed the number of messages specified by the administrator, you will not be able to send or receive new messages until you delete some old messages.

Whenever you read a message, you will have the option to reply to the message, or forward that message to another member of the forum. You may also have the ability to forward that message to multiple members of your contact list.

Message Tracking

When you send a new private message, you may have the option to request a read-receipt for that message. This will allow you to check whether or not a message has been read by its recipient by viewing the Private Message Tracking page.

This page is divided into two sections: unread messages and read messages.

The unread messages section shows all messages that you have sent with a read-receipt request, that have not yet been read by their recipient.

The read messages section shows all messages you have sent with a receipt request that have been read and acknowledged by their recipient. The time that the message was read is also shown.

You may choose to end the tracking on any message you choose by selecting the message and clicking the [end tracking] button.

When you receive a message with a read-receipt request, you may have the option to read the message while denying the read-receipt request. To do this, simply click the 'deny receipt' link rather than the title of the message, if it appears.

Private Messaging - Questions and Answers

Q. What is a Private Message?

A.
A Private Message (PM) is a feature offered by online discussion boards for enabling members of the forum to send e-mail like messages to each other. These message unlike posts are private and are stored in your inbox.



Q.What is My Inbox?

A. Just like a normal e-mail address, where you have a separate folder to store your e-mail’s in, the board software also provides an Inbox where all incoming mail is stored.


Q. How do I create a Private Message?

A. There are multiple methods or ways of creating a PM:
 
  • The most simple of these is by clicking on the users “Profile” and then on “Send Private Message To …” as shown in figure. PM1
  • Another way is through the “Quick Links” option menu on the navigation bar. PM6
  • The third way which can be adopted to send to an “online” user shown in the “Who’s Online” list shown at the bottom of the forums homepage.. Following by a click on the “Send Private Message To ….”
  • The next method which can be used to send a PM to a user is through Buddy Lists. Check the recipients from your buddy list and scroll down and click on “PM Users” (see PM10). PM10
  • Replying to a message (Explained later in this document).
After going through any one of the above methods, we are greeted with a user private message screen as shown below

The user screen is as follows:


There is a textbox for entering the username to whom the message is going to be addressed and sent to. (Please ensure that the exact name of the recipient is entered. It should be in the same form as that the recipient uses on the forum as his/her login ID).
Multiple users can be sent the same message by adding their username in the “Recipient Username(s)” textbox separated by semicolons. The name of the recipient comes automatically if u follow steps no. 1,4,5,6. Otherwise the username to whom the message has to be sent has to be typed manually. Multiple recipients appear if you use the buddy list according to the usernames checked.


The number of recipients you can send a message to at a single time varies according to user group. The major changes in the number of recipients are as follows:

The big box you can see in the middle of the screen is the message box. Just like an e-mail, you write the text, which you wish to display in this box. Along with the text, you can also have multiple Smilies which can be added by using their corresponding code(eg:- J etc.) or by selecting from the list displayed on your right.

Your PM Screen should look as follows (text and emoticons/similes used can differ along with recipient name(s).)
The PM system also allows the user to send the PM with a message icon.

Also, a set of additional features is available which enables you to store a copy of the PM in your “Sent Items”(Link) folder, allows you to attach your signature (link).
To send the message click on the “Submit Message” Button at the bottom of the screen.


The final message can be previewed before sending by clicking on the “Preview Message” button, placed next to the “Submit Message” button.

When you click on “Submit Message”, you will be shown a message box asking you if u wish to get a receipt of the message or not.

Once a message is sent, it cannot be edited or deleted before the recipient gets it.


Q. How do I receive a PM?

A.
On receiving a new message, you shall be notified with a message box on the next time you open a new page/thread or refresh your page.


A new message is denoted with text in Bold letters. Click on the new message title and the message will be displayed.


Q. How do I delete messages?


A. Once you open a new message, just below the text, you have a delete this message checkbox.
If the checkbox is checked, the message will be deleted on clicking on the close button. Once deleted, a message cannot be retrieved.

Another way to delete messages is to go the corresponding folder (Inbox by default) and you shall see checkboxes listed to the right of the message headings. Check the checkboxes for those messages, which you wish to delete and scroll down. Once you do this, click on the dropdown list and select delete as shown in.


Then , click on Go.


Q. What is a Private Message Receipt?

A. Once you send a message (see How do I create a message?), you are asked if you wish to confirm receipt from the receiver. If you click on Yes, you get a status indicator just below the green bar of the limit display in blue text as a hyper-link, which states the number of confirmed and unconfirmed private messages.


On clicking on this link, a page loads which looks like follows.
The number of confirmed and unconfirmed receipts are shown in a similar fashion to the screenshot above.

Note: Though a sender may ask for a read receipt, the receiver may or may not provide a receipt.



Q. What is Tracking a Private Message?

A. Tracking is the same as Private message receipts. It can also be accessed from the Track Messages option in the user menu


Q. How do I see the messages I stored when I checked the option of “Save to sent folder” while sending PM?

A.
To see the contents of the sent items folder, click on the “Private Messages” heading in your User control panel/menu. A drop down box will appear. Select “Sent Items” from there.


All the messages you sent with the option “Save To Sent Items folder” are stored here. You can view these messages and can also delete them.


Q. I have my filled my PM limit. What should I do?


A. There are two options in this case. You are allowed to download all your messages to your computer in CSV,XML or TXT format.

After this, you can empty your inbox by deleting messages making space for more messages. You can also download individual messages by checking the checkbox next to the message heading and in the drop down list, select the “Download As CSV/TXT/XML” option.

You can also contact the Administrator for more details on your PM limit. The number of PM's you can store increases with post count and reputation.

Can I search the forum?

You can search for posts based on username, word(s) in the post or just in the subject, by date, and only in particular forums.

To access the search feature, click on the "search" link at the top of most pages.

You can search any forum that you have permission to search - you will not be allowed to search through private forums unless the administrator has given you the necessary security rights to do so.

Can I send email to other members?

Yes! To send an email to another member, you can either locate the member you want to contact on the member list, or click the Email button on any post made by that member.

This will usually open a page that contains a form where you can enter your message. When you have finished typing your message, press the [send email] button and your message will be sent instantly. Note that for privacy reasons, the email address of the recipient is not revealed to you during this process.

Note that if you cannot find an email button or link for a member, it either means that the administrator has disabled email functions for this forum, or that the member in question has specified that they do not wish to receive email from other members of the forum.

Another useful email function is the ability to send a friend a link to a thread you think they may find interesting. Whenever you view a thread, you will find a link somewhere on the page which will allow you to send a brief message to anyone you like. Your referrerid is added to the link you send, so if your friend registers on this forum as a result of viewing the link you sent to them, your referrals total will automatically be credited!

Registered members may also be able to send messages to other members of this forum using the private messaging system. For more information about private messaging, click here.

How do I use the Member List?

The member list contains a complete list of all the registered members of this forum. You can view the member list ordered alphabetically by username, by the date that the member joined the forum, or by the number of posts the members have made.

The member list also has a search function, which allows you to quickly locate members according to categories you specify, such as searching for all members who have joined in the past week etc.

How do I use the calendar?

The calendar functions in a way similar to the forums in that there can be multiple calendars. One calendar could hold just events that you are able to see, while another may list birthdays.

There are two types of events on the calendar: normal events and recurring events.

Normal Events span the time frame from when the event starts until the event ends.

Recurring Events repeat over a set period of time based on certain criteria. Examples would be an event that occurs on the first Monday of every month and an event that occurs every Monday and Wednesday.

The administrator may have enabled registered members to post events, but usually this is not the case. You can most likely post your own private events that are only viewable to you.

Birthdays may be shown on the calendar if the administrator has enabled this feature. Your birthday will automatically be shown on the calendar if you have entered the date of your birthday in your profile. Note: if you do not enter the year of your birth when you edit your profile, your age will not be shown on the calendar.

If you enter your birthday, your name will also appear on the main forum page when it is your birthday.

What are announcements?

Announcements are special messages posted by the administrator or moderators. They are designed to be a simple one-way communication with the users. If you wish to discuss announcements, you will have to create a new thread in the forum, since you cannot reply to announcements.

How do I rate a thread?

You may find a small menu on thread pages which allows you to 'rate this thread' with a number between 1-5.

Casting a vote for threads you view is entirely optional, but if you think that the thread is superb, you might rate it as a 5-star thread, or if you think that it's unspeakably dismal, you might choose to rate the thread with a single star.

Once enough votes have been cast for the thread rating, you may see a set of stars appear with the title of the thread in the thread listings. These stars reflect the average vote cast, and can allow you to quickly see which threads are worth reading if you are on a very busy forum with a lot of threads.

What are referrals?

The administrator may have enabled referrals, which allows you to be credited for any new users you invite to the forum.

You gain referrals by promoting IslamicBoard - Discover Islam | Connect with Muslims using your unique referral link. The link you should use as your referral link is this:

https://www.islamicboard.com/forum.php?referrerid=0

Each time someone follows this link to IslamicBoard - Discover Islam | Connect with Muslims and registers as a new member, your referral count will be incremented by one. The number of referrals you have can be viewed in your profile.

Your administrator will have more information on any prizes or rewards that may be given out for referrals. Please be courteous when promoting IslamicBoard - Discover Islam | Connect with Muslims by not spamming other web sites with your referral link just to gain referrals.

What are the various thread display options?

When viewing a thread, you will be able to view the thread from a choice of four modes.

  1. Linear Mode (Oldest First) - In this mode, posts are displayed chronologically from oldest to newest. Posts are shown in a flat mode so that many posts can be viewed simultaneously.
  2. Linear Mode (Newest First) - This is the same as the above mode, except that posts are ordered in an opposite way (newest first).
  3. Threaded Mode - In this mode, a tree is shown along with every post. This tree allows you to see the relationship each post has to others, in terms of who responded to whom. Only one post is shown at a time.
  4. Hybrid Mode - This mode is a mixture of the linear and threaded modes. The post tree is displayed like in the threaded mode, but multiple posts are displayed simultaneously like in the linear modes.

Where can I find the RSS feed?

The administrator may have enabled RSS syndication, this allows you to view newly created threads in guest viewable forums without visiting the board.

The feeds are currently provided in two formats, RSS and RSS v2. The differences are as follows:

  • RSS 0.91 - This feed is based on a standard written by Netscape and provides a link and the title of the thread.
    https://www.islamicboard.com/external.php?type=rss
  • RSS 2.0 - This feed contains title, author, date and the contents of the first post of the thread.
    https://www.islamicboard.com/external.php?type=rss2

To add this to MyYahoo click here.

The forums to which this applies can also be limited to specific guest viewable forums by adding another parameter to the URL containing the forumids as follows:
https://www.islamicboard.com/external.php?type=rss2&forumids=123

If you would like the content to be generated for multiple forums you can separate the forumids by commas.

Search FAQ

Select this option if you would like your search to look in the text of FAQ items as well as their titles.

Select an option here to specify how you would like your search query to be treated. 'Any words' will return the most numerous but possibly least relevant results, while 'Complete phrase' will return only results that contain exactly what you are searching for.

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