1. Link to Click to Access the Forum: Comic Book Collectors Club Forum
2. How to Use the Forum
- Your Forum Password and Privileges
- How to Edit Your Forum Profile
- How to Navigate the Forum to View Topics
- How to Join Topic Discussions
- How to Add a New Topic
- How to Reply to a Topic
- How to Upload Files to Your Forum Folder
- How to Use the Forum Private Messaging System
1. Link to Click to Access the Forum
You can read our forum by clicking here:
Comic Book Collectors Club Forum
Your Forum Password and Privileges
Both Members and non-Members of the Club can read the public sections of our forum, but when you sign up as a Member of the Club, your username and password automatically give you extra forum privileges. You receive a forum profile which you can edit. You also receive access privileges corresponding to your Membership Level, which is linked to corresponding forum “Usergroup.” For instance, Bronze Members get added to a forum Usergroup called Bronze Members which gives them permission to perform certain actions on the forum, such as viewing members-only Topics, starting new Topics, replying to Topics, uploading files, and using the private messaging system. You must be logged in with your Member username and password to perform these actions.
How to Edit Your Forum Profile
When you are logged into your account, you can edit your forum profile, which is the same profile associated with your Membership username. You will see a link to your profile on the upper right of the forum window when you are in the forum. You can also access your profile by using the Membership Details link you see on the right sidebar of the blog and on your Dashboard.
How to Navigate the Forum to View Topics
Topics are organized into Groups which contain Forums. Groups and Forums are created by the administrator to help keep the discussion organized and to allow Club Members of specific Membership Levels to have their own access areas. Some Membership Levels can participate in special Topic discussions such as members-only file and merchandise exchanges and special events like online conventions.
When you first open the forum, you will see a list of Groups and the Forums under those Groups. For instance, “Site Announcements” is a Group containing a Forum called “Administrative Updates.”
To view Topics under one of the Forums in a Group, click on that Forum’s name, and a list of Topics will appear. Click on the title of a Topic to see the full thread for that Topic. For example, if you go to the Forum called “Administrative Updates,” you will see a Topic called “Testing the Forum.” Click there to read the full thread for that Topic.
Joining as a Member lets you join in on Topic discussions. Your Membership enables you to participate in discussion on Topics in forum areas corresponding to your Membership Level.
Most areas of the forum are open to discussion by all Members. However, some forum areas and Topics do not allow posts for all Membership Levels. For instance, only administrators can post to Topics on the Forum called Administrative Updates.
To add a new topic, first click on a Forum or Topic to select which Forum you want to post your Topic under. Then click on the “Add a New Topic” link on the top right of the page. This will open a window where you can give your Topic a title and type your first post on that Topic. When you are done, click “Post New Topic” to post your topic.
To reply to a topic, click on one of the “Reply to Post” links you see at the top right and bottom right of the page. When you click on this, a window will open where you can type your post. When you’re finished, click “Post New Reply” to post your message. You can later edit what you posted.
How to Upload Files to Your Forum Folder
Your Membership also enables you to upload files and view and download files others have uploaded. Each Club member is assigned a folder where you can upload a number of different types of files, including PDF scans of comic books, audios, and videos. Only certain formats and file sizes can be uploaded, namely:
- Images (up to 51,200 bytes): .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png
- Media files (currently severely restricted until I get a better feel for what size the server can handle): .swf, .dcr, .mov, .qt, .mpg, .mp3, .mp4, .mpeg, .avi, .wmv, .wm, .asf, .asx, .wmx, .wvx, .rm, .ra, .ram
- Other files (no current size limit): .txt, .rtf, .doc, .pdf
To upload a file, there are two methods you can use:
- To upload a .txt, .rtf, .doc, or .pdf file:
- 1. Create a post in which you will insert a link to your file. Your post can be a new topic or a reply to an existing topic.
- 2. Type some text which will serve as a link to your file.
- 3. Highlight the text you typed.
- 4. Select the “Insert/edit link” tool from the toolbar (the one that looks like a chain).
- 5. In the window that opens, use the “Link URL” field to either link to a file on an external site or link to a file you have uploaded to your folder on this site. To upload a file to this site, you will need to use the “Browse” icon to the right of the field that looks like a magnifying glass in front of a camera. (See below for instructions on
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- 6. Use the “Target” drop-down menu to select whether you want the file you’re linking to open in the same window or a new window.
- 7. Use the “Title” field to give your file a title.
- 8. Click “Insert” to insert a link to your file in your post.
- To upload an image or media file:
- 1. Create a post in which you will insert a link to your file. Your post can be a new topic or a reply to an existing topic.
- 2. Type some text which will serve as a link to your file.
- 3. Highlight the text you typed.
- 4. Select one of the two tool icons you see on the toolbar to the right of the Omega (the upside-down horseshoe-looking thing). The one you should select depends on whether you want to upload an image file or a media file. There is one icon that looks like a chalice that says “Insert/edit image” if you hover over it. The one to the right of that looks like a strip of film and says “Insert/edit embedded media”. Clicking either of these will open a window where you can select a file to be uploaded and specify details.
- 5. In the window that opens, use the “Image URL” field (for image files) or “File/URL” field (for media files) to either link to a file on an external site or link to a file you have uploaded to your folder on this site. To upload a file to this site, you will need to use the “Browse” icon to the right of the field that looks like a magnifying glass in front of a camera. (See below for instructions on
- .)
- 6. After completing the URL field, complete the other fields appropriate to your file. Some of the other available fields are optional. For image files, you should enter an Image Description, and you also have options to adjust the Alignment and other details. For media files there are some advanced options.
- 7. When you finished entering all the details for your file, click “Insert” to insert a link to your file in your post.
Using the “Browse” icon:
The first time you use the Browse icon to upload a file in a given category (.txt/.rtf./.doc/.pdf, image, or embedded media), a directory folder will be created to store files you will upload in that category. Once this folder has been created, whenever you click the “Browse” icon, a window called “Simple:Press File Manager” will open.
The File Manager displays four tabs:
- Browse lets you browse your folder to select files you have already uploaded there.
- Upload lets you browse your computer to upload new files to your folder.
- Edit provides a drop-down menu you can use to edit file properties.
- Folders displays a list of folders and allows them to be renamed or deleted.
When you are done using the File Manager, click the “x” on the top right to close it and return to the file you were uploading. Then click “Insert,” and the file will be inserted into your post.
How to Use the Forum Private Messaging System
Your Membership enables you to use the forum’s private messaging system. You can use this to talk privately to other members and arrange exchanges of files and physical items.
To view private messages you have received or sent, click on the red box with the envelope icon next to it on the top below where it says “Members” and “Profile.”
To send another Member a private message, you can reply to a private message they have sent you. Another way to send them a message is to select that Member by reading one of their posts or viewing them on the “Members” link you see on the top right just to the left of your “Profile” link, and then use the “send” button to open a window where you can compose a private message to that Member.
Our underlying policy is that the forum is here for people to have fun sharing comics and discussing comics. Other policies follow from that.
Discussion must be kept civil. If you disagree with someone, direct your disagreement at the topic, not the person. No profanity or obscenity. No debates over politics, religion, or other sensitive topics. It is okay to discuss these topics to the extent they pertain to comic books–for instance, it is fine if someone wants to discuss how Superman revoking his US citizenship reflects on the history of Superman’s character–but this should not be carried off on a tangent that gets directly into non-comic debates–in other words, a discussion about Superman revoking his US citizenship should not become an occasion to debate US foreign policy or domestic politics. There are other forums and private communication channels available for people who want to discuss these tangent topics. We are here to talk about comics.
Please respect copyright owners when sharing files. Do not upload full comics or videos from active publishers such as Marvel or DC.
If you use the forum’s private messaging system to arrange to trade, buy, or sell comic books or other merchandise, any transactions are the responsibility of the parties involved. The Comic Book Collectors Club administrators assume no responsibility. However, if it comes to our attention that someone is misusing the system, we will investigate and take appropriate steps to make sure the private messaging privilege is not being misused.
Violation of these policies is grounds for a warning, suspension, or banning at the administrator’s discretion.
Play nice and have fun!