Registering
Once you become a Wines.com site VIP Member, your registration there is all you need to create posts on the forum. Registration is only required if you plan to post new topics or reply to exisiting topics. Registration is free, and you are not required to post your real name. You are required to post your actual email address, however.
Passwords
When you first register as a site VIP Member, you'll pick a password which can be updated later if necessary. Also, we recommend allowing a cookie to "remember" your username and password for 1 year. See cookies below.
Smilies
This brand new version of the Wineboard Forums is still gathering some functionality. As such, we do not currently support smilies and emoticons, beyond those that may appear through the normal use of computer character recognition. That is, if the font supports them, you may see them in use now and again. However, until further notice, we are not offering a system of emoticons.
Using HTML and/or UBB Code
HTML and/or UBB Code is currently turned off.
Moderators
Moderators control individual forums. They can edit, delete, or prune any posts in their forums. If you have a question about a partuclar forum, you should direct it to your forum moderator.
Changing Your Profile
You may easily change any info stored in your registration profile, using the My Tastes link located in the header navigation. You may change any items, except your username.
Customizing Using Preferences
As a registered site VIP Member, you may store your username and password in memory indefinitely. This will prevent you from having to type your username and password every time you post a topic.
Cookies
The Wineboard uses cookies to store the following information: the last time you logged in, your username and password, and your preferred "topic view", if you set it in preferences. These cookies are stored on your browser. If your browser does not support cookies, or you have not enabled cookies on your browser, many of these time-saving features will not work properly.
Editing Your Posts
You may edit your own posts at any time. Just go to the thread where the post to be edited is located and you will see an edit icon. Click on this icon and edit the post. No one else can edit your post, except for the forum moderator or the Wineboard administrator. A note is generated at the bottom of each post that is edited so that every one knows when a post has been edited.
Adding Signatures
The signature feature is currently under construction and will be added shortly. Please contact your moderator if you have additional questions about this.
Attaching Files
For security reasons, you may not attach files to any posts. You may cut and paste text into your post, however, or use HTML and/or UBB Code (if enabled) to provide hyperlinks to outside documents.
Searching For Specific Posts
You may search for specific posts based on a word or words found in the posts, user name, date, and particular forum(s). Just click on the "search" link at the top of most pages. Note: announcements are not included in the search returns.
Announcements
Announcements are one-way communications from either a forum moderator or a Wineboard administrator. No one may post replies to these announcements. If you want to talk about specific announcements, you will have to create a new topic in the appropriate forum.
Censoring Posts
The Wineboard administrators have the power to censor certain words that may be posted. This censoring is not an exact science, however, so certain words may be censored out of context. Please realize that the censoring, if any censoring is being performed, is being done by a computer based on the words that are being screened. Words that are censored are replaced with asterisks.
Lost User Name and/or Password
Please contact the forum administrator to help you locate lost usernames or passwords. Remember that you can reset a password from your My Tastes settings page.
Email Notification
If you create a new topic, you have the option of receiving an email notification every time someone posts a reply to your topic. Just check the email notification box on the "New Topic" forum when you create your new topic, if you want to use this feature.
Tracking Features
This Wineboard does not keep track of which individual messages you read. However, if you are using cookies, it will keep track of the time and date of your last visit and will highlight new messages that were posted SINCE your last visit. A Green Caption Icon will mark forums with new activity.