forums.makemusic.com • Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Login and Registration Issues: Why can’t I login?; Why do I need to register at all?; How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?; How can I retrieve my password if I have forgotten it?; I registered but cannot login!; What is COPPA?; Why can’t I register?

User Preferences and settings: How do I change my settings?; How do I change the time displayed on the forums?; I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!; How do I set my avatar?; When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?

Posting Issues: How do I post a topic in a forum?; How do I edit or delete a post?; How do I add a signature to my post?; How do I create a poll?; How do I edit or delete a poll?; How can I report offensive posts to a moderator?; How do I save a draft of my topic or reply?; Why does my post need to be approved?

Formatting and Topic Types: What is BBCode?; Can I use HTML?; Can I post images?; What are global announcements?; What are announcements?; What are sticky topics?; What are locked topics?

User Levels and Groups: What are Administrators?; What are Moderators?; What are usergroups?; Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?; How do I become a usergroup leader?; Why do some usergroups appear in a different color?; What is a “Default usergroup”?

Private Messaging: What can I do if I cannot send a private message?; How do I block a user from messaging me?; I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this board!

Following: What is Following?; How can I add/remove users to my Following list?

Searching the Forums: How can I search a forum or forums?; How do I search for members?; How can I find my own posts and topics?

Topic Subscriptions & Bookmarks: What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?; How do I subscribe to specific forums or topics?; How do I remove my subscriptions?

Attachments: What attachments are allowed on this board?; How do I find all my attachments?

Login and Registration Issues

Why can’t I login?: The forum uses your MakeMusic account credentials. If you are having trouble logging in to your MakeMusic account, first try to locate the e-mail first sent to you when you registered with MakeMusic and ensure your username and password are correct. If you have forgotten or misplaced either your username or password, click the forgot my password link on the log in page.; Top

Why do I need to register at all?: You need to register in order to post messages and have access to additional features not available to guests. It only takes a few moments to register so it is recommended you do so.; Top

How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?: Navigate to your User Control Panel. In the “Board preferences” tab, enable Hide your online status. This will make your username appear solely to the administrators, moderators and yourself. You will be counted as a hidden user.; Top

How can I retrieve my password if I have forgotten it?: If you have forgotten your password, you can retrieve it by navigating to the login page and clicking I’ve forgotten my password. Follow the instructions and you should be able to log in again shortly.; Top

I registered but cannot login!: First, check your username and password. If they are correct, then one of two things may have happened. If COPPA support is enabled and you specified being under 13 years old during registration, you will have to follow the instructions you received. Some boards will also require new registrations to be activated, either by yourself or by an administrator before you can logon; this information was present during registration. If you were sent an e-mail, follow the instructions. If you did not receive an e-mail, you may have provided an incorrect e-mail address or the e-mail may have been picked up by a spam filer. If you are sure the e-mail address you provided is correct, try contacting an administrator.; Top

What is COPPA?: The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 is a United States federal law enabled to protect the privacy of children under the age of 13. Under the COPPA Act, the user must be over 13 years of age to register an account on the MakeMusic forums. If you are under the age of 13, you will need to have your parent or legal guardian fill out a printed registration form specific for COPPA registrants and send it to the contact listed on the form. More information about COPPA can be found at: http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm; Top

Why can’t I register?: It is possible the website owner has banned your IP address or disallowed the username you are attempting to register. The website owner could have also disabled registration to prevent new visitors from signing up. Contact the board administrator for assistance.; Top

User Preferences and settings

How do I change my settings?: The User Control Panel allows you to alter your personal preferences. You can access it by clicking the ‘User Control Panel’ link that appears at the top of forum pages after logging in.; Top

How do I change the time displayed on the forums?: If you notice that the time displayed on your posts or the main page of the forums is incorrect, then it’s possible the timezone is set incorrectly. If this is the case, visit your User Control Panel and change your timezone to match your particular area. Please note that changing the timezone, can only be done by registered users. If you are sure you have set the timezone and Summer Time/DST correctly and the time is still incorrect, then the time stored on the server clock may be incorrect. Please notify the board administrator to report the problem.; Top

I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!: If you are sure you have set the timezone and Summer Time/DST correctly and the time is still incorrect, then the time stored on the server clock is incorrect. Please notify an administrator to correct the problem.; Top

How do I set my avatar?: An avatar is a unique or personal image that displays with every post you make. You can set it by navigating to User Control Panel > Profile > Edit avatar.; Top

When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?: Only registered users can send e-mail to other users via the built-in e-mail form.; Top

Posting Issues

How do I post a topic in a forum?: To post a new topic in a forum, click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. You need to register before you can post a message.; Top

How do I edit or delete a post?: You can edit a post by clicking the edit button for the relevant post. If someone has already replied to a post you’re editing, you will find a small description below the post indicating the number of times you edited it along with the date and time. You can delete a post by clicking the delete button. Please note that unless you are a board administrator, you may only edit or delete your own posts.; Top

How do I add a signature to my post?: You have the option to create a signature that appears below every post you make. To create a signature, navigate to User Control Panel > Profile > Edit signature. Once created, you can add the signature to a post by checking the Attach a signature box on the posting form. You may also configure the signature to appear on all posts in your User Control Panel.; Top

How do I create a poll?: When posting a new topic or editing the first post of a topic, click the “Poll creation” tab below the main posting form and fill out the appropriate fields.. You can also define certain parameters such as the number of options users may select while voting, a time limit , and the option to allow users to amend their votes. Please note the limit for poll options is set by the board administrator.; Top

How do I edit or delete a poll?: To edit a poll, click to edit the first post in the topic. If no one has cast a vote, you may delete or edit the poll. If members have already placed votes, only moderators or administrators can delete or edit the poll. Please note only polls can be edited by the original poster, a moderator, or an administrator.; Top

How can I report offensive posts to a moderator?: On the offending post, click the ! icon and fill out the necessary information to send a report to the moderator.; Top

How do I save a draft of my topic or reply?: If you have a new topic or response you’d like to edit later, click Save Draft to save it in your User Control Panel. To view your saved drafts, navigate to the User Control Panel and choose ‘Manage drafts.’; Top

Why does my post need to be approved?: The board administrator has decided that posts in this particular forum require review before submission. Please contact the board administrator for further details.; Top

Formatting and Topic Types

What is BBCode?: BBCode is a special implementation of HTML that offers greater control over what and how something is displayed. It is similar in style to HTML, however tags are enclosed in square brackets [ and ] rather than < and >. Please note the administrator determines whether you can use BBCode in your posts. In addition, you can disable BBCode on a per post basis in the posting form. You can find more information on BBCode in the guide accessed from the posting form.; Top

Can I use HTML?: No, however most HTML formatting can be applied using BBCode instead.; Top

Can I post images?: You can post an image either by attaching an image-file from your computer or linking to an image online. If you link to one online, you may display it using the BBCode [img] tag.; Top

What are global announcements?: Global announcements contain important information and you should read them whenever possible. They will appear at the top of every forum and within your User Control Panel. Global announcement permissions are granted by the board administrator.; Top

What are announcements?: Announcements contain important forum-specific 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. Global announcements will appear at the top of every forum and within your User Control Panel.; Top

What are sticky topics?: Sticky topics are often important and you should read them whenever possible. They will only appear on the first page of a forum below the announcements. Sticky topic permissions are granted by the board administrator.; Top

What are locked topics?: A locked topic is one where users can no longer reply. Topics may be locked for several reasons and are set this way by either the forum moderator or board administrator.; Top

User Levels and Groups

What are Administrators?: Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire board. These members set permissions, ban users, create usergroups or moderators, and perform other functions to ensure the security of the board. They may also have full moderator capabilities in all forums.; Top

What are Moderators?: Moderators are members who look after the forums from day to day. They are allowed to edit or delete posts, as well as lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally, moderators are present to prevent users from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.; Top

What are usergroups?: Usergroups are a way to group users into manageable sections. They provide an easy way for administrators to set board permissions for multiple users at once.; Top

Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?: You can view all usergroups by navigating to your User Control Panel and clicking the “Usergroups” tab. If a group is open, you can join it by clicking the appropriate button. If a group requires approval to join, you may send a request to the usergroup leader by clicking the appropriate button. Please do not harass a group leader if they reject your request.; Top

How do I become a usergroup leader?: Usergroup leaders are assigned when the board administrator creates usergroups. If you are interested in creating a usergroup, please send a request to the administrator.; Top

Why do some usergroups appear in a different color?: The board administrator may assign a color to the members of a usergroup for identification purposes.; Top

What is a “Default usergroup”?: If you are a member of more than one usergroup, the default usergroup is used to determine which group color and rank should be shown to you by default. You may set the default usergroup within the User Control Panel if the board administrator has given you permission.; Top

Private Messaging

What can I do if I cannot send a private message?: First, make sure you have registered and are logged into your account. Otherwise, the board administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board or has prevented you from sending messages. Contact the board administrator for more information.; Top

How do I block a user from messaging me?: You can block a user by navigating to your User Control Panel, selecting the Private Messaging tab and setting appropriate message rules. If you continue to receive abusive messages from a particular user, please send an e-mail with a full copy of the message to the board administrator. In addition, please make sure the report includes the details of the user that sent the messages.; Top

I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this board!: We are sorry to hear that. The e-mail form feature of this board includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so e-mail the board administrator with a full copy of the e-mail you received. It is very important that this includes the headers that contain the details of the user that sent the e-mail. The board administrator can then take action.; Top

Following

What is Following?: You can use "following" to keep up with the activities of specific members of the forum. Followed Members will be listed within your User Control Panel.; Top

How can I add/remove users to my Following list?: You can add users to your list in two ways. Via a link in each user’s profile, or you can directly add users from your User Control Panel. You may also remove users from your list using the same page.; Top

Searching the Forums

How can I search a forum or forums?: Enter a search term in the search box located on the forum or topic pages.; Top

How do I search for members?: Visit the “Members” page and click the “Find a member” link.; Top

How can I find my own posts and topics?: To search for your posts, navigate to the User Control Panel or your profile page and choose “Search user’s posts.” To search for your topics, use the “Advanced search” page and fill in the appropriate options.; Top

Topic Subscriptions & Bookmarks

What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?: Bookmarking a topic or forum will not automatically notify you when there is an update whereas subscribing will alert you via the method you set in your User Control Panel.; Top

How do I subscribe to specific forums or topics?: To subscribe to a specific forum, simply click the “Subscribe forum” link at the bottom of the page upon entering the forum.

There are two ways to subscribe to a topic:

1. While replying to a topic, or posting a new topic, scroll down to the “Options” area and check the box “Notify me when a reply is posted” before you submit your post.

2. While viewing the topic, click the “Subscribe topic” link at the bottom of the page.; Top

How do I remove my subscriptions?: To remove your subscriptions, navigate to your User Control Panel and click the “Manage subscriptions” link.; Top

Attachments

What attachments are allowed on this board?: Attachment types are determined by the board administrator. If you are unsure which attachments are allowed, please contact the board administrator for assistance.; Top

How do I find all my attachments?: To find your list of uploaded attachments, navigate to your User Control Panel and click the “My attachments” link.; Top

MakeMusic Forums

MakeMusic Forums

Frequently Asked Questions

Login and Registration Issues

User Preferences and settings

Posting Issues

Formatting and Topic Types

User Levels and Groups

Private Messaging

Following

Searching the Forums

Topic Subscriptions & Bookmarks

Attachments