In order to make the transition from our old forum boards to the new forum boards as simple as possible for the community, we have put together this FAQ. While some of this information may be old news to many of our valued community members, the FAQ also offers some tips on navigating the new forums. We hope you find this helpful!

Community Participation

How does the Community Forum work?
  • The Community Forum provides a place for customers to discuss support topics and learn. At its heart are the message boards, where members post questions and answers.
  • Guests (un-registered visitors) may browse or search the boards for information. Registered members can post messages, track discussions, and get email notifications on new posting activity.
    • What is my role in the Community?
  • You are essential to the Community. By posting questions and sharing answers, not only do you contribute to a unique, customer-built knowledgebase, but you also become part of a virtual support network extending across literally hundreds of thousands of potential users.
  • We encourage you visit often and participate. Come with your toughest issues- chances are, someone has a solution or can point you in the right direction. If you find a solution that works, let others know, and pass along your own tips and insights- you just may have the answer someone else has been seeking!
  • Please remember to thank fellow users who have assisted you. Show your appreciation by rating helpful messages, posting thank you replies, or sending positive feedback to Forum management.
    • What is my responsibility in the Community?

    We want the Community Forum to be appropriate, friendly, informative, and fun for all users. The Community Forum Terms of Service sets forth Rules and Guidelines so that you know what is expected of you, and what you can expect from other participants, when using the Forum.

    Registration and Logging In

    Why should I register?

    Registration allows you to fully participate in the Community Forum. If you register, you'll be able to:
  • Post new messages
  • Post responses to existing messages
  • Receive e-mail notification when someone responds to a specified post or thread
  • Exchange Private Messages with other members
  • Personalize your experience on the boards
    •  What can I do if I don't register?

    Even if you don't register, you can still browse and read Forum messages as a "guest". You just can't interact with the other members or personalize the way boards are displayed.

    How do I register?

    To register, just click the Register link. The Registration page will be displayed.
    1. Enter a Screen Name. Your screen name is your Forum identity. It appears whenever you post to the message boards or send private messages. Most members
    2. create anonymous names for privacy: it helps them feel more comfortable participating. Be creative, have fun with it, but choose carefully- your screen name cannot be changed once registration is complete.
    3. Enter a Password. Your password is a secret word that no one else knows. That way, no one else can pretend to be you. Your password should be something you can remember, but that no one else will guess. It's good to put numbers in your password. For example, your password might be f0rh3sajgf. Note: The password will be hidden with asterisks when you type it. This is to prevent someone from looking over your shoulder to see it. Passwords are case-sensitive. When you login to the Forum, you will need to type the letters in upper or lower case exactly as they were entered at the time of registration.
    4. Enter your Password again. This is to ensure that you typed the password the way you meant the first time.
    5. Enter your E-mail address. Certain features of the site, such as subscriptions, will only work if you enter your real e-mail address. Also, the system will require you to validate your e-mail address by replying to an e-mail sent to the address you enter. Making sure that all users have valid e-mail addresses helps the administrators maintain a helpful community.
    6. Enter your E-mail address again. This is to make sure you typed it correctly. (A common mistake with new registrations.)
    7. If you're using a secure computer (one other people can't use), you can check the Remember Password checkbox. If this box is checked, you won't have to log in every time you come to the site.
    8. Read the Terms of Service and check the I have read and accept the terms of service checkbox.
    9. If you want, you can enter your First Name and Last Name in the optional fields.
    10. If the Timezone indicated isn't the timezone you're in, change the timezone to match your location.
    11. If the area you're in uses Daylight Savings Time, check the Daylight Savings Time checkbox, even if it's not currently that part of the year. Click Register.
    12. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to you immediately. Click the activation link in this email. Once you do, you'll be able to post messages on the boards. Until then, feel free to read messages posted by other users. Note: you must have cookies enabled in your browser to register and log into the Forum.
    How do I log in?

    Once you've registered and confirmed your registration, you can log into the boards and begin personalizing your experience.
    1. At the top of any Forum page, click SIGN IN.
    2. Enter your login in the Username field.
    3. Enter your password in the Password field.
    4. Click Login.
    5. If you don't want to keep having to enter your password, and you're at a computer that other people can't get to, you can check the "you can check the Log me on automatically each visit" box.
    6. If you forgot your password, click the link at the bottom to have it sent to your e-mail address.
    How do I get back a lost password?

    If you've forgotten your password, you can have the system send it to your e-mail address.
    1. Go to the SIGNIN screen.
    2. Click the link at the bottom of the page.
    3. You'll be taken to a screen that will ask for your e-mail address. The login and password associated with that e-mail address will be sent to the given e-mail address.
    Browsing and Searching

    How are the message boards organized?

    The community is divided up into different categories which are based on broad topics. Each category contains boards which get more specific about the topic or subject. Find the category and message board title that best describes your question or comment.

    How do I browse for information?

    Many users like to get started by exploring the message boards. Choose a category that best fits your topic. Next, look over the list of boards, find one whose title pertains to your question or comment then click on its title. Take some time to read ones that look promising by clicking the message title, or subject. You can use the Previous/Next buttons to browse to other pages and messages.

    How do I search for information?

    To search the Forum, type keywords for your topic into the Search Terms text box and click the search button. (This text box is found near the bottom of most pages.) A page of search results will be displayed. Browse the search results in the same manner you would a message board. If you would like to limit your search results to certain forums or categories look under the Search Options category listing. You'll be able to use the drop down lists provided to help filter your results to your liking.

    Personalization

    How do I change the icon next to my name?

    The icon (also known as an avatar) is a way to personalize your user name a bit. You'll get one as a default, but you can change it to something you like better.
    1. Login to the Forum.
    2. Click the My Profile link.
    3. Look for the Avatar Control Panel.
    4. A list of available icons will be displayed.
    5. Click on any icon to use it as yours. Your current icon always shows up under the "Current Avatar" section of the Avatar Control Panel.
    6. Click Submit on the bottom of the page to save the changes.
    How do I create a signature for my posts?

    Your signature is text that appears at the bottom of every message you post to the boards.
    1. Login to the Forum.
    2. Click the My Profile link.
    3. Look for General Information about yourself.
    4. Under General Information about yourself, look for the Signature field. Fill in the text you want for your signature in the Signature field.
    5. If the administrator allows it, you'll be able to use HTML in your signature. If not, you won't. >LI>Click Submit on the bottom of the page to save the changes.
    How do I tell other users about me?
    1. Login to the Forum.
    2. Click the My Profile link.
    3. Look for General Information about yourself.
    4. Under General Information about yourself, look for the Biography field. Fill in the text you want for your biography in the biography field.
    5. Click Submit on the bottom of the page to save the changes.
    Posting Messages

    How do I post a message?
    1. Go to the board you want to post on, and click the New Topic link near the top of the message list.
    2. On the New Topic page, you will see a Subject area and a Message Body area.
    3. In the first field, the Subject field, type a title for you message.
    4. This is the only part of the message that shows up on the message listing page, so try to make it something that will be clear and concise. Use keywords about your topic.
    5. In the second field, the Body field, type your message. Put details about your topic here. If you are posting on a technical topic, it is helpful to include all pertinent information regarding your inquiry in the body.
    6. You can use the controls to change the fonts, colors, and other aspects of your message. You can add smiley faces using the smiley menu. And you can format the text at the character or paragraph level.
    7. When you are happy with your message, click the Submit Post button.
    8. Your message will be added to board and everyone else on the board will be able to read it.
    How do I reply to a message?
    1. Use the Post Reply button in a message to write a response to a particular post. You'll see a screen similar to the New Topic screen. There are a few differences:
    2. When you reply to a post, the subject line will be filled in for you automatically. You can change it if you want.
    3. If you would like to quote a post, instead of clicking on the Post Reply button click on the quote button on the right hand side of the post you would like to quote. This will automatically populate your reply with the message you chose to quote. You will also be able to reply with more text if you choose to quote a message.
    4. Also, when you post a message as a reply, it will be added to the existing thread. It won't create a new thread.
    What is a "thread?"
  • When one or more people reply to a particular message, a "thread" is created. A thread is a series of posts that go together. If you've ever heard of someone "following the thread of a conversation," you get the idea.
  • If you post a new message, then that starts a new thread. If you reply to an existing message, then that message becomes part of the original message's thread.
    • Reporting a Bad Post

    How do I report a bad post?

    You may come across a post which is inappropriate and does not follow the forum rules and guidelines. If this occurs please use the Report this post to a moderator button in the bottom right corner of the offending post. This will bring you to the Report Post to Moderator page. Fill out any applicable information in the Comments field and click on the Send button. This will notify the moderation staff of the post that you had a concern about.

    Private Messenger

    What is the Private Messenger?

    The Forum Private Messenger allows you to send private notes to other members of the Forum. Private Messenger has two big advantages over e-mail:
  • You don't have to know the other member's e-mail address to send the note. (Also, you don't have to reveal yours.)
  • Private Messenger is more interactive than e-mail. It's easier to hold a quick conversation through it.
  • To use the Private Messenger, you have to have an account and you have to be logged in. If you're logged in, a Messages link will appear on the top of your page. If you have any new messages, a yellow envelope icon will appear next to the link and the number of new messages will be indicated.
  • If you click on the link, the Private Messenger window appears.
    • How do I send a private message?
    1. Log into the Forum.
    2. Find the forum user who you would like to send the private message to and click on their name.
    3. Click on the PM button and this will bring you to the New Private Messages screen.
    4. Type the subject of your message in the Subject field.
    5. Type the body of your message in the Note field.
    6. Click Submit at the bottom of the page.
    7. The message will be sent to the other user. The message will also appear in your Sent Box.
    How do I read a private message?
    1. Log into the Forum.
    2. If you have any new messages, your Private Messages box will state there is a new private message with the number of new messages indicated in parenthesis.
    3. Click the New Private Messages Link.
    4. Your Inbox will be displayed.
    5. Click the Subject of the message you want to read.
    6. The full message will be displayed.
    7. After you have read the message, you can click on links to Reply to the message or Delete the message buttons at the bottom of the page.
    How do I reply to a private message?
    1. Log into the Forum.
    2. Click the Private Messages Link.
    3. Your Inbox will be displayed.
    4. Click the Subject of the message you want to read.
    5. The full message will be displayed.
    6. Click the Post Reply link at the bottom or top of the window.
    7. The Send Message window will be displayed with the Send to and Subject fields pre-populated.
    8. Enter your message in the Note field.
    9. Click Submit.
    How do I delete a private message?
  • While reading a message, you may click the Delete this message link at the bottom of the window to delete the current message.
  • While viewing your Inbox, you can delete several messages at once by checking the checkboxes next to the messages you want to delete, then clicking Delete Selected.
    • How do I see private messages I've sent to others?

    When in the Private Messenger, click the Outbox link to see all the messages you sent to others.

    This should help you enjoy your visit to the SOE Official EverQuest forums. If you have any other questions about how the forums work, PM an SOE Moderator or Admin on the forums and let them know. We will update this FAQ as necessary to help all of our community members have a pleasant experience on the forums.