Resolved Moderater help please

[Jakedaawg]

I would like to have a quick conversation with a moderator I think. Some basic questions.

1. I am having trouble figuring out which membership to buy. I would like to be able to post pictures easily and hopefully no ads as I think that would make site navigation easier. I intend to use this site to learn enough about my mill, surface grinder and lathe to be able to teach myself.

2. As I read old threads I often have questions. How old a thread is the limit for asking an on-topic clarification?

3. Is there an easy way to search this trove of threads? I suck at this online stuff for the most part. I am also limited to my samsung a51 cell phone and have no internet other than the phone. I do however have experience with the iboats forum for several years but this software is very different.

Thanks in advance.

 

[wa5cab]

1. Click the Donations tab in the main toolbar and you will get a chart that explains what you get for every Donar level except non-donor status. It used to be there but for some reason got deleted.

2. The only enforced time limit is when the Forum was set up.

3. There is a Search tab in the main tool bar. It has been recently improved, as the original used to ignore any punctuation symbols (like /), and when I used it this evening, I no longer got the silly message about Search ignoring any search string shorter than 4 characters or that whomever wrote it considered as being too "common". About the only hidden "Gotcha" is that after each Search, it defaults back to only searching Forums. So if what you are looking for is a file, you will have to click on Downloads again and then select Downloads after clicking on the up/down arrow symbol as where to search or it will default back to searching the Forums every time. Also, Downloads was originally called Resources. Most instances have been changed but if you still see the word Resources anywhere, it means Downloads.

I can't help you with any cell phone troubles except to suggest that you get a real computer. Trying to use a cell phone to do a computer's job is kinda like trying to use a drill press as a vertical mill. You can do both things but you won't generally be happy with either results.

 

[vtcnc]

1. I am having trouble figuring out which membership to buy. I would like to be able to post pictures easily and hopefully no ads as I think that would make site navigation easier. I intend to use this site to learn enough about my mill, surface grinder and lathe to be able to teach myself.

If you stay at non-donor status, i.e. "Registered", you can view posts but will be limited in where you can post and ask for help. Jumping into a donor status will remove ads and open you up to being able to access members albums, downloads, groups, etc. I recommend Gold if you plan on visiting frequently.

2. As I read old threads I often have questions. How old a thread is the limit for asking an on-topic clarification?

Robert is correct in that there is no time limit. I would add the following for your consideration, please understand that some members either are no longer on the forum, have moved on, etc. One thing you can do is look at the date the last reply was posted. Or, look at the user who originally posted the thread, click on their username and see the last time they were on the site which is shared in their public profile. You can Private Message those members with your questions which may get you a faster, better response. So, while there is no guideline about replying to old threads, if it is more than a couple years old, you may want to consider posting a new thread to get some visibility to your question.

3. Is there an easy way to search this trove of threads? I suck at this online stuff for the most part. I am also limited to my samsung a51 cell phone and have no internet other than the phone. I do however have experience with the iboats forum for several years but this software is very different.

Again, I have to agree Robert on this one, this forum is best experienced on a desktop or laptop. Tablets would be a second choice. However, while I do access the site through my phone, I use an app called Tapatalk and I do not access the web version of the site on my phone, it just doesn't render well on a small screen like an iPhone.

Search functions are limited if you remain in a non-donor status. When you upgrade to donor status, you can search media, downloads, etc.

Hope this helps!

 

[wa5cab]

Further to what Bryan wrote about your #2, your new post will show up as new/current ir anyone searches the site on that basis. But the people who had responded to the old thread may or may not still be around. So if you do re-open an old thread, it may be better if you don't specifically address your post to any of the old posters.