Need help with my forum?

[Jenn_Ivan]

Hello, I am hoping someone can help me. I set up a 'free forum' using this website, but I purchased a web host from another site. I am a complete idiot when it comes to trying to set this stuff up. I have no clue what I am doing and I am just hoping for the best. A long time forum was recently closed down and no one else was willing to make a new forum, so I offered, but I have no idea what I am doing. All I keep hearing about is servers, web hosts, domains. Uh.. if this was a free forum, why do I need all that other stuff? Can someone please help me and give me instructions I can understand on how to set up a forum? Thank you.

[SLGray]

Your question is too board. What exactly are you having trouble with?

Please change the title of your topic, that is related to your question/issue, so that other users will be able to find their question/issue using the search engine.

[Spottedleaf]

If you view the the Administration Panel at the bottom of your forum index all the information to adding things to your website should help you there. It's not a matter of needing stuff they're just features and what your website already contains after you created the basics. Forumotion allows you to be creative with your own ideas. Also if you need help applying some thing to your website I would recommend viewing the Tips an Tricks for and Frequently asked Questions to help you out more. Hope this helps.

[Jenn_Ivan]

Like I said, I was wondering if someone could help me with instructions on how to move my forum, the free one I made with Phpbb to my domain that I paid for that is good for a year?

[Sanket]

Domain has got nothing to do with hosting.
Domain is just the url.

Please explain more as to what you really want to do.

[Jenn_Ivan]

I made a free forum using formation.com, but don't I need to buy my own domian or web host for the forum so that I own it and formation.com doesn't own it and I've been trying to find out how long it is free for, but I can't find an answer on that either. I figured people here might know.

[SLGray]

Buying a domain name does not mean you own your forum. It just changes the forum's link. The forum you create is free. We do not have access to the forum's database. There are things you have to use credits to do on your forum, like remove ads.

[Derri]

To add to SLGray,

If you want to find out more about credits click the link below:
https://help.forumotion.com/t1219-credits-management

[SLGray]

Please change the title of your topic, that is related to your question/issue, so that other users will be able to find their question/issue using the search engine.

[Jenn_Ivan]

So how long is my forum free for, because I want to keep it for a long time and how would I go about removing the adds on my forum? And if I don't own it, doesn't that mean that formation.com could just delete it at any time?

[Derri]

So how long is my forum free for, because I want to keep it for a long time and how would I go about removing the adds on my forum? And if I don't own it, doesn't that mean that formation.com could just delete it at any time?

To your first question, the answer is technically forever or if the unlikely thing were to happen that Forumotion goes out of business (Again this is unlikely) You can keep the forum as long as you like and you can delete your forum whenever you choose.

Secondly to remove the adds from your forum, check the link provided with the quote below. You need to purchase credits, Its all in the tutorial below.

To add to SLGray,

If you want to find out more about credits click the link below:
https://help.forumotion.com/t1219-credits-management

To answer your question. Forumotion will never delete your forum without reason, this is to say, they'll only delete your forum if it violates the terms of service which can be found by clicking this link https://www.forumotion.com/en/create-forum/terms-of-service.htm so as long as you stay within the bounds of the terms of service then you're fine. If you do happen to violate the terms of service usually you'll be given a warning first telling you to remove the content, so you do generally have a chance to write wrongs if you do violate them. However sometimes the breech is too big and they will shut your forum down because of serious violations. But again, you shouldn't need to worry as long as you stay within the terms of service. Again check the link I gave, it will explain the terms of service.

[Jenn_Ivan]

Can you tell me how many credits I need to disable those ads because that link doesn't give me a price and I need to know how much to buy?

[Derri]

Right,

Go into your forum, Admin Control Panel (Make sure you have advanced enabled)-->Misc-->Credits-->Buy Credits

To check prices, go into spend credits, click on the ads options and then view it from there.

Usually for ads to be disabled for members only, then its costs 100 credits per month and for members and guests 200 credits per month.

The cost to purchase credits varies by currency.

I'll also say that you only have two methods to pay, Paypal and Allopass. Again check inside you A.C.P for more information about prices and costs etc...

[Jenn_Ivan]

Thank you, you've been very helpful and also, is there any way to disable avatars, without having to do it one member at a time and disable members from having photos/videos in their signatures?

[Sanket]

Can you provide a forum URL?
IN the admin panel, there is no way to disable avatars from showing. Maybe, via css all avatars can be disabled.

[Jenn_Ivan]

I don't know what CSS is. I am not very good with this stuff. The only was I was able to disable avatars was to do it one member at a time. I thought perhaps there was a better way and what URL do you want? The one to the forum I made or something else?

[Sanket]

I want your forum URL. Like this.
https://help.forumotion.com

[Derri]

Also as far as I am aware I don't think you can disable members having videos/links in their signature.

You could disable signatures entirely for groups. So you could have a group for members that when placed in this group their signature is disabled.

To do this ACP --> Users and Groups --> User Options --> Allow Signatures --> Groups.

Then create one group for members that would be allowed signatures and one group that isn't

You could then place a rule on your forum about links/videos in signatures and if they break this rule you place them in the group you haven't allowed signatures in and remove them from that group than can have signatures and therefore you've effectively taken away their signature privileges.

It is a lot of work but it does work. I don't know any other way to stop members having links in their sig, maybe someone does but this is the only method I can think of that would be some kind of work around.

[Jenn_Ivan]

Also as far as I am aware I don't think you can disable members having videos/links in their signature.

You could disable signatures entirely for groups. So you could have a group for members that when placed in this group their signature is disabled.

To do this ACP --> Users and Groups --> User Options --> Allow Signatures --> Groups.

Then create one group for members that would be allowed signatures and one group that isn't

You could then place a rule on your forum about links/videos in signatures and if they break this rule you place them in the group you haven't allowed signatures in and remove them from that group than can have signatures and therefore you've effectively taken away their signature privileges.

It is a lot of work but it does work. I don't know any other way to stop members having links in their sig, maybe someone does but this is the only method I can think of that would be some kind of work around.

Thank you for all your help and I have another question. Sorry for all the questions I have been asking you, but if my forum already came with a domain, how come there is an option to buy another one for a year? Is this something I need or should do and how is it any better than the URL that came with my forum? And if I do decide to buy this new domain for a year, will it change my layout or change my forum in any way?

[SLGray]

A domain is for example something like this help.com (no Forumotion in the link).

Please change the title of your topic, that is related to your question/issue, so that other users will be able to find their question/issue using the search engine.

[Derri]

If you buy a custom domain it won't be change anything on your forum at all.

For example you have a domain currently with .forumotion.co.uk placed on the end or something similar (Whatever you choose on sign up)

If you got a new domain it would look like this www . mydomain .com without forumotion or anything like that in it. (I added in the spaces so what I typed wouldn't become a link)

However you get the picture. A domain without the forumotion will also likely make you show up better when typing your name into a search engine.

[Jenn_Ivan]

If you buy a custom domain it won't be change anything on your forum at all.

For example you have a domain currently with .forumotion.co.uk placed on the end or something similar (Whatever you choose on sign up)

If you got a new domain it would look like this www . mydomain .com without forumotion or anything like that in it. (I added in the spaces so what I typed wouldn't become a link)

However you get the picture. A domain without the forumotion will also likely make you show up better when typing your name into a search engine.

Is there a way to give my moderator the ability to ban spammers? And thanks again, you've been very helpful.

[Sanket]

You can have the ability to ban all users.
General>Forum>Security
Disallow moderators to ban members : :No
Save.

[Jenn_Ivan]

Thank you very much and how do I make my member list private because my forum is private but my member list isn't?? Thanks again for all the answers.

[Sanket]

Users & groups>Special Rights
Memberlist
Choose administrator so only admins can see it.

[SLGray]

If you want registered members to see the memberlist, choose members.

[Jenn_Ivan]

If you want registered members to see the memberlist, choose members.

Yes, I was able to get my memberlist for members only, but how come my portal is still public? I cannot change that?

[SLGray]

You can modify the widgets' permissions.

Administration Panel > Modules > Portal & Widgets > Portal
Press the permission symbol on the widgets and check the boxes for the groups you want to see them.

[Jenn_Ivan]

Would I be able to move my forum from free formation to host gator?

[SLGray]

In the future, please start a new thread for new issues/questions.
You can redirect a domain name you brought somewhere else to your Forumotion forum.