Run through of the admin panel

by Darren1 January 25th 2009, 11:19 pm

How to use the Administration Panel part 1

Id like to make note before we start with the tutorial.
In this tutorial, I am using the Advanced mode of the Administration Panel

Home Tab:

Here, you can find IP address information of users that are currently signed in, and what page their looking at, also find out the latest news forum ForuMotion, and some Statistics too.

General Tab:

Configuration:

Explanation of everything:

Homepage name:

Site name:

Site description:

Forum favicon: This is a simple image up in the URL bar,
next to the address.

The image can be anything that you wish to have.
The default image is:

(enlarged)
Yes you can make your own favicon.

Default Language: The default language that
the forum will be in for all users.

User’s can change this in their profile, under "preferences" I their "profile"

Date format: This can be changed a veray of ways, ill let you figure that out for yourself.

System time zone: Same basic idea as the date
format, ill also let u figure that out your-self.

Adjust time: Summer time (daylight
savings) and winter time (no-daylight savings time)

Basket: (This is the default name).
You can change the name, delete it and/or keep it.

The basket is typically used as something that you can throw stuff that you don’t want into your forum into.
Also for spam and other non-wanted items/messages.

Pruning to the basket: Is when any un-replied to
messages will end up (They will not be deleted!!!!)

Forum in construction: Put the forum down for
24hrs, so that no new users can sign up, also no current users can log in, only
the Admins can access the forum

(Note: this is only a 24hr action, and you CAN change it back), and you can also customize the
"construction" message, to whatever you want it to. Including adding a picture.

Forum on holiday: This will allow users to see your forum; however they won’t be able to log in, they also cannot sign up or make a post on the forum whilst this is in action.

Delete cookies link:

This will allow you to choose to remove the selected forum’s cookies.

Explanation of Messages and emails

Topics per page: How posts per page before a new page is created (min 1 max 50)

Topic length title: The amount of character’s that has to be in the title of the topic in order to make/post it.

This can make a minimal of 1 character’s, and a maximum of 255

Allow topics title colour: Yes or No. Allow the user
to make the name of a topic a different colour than the one designated by the
colour sheet in another part of the forum

Posts for popular thresh hold:
How many posts have to be made by users in order for something to become popular.

Message edition duration limit for a member: How long (minutes/hours/day format) a user can’t post for after he/she has made 1 post.

Allow HTML: Allow HTML so that users can use it in their messages on the forum.
Allow BBCodes: Allow users to use BBCodes.
Allow similes: Allow users to use smilies to express emoticons, or anything else that’s there.

Allow the modification of the topics title:
Allow admin/mod’s to change the title of the topic that their in, by using the option before their post options (without editing their first page)

Activate draft messages functionality:
Allow the user’s to have a “draft message” so that they can “multi-quote” and not
have to edit their posts

Activate favorite's functionality: Allow users to have favorites.

Max number of poll options:
The amount of polls that the users can have in a poll (max of 50)

Define another name for stickies and announcements: Make a new name for them.
E.G. stickies, Read it’s and Announcements, Warning messages.

Separate stickies and announcements from other messages:
What should separate them from other messages, a line, a table or not at all.

Display the caption of the posts status:
Displays the status of the post in a caption.

Activate extended message editor:
Allow a user to type a lot more messages than a quick reply, this will be load
a new page, and will automatically happen when you do a quote.

Activate WYSIWYG mode by defaults in the posts:
What you see is what you get mode.

Basically, if you make text red, it will appear red to users and in the message as you type it up. Options: On/Off.

Quick reply:
A way you can type up a message, without having to load a new page.

How to enable a "quick reply" such as the below screenshot?

Instructions to enable it.

Administration panel >> General (tab) >> Messages and emails, scroll down to find the "Allow Quick Reply" as in the screenshot below.

Private messaging information.

Is it possible to disable it for everyone one the forum? Yes

Can I just disable it for specific users?
Yes

How to disable private messaging for everyone

Administration panel >> General (tab) >> messages and emails >> scroll down to bottom, to
find "Private messaging" >> see screenshot for further info.

From here, you can enable it
(let users use it) or disable it (not let users use it).

You can also choose the max amount of messages in each box (limit of 50 though)

You can also enable a "welcome message" to all new users that sign up to your forum, AFTER
your "Welcome message" has been enabled.

Email settings.

Email address: The address of the Administrator that receives complaints to, and/or sends the emails

Email signature: The signature for your forum. This can be
anything from just " "(blank space) to a link to your forum
or any pictures you want included, or anything else.

Contact form (as in screenshot above)

This is only an added extra if you wish to have it on your forum.

What this is something so that users can contact whom you choose: Admins, Mods, or both Admins Mods,
and whether by Email, or by PM.

Activate: Yes/No. To have it active so that

Recipients: Who will receive it: Admins, Mods, or Admins AND mods.

Message format: How the
Recipients will be receiving it: By PM or by Email

Categories and forums

How to add/remove a category/forum. And also how to control the permissions

(click to see a better look)
This is where you make, delete, lock and unlock categories/forums.

Permissions control

Here you can see what
user/user-group can see and do what in what part of the forum.

FORUM ADDRESS:

Next to the quick update you can quickly change the address of your forum, if you want a slower update, one more unique to you than you click on the “personalized domain name” however this one you have to pay for using credits, as it is shown in the screenshot
below.

Forum Security!

Definitions:

Confirm password to Administration panel: Ask the user to
re-authencate him/her-self to access the forum, by providing their username and
their password (same as the main forum, and cannot login as someone other than
the current user that you are logged in as)

Options: Yes/No

Auth Dialog Box to administration access: The same as above, just
with a different login box to provide information with.

Disallow "Send by email a new password" to Administrators and Moderators:
This will disable the option:

NOTE: you can choose to disable and enable this at times that you wish to.

Disallow moderators to ban:
members: To NOT allow moderator’s to ban users. Hence forth only ADMINISTRATORS
can do the banning.

Options: yes/no

Allow moderators to see the "hidden" users:
Allow the moderators to see the user’s whom have set their profile to private (cannot be seen by non-private users) but visible to Administrator with their username in italics like this.

The following are associated with the Forum Founder utilities tools.

These cannot be edited, as their set by ForuMotion

Automatic daily backup:
(RECOMMENDED ACTIVE) this is so that the forum has a backup restoration point
of the previous day.

(NOTE: the backups are done at late night, French time)

Pages optimization for a better reference on search engines Anti-spiders mode (for your pages and the emails inside):
No spiders inside your forum.

End of forum founder utility tools!!!

Bellow this is something called the "admin/mod action record box".

What it does is keep a record of all the moderation done, and all of the
administrative actions done.

This can only be seen by Administrators.

FORUM DELETION

Are you 100% you want to delete your forum?? If-so,
follow the screenshot below and the little message in the spoiler.

Spoiler:

Censoring

Word censoring: this is where you can choose to censor
particular words, they don’t have to be rude such as the F*** word (censored),
they can be anything such as cat, dog, mobile, computer, phone ECT.

You can also choose what will its replacements (that's cool!).

EX: F*** can become &^%K or F&#) or anything
you feel like.

User name Censoring

This may annoy some users because upon registration
they cannot use the name they want.

People won’t be able to use certain things that you choose…read below
(an extract from a ForuMotion forum).

New usernames won't be allowed to contain that word.
For example, if "test" is forbidden, no name created after the addition of this censored word will contain "test". So "test", "test06", "fastest" and "fatest98" will be forbidden.

NEWSLETTERS

Wright and Send: This is where you make the newsletter.

Save box: this is where all of the previously sent emails are
stored, so you can re-send them when you want to.

REPORTS

Report status:
Who can do the reports: Disabled (no-one) Members (everyone but guests)
Moderators or Administrators.

Self-Reports:
Can report own posts/messages

Report edited by users:
Users can edit their report once it has been
submitted Options: Yes/No

Report permissions:
Here you can set the report system to only particular user’s or user
group’s.

Reasons management:
Reasons that the admin(s) create to have there, although the reporter can customize one of his/her own.

Reports list:
The list of current reports

For more information, you can follow Base’s tutorial
of the Report Hack System => [LINK]

RULES AND FAQ

Additional rules:
The rules that you wish to add
onto the standard rules that come with the forum.

FAQ:
Any additional FAQ’s you wish to add to your forum, also under “FAQ” header, you can name them.

Well, that's the GENERAL tab complete. I hope it has helped you out.

by Darren1 January 25th 2009, 11:24 pm

How to use the Administration Panel part 2

Styles

Choose a theme: explanation

Styles:
A basic skin, nothing fancy look wise.

Hitskin.com this is where all the fancy skins lie, these are only the best skins that are free to use.

You can even make ur own skin and submit it to hitskin.com.

Version. Options and definitions

Phpbb2: The most customizable version there is out there, you can change pretty much everything by changing scripts in this version,

Phpbb3: This is next step up, with much less customization available, and less coding to change too, but is simpler to use.

PunBB: This one is simpler to use, is sophisticated in comparison to the phpbb version’s, not you cant do very much coding what so ever.

Invision: The most sophisticated, by an extreme long shot and has some really great features such as Next 5 days calendar events, hidden categories, Possibility to hide/display smilies while using the extended editor, "Who's online" image blocks customization

Choose your style:

Current version: How your forum would look in another version exactly the same

Version default:

style: how your forum would look with the version’s default skin

How to INSTALL a hitskin.com skin.

Skin management.

Export your theme:
You can take a part of the skin away to edit it or whatever takes your fancy and replace it with what you want to.

Import it:
Import anything you want, as long as it has to do with ur skin.

Restore the theme:
Restore your theme to what it was at a particular date.

Screen shot below.

Temporary themes:

Homepage:

Generalities:

General:

Display
List of connected members during last 24* hours: Yes/No

NOTE:
The 24hrs can change and altered to anything (hour wise) from 1hr to 99hrs. by
the BELOW option.

Period in hours:
The amount of time that the above ^^ is talking about.

Quick log in display:
A quick log in box which enables you to log in another way other than loading the log in page.
Options: Do not display/Top of home page/Bottom of home page/On the homepage Header and Footer.

Homepage message

Message title:
The name of the homepage message.

Message content:
This is where you can put a message for all users to see and read (just not guests), you can also put HTML codes in there, so you can play games on your forum, or put snowflakes flowing gently down your forum.

Referencing - Meta Tags:
Here is how you are currently referenced by search engines : basically the name, and description of your forum put together.

Addition information is available from a tutorial made by Rok [LINK]

Additional tags:
You can choose from the following:

Meta Tag, Link JavaScript, Link CSS sheet, andLink RSS feed.

Forums directory:
Participate in the directory of ForuMotion forums.

Forum category:
The category that the forum is located in.

Structure and hierarchy

Index packing/structure.

The pictures do the explaining…
Hierarchy
Show the last topic titles on index: show the LAST topic that was posted in on the main page of the forum…option Yes/No.

Title length of the last topic on index:
How many letters of the last posted in category will be shown on the main page.

Sub-level links on index:
Just another forum that shows up on the main page.

Display forum moderators:
Display who the moderator(s) are.

Display view online information box on index:
Display the "who is online"
information, which just shows what users and rank they are, and if
their online.
(Under the home tab in the admin panel you can see who is
looking at what page; just you can’t tell when an administrator is in
the admin panel).

Display bots in statistics of the forum:
Display if the Google yahoo or msn bots are indexing your site.

Headers and Navigation:

Logo positioning: The position of the logo.
Left is left of screen, right is right of screen, center is middle of the screen
(center is most recommended)

Display forum title:
Display the name of the forum.

Display only images in the link bar:
Show only IMAGES in the navigation bar.

NOTE: If you select "NO" you will see the pictures and the words.

Menu position: the position of the navigation bar.
Left, right, center.
(Center is recommended)

Navigation links

Below are the standard links for your forum.
You can edit, remove and add some of your own.

Navbar preview
Here you can see what type of user can see what.
Select from: Guest, Member, Moderator, and Administrator.

Pictures and Colors: ADVANCED MODE.

Pics management:
Handle what pictures go where, have a look around here and get to know the buttons and everything.

Colors: This is where all the colours are handled.
Have a look around it, and get to know what edits what with the preview on the right hand side.

Avatar
Avatar gallery

Enable the avatar gallery: Yes/No
Enable the gallery for the avatars

Smilies:
Handle the smilies here, add more or remove some…this is all your choice.

Templates
STOP!! STOP!! STOP!! STOP!! STOP!! STOP!! STOP!! STOP!! STOP!!
From here in you need to have your forum version set to phpbb2 in order to do template customization.

You can customize each of these to your likings to suit you as much as you want.
I am not going to go into the customization, because it is not something I know how to do.

End of Tab

Well, that's the DISPLAY tab complete. I hope it has helped you out.

by Darren1 January 25th 2009, 11:32 pm

How to use the Administration Panel part 3

ok, this is the Modules tab, but I don't know much about it, so i have done the only thing i know.

Modules tab

Chat box.

These are the commands for the chat box.
Chat box.

NOTE: in order to use/activate the above commands, you must have the moderator symbol “@” next to your name.

This is the banned users.

To ban someone.
Type their username in the “username” box and hit the save button, and they will not be able to access the chat box anymore.

Chat box moderators

This is the list of the chat box moderators

To make someone a moderator: Type their name into the “username” box.

NOTE: for someone to be a moderator, they MUST have the “@” symbol next to their name.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Misc tab.

Don't forget, im logged in as FOUNDER account here.

Mini menu

Credits management.
Summery,

Definitions,
Credits available, the amount of credits that you currently have.

Storage, the amount of storage you have (10mb is the standard amount)
Ads, you can only removed these permentally, by using credits, and selecting the option you want from the ads removal option (click the modify button next to the adds menu)

Domain name, the current address of our ForuMotion forum.

Spend credits,
This is where u purchase additional space for ur forum, but a new address for your forum, or remove adds,

Buy credits,
You can by credits using Allopass or via credit card & prepaid card.

History,
This is where you can see all the history of the credits purchase.

Statistics,
This is another look at all the Statistics just a little more in depth.

Summery of the votes.
This is the display of the polls, and the votes for them.

Support

Reported abuses,
This is where the “complete” or “active” reports go.

Hosting.

Image hosting,
This is where you configure where you want your Servimg.com account to go to.

End of tutorial
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope that this 'run through of the administration panel' has helped you.

by Darren1 March 1st 2009, 2:40 am

How to use the Administration Panel part 4

Users&Groups tab

"Search users"

: Here you can search your user’s data, (under modify) you can change anything and everything.

: you can see what the user can see, and what they can moderate in, from here you can also revoke particular user’s access to particular rooms.

Users options.

This is where you can enable/disable what users can use, such as signatures.

"members" menu

Definitions:

Default automatic log in status;
Allow the cookie that your forum uses to remember a user’s password and log the member in automatically without them noticing it (recommended yes)

New accounts Activation;
Automatic activation,
This allows a new user to sign up to the forum, and now have to confirm themselves, or have an admin "ok" it, so they sign up, and log straight in.

User,
Allow new users to confirm their membership via a registration confirmation link sent to the email address (this option is most recommended)

Admin,
Allow new users, but they need an admin to allow them access to their forum (they will be notified of their account activation via email, to their registered email address)

To activate a user manually, (must be logged in as an admin)
Administration pane l>> Users & Groups (tab) >> inactive users (side menu) >> tick the box, and click on the green "activate" box.

Allow new members,
Allow your forum to have new members registered (recommended yes)

Allow members to unsubscribe,
Allow members to unsubscribe from mass administrators emails.

Allow guests to vote,
Allow people that are not logged in(or registered) to vote on polls.

Colorize user names,
Allow a user whom is apart of a group (such as admin) have that group’s color, as the color for their username.

Definitions;

Allow signatures;
All members, Allow everyone on your forum have signatures.
Groups, allow only groups have signatures, you can chose what groups can use signatures too.
Note: you can chose what groups get signatures too
No, No-one can have a signature, not even Administrator(s).

Allow users to change their username,
Allow a user to change his/her username.
(Recommended no, so that they have to contact an administrator to change it for them)

Allow users to change their email address,
Allow users to change their email add.

Allow friends/foe management,
Allow users to block particular users’ PM, and also say that they are friends, or foes (enemies) with particular users.

Birthday management.

This is all basic, nothing to really say here.

Definitions;

Location, Country, anything else they wish to add.

Website, a website they would like to add

Job/hobbies, any work they do, or hobbies such as sport they want to add.

Humor, what you laugh at.

Gender, what sex you are, male or female

Birthday, your date of birth.

Display in the posts, display this in the members profile when they post a message

Obligatory for the registration, the user MUST supply this information to join the forum.

Personalized profile

Here you can do many wonderful things, from adding "reward" things, to a "warning bar" and so so much more.

I'll let you have a little bit of fun with this, as I can type a billion things up, when u may not want to know them.

Special users

Here you can tell who has moderating powers, admin panel access, been banned, or has their PM (private Message) box disabled.

Inactive users

"New users" here you have the choice to activate any users, whom have not activated them selves by email (as user setting above) or if you have the user setting to "Admin" this is where you activate them.

"Users deactivates" look at the users whom have had their accounts de-activated.

"Users with no messages" look at the users whom are registered, but have not posted anything.

Handle users

This is where you can choose what users you wish to send a news letter to, deactivate their account or delete multiple users' account.
Once you have filled in the required information, you must click on the "generate the users list" button.

Banning users, Ban control.

Be extremely careful here, to not ban yourself, or the wrong user!!
IP Banning: To ban 1 single person, insert their IP address in the 1st box.
NOTE: If someone is on a proxy, you cannot ban them, you just have to keep banning the IP address they use

Email banning: insert the Email address that u wish to ban in the box in the email ban page.

Groups

Group’s administration