The Pro4uM FAQ

Moderators oversee specific forums, and try help everyone out on the Pro4uM. They generally have the ability to edit and delete posts, move threads, and perform other manipulations.

If you have a problem, need help with the way the Pro4uM works, or just want some general help, usually a Moderator is there to help.

To see a list of all Pro4uM Moderators, go to the Forums link at the top of any page. Scroll to the bottom and you will see "View Forum Leaders". This is a whole list of all of the Pro4uM Moderators.

When viewing a thread, you will be able to view the thread from a choice of four modes.

You can change these modes by clicking User CP at the top of any page. Then click Edit Options on the left hand side. Scroll down to the 3rd heading named "Thread Display Options" and in there you will see the different modes.

1. Linear Mode (Oldest First) - In this mode, posts are displayed chronologically from oldest to newest. Posts are shown in a flat mode so that many posts can be viewed simultaneously.
2. Linear Mode (Newest First) - This is the same as the above mode, except that posts are ordered in an opposite way (newest first).
3. Threaded Mode - In this mode, a tree is shown along with every post. This tree allows you to see the relationship each post has to others, in terms of who responded to whom. Only one post is shown at a time.
4. Hybrid Mode - This mode is a mixture of the linear and threaded modes. The post tree is displayed like in the threaded mode, but multiple posts are displayed simultaneously like in the linear modes.

To help speed up the Pro4uM many of the forums are set to only show threads from the last 30 days. If you would like to see more than that, go all the way to the bottom of a section and notice the "Display Options" area.

In that area you will notice different ways to show & sort what is in that section. After you modify your "Display Options" just click the "Show Threads" button and you will then be able to see some of the older threads for that section.

The short answer is YES!

Go all the way to the bottom left of any page on the Pro4uM, even this page that you are viewing. There you will see a drop down menu with the word "Default" in it.

Change that to one of the other "Skin" colors and the whole Pro4uM will change for you to something you may like better.

You may also go to your User CP and then on the left click Edit Options. Go all the way to the bottom, just above "Save Changes" and you can choose a different "Skin" there also.

The buddy list is used to keep track of the friends you have made on this forum. By going to your "Open Buddy List" in "Quick Links" menu at the top of any page, you'll be able to see which of your friends are currently online and send them a private message. Adding people to your buddy list also allows you to send private messages to multiple forum members at the same time. You may add any member of the forums to your buddy list by viewing their profile or by going to "Buddy / Ignore Lists" in your "User CP".

Ignore lists are used for those people whose messages you wish not to read. By adding someone to your ignore list, those messages posted by these individuals will be hidden when you read a thread.

When someone is on your ignore list, it is as if they have been kicked off of the Pro4uM as far as your viewing is concern. They cannot send you a Private Message, email you, or otherwise contact you. You will not see any of their posts or threads.

So if for any reason at all someone rubs you the wrong way do not complain or worry; just put them on your ignore list.

Yes! To send an email to another member, you can either locate the member you want to contact on the member list, or click the button on any post made by that member.

This will open a page that contains a form where you can enter your message. When you have finished typing your message, press the [send email] button and your message will be sent instantly. Note that for privacy reasons, the email address of the recipient is not revealed to you during this process.

Note that if you cannot find an email button or link for a member, it means that the member in question has specified that they do not wish to receive email from other members of the Pro4uM.

Another useful email function is the ability to send a friend a link to a thread you think they may find interesting. Whenever you view a thread, you will find a link somewhere on the page which will allow you to send a brief message to anyone you like.

Members can also send messages to other members of the Pro4uM using the private messaging system. For more information about private messaging, just keep reading.

The Private Messaging system allows members to send each other private messages from within the Pro4uM system. These message are only viewable by you and the person that you are sending them to.

Sending Private Messages

Private messages work a little like email, but are limited to members only. You can also include vB Code, smilies and images in private messages that you send.

You may send a private message to a member of this Pro4uM by clicking the 'Send A Private Message' link in the private messaging section of your user control panel, or by clicking the button in a member's posts.

When you send a message, you have the option to save a copy of the message in your Sent Items folder.

Private Message Folders

By default, you will have two folders in your private message area. These are the Inbox and the Sent Items folders.

The Inbox folder contains any new messages you receive, and allows you to view all the messages you have received, along with the name of the person who sent the message to you, and the date and time the message was sent.

The Sent Items folder contains a copy of any messages that you have sent, where you have specified that you wish to keep a copy of the message for future reference.

You may create additional folders for your messages by clicking the 'Edit Folders' link.

Each folder has a set of message controls which allow you to select messages, then either move them to one of your custom folders, or delete them completely. You may also have a button which allows you to forward multiple messages from a folder to another member of the forum.

You will need to periodically delete old messages, as the limit you can have is 100 total private messages in your folders. If you exceed the number of messages specified, you will not be able to send or receive new messages until you delete some old messages.

Whenever you read a message, you will have the option to reply to the message, or forward that message to another member of the forum. You may also have the ability to forward that message to multiple members of your buddy list.

Message Tracking

When you send a new private message, you may have the option to request a read-receipt for that message. This will allow you to check whether or not a message has been read by its recipient by viewing the Private Message Tracking page.

This page is divided into two sections: unread messages and read messages.

The unread messages section shows all messages that you have sent with a read-receipt request, that have not yet been read by their recipient.

The read messages section shows all messages you have sent with a receipt request that have been read and acknowledged by their recipient. The time that the message was read is also shown.

You may choose to end the tracking on any message you choose by selecting the message and clicking the [end tracking] button.

When you receive a message with a read-receipt request, you may have the option to read the message while denying the read-receipt request. To do this, simply click the 'deny receipt' link rather than the title of the message, if it appears.

The calendar functions in a way similar to the forums in that there can be multiple calendars. One calendar could hold just events that you are able to see, while another may list public events.

There are two types of events on the calendar: normal events and recurring events.

Normal Events span the time frame from when the event starts until the event ends.

Recurring Events repeat over a set period of time based on certain criteria. Examples would be an event that occurs on the first Monday of every month and an event that occurs every Monday and Wednesday.

We have a special feature on the Pro4uM where any event entered into the "Schools, Classes, Seminars, and Conventions" forum is automatically linked and displayed in the calendar.

When you make a post to the Sandbox, or the Friends and Family section, your posts do not count. So, if you want your posts to count, you will need to make posts in other sections.