ScrapGirls Message Board: ScrapGirls Message Board -> Tips for Using SG's Forum

Over the years, one of the top issues we have heard about from our members is that they sometimes have difficulty searching the forum. The search engines that are included with the software we use, while nice, sometimes don’t give you quite the results that we want.

You can get a more refined search by using the Google Tool Bar which you can get here.

The Google Tool Bar allows you to search the forum website in the same way you use the Google search engine. You can search for phrases or acronyms like PSE, PSP, and PS.

Here's what you do:



1. Download and install the Google Tool Bar.




2. Once it is installed, go to the home page of the website you want to search.



3. Enter the search term.

4. Choose Search Site from the drop-down menu.

Note: You MUST enter the search term before choose the Search Site item or Google will return results from other websites!



Your results will show up in a regular-looking Google results list, but you will only see results from that particular website.

TO ACCESS CHAT ROOM

The link to the chat room is found in the top navigation bar. (It is immediately before the gallery item.)

REQUIREMENTS

1. You must have the latest version of Java installed to access the chat room. If you don't have the latest version installed, you will be given a link that allows you to download and install it.

2. You must be a registered member of the Scrap Girls forum. You must be logged into the forum.

TIPS FOR USING

1. Click on ROOMS, then double-click on the event room you are interested in joining. (Some rooms require passwords!)
2. Here is the list of events held on a regular basis: NewMember, Challenges, HighNoon, ATC, NSBR, Quote, Lobby_1823090.
3. Some chats are held right in the Lobby so there is no need to change rooms.
4. Paid classes are password protected. Contact the administrator at hello@scrapgirls.com of you feel you should have the password to one of the classrooms.

TIME ZONE FOR CHATS

Because Scrap Girls home office is located in Utah, all chats and crops are schedule per Mountain Time. If you are in a different time zone, you can figure out what time the chat will be through this handy TIME CONVERTER TOOL.

Here at Scrap Girls, we welcome all members, experienced and new, to our chats/crops/challenges held in the Live Chat room.
- All of our events are hosted and moderated by Scrap Girls team members.
- Moderators will appear in RED/BOLD in the chat room; other Scrap Girls Team members will appear in blue. Please refrain from using these colors and/or bold during the chats to avoid confusion.

New Member chats are directed towards our newest members and are held to answer questions they may have about the message board, galleries, TOU (Terms of Use), and challenges. They are a great way for our new members to find their way around the chat room, learn how things work and get to know us. All members are welcome to attend; however we ask that the focus stay on the new members and welcoming them to our forum.

Each chat event has a theme such as Sketch, Art, Ad, All About Me, and High Noon.
- It is important for all our members that we stay on topic with the chats while having fun.
- All questions are answered by team members unless they open the question to the group.
- Discussions about software and message board use, chocolate and ice cream are natural however we ask that personal information and topics be reserved for our "Non Scrap Book Related" (NSRB) chat, held once a week in the chat room.
- Team members may invite a member into a Private Chat for a gentle reminder if these rules aren't being followed.

Remember, we have a limited amount of time to cover a lot of information. Should the chat or crop end with members still wishing to chat, than please feel free to do so once all chat/class topics have been covered, all questions answered, and the moderator has signed off the chat room floor.

What Scraplifting is:

* Using enough elements from someone's layout to inspire you to create your own masterpiece that it is clear that you have used a certain portion of someone else's ideas. Examples of this may include:
---The way colors are used
---The way embellishments are used
---The way the page is laid out
---The way the papers are used
---The techniques you have used

It is considered polite online gallery behavior to state in your description of your layout post who created a layout that inspired you enough that you scraplifted a large portion of it. You should not submit a scraplifted layout to a magazine for publication, as you are profiting from someone else's ideas and you will just hurt the person that you are intending to honor by scraplifting.

Scraplifting is not:

*A DIRECT COPY of someone else's layout. That is simply duplication and it is not considered to be polite gallery behavior to post such a layout. It is especially wrong to submit a copied layout to a magazine for publication as you are using another person's ideas to profit.

*Having a small idea you see jog your brain into coming up with a creative idea of your own. This is called inspiration and all creative thoughts are built upon seeing something in the world that makes your mind spin off in its own direction.

Ideas can not be copyrighted. Expressions of ideas can be copyrighted.

Anytime you directly copy an expression of an idea you are breaking copyright.

Why does Scrap Girls have signature guidelines? As we grow and have more members join us from all over the world we need to keep in mind not everyone has a high speed internet connection. The more images we have in our signatures and the bigger they are, the longer each message board thread takes to load. Multiply each thread by hundreds of posts with images and slower connections may not be able to read the thread at all.

Our goal is for all members to have a great experience here at Scrap Girls. What we need to do is compact our signatures as much as possible, allowing us to quickly scroll through threads. All images in signatures should be arraigned on no more than 3 lines in post (including blinkies, sig's and tickers). Let them fall naturally. (No left, right center).

All signatures are limited in the number of images permitted, this is to allow the message board to load faster not to limit members creativity. You may receive a private message from a Scrap Girls team member asking you to edit your signature, please let us know if you have any questions, we don't want to edit them for you.

What is okay in a signature:

- Blinkies not larger than 150 X 150 pixels (Please, do not hotlink or give the address for to a locations where competitive products are distributed)
- Blog Links (Please, do not hotlink or give the address for blogs that distribute competitive products)
- Links to personal websites (Please, do not hotlink or give the address for websites that distribute competitive products)

-Custom signatures not larger than 225 X 225 pixels, if created from digital items must be hosted in Scrap Girls' gallery with credits given


What is not okay in a signature or in any post anywhere on the gallery or our forum:
- Come to XXXX.com and buy our stuff!
- Email me at yourname@xxxx.com
- Get freebies XXXXXX
- Get this information at XXXXX forum (which you own. This is a clear bid for driving our visitors to your forum and is thus, disallowed.)
- You'll find XXXXX at XXXXX ( XXXXX includes any competitive freebies or for sale items that are of the type found at ScrapGirls)
- Available at XXX.com
- Available at XXX dot com
- Images that are hot linked to a location that is not on the Scrap Girls website.

This tutorial will teach you how to add Scrap Girls blinkies to your signature.



Choose My Settings through the drop-down menu, located at the top right-hand corner of the site, as shown.



Click on the Profile tab and then choose Change Signature from menu items.

Once you are in the dialogue, click on the Insert Image link.



Enter the web address of the blinkie you wish to use. Click on the Save Changes button.



The blinkie will be in your signature!

BLINKIES

Note: Some of the paths don't show completely. Click on the link and you will be taken to the original blinkie on the Scrap Girls website. You can then copy the web address from your browser address window.



Location: http://scrapgirls.com/SGblinkie.gif

BLINKIES ABOUT YOUR RANKS (How many comments you have made on the board)

The ranks are: New Scrapper on the Block 0 *
Scrapper Next Door 50 **
Good Scrapper 100 ***
Super Scrapper 250 ****
Scrapper Friend 500 *****
Hot Scrapper 750 ******
I Made it! I'm a Top-Dog Scrapper 1000 *******
Scrap Girl Scrapper Devotee 1025 ********
Scrap Girl Messageboard Wise One 2000



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...IES_newgirl.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...S_good-girl.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...IES_hotgirl.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...S_sgdevotee.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl..._girlfriend.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...ES_nextdoor.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl..._girliegirl.gif




BLINKIES ABOUT THE NUMBER OF COMMENTS YOU HAVE MADE IN THE GALLERY




Location: http://scrapgirls.co...ALcmmnts-25.gif



Location: http://scrapgirls.co...ALcmmnts-50.gif



Location: http://scrapgirls.co...ALcmmnts-75.gif



Location: http://scrapgirls.co...Lcmmnts-100.gif



Location: http://scrapgirls.co...Lcmmnts-500.gif

Have you been published in a Magazine? Been there, done that? Congrats: this Blinkie is for you!



Location: http://scrapgirls.co...KIES_Pblshd.gif

Did you JUST get published? Whether it's your very first time ever or a brand new publish, shout it out with this blinkie:



Location: http://scrapgirls.co...Pblshd-JUST.gif

MISCELLANEOUS BLINKIES





Location: http://scrapgirls.co..._NightSCRAP.gif



Location: http://scrapgirls.co...IES_Blessed.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...KIES_Canada.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...BLINKIES_UK.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...LINKIES_USA.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...IES_aussies.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...outiqueBabe.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...KIES_Prayer.gif



Location; http://www.scrapgirl..._Evnt09-YES.gif



Location: http://scrapgirls.co..._Evnt09-WAH.gif



Location: http://scrapgirls.co...INKIES_SG52.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...oftware-PSE.gif




Location: http://www.scrapgirl...software-PS.gif




Location: http://www.scrapgirl...oftware-PSP.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...INKIES_club.gif



Location: http://www.scrapgirl...IES_club-ss.gif

http://www.scrapgirl...ES_scrapguy.gif

Location: http://www.scrapgirl...ES_scrapguy.gif

This tutorial will teach you how to increase or decrease the size of the page you see. If you zoom in, you will see less of the page's content at once time. As a result, the font size will be larger. If you zoom out, you will see more of the page's content at once time. As a result, the font size will be smaller.



This is the default page view.



This is the view after zooming in two "ticks". To zoom in, a PC user will use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl +. (A Mac user will use the Command key instead of the Ctrl key.) This is the view after zooming out two "ticks" or after hitting the shortcut twice.

Notice that you can see less of the page. The font size is larger. (You will see the difference more as you experiment with the shortcut yourself. It is difficult to fully demonstrate the font size in a screenshot.)



To zoom in, a PC user will use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl +. (A Mac user will use the Command key instead of the Ctrl key.) This is the view after zooming out two "ticks" or after hitting the shortcut twice.

Notice that you can see more of the page. The font size is smaller. (You will see the difference more as you experiment with the shortcut yourself. It is difficult to fully demonstrate the font size in a screenshot.)

In this tutorial you will learn how to update your Profile Photo, Signature, Avatar, Status and time zone. Members cam learn about you, where you live, your personal statement and send you a Private Message.

CUSTOMIZING YOUR PROFILE



To customize your profile and add a photo click the photo or down arrow.




Click Profile to open the Profile/Settings dialogue box.




1. Allows you to open your Settings from your Profile.

2. Allows you to add a Facebook Style Status that will show on the Forum Home Page on the Right hand side. Click Update, type in a message and click Save. Top change click update.

3. Click to quickly find Topics you have started and Threads you have posted to.




Here is the Status Updates box on the Forum Home Page



Once you have some information added to your settings anyone that visits your Profile can view the information. Your Profile is PUBLIC information so be careful of what you share. (Editing your settings will be covered in a following tutorial).



You can see your member group, Anniversary Date, Latest Visitors, Friends and Comments among other things from your Profile.




UPDATING YOUR PROFILE INFORMATION

From the Profile Tab in your Settings (#1 Above) you can update your information. There are six tabs in the Profile Settings.

Change Profile Information is where you set your Comment, Friend, Profile View and Other Information and is shown on your Profile page when people visit.

Comments: enable or disable Profile comments and Notifications, check for Enable, uncheck for Disable. You also can choose Email, PM or No notification from the drop down box. Comment approval is also set here, Disable allows comments without approval, Enable requires approval of comments left.

Friends: Choose your notification type and if someone can become your friend without prior approval. :)

Profile Information: Share your birthday with us! Or not, it's up to you!

CUSTOM MEMBER TITLE

http://scrapgirls.com/images/custom-member-title.jpg<br />

Once you have made 2500 posts, you can create a custom member title here.



Other Information: IM Names, Website link (personal websites, NO commercial), a personal statement, Gender and Location. Make sure you save changes! All information is optional, not required. Please be brief with your Personal Statement as it is displayed under your avatar on each post.



Tell us about yourself! Populates the About Me tab on your Profile.




Change Signature allows you to customize your Signature. Add your name or what you would like to be called. Do you have a favorite quote or scripture? Share it with us.




You can even create a signature image and link it here. Please upload a NOT larger than 225X225 Pixel image to our Signature Gallery and use the insert image button shown above. Copy the code from the images gallery page Share- Image Link and paste it into the box that open when you click the insert image button. Save Changes. Please see our Terms of Use for more guidelines.

READ THIS TUTORIAL IF YOU WISH TO LEARN ABOUT ADDING BLINKIES TO YOUR SIGNATURE




ADDING A PHOTO TO YOUR PROFILE

To add a photo to your profile and have it show in the top right corner of the website:

1. Choose a photo and resize it to 150 X 150 Pixels at 72 dip not larger than 100KB and save it to your computer.
2. Click the browse button shown above and browse to where you saved the image.
3. Click save changes. If you are uploading a new image to replace an existing one, browse to your image and click Save Changes.
4. Log out of Scrap Girls.
5. Close your browser.
6. Clear your temp files and cache.
7. Log back into Scrap Girls. If you are still seeing your original image, close your browser and reboot your computer before logging back into Scrap Girls.



ADDING AN AVATAR

An avatar is an image you choose to represent you on the message board. You can use a layout, photo, or other graphic images as long as they are on bigger than 100 X 100 pixels and less than 100 KB in size. Click the browse button and browse to where your image is. Click Save Changes.



BLOCKING PERSONAL MESSAGES FROM A SPECIFIC MEMBER

If there are members you choose not to accept Personal Messages from, Add their Member Name in the box and check the Ignore Personal Conversations. Click Save Changes.

Click your Profile button again to see changes that members will see when they visit your page!

In this tutorial you will learn how to View Today's New Content and Mark all Forum Threads as Read, allowing show new posts since your last visit .




On the forum home page you can view what is new since you last checked, by clicking on the View New Content button found just above the calendar.



The first time you click button this you may get a huge number, mine was 38490! This is either because you have just joined the boards and so you have probably not read many. It could also be that like me this was the first time since the board upgrade that I clicked the button. You can mark all as read by clicking the button at the top of the forum page as shown above.



Now when you click the View New Content button there are no unread threads. As posts are added to threads and new topics started you will see just what is new when you click the button. You can always see any thread by going to the forum it is posted in and clicking on it.



Another way to view recent topics and threads are to use TODAY'S Active Content button. You will find the button way down at the bottom of the forum in the purple bar just above the active users and statistics.

In this tutorial you will learn how to save a Gallery image to your favorites and how to view and manage your favorites.

On the main Forum page of the Message Board, in the upper right corner of the message board is your avatar and a drop down menu. In the bar beside your name is an arrow that when clicked brings up a menu.




This is where you will find your Profile, Settings, Private messenger, Manage your Friends and Link to your gallery For this tutorial we will be using your Settings.



Under Settings in the drop down menu are five tabs. Settings, Profile, Forums, Gallery and Blogs. This is where YOUR user and use information is stored.



IN the Gallery Tab is YOUR Albums (if you have created any), Favorite Images (saved from the gallery) and Image Subscriptions (comments on your gallery images).



To save a gallery image as a favorite just click the favorite button on the gallery page. Enjoy saving gallery images for future inspiration!