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Community Navigating the asylum

momofthegoons

Vapor Accessory Addict
Staff member
Coming on to a forum can be intimidating if you aren't familiar with how it works. Here are a few tips to help you:

Personal information: You can personalize your account by adding an avatar and other information. To do this, simply hit the link on your username on the upper forum toolbar. This will give you a drop down box with many options to choose from. This drop down box also has a tab for Alert Preferences.

Asylum members can opt to use two step verification on their accounts to ensure that no one can hack into their account. To do this, go to your user account and click on the 'Password and security' link.

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Then enable the two-step verification option.


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Posting:

At the top of your reply box, there is a tool bar that looks like this:

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If you hover over the commands, it will tell you what they represent.

When the smilies button is clicked, you will get a drop down of our most popular emoticons (smilies) for use, however additional smilies can be found here. To use, copy the text (BBC code) and post in the body of your reply.

Posting a picture - Images can be directly uploaded from your computer or mobile by hitting the 'Attach files' tab located at the bottom of the reply box. Or you can drag the image into the reply box from your image library or downloads file.

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You will now have the option to load your image(s) as a file attachment (by posting it as is), or as a thumbnail or full image.

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You can also use the image tab in the toolbar. You will get a drop down that gives you the option to enter the URL or drag the image into the post.

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You can download images from Instagram by copying the link from the image and pasting it directly into the body of your reply. When using an iPhone, you need to add www. after the https// in your url.

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We also now offer a Media Gallery. You can find the link to it here:

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You'll be able to keep a gallery album of your photos there.

Pictures can be downloaded from image hosting sites as well. To use the image in a post, simply past the URL in the body of your post. You do not need to use the toolbar. However, this is NOT the preferred method of image posting. Image hosting sites tend to hold your images 'hostage' and have been going to a 'pay per' system in order for you to use them. This means that if they decide they don't want to host at a particular site, that your images will disappear from your post. Using the forum to host your images will ensure that they remain in your post.

You also have the ability to add a poll to your thread.

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Back to Back Posts - You can avoid making back to back posts if you are within your 6 hour edit period. Simply hit you edit button at the bottom left of your post screen and add the content you wish to add to your existing post. If you wish to reply to more than one thing or member, you can reply to each post you want to quote, but please do not hit the reply button on your post until you are finished.

Tagging a Member - Members can be tagged in posts by adding the @ as a prefix to their username (i.e. @momofthegoons). This will only alert the member if done during the original posting and not during an edit. If a member has turned off their alerts, they will not be alerted to the tag.

Linking to a specific post: There is a link to each post in the upper right corner of the post. Click it and you will get the link address to copy.


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Our software 'saves' drafts that you have written in a conversation or post for you every 2 minutes. This content will stay in your reply box for 6 hours, even if you leave the page. When you return to that page, it will appear as shaded text. If you no longer wish to use that content, you MUST delete it prior to replying or it will add to your post. The draft will save in a reply box until you have either used it or deleted it and posted something else. To delete a saved post, you need to click the draft icon in your tool bar. You will get a drop down to delete or save the draft.

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Edit & Report buttons - The Edit and Report buttons are at the bottom lower left of a post. Members have an edit window of 6 hours. After that the edits are closed. If you wish to edit a post after the edit window is closed, contact staff by hitting the report button or by pm.

Deleting posts
- Members cannot delete posts. If you decide to remove the content within the edit time, please report the post and a moderator will delete it for you.

If you would like to practice posting a picture or link, we have an area called The Practice Area in Community Discussion.

If you want to watch a particular forum click the Watch Forum link at the top right of the thread list:


You can also watch a specific thread in a forum by hitting the 'Watch' button.

You can also choose to watch an entire forum.

This drop down box will appear... and you can choose whether to get your notifications of new posts via alert or email.


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Now you'll get alerts whenever a new thread is created in each forum you mark as watched whether you have posted in it or not.


Screen style

You have the option of using the light version of this software if you prefer a lighter background. To do this, you go to the lower, left hand corner of your screen and hit this tab:

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You will get a screen that gives you a choice of going with our dark or light style. If you choose the light style it will change your background and look like this:


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Private Conversations

You can start a private conversation with a member here by one of two ways:

There is a tab called Inbox at the top right corner of the Home page.

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Or, you can click on a member's avatar and get this box:

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This screen gives you the option to follow, ignore or start a conversation with a member.


Hopefully, these tips will help you. Feel free to ask any questions or add tips, if you have them.:smile:

Cell Phone App

We now have an app for your phone that will link you to the site. For example, with an iPhone.....

Simply open up the site in your browser and go to your download function.

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It will give you the option to add the site to your home screen.

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Click Add.....


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And you should see a VA app added to your screen.....

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Last edited:
Hi Mom!

Quick question for you!
Does the "Alerts" in the top right corner ever reset itself?
I have noticed that mine just keeps climbing and even when hovering my mouse over the list it just stays the same.
Would be nice if it reset.

Thanks for the awesome site!!!

OOOPS!!! Mine just reset as i posted this! LOL!
 
Is there a multi quote button? I'm used to it being near the bottom right of the page but can't find it. Thanks.
 
Is anyone else having using the forum with Firefox?

I kept getting error messages then the page would freeze. Then I would have to close the tab. I have cleared caches and history Some threads would load very slow.
Launched Microsft and edge and now everything seems fine.
 
Is anyone else having using the forum with Firefox?

I kept getting error messages then the page would freeze. Then I would have to close the tab. I have cleared caches and history Some threads would load very slow.
Launched Microsft and edge and now everything seems fine.
I use Firefox all of the time with this site and no problems at all. I'm on 52.0.1 (32 bit version). Hope this is helpful.
 
Is anyone else having using the forum with Firefox?

I kept getting error messages then the page would freeze. Then I would have to close the tab. I have cleared caches and history Some threads would load very slow.
Launched Microsft and edge and now everything seems fine.
I use Firefox all of the time with this site and no problems at all. I'm on 52.0.1 (32 bit version). Hope this is helpful.
I'm sure that this is related to the series of DDOS attacks we have been receiving. We are in the process of dealing with them.
 
I'm sure that this is related to the series of DDOS attacks we have been receiving. We are in the process of dealing with them.

I'm having trouble with the site knocking me off today. I keep having to re enter the site at least 10 tines this afternoon.

I have had the same issue for a day or two. I've sent a PM to @momofthegoons and she's aware. See her post ^^^ above. Issues should be taken care of soon.
 
Yeah I didn't want to say anything because it is not my place, however, browser choice has nothing to do with this.

I would also like to remind people that if you want the mods to delete a post you made you must report it so it comes to their attention. Otherwise it may get lost in the shuffle . . . :peace:
 
I'm having trouble with the site knocking me off today. I keep having to re enter the site at least 10 times this afternoon.
I am sorry for the downtime we've been experiencing. We have been hit with a series of DDoS attacks since the site started that have crashed the site and made other functions slow. Additional steps are in place now to secure the site. Hopefully we've seen the end of it now. If not? Bigger walls for the asylum!!! :smackdown:

Thanks for all your patience everyone.
 
Here is some info on what @momofthegoons is dealing with. DoS/DDoS Attacks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack


In computing, a denial-of-service attack (DoS attack) is a cyber-attack where the perpetrator seeks to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users by temporarily or indefinitely disrupting services of a host connected to the Internet. Denial of service is typically accomplished by flooding the targeted machine or resource with superfluous requests in an attempt to overload systems and prevent some or all legitimate requests from being fulfilled.[1] A DoS attack is analogous to a group of people crowding the entry door or gate to a shop or business, and not letting legitimate parties enter into the shop or business, disrupting normal operations.

Criminal perpetrators of DoS attacks often target sites or services hosted on high-profile web servers such as banks or credit card payment gateways. Revenge, blackmail[2][3][4] and activism[5] can motivate these attacks.

Defense techniques
Defensive responses to denial-of-service attacks typically involve the use of a combination of attack detection, traffic classification and response tools, aiming to block traffic that they identify as illegitimate and allow traffic that they identify as legitimate.[51] A list of prevention and response tools is provided below:

Application front end hardware
Application front-end hardware is intelligent hardware placed on the network before traffic reaches the servers. It can be used on networks in conjunction with routers and switches. Application front end hardware analyzes data packets as they enter the system, and then identifies them as priority, regular, or dangerous. There are more than 25 bandwidth management vendors.
 
One thing that has come to my attention is that if you use yellow (or any of the real light colors) for your font, it is not easily visible using the VaporAsylum dark background. Conversely, using dark colors on the light background creates the same situation.

There is a solution to both situations; simply highlight the text and it is readable.
 

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