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We're executing a cleanup of the League Members group based off of the 2016 season declaration roll call that has been going on over the last 1-2 weeks ahead of some upcoming key votes which will be announced on our Announcement and General Discussion forums. You should of been contacted by your team leadership (or league leadership) regarding this. As a result, you may no longer have access to the Announcements/General Discussion forums. If this is in error, please contact your team leadership or the forum administrator (gbd@qcrg.net).

Apologies for any inconvenience.

Thanks,
GBD

Also new - there is a "Switch to Mobile Theme" link at the bottom of all pages.

When browsing the site in the mobile version, you'll see an option to go to the full site (as you'd see on a computer). However, sometimes when you switch to the full version, you'll find yourself unable to go back to using the mobile site.


If this happens - use this link: http://forum.qcrg.net/?thememode=mobile


If you happen to click that link while on a computer, and want to revert back to the full site, use this link: http://forum.qcrg.net/?thememode=full

[Who Can Access My Forum?]

Who Can Access My Forum?

In addition to approving/rejecting membership requests, you can see all members of a particular group and explicitly add individuals as needed.

Go to http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=moderate;area=viewgroups to see a listing of groups. From here, click on a group to see a listing of members of that group. If you have sufficient rights (e.g. you are a moderator of that group) you will have options to remove individuals using the checkboxes in the list, and you can add individuals using the 'Add a member to this group' option below the member list.

Note: Members of the Administrators group can see all forums (this is a software feature that cannot be changed). The only account presently in this group is an admin system account used to maintain admin settings in the forums -  it does not receive topic notifications.

If you're visiting this site on a mobile device, a couple of notes.

1) Most features (login, new topic, notify, profile, etc) are available via the Menu icon in the upper-right corner of every page:


2) When signing in, I highly recommend using the option to always be logged in (unless using say a public or shared computer) as this will ensure you needn't sign into the forums repeatedly (such as when following emailed links to topics or posts).

[By default, everyone is subscribed to team and committee boards that they are members of]

Notifications allow you to receive an email when there is a new topic made in a board you subscribe to, or when there is a reply to a topic you have subscribed to.

You can find the option to subscribe to boards or topics in the bottom-right hand corner of each board or topic:


Clicking on it will give a prompt to confirm, after having subscribed you'll be notified going forward. You can un-notify by clicking on the same button again (now called 'un-notify').

By default, everyone is subscribed to team and committee boards that they are members of. This means you'll be notified of new topics in these forums regardless of your particular settings for that board. This does NOT extend to the General Discussion (league) forum. If this policy changes there will be an announcement.

Another important note -- you can review your notification settings at http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=profile;area=notification

Here you have the option to automatically subscribe to any topic you have posted in (including topics you have created), whether to include the content of topics/replies in the emails sent (recommended), and to set your notification settings for how often you want to receive emails -- instantly (all replies/topics); instantly but only for the first unread reply (until you visit the topic); daily; or weekly. I highly recommend using at least daily notifications, and giving the instant options a try even if you felt Yahoo sent entirely too much email.

If you are finding you get emails for some replies/topics, but not all - it is likely you have your notification settings set to 'instantly but only for the first unread reply' (this is the forum default). Change to 'Instant' to receive all notifications, regardless of how often you visit the forum (best for keeping on top of things via your inbox).

The last option concerns whether to be notified of replies, moderation, or both. I'm not sure what the real purpose of the moderation part is, but you'll want reply notification.

You'll also see a list of all of your subscribed boards and topics and can un-subscribe en masse. Per above, you'll be automatically subscribed to your team and committee boards and this option will not show up in this list.

Access to any forum here is governed by an accompanying membergroup. You can see a list of your groups by visiting http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=moderate;area=viewgroups

Clicking on a group will then take you to a listing of every individual who is in that particular group, and by extension, show every individual who can see its accompanying forum. You can also use this list to remove individuals, as well as to add them (regardless of whether they have explicitly requested membership or if they have requested and been denied in the past).

Note: Members of the Administrators group can see all forums (this is a software feature that cannot be changed). The only account presently in this group is an admin system account used to maintain admin settings in the forums -  it does not receive topic notifications.

[In order to gain access to a group's discussions, you must request access to that particular membergroup.]

After you register for an account on the forums, you'll still need to be added to membergroups before you can get access to league/team/committee discussions.

You can always see which membergroups you are a part of, and which ones are available to request membership in, by going to http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=profile;area=groupmembership In order to gain access to a group's discussions, you must request access to that particular membergroup.

The list of available groups breaks down into three categories:

• League Members - All league members should request access to this, it gives access to the general league forums.
• Teams - Each team (plus the herd, court, and league volunteers) has their own membergroup.
• Committees - Each committee (e.g. training, events) has their own membergroup.

Note: For Juniors Members / Parents, select the Juniors Members group.

After creating your account, be sure you go to http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=profile;area=groupmembership and request access in your relevant groups!

[Gaining Access to Forums]

Gaining Access to Forums

We use membergroups to control which forums individual users have access to. As a new forum member, you'll need to request membership in the different groups that you are a member of in order to gain access to those related forums.

By going to http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=profile;area=groupmembership you'll see a list of groups you are currently a member of, and a list of groups which you can request membership in (these include the teams and committees – access to forums like the Board or CoC is managed by admins only).

Generally speaking, you should be requesting access to League Members (for our general forums), your Team, and your Committee. (Note: some individuals, e.g. Court members, do not get access to the general League forum).

You can also be added to groups by admins or moderators directly (without needing to request access), although requesting access is still recommended.

Clicking on Request Membership will send your request to someone who can grant you membership in that particular group. Please ensure your display name and/or username are recognizable to help facilitate this process. You can also provide a reason as part of the request process.

When you have been approved access, you will receive an email notification. Once you are in a group, you will begin seeing the associated forum in your forum list and can begin to participate in topics and discussions.

You also have the option of setting a group as your 'primary' group. The primary effect of this is that it will determine what group is shown alongside your profile information in certain contexts.

[Sticky Topics]

Sticky Topics

A sticky topic is one that will be permanently affixed to the top of your forum topic list. This is very useful for important information and links.

To make a new topic sticky, click 'Attachments and other options' and enable the 'Sticky this topic' option. Proceed as with any post.

To make an existing topic sticky go to the topic in question – below the posts (but above the quick reply section) will be some options – one is 'Set Topic Sticky'. Click to enable the topic as sticky.

By that same logic, you can 'un-sticky' a topic by clicking 'Set Topic Un-Sticky'.

[Announcing Topics]

Announcing Topics

CLARIFICATION (1/5/2015): Because by default all members of a board are subscribed to new topic notifications, using the Announce option is only really needed for the most important posts.

Within your own forum, you can force an email to be sent to all members of your group by using the Announce Topic feature. When creating a topic, click on 'Attachments and other options' to expand options.


Enable the 'Announce topic' option and click Post to proceed when you're ready. You'll be taken to a confirmation page where you can select which groups will receive this message – generally the list will be Administrators plus the group for this forum. You can uncheck Administrators if you wish.

If your topic has images or attachments, these won't be included in the email, although the email will include a link to the topic in question, so if those attachments/images are important, include a note to view them by going to the topic in question.

[Granting Membership]

Granting Membership

When someone requests access to a group that you manage, you should receive an email noting that includes a link. You can also get there by clicking on the 'Moderate' tab at the top of this page and clicking on the Membergroup Requests tab OR by going to http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=moderate;area=groups;sa=requests


Within the list, click the checkbox for the individual to add, select Approve or Reject from the dropdown (as applicable) and follow the prompts to finalize.

You will only see requests for groups that you are a moderator on. Moderators for groups are managed by forum admins.



You can also pro-actively add users to a group -- select a group you are a moderator of at http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=moderate;area=viewgroups -- use the option at the bottom ("Add a member to this group") to look up users and add them.

This topic outlines features that will be of use of forum moderators - forum moderators will, typically, be leadership for a particular forum (for example, coaches, captains, or committee chairs).

If you encounter particular issues or need specific assistance, please log an issue at the QCRG IT Helpdesk or send me a message.

[Setting up your profile.]

Setting up your profile.

Once your account is created, you'll want to get started setting your profile up and getting access to whichever particular forums you'll need access to.
Using the ribbon at the top of this page – you'll see a profile option – under that you'll have 3 options.

Profile Summary (http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=profile) shows how your profile appears to other users of this forum.

Account Settings (http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=profile;area=account) is where you can change your display name (your display name is what is shown alongside your posts, your username is what you use to log into the forum), update your email address, password, and more.


Forum Profile (http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=profile;area=forumprofile) is where you can change your avatar (image displayed along your posts) – using either a team logo pre-loaded into the system, or uploading your own, and other publicly shown details about yourself.

Within the profile page there are additional options under the 'Modify Profile' menu option. You can use these options to make more specific changes to your forum experience. The key one we want to highlight is 'Group Membership'.

[Registration]

Registration

Begin by registering your account at http://forum.qcrg.net/index.php?action=register

You'll be presented with a registration agreement outlining some of the rules and procedures of this forum. Notably – this forum is for internal use, fans and individuals not directly affiliated with the league are not permitted to register.

After accepting the agreement you'll be asked to register a username, email address, and password. The use of derby names is recommended for usernames as this will make you easily recognized on the forums. It is also strongly advised that you use an email address that you check regularly – unlike our Yahoo groups the forums are configured where the only emails you will receive will be important announcements from leadership (league or team leadership). The option to allow emails will allow other forum members to send you emails through the forum system – your email address is only directly visible to admins.

Once you have registered you will receive an email confirmation and be returned to the Forum list. You will not have access to any additional forums until you are added to some membergroups - see the section on Gaining Access to Forums for more information.

[Some Terminology]

Some Terminology

QCRG Forums – These discussion forums.

Forum or Board – A specific forum or message board within the larger forums. For example, there are forums for each team and each committee, as well as a general discussion forum for league members.

Topic – Within a forum, individuals begin new discussions by creating new topics.

Post(s) – Within a topic, posts are the individual messages added by users.

Group(s) or Membergroup(s) – A collection of users who are related in some way, access to specific forums is maintained through an individual's group memberships.

Moderator(s) – Individuals with extra rights within a specific forum. These rights include the ability to announce topics (send topics as an email notification), modify or delete posts, and maintain groups and access. Moderators will (typically) be league, team, and committee leadership (depending on the forum).

Welcome to the QCRG Forums! This thread will walk you through creating your account. You can find an alternate copy of this information in this google doc.

If you are having specific issues, please log an incident in the QCRG Helpdesk.