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Site GlossaryAdministration / AdministratorCR4 administrators are the good folks who built CR4 and continue to run the site. They handle the day-to-day operation of the site, including:
When necessary, they also scrub objectionable messages from the site and boot violators (They don't appreciate doing this, but they will). Contact the CR4 Admin if you have ideas about new sections you'd like to see, are having trouble logging in, want to report an objectionable post, or just want to say "thanks" (They really do appreciate it!). AvatarAn image or icon representing the user that shows up in the user description within posts and replies. You can upload an avatar through your user profile, or select one from the stock avatar list. BlogA blog is an online journal comprised of postings and links. The most recent postings appear at the top of the page. A blog is owned by an individual user or a small, selected group. Only the blog's owner or owners can start a discussion within a given blog; however, all users can reply to posts. CookiesCookies are used to track your username/password and determine which posts you have read during your current session. If your browser does not accept cookies, some CR4 functions won't work properly. If you don't want to use cookies, you don't have to. You can still post (either anonymously, or by entering your password each time you submit a comment), but you will not be able to use all of the advanced features of CR4 (story tracking, story rating, user preferences, etc). Daily DigestCR4 sends out an email every morning which condenses all of the day's news into short, digestible morsels. Since it's nearly impossible to keep up with all of the posts on CR4, the Daily Digest provides a great way to catch up on what you've missed and enter the conversations. The Daily Digest is available to all registered users. Guests can also subscribe to it on GlobalSpec (registration required). DiscussionA discussion is one of the two message types on CR4. (The other type is a question.) Discussions cover topics such as news, tips, theories, stories, etc.; basically, discussions are any form of messaging that does not involve the direct asking of a question. To start a discussion, simply click "Start a Discussion" at the top of the right-hand navigation bar. ForumA forum is a specialized area within each section. It's a place where any user can "Ask a Question" or "Start a Discussion." GuestA guest is a user who is not recognized as a member of CR4. This occurs because the user has not registered for CR4, or is a member who has logged out. Guests can ask questions, start discussions and post replies, but do not have access to the full tools of a registered user (profile, private messaging, rating, etc.). Registration at CR4 is free, so what are you waiting for? Login(May also be written as "Logged In" or "Log in") Login can refer to two things:
Logout"Logging out" is the opposite of "Logging In." It is an act performed by a registered CR4 user wherein he or she is no longer recognized by the site. A user who has logged out will not be able to access his or her profile and will appear as a guest when asking questions, starting discussions or replying. A logged out user will not accrue points towards higher member status and cannot rate posts. The user must login again to be recognized as a member of CR4. Member TitleMember titles are a fun way to track user participation on the site. The more posts you submit to CR4, the higher you'll rise You must be a registered CR4 member to accrue posts toward user titles. Any actions that you take prior to registering will not be carried over. When you register, you start as a "browser". If you previously registered at the old CR4 (prior to September 13, 2006), your information has been carried over and you will start at a level commensurate with your level of engagement with the old site. You may notice a number of folks with titles that are not on this list. They are CR4 administrators and do not gain rank in this way. Message TypesSite users must mark their posts with one of two message types: question or discussion. A "question" is... well... any post that directly asks a question. A "discussion" is a wider classification including news, tips, theories, stories, etc.; basically, a discussion is any form of messaging that does not involve the direct asking of a question. Navigation BarThe navigation bar is on the right-hand side of every page within CR4. It allows users to travel around the site and access many of the tools provided by CR4. PasswordTo register for CR4, all users must create a personal password. This password, in conjunction with your username, will allow you to access CR4 as a full member. When entering a password, use a term that you will remember easily and keep in mind that the system is case sensitive. This password is yours alone - do not share it with anyone, as this could allow someone else to access your account. Should you forget you password, click here to have it emailed to you. Pathfinder TagsPathfinder tags are similar to keywords. They are added to a post to detail important topics within that post. They also allow users to find a post more easily. Pathfinder tags may be added by the poster of the entry when the entry is first posted and, in extraordinary circumstances, by the CR4 administration team. Post / PostsA "post" refers to any information you have submitted to CR4 in the form of a question, discussion or reply. After you register for CR4, a running tally of your posts is collected and displayed in your profile and as part of any post you submit. Higher post totals demonstrate your level of engagement within the community. As your post total increases, your member title rank will increase as well. Private MessagesPrivate messaging allows registered users to engage in discussions that are not accessible by the greater community. Private messaging is similar to email, but the only information that you need to send the message is a username. This is a great resource for users who find their communication within a discussion deviating from the main point, or who would prefer to keep their discussion private. Users do not need to exchange email addresses, so these discussions can be carried on anonymously, away from one's real world identity, if desired. Use of the private messaging system to send unrequested solicitations, spam, or harassing messages; or to engage in cyber-stalking, will not be tolerated. Profile / Member Profile / User ProfileAll registered users of CR4 have a profile In this area, you can add extra information about yourself to help flesh out your personality to the user community. You can edit the following fields: Signature, Homepage, Occupation, Location, Biography, Interests, Avatar, and Time Zone. You can also change your comment format and subscription defaults. You are not obliged to add anything about yourself, but please note that the following information is captured by CR4 and automatically displayed in your profile: your username, your join date, your last visit and last post dates and times, and your total number of posts. QuestionA question is one of the two message types on CR4. (The other type is a discussion.) A "question" is... well... any post that directly asks a question. To ask a question, simply click "Ask a Question". (Hint: It's on the right above the navigation bar.) Rating / Rate "Thread"You can rate any forum thread from 1 to 5 stars - 1 being poor and 5 being superlative. At the top of every thread are three gray boxes. Click "Rate this", enter your choice, and then click "Add Vote". Your opinion of the thread will be registered instantly and added to the total. Please note that we do not display half or quarter stars. Instead, we round up or round down to the closet rating. For example, an item rated 3.2 stars will physically show up as 3 stars, while something rated 3.7 will appear as 4 stars. You are welcome to change your vote at any time, but CR4 will only log your most recent vote for each individual story (i.e., if you vote that as story is a 2 and later change your vote to a 4, your original vote of 2 is deleted). RegistrationTo register for CR4, simply click "Register" in the navigation bar, read and agree to abide by CR4's site policy, and enter a username, password and valid email address. Then click "Complete registration". You will receive an automatically-generated email acknowledging your registration. Follow the proscribed steps and you're be a full member! ReplyA reply is any response to a question, discussion or blog entry. SectionsCR4 is divided into nine sections, roughly broken down by industry grouping. These sections include:
Note: Each section contains a forum and blogs related to the subject matter. SubscribingWhen you post a question or discussion, you are given the option of subscribing. Whenever someone replies to the post, you will receive an email letting you know that someone has chimed in. This is particularly valuable if you've asked a question and want to stay on top of the replies. TagsMembers have the ability to add "tags" to forum threads and blog entries. Our version of tags is a little different than what you may have seen... we've defined two kinds of tags: User tags (which anyone can make), and Pathfinder tags (which the author makes). See User Tags and Pathfinder Tags for more. UsernameYour username is the name by which you are known on CR4. You select your username when registering and cannot change it. Also, we ask that you avoid using registered trademarks, company names, or the names of real people (who are not you) in or as your username. User TagsRegistered users can tag forum posts and blog entries so that they can find them later. User tags are not visible to the general public, only to the person who has done the tagging. Tagged items can be tracked and modified through you user profile. ViewsThe number of times that site users have looked at a particular post. Who's OnlineThis is a listing of all registered users who are logged into CR4 at a given time. |
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