Site Glossary

Administration / Administrator

CR4 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:

Moving posts to the proper forum
Helping users who are having problems registering, posting, etc.
Answering questions about the site

When necessary, they also scrub objectionable messages from the site and boot violators. They don't enjoy doing this, but do so to enforce the site rules.

Contact 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!)

This term is interchangeable with "Moderator".

Anonymous Poster

Registered members of CR4 may elect to post material anonymously. This may be done to protect themselves from potential real-world problems, or to distance their selves from a particular issue. While the user comes across as anonymous to the user base, the CR4 Admin will know who they are so that this feature can’t be used to abuse other site members or to incite flame wars.

Avatar

An avatar is an image or icon that represents the user, and that displays in the user’s profile and within posts and replies. You can upload an avatar through your user profile, or select one from our stock list.

Blog

A weblog (blog) is an online journal comprised of original, written content along with links and images. The most recent blog entries appear at the top of the page. A blog is owned by an individual user or a small group. Only the blog's owner or owners can post an entry to a blog; however, all users can reply to these posts.

Cookies

Cookies are used to track your username/password and determine which posts you've 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 CR4's advanced features (story tracking, story rating, user preferences, etc).

Daily Digest

CR4 sends a daily email that 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 join the conversations. The Daily Digest is available to all registered users.

Discussion

A discussion is one of the two message types for forum posts on CR4. (The other type is a question.) Discussions cover topics such as news, tips, theories, stories, etc.; basically, discussions are forum posts that do 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. (Hint: It’s in the “Got Something to Say?” box.)

Forum

A forum is a specialized area within each section where any user can "Ask a Question" or "Start a Discussion."

Guest

Once upon a time, we allowed unregistered visitors to post on the site. This became a source of frustration for our registered users, so we no longer allow guests. All who wish to post material on CR4 must be registered.

Internal Messages

Internal messaging allows registered users to engage in discussions that are not accessible by the greater community. Internal 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 from the community. 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. Do not use of the internal messaging system to send unrequested solicitations, spam, or harassing messages; or to engage in cyber-stalking. Such behavior will not be tolerated.

Login

(May also be written as "Logged In" or "Log in") Login can refer to two things:

The state in which CR4 recognizes you as a registered member.
The act of signing into CR4 (with your username and password) so that you can access your profile and post as a known user.

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 as a registered member by the site. A user who has logged out will not be able to access his or her profile and will not be able to post.

Member Title

Member titles are a fun way to track user participation on the site. The more posts you submit to CR4, the higher you'll rise along the following scale:

0 - Browser
1 - 4 Participant
5 - 9 Member
10 - 24 Active Contributor
25 - 54 Associate
55 - 99 Commentator
100 - 499 Power-User
500 - 999999 Guru

Beyond that, we really don't know (and we're kind of scared ...).

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 Types

Site users must mark their forum 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 forum post that does not involve the direct asking of a question.

Moderator

See Administrator.

Navigation Bar

The navigation bar is on the right-hand side of every CR4 page. It allows users to travel around the site and access many of the tools provided by CR4.

Password

A password is specified during registration and is required to login. 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 Tags

Pathfinder 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 when the entry is first posted and, occasionally by the CR4 moderation team.

Post / Posts

A "post" is what you submit to CR4 in the form of a question or a discussion (i.e., a forum post), or a reply (i.e., comment). After you register with CR4, a running tally of your posts is collected and displayed in your profile. Higher post totals demonstrate your level of engagement within the community. As your post total increases, your member title rank will increase as well.

Profile / Member Profile / User Profile

All registered users have a CR4 profile. In this area, you can add extra information about yourself to help define 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 displayed in your profile: your username, your join date, your last visit and last post dates and times, and your total number of posts.

Question

A question is one of the two types of forum posts 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 in the "Got Something to Say?" box.)

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 display 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 consider your most recent vote for each story (i.e., if you vote that a story is a 2 and later change your vote to a 4, your original vote of 2 is deleted).

Registration

Registration is the process of creating a CR4 user profile so that you can ask questions, start discussions, send internal messages, and personalize your site experience. To 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!

Reply

A reply is any response to a question or discussion (forum posts), or a blog entry.

Subscribing

When you post a question or discussion (i.e., a forum post), you are given the option of subscribing. Whenever someone replies to the post, you will receive an email letting you know that someone has commented. This is particularly valuable if you've asked a question and want to stay on top of the replies.

Username

Your username is the name by which others know you on CR4. You select your username when registering and cannot change it. One person, one account. No exceptions.

User names should not contain registered trademarks, company names, or the names of real people who are not you. Also, they should not contain foul, unsavory, or profane language that violates the CR4 site policy.

User Tags

Registered users can tag forum posts and blog entries to make it easier to find this information again later. Unlike pathfinder tags, user tags are not visible to the general public. They simply serve to help you organize the site for yourself. Tagged items can be tracked and modified through your user profile.

Views

Views are the number of times that members and guests have looked at a particular post.