Abebooks Community F.A.Q.
Accessing the Forums
Q: Do I have to be signed on to post?
Q: How do I sign on?
Q: What is a "Nickname" and why do I need one?
Q: How do I create or update my Nickname?
Q: Why can I not access the Bookseller Forum?
Navigating the Forums
Q: How do I post a new discussion (thread)?
Q: How can I tell what is a new discussion? 
Q: How do I reply to a post in a discussion?
Q: How can I find a specific discussion or thread?
Q: How do I sort the discussions?
Q: What is the "Rate My Interest" function? ( /  )
Q: How do I report what I believe to be a bad or an unacceptable post/user?
Your Profile and Preferences
Q: How do I change my forum Profile and Preferences?
Q: What can I change in "My Preferences"?
Q: How do I add pictures, URLs and other advanced content to my signature?
Q: I don’t know HTML, how do I just add an image to my signature?
Technical
Q: Why do I sometimes see gibberish or HTML code when I press the [Back] button?
Q: Do I need JavaScript turned on in my browser to participate in the Abebooks Community Forums?
Q: Do I need Java turned on in my browser to participate in the Abebooks Community Forums?
Misc
Q: What if my question is not on this list?
Accessing the Forums
Q: Do I have to be signed on to post?
A: Yes, you need to be signed on to post on the forums. Creating an account is fast and free. When creating an account, or when logging on to the forums for the first time, you will be asked to create a "Nickname" for yourself.
Q: How do I sign on?
A: If you are signed on to our system using your Abebooks account, you are signed in to the forums.
Q: What is a "Nickname" and why do I need one?
A: Your Nickname is what other community members will know you by - it's your name on our community forums. Using a Nickname protects your privacy. Other forum users will only be able to see your Nickname, rather than your full name or bookstore name. All Nicknames are unique. Note: Your nickname should be less than 33 characters, and contain only letters, numbers or the underscore ("_"). It cannot start with the letter sequence "ABE".
Q: How do I update my Nickname?
A: The first time you logged into the Forums, you were asked to create a Nickname for yourself. In the Abebooks Community Forums, there is a link on the right hand side, "My Nickname". Clicking this link will allow you to view and update the Nickname you chose.
Q: Why can I not access the Bookseller Forum?
A: The Bookseller Discussion Room is only available to Abebooks member booksellers. To become a bookseller on Abebooks, please read the information under our Sell Books section.
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Navigating the Forums
Q: How do I post a new discussion (thread)?
A: You can post a new discussion by clicking the "Post New". You will then need to:
| 1) |
Specify where you want your discussion to appear by selecting a folder (topic) |
| 2) |
Enter the discussion subject or title |
| 3) |
Type in the body of the discussion |
| 4) |
Click [Post]. |
Q: Q: How can I tell what is a new discussion?
A: Whenever a discussion has been created and you have not read all of its contents, you will see the image beside it.
Q: How do I reply to a post in a discussion?
A: Under the post you would like to reply to, click "Reply". The default recipient of your reply is the author of the post you are replying to. If you wish all the community members to view your reply, select "All" from the "To" drop down menu. Then click [Post].
Q: How can I find a specific discussion or thread?
A: On the main forum page, there is the "Search Messages" box. To find the phrase or keyword you are looking for, enter it in the search box and click [Search]. To perform an Advanced Search, click on the "Advanced Search" link. All discussions (both the subject and the body) are indexed several times a day.
Q: How do I sort the discussions?
A: By using the "Show discussions" drop down list, you can display the discussions on the forum by:
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All (default) |
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2 Days Back |
| · |
Today |
| · |
with Unread Msgs |
| · |
Today |
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with Unread Msgs "To: Me" |
| · |
of High Interest |
| · |
I've Recently Seen |
| · |
I've Ignored |
| · |
with Polls |
Q: What is the "Rate My Interest" function? ( / )
A: You can tell the forum system if you are interested or not interested in a discussion/thread by giving it the thumbs up ( = high) or the thumbs down ( = ignore). You will then see the appropriate icon appear next to the discussion when listing all of the discussions. This is sometimes useful because you can sort the discussions (using the "Show discussions" drop down list) to view discussion "of High Interest" and "I’ve Ignored".
Q: How do I report what I believe to be a bad or an unacceptable post/user?
A: At the bottom of each post, there is an "Options" link. If you roll your mouse over the "Options" link, a small pop-up menu will appear (if you have JavaScript enabled). Choose [Report Violation]. You will be asked to select a reason for reporting the message, and will be asked for any additional comments. The Community Administrator and Moderators are notified of the complaint. If you do not have access to the "Options" link, you can e-mail help@abebooks.com with as many details of the violation (who, what, when, how etc...) as possible. Filing via e-mail results in a slower resolution of the complaint, as the e-mail goes to our Customer Service department rather than to the Community Administrator or Moderators. [More Info]
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Your Profile and Preferences
Q: How do I change my forum Profile and Preferences?
A: In the Abebooks Community Forums, there are two links on the right hand side, "My Profile" and "My Preferences". Clicking on either of these will allow you to view and update your Profiles and Preferences.
Q: What Can I Change in "My Preferences"?
A: You can change the following forum settings found in "My Preferences":
| · |
Personal Homepage |
| · |
Mailings |
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E-mail Notification |
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Personal Signature |
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Time Zone |
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Mark discussions as a favorite |
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Select your preferred view: |
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Hide Signatures |
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Member to Member Email |
How do I add pictures, URLs and other advanced content to my signature?
A: First, you need to know HTML or Hyper Text Markup Language. Next, you have to place the HTML in the "Personal Signature" text box, which can be found in "My Preferences". Don’t forget to check the "Contains HTML" box too - otherwise the system won’t know to convert your code. Looking for a good HTML for Beginners book? Keep in mind, however, that large images, or ones that have a large file size, affect everyone on the forum. If it’s a large file, it will slow down everyone’s forum experience. Please be considerate and limit your file size and image size.
I don’t know HTML, how do I just add an image to my signature?
A: The below example would place the Abebooks.com logo in the signature box. This code is the bare minimum and may not show up properly in all browsers. To place your own image in your signature, replace everything in-between the double-quotes with your own image URL. Then include that in the "Personal Signature" text box. Keep in mind, however, that large images, or ones that have a large file size, affect everyone on the forum. If it’s a large file, it will slow down everyone’s forum experience. Please be considerate and limit your file size and image size.
<img src="http://www.abebooks.com/images/HeaderFooter/navIconYourAccount.gif">
The above code when interpreted by a browser appears as:
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Technical
Q: Why do I sometimes see gibberish or HTML code when I press the [Back] button?
A: There seems to be a bug in some older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer that will not interpret the HTML code (used to display the forums) properly. If you are experiencing this problem, please upgrade to the latest version of IE, or you can use another browser.
Q: Do I need JavaScript turned on in my browser to participate in the Abebooks Community Forums?
A: You do not need to have JavaScript turned on to use the Forums. However, having JavaScript turned on will add better functionality to the forums.
Q: Do I need Java turned on in my browser to participate in the Abebooks
Community Forums?
A: You do not need to have Java (different than JavaScript) turned on to use the Forums. However, having
Java turned on will allow you to participate in the live chat rooms.
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Misc
Q: What if my question is not on this list?
A: If you have a technical question about the forums, you can write our Contact Center at help@abebooks.com and we will respond within 24 hours.
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