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{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. Login and Registration Issues {bgcolor}

h5. Why can’t I login?
    
There are several reasons why this could occur. First, ensure your
    username and password are correct. If they are, contact the board
    owner to make sure you haven’t been banned. It is also possible the
    website owner has a configuration error on their end, and they would
    need to fix it.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why do I need to register at all?

    You may not have to, it is up to the administrator of the board as
    to whether you need to register in order to post messages. However;
    registration will give you access to additional features not
    available to guest users such as definable avatar images, private
    messaging, emailing of fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. It
    only takes a few moments to register so it is recommended you do so.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why do I get logged off automatically?
    
If you do not check the /Log me in automatically/ box when you
    login, the board will only keep you logged in for a preset time.
    This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else. To stay logged
    in, check the box during login. This is not recommended if you
    access the board from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet
    cafe, university computer lab, etc. If you do not see this checkbox,
    it means the board administrator has disabled this feature.

    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?
    
Within your User Control Panel, under “Board preferences”, you will
    find the option /Hide your online status/. Enable this option with
    Yes and you will only appear to the administrators, moderators and
    yourself. You will be counted as a hidden user.
   
 Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. I’ve lost my password!
    
Don’t panic! While your password cannot be retrieved, it can easily
    be reset. Visit the login page and click /I’ve forgotten my
    password/. Follow the instructions and you should be able to log in
    again shortly.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. I registered but cannot login!

    First, check your username and password. If they are correct, then
    one of two things may have happened. If COPPA support is enabled and
    you specified being under 13 years old during registration, you will
    have to follow the instructions you received. Some boards will also
    require new registrations to be activated, either by yourself or by
    an administrator before you can logon; this information was present
    during registration. If you were sent an e-mail, follow the
    instructions. If you did not receive an e-mail, you may have
    provided an incorrect e-mail address or the e-mail may have been
    picked up by a spam filer. If you are sure the e-mail address you
    provided is correct, try contacting an administrator.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. I registered in the past but cannot login any more?!

    Attempt to locate the e-mail sent to you when you first registered,
    check your username and password and try again. It is possible an
    administrator has deactivated or deleted your account for some
    reason. Also, many boards periodically remove users who have not
    posted for a long time to reduce the size of the database. If this
    has happened, try registering again and being more involved in
    discussions.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What is COPPA?
    
COPPA, or the Child Online Privacy and Protection Act of 1998, is a
    law in the United States requiring websites which can potentially
    collect information from minors under the age of 13 to have written
    parental consent or some other method of legal guardian
    acknowledgment, allowing the collection of personally identifiable
    information from a minor under the age of 13. If you are unsure if
    this applies to you as someone trying to register or to the website
    you are trying to register on, contact legal counsel for assistance.
    Please note that the phpBB Group cannot provide legal advice and is
    not a point of contact for legal concerns of any kind, except as
    outlined below.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why can’t I register?
    
It is possible the website owner has banned your IP address or
    disallowed the username you are attempting to register. The website
    owner could have also disabled registration to prevent new visitors
    from signing up. Contact a board administrator for assistance.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What does the “Delete all board cookies” do?

    “Delete all board cookies” deletes the cookies created by phpBB
    which keep you authenticated and logged into the board. It also
    provides functions such as read tracking if they have been enabled
    by the board owner. If you are having login or logout problems,
    deleting board cookies may help.
    
Top <#faqlinks>


{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. User Preferences and settings {bgcolor}

h5. How do I change my settings?
    
If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the
    board database. To alter them, visit your User Control Panel; a link
    can usually be found at the top of board pages. This system will
    allow you to change all your settings and preferences.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. The times are not correct!
    
It is possible the time displayed is from a timezone different from
    the one you are in. If this is the case, visit your User Control
    Panel and change your timezone to match your particular area, e.g.
    London, Paris, New York, Sydney, etc. Please note that changing the
    timezone, like most settings, can only be done by registered users.
    If you are not registered, this is a good time to do so.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!
    
If you are sure you have set the timezone and Summer Time/DST
    correctly and the time is still incorrect, then the time stored on
    the server clock is incorrect. Please notify an administrator to
    correct the problem.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. My language is not in the list!

    Either the administrator has not installed your language or nobody
    has translated this board into your language. Try asking the board
    administrator if they can install the language pack you need. If the
    language pack does not exist, feel free to create a new translation.
    More information can be found at the phpBB website (see link at the
    bottom of board pages).
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I show an image along with my username?
    
There are two images which may appear along with a username when
    viewing posts. One of them may be an image associated with your
    rank, generally in the form of stars, blocks or dots, indicating how
    many posts you have made or your status on the board. Another,
    usually a larger image, is known as an avatar and is generally
    unique or personal to each user. It is up to the board administrator
    to enable avatars and to choose the way in which avatars can be made
  be made available. If you are unable to use avatars, contact a board
    administrator and ask them for their reasons.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What is my rank and how do I change it?

    Ranks, which appear below your username, indicate the number of
    posts you have made or identify certain users, e.g. moderators and
    administrators. In general, you cannot directly change the wording
    of any board ranks as they are set by the board administrator.
    Please do not abuse the board by posting unnecessarily just to
    increase your rank. Most boards will not tolerate this and the
    moderator or administrator will simply lower your post count.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. When I click the e-mail link for a user it asks me to login?
    
Only registered users can send e-mail to other users via the
    built-in e-mail form, and only if the administrator has enabled this
    feature. This is to prevent malicious use of the e-mail system by
    anonymous users.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. Posting Issues {bgcolor}

h5. How do I post a topic in a forum?
    
To post a new topic in a forum, click the relevant button on either
    the forum or topic screens. You may need to register before you can
    post a message. A list of your permissions in each forum is
    available at the bottom of the forum and topic screens. Example: You
    can post new topics, You can vote in polls, etc.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I edit or delete a post?
    
Unless you are a board administrator or moderator, you can only edit
    or delete your own posts. You can edit a post by clicking the edit
    button for the relevant post, sometimes for only a limited time
    after the post was made. If someone has already replied to the post,
    you will find a small piece of text output below the post when you
    return to the topic which lists the number of times you edited it
    along with the date and time. This will only appear if someone has
    made a reply; it will not appear if a moderator or administrator
    edited the post, though they may leave a note as to why they’ve
    edited the post at their own discretion. Please note that normal
    users cannot delete a post once someone has replied.
    
Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I add a signature to my post?
    To add a signature to a post you must first create one via your User
    Control Panel. Once created, you can check the /Attach a signature/
    box on the posting form to add your signature. You can also add a
    signature by default to all your posts by checking the appropriate
    radio button in your profile. If you do so, you can still prevent a
    signature being added to individual posts by un-checking the add
    signature box within the posting form.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I create a poll?
    When posting a new topic or editing the first post of a topic, click
    the “Poll creation” tab below the main posting form; if you cannot
    see this, you do not have appropriate permissions to create polls.
    Enter a title and at least two options in the appropriate fields,
    making sure each option is on a separate line in the textarea. You
    can also set the number of options users may select during voting
    under “Options per user”, a time limit in days for the poll (0 for
    infinite duration) and lastly the option to allow users to amend
    their votes.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why can’t I add more poll options?
    The limit for poll options is set by the board administrator. If you
    feel you need to add more options to your poll then the allowed
    amount, contact the board administrator.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I edit or delete a poll?
    As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a
    moderator or an administrator. To edit a poll, click to edit the
    first post in the topic; this always has the poll associated with
    it. If no one has cast a vote, users can delete the poll or edit any
    poll option. However, if members have already placed votes, only
    moderators or administrators can edit or delete it. This prevents
    the poll’s options from being changed mid-way through a poll.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why can’t I access a forum?
    Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view,
    read, post or perform another action you may need special
    permissions. Contact a moderator or board administrator to grant you
    access.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why can’t I add attachments?
    Attachment permissions are granted on a per forum, per group, or per
    user basis. The board administrator may not have allowed attachments
    to be added for the specific forum you are posting in, or perhaps
    only certain groups can post attachments. Contact the board
    administrator if you are unsure about why you are unable to add
    attachments.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why did I receive a warning?
    Each board administrator has their own set of rules for their site.
    If you have broken a rule, you may be issued a warning. Please note
    that this is the board administrator’s decision, and the phpBB Group
    has nothing to do with the warnings on the given site. Contact the
    board administrator if you are unsure about why you were issued a
    warning.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How can I report posts to a moderator?
    If the board administrator has allowed it, you should see a button
    for reporting posts next to the post you wish to report. Clicking
    this will walk you through the steps necessary to report the post.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?
    This allows you to save passages to be completed and submitted at a
    later date. To reload a saved passage, visit the User Control Panel.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why does my post need to be approved?
    The board administrator may have decided that posts in the forum you
    are posting to require review before submission. It is also possible
    that the administrator has placed you in a group of users whose
    posts require review before submission. Please contact the board
    administrator for further details.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I bump my topic?
    By clicking the “Bump topic” link when you are viewing it, you can
    “bump” the topic to the top of the forum on the first page. However,
    if you do not see this, then topic bumping may be disabled or the
    time allowance between bumps has not yet been reached. It is also
    possible to bump the topic simply by replying to it, however, be
    sure to follow the board rules when doing so.
    Top <#faqlinks>


{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. Formatting and Topic Types {bgcolor}

h5. What is BBCode?
    BBCode is a special implementation of HTML, offering great
    formatting control on particular objects in a post. The use of
    BBCode is granted by the administrator, but it can also be disabled
    on a per post basis from the posting form. BBCode itself is similar
    in style to HTML, but tags are enclosed in square brackets [ and ]
    rather than < and >. For more information on BBCode see the guide
    which can be accessed from the posting page.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Can I use HTML?
    No. It is not possible to post HTML on this board and have it
    rendered as HTML. Most formatting which can be carried out using
    HTML can be applied using BBCode instead.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What are Smilies?
    Smilies, or Emoticons, are small images which can be used to express
    a feeling using a short code, e.g. :) denotes happy, while :(
    denotes sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen in the posting
    form. Try not to overuse smilies, however, as they can quickly
    render a post unreadable and a moderator may edit them out or remove
    the post altogether. The board administrator may also have set a
    limit to the number of smilies you may use within a post.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Can I post images?
    Yes, images can be shown in your posts. If the administrator has
    allowed attachments, you may be able to upload the image to the
    board. Otherwise, you must link to an image stored on a publicly
    accessible web server, e.g. http://www.example.com/my-picture.gif.
    You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a
    publicly accessible server) nor images stored behind authentication
    mechanisms, e.g. hotmail or yahoo mailboxes, password protected
    sites, etc. To display the image use the BBCode [img] tag.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What are global announcements?
    Global announcements contain important information and you should
    read them whenever possible. They will appear at the top of every
    forum and within your User Control Panel. Global announcement
    permissions are granted by the board administrator.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What are announcements?
    Announcements often contain important information for the forum you
    are currently reading and you should read them whenever possible.
    Announcements appear at the top of every page in the forum to which
    they are posted. As with global announcements, announcement
    permissions are granted by the board administrator.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What are sticky topics?
    Sticky topics within the forum appear below announcements and only
    on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read
    them whenever possible. As with announcements and global
    announcements, sticky topic permissions are granted by the board
    administrator.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What are locked topics?
    Locked topics are topics where users can no longer reply and any
    poll it contained was automatically ended. Topics may be locked for
    many reasons and were set this way by either the forum moderator or
    board administrator. You may also be able to lock your own topics
    depending on the permissions you are granted by the board administrator.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What are topic icons?
    Topic icons are author chosen images associated with posts to
    indicate their content. The ability to use topic icons depends on
    the permissions set by the board administrator.
    Top <#faqlinks>


{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. User Levels and Groups {bgcolor}

h5. What are Administrators?
    Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of
    control over the entire board. These members can control all facets
    of board operation, including setting permissions, banning users,
    creating usergroups or moderators, etc., dependent upon the board
    founder and what permissions he or she has given the other
    administrators. They may also have full moderator capabilities in
    all forums, depending on the settings put forth by the board founder.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What are Moderators?
    Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) who look after
    the forums from day to day. They have the authority to edit or
    delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the
    forum they moderate. Generally, moderators are present to prevent
    users from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What are usergroups?
    Usergroups are groups of users that divide the community into
    manageable sections board administrators can work with. Each user
    can belong to several groups and each group can be assigned
    individual permissions. This provides an easy way for administrators
    to change permissions for many users at once, such as changing
    moderator permissions or granting users access to a private forum.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?
    You can view all usergroups via the “Usergroups” link within your
    User Control Panel. If you would like to join one, proceed by
    clicking the appropriate button. Not all groups have open access,
    however. Some may require approval to join, some may be closed and
    some may even have hidden memberships. If the group is open, you can
    join it by clicking the appropriate button. If a group requires
    approval to join you may request to join by clicking the appropriate
    button. The user group leader will need to approve your request and
    may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not harass a group
    leader if they reject your request; they will have their reasons.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I become a usergroup leader?
    A usergroup leader is usually assigned when usergroups are initially
    created by a board administrator. If you are interested in creating
    a usergroup, your first point of contact should be an administrator;
    try sending a private message.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why do some usergroups appear in a different color?
    It is possible for the board administrator to assign a color to the
    members of a usergroup to make it easy to identify the members of
    this group.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What is a “Default usergroup”?
    If you are a member of more than one usergroup, your default is used
    to determine which group color and group rank should be shown for
    you by default. The board administrator may grant you permission to
    change your default usergroup via your User Control Panel.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. What is “The team” link?
    This page provides you with a list of board staff, including board
    administrators and moderators and other details such as the forums
    they moderate.
    Top <#faqlinks>


{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. Private Messaging {bgcolor}

h5. I cannot send private messages!
    There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not
    logged on, the board administrator has disabled private messaging
    for the entire board, or the board administrator has prevented you
    from sending messages. Contact a board administrator for more
    information.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. I keep getting unwanted private messages!
    You can block a user from sending you private messages by using
    message rules within your User Control Panel. If you are receiving
    abusive private messages from a particular user, inform a board
    administrator; they have the power to prevent a user from sending
    private messages.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. I have received a spamming or abusive e-mail from someone on this board!
    We are sorry to hear that. The e-mail form feature of this board
    includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so
    e-mail the board administrator with a full copy of the e-mail you
    received. It is very important that this includes the headers that
    contain the details of the user that sent the e-mail. The board
    administrator can then take action.
    Top <#faqlinks>


{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. Friends and Foes {bgcolor}

h5. What are my Friends and Foes lists?
    You can use these lists to organize other members of the board.
    Members added to your friends list will be listed within your User
    Control Panel for quick access to see their online status and to
    send them private messages. Subject to template support, posts from
    these users may also be highlighted. If you add a user to your foes
    list, any posts they make will be hidden by default.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes list?
    You can add users to your list in two ways. Within each user’s
    profile, there is a link to add them to either your Friend or Foe
    list. Alternatively, from your User Control Panel, you can directly
    add users by entering their member name. You may also remove users
    from your list using the same page.
    Top <#faqlinks>


{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. Searching the Forums {bgcolor}

h5. How can I search a forum or forums?
    Enter a search term in the search box located on the index, forum or
    topic pages. Advanced search can be accessed by clicking the
    “Advance Search” link which is available on all pages on the forum.
    How to access the search may depend on the style used.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why does my search return no results?
    Your search was probably too vague and included many common terms
    which are not indexed by phpBB3. Be more specific and use the
    options available within Advanced search.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why does my search return a blank page!?
    Your search returned too many results for the webserver to handle.
    Use “Advanced search” and be more specific in the terms used and
    forums that are to be searched.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I search for members?
    Visit to the “Members” page and click the “Find a member” link.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How can I find my own posts and topics?
    Your own posts can be retrieved either by clicking the “Search
    user’s posts” within the User Control Panel or via your own profile
    page. To search for your topics, use the Advanced search page and
    fill in the various options appropriately.
    Top <#faqlinks>


{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks {bgcolor}

h5. What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?
    Bookmarking in phpBB3 is much like bookmarking in your web browser.
    You aren’t alerted when there’s an update, but you can come back to
    the topic later. Subscribing, however, will notify you when there is
    an update to the topic or forum on the board via your preferred
    method or methods.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I subscribe to specific forums or topics?
    To subscribe to a specific forum, click the “Subscribe forum” link
    upon entering the forum. To subscribe to a topic, reply to the topic
    with the subscribe checkbox checked or click the “Subscribe topic”
    link within the topic itself.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I remove my subscriptions?
    To remove your subscriptions, go to your User Control Panel and
    follow the links to your subscriptions.
    Top <#faqlinks>


{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. Attachments {bgcolor}

h5. What attachments are allowed on this board?
    Each board administrator can allow or disallow certain attachment
    types. If you are unsure what is allowed to be uploaded, contact the
    board administrator for assistance.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. How do I find all my attachments?
    To find your list of attachments that you have uploaded, go to your
    User Control Panel and follow the links to the attachments section.
    Top <#faqlinks>

{bgcolor:#E6E6FA} h3. phpBB 3 Issues {bgcolor}

h5. Who wrote this bulletin board?
    This software (in its unmodified form) is produced, released and is
    copyright phpBB Group <http://www.phpbb.com/>. It is made available
    under the GNU General Public License and may be freely distributed.
    See the link for more details.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Why isn’t X feature available?
    This software was written by and licensed through phpBB Group. If
    you believe a feature needs to be added, please visit the phpbb.com
    website and see what phpBB Group have to say. Please do not post
    feature requests to the board at phpbb.com, the group uses
    SourceForge to handle tasking of new features. Please read through
    the forums and see what, if any, our position may already be for a
    feature and then follow the procedure given there.
    Top <#faqlinks>

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h5. Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?
    Any of the administrators listed on the “The team” page should be an
    appropriate point of contact for your complaints. If this still gets
    no response then you should contact the owner of the domain (do a
    whois lookup <http://www.google.com/search?q=whois>) or, if this is
    running on a free service (e.g. Yahoo!, free.fr, f2s.com, etc.), the
    management or abuse department of that service. Please note that the
    phpBB Group has *absolutely no jurisdiction* and cannot in any way
    be held liable over how, where or by whom this board is used. Do not
    contact the phpBB Group in relation to any legal (cease and desist,
    libel, defamatory comment, etc.) matter *not directly related* to
    the phpBB.com website or the discrete software of phpBB itself. If
    you do e-mail phpBB Group *about any third party* use of this
    software then you should expect a terse response or no response at all.
    Top <#faqlinks>