Can a Luddite and technophobe have a website?

You'd have to put a little bit of effort into it but if your needs are simple you don't need to do to much and it can be done for free (which is very cheap!).

http://invisionfree.com/

Wow - that was quick Fishin'!

Even a Luddite could do it?

Exploring.....

As long as you don't want to get to fancy you can set up a simple forum and host your own discussions. It has a lot of flexibility so you can change backgrounds and such to make it look however you'd like - but you don't have to do any of that if you don't know how. You can use it "right out of the can" and pick up little pieces here and there.

Go set one up and step out of the dark ages.

lol - I have - but I can't see how to even post a message!!!!!!!!!

Or create a topic - or a forum!!!! And Ican't see that in the FAQ - it is soooo basic - where do I look for that info?

I am logged in as grand imperial poohbah of my weeny queendom!

Edit: I can get to what LOOKS like the place to create categories and fora - and I type in a name, and click, but nothing happens. Nothing at all.

EDIT!

OY - it just worked!!!!! Yay!!!!!

Why would a Luddite want one?

(Or did you address that? I'm illiterate, so I can't tell.)

For fun - and, as I said, a meeting place for friends who do NOT want to use A2k - and to "stop my worlds colliding".

Abuzz and A2k are worlds away from my real one. (Edit - I mean, they were/are worlds that my "real life" friends do not share in. Not that I think the friends I have made here are UNreal - but I just like to have a little world I move in away from the ken of normal world folk) I do not mind cyber people moving into real world - but I don't want real folk moving into this cyber world.

If you don't get why, I probably can't explain.

I wish you luck with your endeavours, dlowan.

Sounds complicated.

Lol - I finally managed to post a damned topic - and keep myself away from work.


Hey - what's with all these "mask" things?


I just set them any old how - with no idea what I was doing - anywhere where I can read about what is sensible to do with them?

The masks make it so that certain categories of people can or can't see specific forums.

If you don't plan on having any private forums or anything like that, don't mess with it. Otherwise, I believe you would set it to mask anybody that you don't want to see (and always use a test account to make sure everything is working properly).

Hope that helped!

Indeed - but I cannot see how to make the masks do that.

I do, indeed, have a test account - poor fella - he has made but one post - and has been roundly told off for it. He may yet be banned.

You should have a link to some sort of an administrator's area or something, yes? Just go there and futz around.

I could help you a little more if you told me exactly what you're using to make the forum or provided me with screenshots of all the options...

Aha - I have futzed - and I have access to the admin area cos I am it - I am using the service wot Fishin' suggested

http://invisionfree.com/

I just wondered if there was a sort of industry norm for masks?


I guess I dshould just keep creating fora and use different settings, eh?

I have managed to create categories, forums and topics that can be seen and used!

Alright, if there isn't anything that you want to hide from anyone, follow these instructions to allow everyone to see all threads (you may already know most of this, just bear with me):

When you're logged in, there's a link for Admin CP near the top of the page (as, I believe, you already know). Click it.

You'll be asked your name and password in order to enter. After that, there's a page with a whole assortment of links, options, news, etc. On the left navigation panel, under Forum Control you should see Permission Masks. Clicky clicky.

You should see a list of masks, the people who use them, and other information (which is explained a little at the top of the page). Unfortunately, you can't delete the masks and just do away with all of it, so you're going to have to click the edit buttons on each one to fix things.

Just click the edit link for the first mask (should be Validating Forum Mask). In front of you are a few lists of check boxes, click to put a check in ALL of them. Finally, click the button at the bottom of the page that says Update Forum Permissions. Rinse, repeat.

What you've just done is told the forums to let everyone in the groups specified by that mask to read every thread, reply to every thread, start a thread in any forum, and upload whatever they want (although it may be wise to disable the upload function for the guests and validation masks, just so nobody uploads anything malicious).

For more books on this subject, visit the Individual library for all your forum start-up needs.

whoa - thanks.

Blinking.

I wil probably need to ask more really dumb questions - as I will probably like to make most forums available only for members (if there ever are any!) since this is just a friends' thing.

Feel free to ask dumb questions any time. Although, I may have to charge you for the damage that you'll do to my brain in the process, but I believe that helping a lost soul find the geek within is god's will (or, at least, my hero, Al Gore's). :wink:

Good luck with it, Deb.
I understand your need: A girl whose grown too famous needs some privacy!

It isn't my privacy!

Oh, OK!

(I think I've maybe got all this wrong? )