Space.com Forums User Guides

[shaines]

Hey all,

Thanks for being part of the Space.com community! With our upgrade to Xenforo forums there are new tools available for the community so please check out the links below to learn more.

If you're having trouble understanding a feature, but don't find a guide posted below, please post a request for one as a new thread here.

Changing the appearance of the forums (Dark Mode available)

Register for the Space forums using Facebook or Google.

Direct messages with other forum users

Changing the time zone setup for your forum account

Adding/changing your forum avatar

Using Spoilers & Inline Spoilers

 

[shaines]

Xenforo forums come with some very helpful features, but one stands out to me for being painless but incredibly powerful: changing themes. You can swap the theme with nothing more than your mouse, so it couldn't be easier.

1. Login to the forums and scroll down to the bottom of the page
2. In the lower-right corner of the forums you'll see a box with the forum name in it: Space
3. Click the forum name to open the Style Chooser
4. Pick the style you want to use
   1. This style is visible only to you
   2. Space - Dark is my personal favorite
   3. You can change this as often as you'd like

 

[shaines]

Looking to send a message directly to another forum user?

1. Click the envelope icon in the upper-right corner of the forums to access Conversations
2. This will list any previous direct messages you've received and give you the option to Start a new conversation
3. When starting a new conversation, type the forum username of the person you want to reach in the Recipient field
4. Enter a Title (exactly like using email)
5. Type the content of your message in the big text field below the title
6. Click the Start Conversation button at the bottom of the page to send your message

Want to block a user from contacting you directly?

1. Click the envelope icon in the upper-right corner of the forums to access Conversations
2. Select the conversation from the user you want to block
3. Click the Leave button that appears at the top of the conversation
4. The default option here is to allow the user to start a new conversation, if they'd like, but select the radio button next to Ignore future messages to prevent future contact

 

[shaines]

Here are the steps for changing your forum avatar picture.

1. Click your username at the top-right of the forums
2. Hover over your current avatar
3. Click Edit
4. Select Browse and find the file you want to use on your PC.
5. If you don't have the image handy, try finding it via Google, if it's an image from online. If it's a personal image, you will need to track it down to upload it again.

 

[shaines]

Each user can change the time zone for their own account.

1. Click your username in the upper-right of the forums
2. Select the option Account details
3. When you're on your account page, select Preferences on the left side of the screen
4. Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
5. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page

 

[shaines]

Understanding Spoiler & Inline Spoiler formatting.

For many, the "spoiler" text option is something not nearly enough people use online. This is a great way for folks who have seen a movie on opening night, or who got to watch a football match live to talk about what they saw, without ruining the experience for those who may not want to know yet.

Using the Spoiler option:

1. Type the text you want, just as with any other post
2. Using your mouse, highlight the text you want to hide behind a spoiler tag
3. Click the downward facing arrow next to the Emoji icon in the toolbar above your text
4. Spoiler: Step 4

   Select the Spoiler option from the menu to hide your selected text

Creating an Inline Spoiler:

1. Type the text you want, just as with any other post
2. Using your mouse, highlight just a few words in the middle of a sentence
3. Click the downward facing arrow next to the Emoji icon in the toolbar above your text
4. Select the Inline Spoiler option from the menu to hide just a few words in the middle of a sentence

The difference is fairly minimal. The Spoiler option is good for paragraphs that go into detail about a specific thing, but Inline Spoilers are good for just hiding a specific bit of content in the middle of a single sentence.

You'll note in the Spoiler option that the 4th step is separated from the rest of the list. This is because the full spoiler text is formatted to stand alone and does not work well in the middle of formatted text, while the Inline Spoiler blends in seamlessly.

 

[shaines]

Greetings space fans!

In an effort to provide you more options for connecting with our community we're pleased to introduce the option to register for our forums using Facebook.

You can register as a brand-new user with Facebook or connect an existing forum account to your Facebook profile with just a few button clicks!

Register as a new user:*

• Click Register (top right corner of the forums).
• In the Register box, click the Facebook button.

• Your Facebook account will open and you'll click the Continue as button to connect with the forum.

• Once this connection is in place you'll be asked to create a user name for the forums. User names must be unique, so you may need a few tries to find an available option.
• After choosing a user name, click the Register button to complete the process.

Connect a FB profile to an existing forum account:*

• While signed into your forum account, click the Settings option in the menu on the left side of the screen
• With the Settings menu open, select Connected Accounts
• Click the Associate with Facebook button to link your accounts
  
  

• To disconnect your accounts, follow the steps above, then check the box to Disassociate your accounts.

*If you have more than one Facebook account, be sure to login to the account you want associated with our forum.

 

[shaines]

Greetings space fans!

In an effort to provide you more options for connecting with our community we're pleased to introduce the option to register for our forums using Google.

You can register as a brand-new forum user with just a couple button clicks!

Register as a new user:*

• Click Register (top right corner of the forums).
• In the Register box, click the Google button.

• Your Google account will open and you'll click the email address you want to connect with the forum.

This image edited to block email addresses, but they will be visible for you to select the proper account to link.​

• Once this connection is in place you'll be asked to create a user name for the forums. User names must be unique, so you may need a few tries to find an available option.
• After choosing a user name, click the Register button to complete the process.

 

[shaines]

Here on the Space.com forums, we're going to be running a variety of contests and giveaways. With that in mind we wanted to answer a common question for all of you.

Q. Why on earth do you restrict your contests to US & UK residents only?

Please note that we'd absolutely love to be able to provide every member of the community the chance to receive prizes. The devil, unfortunately, is in the details. We consulted with legal counsel to research and rule on the subject, or see if there's any way we can extend our events beyond these two regions.

We have in our company a very smart and savvy legal team who has stated (after extensive research and consultations with specialists and outside firms on the matter) that we should not have sweepstakes or contests open to anywhere except the United States & UK.

The reason is, we do not have the capacity to ensure that the sweepstakes and contests we offer are in compliance with all laws that may be applicable outside the United States. Because it is important for us to have events and grow our community, and because we value our users, we felt it best to explain the predicament and hope you understand the why's and wherefore's of the issue so it doesn't feel as unfair. It's unfair, and we hate it, but we have to adhere to the law or we get in the big kind of trouble that jeopardizes not only our ability to run giveaways, but also keep covering all things related to space in the manner we'd like.

But! All those other sites and companies host contests that are open to anyone!

A. True enough. Though, they may have a legal team on staff in other countries who can write up contest rules for every instance of event and ensure compliance with the laws in their country. The cost of acquiring a lawyer on staff in each of the countries represented by our audience would be prohibitive. Lawyers ain't cheap, particularly ones that can parse the nuances between promotional sweepstakes regulations in India as opposed to those in Australia.

It may sound like a cop-out, but essentially our hands are tied. We absolutely would if we could in a heartbeat, but we very much can't. We still love you guys and all our community, and beg you for your understanding on this.