Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Forumsdot.com?

Forumsdot.com is a place where you can start and build your own phpBB forum for free! You'll feel like you're hosting it in your own paid web hosting.

Is It Really Free?

Absolutely! You don't have to worry about the fees and all that stuff. Forumsdot.com is 100% free!

What's The Catch?

There will be simple ads on every page of your forum. That's it. No pop-up/pop-down ads, no big annoying ads, and of course, there will be NO adware and spyware! We're making this forum as comfortable as possible.

Is There Any Bandwidth & Space Limitations?

Absolutely not. You and your members can enjoy unlimited postings, email private messaging, powerful search utilities, multiple template and language interfaces.

Is My Forum Safe?

Forumsdot.com uses the latest, most secure version of phpBB. Our comprehensive package includes automatic phpBB updates and Remote Backup Storage. The security of your forum is our main concern.

Do You Provide Support For Beginners?

Well, of course! Our support staff is available 24 hours/day & 7days/week to guide you through any problems you might come across when using the system. Just go to http://www.forumsdot.com/support/  to submit your trouble ticket to us. Aren't we adorable?

What Is Your Uptime?

We host your forum on secure dedicated servers. Our servers are being monitored 24/7 and we provide an unmatched 99.99% uptime. No bargain.

Who Can Sign Up For A Free Forum?

Anyone from anywhere in the world can sign up and build a free forum with us! No limitations.

What Kind Of Forum Can I Build?

Basically, you can build almost any forum you want. Go to http://www.forumsdot.com/board_directory.html for more information.

Can I Build A Warez-Related Forum?

We take software piracy very serious, and any discussion related to the topic of breaking copy protection, serial numbers, cracks, keys, or otherwise "how to steal software" are strictly prohibited. We will terminate your forum without warning if you break this rule.

Can I Run An Adult-Oriented Forum?

Although we have a strict zero-tolerance policy on pornography, we do allow some adult-related topics, such as; marriage, intimacy, sex health, etc, as long as you run the forum in an attractive, non-vulgar and non-pornographic manner.

How Long Does It Take To Have My Forum Up & Running?

Your forum will be created instantly! It takes only a minute or two to fill the sign up form, check for our email and click the confirmation link. That's it!

Okay, I'm Ready To Sign Up! How Do I Signup?

• Go to http://www.forumsdot.com/get-free-forum.html

• Fill the form with your valid email address.

• Check your email address for email confirmation from Forumsdot.com. Open that email, then click the activation link.

• You're done! Your forum address/URL will be: YourUsername.forumsdot.com.

• Last but not least, make sure you add our email address into your mailbox to avoid missing the latest news here on Forumsdot.com.

Why Didn't I Receive My Registration/Activation Email?

Have you used your own valid email address during the sign up? Have you written your email correctly? Please check it twice before you press "Create My Forum" button.

Our emails will normally be sent out within 1-5 minutes depending on how busy our mail servers are. If you haven't received this email after 30 minutes, please submit a trouble ticket to http://www.forumsdot.com/support.

Why Can't I Log In?

Have you signed up? Have you clicked the activation link in our email? If you have, then please check and double-check your username and password. You probably have typed them wrong.

Why Do I Get Logged Off Automatically?

If you do not check the "Log Me In Automatically" box when you log in, the forum will only keep you logged in for a preset time. This prevents misuse of your account by someone else. To stay logged in all the time, check the box during login.

Beware though, this option is NOT recommended if you access the forum from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, school, university, etc.

How Do I Post A Topic In A Forum?

Very easy! Click "Post New Topic" button on either the forum or topic screens.

How Do I Change My Own Personal Data?

Easy! Log in to your forum, click the "Profile" link at the header of your forum, then change your data the way you like it.

What Is A Signature?

Signature is a short information about you and your business that will be placed at the end of every posting you've made. You can write anything you want here, including your own website URL (small advertising about your business), and/or any other URL that you want.

How Do I Add A Signature To My Post?

To add a signature to a post, you must first create one; this is done via your "Profile" menu. You can also add a signature by default to all your posts by checking the appropriate box in your profile.

How Do I Configure My Forum?

• First, log in to your forum. Click "Go To Administration Panel" at the bottom of your forum page. Inside, you will find many options that you can modify as you like.

• If you want to customize your forum entirely, click the "Configuration" link in the left-side "General Admin" menu bar. Have fun!

Why Do I Have To Re-Authenticate Myself Every Time I Enter My Admin Panel?

Again, this is only to prevent misuse of your account by someone else.

How Do I Change The Logo In My Forum?

Log in to your Administration Panel. Click the "Logo Management" link in the left-side "Advanced Options" menu bar. Click the "Upload A Logo", browse to choose your own logo, then click submit.

What Is An Avatar?

Avatar is an Internet user's representation of himself or herself in the form of an icon (picture) used on Internet forums and other online communities.

How Do I Upload My Avatar?

• As a forum admin, you have to allow your forum members to upload the avatars. Log in to your Administration Panel, click the "Configuration" link in the left-side "General Admin" menu bar. See the Avatar Settings? Choose "Yes" to enable avatar uploading.

• As a forum member, click the "Profile" link at the header of your forum, there is an option for you to upload your own avatar. Click the browse button to choose the picture in your computer, and then click submit.

How Do I Change The Template Of My Forum?

First, log in to your Administration Panel. Click the "Menu" link in the left-side "Styles Admin" menu bar. Click the "Install Styles". This feature allows you to install styles that are already uploaded to your forum.

How Do I Create A New Category In My Forum?

First, log in to your Administration Panel. Click the "Management" link in the left-side "Forum Admin" menu bar. Write a name for your new category in the blank box, then click the "Create New Category" button.

How Do I Assign A Rank?

Log in to your Administration Panel. Click the "Ranks" link in the left-side "User Admin" menu bar. You can add, edit or delete a Rank for every member of your forum.

I Forgot My Password!

Relax. First, go to your forum address, click the log in link, then click the "I Forgot My Password" link. Fill your username and email address, then click submit. Follow the next instruction on how to activate your new password on the email you will receive from us.

Do I Have FTP Access?

Due to security issues, we cannot allow FTP access on our free forum hosting system at this time.

Can I Remove The Ads?

Yes, you can. You may consider to upgrade your forum to remove the ads.

What Are Your Plans To Remove Ads?

1. Ad Removal Plan 1 (Bronze) $3.95 USD/10,000 impressions -- Remove or manage your own advertisements on your forum for 10,000 impressions.

2. Ad Removal Plan 2 (Silver) $14.95 USD/50,000 impressions -- Remove or manage your own advertisements on your forum for 50,000 impressions

3. Ad Removal Plan 3 (Gold) $24.95 USD/100,000 impressions -- Remove or manage your own advertisements on your forum for 100,000 impressions.

4. Ad Removal Plan 4 (Platinum) $34.95 USD/1,000,000 impressions -- Remove or manage your own advertisements on your forum for 1,000,000 impressions.

Can I Backup My Forum?

Yes, you can. You may consider to upgrade your forum to backup your database.

What Are Your Plans To Backup My Database?

1. Forum Backup (Short Term) $5.95 USD/3 months -- Create unlimited backups of your forum for 3 months.

2. Forum Backup (Long Term) $34.95/12 months -- Create unlimited backups of your forum for 12 months.

All upgrade plans is a one time payment only through PayPal.

I Don't See Any Upgrade Link. Where Is It?

It's in your forum Administration Panel. In "Advanced Options" menu, click the "Upgrade" link.

My Forum Does Not Display Some Characters Correctly. What Should I Do?

It is most likely the encoding of your browser is not set to Unicode (utf-8). To change to Unicode (utf-8) follow the steps below:

- For Internet Explorer: Tool Bar -> View -> Encoding -> Unicode (utf-8) (or More -> Unicode (utf-8))
- For Firefox: Tool Bar -> View -> Character Encoding -> Unicode (utf-8) (or More Encodings -> Unicode (utf-8)).

My Forum Is In A Different Language And It Does Not Show Correctly. How Can This Be Fixed?

You will need to select your specific language encoding. To change your language encoding, follow the steps below:

- For Internet Explorer: Tool Bar -> View -> Encoding -> More -> (Your Language)
- For Firefox: Tool Bar -> View -> Character Encoding -> More -> (Your Language)

I Love Your Website! Can I Advertise In Your Website?

Sure you can! Just send us an email to: admin@forumsdot.com to get the advertising rate. Thank you for your interest!