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PorterTX.com Forums New User FAQ

PorterTX.com Forums New User FAQ

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New to the forums?
We're glad joined us! We're a friendly group. :)
Below is a list of most frequently asked questions by new members:
1.) What are the PorterTX.com Forums? What should I talk about here?
The PorterTX.com Forum is a place for neighbors in the greater Porter area to chat with each other, get to know each other, meet new people, and share local news & information.

On the forums you can discuss local local news, local events, recommend a restaurant, ask for local business suggestions, chat about the weather, etc. New members are encouraged to introduce themselves to the group. You can review the full Community Agreement for a complete list of forum rules, but generally if you keep things PG and good spirited, you'll probably do well here. :)

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2.) Can a I get a free PorterTX.com sticker for my car / window?
Absolutely! Get your free PorterTX.com stickers here ====> Stickers »

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3.) How do Political Discussions work on these forums?
Civil and productive political discussion can be particularly difficult in an anonymous online forum setting like this one. People who post political discussions here have a variety of opinions and beliefs that span the political spectrum, and keeping the discussion civil can be tricky.

To discuss politics here, you'll need to have a thick skin while also comitting to keeping the discussion somewhat civil.

It's important to note that Political Discussion on these forums here have unique guidelines and restrictions -- it is not a free for all!

Generally, you must must refrain from name calling directed at other members, be somewhat civil when talking to other members, and should avoid character attacks on people in a different political party than your own.

We have a Political Discussion Guidelines page with more details.

Full Political Discussion Guidelines »

Because political discussions can often get heated, the visibility of political discussions has been turned OFF by default for new members and for visitors to the website who are not logged in to their account.

How do I turn on my Politics Discussions setting?

If you agree to the above guidelines and your "Politics" setting is currently off, you can turn it on by going to your "Forum Settings" page and toggling the "Political Chat" option at the bottom.

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4.) What are Credits? What are Tips? How do I earn them?
Members earn credits by participating on the Forums. Whenever you post a message or a reply on the forums you earn credits. Also, whenever other people chat with you directly (@mention you) or other people give you a "Thumbs Up" or "Heart" reaction to your posts you can also earn credits.

Credits:
When you have enough credits you can redeem them for gift card prizes on The Exchange to places like Starbucks!
You can read more details about the credits system, here:
Read more about PorterTX.com Credits »


Tips:
The "Tips" button, located below every Forum message, can be clicked to give some of the credits you've earned to another PorterTX.com member. You can do this to show your appreciation for that person's posts, and help them get closer to earning their own gift card. The number inside the "Tips" button indicates how many credits the person has earned from that message. The tip counter not only shows credits given by other members, but also includes credits given automatically to the person by the Porter website, including credits for posting new discussions, as well as credits for thumbs up reactions from other members.

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5.) How can I use my Credits? What can I buy with them?
When you build up enough credits by participating on this website you can redeem those credits for gift card prizes on The Exchange to places like Starbucks!

Click here to browse The Exchange »

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6.) What are Contributor Points and how do I earn them?
Your Contributor Points total is a score based on the total of all the Thumbs Ups, Laugh, and Heart reactions you've received on any message you've posted on the forums. That is to say, it's a measure of goodwill you've spread on the forums. Earn them by posting informative, helpful or entertaining posts on the forums!



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7.) What are @Mentions?
When you post a message on the forums and include the @ symbol before a person's username, it will send that person a notification about your message, alerting them that they have been "mentioned".

Example:
If you write a message on the forums like this:
Hey @john123, what's up?
The message will post publicly on the forums as normal, and it will also send a private notification to user "john123" telling him he was mentioned by you, and will provide john123 a direct link to your message.

Use the @mention feature any time you want to make sure a particular member sees one of your posts.

Typically you will use @mention many times while posting on the forums. As a shortcut, if you click the "Reply" or "Quote" buttons below someone's message it will automatically include the correct @mention text to mention that person in your text.

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8.) What is the Block List and how do I use it?
The "Block List" is a feature to block messages from certain people and to prevent them from seeing your posts.

Sometimes it can make your forum experience better by blocking people you may have a personality clash with, or turning off discussions you find annoying or objectionable.

Alternatively, you can use the "Hide" function, which only hides a discussion from your view.

How do I add something to my Block List?

To block a person, click on their profile name next to a message they've posted on the forums. This will display the member's profile menu. Then choose the "Block this Person" option.

To hide a discussion, click on the gray "down" arrow to the right of the first message in the discussion, and click the "Hide this Discussion" option.

To edit your Block List, including removing someone from the list, use the "Block List option under the main "Forum Menu" at the top right of the forum home page.


What happens when you Block someone?

When you block a person, you will no longer see that person's posts, and that person will no longer see your posts. It's important to realize that the "Block" is two-way: they don't see your stuff and you don't see theirs. It also will prevent the two of from sending each other private messages, and seeing certain profile information. The blocked person is not notified when they are put on Block. If someone has you on Block, you will not see discussions they have started. You will also not see their replies and instead will see a message telling you that the reply is not visible.

Generally, it's a good idea to use the Block List when needed to reduce conflict and improve your experience on the forums.

Alternatively, you can use the "Hide" option, which only hides their posts from your view.

View my Block & Hidden List »

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9.) How do I stop getting so many Emails?
Getting too many emails? We can fix that! You have a lot of control over which emails you receive from the website on your Forum Settings page, found under the "Forum Menu" at the top right of the Forum home page.

Here's a quick link to your email settings for convenience:
Edit my Email Settings »

If you have any trouble, please contact us and someone can help you personally!

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10.) What is the Box Game and how do I play?
By participating on the site you can sometimes earn a "Box Game Credit" to play our online "Box Game".

This is a game where you pick 5 boxes, and if you pick enough boxes correctly, you win a prize!

How do I earn a Box Game Credit?

You can play the Box Game two different ways:
  1. Post 20x in a single day to earn a credit.
  2. Buy a Box Game on The Exchange using credits you've earned through site participation.

Where do I find the Box Game?

You can find a link to the Box Game under the "Forum Menu" located at the top right of the Forums home page.

Or, use this link:
PorterTX.com Box Game »

The main Box Game page has more rules and details on how to play and win.

Good luck!

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11.) What is the Numbers Game and how do I play?
The Numbers Game is open to any PorterTX.com member who has posted at least 5x that day on the forums. You compete against other PorterTX.com members in trying to guess the correct number between 1 and 1,000,000. The first person to get the answer correct wins!

Where do I find the Numbers Game?

You can find a link to the Numbers Game under the "Forum Menu" located at the top right of the Forums home page.

Or, use this link:
PorterTX.com Numbers Game »

The main Numbers Game page has more rules and details on how to play and win.

Good luck!

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12.) How do I add a photo or video to my forum messages?
Adding a Photo:

Before posting a message to the forums, click the photo icon to the bottom left of the textbox to select a photo from your computer and attach it to your message.

Instead of choosing a photo from your computer, you can attach a photo from a link that is already online if you know the image's web address. First, click the "Insert" button located below the main textbox, then choose "External Image", and then paste the web address of the image in the textbox. This will insert the code necessary into your message to display the image once it's been posted.

Adding Video:

Currently this website can only embed videos from YouTube in your messages.

To embed a YouTube video:
  1. Visit the YouTube page where the video is located.
  2. Copy the "Share" link provided by YouTube ( it will look something like this: https://youtu.be/gqNEqIsRdnE ).
  3. Go back to the PorterTX.com Forums and click the "Insert" button below the textbox where you are writing your message.
  4. Choose the "YouTube Video" button option and enter the "Share" link provided by YouTube earlier.
  5. This will add the proper code so that the video will be embedded and visible once the message has been posted.


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13.) What are PM's? How can I send / read them?
"PM" stands for "Private Message", and is a way to communicate with other PorterTX.com members individually and privately, rather than using the public forums.

On Mobile Phones:
Click the "gear" icon at the top right of any page, then click the "Mail" option.

On Desktops / Tablets:
Click the letter / mail icon in the black bar at the very top right of any page of the website.

Quick Link:
Private Messaging »

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14.) How do I change my member profile photo?
Quick Link:
Change my member profile photo »

You can also find this under the "My Account" link => "Change My Profile Photo" link.

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15.) When should I Flag a forum message, and how do I do it?
If you see a message that is potentially breaking the website's Community Agreement, you can Flag it to bring it to the attention of a moderator.

To flag a message:

At the top right of a forum message, click the gray "down" arrow to show the message menu, then click the "Flag / Report" option.

Flagging will send an alert to the moderator. It does not notify the person you're flagging that their message was flagged -- this info is kept private. Flagging a message will guarantee a moderator will take a look at the message and make a moderator decision about whether it's allowed or not. Please feel free to flag something even if you're not sure a message is violating rules or not. Flagging something is preferred over @mentioning or PM'ing a moderator because it is connected to internal moderator controls that helps us keep track of the issue and make sure it's handled in a timely way.

With so many messages posted on a regular basis, we do rely on reports from members to keep the forums an inviting community for everyone!

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Have a question that wasn't answered? Feel free to send us an email!