Buddhist Forum Help




Basics of messages



- How do I read a message?
All message titles are underlined. An underline means that if you click on the underlined words, you will be directed to the page/link associated with a message. So, click on the underlined title and the message will be displayed.

Back to Table of Contents

- How do I add a new message?
At the top and bottom of the main Forum page, find the words Add New Message. Just click on these words and a form-page will be displayed. Fill in the form and then click on the Post Message button ... you're message will be added to the forum.

Back to Table of Contents

- How do respond to a message?
At the top and bottom of the main Forum page, find the words Add a Reponse. Just click on these words and a form-page will be displayed. Fill in the form and then click on the Post Message button ... you're response message will be added to the forum. Your message will appear below the message you responded to.

Back to Table of Contents

- When responding to a message I get a form, but where did the original message go?
When you are at the fill-in-the-form page, the original message you are responding to will be displayed at the bottom of the page just below the form.

Back to Table of Contents


- Do I have to enter my name to post a message?
No. You can leave the name field blank if you want to remain anonymous. When your message is displayed, it will say that the message was posted by anonymous.

Back to Table of Contents

- Do I have to enter my email to post a message?
No. You can leave the email field blank if you do not want to give out your email address. If you do enter an email address, it will be visible as a hyperlink on the main Forum page where your message is displayed ... when your post is shown, your name will be underlined ... when a visitor clicks on your name, an email window will pop up.

Back to Table of Contents

- I fill in the form to add a message and press Enter but nothing happened!
To submit your post you should click on the button that says Post Message. If you press Enter while typing in the message part of the form, the computer will think you are just ending a line of your message.

Back to Table of Contents

- I want to write more but the message box is too small!
Don't worry ... the message box grows as you continue to type. There is no set limit on how long your message can be. BUT, if you want to post a book, contact khumbala.net about adding your book as an essay in another section of the website.

Back to Table of Contents



Extra features of messages



- Can I post a picture with my message?
Yes, but you need to know how to write special HTML code into your message. Send an email for help with this.

Back to Table of Contents

- I tried to make a smiley face in my post, why don't I get cute little smiley pictures?
happy face made by typing :) or :-)
winky face made by typing ;) or ;-)
sad face made by typing :( or :-(
Sorry, no other faces are available at this time.

Back to Table of Contents

- Can I put a link to another site in my message?
Yes, as long as it is relevent to this Buddhist Forum.

Back to Table of Contents

- How do I get words in my message to be in italics, bold, or underlined?
OK, you need to add HTML code to your message. Send an email and I'll show you how.

Back to Table of Contents

- Why does everyone write Gassho at the start of their message?
Gassho is a Buddhist way of saying greetings, or hello. The word gassho has several meanings, but in general means that you recognize the Buddha nature or spirit in another. It's a nice way to greet others and shows respect for others on the Forum. For more on this, see the page on etiquette.

Back to Table of Contents

- Why does everyone write Metta at the end of their message?
Like gassho, it is a polite Buddhist goodbye. In general, metta means in loving kindness and shows respect for others on the Forum. For more on this, see the page on etiquette.

Back to Table of Contents

- How do I preview my message before I post it?
Sorry, no preview at this time. For now, remember that mindfulness helps.

Back to Table of Contents

- Is there a spell checker for my messages?
No, not at this time. An easy way to write a message is to write in Word, WordPerfect, etc. and spell check your final message before you post it. To move the message from Word, etc. just do a cut-and-paste into the message-field of the form.

Back to Table of Contents

- Can I send an email to the person who posted a message?
Only if the poster provided an email address. If the poster's name is underlined, click on the poster's name and an email window will pop up.

Back to Table of Contents



Problems and error messages



- I added a message but it doesn't show up on the main Forum page ... where did it go?
First, your post is not lost unless you received an ugly screen that says something to the effect that the system failed (or perhaps says 404-not found). The main Forum page should display your message but the internet has delays that may prevent this from happening. One possible cause is that the "old" page from your cache is being used ... click on the "Reload" button in your browser and you should get the "new" page.
A second problem exists if you take less than one minute to fill in the form and post it. The internet clock does not use seconds, for example: you are at the Forum page at 12:21, you add a message and return to the Forum page and it is still 12:21 ... the browser cache does not know the "new" page is available so it shows the "old" page.
Also, you may have your browser configured so that it does not reload pages each time they are visited. This problem is real random in all browsers.
Finally, if the internet connection is slow then the cache may be "behind" what is current.
Annoying as it may be, you may have to click Reload to get the "new" page to display.

Back to Table of Contents

- I added a message but my post has the wrong time (and sometimes wrong date)!
All posts have the date and time when the message was posted to the internet server. So, all dates and times are for Pacific Coast Time. For example: you are in Korea and post a message on 12/02/02 at 8:00 am, this post will be displayed as 12/01/02 at 3:00 pm. Confusing, eh?

Back to Table of Contents

- I think I wasn't too nice in my post, can I delete it?
No. Remember to be mindful. If it was really mean and you feel really bad, send me an email and I may do something about it.

Back to Table of Contents

- Why does a message say Untitled?
This means that the name field was left blank by whomever posted a message.

Back to Table of Contents

- Why do all of the posts before December have the same date?
This was caused by transferring posts from the old system to the new system. I tried working on this but it was too much hassle. I made a decision to simply re-post old-system messages when I upgraded to the new system. Sorry.

Back to Table of Contents

- When I add a message I always get a little screen that says One moment please, Why?
This is normal. The system is building you a temporary form page.

Back to Table of Contents



General questions



- Do you censor posts?
Categorically, No. But if someone posts unacceptable messages the message may be erased. For more on this, see the page on etiquette.

Back to Table of Contents

- How do you deal with persistent troublemakers?
They will be prevented from posting messages. No exceptions. For more on this, see the page on etiquette.

Back to Table of Contents

- Do you have pop-ups or advertising on any of your pages?
No.

Back to Table of Contents

- Can I advertise on khumbala.net?
No.

Back to Table of Contents

- You say you don't allow ads but you link to Hogen's pages! Why?
A link to Hogen's page is not advertising. Ads are not allowed, but links may be added at khumbala discression.

Back to Table of Contents

- Can I have khumbala.net link to my own homepage?
Links may be added at khumbala discression ... send an email.

Back to Table of Contents

- I wrote an essay about Karma, can I put it on khumbala.net?
Essays may be added at khumbala discression ... send an email. An essay page will be available in the near future.

Back to Table of Contents

- How do I make suggestions because I don't like the way the forum looks or works?
Send an email. Khumbala email is at the bottom of every page.

Back to Table of Contents

- Is this forum for Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, or what?
Khumbala is open to all forms of Buddhism as well as to all forms of thought regardless of one's background or present nature. Everyone is welcome here. Khumbala only asks that you adhere to the rules of etiquette.

Back to Table of Contents



Home Forum Add New Post Library Links Etiquette Debates Help



Please send comments, corrections, add links, information, etc. to ... khumatsarla@hotmail.com



Thank you for participating on the Buddhist Forum. Many will learn from the experiences and teachings you so graciously share.

Thank you for visiting.