F.A.Q. : General Information for Members

[Sylvia]

Yes! At the top right of each post is a button labelled "modify". We recommend that you use this if you have just posted and noticed a glaring error in your post or remembered something else you wanted to add, rather than double posting immediately after your initial post.

If you click "modify", your post will re-open and be editable within the message screen. You must click "Save" at the bottom of this screen for the changes to be made on your original post.  Please be aware that a 'time/date stamp' showing that the post has been edited (and by whom) will be noted at the bottom of the post if you edit it more than 5 minutes after first submitting it.

We trust our members to be able to modify or delete their own posts.  However, if this ability is abused by using offensive language, and then deleting it, this ability may have to be restricted. 

[Sylvia]

An avatar is a visual representation of your PlaymoFriends "identity". 

Most members create their own custom avatar from a photo of a Playmobil figure, animal, and such, but we also have some ready-made avatars that you can select from if you're not creatively inclined or simply don't have the time to make one.

You can access these by clicking on your Profile button in the menu at the top of the page, then selecting "Forum Profile Information" from the navigation section on the left. In the window that appears choose between one of the "Personal Pictures" (select Female, Male, or Other to see what’s available).

To use a custom avatar, select the "I have my own pic" option and input the web address if it is remotely hosted. If you want us to store the avatar for you, use the "I will upload my own picture" option, and then click "browse" to find your avatar photo. Please note that maximum avatar size is set at 100x100 pixels and it is not possible to upload or link to an image larger than this.

If you have an idea in mind for an avatar pic but do not know how to make one yourself, feel free to ask your fellow members for help as there are many creative people here who will be willing to do this for you at no cost or obligation.

[Sylvia]

A signature is a phrase or quote of your own choosing that can be made to appear at the bottom of each of your posts. You can add one on your "Forum Profile Information" page, a link for which is found under Modify Profile in the side menu.

Your PlaymoFriends signature should not detract from your post or anyone else's, so it's a good idea to keep it relatively short - no more than 4 lines maximum (when typing into the field provided) is a good rule of thumb. If possible, stick to the default size attributed to signatures which keeps the text smaller than the standard font size used in posts, but if using a serif font like Georgia or Courier it might be advisable to increase the size slightly to aid legibility.

When you insert a signature on your Profile, it adds this particular text to ALL of your posts on the forum, even the ones you made before you chose to have a signature. And if you change your signature at a later date, it will automatically over-write the signature you used on earlier posts.

Like all other parts of a post on PlaymoFriends, signatures should be respectful and not rude or insulting. Try to avoid references to openly controversial subjects in your sig -- people come here to have fun and to read about Playmobil, not to be constantly reminded about politics or any other 'burning issues' happening in the outside world.

You can use the BBC tags to change the look of your signature or add Smileys, but please do not link to any images in this space. These can become an unnecessary distraction and an annoyance for other members who generally enjoy reading people's signatures and don't wish to turn off the setting altogether. You may include hyperlinks to personal non-profit websites in your signature, provided they are suitable for members of all ages to visit.

[Sylvia]

Every PlaymoFriends member has a total attachment limit of 10000kb (=10mb) within the forum. You can post a maximum of 4 photos on a single post, and any given photo cannot be more than 100kb. The total of all 4 cannot exceed 300kb per post.

PlaymoFriends also provides a separate gallery area known as the Photo Album for all of its registered members. You can access it via a button in the menu at the top of the page after you have logged in. Here you can create your own personal album and upload unlimited quantities of photos into it, but please remember that children are also able to view these photos, so use discretion as to what you include there.

[Sylvia]

Personal Messages (PMs) are similar to e-mails except that they are located within the forum and you need to be logged in to read them. Only the sender of a message and the receiver are able to read them as the area is password protected.

If a member has chosen to receive PMs, the easiest way to send them one is by clicking on the small green scroll symbol situated at the bottom of their Profile window on any given posting page of a topic. If you go into the more detailed page of their Profile by clicking on the member's name, you will also see a text link which has the same function near the bottom of the Summary, under "Additional Information". Another way to send PMs is by going into your Messages area and clicking on the "New Message" link, top left.

If you have a new PM, it will be visible to you after logging in, via the announcement at the top of the forum page, just above the main menu. It will say something like "Hey, Sylvia, you have 305 messages (just kidding ) , 1 is new. The quantity of messages is always highlighted in blue. This is a link which when clicked will take you directly to the in-box where your Personal Messages are located.

Members have a limit to the total amount of PMs they can store in their message area at one time. For "Pals" through to "Addicts" the total is 50; for "Masters" the amount is 100. You can keep tabs on the quantity already being stored there by watching the PM level indicator in the left nav menu. If it's nearing the limit, it's advisable to prune them back because you won't be able to receive any more once you've reached your limit. The messages total takes into account the quantity being stored in both Inbox and Outbox, so you should get in a habit of clearing out both areas regularly.

You can elect to have a pop-up window announce your new Personal Messages while you are logged in, or you can select to have e-mail notification. If you want to cover all bases, enable both! By default, a copy of all received messages is saved in your Inbox (of course ), but if you want to save the sent ones you should click the option bottom left on the Personal Message screen (Save a copy in my outbox) before sending it. However, if you want ALL sent messages to be automatically saved in your Outbox, you can easily configure this (and add the above notification methods) via the "Personal Message Options" link in your Profile area. See attached screenshot for help.

[Sylvia]

From time to time, collectors may find that they have surplus sets or loose Playmobil parts/figures that they no longer wish to keep due to lack of space or other reasons. Regular PlaymoFriends members – ie. those who we know well because they have introduced themselves and participated often in general topics – are permitted to sell these items to other members via the forum by posting a topic in the Marketplace. This opportunity to sell items is limited to once per year for every member, and it is not necessary to request permission from the admin first, provided that the requirements mentioned here have been fulfilled.

[Sylvia]

Collectors love to find out about good deals and items on offer, so we do want our members to feel comfortable letting their friends here know they have auctions for Playmobil on eBay. One rule we do have regarding this is that you wait until reaching Playmo Enthusiast level before posting any specific topics about buying, selling or auctions. After this second level has been reached and we have had the opportunity to get to know you a little better, you will automatically receive access to a board created specifically for this type of discussion.

However, if we determine that you are only a member of PlaymoFriends in order to advertise your auctions, we will considered that an abuse of the purpose of membership and ask you to stop.

[Sylvia]

This is because it is often very important for other members to know where you are located in order to properly help you. Let's say you wanted to know how to order from the Direct Service or which stores have the best deals - if your location is already indicated on your Profile, we can answer your questions right away without needing to ask where you are first.

It's also beneficial for members wishing to trade with one another to know the location of the person who is offering to trade or looking to receive items, because it gives them a rough idea of whether they can afford to trade with that person without needing to write and ask them. Some people may not wish to deal with members outside of the country they live in, for example, because of prohibitive shipping costs to overseas destinations.

If you feel this is too great an invasion of your privacy, please just state the country or continent you are living in on your Profile, as this is usually enough information.

[Sylvia]

First of all... don't worry!
Everyone has to start somewhere and no-one expects you to know how to use everything when you first join.

You can familiarise yourself with most of the posting functions available to members through reading the [SMF User Help] pages or the [F.A.Q. on Posting].

If you have a question which isn't answered by either of these, then please feel free to post a topic about it in the [Technical Support] board.