Some functions of the forums are restricted to registered members. Here are some of those functions:

• Post new messages without the need to enter a temporary username
• Edit your posts
• receive email notifications about new threads or posts
• Send private messages to other members
• Change your personal settings in your user cp
• A 'Buddy List' that allows you to see when your friends are online
• A 'Ignore List' that allows you to ignore/block certain users

By registering, you are also allowed the right to use the following fundamental functions:

• Start new threads
• Reply to posts
• Start new polls and participate in existing ones

Registration is free, however, you must agree to certain rules before registering. During the registration process, you will also need to choose a username and enter a valid email address. According to the forums settings, you will either have to choose a password or a randomly generated password will be sent to you by email. We will not send advertisement or SPAM to your email address and it will not be distributed to any third parties. You can choose whether or not you want to allow other members to send you emails in your user cp. The Administrator might have chosen to check your email address' validity during registration. In this case, you will receive an email with information on how to complete your registration.

Although the use of cookies on this forum is optional, it can make the use of this forum easier and more comfortable. The use of cookies allows you to activate certain functions such as showing threads or forums containing new posts since your last visit, or allowing you to be logged in automatically the next time you visit the forums, without having to enter your username and password.

During registration, you can select the 'Remember Me?' option. Your username and password will then be stored in a cookie on your computer, and you will be logged in automatically every time you visit the forums. If you are sharing this computer with other people like at school or in an internet cafe, we recommend you do not activate this option.

You also have the choice to use a cookie to track your session and guarantee that you stay logged in while you are browsing the forums. If you decide not to use cookies, the session data will be transmitted in every links you click. This can cause problems if you use a proxy-server to connect to the internet.

Once you are registered, you can always change your cookie options while editing your personal settings on this page.

It is important that you keep your profile up to date. Always check if your email address is a valid one. Apart from your username, you can edit any field in your profile. The username you register with is the one you will keep forever. If you have a very good reason, you can also ask the Administrator to change your username.

You can edit your profile here.

If you have forgotten your password, click on the "Forgot Password" link on any page that requires you to login.

The link will bring you to a page where you need to enter the email address you registered with. You will then receive an email with more information on how to get a new password.

Once you are registered, you can make your personal signature. This is a short piece of text displayed at the end of your posts.

If the Administrator allows signature, you can choose the option to add your signature to all your posts. If your signature is set, the forum will add it automatically to all your posts. While posting, you can choose to display or not your signature in your post by checking or un-checking the 'Add Signature' box.

You can also add or remove your signature from a post while editing it by checking or un-checking the 'Add Signature' box.

You can create or edit your signature with the help of the Signature Editor.

Those small images are either called User Image or Avatar. They are displayed under your username in all your posts. There 2 different kinds of avatars: those put at your disposal by the Administrator and those you upload yourself (custom avatars).

If the Administrator has allowed users to use avatars and has put some at your disposal, you can select select the avatar which best matches your personality.

The Administrator can also allow custom avatars. In this case, you can upload an avatar from your computer to the server.

You can use your buddy list to store a list of the friends you made on this forum. Click here to view which of your friends are currently browsing the forums or to send a private message to one or more of them. To add a user to your buddy list, just click on the button in a member's post.

On the other hand, your ignore list is used to ignore/block certain members. The posts made by members in your ignore list will not be displayed in threads. In addition, the members on your ignore list won't be able to send you private messages.

With the help of favorites, you can create a list of your favorite threads and forums. To add a forum or a thread to your favorites, you need to click the "Add ... to Favorites".

You can also administrate your email notifications in your Favorites. You must visit your favorites regularly to check up on your email notifications and be sure you keep on getting notifications.

According to the number of posts you have and the user group you belong in, you will receive a user rank and rank image which will is displayed under your username. These should only be used for first impressions and to evaluate your number of posts. The rank images are only used as small gimmicks. All members are the same, whatever rank they might have. The following ranks are currently available:

User Group	Required Posts	Rank Title	Rank Image
Spammer	0	I'm A Spammer
Lost Dogs	0	Lost Dogs
Users	0	Miniature Poodle
Users	25	Chihuahua
Users	50	Dachshund
Users	100	Miniature Pinscher
Users	125	Beagle
Users	150	Scottish Terrier
Users	200	Border Collie
Users	250	Greyhound
Users	300	Chow Chow
Users	400	Collie
Users	500	Golden Retriever
Users	750	Rottweiler
Users	1000	Old English Sheepdog
Users	5000	Great Dane
Administrators	0	Administrator
Moderators	0	Moderator