We鈥檙e moving across to a new comments system today that will hopefully be more stable than the old one. It鈥檚 proved to be reliable in handling all the traffic from the 大象传媒's message boards like the Archers and communities such as 606. There may be some teething problems, so if you're having trouble commenting drop us an email us ipm [at] bbc.co.uk - thanks.
The new system has some differences, the main ones being that you鈥檒l have to register with the 大象传媒's Single Sign On system before you can post, and that the comments will be ordered with the latest comments at the top.
罢丑别谤别鈥檚 help and FAQ pages for the new comments system but the Communities team at the 大象传媒 have written up some likely questions below.
How do I add a comment?
First you have to register to use the blog. Follow the 'create your membership' link, and click on the link in a verification email. Once registered, you simply fill in the box at the bottom of the page and submit your comment. Your first few comments will be checked by our moderators before they appear on the blog, but after that they鈥檒l appear straight away.
Why am I having problems registering?
The most common problem when registering is entering the wrong email address or the verification email from the 大象传媒 ending up in your spam or junk mail folder. If you've checked these and you still can't post, contact the 大象传媒 Central Communities Team.
Why do we need to register before we can post a comment?
Registering helps protect the boards against spam and other abuse. Registering also allows you to track your comments, and once you've posted a few times your comments will appear on the site straight away, instead of having to wait for the moderators to check them first.
I already post on Have Your Say or The Messageboards - do I need a new account?
No, you can use your existing account. You鈥檒l be prompted to accept the terms and conditions of the site before you post but that only takes a click.
What鈥檚 the difference between my member name and my nickname?
When you register for bbc.co.uk membership you will be asked to create a 'member name'. This acts as both your sign-in name and your default nickname. Member names must be unique so you might not get the one you want.
After registering, you can create a new 'nickname'. Your nickname is the name that appears above your messages. Nicknames don't need to be unique so you can have any name you want. We advise you to change your nickname at least once, as it increases the security of your account.
If you would like a different nickname, you can change it to anything you like, as long as it doesn't break the House Rules and still carry on using the same account.
Do I have to enter my password every time I comment?
No, you can tick the 'remember me' box when you sign into the site and your details will be remembered unless you sign out or delete the cookies from your computer. Don't do this on a shared computer in a library or office though, or other people may be able to access your account.
How do I complain about a comment?
If you see something that you believe breaks the House Rules of the blog, please alert the moderators by clicking on the 'complain about this post' link. The moderators will examine the comment you complained about to see if it breaks the house rules and take appropriate action.
The iPM blog is post-moderated so all comments will be checked by the moderators within a short time of them appearing on the site.
Please don't use the 'complain about this post' button if you disagree with someone else's views - you can post your own comments explaining why your view is different.
Read more about moderation
Why has my comment disappeared?
Please be patient - your comment is being checked by the moderators.
- If there鈥檚 no problem with your comment it should reappear shortly. But please bear in mind the moderators will sometimes have to refer to other 大象传媒 staff or even the lawyers to check whether a post is ok.
- Your first few posts will not appear on the blog immediately. This is because all comments by new members are pre-moderated, which means they need to be checked by a moderator before they appear. This may take a while (because the moderators read thousands of postings a day), so please come back later to see your comment on the blog and check the responses. After you have used the new system for a while, you become a trusted user and your posts appear immediately - as long as they don't break the House Rules.
- If your message breaks our House Rules it will be removed permanently and you will be sent an email explaining why, along with a copy of your message.
Why do I have to wait before posting again?
罢丑别谤别鈥檚 a three minute delay (sometimes called 'speedbumping') that forces you to wait between comments on the board - this is to discourage chat from derailing discussions and to cut down on short or one-word comments and spam. Although it can sometimes be frustrating, it's really not that long, so please be patient. The timer starts from when you submitted your last post and includes any time spent writing the next one, so if you want to fill the time, write a longer post.
Other questions
If you have a question about the new software that hasn't been answered above or in The Messageboards FAQs, please contact the 大象传媒 Central Communities Team via their feedback form.
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