Frequently asked questions
Before contacting the webmaster please check to see if your question has been answered below. It's unlikely that you will receive a reply if the answer can be found below.
Q. Why can't I login using the password that I was sent?
There's nothing wrong with the password. The password will have at least one letter that has been substituted for a number. For example the number 5 instead of a letter S. All you need to do is ensure that you are entering the password correctly.
Q. Can you send me my password?
You can obtain your password by clicking the Forgot Password link on the Login page.
Q. Can I change my password?
Yes, you can choose your own encrypted password by clicking the appropriate link on your member's page.
Q. Can I change my username?
No, if it's really important that you change your username then your best bet is to ask me to cancel your account so that you can create a new one.
Q. I cannot accept cookies, can I still post to the forum?
You can post to the forum without being logged in as a member by using a pin number. You can set your pin number by clicking the appropriate link on your member's page. More information about this can be found here.
Q. I'm trying to post to the forum but it's asking me for a pin number, why?
If you're being asked for a pin number then you are not logged in as a member. You can post to the forum without being logged by using your e-mail address and pin number, but you need to login at least once to set-up a pin number - this can be done from your member's homepage.
Q. Why hasn't my topic appeared?
Before authorising a topic I check keywords in the topic title by searching the forum. If I can easily find an existing topic using any one of the keywords then it is unlikely that I will authorise the topic. I clearly ask you to check and use a similar existing topic rather than create a new one but some people don't bother checking and then they wonder why it's not appeared. If you decide to use a similar topic I may well rename that topic to make it more appropriate.
Q. Why are some members able to promote local businesses but I'm not?
There is an exception to the Rule 8. Some members are able to post directly to the live site without their comments being moderated by the webmaster first. These are trusted members who regularly post to the forum and comply with the forum rules. As a privilege of being able to post live, these members have far more freedom in general, and I don't mind them recommending local businesses within reason. If you are a new member and you want to recommend a local business then you can always contact the person directly via their contact form. Instructions on how to do this are listed on this page. If you think you qualify as a trusted member then please let me know and I will review your account.
Experience of running a website for over a decade has taught me that some people will happily register different accounts to promote their business. I have a low tolerance towards anyone attempting to use the forum as a means of promoting a local business and a zero tolerance towards new members that do this. A typical example would be where a new member posts a topic about where to find a particular service. And then another new member replies and suggests a local business. And then another new member will agree with this... and basically it's the same person or a conspiracy. I will (and have) cancel the account of anyone that I suspect of doing this.
Q. Where has the Yearbook section gone?
I’ve removed the Yearbook section for the time being as it needs to be completely rebuilt. It will be back later in the year with all the information as it was.
Q. Can you give me the e-mail address of someone who has posted to the guest book?
No, I don't capture any contact details for the guest book.
Q. Can you give me the contact details of a member?
No, I'm not allowed to disclose personal data. You can contact the member via their contact form if they have enabled it from their control panel. To contact another member just click their username on any of their forum posts - it appears as an orange link.
Q. Can you send me one of the photos that appears in the Gallery?
The majority of photos are uploaded by members and visitors to the site. I cannot give you the details of the person who uploaded the picture but if you give me the picture reference - it's the picture ID that appears in the URL part of your browser when you're looking at the picture on screen, then I will attempt to contact the picture owner on your behalf. At which point, my involvement will end as they can contact you directly.
Q. Can you answer my question about local history?
The best way to get an answer to a local history question is to use the forum.
Q. How do I cancel my membership of Urmston.net?
You can fill out the form below to request that your account be closed. I actually prefer members to close accounts that they're not using as it makes it easier to maintain the membership. I don't want to keep unused accounts just to make it look like I've got a lot of members... if you're not going to use it please ask me to close it.
Q. How do I strip the formatting from something that I want to post to the forum?
There is an icon called Paste plain text - it's the third icon from the left. If you want to remove the formatting just copy the text, click the icon - this will open a small window, and paste into the window.
Q. Why have I not received a reply to my e-mail?
If you contact me to ask a question that can be answered by reading the terms and conditions page, then I am unlikely to reply. For example, if someone who has submitted a post to the forum in all lowercase and wants to know why their post wasn't authorised - See R4. I do try my best to reply to all e-mails but sometimes it does take a while. Also, if you're using a web-based e-mail address such as Hotmail or Yahoo, then there is an increased likelihood that I may not reply.
Q. Can I promote my business on the forum?
Not only will I not authorise a post that promotes a product or service, but it's likely that I will suspend the membership of the member that made the post. However, "post live" member are exempt because I do not authorise their posts.
Q. Why has no one replied to my topic?
If you start a new topic that asks for feedback about a local business or service then only those members that can post to the live site will be able to reply to such a topic. I will not authorise any post that promotes a product or service. However, I have no objections to members replying to such a post personally by contacting the member directly - via their contact form. As such, if you want to get feedback about a local business, or if you're looking for someone to do a small job for you, you should enable your contact form so that members can contact you directly about this.
Q. How do I enable my contact form?
First navigate to your member homepage by clicking the "My homepage" link that appears near the top of each page - you will need to be logged-in to see this link. From your member homepage click the "Members can cannot contact me" link, set the option to Yes and click the update button. You will be redirected back to your homepage where you will see that the link now says "Members can contact me". To disable the contact form just repeat the process and set it to no.
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