Matt's Feature of the Day (CHECKITOUT)

[Mattu]

I'm getting old these days, I suppose. I completely forgot about this thread! Gotta love being busy! :)

[Mattu]

Viewing Board (Message List) > Go to Post #

If someone tells you a post number to go to on a board or you just want to see who got some sweet grubbage, you can find this in two places.

First, when viewing the board message list, it's on the left, next to Hide Board Info/Surveys.

Second, when viewing a message and it says Post # [x] of [xxx], you can type over the [x] and hit enter to go to whatever post number you want.

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[Mattu]

[Moderators/Assisants Only] Board > Manage > Surveys

Go here to add a survey for your board. You can ask a number of questions with several choices.

Just click Add Survey after clicking the link and the rest is simple fill in the blank. Even Joemoney could figure this one out.

To get public links to post on the board, go back to the Board and click THAT Surveys link...

[Note to Bob: The logic is a little screwy on this one, for the Moderator when trying to create/view/post link to.]

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[Mattu]

[Moderators/Assisants Only] Board > Manage > Assistants

Only a Moderator can access this page. This is where you can add up to two assistants to help you with managing the board.

To add an assistant, simply type in their name in the search field and click Go. Then locate your member and click their name. Done! You can remove an assistant by clicking Remove next to their name.

An Assistant can remove/restore posts, manage the e-mail list, edit the iBox, and create surveys.

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[Mattu]

[Moderators/Assisants Only] Board > Manage > Edit iBox/Board Info

The iBox is the opening information post that you see when you go to any board. It's the opening header above the messages when viewing a board.

As a Mod/Assistant you can edit this information at any time by going to the Edit iBox/Board Info page. It works just like a post.

When you edit it, everybody who has the iBox hidden will have their option reset and see any changes you've added.

Quite useful for keeping up with DD links and such.

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[Mattu]

[Moderators/Assisants Only] Board > Manage > Manage E-Mail List

Every board has a built-in e-mail list. Pretty cool, eh?

People join it by clicking 'Subscribe to [boardname] E-Mail List]' at the bottom of the iBox/header.

Once you are on the E-mail List Page (within Manage), you can view subscribers, remove subscribers, and send out an e-mail to all the subscribers. Just type and click Send.

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[Mattu]

[Moderators/Assisants Only] Board > Manage > Remove/Restore

Right after you click Manage, you are defaulted to the page where you can click to remove/restore posts.

This is one of the most powerful features iHub offers. As a board moderator (or assistant), you have sort of an Instant TOS button. You can immediately remove posts from view that you think violate the TOU. Once removed, I review each one to insure fairness and compliance with the TOU. If not, I restore them. This helps weed out the garbage.

Please read the FAQ and the TOU for general iHub policies. There is also a hand Moderator's handbook on the Manage page. Ask me if you have any questions.

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[Mattu]

[Moderators/Assisants Only] Board > Manage

The link is just above the message list, just below the iBox/header.

Clicking Manage takes you into the iHub Moderator's system (aka Chairman of the Board). Within it, you can do numerous things to help make sure your board is top notch.

1. Remove/restore posts against the TOU
2. Manage an e-mail list
3. Add assistants to help you
4. Create surveys
5. Edit the iBox/Board header

This is the cornerstone of iHub. Please help out by Moderating any boards you are in charge of!

Details of each function coming next.

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[Mattu]

You need to link directly to an IMAGE, not a PAGE.

[Mattu]

Viewing Board (Message List) > Search this Board

Located at the very top of the board, to the right. If you are a premium member you can search for any ticker or term that was posted on that board only.

Just like the full-text site search, but restricted to just the board you are on.

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[Mattu]

Viewing Board (Message List) > Previous 50 / Next 50

Click these links to page forward and backwards between lists of messages, 50 at a time. Very useful on active boards!

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[Mattu]

Viewing Board (Message List) > Surveys

The cool features just don't stop!

This link takes you to the Surveys for this board. This is a fairly new feature that a lot of Moderators don't even know they have. Encourage them to use it.

By clicking this link, you can answer surveys and view the results of the ones you have answered.

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[Mattu]

Viewing Board (Message List) > Hide Board Info

Located under the iBox(header) and just above the messages, right in the middle is the Hide Board Info link.

Click this to hide the board intro, so you can get right to the messages when viewing the board.

You an show it again by clicking the same link. The board will also become unhidden again, when the Moderator modifies the box.

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[Mattu]

Posting Messages > Posting New (No one in particular)

Asked quite often. To post a new message, that is not tied to any other message, go to the Message List for any board. Below the iBox and above the messages to the right -- Post New Message. Click and compose.

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[Mattu]

Posting Messages > Edit Function

After you submit a message, you have 15 minutes to edit it. Somehow, it has gotten out of whack and gone to 17 minutes. One day, I'll hire a real programmer.

After you post the message, you are taken to the message. When viewing it, you'll see a RED link [Edit Message - 17 minutes left]. Click that to edit until time runs out.

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[Mattu]

Posting Messages > Submit or Preview

When you compose a message, you have two options to submit it.

(If you want to cancel the post you can click that option or just hit back on your browser)

Preview - allows you to see it before it gets posted to the board. Shows the various text modifications, links, etc. If you are a premium member, it also does a spellcheck and alerts you to misspellings.

Submit Post - submits directly to the board, no preview or spell check. My favorite.

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[Mattu]

Posting Messages > Posting Images/Charts

This is one of the features that add to the cool factor here.

There is a nice FAQ on this.

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/faqh2post.asp

Basics:

1. Find a direct link on the internet to an image you want. The gif or jpg.
2. Cut off the http://
3. Put it between the [*chart] [*/chart] functions (without the * in there.

Bam! You've got images.

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[Mattu]

Posting Messages > Message Shorthand

You can post shorthand links instead of the long, ugly full URL in your browser. The shorthand links open in the same window, instead of opening a new one.

To post a link to a board:

If you go to this board, you see this link in the address bar - http://www.investorshub.com/boards/board.asp?board_id=16

The important thing is the number at the end. That's the unique board number in the database -- 16.

So, you take that number and combine it with #board-[number]

#board-16

To post a link to a message:

If you go to this message, you see this link in the address bar (look above!) - http://www.investorshub.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=1181763

The important thing is the number at the end. That's the unique message number in the database -- 1181763.

So, you take that number and combine it with #msg-[number]

#msg-1181763

Note: The msg shorthand won't work by putting in the post number on that board. It needs the universal one that you see in the address bar of your browser.

Pretty cool, huh?

[Mattu]

Member Profile > Next 50/Previous 50 History

Unlike SI and a few other sites, we allow you to go all the way back through a person's profile. While we haven't broken it down by board/ticker yet, I definitely see that in the cards.

Using these links, just above the messages, you can page through the entire posting history of any member.

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[Mattu]

Update: I'll pick back up on this next week. It has been a wild one.

[Mattu]

Member Profile > Search this Member's Posts

It's located just above their message list.

Type in any search text and you'll get a list of posts by that person only that contain the text you were looking for. Very useful feature.

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[Mattu]

Member Profile > Add PersonMark

Click Add PersonMark to add that person to your Favorites. You can then follow any new posts they write.

Once in your favorites, the number of new posts will be highlighted. Click the number and you'll view the new posts by them. Pretty cool!

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[Mattu]

Member Profile > Read Last 50 Messages

Clicking this link allows you to read the last 50 posts, in their entirety, written by the person you are viewing.

This is quite helpful for following very popular (and active) users. For example, many people use this function on Zeev because of the activity on his board. You can quickly cut to the chase of his comments by viewing only his posts.

[Mattu]

Reading Messages > Profile Link > Send Private Message

OR

Reading Messages > Private Reply

OR

(Top Right) Search: [member name] > Members [from pulldown] > Go > Click Member > Send Private Message


This is only available to Premium Members (of whatever fashion). This enables you to send private messages to users. They work exactly like public messages, but are only viewed by the person you send them to. No e-mail hassles or anything. One of the coolest features on the site.

You might have some private messages you aren't aware of. Click Mailbox to check.

My profile: http://www.investorshub.com/boards/profile.asp?User=2744

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[Mattu]

Bottom Menu > iHub FAQ

If you've got a question, it is probably answered here. Take a stroll through the 5 categories. They are quite good -- I wrote them myself.

They range of general site philosophy to how to post images.

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/faq.asp

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Other

You'll find cool stuff here that didn't really have a category, thus "Other."

Word Finder - for help with crossword puzzles
Anagram Solver - exactly what it says
Surveys - listing of the various surveys throughout the site, user-created and Admin-created
Chat - entry into our Live Chat area
Our Advertisers - current advertisers
Online Store - iHub store, shirts right now, other stuff added one day

[Mattu]

Top Menu > Tools > My Account

Edit My Profile link -- it's right next to your account ID.

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/edit_profile.asp?edit_profile=Yes

This is where you can let the community know more about you. You can add a signature or a quote as well. Signatures will appear in each post you make. You can also change your password, update your e-mail, etc.

You can also reach the Edit My Profile link by viewing YOUR profile. Just click your name on any message you write.

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Tools > Contact Us

Ok, an easy one for Friday. Market is too exciting to be typing.

Anytime you need to a hold of the folks at the top of this global media empire, just go to the Contact Us page.

It also contains links to FAQs, password reminder, contact info for me (support), my assistant Bob, and the Ad sales force.

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Tools > My Filters

This is where your filters/ignores are managed. You can turn on/off filters by clicking 'Filters are Enabled [dislabed]' -- or if you are premium member, it shows up at the top of every page.

You can also ignore replies to people you have ignored. Do this by clicking the link that doesn't make any sense. :)

You can also unblock/remove filter people by clicking 'unblock' next to their name. There is a more detailed FAQ link from within the page.

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Tools > My Interface

Don't like the colors we picked out? No problem, you can change them here. You can play with the background color of the entire site, message color, how the menu looks, etc.

You can't break anything. I promise. Get in there and play. Biggest thing to keep in mind is to click SAVE CHANGES after you make a change.

If you goof, you can always click 'Default'

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/my_css.asp

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Tools > My Settings

All kinds of good stuff here. You can customize the way the site works. You can change how many messages can appear in your mailbox, how many messges to view in batch mode (10/50/100), whether you want graphics or signatures to appear, favorites to refresh or not.

The list goes on. Play around here and you'll like what you see.

http://www.investorshub.com/boards/my_settings.asp

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Tools

Now, we are getting into the good stuff.

The default shows you some basic account information. You can go here to check your subscription expiration date, a link to Edit your profile, a link to upgrade/renew your subscription. It also lists other pieces of info. Here's a copy of mine.

 
 Acct Number 2744  Edit My Profile  
 Alias IH Admin [Matt]  
 Email [e-mail]  
 Account Level Admin Acct   
 Registration Date 1/8/2001 4:55:41 PM  
 Subscription Expiration Date 2/22/2004 11:42:40 PM  
 Peoplemarks 162  
 Remaining Posts Today 253  
 

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Hot! > Top Boards

This is THE list on iHub. It shows the heart of the site. These boards are ranked on a super-secret formula of boardmarks, posts, age, among other things.

This is where you can go to find the boards that are the cream of the crop and have withstood the test of time.

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Hot! > New Subjects / Site Stats

New subjects is listing of the most recent boards started on iHub. This is an extension of the home page list.

Site stats shows various stats related to the site. Registered users, posts, and boards per category are all there.

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[Mattu]

Top Menu > Hot!

This is a listing of the most recent 50 boards with posting activity. This doesn't represent most bookmarked or most posts, but simply the latest post, based on time.

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[Mattu]

Favorites > Research Links

Another buried feature. If you spend as much time on iHub as some of us do, it's nice to have links there for easy access. Makes iHub your main point of entry for stock research.

To add: Click 'Add Research Link' below the tab.
To remove: Click 'Remove' on the line you want to remove.

Here's a copy of mine:

   
   Alexa Remove  
   Bloomberg Remove  
   Maxim Online Remove  
   My Yahoo Remove  
   Raging Bull Remove  
   Silicon Investor Remove  
   Yahoo Finance Remove  
 

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[Mattu]

Favorites

Believe it or not, a lot of people don't know about this function. This keeps track of all the boards and people you follow. Sort of a start page for you on your journey through da Hub.

To add Favorites:

Boards - directly below the header, to the right, 'add to favorties.' or when reading any message from that board, below the message, in the blue bar, 'add to favorites [boardname].'

People - Click on that person's name, go to their profile, and at the top, below their name, click 'Add Personmark' or or when reading any message from that person, below the message, in the blue bar, 'add to favorites [alias].'

After they are added, any new messages by those boards will show up as a link under 'X Unread' which you can click to see the latest messages you haven't read. Same is true of people, if you are a premium member.

To Remove a board, simply look across the table and hit 'Remove' on the line with the board you want to go bye-bye.

Hold your breath. Tomorrow, we talk about Favorite Links.

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[Mattu]

Boards > Start A New Board

Clicking this button lets you start a new board. Fire up a board for your favorite stock or your own stock picks. With a little work, you can potentially rise to fung_derf's level of popularity.

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[Mattu]

Boards (menu link)

This gives a category-based layout of the boards.

To the left, premium boards, which require a subscription.
To the right, free boards, which requires free registration.

Within the link, you can further break down the list on all kinds of options. Size, etc.

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[Mattu]

MailBox > Archived: Inbox - Outbox

Looking for a message you replied to? Or removed? All can be found in the archives. You can view SENT and RECEIVED. One of these days we'll add the function to page back through them all. For now, you can use the current display OR you can use the search box at the top right, type in words from an old PM, and pull down "Private Msgs", and it will search your private messages, both sent and rec'd.

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[Mattu]

Mailbox > Kept Public Messages

Really neat feature. If you are reading a post on the site and want to "bookmark it" to read later, all you have to do is click "Keep" on the post you want. While viewing in single message format, it's at the top and bottom. While viewing in next 10/50/100, it is at the bottom right. Once you click that, it is stored in this section of your mailbox until you "Unkeep" it.

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[Mattu]

Mailbox > Private Messages

Believe it or not, a lot of people don't know about this feature. It is one of the most popular. In this section of the mailbox, you can see any private messages someone has written to you. These are yours. Nobody can read them except you and the sender. Consider these your e-mail account within iHub. They are instant. You can send one by going to someone's profile or clicking "Private Reply" to a message. You must be a premium subscriber to use this function. Everybody can read PMs sent to them, even if they are a free member. You just have to be premium to respond/send.

Note that ANY member can send PMs to Bob or myself

*****

[Mattu]

Mailbox > Unread Public Replies

A lot of people don't realize what this is until much later on. This is one of the coolest features on the site. If you are like me, you post on a lot of boards. This feature allows you to be instantly notified, no matter where you are on the site, of a reply to one of your messages. You can click on the Mailbox, then view the replies to your public messages in this section.

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Starting out with some basic newbie stuff. I'll get into the more advanced features, later.

[Bob Zumbrunnen]

This board is an excellent idea if it stays relatively undiluted.

[Mattu]

Home Page > Board Spotlight

A place where we spotlight boards that folks might be interested in. Rotated as often as we can remember.

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Ok, that was an easy one. I'm going to work my way across the menu as we go.

[Mattu]

I'm going to add this board to my bookmarks and post once a day for a while.

I've wanted to rotate a little "feature of the day" to the top of the site, but I figure that'd be annoying as heck to have to put up with it.

So, I'll just post to this board. There are so many features to this site, most people don't even bother to check out most of them.

I'll start with the basic ones.


EDIT: Just realized I've posted with 3 aliases on this board. TOS submitted.

[Ruellit]

Matt,
As a Chairman of several boards I have a request that I think would make keeping the board up to date easier for many Chairmen.
What I would like is a series of posts (say 10 or so) that stay editable and are controlled from the Board Manager, so only the Chairman or Director of the board can edit theses posts. The purpose of these posts would be to contain such things as stock research, (that is continually changing) posting rules or regs., or anything else the board managers want to use it for! These posts should automatically update the link to them in the Ibox and on the board. TIA




muel <g>

[Cowboy]

Matt

I also noticed that when you read a post on the board that is directed to you that it does not delete it from the mail box...I end up reading the post twice.

Will this be changing?

One other thing...when a post is made it would be nice if you were automatically brought back to the board/point when you made the post.

[ihub_tutorial]

**More on Favorites**

Now, reflects "New Posts" since you last read a post there...

Also reflects new posts by a person, since you last read one by that person.

When adding new boards...It shows total #. Just click to that board, read a message and it will reset to zero.

One suggestion I agree with - a "CLEAR ALL" button. Will do.

Also, notice Research Links...

As more and more stuff is added, you will soon be able to build your own start page!

FM

[ihub_tutorial]

**Favorites Module**

The Favorites, by huge demand, is now live.

There will be more added to it, obviously, but the main functions are there.

Coming:
New Posts since you last visted
New Posts by a Member since you last read
Ability to even bookmark favorite posts
Ability to set up your own "Research Start Page"

For more info on how to use it:
http://www.investorshub.com/beta/faq.asp

Try it out and let us know what you think!

We will soon make it prettier. We aren't exactly color-skilled

FM