SDN Forums Help

There can be a number of reasons why a member may not be able to post or use the Student Doctor Network forums. In most cases, problems are due to the member's system.

This Forum Problem FAQ will assist you with the most common forum issues. Nearly all forum issues can be resolved by following these instructions where appropriate.

The most common problems and fixes:

1. I've lost my password or screen name
• If you lost your password or name and need to have it sent to you, click here.
  

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2. I never got an activation code
• To send a new activation code, click here. If you still do not receive a code, send us a message.
• It can take up to 5 minutes to receive your activation code, but it's usually instantaneous.
• Always check your email Spam message box. Sometimes it is filtered as Spam.
• If you did not get an activation code after 10 minutes, follow the "Test Page" link below... Test Page
  • If you see a normal reply page, then your account is already active. However, if you see "You are not logged in or you do not have permission to access this page," then you either need a new password sent to you, or a new activation code sent to you.

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3. Is the password or Login case sensitive?
   • Yes! This is an extremely common cause of errors; be sure you've entered everything correctly.
   • The forums are CaSe-SeNsiTive, so enter your name and password exactly as it was emailed to you.
   • Don't add any extra spaces!

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4. My Password was sent to old or inactive email address
• Sorry, that's out of our control.
• There is no method to revive an account when the associated e-mail address is no longer active.
• You will need to reregister. To re-register, click here.

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5. I need to Login over and over and over or I don't have permissions yet.
   • Make sure you use our main URL: http://forums.studentdoctor.net.
• Otherwise this may be a cookies problem. There are a few things you may need to try to fix it:
• Try this first :
  • Close your browser. Search your computer for 'studentdoctor' and delete any cookie files. Restart your browser. If that doesn't work, you may need to clear your browser's cache and delete all cookies and temp internet files:
• If that doesn't work, try these options next (Browser Specific):
  • Firefox
    Do both of these steps:
  1. Tools > Clear Private Data
  2. Tools > Options > Privacy > Cache > Clear Now
  • Internet Explorer
    Tools > Internet Options > General > Delete Cookies, Delete Files, Clear History
  • Safari
    Safari > Empty Cache > Empty
  • AOL 9.0
    The AOL Browser is not generally compatible with the SDN Forums. Use IE or Firefox.
    Start > Internet Options (double click it) > Internet Properties > Delete
  • Netscape
    Tools > Options > Privacy > Click "cache" > Clear Cache > Click Clear
• After doing any of the above steps, restart your browser by closing it and then reopening it.

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6. I can't log-out
   • If you can't log-out, try these steps:
     1. Click here to log-out
     2. If you are still not logged-out, follow the steps in question above

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7. I get "Page cannot be displayed" errors when accessing the Forums
   • There could be a few problems:
     • See if you can access the forums directly using the IP address...
       Click here: http://209.11.254.46
     • If it works, then it's a temporary issue with your ISP's DNS server. It will probably self-correct within 24 hours.
     • If it's not successful, then contact us!

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8. The forum pages don't seem to update
• Many users access the Internet through something called a Proxy Server. Your ISP provides the proxy server to help speed up your connection to the Internet by filtering certain functions and caching web pages locally. Good proxy servers have no trouble with the dynamic pages that our site serves. However, poorly configured and older proxy servers don't work well with our forums because our forums update so quickly.
• Bypass your proxy server by doing the following:
  • In Internet Explorer, select the "Tools" Menu, then select "Internet Options." Next, select the "Connections" tab. Click the "Settings" Button.
  • Uncheck the box for "Use a Proxy Server for this Connection."

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9. The Forums seem really slow
• The most common reason is that you have a slowdown somewhere between the SDN Forums and your computer.
• The other common reason is that your browser is not caching images.
  • Make sure your browser is saving temporary Internet files. This will decrease the amount of image loading you need to do when you're visiting the SDN Forums.

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10. What does "Banned" mean?
• If your account was banned, you would see a notice on the forums informing you that your account was banned. If you can't access the site, it's a different issue.
• Only a handful of members have ever had their posting privileges revoked.
• New members that act as "trolls" will simply have their account closed -- no warnings will be issued.
• Established members will generally receive a number of warnings or 'infractions' before they would be banned. Repeated violations will result in permanent blocking of the member's IP address and screenname.
• To learn what violations may result in banning, read our Terms of Service.
  

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11. What does "Post Hold" or "Probation" mean?
• If a member posts inappropriate messages, the moderators may put their account on "Probation" or "Post Hold" while they discuss the problem with the member.
• If the member agrees to stop posting inappropriately, they will be returned to normal member status or to "Probation" status.
• While in "Post Hold" the member is unable to post messages but may otherwise use the board normally.
• While in "Probation" status, the account is fully active, but a public "Probation" title is attached to the account which will usually expire after about 1 week.

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12. I've done all the steps above and nothing Has helped
• If nothing has fixed the problem, please contact us!