Silicon Investor - Frequently Asked Questions

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Logging In
General Questions
Bans and Ignores

Logging In

I forgot my LoginID and/or Password. How can I retrieve them? (Last Updated: 9/20/2007 11:40:48 AM)
When trying to login, it says LoginID and password are invalid. (Last Updated: 10/23/2009 1:47:59 PM)
Can I change my login password? (Last Updated: 12/1/2004 4:37:53 PM)
Can I change my Alias? (Last Updated: 12/1/2004 4:39:39 PM)
Can I change my LoginID? (Last Updated: 12/1/2004 4:40:29 PM)
Am I allowed to register multiple accounts at SI? (Last Updated: 9/20/2007 12:23:48 PM)

General Questions

My Inbox says I have 257 items, but I only see around 50 items when I go into the inbox. (Last Updated: 10/25/2004 11:34:15 AM)
Is there a quick way to adjust the font sizes until we can customize our settings? (Last Updated: 9/20/2007 12:14:55 PM)
I composed this really long post but it somehow was lost before I submitted it. What happened? (Last Updated: 9/24/2011 2:55:30 AM)
Messages created with Post Message (vs. Public Reply) do not show a "To:" addressee. (Last Updated: 10/9/2004 1:50:45 AM)
Won't re-opening the site to free members invite spam? (Last Updated: 9/24/2011 2:56:58 AM)
Can other users see my SubjectMarks, PeopleMarks and Ignores? (Last Updated: 3/20/2005 12:25:00 PM)
Why do I now only get to read Prev 10 and Next 10 though my options are set to 50 at a time? (Last Updated: 12/8/2004 12:34:42 PM)
There are suddenly messages appearing in my OutBox and Folders to a member I do not know. (Last Updated: 3/1/2005 10:30:42 AM)
(Last Updated: 9/24/2011 2:54:11 AM)

Bans and Ignores

I can't find the place to ban users from my thread, except on messages. When can I ban someone? (Last Updated: 3/9/2006 10:36:28 AM)
Can I see how many threads I am banned from? (Last Updated: 11/4/2004 6:57:51 PM)

Logging In

I forgot my LoginID and/or Password. How can I retrieve them? (Last Updated: 9/20/2007 11:40:48 AM)

If you recall the email address you used for your SI account and still have access to it, you can request an email containing your login credentials here.

When trying to login, it says LoginID and password are invalid. (Last Updated: 10/23/2009 1:47:59 PM)

  • If you are sure you are using your normal login credentials and you cannot login, it is likely that your browser and/or firewall is blocking our cookies. Please refer to this page for more information about firewalls.
  • Several users have a space at the end of their password. Try adding a space at the end of your password when logging in. If that works, go to Options - My Account and change your password after successfully logging in.
  • Some users have a password that was encrypted by our old system. If you are unable to retrieve your credentials via self-help email (see below), you will not be able to login without admin assistance.
If you recall the email address you used for your SI account and still have access to it, you can request an email containing your login credentials here.

If you need assistance logging in, send an email to SI Admin with as much of the following information as you can recall:
  • LoginID (Login User Name) - best guess(es)
  • Alias
  • Account number
  • Password - best guess(es)
  • email address(es) you may have registered with SI at any time.
  • A link to one of your posts.
We will not release your login information until we can validate you as the proper account owner.

Can I change my login password? (Last Updated: 12/1/2004 4:37:53 PM)

Yes. Your password can be changed in Options-->Edit/View My Account.

Can I change my Alias? (Last Updated: 12/1/2004 4:39:39 PM)

You can change your alias once every 12 months. You will not be able to select an existing or previously-used alias, unless it was used by you. Your alias can be changed in Options-->Edit/View My Account.

Can I change my LoginID? (Last Updated: 12/1/2004 4:40:29 PM)

Not at this time. LoginID (aka username) is unique to each user. Please note that "LoginID" is not the same as the "Alias" - Alias is what other users see in your profile and on your posts. Your LoginID is known only to you.

Am I allowed to register multiple accounts at SI? (Last Updated: 9/20/2007 12:23:48 PM)

Unlike most message boards, Silicon Investor limits users to a single account. Our admins actively watch for users trying to utilize multiple accounts. This is done to prevent manipulation of the dialog by one user appearing to be multiple contributors, as well as to prevent users who have been removed from the site for unacceptable conduct from returning to the site under a different guise.

Posting messages from multiple accounts and/or using multiple accounts to manipulate statistics (such as PeopleMarks, SubjectMarks and Recommendations) are violations of Silicon Investor's Terms Of Use and will result in termination of all accounts found to be used by a common person. Repeat violations may result in the offender's access to the site being blocked permanently.

General Questions

My Inbox says I have 257 items, but I only see around 50 items when I go into the inbox. (Last Updated: 10/25/2004 11:34:15 AM)

In Options you have Messages per category to display in InBox set to a number lower than the number of items actually in your Inbox folder. You can either remove or file items to see more, or increase the setting in Options. Currently, the maximum setting is 100 items per category.

Is there a quick way to adjust the font sizes until we can customize our settings? (Last Updated: 9/20/2007 12:14:55 PM)

Some pages that are list-oriented can have a custom font size selected by the user on their Options page under the setting named "Datagrid Font Size".

Other available methods include:
  • If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, hold down the CTRL key while turning the mouse wheel. On a touchpad, hold the CTRL key while dragging your finger along the right edge of the touchpad.
  • While holding the CTRL key, press "+" to increase the font size, and "-" to decrease it.
  • In IE, select View-->Font Size. Keyboard alternative: Alt-V-->X-->Letter for desired size.

I composed this really long post but it somehow was lost before I submitted it. What happened? (Last Updated: 9/24/2011 2:55:30 AM)

You may have used the browser's "Back" button to edit from Preview instead of the EDIT button. You can usually recover the Preview window by immediately using the browser's FORWARD button (or Alt-right-arrow), and then clicking the EDIT button to make any changes.

Messages created with Post Message (vs. Public Reply) do not show a "To:" addressee. (Last Updated: 10/9/2004 1:50:45 AM)

This is a change in design from the old system. Before, posts to "the thread" were treated as replies to the thread's originator, and went into their Inbox. Now, they are considered to be no-addressee posts and do not appear in anyone's Inbox, including the thread originator.

Won't re-opening the site to free members invite spam? (Last Updated: 9/24/2011 2:56:58 AM)

Free accounts are allowed a maximum of 5 posts per day. We welcome the addition of these new contributors and hope they will upgrade so they can participate more and have access to a greater number of features.

Users who register accounts for the purpose of posting spam are usually identified and reported by our members before the bits settle. Like our users, we have little tolerance for the spam artists and will endeavor to respond to those reports as quickly and effectively as possible. As is usually the case with your basic graffiti artists, if we are diligent as a community in detecting and removing their work they will eventually take their efforts elsewhere.

Can other users see my SubjectMarks, PeopleMarks and Ignores? (Last Updated: 3/20/2005 12:25:00 PM)

Only you have access to your detailed lists of SubjectMarks, PeopleMarks, Ignored Members, and Banned-From boards.

We do show aggregate numbers. Individual member profiles show how many members have that member PeopleMarked and/or Ignored, and how many Boards they are banned from posting to. Members viewing their own profile can click on the number of bans to see a list of the Boards from which they are banned. Each Board also shows the number of members who have been banned, and any user can click on the number to view a list of the banned members.

It it possible for another user to determine that you have them on Ignore if they are blocked from sending you a Private Message and they do not have you on Ignore.

Why do I now only get to read Prev 10 and Next 10 though my options are set to 50 at a time? (Last Updated: 12/8/2004 12:34:42 PM)

The ability to read messages in batches greater than 10 is a Premium feature. It was temporarily made available to GF/Life members while in development, though it now requires a Premium subscription. Options allow batches greater than 10 to be set, but it is used only if the user has a currently valid Premium subscription.

The above also applies to other Premium features that were available to GF/Life members while they were in development, such as clicking on the number of new posts next to a PeopleMark to read their posts sequentially.

There are suddenly messages appearing in my OutBox and Folders to a member I do not know. (Last Updated: 3/1/2005 10:30:42 AM)

The member to whom you sent (or received) those messages has changed their Alias. The system is showing their new Alias on all messages they sent or received. Information on changing your alias can be found here.

(Last Updated: 9/24/2011 2:54:11 AM)

Bans and Ignores

I can't find the place to ban users from my thread, except on messages. When can I ban someone? (Last Updated: 3/9/2006 10:36:28 AM)

After the person to be banned has posted. If someone is going to be banned they should at least get a chance to earn the distinction of making the thread's ban list. Silicon Investor encourages participation and thread moderators should as well as long as the poster is not overly disruptive and conforms to site rules and thread guidelines. Bans are not to be issued on Investment Forum boards solely on the basis of a poster's investment perspective unless the board carries a "Bulls Board" or "Bears Board" designation. Within the scope of those broad guidelines, ban/unban decisions are at the moderators' discretion. Users who are unsatisfied with a moderator's use of the ban feature should look to other threads on the subject, and can also start a new thread if no suitable alternatives exist.

Moderators: You can ban users by clicking on the Ban link that appears in the center of the page directly above and again below the message text area. The link is available only in single-post mode, not batch mode. To quickly access single-post view from batch view, simply place the cursor in the box that contains the offending message's sequence number "[12341 ] of 12565" and hit Enter. That will take you to single-post view mode, and the ban links will appear there. You can remove a user from the ban list by clicking in the number of bans shown on the Subject listing "Posts: 45678 | Member Bookmarks: 223 | Bans (3)" and clicking Unban next to the user's name.

The site admins have the ability to ban/unban on all threads, including non-moderated threads. Banning activity is logged, and moderators found to be egregiously abusing the feature are subject to losing their moderator privileges.

Can I see how many threads I am banned from? (Last Updated: 11/4/2004 6:57:51 PM)

Yes. It is shown in your profile.