NetForum 3.1 Step-by-Step

 

Download the zip file containing the program

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Download NetForum 3.1

 

Open the file with WinZip. Then click on Install.

 

Select Yes when Setup asks whether to start NetForum

 

Click on the NetForum logo :-) in the "System Tray"

 

Press the Settings... button.

 

Now set the options for your message forum.

By default NetForum will list the messages in a HTML file called nf_messages.htm. If you do not wish to this (you do not want a message forum on your web site), you can uncheck the Create box.

By default NetForum ignores E-mail attachment (files, graphic, sound). This conserves disk space, but incoming messages which utilitize graphics will lose their embellishment. If you wish to keep the attachment (they will be erased automatically when the associated message is removed), you can check the Save file attached to message box. Under no condition will NetForum download an executable (.EXE, .COM, .BAT).

 

Set the option for your list of external sites.

By default NetForum does not create the list. If you wish to have the list on your web site, you must check the Create box, here.

 

Set the options for your online survey.

By default NetForum does not create the questionnaire. If you want to conduct an online survey, you must check the Create boxes, so that a HTML file with a list of questions and another file with their results will be created.

Press the New button to create new questions and possible answers to them.

By default NetForum does not save the E-mail address of respondents, so that it is possible for one person to vote more than once. If you wish to prevent this from happening, check the Save e-mail address of respondents box.

 

Enter the necessary information for retrieving messages from your mailbox.

 

Enter the necessary information for uploading files to your web site.

The remote folder is where the files for your web site situate. This line blank would be left blank in many instances, when the HTTP folder happens to be the user folder.

If you choose to place the HTML files generated by NetForum in a sub-folder, be sure to modify the HTML templates, so that the Back button (which points to "index.htm") would work properly.

 

Set the schedule for NetForum to check for new messages.

By default NetForum is active only when Internet access is available, that is, when you have already established Dial-up Networking (while you're browsing the web, for instance). Uncheck the Run only when Internet access is available, if you are fortunate enough to have a direct connection, or you want NetForum to dial up, at the time interval specified.

Press Close after you have entered all the necessary information.

 

NetForum will attempt to log into the mail server, and look for new message (at first, there's non, obviously). It will also upload the HTML files it has created to your web server.

At this point you should check to see if the files are really available at your web site.

 

Create links to the pages managed by NetForum:

Names of HTML files -

  • Message forum = nf_messages.htm
  • List of links = nf_sites.htm
  • Online survey questions = nf_questions.htm
  • Online survey results = nf_results.htm

Note that by default, the names of all the HTML and GIF files created by NetForum and uploaded to your web site are prefixed with "nf_," in order to avoid conflict with existing files.

Well, that's it!

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