Forum back online, new website info & rules

[~Souza~]

I have transferred all old posts into this new forum install and theme, which I chose because it was closest to the look of the HoaxBook community. The old forum did not provide the features needed, mostly on the backend of it, so after I saw the poll results I decided to install the same software as the old forum. That means you have 2 accounts: your new HoaxBook account, and your forum account. If you already had an account on the old forum, you can log in with your old username and password. If you didn't have an account yet, you will have to register here also, you cannot log in with your HoaxBook account. I tried to find a integration code to merge the two software programs so that everyone has only one account, but unfortunately that doesn't exists. Doesn't have to be a problem on your home pc/mac/laptop because you can check the box when logging in to have the systems remember you so that you don't have to log in twice every time you visit the site.

There are some changes to the forum and that has everything to do with the set-up of the new website. From now on, the forum will be used ONLY for Hoax Investigation and important Michael Jackson news, information and updates. Read this complete post and check it later even if you don't remember certain things (it is a sticky in the category about forum and website questions, so should be easy to find again later) because it's important that we start archiving information where it belongs. Below I will go through every single option but if something is missing and you have additional questions, please post them in this thread and I will update this post if needed.

Please read carefully so that all information can be easily found later on and doesn't disappear on a big pile of uncategorized information.

MAIN DOMAIN PAGE (www.michaeljacksonhoaxforum.com)

At the moment, the homepage only says 'enter website'. It's not automatically redirected to the main site (HoaxBook), but that has to do with traffic. This way both platforms will run much faster. The plan is to make some sort of menu there so that people can access a particular part of the website without having to go through HoaxBook first, because some might not even want to register there and are only interested in the forum. I'm not sure yet, I have to think about it and find time to make something of it. But for now it's just a simple link.

HOME

The main website now is HoaxBook for the simple reason that it's more lively and interactive. I might change it from time to time to add some widgets or rearrange the features on the home page, but overall it's pretty much the final setting. You will see tab. First being 'What's New'. You can use this like Twitter and everything you post here will also appear on your profile.

[warning]If you share a video, please make sure that you go to your posted video under 'videos' in the menu to add a category to it. Videos posted on the main page are by default uncategorized, so you need to edit your video when you post them on the home page in the activity feed. Pictures posted on there will go automatically into an album called 'wall photos' so if you have important hoax images, keep in mind that if you only share it on the home page, it might be very hard, if not impossible, for yourself and others to find later on.[/warning]

The next tab is called 'Forum Updates' and if you click it you will see the 5 last posts on the forum. The forum itself has the 'view unread posts' function, so this is more to keep track on the forum a little while you are on the HoaxBook community. I think the rest of the tabs speak for themselves.

Above the navigation menu is another menu (next to search) where you can go to your profile, edit your account settings and go to your private messages. Most is really self-explanatory, just browse through all the menus and you'll know soon enough where to find and edit certain settings. If you really can't find it you can ask here, but please click around yourself first. That is always the best way to learn and get used to this new platform.

On the bottom you will find a Facebook-like chat bar. Here you can chat one-on-one with online members if you click 'chat' and then the username of the person you'd like to talk to. If you don't want to be shown as online, simply click the icon on the far right to go offline and hide the chat. Do the same if you want to go online again. I might install this feature for the forum as well later on.

FORUM

I have been cleaning the forum and I made some changes because from now on, only hoax information and Michael Jackson information should be posted here. No more Elvis theories (unless they clearly connect to Michael), no more off topic threads, etc. The categories I deleted are now stored on the bottom of the forum in the archived section, so the posts are still there, but you can't reply anymore and can't start new topics. They are there for reference only. To keep this forum easy to navigate for both members and new users, I have made an overview of the categories and the purposes of the categories and the sub forums. Many are saying numerous times that we should try and get the non-believers on board, but if we present them a mess full of double posts, troll threads, split discussions and forums with 1,500 or even 3,000 topics, we shouldn't be surprised they won't even take the time to read. To get this forum cleaned up and back on track but also to make it a valuable archive for ourselves if we need to find old information later on, please take note of the following starting on top of the board index after 'Links':

Welcome

Introduce yourself:

Subject: Where new members can introduce themselves.
Who can read: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply: Registered users

Note: Use this for introduction reasons only. If a discussion starts on a certain topic, make sure it will be posted in an existing thread about that topic in the sub forum where it belongs, or make a new thread in the appropriate sub forum if there is no discussion thread about it yet.

Info for new members:

Subject: For threads with recaps and information that will help people get up-to-date on the hoax.
Who can read: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply:: Registered users

Note: Everyone can post threads in this sub forum, but make sure your post is easy to follow for people that are new. Post for example a complete series of hoax videos that sum up all the events in the hoax so far, timelines on the MJ 'death' investigation, or complete recaps with all the information you gathered. These threads do not have to be in English! Video series, timelines and recaps in your own language are very welcome too, because according to the statistics, only a little over 30% of the visitors are native English speakers. The purpose of this sub forum is too give a well laid out overview of the hoax, so that new visitors don't have to browse through 16,000 topics to get up-to-date enough to join the discussions. The recaps don't have to be complete. If you just pick one subject, like the preliminary hearing for instance, that would be fine as well.

Questions about the forum and/or website:

Subject: Ask anything about how to use the website and/or forum.
Who can read:: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply: Registered users

Help improve the forum/website:

Subject: Submit ideas for the website, notify me of features you are missing.
Who can read:: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply: Registered users

Admin messages:

Subject: Sub forum to keep you informed about the forum and the website in general.
Who can read:: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Admin only
Who can reply: Registered users

Michael Jackson News

Subject: Category for articles reported in the media, or discussions about media outlets.
Who can read:: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply: Registered users

Note: First of all: not every article is breaking news. I have noticed that users post threads in here for the sole reason that it is the most watched one. Result: good info is buried under 1,500 topics and needs to be checked and categorized. It is filed under "Michael Jackson News", which means it is for Michael Jackson news and not for hoaxer's or fan's blogs or theories or petitions but just simple news. And only news that's really breaking news goes in that category. Tito tweeting about tacos is not breaking news. All articles from the media should be posted in here, but also in the relevant sub forum. TMZ has sub forums. One for the recaps, which I should update every month (I'm a little behind) and also a general discussion to discuss Harvey, TMZ live or TMZ's involvement in the hoax.

Forum Favorites

Subject: Category for the TIAI and Back/Front discussions and the messages to Michael.
Who can read:: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply: Registered users

General Hoax Investigation

Subject: Category for all (real!!!) clues, oddities and inconsistencies found since and prior to June 25, 2009 that point to a death hoax.
Who can read:: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply: Registered users

Note: This is the main investigation forum. I have created as many categories as possible so that everything can be categorized and found easily later on. A little more explanation about the sub forums:
The sub forum " Michael Jackson Death Hoax Theories" speak for itself. All the old theories and categories are moved to the archive because most lately were not really theories but strange brainstorm sessions. If you want to brainstorm on some theory, create a group on HoaxBook and invite members to discuss (see below) but this category is only for well thought out, coherent theories that are about Michael Jackson and not a random movie or event that's as much linked to Michael ass it is to either one of us. A theory has also more than 2 sentences, many theories posted before were like 'I know why MJ did it it was because of this and that' without ANY further explanation. That is a post that can easily be posted somewhere as a comment in a thread, there is no need to make a new topic for that.
I think all the other sub forums speak for themselves so I will keep it short.

Persons of Interest

Subject: Category for everyone that needs to be discussed who has a link to Michael.
Who can read:: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply: Registered users

Note: All career moves, slip-ups, tours, discussions, photo-shoots etc. about a certain person (with the exception of Twitter, see below), go here. As for Murray, this sub forum is for his acting skills, photo shopped pictures, runs on the beach, barber visits, shopping days in Santa Monica etc. Everything court related does not belong in here, but in the sub forum already discussed. If a certain person doesn't have an own category, post your thread in "Others". This is only for people actually having a link to Michael Jackson, not for fans or hoaxers etc.

Multimedia

Subject: Category for Twitter, Facebook, or all other things internet related.
Who can read:: Everyone
Who can post new topics: Registered users
Who can reply: Registered users

Note: The Twitter accounts are split; verified and not verified but (probably) real (because it's followed by other Jacksons for example). Please do a search for a particular account on the forum first, to see if there is already a thread for that account. That is to avoid numerous threads about the same account. Use the same system for the titles if you make a thread for a new account as I used, see the sub forums. For instance, Randy's Twitter thread is called "Randy Jackson - @randyjackson8 (verified)". This way it's easier to find the thread because people can simply put the "@randyjackson8" into the search bar to see if the thread already exists. Same goes for the (probably) real accounts, but without the verified part. There is a sub forum called "Other" for everything else multimedia related, but only if they are official Michael Jackson or Jacksons accounts. Same goes for the Twitter accounts. No fakers, no hoaxers and certainly no accounts that like to play with people's minds.

GROUPS

Groups are little forums within the site for off topic discussions or for brainstorm sessions about theories that aren't really making sense yet etc. You can create your own group or join an existing one. Groups have the tab 'discussions' where even forum topics can be created.

Everything that is posted on the updates page of a group will also show on the homepage, what is posted in group discussions will not and stay only in the group. You can set it to group members only etc., but always make sure that if it is a Michael Jackson related group, that you make it visible for guests.

[warning]Again here: if you share a video, go to your video in the video section and add a category. [/warning]

BLOGS

Blog section where you can post blogs about whatever you want. Make sure (as with all features) that you fill in the category, right title etc. to make sure people can find what they are looking for.

VIDEOS

Here you can share your (YouTube and Vimeo) videos. Don't flood it with non-MJ related things. You can post all kinds of videos as long as you add the right category, but not 20 a day because that way new members will think this is not a Michael Jackson website and click away. Again make sure that you fill in the category, right title etc. to make sure people can find what they are looking for.

ALBUMS

Here you can share all kinds of pictures. You can make different albums. Make sure you set your personal photo albums to 'friends only', unless you want the whole world to see them. If you share hoax related pictures, make an album for that and try not to make them disappear in an album called 'wall photos'.

MUSIC

Feature to share your favorite music. You can upload mp3's up to 6MB, but I wouldn't upload too much because you have an upload limit. Again: name it, categorize it, and make sure you enter as much info as you can.

EVENTS

Here you can post upcoming events like court hearings, Jacksons concerts, etc. This is pretty much the same as the groups function (info above), but for calendar events.

POLLS

Simple poll option to see what other people think.

LIKES

Overview of generally liked (popular) posts and your own likes.

GENERAL HOUSE RULES

Posting forum threads, groups, videos or any other info:
Before you post anything, please check if it isn't already posted. Use the 'view new posts' option, the search tool or check the sub forums, groups, video sections etc. to see if it isn't already there. If you want to add something to a discussion that is already up and running, do so in the thread/group that already is available, unless you think it's important enough to give it its own. Double info, disrespectful comments etc. will be deleted/merged or edited without warning, so if one of your posts is gone, it's because of one of these reasons.
Make sure your title explains what your post is about. Titles like "OMG, LOK WHAT I FOUND!!!!!" or "I was just wondering" or "What is this?" are not helpful.
Banning/warnings:
Trolls that come here only to play with people or to cause trouble, will get banned immediately and their threads/posts will be deleted.
People that are disrespectful to other members get a warning. If you keep behaving like that, I will throw you off as well. I do not count the official warnings; I just wait till I'm out of patience. I think many people on here can confirm that I do not ban people for having another opinion than I have, because most of them are still members here. If I have a discussion with you about your opinion or theory, it is because I want to challenge you, and not because I want to ban you. If you think you are right, you can challenge me back and prove me wrong. I have no issues at all with that, I actually like discussions. It's nothing personal. If you get personal on the other hand because you can't win the discussion and start being disrespectful (whether it is to me or anyone else on this forum), you will get a warning as well, again until patience runs out which is sometimes faster than other times. If I find it bad enough, no warning will even be sent.
Bashing:
Bashing of members, Jackson family or anyone else discussed here on the board is not allowed, with the exception of Diane Dimond, Tom Sneddon, Batshit and Mottola. I know many dislike Karen Faye as well, I don't like her (role??) either, but keep it respectful. The four I mentioned were exposed as being pure evil, so therefore the exceptions.
Swearing:
No swearing. I have no issue with comments as "What the fuck", but I don't appreciate complete rants full of swears. I couldn't care less because if people think it's necessary to portray themselves as asocial with a vocabulary that counts 2 pages at most, it's their own problem, but we have minors on here as well and we should set an example. I don't think it's necessary to put filters on certain words, because I think most of us are mature enough to behave as so.
Personal info:
It is not allowed to share your or other's personal info. That includes personal info of the people discussed. No pictures of your kids, no real names, no whereabouts (besides something very general like "I will go to Paris next month" or "I visited FL last week", but please please be careful with all that. When I see anything like it on the forum, I will edit or delete. Not because I don't like your kid's picture or try to annoy you, but for your own safety.
If we all take the above into account when using this website, we will have a complete, clear and useful archive for those who did not follow all this from the start, as well as for ourselves. If we want to get non-believers on board, we better make sure we have a story to tell, and present in a way it makes sense and invites, instead of scares off.

If you have any questions or suggestions, let me know.

[warning]If you have already posted on the new website, go through your videos and albums etc. to see if you added a category, right title etc. If not, please edit it.[/warning]

[~Souza~]

Added feature: FILES (upload of documents)

[paula-c]

Thanks Souza for your work you have as much patience as Job, i am become familiar with all this new forum if i have a problem already notify

[Andrea]

Thank you Souza.  I'm glad the forum will be for hoax only going forward.  Hoaxbook is great for everything else and it's fun too.

[BeTheChange]

Great work Souza, as always! Everything looks really good and seems to be working really well.

And it's great to have the smilies back  :icon_mrgreen:

Thanks for your continued support and dedication.

With L.O.V.E. always.

[InPotencyToYourAct]

Thank you.

[RK]

Thank you Souza.  I'm glad the forum will be for hoax only going forward.  Hoaxbook is great for everything else and it's fun too.

Agree with  you  Andrea. Hoax book is fun and it fills a need in the hoax community, while freeing up the forum platform  for the investigative  style that this hoax forum was initially built upon. People new to the hoax will be able to access relevant info and navigate the site more effectively....all up...less confusion .
Brilliant job on this mammoth undertaking Souza.

[~Souza~]

I added chat rooms to the chat bar and also added the bar to the forum. You can create additional rooms etc. It's the icon between chat (private) and hide chat. You'll figure it out.

[warning]What I forgot to say is that even though you have your old account here, I did not copy the settings so you will have to browse through your forum settings again to check/uncheck boxes.[/warning]

[blankie]

Thank you Souza.  I'm glad the forum will be for hoax only going forward.  Hoaxbook is great for everything else and it's fun too.

Wowww Souza    :woohoo2:  ...a greatest, awesome job...THANKS, I'm so happy.....  :moonwalk_: :icon_bounce:

[mjj4ever777]

Thank You and God Bless for all the hard work and dedication to the "cause", Souza!!! Sending you LOVE always!
:bearhug:

[MJonmind]

I don't know how you do it, Souza! Mammoth mammoth job-- a labor of love for MJ!

I'm so grateful!

[MaryK]

You´ve already said it all so perfectly.

This is a very sophisticated solution and I think really everyone can be happy and satisfied with it.

Great job Souza! Thank you for all the hard work and dedication, not only to Michael but also to all of us here.

[Sarahli]

 :th_bravo: Souza! Amazing job, thanks for all you do.  :woohoo2:

[marumjj]

Thank Souza! You've done a Pharaonic, I like having separate hoax forum.  :bearhug:

[mjptd]

Thank's Souza for having restored the old forum. The new site is fantastic but is not for me.Now I am home again :)