FAQ

Sections:

• About Christian.net
  
• E-Mail / Webmail
  
• Web Hosting / File Manager
  
• Forums
  
• Chat Rooms
  
• Online Bible
  
• Games & Puzzles
  
• Cartoons
  

About Christian.net

What is the point of this site?

The primary purpose of this site is to provide a feature-rich online community where Christians from all walks of life can meet and communicate in a clean, safe, and friendly environment.

On the other hand, this site is not:

• a venue for debating Christianity or any beliefs that directly contradict our core beliefs.
• a free mail & web service. Subtle point perhaps, but we are a community site that happens to provide free mail and web, not a free mail and web service that happens to have forums. We want members to participate.

Do I have to be a Christian to be a member?

No, this site is open to anyone. However, it is a site that is centered around Christianity (defined according to our core beliefs), and we expect all members to respect that.

Where is this site located?

In Victoria on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

Who owns and operates this site?

That would be me. My name is Mark and you can reach me at mark@christian.net

Who designed the site?

That would be me too. I'm afraid I'm not very gifted when it comes to layout, design, and artwork, but I think I've achieved my goal of a clean and simple interface, more or less. I'm always open to suggestions though, and if you've got a knack for graphic design I'd love to hear from you.

How old is this site?

I've owned the domain name since 1995 but I never really did anything with it until September of 2002. I started writing the software to drive the site on September 8, and opened it to the public on September 18, and it has grown steadily since then.

What software is used on this site?

The web server software is Apache (with custom modifications), running on the FreeBSD operating system. The site itself is written in PHP and uses MySQL for the database backend.

All the software that makes up this site (webmail, forums, file manager, address book, etc.) was designed and written by me from scratch, so feel free to make suggestions for new features and report bugs.

Can I help?

Yes!

First and foremost, we need help with getting the word out about the site. Tell your friends and family about it. If you have a web site, consider adding a link back to here.

Next, it's important to participate. Join in on the forums, hang out in the chat rooms. The more people we have taking part, the more useful this site will be for everyone.

If you have ideas or suggestions to improve the site, please post them in the Tech Support & Suggestions forum.

Can I make a donation to help support this service?

Absolutely. Click here for more details.

E-Mail / Webmail

What is my Christian.net e-mail address?

Your e-mail address is YOUR_USERNAME@christian.net. In other words, if your username is "Mark", your e-mail address would be mark@christian.net.

Note that by default, your Christian.net mailbox is disabled. Before you can use it you must enable it on the e-mail preferences page.

Also note that your mailbox will automatically be disabled if you go for more than 45 days without logging in to the site or checking mail via POP. This is to avoid a buildup of mail when someone fails to return.

Why must I enable e-mail first?

Some people don't want to use the e-mail service, so it makes no sense to accept and store messages for them. When e-mail is disabled, the mail server can reject incoming e-mail before the entire message arrives, saving our bandwidth and disk space.

What do the icons mean in the webmail program?

The icon indicates that the message has not been opened yet, while the icon means you've already read it. If you see the icon, that indicates that the message has one or more attachments.

Why are some rows in the message list bold?

Those are messages that you haven't opened yet (they'll also have the icon). Once you read them they will no longer be bold.

Why are the message numbers in reverse order?

The default sort order shows the most recently arrived messages first. You can click on any of the colum headers (like No., From, Subject, etc.) to sort your list in other ways.

Wouldn't sorting on the date make more sense?

Not necessarily. The date is supplied by the sender and if their computer's clock is out of whack you could easily get messages dated in the past, or even in the future! Sorting based on the message's arrival time (ie: its position in your mailbox) means you shouldn't miss any new messages.

What's the difference between 'To:', 'CC:', and 'BCC:'?

Your message will be sent to every address listed in all three fields (separate multiple addresses with commas or semicolons). To: and CC: are virtually identical, it just provides a way for you to indicate that certain recipients are "carbon copies" and not the primary recipients. BCC: is a little different in that the contents of the BCC: field aren't added to the message. It's a "blind carbon copy". Anyone listed here will get your message but the other recipients won't know about it.

Help, I deleted some important mail!

First check your 'Trash' folder. If you deleted your message recently via the webmail system it might still be in there.

If your message was on the system long enough, it might be in a backup. Contact me and provide enough info to identify the message (who it was from, the date, etc.) and I'll see if I can restore it for you.

Do I have to use the webmail interface to get my mail?

No. You can use any e-mail program that is POP3 compliant (Eudora, Outlook Express, Netscape, etc.) You really only need to know three things to configure your mail client to work with your Christian.net mailbox:

1. The "POP Server" should be set to "christian.net".
2. Your "POP Username" needs to be your full Christian.net e-mail address, not just your username. For example, if your username is "Mark" then your POP Username is "mark@christian.net".
3. Your "POP Password" is simply your Christian.net account password.

Please note that you should NOT configure your mail program to check for new mail too frequently. The POP server counts each check you make and it will stop letting you in if you exceed a certain amount per day. This is an effort to help conserve bandwidth and reduce the impact on the server. This does not apply to the webmail program though. Checking once every 5 to 10 minutes is fine, checking every few seconds is not.

Can I send mail through Christian.net too?

Yes. In addition to sending mail through the web interface, you can also relay mail through our SMTP server. You can connect on the standard port 25, or the non-standard ports 465, 587, or 2525 (they all operate identically). In order for this to work, you must enable SMTP authentication in your mail program.

Is my Christian.net mailbox protected from viruses?

Yes. The mail server scans all incoming and outgoing messages with three different virus scanners and deletes those that contain viruses. The virus databases for each scanner are updated twice a day so they should always be current.

What about spam (junk mail)?

Each Christian.net e-mail address has a completely customizable spam filter. The default spam filtering options should stop most junk mail, but you might want to fine tune it using PEP.

What is the maximum size of a mail message I can receive or send?

Currently any single message is limited to 50 megabytes.

How much mail can I store in my account?

Your inbox is limited to 10 megabytes and email will bounce once it's full. To avoid this, either download your mail or move it into a different folder in the webmail program.

Web Hosting / File Manager

What is my Christian.net web page address?

Your URL (web page address) is http://YOUR_USERNAME.christian.net. In other words, if your username is "Mark", your URL would be http://mark.christian.net.

When no filename is given in the URL, the web server will look for either "index.html" or "index.htm" by default. So if you have the file "index.html" you can access it with both http://YOUR_USERNAME.christian.net and http://YOUR_USERNAME.christian.net/index.html. Any other file must be named explicitly.

Can I use my own domain name?

No, not at this time.

Where do I put my web pages?

All files that are to be accessible via the web must reside within a directory named "www" (three lower-case w's). This directory does not exist by default, you must create it with the file manager or FTP. Any files that you put in this directory (or within a subdirectory inside it) can be accessed via the web. Any files placed outside of this directory can not be accessed via the web.

So if you create a file named "resume.html" and you place it within your "www" directory, people will then be able to access it via the URL http://YOUR_USERNAME.christian.net/resume.html

How do I create a web page?

Normally people create their web pages on their own computer, and then upload the files to their account. There are many books and programs available out there to help you create web pages, you can use any of them.

Personally I just use an ordinary text editor ("vi" for you UNIX buffs )

You can also create and edit simple html files directly online using the file manager.

Ok, so how do I upload files to my Christian.net web site?

There are two ways: via the web based file manager or via FTP.

Via the file manager: Click on "File Manager" on the Menu screen. Once you're in the file manager, click on the "Upload" button. You can upload as many as 10 files at a time. The default action is to keep the same filename that was used on your computer, but you have the option to rename the files as they are uploaded.

Via FTP: Connect to "christian.net" and use your Christian.net username and password.

Note: Both the file manager and FTP will start you out at the "top" of your file area. Remember that web pages must go into a "www" directory, which you must create.

How much disk space do I have?

Currently you are allowed to use 10 megs of disk space for files and e-mail combined. This is a "soft" limit though, meaning you can go over it temporarily if you need to.

What do the rest of those buttons in the file manager do?

Well, the "New File" button opens a simple text editor which allows you to create a new text or html file online without having to upload it. The "New Dir" button lets you create a new directory (some folks may prefer to think of them as 'folders'). You can move or rename a file or directory by checking it and clicking the "Move" button. The "Delete" button will delete any directories and/or files that you have checked.

There is also an "Edit" link beside each editable file in the file listing. This is similar to "New File" - it calls up the simple text editor and allows you to edit the file. This is handy for making quick adjustments to web pages.

Why can't I delete a directory?

You can, but it must be empty first. Go into it by clicking on the directory name, and delete all the files first. Then go back to the parent directory and you should now be able to delete it. This is a safety precaution to prevent accidental deletion of an entire directory full of files.

Note the extra checkbox on the line just above the list of files and directories. Checking or unchecking this box will cause all the directories and files to be checked or unchecked.

Why can't I create a certain directory or file?

Directory and file names must always begin with either a letter or a number. The rest of the file name must consist of letters, numbers, periods, dashes, or underscores.

Can I use Frontpage or similar web publishing software?

That depends. Frontpage and most others allow you to publish (upload) your web page via FTP, and for those programs the answer is yes. If you're using a program that requires some non-standard method of publishing then the answer is no.

Can I use Frontpage server extensions?

No, Frontpage server extensions are not supported. You can still use Frontpage to create and upload your web site, you just can't use any of the server extensions. Frontpage server extensions are buggy, bloated, and prone to security holes.

Forums

What is a "moderator"?

A moderator is a member who has been given special priviledges on this site. Moderators can edit and delete messages posted by other users, lock or pin topics, approve posts, edit board options, etc. Moderators are not administrators or owners of the site, they are helpers.

How can I become a moderator?

I do not accept applications or requests for moderator status. It is via invitation only, and is based on many factors including one's level of participation in the forums, their maturity, kindness, Biblical grounding, faith, etc.

How do I know if a moderator is editing my posts?

Whenever a moderator edits a post, their username and the date/time are appended to the bottom of the message. If the moderator edits the message again, another line is added. So although they can delete these lines, a new one is always added. It's impossible for a moderator to edit a post without this notice appearing on the message.

How do I edit or delete a message?

Look in the upper right corner of the message (not the whole screen, just the corner of the message itself). If the message was posted by you to begin with you should see one or more commands that you can click on. One of these will be "Edit" and one will be "Delete". Just click the appropriate link.

Note that you must have been logged in when you posted the original message. If you weren't, and if the message board allows guest posts, the message will be by "Guest" and you won't be able to edit or delete it.

What is a "locked" topic?

Moderators have the ability to "lock" a topic. Once a topic has been locked, no new messages are accepted and existing messages within that topic cannot be deleted or edited. A moderator also has the ability to "unlock" a topic. When a topic is locked it will have the icon beside it.

What is a "pinned" topic?

Normally topics are sorted such that those containing newer posts are at the top. But sometimes a topic is important enough that a moderator "pins" it, which causes it to be at the top of the list regardless of how old the posts in it are. Pinned topics will have the icon beside them.

Chat Rooms

How do I access the chat rooms?

Generally you do this by clicking on the Chat link in the menu bar at the top of any Christian.net window. This will open a pop-up window with the Flash version of the chat interface. You will need to enter your Christian.net username and password to log into the chat system.

I can't get it to work, is there a non-flash version?

Yes. An AJAX version (HTML & Javascript) is available at http://christian.net/chat/ajax. This loads faster than the Flash version so it's handy for those on slow speed connections, and doesn't require the Macromedia Flash plugin. It's not quite as pretty though.

If I use the AJAX interface, can I still chat with people who use the Flash interface?

Yes, it doesn't matter which interface you use, they both communicate with the same back-end chat system.

It says there are people in there, but I don't see any conversation - what's up?

There are a few possibilities here:

• Sometimes people go into a chat room and then wander off to some other page without exiting the room properly. So some of those people might not be there any more.

• Don't forget that people can send private messages to each other in a chat room, and you won't see those conversations unless you're the sender or recipient.

Online Bible

How do I use it?

Simply fill in as much or as little detail as you want and click the "Search" button. If you leave a value in the form blank, it will not be used to narrow down the search results.

So if you select the book of "Genesis", chapter 1, verse 1, you'll get several entries back because you didn't also select a translation. It will show you Genesis 1:1 from each translation it knows about. This can be useful to compare translations.

What are the different sorting options?

"Biblical order with interleaved translations" will display the verses in the same order that they appear in the Bible. If your search results include verses from multiple translations, they will be grouped together based on the book/chapter/verse. For example, all the different translations of Genesis 1:1 will appear first, then all the translations of Genesis 1:2, and so on. This is handy for comparing translations verse by verse.

"Biblical order with grouped translations" is similar except that all the verses for one translation will be grouped together, then all the verses for the next translation, and so on.

"Highest scoring passages first" only makes sense if you are performing a keyword search. The keyword searches on this site are based on things such as word frequency, word popularity, etc. This allows it to assign a "score" to each match to indicate how well it matches your keywords. If you select this sorting option, the verses that score the highest (ie: those that are most likely to match what you're looking for) are displayed first.

Why don't you have translation X?

Well, if translation 'X' is in the public domain and freely available then we will consider adding it. But many popular translations are not free and the publisher requires a pretty hefty payment before they'll let you use it in this manner (if they'll allow it at all). Such translations are beyonds the means of this site to provide.

Games & Puzzles

Can I use the puzzles I generate in my publications?

Yes, any puzzles you generate may be used freely in any publication with or without credit to this site (although a small reference to www.christian.net would be cool ).

Why aren't there more games & puzzles?

We're working on them. If you are a programmer and can contribute a puzzle generator or small java, flash, or shockwave game, let us know.

Cartoons

Where do the cartoons come from?

The cartoons come from a variety of sources. Each one has its own web site, which you can reach by clicking on the cartoon itself.

You should add this cartoon...

Sure thing, as long as we get permission from the copyright holder (either directly from them or indirectly through the terms of use on their web site). If there's any question (ie: we can't get ahold of the artist and the web site is too vague) then we'll have to pass.

Can I reproduce these cartoons on my web site or in my publication?

Possibly, but that's not for us to answer. Please visit the site for each cartoon by clicking on them and review their individual terms of use. If it's still not clear to you, please contact the artist.

I think you're using a cartoon illegally!

If you feel that we're using a cartoon in a manner that violates the copyright holder's terms, please let us know ASAP via our feedback form or e-mail to mark@christian.net.