Frequently Asked Questions
Please e-mail suggestions to us if there is something we have not covered.
Here are brief answers to some frequently asked questions about using this site.
- On a message index page, what does a number in parentheses after the message subject mean?
- What are the members-only (Green Chip) pages all About?
- What are postbusters and what do they do?
- What should I do if I feel my post was deleted without proper cause?
- The tabs and extra spaces I used to make a table in my post didn't show up. How can I preserve the formatting of my post?
- How can I put text formatting, hyperlinks, or other html tags in my posts?
- How can I quote a previous article when I post a follow up?
- Why didn't the article I posted show up?
- How can I see which articles I've read?
- I hate your choice of colors. What can I do about it?
- Where can I get help if I have problems using this site?
- What can I do if I experience a slow connection?
- What does (nt) mean at the end of the title of a post?
- How does the "NEW" message notification work?
On a message index page, what does a number in parentheses after the message subject mean?
If there is a number in parentheses, it indicates the number of times that particular message has been viewed.
What are the members-only (Green Chip) pages all about?
In addition to the free page, there are Green Chip pages that are for members only, and are not free. A password is required to access the Green Chip pages. The Subscriptions section of the Products List contains a full description of Green Chip memberships.
What are postbusters and what do they do?
Postbusters are individuals who have been assigned a password that allows them to delete any free-page post. Their passwords do not allow them to delete green chip or CBJN posts.
Here are the guidelines used by postbusters:
1. Posts advocating illegal activity should be deleted.
2. Chain letters and other get-rich-quick schemes should be deleted.
3. Posts containing pornography or links directly to pornography should be deleted.
4. Posts containing ads should be deleted if the posts are made by strangers to the BJ21 community. Do not remove product reviews by known members of the BJ21 community.
5. In the case of multiple identical (or almost identical) posts, all but one should be deleted.
6. Posts whose only purpose is to draw attention to another site may be deleted.
7. Posts attacking a person, or multiple persons, should be deleted. Posts linking to such attacks should be deleted. More leeway should be given to posts about public figures. Less leeway should be given to posts about members of the BJ21 community. Criticisms of products and ideas should not be deleted. Example: It is okay to say that a book stinks, but not okay to say that the author stinks. It's okay to think that another poster is an idiot, but not okay to say so.
8. Posts identifying a card counter or other advantage player in action in a casino should be deleted.
9. Delete any post that specifically identifies an exploitable dealer or pit critter who could lose his or her job by such an outing.
10. Inflammatory posts should be deleted.
11. Do not delete a post just because the author is mistaken in his knowledge of gambling or casinos.
12. Do not delete a post just because you disagree with it.
13. Do not delete a post from a thread in which you have participated.
14. Do not delete a post at the request of a friend. Instead, relay the request to another post buster who will be able to make a decision without being influenced by the pressure of friendship.
15. Give more leeway to posts from known members of the BJ21 community.
16. Give more leeway to posts containing an email address for the poster.
17. Give less leeway to posts positively identified as coming from people with a history of busts for cause.
18. Give less leeway to anonymous posts and posts with anonymized IP addresses.
19. Posts containing no material having anything to do with gambling or casinos or the page topic do not have to (but may) be deleted.
20. Posts directed to a single person do not have to (but may) be deleted.
21. Posts that were orphaned after someone deleted another post do not have to (but may) be deleted if they are not able to stand alone.
22. Posts in all capital letters do not have to (but may) be deleted. If you delete a post due to its being in all caps, please email (if possible) the poster explaining why the post was deleted.
23. Posts purported to be made by a known member of the BJ21 community but actually written by someone else should be deleted.
24. When in doubt, don't delete the post.
What should I do if I feel my post was deleted without proper cause?
All questions, concerns, or complaints regarding the possible improper deletion of a post should be directed to webmaster@bj21.com. Complaints made publicly on the message boards will be deleted. All complaints will be taken seriously, and all post busters will be informed of the complaints. BJ21.com may post the email containing the complaint to public pages, but is not required to.
In your message, before the beginning of your table type "<pre>" (not including the quotes!). After the end type "</pre>" (again without the quotes). In between, a fixed width font is used and extra spaces will be preserved so your columns will stay lined-up. To get any number of blank lines, put a space alone on each line instead of putting nothing at all on a line.
How can I put text formatting, hyperlinks, or other html tags in my posts?
HTML tags, the fundamental language of the web, can be put into the
body of a message you compose. There are tags for changing the size,
typeface and color of text, as well as many other things. But you have to
know the HTML tags to do it, as typing them is currently the only way to
create these effects in your message. Here are some links for quickly
learning HTML tags:
Bare
Bones Guide to HTML
Yahoo's directory of beginner's HTML guides
Here's an example that shows how to make a hyperlink:
In your message, type: <a href = "" target = "_blank">the Blackjack Page!</a>
When the message is posted, this will appear as: the Blackjack Page!
The target="_blank" part makes the new page load into a new browser window when you follow the link. If it is omitted, the page loads into the frame containing the link, leaving the site navigation links in the left-hand frame. Target="_blank" makes the page load into a new window.
How can I quote a previous article when I post a follow-up?
To avoid unnecessarily large message files, the article being followed up is not automatically quoted. With many computers, you will be able to use a mouse to copy text from one article and paste it into the window where you enter the new article. Please insert ">"s or other formatting to identify the quoted text. To make quoted text appear in italics, type <I> before the text and </I>after it.
Your post most likely did not show up because your browser did not reload the page; the page instead was pulled out of cache. Hit "Reload" or "Refresh" while holding down the Shift key, and your post should then appear.
How can I see which articles I've read?
Most browsers provide an easy way, such as using different colors, to distinguish between links you've followed and those you haven't. Your browser may allow you to change the way this distinction is shown. If you view the message pages with a different browser than usual, articles read with the other browser won't show up as having been read.
I hate your choice of colors. What can I do about it?
Your web browser may allow you to set background, text and link colors, and to tell your browser to use those colors instead of ours. It is usually accomplished via a 'preferences' or 'options' item in one of the browser's menus.
Where can I get help if I have problems using this site?
a) This FAQ page. New questions (and answers) will be included
periodically.
b) If you see broken images or a page that didn't fully load, choose
"Refresh" on your browser ("reload" in Netscape). If you follow a link
that leads to an Error 404 ("Not Found"), choose "Back" then "Refresh".
This should ensure that your browser won't display an out-of-date cached
copy of a document whose links may have changed.
c) Your software provider or Internet provider. Please try these sources
for help first if you suspect that your software or Internet connection is
the source of your difficulty.
d) Tell us your problem or comments by sending e-mail to
webmaster@bj21.com.
What can I do if I experience a slow connection?
Your Internet Service Provider may be temporarily overloaded. If slow access persists, give their technical people a call to see what can be done to improve routing. If this is a chronic condition, consider changing providers.
If you are not using a recent browser (e.g. Netscape 4.7 or Internet Explorer 5), please consider upgrading.
If your modem is slower than 28.8kbps, please consider upgrading.
Finally, if you find yourself waiting for a page to transfer and can see the rate of transfer in your browser dwindling below 1K/sec, try clicking the "Stop" button and reloading the page.
What does (nt) mean at the end of a title of a post?
When a post's title ends in (nt) this means "no text." At times, a user will want to make a post, where the entire information from the post is contained in the title. If there is no text in the message, then the software will automatically add the "nt" onto the title.
How does the "NEW" message notification work?
Messages posted since you last visited a message board will be marked as "NEW." Whether or not you have read the message, the "NEW" tags will eventually disappear. They don't disapear immediately, which can cause some confusion. There are some "rules" which affect the "NEW" tags. The normal duration of the "NEW" tag is 30 minutes. The "NEW" tag can also last a "session." Say you come here at 1pm and leave at 7pm. Every new post SINCE 1PM will be marked as "NEW", NOT since 7pm. Quitting and restarting your web browser (after 30 minutes from the start of a visit) should reset the tags into marking anything new as "NEW." If you are experiencing erratic behavior of the "NEW" tag, you may have to delete the message board cookie from your computer. For additional information, visit the WebBBS FAQ.