Forum Ranks & Permissions

The H/PC Forums is a community of users from across the globe. Together we make up the largest specific collection of H/PCers anywhere in the world.
There are different ways to judge the community interaction of different forum members, there are:

• Post Counts
• Joining Date
• H/PC Community Ranking
• User Group

Post Counts

Post counts are a good way to judge how interactive a member is with the community. They are also a fun way to compete with other users, as the higher the post count the more senior you are - provided you actually are seen to make useful contributions!

With the release of HPC:Factor version 2.0, post count display is mandatory for all users, meaning you no longer have the option to hide it from other users. This change was made because Post Counts are a useful way to monitor for both quality of posts, as well as provide the first step in disciplining any member who breaks the rules.

Post counts are displayed next to each and every post in the user information section. This information is also available in the Membership list and in user profiles which are both only available to registered users.

For more information on discipline on the HPC:Factor forums, see the Forum Discipline section

Joining Date

If a user has a high post count, they may not necessarily be a reliable source of information. To check this, it is always worth looking at the date when individual users registered on the forums. A user with a well established post count who has been registered on the forums for a long time will know the community well, and, with any luck, know a thing or two about Handheld PCs.

The Joining date is available in the user profile section, which can be accessed by clicking on the user's name in the user information section on any post, or by searching for their name in the user directory.

H/PC Community Ranking

Community rankings are directly related to post count. They are awarded to members automatically once they reach a certain number of posts.
Membership rankings are based on the table below.

What is 'U @R3 7h3 h/pC 1337'?

Being a technical news and views site, we like to think that we are abreast with the latest trends. The 1337 post count ranking is a salute to the script kiddy, who speak in alphanumeric code in an attempt to be clever. Literally translated, it means "You are the H/PC 1337" - or - "You are the Handheld PC Elite".
It is just a bit of fun, and should not be taken seriously - even though you may well be the h/pC 1337!

User Group

User groups are the most important way that you should judge a user, and importantly your interaction with them.

We expect a high level of courteousness from all our users, however to facilitate the running of the forums and the site, HPC:Factor selectively awards permissions to a small number of dedicated users to help to make the entire site a better place.

The different user permissions reflect directly upon the expertise of those entrusted to help run the site. At the top of this group are the owners of HPC:Factor, who assume full control over all aspects of the site and its long-term operations. The HPC:Factor owners are identified as being the Forums Administrator group.

Groups are colour coded, so that you can easily identify HPC:Factor staff when using the forum

Rank
Administrator
Moderator

The reasons why any particular member has been offered responsibility on the site are not up for debate. Neither is the awarding of permissions and responsibility a certainty or a competition. The administrators decisions are serious, and we do not regard the site as being a game field.
All members who hold permissions above that of general user on HPC:Factor are aged 18 years or over.