Colleges: (I.E. University of Southern California)
Headers: (I.E. For Sale)
Categories: (I.E. Textbooks/Books)
Posts: The actual message(s) themselves created by users.
Viewing Colleges:
The list of all colleges is displayed on the right-hand side of the main page. Simply click the corresponding college you would like to access. Posts are only visible within the college you post them in, for example if you post in “USC“ -> “for sale“ -> “textbooks/books“ that post won't be displayed in other colleges “for sale“ -> “textbooks/books“ area.
Please be aware, by default the page loads on the University of Southern California. To change the default college to your choice, meaning every time you visit MyCollegePost.com it will default on your desired college, simply navigate to the college you wish to set as your default. Then on the right hand-side of the main page below the list of colleges you will see the text “set the current college as your default college to always load.“ Simple click the “set“ button which will store the cookie on your computer. To unset/delete the cookie reverting back to the University of Southern California default simple click the “delete“ button which will delete the cookie off your computer.
Note: Cookies are only valid on the computer you set them on. So if you set your default college at your home computer, obviously if you use a computer elsewhere it won't default to your selection. You'll have to set the cookie at every computer you access. The cookies will automatically delete themselves after 2 years.
Viewing All Posts Inside A Header:
To view all posts inside all categories inside a certain header just click the header text itself. Please note that you cannot post or manage your post(s) while viewing all messages inside a header because you must choose a certain category to post into.
Viewing Categories:
To view a certain category such as “transportation” inside the “for sale” header just click the corresponding category and you will redirected to that proper area.
Viewing Posts:
You must either be in a category or be viewing all posts inside a header to view a particular post; then simply click the subject of the post to open up the post viewer. As well, you may enter a valid post ID into the textfield after 'view post id:' at the top of every page to display a particular post. Also note, if a post has embedded images the post will have a little icon of a camera next to the subject.
Navigating To Other Categories:
You can navigate to other categories inside a particular header by using the drop down menu at the top of the posting system. You may also navigate to view all posts inside the header via the drop down menu. If at any time you would like to go to a different header or back to the main page just click the “go back to mycollegepost.com home” link and then navigate accordingly.
Navigating Through Posts:
Once you click and open up a post and if there are other posts available to view you can scroll forward and backward using the corresponding links “previous post ” and “next post ”. Also at any time if you'd like to close the post viewer and just get back to the page that lists all the posts click the “go back to the posts list” link.
Replying To Posts Via E-Mail:
The “reply via E-Mail” link allows anyone to reply to a certain post and send an E-Mail to the author of that particular post. To reply to a post click the link “reply via e-mail” above the post for which you'd like to send an E-Mail and fill in the all the fields. The reply feature is unique because the E-Mail address of the creator of the post is never exposed, thus allowing anonymous posting.
Posting:
You may post from the main page by clicking the link “post now!” or you must be in a specific category. If you're in a specific category simply click the “new post” link or icon at the top of the page in the blue shaded region.
Searching:
You may search for specific phrases/keywords via the search feature at the top of every page. The feature searches within the subject and message of posts. The search value must be at least four characters long and must not exceed sixty-five characters. You may select where to search via the pull down menus; either a specific college or all colleges and a specific header or all headers. By default the search feature searches in the college and header you are currently viewing. Click “search” and the results are then displayed on the following page in the most relevant order (i.e not sorted by post date but by relevancy of keywords). The results page displays general information about every matched post including its location. The search feature tries its best, but by no means is the search feature as artificially intelligent as popular search engines such as Google, so choose specific keywords. Also, make sure the spelling of all your keywords is correct.
bbCode:
bbCode is a special implementation of HTML. bbCode is an easy way to style your posts with bold, italic, center, and other features. bbCode itself is similar in style to HTML: tags are enclosed in square braces [ and ] rather than < and >. The bbCode syntax is as follows:
[bbCode tag]argument[/bbCode tag]
Please be aware you may use multiple bbCode tags in a row for example:
[b][i][u]This is bold, italic, and underlined.[/u][/i][/b]
Please also be aware to properly close all tags in last in, first out order. For example the following is incorrect.
[b][i][u]This is bold, italic, and underlined.[/b][/u][/i]
The following is a list of all bbCode tags currently supported by the posting system:
Bold text -- [b]Text wanted bold here[/b]
Italicize text -- [i]Text wanted italic here[/i]
Underline text -- [u]Text wanted underlined here[/u]
Center text -- [center]Text wanted centered here[/center]
Right justified text -- [right]Text wanted justified right here[/right]
Left justified text -- [left]Text wanted justified left here[/left]
Note: bbCode tags may either be all lowercase or all uppercase but do no mix upper and lower case. For example, [center] and [CENTER] are valid but [Center] is not valid and will not work.
To insert links, images, or E-Mail addresses into posts, please use the built in buttons above the message textarea.
Management Of Posts:
To manage/view all posts you have created in all categories in all headers and in all colleges click the “manage my post(s)” link at the top of the page in the blue shaded region when viewing a category. Please note again, you cannot manage your posts when viewing all posts in a header, you must choose a category. Once you access the management of posts feature provide your email address and birthdate to login and view all your posts.
* PLEASE NOTE, ALWAYS USE THE SAME E-MAIL ADDRESS AND BIRTHDATE WHEN POSTING AND LOGGING INTO THE MANAGEMENT FEATURE. *
The system organizes posts by associated E-Mail address and birthdate, so you must always use the same combination of E-Mail and birthdate when posting and when logging into the feature to be able to manage your posts correctly. Once you login to the management feature you have the ability to view all your posts and their corresponding locations, as well as deleting single or multiple posts.
To delete post(s) check the box or boxes associated with the posts you'd like to delete and then click the button “submit/delete”. To select all the boxes/posts at once on the page click the text link “√ All”. Once a message is deleted it cannot be retrieved so be sure of your actions, especially when using select all.
To quit the post management feature and go back to the previous area click the “leave post management” button.
What Does The Number In Brackets Next To All The Topic Headers Mean?
It is the total number of posts in all categories in that particular header in a particular college. So for example in the college USC “for sale [300]” means inside “for sale” for USC in all categories the total number of posts is 300.
Do I Need To Register An Account To Post?
No, the design behind the posting system is you don't need to register which allows for immediate access. The beauty of the system allows for post management via your email address and birthdate.
How Do I Edit My Post(s)?
Currently there is no ability to edit posts, we plan on implementing that feature shortly. You will have to remove your post via the post management feature and then post it again if you’d like to modify a post. For further information on accessing and operating the post management feature see posting system features point 12.
The Times And/Or Dates Are Not Correct!
The times and date are correct; however, what you may be seeing are times displayed in a time zone different from the one you are in. The time and dates are on Pacific Standard Time.
I Prefer HTML Over bbCode Can I Use It?
No. HTML has been disabled, and in fact all HTML will be stripped out of all posts for security reasons. Please use bbCode in posts for styling your message, adding images, and links. Note, in the E-Mail reply feature no bbCode or HTML is allowed in the message.
Can I Post Images?
Images can be posted/shown in two ways. Firstly users can click the “insert web/remote image” button to insert images stored remotely on the internet. Remember, you must enter the full web-address of the image including ‘http://'. Secondly, users can upload their own images from their own computers to MyCollegePost.com via the “upload & insert local image” button. Follow the instructions provided in the popup window to complete the upload. The system will automatically insert the proper bbCode and address of the uploaded image into your post. Also be aware of posting many large images in a single post. Many users don't have high speed internet and if the administrators feel the images are too large we may remove the post all-together or edit out the images.
My Search Does Not Return Any Results. What's Going On?
- Make sure all keywords are spelled correctly.
- Broaden your search criteria to “all headers” or even “all colleges”.
- Try more generalized keywords.
- Try different keywords.
Why Must I Provide My Birthdate?
The use of your birthdate information is for access to management features of the posting system. Your birthdate is the key to accessing all your posts in one easy interface which allows for deleting of posts. Your birthdate is never posted publicly for others to view. We decided to use birthdate because it's something you always remember and it never changes. Using birthdate instead of for example a password allows the posting system to operate without registration.
Why Do I Have To Be At Least 13 Years Old To Post Or Reply To Posts Via E-Mail?
In reference to our Privacy Policy; In response to concerns about protecting children's privacy online, Congress enacted the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA“), which sets forth rules and procedures governing the ways in which web sites may collect, use and disclose any personal information for children under the age of 13. In accordance, MyCollegePost.com does not knowingly collect any information from persons under the age of 13. If MyCollegePost.com learns that a posting/forum registration is a person under the age of 13, MyCollegePost.com will make every effort to remove that post/account as quickly as possible. We do not knowingly accept registration which includes collection of personal identification information from users under the age of 13 years old.
My Post Got Deleted, But I Didn't Delete It!
There are three possible answers. Firstly, the system goes through and deletes old posts at certain intervals to keep the database and servers running efficiently. If you'd like you can re-post. The second reason is the administrators have deleted your post for violation of the Terms Of Use or other reasons for which they see fit. Finally, the worst of the three. Someone has obtained your E-Mail and birthdate and is deleting your messages. Please see FAQ point 19 on this matter below. Contact the administrator if you still have questions why your post was deleted.
I Sold My Item, And/Or I Want To Delete My Post.
Please access the post management feature where you can delete your post, or you can wait till the system automatically deletes your post. For further information on accessing and operating the post management feature see posting system features point 12.
How Long Will My Post Remain Active?
Posts will eventually be automatically deleted! The system goes through periodically and deletes old posts at certain intervals to keep the database and servers running efficiently. There is no guaranteed number of days that a post will remain active though since the system uses a variety of factors to determine which posts are deleted when.
You can compare advertisements on MyCollegePost.com to those in your classifieds paper. For the most part advertisers are honest and trustworthy. Many transactions are made each day without a problem. However, on occasion there are some rotten apples that try and spoil it for everybody. That's why we are working hard to prevent this and protect our users. MyCollegePost.com wants to keep you informed, so we've put together the following tips to help you buy and sell safely.
Get To Know The Seller/Buyer: Ask for the seller's/buyer's address, and telephone number. If the seller/buyer has a free e-mail account (e.g. Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.) ask for his/her fixed e-mail address if they have one. Ask the seller for pictures and the manufacturer number of the product if applicable.
• Some Red Flags
If the seller/buyer would like to complete the transaction through a Western Union Bank / MoneyGram service, we strongly suggest that you do not do this (even if they send what seems to be legitimate shipping information or ID). They can remain completely anonymous - even after the transaction is completed. Nothing is traceable should something go wrong. Is the buyer contacting you from outside America? Is the buyer saying that he has a client that is interested in your product? Does the buyer want to pay with a cashier's check? Fraud artists mostly offer a more expensive product for a cheap price (if it seems too good to be true it probably is). Many fraud artists offer their products in large amounts (I.E. 10 Nokia phones). Take a look at all the seller's advertisements. Are they all for expensive products? (Laptops, cameras, cell phones, etc.). Help us keep the site clean and report any suspicious activity by contacting abuse@mycollegepost.com.
Payment Tips: • Pay in cash
Agree to meet up with the seller to take a look at the goods you're thinking of buying. Nothing is better than a personal inspection. You can then see if the article meets up to your expectations. If everything is to your satisfaction and you agree on the price, you can pay in cash and take the goods home with you straight away. Never send cash in the mail.
• PayPal
Electronic money transferal options are as quick as sending an E-Mail. Transferring money is permanent: the amount cannot be transferred back into your account at a later stage. Use this payment method if the seller is trustworthy.
• C.O.D.
Using a C.O.D. (pay upon delivery) service is perhaps more expensive however less risky than sending cash. You can only see what you have bought once the courier has been paid.
Shipping: If you're not planning on collecting the goods in person, make a clear agreement about the shipping and possible insurance costs.
Quality: Keep each other informed about the quality of the goods. Are the goods clearly described? Is it a slightly different model, damaged or another color? Images of the goods help clarify these types of questions.
Do Not Become A Victim Of A Scam! The Definite Red Flags:
• They may use broken English or give the impression that they are a non-native speaker.
• They are usually located abroad.
• They may involve a third-party: a shipper and/or a client.
• They may request paying with a cashier's check / bank draft / certified check.
• Checks sent may look genuine however may be counterfeit.
• They may play with your emotions by posing as a poor mother, minister, signing off with “God bless“, or “putting their trust in you“, etc.
• The mailer usually creates a sense of urgency.
• They may offer more than the asking price.
