The AnswerBank FAQ

[AB Editor]

What is The AnswerBank?

The principle of the AnswerBank is simple – ask a question in any of our subject categories and fellow contributors will supply you with an answer.

A lot of questions on the AnswerBank are topical, relating to what is going on in the news or in the world of entertainment and sport. Our popular Quizzes & Puzzles category includes questions from the latest crossword and quizzes from newspapers across the country.

ChatterBank is the place to go if you want to casually talk to other users, and our News section is full of lively, interesting stories that spark fierce debate among our user.

The AnswerBank is a community of ideas and opinions, we only ask that you respect everyone’s view points no matter how much you may disagree with them and play nice. Any posts that are considered untoward or break Site Rules will be removed.

For more information on how to use the AnswerBank, including how to register and post questions and answers, please see our list of FAQs below.

[AB Editor]

Why do I need to supply my email address?

We identify registered users by their email address. We are also able to notify you when an answer is posted to your question and when a subscribed thread has been updated.

[AB Editor]

I occasionally get the message "Oops. Something funny has happened!". Why?

This message appears from time to time when The AnswerBank experiences an error caused by your previous actions. It could be something as simple as trying to view a question that has already been banned, or clicking on a broken link that makes this error appear. If these problems persist contact The AnswerBank Technical Team.

[AB Editor]

I have forgotten my username or password and can't sign in.

If you have forgotten your password:

You can request a password reset using the following link, which you can also find on the login page:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/user/request_password_reset.php

If you have forgotten your username:

You can still sign in using your email address and password, and when you are logged in you will be able to see what your username is.

If you have forgotten both your username and your password:

Email the AB Editor for your registration details. We will try to respond with your details as quickly as possible.

How do I change my username?

We discourage people from changing their username once it has been selected. If there is an urgent reason as to why it should be changed (you've used your real name, for example) email the AB Editor with your request.

[AB Editor]

What are the best browsers to use when accessing the AnswerBank?

To get the most out of the AnswerBank, please use Safari or Google Chrome. If you are having issues viewing The AnswerBank we suggest that you try changing browsers and screen resolutions to see if that works.

[AB Editor]

Why am I not receiving emails from the AnswerBank?

If you have registered with the AnswerBank and are still waiting to receive a welcome email, please contact our Technical Team on our Contact Us page so that you receive your welcome email. Please ensure you have AB added to your contact list otherwise the email may be directed into your spam folder. If you are unsure how to do this please see below.

[AB Editor]

I have found a post that I find distasteful; on what grounds can I report it?

If you come across a post that you believe breaks our sites rules, simply click the “report” button next to the question or answer. Once you have done this, you must select a reason as to why you are reporting the post from a list. This will ensure that the Editorial team can quickly deal with the post. If you want any further information on our reporting system, check our Site Rules.

[AB Editor]

What are Articles? Can I submit my own?

The AnswerBank has a plethora of helpful articles that cover a vast range of topics, from travel and motoring to more obscure articles, like ‘How and Why do Cats purr? http://www.theanswerb...and-why-do-cats-purr/

Articles are accessed by clicking the articles tab which differs from section to section. If you are in the Home and Garden category and click the articles tab, you will be presented with a page full of articles about gardening, plants and DIY.

We encourage our users to write and send their articles to us. If you are passionate about bird watching or if you are an amateur inventor, why not send us an interesting article that other users will find helpful in the future? See our Guest Post Guidelines for more information.

[AB Editor]

How do I subscribe to a Question?

If you want to stay up to date with a question but don't want to keep refreshing the page to see replies, you can simply subscribe to it to receive email alerts each time there is a new response. Simply click 'subscribe' on a question to ensure you receive regular updates. If you want to unsubscribe, simply click the 'unsubscribe' button.

[AB Editor]

I am not receiving emails from The AnswerBank. What should I do?

To ensure you receive emails from the AnswerBank, including the "welcome" or validation email, please check that you have entered your email address correctly in your profile. If it isn't, make the necessary changes, click submit to save the changes and then send an email to The AnswerBank Technical Team, requesting that the validation email be resent.

If you are still not receiving AnswerBank emails, please add our domain: theanswerbank.co.uk to your trusted list of senders. If you use a service like SpamArrest make sure that you accept emails from [email protected].

We also have some tips below, depending on which email provider you use.

Hotmail

Place the domain: theanswerbank.co.uk in your Safe List. Access your Safe List from your Contacts page.

AOL
Place the domain: theanswerbank.co.uk in your address book.

Yahoo! Mail

If you have SpamGuard on, then Yahoo! Mail may redirect AnswerBank emails to your Bulk mail folder. If you find an AnswerBank email there, report the message using the "Not Spam" button.

Google Mail

If you find any AB emails in your Spam folder, select the box next to an individual email and click "Not Spam".

[AB Editor]

Why does the link in my email from the AnswerBank take me to an error page?

Check that the entire link in your email is highlighted before clicking on it. If it isn't highlighted or "clickable" copy and paste the entire URL (ending in .html) in a separate browser window.

[AB Editor]

Why was my post removed?

Posts will be removed if they include any comments that go against the Site Rules. Posts that are unintentionally duplicated will also be removed. If you have replied to a question or continued a conversation where posts have been removed, yours may be removed also for continuity reasons. Please note, due to the high volume of posts, the AnswerBank Editor cannot reply to individual queries regarding this issue.

[AB Editor]

How do I un-register from The AnswerBank?

Send an email to the AnswerBank Editor asking to be un-registered. You will be unregistered from The AnswerBank so that you no longer receive emails from us and that your account cannot be accessed. We do, however, have a policy of retaining anything you have posted during your time with us. We believe that your contribution to The AnswerBank is important and the answers and questions you posted could help someone out in the future.

[AB Editor]

How can I display a YouTube Video on The AnswerBank?

To display a YouTube video on The AnswerBank, all you have to do is provide us with a description of the clip (i.e. the title), and the applicable URL. Copy and paste these details into the boxes provided, to ensure the video link is correct click validate button, then submit your question/answer – your clip will appear on the site with your question/answer.

[ABSpareEditor]

How do I upload an avatar?

Please see the below article for information on how to upload an avatar:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/AB-Editors-Blog/article/what-is-an-avatar/

[ABSpareEditor]

How do I upload an image to The AnswerBank?

The AnswerBank doesn't host images. We recommend that you use a free image-uploading service that allows you to upload an image anonymously (without having to create an account with your real name). The platform should then allow you to copy the URL of the image, which you can then post on The AnswerBank. One platform that is currently available to perform this service is https://imgbb.com/ (12/10/2023).