Letterboxing.org FAQ
by LbNA Webmasters; updated May 9th, 2005

Contents

  1. What recent changes have been made to LbNA?
  2. What do the green flags mean that I see?
  3. How do I mark boxes that I've found?
  4. What if I don't want to show last found status for my boxes?
  5. Who can see the history of status on a box?
  6. How do I add clues to a new letterbox that I've placed?
  7. Can I add clues for a letterbox that is not in the United States?
  8. How do I edit my box?
  9. I had to remove my box. Can I delete my box?
  10. I have a lot of boxes that I want to add. Is there some automated process so I don't have to type in each one?
  11. Do I need to create an account?
  12. Do I post my hitchhikers here?
  13. I can't get registered because the link in my email doesn't work.
  14. My boxes are listed as being placed by "Webmaster" and I want them back.

What recent changes have been made to LbNA?

  1. Search by city and county when searching for letterboxes as been added.
  2. You can now track the letterboxes that you've found on LbNA.
  3. The Send a new password via e-mail link in Member Login will make a new random password and send it to your e-mail. If the account hasn't been confirmed, it will instead resend the confirmation link.
  4. Each list of boxes shows the number of listings in the search results. A listing is one set of clues that includes one or more boxes.
  5. Sign out now works to remove your login information from the computer you're working on after you use the automatic login feature.

What do the green flags mean that I see?

Click on the green flag to change that your status for a letterbox. There are different statuses that you can choose if you are the placer than if you are the finder. For example, the placer might want to mark the status of a letterbox as "Retired" while a finder might want to mark the status of the letterbox as "Found".

How do I mark boxes that I've found?

When you're logged in, you can click on the green flag to set the found status for a letterbox. The green flag shows up on the list of boxes when the clues for that box are outside of LbNA and shows up on the box details page when the clues are on LbNA. The list of boxes that you've marked as found shows up under the "Letterboxes I've Found" link in Member Services.

What if I don't want to show last found status for my boxes?

Click on "Letterbox Status" on the Member Services page to switch the display of found status on or off. There's a separate preference to disable viewing status on other people boxes, in case you want to preserve the mystery.

Who can see the history of status on a box?

The placer is the only one that can see the status history on a letterbox. (Change made 6/1/05.)

How do I add clues to a new letterbox that I've placed?

When you're logged in, go to Member Services and click on Add a Letterbox. Fill out the form and click on the Add Letterbox button. Done! Your box will show up on the What's New page and other pages based on the information that you've entered.

Can I add clues for a letterbox that is not in the United States?

Yes, you can but how it do it depends on where the letterbox is located. The important thing to know is that the "State" list on the Add a Letterbox page includes many destinations outside the US, including US territories, such as Guam and Virgin Islands, the provences of Canada, countries of Central America and the Carribean as well as a generic "Other International." If you still need help, please contact the webmasters.

How do I edit my box?

When you're logged in, you can use the "My Letterboxes" link in Member Services to view your boxes. Each of your boxes will have a link to edit that box. These links will also show up when you view the box from the state page, but you're the only one that can see them.

I had to remove my box. Can I delete my box?

When you're logged in, you can use the "My Letterboxes" link in Member Services to view your boxes. Each of your boxes will have a link to delete that box. These links will also show up when you view the box from the state page, but you're the only one that can see them. You might consider changing the status of your letterbox to "Missing" or "Retired" instead of deleting the box so that members that have marked that box as "Found" can still have it on their list.

I have a lot of boxes that I want to add. Is there some automated process so I don't have to type in each one?

Sure! The easiest way is if they're in Excel format, with each row representing a box. Make sure to include all of the information that's on the Add a Letterbox page. Once you've got the info together, contact the webmasters and they'll arrange a way to get your boxes put in all at once.

Do I need to create an account?

Not necessarily. You don't need an LbNA account to view boxes or get on the lbox-announce yahoo group. If you're going to add boxes, then you need an account.

Do I post my hitchhikers here?

Please, not at the moment. There's a hitchhiker tracking section in the works.

I can't get registered because the link in my email doesn't work.

First, please make sure that your email program didn't wrap the link text for you. If the number at the end is on a different line, then you might copy the first line in and type in the rest. If that doesn't fix your problem, contact the webmasters. If you've lost the confirmation email, just use the

My boxes are listed as being placed by "Webmaster" and I want them back.

First, you need an account. After creating an account, just send an email to the webmasters, listing your boxes and your account name. We'll switch your boxes over to you and let you know when we're finished. Then you can edit them just like a box you'd entered yourself.