Frequently Asked Questions

What is going on?

What happened to the old system?

The original Renters’ Forum used the "Simple Machines" forums software or "SMF". It went down without much warning (and with no explanation) almost two years ago. The parent organization(s) have not been helpful.

Volunteers (insert a deep bow here) have put a copy of the phpBB software back on-line. phpBB is a free, open source package.

The original system was a bit spare in the news department (nobody at headquarters ever posted any news, images or video worth mentioning) and there was no search or indexing. This revived setup will be better and we don't plan on taking it down!

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Are you an A.I.?
No, but sometimes it seems that way; there is so much work to do. Grrrr!

We have used A.I. for various bits of research, imaging and commentary on best practices. But what you may want to watch out for is when your landlord - or the superintendent of your building - turns into an A.I.

Where one of us lives, the next condominium over, in the next block over, the "condo control" web site recently changed. The home page now says (and this a direct quotation) "WELCOME TO YOUR NEW A.I."

I am not making this up.

It is now late June (2026) and this new, revised forum has been a go for about 11 weeks. In the last four months say in addition to various "town halls" and "tenant meetings" I attended two in person events, at the new "A.I." controlled condo. One meeting was with TPS, and one was with the fire department community outreach person. Condo management reps were present at both meetings.

In the last week of May, I attended two ratepayers’ meetings near where I live, and on the first day of June there was a meeting in my building with the local city councillor present!

NOT ONE MENTION WAS MADE OF A.I.e

The federal government has announced some A.I. stuff but I don't think it has percolated down to the street level. But I have been seeing increased mentions of "Microsoft Teams", including at City of Toronto stuff. Which is interesting because going into the summer Microsoft's "CoPilot" line of A.I. products did not seem to be doing so well compared to (say) Google Gemini.
- Admin

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What happened on April 18th?

On Saturday April 18, 2026 a group in the northwest part of the city purported to expand by way of... changing to an expanded, city-wide tenant "union" via a founding convention on Dundas Street West where it crosses Bloor Street. I think this one caught the FMTA with their pants down.

Weather-wise it was a mixed day with several downpours; it looked to us like perhaps 125 people attended the "convention". Afterwards there was a rally at the nearby "Crossways" apartment complex; that part was good (eg. the rally) but it was not wildly advertised so small crowd and again, the rain put an end to it.

So we have delved a bit into the mechanics of starting a non-profit, ergo to learn more about what happened: what were they THINKING? etc.

The group was mentioned several times at the FMTA's general meeting on June 13th, but no details were provided to the membership: nothing about the charter or Letters Patent, or the officers who were presumably elected at the founding convention. Was there a media release issued? We just don't know and the new group's web pages - and the FMTA web pages! - were silent on this point through to at least Monday June 15th.

If folks are interested ‒ and it certainly appears as though the FMTA is not interested in carrying out any due diligence around this matter ‒ we (meaning forum users) could have discussions to analyze the background and impetus of and for the new entity.

It's not clear whether existing groups were invited to send delegates to the April 18 event. Via on-site exit polling it seemed that the process was a success; there was a positive vibe and and the organizers were personable and even charming, but again we have heard nothing since.

Just as an example much has been made of the size of the High Park Tenants Association, and I think the current "president" of the HPTA was elected to the FMTA's board - there were no materials provided to the media at the end of the session - but likewise he has been silent on the topic of the new group and whether his group was involved, or not.

Local (Toronto) CBC news covered some of the event the next day - see the CBC's web pages at "www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-tenants-union.." but generally speaking it's odd that there has been such a lid clamped down on the whole thing.

Note that some images, and audio, video and comments were posted here (ergo on the re-booted Renters’ Forum)... but other tenant sites? It's hard to say for sure. If you are not able to find any details, ask for help via an on-line post or a private message or a snail-mail letter.

You may send snail mail to Box 771 Station "A" Toronto M5W 1G3 with material for publication or just to vent or rant.

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What is the FRPO?

It's a powerful lobby group of developers and building operators... some of their members do both of those things.

They run webinars for their members about legal nuances in the province's rental housing legislation.

They seem to have a lot of influence at Queen's Park; "housing" minister Rob Flack hobnobs with them.

Towards the end of 2025 an issue of their magazine featured a full page advertisement, in colour, offering legal advice from a guy who indicated that as a former member of the tribunal at the Ontario government's Landlord and Tenant board he had stuff to offer to F.R.P.O members!  I am not making this up.

- Admin

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What other landlord groups are there?

There are one or two, and there's at least one private bulletin board. A video clip posted to the local CBC channel on Youtube last month [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Vqu3lILHo - follow the link to Youtube.com] mentions a "small" group, meaning that they are literally calling themselves the "Small Landlords" group.

Ironically the comments on that Youtube item have been disabled! Wow!

So one route to take for more information, may be to look up "small landlord groups" or "organizations of small landlords in the Greater Toronto Area"

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Is the renters' forum a for-profit thing?

No. Or at least not this time around.

Could we make money, like if we published a newspaper? Non-profits may certainly make money in some instances... it all depends on what sort of focus develops.

In a setup like this volunteers could receive honorariums, and contributors could in theory be paid for research and Op/Ed pieces and so on.

Branding and merchandising is always possible - there may be some money on that side of things.

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Do you accept advertising?
It's possible... Let us know what you have in mind.

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What did that 'Connect with your social account' thing mean?
We had initially tried an installation of the "OneAll" thing - Identity-as-a-Service ("IDaaS").

This has to do with large American platforms and there are several "middleman" entities in the mix. For browsing users this approach simplifies the number of passwords that you need to manage, but it also helps platform operators. Google's Gemini A.I. module says it is (or was) a massive trend circa 2026.

This approach was completely optional, but viewed from some angles you do have to wonder about the underlying ethics. I asked Google about it in early May and I've posted Google's response here.

- Admin

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Attachments

What attachments are allowed on this board?
In the phpBB software "environment", the administrator may allow or disallow certain attachment types (an "attachment" being an image file or a video clip, or some additional documentation that is saved as a PDF or HTML file or even plain text).

If you aren't sure about what is allowed to be uploaded on any given bulletin board, contact the board administrator or system operator ("Sysop") for assistance.

Currently there are only two administrators here (ergo on the revived Toronto Renters Forum, dot com site) and things are pretty open. But video may be disallowed by phpBB's default settings. We will certainly check this.

Note that there is nothing stopping a TorontoRentersForum.com user from posting a link to a video that resides SOMEWHERE ELSE. For example in the case of Youtube or the CBC, or CityTV etc. their content usually has its own URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
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How do I find all my attachments?
To find your list of attachments that you have uploaded, go to your User Control Panel and follow the links to the attachments section.
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Subscriptions and Bookmarks

What is the difference between bookmarking and subscribing?
In phpBB 3.0, bookmarking topics worked much like bookmarking in a web browser. You were not alerted when there was an update. As of phpBB 3.1, bookmarking is more like subscribing to a topic. You can be notified when a bookmarked topic is updated. Subscribing, however, will notify you when there is an update to a topic or forum on the board. Notification options for bookmarks and subscriptions can be configured in the User Control Panel, under “Board preferences”.
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How do I subscribe to specific forums?
To subscribe to a specific forum, click the “Subscribe forum” link, at the bottom of page, upon entering the forum.
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How do I remove my subscriptions?
To remove your subscriptions, go to your User Control Panel and follow the links to your subscriptions.
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How do I bookmark or subscribe to specific topics?
You can bookmark or subscribe to a specific topic by clicking the appropriate link in the “Topic tools” menu, conveniently located near the top and bottom of a topic discussion.
Replying to a topic with the “Notify me when a reply is posted” option checked will also subscribe you to the topic.
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Formatting and Topic Types

What are announcements?
Announcements often contain important information for the forum you are currently reading and you should read them whenever possible. Announcements appear at the top of every page in the forum to which they are posted. As with global announcements, announcement permissions are granted by the board administrator.
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What is BBCode?
BBCode is a special implementation of HTML, offering great formatting control on particular objects in a post. The use of BBCode is granted by the administrator, but it can also be disabled on a per post basis from the posting form. BBCode itself is similar in style to HTML, but tags are enclosed in square brackets [ and ] rather than < and >. For more information on BBCode see the guide which can be accessed from the posting page.
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What are global announcements?
Global announcements contain important information and you should read them whenever possible. They will appear at the top of every forum and within your User Control Panel. Global announcement permissions are granted by the board administrator.
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Can I use HTML?
No. It is not possible to post HTML on this board and have it rendered as HTML. Most formatting which can be carried out using HTML can be applied using BBCode instead.
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What are topic icons?
Topic icons are author chosen images associated with posts to indicate their content. The ability to use topic icons depends on the permissions set by the board administrator.
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Can I post images?
Yes, images can be shown in your posts. If the administrator has allowed attachments, you may be able to upload the image to the board. Otherwise, you must link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.example.com/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible server) nor images stored behind authentication mechanisms, e.g. hotmail or yahoo mailboxes, password protected sites, etc. To display the image use the BBCode [img] tag.
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What are locked topics?
Locked topics are topics where users can no longer reply and any poll it contained was automatically ended. Topics may be locked for many reasons and were set this way by either the forum moderator or board administrator. You may also be able to lock your own topics depending on the permissions you are granted by the board administrator.
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What are Smilies?
Smilies, or Emoticons, are small images which can be used to express a feeling using a short code, e.g. :) denotes happy, while :( denotes sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen in the posting form. Try not to overuse smilies, however, as they can quickly render a post unreadable and a moderator may edit them out or remove the post altogether. The board administrator may also have set a limit to the number of smilies you may use within a post.
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What are sticky topics?
Sticky topics within the forum appear below announcements and only on the first page. They are often quite important so you should read them whenever possible. As with announcements and global announcements, sticky topic permissions are granted by the board administrator.
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Friends and Foes

What are my Friends and Foes lists?
You can use these lists to organise other members of the board. Members added to your friends list will be listed within your User Control Panel for quick access to see their online status and to send them private messages. Subject to template support, posts from these users may also be highlighted. If you add a user to your foes list, any posts they make will be hidden by default.
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How can I add / remove users to my Friends or Foes list?
You can add users to your list in two ways. Within each user’s profile, there is a link to add them to either your Friend or Foe list. Alternatively, from your User Control Panel, you can directly add users by entering their member name. You may also remove users from your list using the same page.
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Login and Registration Issues

Why do I get logged off automatically?
If you do not check the Remember me box when you login, the board will only keep you logged in for a preset time. This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else. To stay logged in, check the Remember me box during login. This is not recommended if you access the board from a shared computer, e.g. library, internet cafe, university computer lab, etc. If you do not see this checkbox, it means a board administrator has disabled this feature.
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I registered in the past but cannot login any more?!
It is possible an administrator has deactivated or deleted your account for some reason. Also, many boards periodically remove users who have not posted for a long time to reduce the size of the database. If this has happened, try registering again and being more involved in discussions.
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Why can’t I login?
There are several reasons why this could occur. First, ensure your username and password are correct. If they are, contact a board administrator to make sure you haven’t been banned. It is also possible the website owner has a configuration error on their end, and they would need to fix it.
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Why can’t I register?
It is possible a board administrator has disabled registration to prevent new visitors from signing up. A board administrator could have also banned your IP address or disallowed the username you are attempting to register. Contact a board administrator for assistance.
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What is COPPA?
COPPA, or the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, is a law in the United States requiring websites which can potentially collect information from minors under the age of 13 to have written parental consent or some other method of legal guardian acknowledgment, allowing the collection of personally identifiable information from a minor under the age of 13. If you are unsure if this applies to you as someone trying to register or to the website you are trying to register on, contact legal counsel for assistance. Please note that phpBB Limited and the owners of this board cannot provide legal advice and is not a point of contact for legal concerns of any kind, except as outlined in question “Who do I contact about abusive and/or legal matters related to this board?”.
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What does the “Delete cookies” do?
“Delete cookies” deletes the cookies created by phpBB which keep you authenticated and logged into the board. Cookies also provide functions such as read tracking if they have been enabled by a board administrator. If you are having login or logout problems, deleting board cookies may help.
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I’ve lost my password!
Don’t panic! While your password cannot be retrieved, it can easily be reset. Visit the login page and click I forgot my password. Follow the instructions and you should be able to log in again shortly.
However, if you are not able to reset your password, contact a board administrator.
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I registered but cannot login!
First, check your username and password. If they are correct, then one of two things may have happened. If COPPA support is enabled and you specified being under 13 years old during registration, you will have to follow the instructions you received. Some boards will also require new registrations to be activated, either by yourself or by an administrator before you can logon; this information was present during registration. If you were sent an email, follow the instructions. If you did not receive an email, you may have provided an incorrect email address or the email may have been picked up by a spam filer. If you are sure the email address you provided is correct, try contacting an administrator.
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Why do I need to register?
You may not have to, it is up to the administrator of the board as to whether you need to register in order to post messages. However; registration will give you access to additional features not available to guest users such as definable avatar images, private messaging, emailing of fellow users, usergroup subscription, etc. It only takes a few moments to register so it is recommended you do so.
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Posting Issues

How do I bump my topic up to the top?
By clicking the “Bump topic” link when you are viewing it, you can “bump” the topic to the top of the forum on the first page. However, if you do not see this, on a given forum in the phpBB software then topic "bumping" may be disabled or the time allowance between bumps has not yet been reached.

It is also possible to "bump" the topic simply by replying to it, however, be sure to follow any applicable board rules when doing so.

Note that this part ^ ^ ^ of the FAQ section is largely generic and it applies more to the phpBB software in general, as opposed to the April 2026 "reboot" of the Toronto Renters’ Forum dot com specifically.

The main goal for the "reboot" was to just get the forum going again. The new, hopefully evolving management would eventually have to consider all the little details!

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How do I create a new topic or post a reply?
To post a new topic in a forum, click "New Topic". To post a reply to a topic, click "Post Reply". Of course you may need to "register" a user name for yourself - along with a working e-mail address - before you can post.

When special rules are enabled for a sub-forum in the phpBB software, a list of your permissions in each forum is made available to new users.

Example: special rules in a given sub-forum might include the ability to post new topics, or whether or not users may post attachments, etc.

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What is the “Save” button for in topic posting?
The save button allows you to save drafts to be completed and submitted at a later date. To reload a saved draft, visit the User Control Panel.
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How do I edit or delete a post?
Unless you are a board administrator or forums "moderator" in phpBB, you can only edit or delete your own posts.

You can edit a post by clicking the edit button for the relevant post, sometimes for only a limited time after the post was made. If someone has already replied to the post, you will find a small piece of text output below the post when you return to the topic which lists the number of times you edited it along with the date and time. This will only appear if someone has made a reply; it will not appear if a moderator or administrator edited the post, though they may leave a note as to why they’ve edited the post at their own discretion. Please note that normal users cannot delete a post once someone has replied.

For help with specific situations please send e-mail to the "Admin" at Toronto Renters Forum do com (no spaces or quotation marks)

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Why can’t I access a forum?
Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view, read, post or perform another action you may need special permissions. Again, contact the Admin if you would like access.

A big issue during the current housing crisis in Toronto, in this election year (!) may be privacy and the security of messages. With some topic areas and access to certain types of information, it may be better to keep the stuff off-line, or at least away from the phpBB software as installed here following the demise of the original forums in 2024. As of late June 2026, we still had no idea why the original forum went down!

And then there is the looming spectre of A.I.

Large Language Models (ChatGPT and Google Gemini are both large language models) are able to collate and sort information faster than any tenant association or group of people who may have competing (rather than complimentary) interests.

It may well be that the existence of a community calendar (as presented here) and a rough "A to Z" alphabetical index, and some... oblique references to organized tenant associations (in your immediate area and across the city) may be all that you can reliably get from this setup at this time. Everything else may need to either be private or discussed in private or semi-private, in-person meetings.

At least we are being open about the issues. And there is always snail mail!
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Why can’t I add attachments?
In the open source, phpBB forums software, attachment permissions are granted on a per forum, per group, or per user basis.

On this setup - eg. the rebooted Toronto Renters’ Forum dot com - attachments are generally encouraged.

On other systems the administrator may not have allowed attachments to be added,, or perhaps only certain groups can post attachments. Contact the administrator if you are unsure about why you are unable to add attachments.

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How do I create a poll?
In theory when posting a new topic in the phpBB software, or when you are editing the first post of a topic, you may click the “Poll creation” tab below the main posting form. However the user base on this "re-booted" forum is currently very small so for the time being at least, "polls" are a moot feature.
Anyway polling in phpBB requires a title and at least two options in the appropriate fields.

If you cannot see this, then you do not have appropriate permissions to create polls.

If you are a registered user and you want to give this a try, you'll want to make sure that each option is on a separate line in the text area. You may also set the number of options users may select during voting under “Options per user”, a time limit in days for the poll (0 for infinite duration) and lastly the option to allow users to amend their votes.

Note that it can take years to grow a "new" tenant association or resource like a forum for tenants.
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Why can’t I add more "poll" options?
In situations like this (eg. on the "re-booted" Toronto Renters’ Forum dot com, in the summer of 2026 where the user base is small) this is moot, but in phpBB the limit for "poll" options is set by the administrator.

Generally speaking, if a phpBB user feels they need to add more options to a "poll", they should contact the Admin.

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How do I edit or delete a poll?
As with posts, polls can only be edited by the original poster, a moderator or an administrator. To edit a poll, click to edit the first post in the topic; this always has the poll associated with it. If no one has cast a vote, users can delete the poll or edit any poll option. However, if members have already placed votes, only moderators or administrators can edit or delete it. This prevents the poll’s options from being changed mid-way through a poll.
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Why does my post need to be approved?
In phpBB, it's possible that the administrator may have decided that posts in the forum you are posting to require review before submission.

It is also possible that the administrator has placed you in a group of users whose posts require review before submission. Please contact the board administrator for further details.
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How can I report posts to a moderator?
If the board administrator on any given phpBB installation has allowed it, you should see a button for reporting posts next to the post you wish to report. Clicking this will walk you through the steps necessary to report the post.
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How do I add a signature to my post?
To add a signature to a post you must first create one via your User Control Panel. Once created, you can check the Attach a signature box on the posting form to add your signature. You can also add a signature by default to all your posts by checking the appropriate radio button in the User Control Panel. If you do so, you can still prevent a signature being added to individual posts by un-checking the add signature box within the posting form.
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Why did I receive a warning?
In the phpBB software the administrator (or each board admin, in the case of sub-forums run by individual tenant associations) has the ability to set their own rules for their site, or part(s) thereof.

If you have broken a rule, you may be issued a warning. Please note that this is the board administrator’s decision, and the phpBB Limited has nothing to do with the warnings on the given site. Contact the board administrator if you are unsure about why you were issued a warning.

Towards the end of the previous mis-management of the renters forum, I was given a caution by the administrator!

Oh please! I'm still here and kicking it, whereas whoever they are (or were) they have gone to the Other Place, deep in the Nationbuilder software's CMS somewhere.

 - Admin
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Private Messaging

I cannot send private messages!
There are three reasons for this; you are not registered and/or not logged on, the board administrator has disabled private messaging for the entire board, or the board administrator has prevented you from sending messages. Contact a board administrator for more information.
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I have received a spamming or abusive email from someone on this board!
We are sorry to hear that. The email form feature of this board includes safeguards to try and track users who send such posts, so email the board administrator with a full copy of the email you received. It is very important that this includes the headers that contain the details of the user that sent the email. The board administrator can then take action.
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I keep getting unwanted private messages!
You can automatically delete private messages from a user by using message rules within your User Control Panel. If you are receiving abusive private messages from a particular user, report the messages to the moderators; they have the power to prevent a user from sending private messages.
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Searching the Forums

Why does my search return a blank page!?
Your search returned too many results for the webserver to handle. Use “Advanced search” and be more specific in the terms used and forums that are to be searched.
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How can I search a forum or forums?
Enter a search term in the search box located on the index, forum or topic pages. Advanced search can be accessed by clicking the “Advance Search” link which is available on all pages on the forum. How to access the search may depend on the style used.
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How do I search for other users?
The phpBB program has a member list, but this installation is still empty. We went back on-line less than two weeks ago. It will take a long time (weeks, months or even years) tu build up a user base.
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Why does my search return no results?
Your search was probably too vague and included many common terms which are not indexed by phpBB. Be more specific and use the options available within Advanced search.
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How can I find my own posts and topics?
Your own posts can be retrieved either by clicking the “Show your posts” link within the User Control Panel or by clicking the “Search user’s posts” link via your own profile page or by clicking the “Quick links” menu at the top of the board. To search for your topics, use the Advanced search page and fill in the various options appropriately.
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User Preferences and settings

How do I display an avatar?
Within your User Control Panel, under “Profile” you can add an avatar by using one of the four following methods: Gravatar, Gallery, Remote or Upload. It is up to the board administrator to enable avatars and to choose the way in which avatars can be made available. If you are unable to use avatars, contact a board administrator.
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What are the images next to my username?
There are two images which may appear along with a username when viewing posts. One of them may be an image associated with your rank, generally in the form of stars, blocks or dots, indicating how many posts you have made or your status on the board. Another, usually larger, image is known as an avatar and is generally unique or personal to each user.
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How do I change my settings?
If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the board database. To alter them, visit your User Control Panel; a link can usually be found by clicking on your username at the top of board pages. This system will allow you to change all your settings and preferences.
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When I click the email link for a user it asks me to login?
Only registered users can send email to other users via the built-in email form, and only if the administrator has enabled this feature. This is to prevent malicious use of the email system by anonymous users.
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How do I prevent my username appearing in the online user listings?
Within your User Control Panel, under “Board preferences”, you will find the option Hide your online status. Enable this option and you will only appear to the administrators, moderators and yourself. You will be counted as a hidden user.
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My language is not in the list!
Either the administrator has not installed your language or nobody has translated this board into your language. Try asking a board administrator if they can install the language pack you need. If the language pack does not exist, feel free to create a new translation. More information can be found at the phpBB® website.
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What is my rank and how do I change it?
Ranks, which appear below your username, indicate the number of posts you have made or identify certain users, e.g. moderators and administrators. In general, you cannot directly change the wording of any board ranks as they are set by the board administrator. Please do not abuse the board by posting unnecessarily just to increase your rank. Most boards will not tolerate this and the moderator or administrator will simply lower your post count.
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I changed the timezone and the time is still wrong!
If you are sure you have set the timezone correctly and the time is still incorrect, then the time stored on the server clock is incorrect. Please notify an administrator to correct the problem.
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The times are not correct!
It is possible the time displayed is from a timezone different from the one you are in. If this is the case, visit your User Control Panel and change your timezone to match your particular area, e.g. London, Paris, New York, Sydney, etc. Please note that changing the timezone, like most settings, can only be done by registered users. If you are not registered, this is a good time to do so.
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User Levels and Groups

What are Administrators?
Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire board. These members can control all facets of board operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc., dependent upon the board founder and what permissions he or she has given the other administrators. They may also have full moderator capabilities in all forums, depending on the settings put forth by the board founder.
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Why do some usergroups appear in a different colour?
It is possible for the board administrator to assign a colour to the members of a usergroup to make it easy to identify the members of this group.
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What is a “Default usergroup”?
If you are a member of more than one usergroup, your default is used to determine which group colour and group rank should be shown for you by default. The board administrator may grant you permission to change your default usergroup via your User Control Panel.
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What are Moderators?
Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) who look after the forums from day to day. They have the authority to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete and split topics in the forum they moderate. Generally, moderators are present to prevent users from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.
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What is “The team” link?
This page provides you with a list of board staff, including board administrators and moderators and other details such as the forums they moderate.
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Where are the usergroups and how do I join one?
You can view all usergroups via the “Usergroups” link within your User Control Panel. If you would like to join one, proceed by clicking the appropriate button. Not all groups have open access, however. Some may require approval to join, some may be closed and some may even have hidden memberships. If the group is open, you can join it by clicking the appropriate button. If a group requires approval to join you may request to join by clicking the appropriate button. The user group leader will need to approve your request and may ask why you want to join the group. Please do not harass a group leader if they reject your request; they will have their reasons.
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How do I become a usergroup leader?
A usergroup leader is usually assigned when usergroups are initially created by a board administrator. If you are interested in creating a usergroup, your first point of contact should be an administrator; try sending a private message.
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What are usergroups?
Usergroups are groups of users that divide the community into manageable sections board administrators can work with. Each user can belong to several groups and each group can be assigned individual permissions. This provides an easy way for administrators to change permissions for many users at once, such as changing moderator permissions or granting users access to a private forum.
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phpBB platform issues

How do I contact the Administrator?
Use the “Contact us” form, or send e-mail to "admin" at toronto renters forum dot com (no spaces)

For the time being our snail mail address is P.O. Box 771, Station "A" Toronto M5W 1G3

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Why isn’t X feature available?
This software was written by and licensed through phpBB Limited. If you believe a feature needs to be added please visit the phpBB Ideas Centre, where you can upvote existing ideas or suggest new features.

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Who do I contact about abusive users and/or legal matters related to this board?
The administrator on any given phpBB is the person to ask for help.

Please note that "phpBB Limited" has absolutely no jurisdiction and cannot in any way be held liable over how, where or by whom the software and this board in particular is used.

Do not contact phpBB Limited in relation to any legal (cease and desist, liable, defamatory comment, etc.) matter not directly related to the phpBB.com website or the discrete software of phpBB itself. If you do email phpBB Limited about any third party use of this software then you should expect a terse response or no response at all.

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Who wrote this bulletin board?
This software (in its unmodified form) is produced, released and is copyright phpBB Limited. It is made available under the GNU General Public License, version 2 (GPL-2.0) and may be freely distributed. See About phpBB for more details.

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Have you ever used other software?
We go back to the early 1980's and the BBS64 program by Steve Punter. We have looked at Simple Machines and MyBB and hosting setups like Invision and Boardnation.

We also use WordPress.

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What about other languages?
This is the $64,000 question! Look up "Language Packs" in the support forums on https://www.phpBB.com

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When are the next meetings scheduled for?

When are the next meeting(s) for people interested in the reboot of T.R.F. dot com?

Soon. Possibly some time in the next few weeks so check the calendars or send e-mail. The big thing in recent days was the FMTA's general meeting - 40 people in a room modifying a very small section of the corporation's constitution, while at the same time completely ignoring the overall document, especially the part at the top where the PURPOSEof the exercise is clearly stated.

It may be an idea for us to keep initial virtual gatherings small. Just enough of a conversation to gauge people's thoughts about accessibility and privacy.

I am ready to continue testing the "Zoom Communications" software almost any evening and some mornings and afternoons are possible as well. The way that it, (ergo "Zoom" - it's an American company) works is you express an interest (either via e-mail or snail mail). I read your note, and I write back to you with a suggestion for a scheduled Zoom "meeting".

Zoom "meetings" have numbers, and I'll post the number and the passcode (and there are various ways to do this) for our meeting and you will use this information to go to "https://zoom.com", or you'll call a provided telephone number, just before the agreed-upon meeting time.

If you are a computer user, Zoom Communications will ask whether you want to use a browser, or if you'd prefer to their program which will have a name like "Zoom Workplace". Either method works well.

Telephone users (ie. people who don't have a computer or a mobile device, or folks who are more comfortable with listening in, ergo on "audio-only" discussions) may enter the meeting number and passcode using their telephone keypad.

Here is an example of a recording of the audio of a recent Acorn meeting. The topic was the Ontario government's Bill 60: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX4nvuA5Ztk

Note that it doesn't have to me - or whoever is doing the job of administering the board - that's doing the hosting. The Zoom software allows multiple, back up hosts. So if one person can't do a meeting, someone else may step in.

Note too that lately the City of Toronto (and the management of the building where I live) have been stressing "Microsoft Teams". I think (I am not sure) that this is because CoPilot has been ailing in the A.I. market and Microsoft sales people are thus out and about in force trying to drum up business for their A.I. "agents"... however this is likely a "big toys for big boys" issue that is not immediately related to the business of accessible tenant-to-tenant and association-to-association networks at the street level.

At their AGM the FMTA's brass suggested that their budget has climbed to $1.2 million dollars and they are thus out shlopping from a new platform. Wonderful.

- Admin

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I am not good with Zoom! What can I do?
Join the club! That said, there are LOTS of free tutorials on Youtube, and Google has at least one reasonably priced e-book for sale, under "Books" in the Play Store.

If there is a need, we can probably do our own basic Zoom and phpBB tutorials (on tablets, laptops and cell phones) before, during or after future in-person meetings.


*N.B.* The FMTA held their annual general meeting Saturday June 13th. Very poor quality meeting - they mentioned their Zoom events but with no details and no additional information products - no transcripts, no web pages, no future schedules and no instructions for people who might be interested in joining in.

- Admin

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