Put a Countdown Timer In Your Signature
 

How to Add a Countdown Timer to Your Signature

This tutorial explains how to create a countdown timer that will appear in your signature when you post. This is a multi-page tutorial -- use the Contents box above or the page numbers at the bottom to navigate.

<table><tr><td valign="top"><font face="Verdana"><font color="black" size="3">All registered members may create and add a countdown timer to their signature. Countdown timers are a fun way to look forward to a special event, such as a Disney vacation!</td><td width="200"><center><a href="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporter-tutorials/121381-add-countdown-timer-your-signature-print.html"><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/printthispage.gif" border="0"><br><a href="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporter-tutorials/121381-add-countdown-timer-your-signature-print.html">Show Printable Version<br> of this Tutorial</a></center></td></tr></table>

<font face="Verdana" color="black" size="2"><b>Here's how to create a countdown timer:</b>

<table><tr><td width="100" valign="top"><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/step1.gif" border="0"></td><td>
<font face="Verdana" color="#ff6600" size="3"><b>Go to My Home</b>
<font face="Verdana" color="black" size="2">Click the <a href="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/usercp.php">My Home</a> link -- it is on the far left end of the orange bar at the top of every PassPorter Community page.<br>
<b>Important Note:</b> If you haven't already created a <a href="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporter-tutorials/121358-create-signature-under-your-posts.html">signature</a>, do so now -- without a signature, you cannot have a countdown timer. <a href="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporter-tutorials/121358-create-signature-under-your-posts.html">Click here for help creating a signature.</a></td><td width=200><center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/myhomeshot.gif"></center></td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td width="100" valign="top"><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/step2.gif" border="0"></td><td>
<font face="Verdana" color="#ff6600" size="3"><b>Open Your Options</b>
<font face="Verdana" color="black" size="2">Once you're in My Home, click the <a href="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/profile.php?do=editoptions">Edit Options</a> link in the menu on the left side of the screen. A list of various options and settings for your message board account will appear.</td></tr></table>

<center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/editoptions.gif"></center>

<table><tr><td width="100" valign="top"><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/step2.gif" border="0"></td><td>
<font face="Verdana" color="#ff6600" size="3"><b>Edit Your Countdown</b>
<font face="Verdana" color="black" size="2">Once you're in Edit Options, scroll to the bottom of the window, and type in the necessary information for your countdown timer according to the onscreen directions. Do not use symbols like ampersand (&) or quotes (',") in your countdown text.</td></tr></table>

<center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/editcountdown.gif"></center>

Here is a screen shot of Captain Jack's countdown settings:
<center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/editcountdown2.gif"></center>

<table><tr><td width="100" valign="top"><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/step3.gif" border="0"></td><td>
<font face="Verdana" color="#ff6600" size="3"><b>Save Your Countdown</b>
<font face="Verdana" color="black" size="2">Once you've entered your countdown information, click Save Changes. Your countdown timer should appear at the bottom of your signature (as seen in posts) immediately.</td></tr></table>

<center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/editcountdown2.gif"></center>

<table><tr><td width="100" valign="top"><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/step4.gif" border="0"></td><td>
<font face="Verdana" color="#ff6600" size="3"><b>Test Your Countdown</b>
<font face="Verdana" color="black" size="2">To test your countdown, go to <a href="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/driveway-testing-grounds/">The Driveway</a> forum, create a new topic, and check your signature for your countdown. If it worked, you'll see something like this:</td></tr></table>

<center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/countdowntest.gif"></center>

Troubleshooting Tips
<li>Be sure you have information in your signature. Without something in your signature -- even just your name -- the countdown timer can't be put in it. You can edit your signature in My Home > Edit Signature.
<li>Does your countdown seem off? Make sure you don't have the month and day mixed up in your options.
<li>Do not use the ampersand (&) or quotes (" or ') anywhere in your ticker (i.e., the event or end message) -- if you do, the countdown will not display.

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How to Add an External Countdown Timer

You can also add countdown tickers from other places on the web, such as TickerFactory.com or MouseHouseMagic.com. Here's what you do:

<table><tr><td width="100" valign="top"><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/step1.gif" border="0"></td><td>
<font face="Verdana" color="#ff6600" size="3"><b>Find and Configure a Ticker</b>
<font face="Verdana" color="black" size="2">You'll need to follow the directions of the external countdown ticker for setup. When your setup is complete, you should be given code to copy and paste -- look for the <b>bbCode</b> option and copy all the code in the box. Here's an example of code options at TickerFactory.com:</td></tr></table>

<center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/tickerfactory.gif"></center>

<table><tr><td width="100" valign="top"><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/step2.gif" border="0"></td><td>
<font face="Verdana" color="#ff6600" size="3"><b>Insert Your Ticker</b>
<font face="Verdana" color="black" size="2">With your ticker code copied, return to the PassPorter message boards, click My Home, then click Edit Signature. Paste the code into your signature editor as shown below, then click Save Signature.</td></tr></table>

<center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/tickercode.gif"></center>

Your countdown ticker should now appear in your signature whenever you post -- you can test it out in The Driveway forum. This is how the sample ticker we created in this tutorial appears:

<center><img src="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/images/misc/tickertest.gif"></center>

<b>Check out more tutorials in the <a href="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/passporter-tutorials/">PassPorter Tutorial Collection</a>.</b>