Cleared out all cookies (is this the same as clearing my cache?)
No. Cookies and your browser's cache are two totally separate things.
First off, leave the forum by navigating to another site.
Now, to clear the forum's cookie in IE, you must pull down the "Tools" menu, then click "Internet Options". On the "General" tab, click "Settings", and then click "View files". What you'll want to do next is look for a cookie file that ends with "@dsboards.com", highlight it, bring down the "File" menu, and then click "Delete".
In Netscape, first you must bring down the "Tasks" menu, choose "Privacy & Security", and then choose "Cookie Manager". Next choose "View Stored Cookies" from the submenu. The "Cookie Manager" window will open with a list of all the cookies stored on your computer. Look for any cookie for the site "
www.dsboards.com", highlight it, and then click "Remove Cookie".
Once you've done all that, close any still open menus by clicking "OK", navigate back to the forum and log back in.