Navigating the Forum
There are a few easy ways to navigate the forum.
- Browse by clicking on a forum and reading the threads.
- Search for specific information using the search box in the top right corner of every page.
- Read all new posts by clicking the New Posts or Today's Posts links in the menu at the top of the page. The New Posts link only shows conversations that you have not read yet.
Once you are inside of a thread, it's easy to move back to a forum or the forum home page. They are called "breadcrumb" links and look like this:
Home > All Forums > Site Help & Feedback > Current Thread
They are named breadcrumbs after the trail used by Hanzel and Gretel to find their way home.
Posting Messages
What are threads and posts?
Each message posted to the forums is a ‘post’. A post and it’s subsequent replies are grouped together in a ‘thread’. Think of a thread as a conversation and each particular exchange as a post.
How do I write my first post?- Click on a section using the links at the top of the page.
- Select a forum within that section.
- Click the New Thread button at the top of the list of threads.
- Write your message in the box and click Submit New Thread.
How do I reply to a message?
At the end of every thread, there is a box. Click in the box and start typing! To access advanced options like uploading files and adding polls, click "Go Advanced".
How do I post a new thread?
From the forum homepage, click on one of the forums. You'll see a list of all of the threads (i.e. conversations) in that forum. Above and below that list is a "New Thread" button. Click this button to open a window where you can create your message. If you haven't done so already, tell us about yourself in the Introductions Forum.
How do I find threads I've participated in?
There are a few ways to do this. First, you can click My Account and Subscribed Threads link in the menu at the top of the page. By default, you are subscribed to every thread that you post in. If your post isn't there, you can click View Profile and then Find all Posts by "Your Username". Read more about subscribed threads below.
Managing Subscriptions and Email
When you first sign up, you choose whether you will get email notifications when someone responds to a thread where you've posted. The default is to notify you no more than once a day.
- You can see which threads you are subscribed to and manage them using the Subscribed Threads link under My Account.
- You can control whether or not you automatically subscribe to threads when you post under My Account and Edit Options.
- At the end of every email, there is a link to unsubscribe from that thread. If you longer wish to be notified of replies, click that link and you will automatically be unsubscribed.
