Forum definition from wikipedia.com An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site. When you have finished reading this page, close this window to return to where you were.
Using the forum You can use these forums to:
be nosy and see what others are saying.
be helpful and answer questions others have posted.
Step 1 - Preparing to use the forums You will need to sign up to be a participant for the forum. First, create a user name and a password. Your user name can be anything you want and can contain letters or numbers. Have fun with it and try to be creative. You will also need to give your email address when you sign up, since you'll then receive a welcome email from the forum moderator that will include further instructions on joining the forum.
Go back to your email account and click on the forum's verification link. You will then be able to log in with the username and password you created. Once you log in you can begin posting, but it's recommend you set up a profile first. Be sure to write your user name and password down and keep it where you can find it!
Setting up a profile is pretty self explanatory. You can reveal as little or as much as you want about yourself. Limit revealing personal information, however, for safety reasons.
Step 2 - Participate in a discussion. Look at The Winter Texan Connection Forum Index. You will see a blue line that is titled "Forum". There are a variety of categories to choose from. Under the categories are sub-categories.
Click on the sub-category that you are interested in. Now you will see a blue line titled "Topics".
Click on the topic you want to read. Now you will see a blue line titled "message" To make a comment regarding a posted message you will need to click the button that says "post reply".
Receive email notification when there is a reply to a message. Under the message box, find and click on the line that says "Watch this topic for replies". You will now receive an email each time someone replies to this message. The next time you view this message the line will read "Stop watching this topic". Click on this line to stop receiving email notifications.
Start your own topic for discussion. There is a little button that says "new topic." Click on that and put your topic in the subject line. Type the "message" or "question" in the box called "message body". Scroll down the page , find and click on the "submit" button. It's done! Now your topic is posted for others to reply to. Be sure that you are posting your new topic in a relevant category.
Step 3 - Sending Private Messages to other forum users. Inside each message box is a small button that says"pm". PM stands for "Private Message." Click on the "pm" button. Now you will see a blue line titled "Send a new private message". Fill in the users name you are sending the message to, the subject and the message body. Scroll to the bottom and click on "submit". Sometimes you may need to contact a person on the forum without letting the rest of the world see what you want to say. Save this feature for private chats that others on the forum would not want to participate in. Private messages are accessed through the "Your Home Page" link located in the main menu in the upper left hand corner of the page. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
We welcome suggestions for new categories. If there is something you would like to see included, email rod@wintertexaninfo.com.