Basic navigation
Internet forums generally work the same, though they will have a different appearance. Once you become familiar with one you won't have a problem using others. Looks like I need a forum to use as an example. Hmmm. How about Daves Computer Tips Forum?
When you first open the forum you notice several things:
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The first thing you will notice after the logo at the top is called breadcrumb navigation. This will change according to where you are on the forum and, because each part is an actual link, allow you to quickly go to different sections or parts of the forum. As an example, if you clicked on the Windows XP Operating System sub-section you would notice not only would the page change to that section, but the breadcrumb navigation would now look like this:
The second item that stands out are the forum sections. Notice the blue boxes (don't they look familiar). These are sections. Like sub-sections are grouped together inside each section. In this example all operating system discussions are grouped together. The sub-sections are actual links. Clicking the sub-section title will take you to that sub-section. Let's click "Windows Vista Operating System".
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This may seem complicated, but it isn't. The main points to note here are the blue box. The blue box shows the threads (or topics or discussions) that are currently taking place. Replies show how many people have replied to the original message. Views show how many people have read the topic. If you wish to read one of the topics just click the topic title and (play cool music here) the topic will open in a new page, where you can read or add your own thoughts.
The second item to be aware of is the "NewTopic" button. clicking that will open a window that allows you to create your own thread to ask questions, or share information with other members.
The third item to be aware of is the breadcrumb navigation. Note how it has changed to reflect your current location. There is also a box in the lower right that will allow you to go directly to other parts of the forum by selecting where you want to go from the drop down menu and clicking "GO".
If you decided you wanted to view a topic, simply click the topic title, which will open the topic in a new page.
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Here is where the majority of you interaction in a forum will take place. The left column shows who make the post and some general information about them. The date they joined the forum, how many posts they have made, and a picture if they choose. The join date and number of posts is a good indication of a poster's reputation.
The right column is were their post will show. This is their message or reply to other messages in the topic.
Notice the "PostReply" button? This allows you to post a reply to the messages in the topic, or thread.
Registering on a forum
Posting or replying to a forum requires registration. If you attempt to do either without registering and logging in first you will see the following message:
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At the top of every page is the option to "Register" or "Login".
Let's get you registered! Click on "Register" and I'll walk you through the process! After you click you will see the following page:
Click the button that applies to you. Several countries require users to be over the age of 13. This question verifies your age in compliance with those laws. Assuming you are born before the date shown, and you click the correct button, you will see the following page:
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This is a basic agreement that states you agree not to violate copyright laws, and basically behave yourself. Agreeing to this brings you to the following page:
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Successful registration results in the following confirmation screen:
Click "Login" and enter the username and password you created during the registration process. Select the checkbox next to "Log me on automatically each visit" if you don't want to enter your username and password each time you visit. Click "Login".
The page will reload, but now things will look a little different! You now have complete access to the forum.
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User Control Panel
Overview Tab
The User Control Panel (UCP) is where preferences can be set and changed to control your experience while reading and posting on the forum. Click the User Control Panel link in the upper left after you login. You will be greeted with the following page:
The "Overview" tab shows some interesting information. Your join date, date of last visit, and total posts. You can actually click the "Show your total posts" link and every post you have made will be displayed.
Two other sections on the Overview tab you should be aware of are Manage Subscriptions and Bookmarks. When you read a thread or topic that you find interesting you can choose monitor that thread for new messages. When another forum member adds to the thread you are notified by email. The bookmark section allows you to place reminders for threads you find interesting, similar to how you bookmark websites in your browser.
Profile Tab
The second tab is "Profile". Click on the Profile tab and let's look at it a little closer. Once you click you will see the following:
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The first section is "Edit Profile". Here you can enter settings to share and communicate with other forum members, which I highly recommend you do. The most important of these are:
- Website - If you have a website enter it here. This is a great opportunity to share your site with other members.
- Location - Tell everyone where you are from. As the forum grows you will find others that are close to you. This is a great way to build friendships!
- Occupation - Don't be too specific, but tell people what you do.
- Interests - Tell everyone what you are interested in. Again, a great way to find others with similar interests.
The second section is "Edit Signature". Here you can add a signature that appears at the bottom of each post you make to personalize your posts. This is another great way to share with other members. Many use signatures to add famous quotes or links to their own website to the bottom of each post they make. If you click "Edit Signature" you will see the following page:
The third section is "Edit Avatar". Here you can add a picture that displays in the left column of each post you make. The picture can be anything as long as it is clean and family friendly! Sizes are limited to 90 pixels in each direction and the file size can be no larger than 6kb. This is to prevent someone from including large pictures, which could make pages display slowly for some users. Clicking "Edit Avatar" shows you the interface:
Choose either a picture you have on your computer by using the Browse button or a picture on the internet by entering the URL of the picture in the space provided. You can change your avatar at any time.
The fourth section is "Edit Account Settings" and is self explanatory. This is where you can change your registered email address and password
Board Preferences Tab
The third tab is "Board preferences". You should not need to make any changes here. The settings on this tab control how the forum (or board) displays and are best reserved for advanced users
Private Messages Tab
The fourth tab is "Private Messages". This allows you to send messages to other members privately. It's very similar to email. The main benefit of private messages is that you can send a message without having to leave the forum. Another benefit is there is no use of email addresses, so there is some privacy when being contacted by others you do not know. Basically the private message feature is a basic email like program that allows communication with other members while maintaining your privacy.
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Usergroups Tab
The "Usergroups" tab is not used at this time.
Friends & Foes Tab
The last tab is "Friends & Foes". Occasionally you will find a person on the internet that you just don't agree with, or can't get along with. This feature allows you to assign other users a status of either Friend or Foe. Posts made by Friends are highlighted. Posts made by Foes are ignored and not displayed. It's like they aren't even there!
What Next?
Go over to the Forum and register! Take a moment and introduce yourself in General Topics>Introduce Yourself. Let's make the forum a great place to share information, learn about computers and each other, and build a great community!