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Notes on FORUM Use

1. The initial page: How to get started

This is a conventional form of the initial page of a forum. User has a general overview on all topics that have been entered from other users. That way, the user can pick a topic, which interest him/her and click on it to read it. In the “replies” column the user can view all responds to the initial topic and also add his/her own.

This is the navigation form before registration

This is the navigation bar after registration.
These icons indicate the message’s attributes.

This is one typical tool bar with which user can navigate:

/ It displays all topics, all themes in discuss
/ It provides an alphabetical list of all registered users
/ It searches and locates key words in the forum, that are not obvious in the topics
/ It provides with the FAQ (frequently asked questions) to help user deal with raising problems
/ For a new user: that button opens the registration form that needs to be fulfilled so that the user will become a forum member. Registration is not mandatory in all forums
/ With that button the member (already registered user) enters the forum

Active topics

In the active topics window the member-user can filter incoming topics with the criterion of time: if he was informed about new topics 2 hours ago, he can chose from the pop up menu only later topics to be exposed


Search:

The member list button enables the member-user to have an overview in all registered users of the forum, to spot a member, or to check if a specific person is registered
In the same window (member list) the user can chose from the pop up menu which category of members he/she wants to see displayed
The user can also decide to add a member in his/her contact list by pressing the “add buddy” button in the same bar with the desired name. The “search” button displays all entered themes from the same author.
This is the log in window, wherein the user enters his personal data. It pre-requires that the user has filled the relevant registration form
The registration form consists on mandatory and optional information the user needs to provide, in order to become a member of the forum.
By clicking on a members name (which is an active link) a pop up window opens displaying his/her personal profile
After a member has logged in, he/she has an access on a personal mail service. It is like any other conventional mail service with the difference that forum-mail services only connect forum members. That way, forum members can lead their own personal communication without their messages to be displayed in common view.
This is the new message-window. It enables the member to edit and send messages to any other member of the forum. The receiver has not to be added in the buddy list of the sender


How to add a new topic in a forum:

Every forum, requiring registration or not, offers a “new topic” button. By clicking on it, the user can add his/her own lines in the forum. If the user wants to add an opinion in an existing topic, he clicks on the topic and then click on the “reply” button.

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