First of all, how do I find anything here? We can hear you asking! It's really not hard. As a new visitor, the first place you'll find is more than likely the "default" - or main - Board page. It's got a Featured Poll and Forum News up top [or will soon, if not at the moment!], then below all that you see all the posting areas - or Forums.

The Board is divided up into several Categories [by related subjects] and within each Category are several Forums where you actually do your posting.

Before you panic at all the choices, look over this default page ... see where the most appropriate place is for you to post your new topic. Then, enter that Forum by clicking on its name & choose the "New Topic" icon.

 Up toward the upper right-hand corner of the Board are a series of links called the Navigational Menu. You'll find them just under this: Out By The Corner Mailbox and the date & time.

These links lead to many of the Board's special features that you might otherwise overlook - things like Events, Polls, Classified Ads, Web Links, Members' Profiles, FAQs, Search Feature, etc. Explore them at your leisure! Many of these features are available to Members only, so, do register!

 Probably, the most valuable of all the Navigational Links is the one that reads: Active Topics. So, we placed it last so that it's easy to find! Use it to locate all the new posts since your last visit [works much better if you log in first!]. You won't miss a thing!!

 There are several ways to reply to a post.

The quickest & easiest is to use the "Quick Reply" feature - found at the bottom of each thread, if you are logged-in. Simply reply in the box & submit. Using Quick Reply forfeits the use of post formatting buttons & smilies.

If you want access to all posting features, there are two ways to reply:

1 - Use the "Reply to topic" text links found at the top & bottom of each thread. This is a good choice if you are relying directly to the last post in the thread, the original topic, or if there are very few replies.

2 - Use the "Reply with quote" icon found near the top of EACH post within the thread. This is good if there are many replies and you are directly responding to a post in the middle somewhere. Selecting this option, quotes the post to which you are replying, along with the poster's name, and makes for more fluid reading. If the post you are replying to is long, you can edit the quoted portion to your liking. Just be certain the quoted portion begins with "quote" in brackets - [] rather than "", and ends with "/quote" in brackets - [] rather than "". The / indicates "the end of". Then, outside those brackets, compose your reply. The result will look something like this:

quote:

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Originally posted by So & So
Your reply here.
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 Besides simply posting, this Board offers many other features to help promote the communication process. Use 'em, please! Some examples:

1 - The Events Calendar: Posting through the calendar results in the event showing up on the main [default] board page as well as in the forum you specify. Also shows members' birthdays, if you have posted within the past 30 days, and if you have set your birth date in your Profile!

2 - Polls: To elicit more response, try your post in the form of a Poll. Up to 15 answer choices can be provided.

3 - Private Messages: An intra-Board E-mail system.

4 - Classified Ads: They are free! You can sell, barter, or seek ... but it doesn't work if no one uses it!

5 - Photo Album: You've got to ask for one of these, but once set up you can upload photos to it directly from your PC.

6 - Web Links: Add unlimited links to your favorite web sites.

See the FAQs for more on this stuff!

OK? Get going!