Forums 101 - posting, accounts, basics

[Janet H]

The link to Todays Posts can be found in the drop down menu under Quick links on the upper nav bar and is go to place for a fast update on all forum posting activity.

The link to Todays posts will return all threads that have been updated since your last login.

The link to New Posts is located in the center of the nav bar and functions differently. It will only display posts you have not looked at and this includes any posts you have made. It doesn't really give a complete list of new posts - just ones you have not read.

[Janet H]

When starting a new thread, the thread author may assign tags that help your thread to be found more easily by people searching for particular subjects. For example, a thread may display that it has been tagged with pump and wiring. Each tag is a web link leading to all threads associated with that tag.

Setting up tags:
You can set up to five tags per thread that you start. One or two tags probably will be most common. As you are writing your thread's initial post, please note the tag box just below the text input window. Instructions read, "Separate tags using a comma" and "You may add 5 tag(s) to this thread." There are no hard and fast rules -- do your best giving a one- or two-word summary of your topic. Multiple tags are useful if you are posting about a combination of factors; for example new, skylight leak and warranty. Or roof and coating.

You can see which threads have tags assigned. After the last post in a thread and just below the 'Post Reply' link, there is a box that displays tags associated with that thread. These tags are live links to search for other like-tagged threads.

Using tags:
To find tagged threads, use our 'Search' link on the overhead blue tool bar. In the drop-down box, the second selection is 'Tag Search' -- click to open. Enter a search term and click 'Search.' For example, leak or leak detection generate entirely separate groupings of threads.

The tag search window is also interesting for showing a "tag cloud," where the print size indicates how often certain tags have been assigned to threads. The tags in the tag cloud are live links to tagged threads.

Increasing the depth of this resource:
This feature will increase in utility as more people use it. If your research has found very useful threads on a topic and they don't have tags, you could private message a moderator and ask them to add a tag or tags. Please feel free to suggest tags you think are most relevant. And please include the web address line (URL) of the thread.

[EMD_Driver]

Hello again everyone,

With the new forum software, there is a different way to post links. While posting a message or a reply, click the link button. It looks like this:



This will allow you to make text, or images clickable as links. To make some text a link, click and drag your mouse pointer over the text and highlight it. Click the link button above and put the destination link in the little box. When you click the ok button, your text will then be a link. Here is an example. I always make the text bold also. Clicking the "B" on the upper-left of the message editor, will make your highlighted text bold also.

If you wish to make an image clickable, post the picture from your image host where you want it and then left-click it once. That will select the image and allow you to make it clickable. Once you select the image, click the link button. Put the destination URL in the little box and click ok. That's all there is to it!

Here's an example of a clickable image:

[kanyonkitty]

Hey, I think I can fix this and make it user friendly, let me get my hammer & power tools





Might wind up MIA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Andy R]

EMD, thanks for posting the excellent tutorial on how to do this with the new software. kanyonkitty, hang in there, it will make sense soon.

[Trailblazer]

Originally Posted by kanyonkitty

Hey, I think I can fix this and make it user friendly, let me get my hammer & power tools





Might wind up MIA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Kitty, I have to agree with you on this one. I have used other boards run on the vBulletin package before and ended up leaving them. I am trying to be open minded but I just don't like the fit and feel of the software package. Sorry.

[Janet H]

You can embed a YouTube video (provided it's on topic) in a post. Just copy the url of the video from your browser address line and paste it into your post. The video will display when you make the post.

Lucy cooks in a moving trailer:

YouTube - Lucy in a Trailer!

[JohnB]

Now that's a classic!

[Janet H]

We have a new feature for photo albums. You can find this option in your profile under the networking tab over on the left side. http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/usercp.php

You can set up personal picture albums as well as leave comments on the pics of others. You can also manage comments and images in your own album. Currently you can set up 2 albums of 50 pics each. Images must be smaller than 100 K or 600 x 600 pixels.

To view another members album, visit their profile and look over on the right column. Here's mine