Post by roger on Jul 2, 2007 19:25:18 GMT
It has been mentioned that newly registered members can find the forum overwhelming and intimidating in its complexity. The following is intended as an explanatory guide which I hope will prove helpful. If anyone would like any further advice or guidance, pleask ask by replying to this post.
Terminology
Forum: Everything that can be found within hwi.proboards.com/index.cgi
Category: A major division within the forum, merely for convenience. We have four categories:
• Hayley News and Discussion
• CDs and DVDs
• Other Music and Off Topic
• Technical Support and Suggestions
Board (or Full Board): Each Category is divided into numerous Boards. These are areas containing numerous discussions on a similar theme - for example, “Hayley in Concert”, or “Hayley in the Media”. Please note that only Staff can post to the “Announcements” and “Hayley's Schedule” boards.
Sub-Board: A secondary division within some (but not all) Boards. For example, we currently have Sub-Boards for 18 different singers within the Other Music board. Any Board which includes one or more Sub-Boards automatically includes a "general" board. This is used for general discussion which is pertinent to the Board, but not specific to any of its individual Sub-Boards. The Sub-Boards exist to segregate all topics which are linked to a specific theme. For example, within the "Hayley In Concert" board, is a sub-board entitled, "World Tour with Il Divo". That enables all discussion about that particular tour to be grouped together for easy reference.
Thread: This is the smallest division within the Forum, containing discussion on one particular topic.
Post: A single message whether it be an introduction to a new topic or a reply.
Forum Navigation
There are four ways to navigate the forum. Which one is the best is a matter of personal preference:
1. “New” icons are shown to the left of each board, sub-board, and thread wherever a post has been made since your last visit (provided you are logged in). This enables you to read every new post within any given topic in sequence, without being interrupted by posts from other topics which appear in the “Search” and “View 30 most recent” methods.
2. View the 50 most recent posts of this forum. This is found within the Info Centre immediately below the “Last Updated Topic” and just above the stats counter. Please note, this will display posts in the order in which they were made (with the newest at the top), regardless of the board from which they come. Consequently, this function is likely to result in you reading them out of context.
3. The Search button appears immediately below the forum logo. If you wish to see every post made since your last visit (assuming you know when that was!), leave the “Search for” box empty and scroll down to the bottom of the page. By default, the software allows you to search the last seven days. You may change this to whatever timescale you wish. (Today, the forum is 1440 days old!). If you know how many posts have been made since your last visit (by comparing the current figure on the stats counter with the number previously displayed), you may override the maximum results from 10 (the default) to whatever number you wish. However, the more results you search for, the longer it will take for the page to open. You may wish to search only for posts made to certain boards, and ignore everything else. This may be done by deselecting the relevant check boxes before the search is performed.
4. Forum Jump. This appears in the bottom right corner of every page within the forum and contains a drop-down menu. It enables you to “jump” from the page you are currently viewing to any other Boards’ menu page. Please note, this is not available on the Front page.
Order or Threads
All threads within any given Board or Sub-Board appear in order of the most recent post therein with the most recent at the top. Any thread which has not received a post will therefore drift further down the menu page and eventually to the second page, and so on. In other words, the order of the threads is constantly changing. Their position near the top of the menu pages should enable visitors to easily identify all recent posts. However, there is exception. A few threads have the “Sticky” icon in the left column. This has been applied by one of the Administrators or Moderators at our discretion to prevent that topic from drifting down the page even if no further posts are made. It is likely that such threads contain some sort of announcement regarding the content (or guidelines) of the remainder of that particular board.
Order or Posts
New posts are added beneath the latest existing post of the thread. If the thread continues for more than one page, the newest posts are on the highest numbered page.
Forum Staff
Forum Administrators have full control of all aspects of the forum, including full access to the Administrative Area where Categories and Boards may be created, amended or deleted. They are able to customize the forum, change the general settings, skins and forum colors, etc. They can update the News Fader (or the “scrolly thing at the top” as Dave calls it!) and amend details in the Headers and Footers, et al. They also have full moderating power.
Global Moderators are able to edit and delete posts made by all members, move threads (from one Board to another), apply “stickies”, lock threads (to prevent further posting) and perform many other functions too numerous to list here. The term “Global” means they have control of all Boards throughout the forum and not just designated ones.
Moderators have the same level of power as Global Moderators but only on specific Boards (as designated); not forumwide.
Roger
Updated March 2013
Forum Structure and Navigation
Terminology
Forum: Everything that can be found within hwi.proboards.com/index.cgi
Category: A major division within the forum, merely for convenience. We have four categories:
• Hayley News and Discussion
• CDs and DVDs
• Other Music and Off Topic
• Technical Support and Suggestions
Board (or Full Board): Each Category is divided into numerous Boards. These are areas containing numerous discussions on a similar theme - for example, “Hayley in Concert”, or “Hayley in the Media”. Please note that only Staff can post to the “Announcements” and “Hayley's Schedule” boards.
Sub-Board: A secondary division within some (but not all) Boards. For example, we currently have Sub-Boards for 18 different singers within the Other Music board. Any Board which includes one or more Sub-Boards automatically includes a "general" board. This is used for general discussion which is pertinent to the Board, but not specific to any of its individual Sub-Boards. The Sub-Boards exist to segregate all topics which are linked to a specific theme. For example, within the "Hayley In Concert" board, is a sub-board entitled, "World Tour with Il Divo". That enables all discussion about that particular tour to be grouped together for easy reference.
Thread: This is the smallest division within the Forum, containing discussion on one particular topic.
Post: A single message whether it be an introduction to a new topic or a reply.
Forum Navigation
There are four ways to navigate the forum. Which one is the best is a matter of personal preference:
1. “New” icons are shown to the left of each board, sub-board, and thread wherever a post has been made since your last visit (provided you are logged in). This enables you to read every new post within any given topic in sequence, without being interrupted by posts from other topics which appear in the “Search” and “View 30 most recent” methods.
2. View the 50 most recent posts of this forum. This is found within the Info Centre immediately below the “Last Updated Topic” and just above the stats counter. Please note, this will display posts in the order in which they were made (with the newest at the top), regardless of the board from which they come. Consequently, this function is likely to result in you reading them out of context.
3. The Search button appears immediately below the forum logo. If you wish to see every post made since your last visit (assuming you know when that was!), leave the “Search for” box empty and scroll down to the bottom of the page. By default, the software allows you to search the last seven days. You may change this to whatever timescale you wish. (Today, the forum is 1440 days old!). If you know how many posts have been made since your last visit (by comparing the current figure on the stats counter with the number previously displayed), you may override the maximum results from 10 (the default) to whatever number you wish. However, the more results you search for, the longer it will take for the page to open. You may wish to search only for posts made to certain boards, and ignore everything else. This may be done by deselecting the relevant check boxes before the search is performed.
4. Forum Jump. This appears in the bottom right corner of every page within the forum and contains a drop-down menu. It enables you to “jump” from the page you are currently viewing to any other Boards’ menu page. Please note, this is not available on the Front page.
Order or Threads
All threads within any given Board or Sub-Board appear in order of the most recent post therein with the most recent at the top. Any thread which has not received a post will therefore drift further down the menu page and eventually to the second page, and so on. In other words, the order of the threads is constantly changing. Their position near the top of the menu pages should enable visitors to easily identify all recent posts. However, there is exception. A few threads have the “Sticky” icon in the left column. This has been applied by one of the Administrators or Moderators at our discretion to prevent that topic from drifting down the page even if no further posts are made. It is likely that such threads contain some sort of announcement regarding the content (or guidelines) of the remainder of that particular board.
Order or Posts
New posts are added beneath the latest existing post of the thread. If the thread continues for more than one page, the newest posts are on the highest numbered page.
Forum Staff
Forum Administrators have full control of all aspects of the forum, including full access to the Administrative Area where Categories and Boards may be created, amended or deleted. They are able to customize the forum, change the general settings, skins and forum colors, etc. They can update the News Fader (or the “scrolly thing at the top” as Dave calls it!) and amend details in the Headers and Footers, et al. They also have full moderating power.
Global Moderators are able to edit and delete posts made by all members, move threads (from one Board to another), apply “stickies”, lock threads (to prevent further posting) and perform many other functions too numerous to list here. The term “Global” means they have control of all Boards throughout the forum and not just designated ones.
Moderators have the same level of power as Global Moderators but only on specific Boards (as designated); not forumwide.
Roger
Updated March 2013
and this is the only forum that I have ever been really involved with since. I'm gradually finding my way around and your notes have certainly helped.
