New Features

Community Participation

Browsing and Searching

Personalization

Posting Messages

Advanced Board Usage

Blogs

Tagging

For additional information or unresolved board problems, please e-mail the Administrator

How does the Community Forum work?
The Community Forum provides a place for customers to discuss support topics and learn. At its heart are the message boards, where members post questions and answers.

Guests (un-registered visitors) may browse or search the boards for information. Registered members can post messages, track discussions, and get e-mail notifications on new posting activity.

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What is my role in the Community?
You are essential to the Community. By posting questions and sharing answers, not only do you contribute to a unique, customer-built knowledge base, but you also become part of a virtual support network extending across literally hundreds of thousands of potential users.

We encourage you visit often and participate. Come with your toughest issues - the chances are someone has a solution or can point you in the right direction. If you find a solution that works, let others know, and pass on your own tips and insights - you may just have the answer someone else has been looking for!

Please remember to thank fellow users who have assisted you. Show your appreciation by rating helpful messages, posting thank-you replies, or sending positive feedback to Community management.

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What is my responsibility in the Community?
We want the Community to be appropriate, friendly, informative, and fun for all users. The Community Terms of Service sets forth Rules and Guidelines so that you know what is expected of you, and what you can expect from other participants, when using the Community.

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How are the message boards organized?
The community is divided up into different categories that are based on broad topics. Each category contains boards that get more specific about the topic or subject. Find the category and title title that best describes your question or comment.

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How do I browse for information?
Many users like to get started by exploring the message boards. Choose a category that best fits your topic. Next, look over the list of boards, find one whose title pertains to your question or comment, then click on its title. Take some time to read ones that look promising by clicking the message title or subject. You can use the Previous/Next buttons to browse to other pages and messages.

Use the Jump to a Title pull-down menu to go directly to boards in any category of the Forum. (This menu is found near the top of most Forum pages.) If you can't find what you need by browsing, use the Search Forum tool, as described below.

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How do I search for information?
To search the Community, type keywords for your topic into the Search Community text box and click the search icon. (This text box is found near the bottom of most pages). A page of search results will be displayed. Browse the search results in the same manner you would a title.

To perform a more in-depth search, click the Advanced link found on the left side of most pages. This search allows you to limit your query to a specific board, specific parts of the message (subject vs. body) and other advanced parameters.

You can also search for Community members by clicking the Users tab on any search results page and using the search options on this page.

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How do I change the icon next to my name?
The icon (also known as an avatar) is a way to personalize your user name a bit. You'll get one as a default, but you can change it to something you like better.

1. Login to the Community.
2. Click the My Profile link.
3. Click the Icons tab.
   A list of available icon categories will be displayed on the left side. When you click on a category, the icons in that category will display on the right.
4. Click on any icon to use it as yours. Your current icon always shows up at the top of the icons page.

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How do I create a signature for my posts?
Your signature is text that appears at the bottom of every message you post to the boards.

To create a signature for your posts:

1. Login to the Community.
2. Click the My Profile link.
3. Click on the Personal Profile tab.
4. On the Personal Profile tab, fill in the text you want for you signature in the Signature field.
   If the administrator allows it, you'll be able to use HTML in your signature. If not, you won't.
5. Click Save Changes.

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How do I tell other users about me?

1. Login to the Community.
2. Click the My Profile link.
3. Click the Personal Profile tab.
4. Find the Personal Profile section and fill in any fields you want to share.
   By default, any information you type in this section is shown to everyone. However, you can limit display to only members on your Friends List by choosing the Friends Only option in the Profile Privacy section at the bottom of the Preferences tab.

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How do I set my viewing preferences?
There are a number of display preferences that affect how forums appear. These are described in the table below.

To set your viewing preferences:

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Click the My Profile link.
3. Click the Preferences tab.
4. Make any changes you wish to the settings described in the table below.
5. Click Save Changes.

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How do I post a message?
Go to the board you want to post on, and click the New Message link near the top of the message list.

On the Post Message page, you will see a Subject area and a Body area.

1. In the first field, the Subject field, type a title for your message.
   This is the only part of the message that shows up on the message listing page, so try to make it something that will be clear and concise. Use keywords about your topic.
2. In the second field, the Body field, type your message. Put details about your topic here. If you are posting on a technical topic, it is helpful to include all pertinent information regarding your inquiry in the body.
3. You can use the controls to change the fonts, colors, and other aspects of your message. You can add smiley faces using the smiley menu. And you can format the text at the character or paragraph level.
4. If you want, you can click Check Spelling to look for misspelled words, or you can click Preview Post to see what your post will look like on the boards.
5. When you are happy with your message, click the Submit Post button.
   Your message will be added to board and everyone else on the board will be able to read it.

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How do I reply to a message?
Use the Reply button in a message to write a response to a particular post. You'll see a screen similar to the Post Message screen. There are a few differences:

• When you reply to a post, the subject line will be filled in for you automatically. You can change it if you want.
• You can use the Quote Message button to paste the message to which you are replying into the body of your reply.

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How do I rate a message?
Please take the take the time to rate helpful messages. To do so, log into the Forum and look for the Rate This Message (Thread) feature at the bottom of messages and threads.

Note: authors cannot rate their own messages and users may rate a specific message only once. All ratings are automatically averaged.

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What is a "thread?"
When one or more people reply to a particular message, a "thread" is created. A thread is a series of posts that go together. If you've ever heard of someone "following the thread of a conversation," you get the idea.

If you post a new message, then that starts a new thread. If you reply to an existing message, then that message becomes part of the original message's thread.

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How do I use macros?
The Macros feature allows you to create boilerplate text that you can paste into any message with the click of a mouse.

To set up a macro:

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Click the My Profile link.
3. Click the Macros tab.
   Fields for entering up to nine (9) macros will be displayed.
4. In the Macro 1 Title field, enter a short title for your first macro.
   The title should be short because it will show up in a pull-down menu. Make sure it is distinctive enough that you will remember which title belongs with which macro.
5. In the Macro 1 field, enter the text you want to be able to paste. If your boards allow HTML, you can use HTML tags in the field.
6. Enter any other macros you wish.
7. Click Save Changes.
   Your macros will be saved to your profile in the database.

Note: If there is particular text that you wish to appear at the bottom of every message you post, put the text in a signature instead of a macro.

To use a macro

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Navigate to a board where you want to post a message.
3. Click New Message.
   (Or, you can reply to an existing message by opening that message and clicking the Reply button.
4. Once the post message window has loaded, you will see a Macros menu.
5. Click in the Body field where you want to paste your text.
   If the text is short, you could also paste it in the Subject field.
6. Click on the Macros menu to open it.
7. Select the macro you wish to paste.
   The text of your macro will paste where you have your cursor.
8. Type any other text you wish in the message body.
9. Click Submit Post.

Note: If there is particular text that you wish to appear at the bottom of every message you post, put the text in a signature instead of a macro.

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How do I use bookmarks?
Bookmarks allow you to list boards, threads, and individual messages on a special page so you can easily find them again.

To Favorite a Board:

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Go to the board you want to bookmark.
3. Open the Board Options menu and click Add this board to my bookmarks.

To add a thread or message to your bookmarks:

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Open the message you want to bookmark.
3. Open the Message Options menu and click Add this Thread/Message to my bookmarks

To view your bookmarks, click My Profile, and then click the Bookmarks tab.
To delete any of your Bookmarks, click My Profile, and then click the Bookmarks tab. Place a checkmark in the bookmark you want to delete from the list and click the Remove option for that section.

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How do I use subscriptions?
If you add a board, thread, or message to your subscriptions, the system will send you an e-mail every time someone posts to the board, or replies to the message or thread.

To add a board to your Subscriptions

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Go to the board to which you want to subscribe.
3. Open the Board Options menu and click Add board to my subscriptions.

Add a message to your Subscriptions

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Open the message to which you want to subscribe.
3. Open the Message Options menu and click Add this Thread to my subscriptions or Add this Message to my subscriptions.

To view or delete your Subscriptions, click My Profile, and then click the Subscriptions tab.

To delete any of your Subscriptions, click My Profile, and then click the Subscription tab. Place a checkmark in the subscription you want to delete from the list and click the Remove option for that section.

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How do I use the dashboard?
Your Dashboard is a little window that displays a lot of information. It is launched when you click your boldface screen name (link) that appears near the top of most Forum pages. The Dashboard displays:

• Your current icon.
  Click on it to choose another one.
• Your current statistics.
• A link to the Web Private Messenger.
  Click the envelope to launch the Private Messenger and reply to your messages.
• Your Subscriptions and bookmarks, including recent activity.
  Click on a Subscription or bookmark to see what's new in those areas.
• Quick links to Search, Chat, your Profile, and other things.

To launch your Dashboard, log in, then click on your username in the header bar, or click on Dashboard.

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What is RSS and how do I use it?
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication." It is a way for you to get the latest content from this community, along with many other sites that you visit, all in one place. With an RSS feed reader, you subscribe to Web sites, and those sites feed you headlines so you can stay up to date. To use RSS, you'll need a feed reader, such as Bloglines, MyYahoo, or the Live Bookmarks feature of Firefox. There are many free options. Once you have your feed reader set up, you can find RSS feeds in the community by going to a board, blog, thread, or message and selecting Subscribe to RSS Feed from the options menu. There you will see a preview of the feed. Most RSS readers give you a button to click at this point. Once you click it, the RSS feed will appear in your reader, and you will see new content from that section of the community whenever it becomes available.

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What's a blog?
A blog is an online journal written by one or more authors. Blog articles usually appear in reverse-chronological order, so you see the most recent article first, followed by earlier articles. Some blogs have comments from readers, which you can read by clicking the Comments link at the bottom of the article. You may also be able to post comments to those blogs.

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How do I post a comment on a blog?
It's easy. Posting a comment on a blog is a lot like replying to a message on a board. If the blog is open for comments, you'll see a Post a Comment link or a Comment count link at the bottom of the article.

To post your comment:

1. Click the Post a Comment or Comment count link.
   You can post a comment to an article or to someone else's comment.
2. Type your comment in the Post a Comment area.
   You can use simple HTML and quote the article you're commenting on. You won't be able to edit or delete a comment once it's posted, so be sure to preview your comment and check your spelling first.
3. When you're happy with your comment, click Post Your Comment.

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Can I post a blog comment without registering or logging in?
Yes, you can!

All we ask is that you give us your name (which we'll show) and your email address (which we won't). You may also be able to enter a website URL to display with your comment.

Then, simply type your comment and click Post Your Comment.

You won't be able to edit or delete a comment once it's posted, so be sure to preview your comment and check your spelling first. And since you're not a registered member of the community, you may be asked to take a test to prove that you're a person and not a robot.

Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

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Where is my blog comment? I posted a comment, but don't see it.
Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

If your comment doesn't appear immediately, check back in a few minutes. If it still doesn't appear, your comment is most likely in the approval queue.

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Can I edit or delete my blog comments?
No, you can't. Be sure to check your spelling and preview your comment before you post it; you can't edit a comment once it's posted.

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How do I share a blog article with friends?
If you want to tell your friends about blog articles, you can use any of dozens of shared bookmarking, social network, or other tracking services, such as Del.icio.us, Digg, Reddit, Facebook, MySpace, Google, StumbleUpon, Technorati, or Twitter. All you need is an account with the service and friends to share with.

To share a blog article:

1. When you get to an article you want to share, click the Bookmark button.
2. Click the service you want to use.
   The next steps depend on the service. You may need to log in. If you don't already have an account, you'll probably be asked to register and create one. The way you share the article also depends on the service.

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Can I subscribe to a blog?
Yes. You can subscribe directly to a blog or an article, or you can subscribe to their RSS feeds. If you subscribe to an RSS feed, you can use an RSS reader to view new content that's added to the blog. If you subscribe directly to a blog or article, you receive an email alert when new articles or comments are posted.

To	Do this
Subscribe to a blog	Go to the blog page and choose Blog Options > Subscribe to this Blog.
Subscribe to an article	Go to the article and choose Article Options > Subscribe to this Article.
Subscribe to an RSS feed	Go to the blog or article and choose Blog Options > Subscribe to this Blog's RSS Feed or Subscribe to this Article's RSS Feed. Then, save the live bookmark or whatever you usually do to add an RSS feed.

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What's a Blog Reaction?
The blogosphere is a very interconnected place where bloggers constantly react -- comment on and refer -- to the work of other bloggers. Technorati^TM is a specialized search engine that tracks reactions to more than 100 million blogs, including the one you're reading. Blog reactions, like comments, tell you what others think about a blog article and can be interesting to read.

To view reactions to an article:

1. Click View Blog Reactions at the bottom of a blog article.
   The link takes you to a Technorati page that lists all the reactions (if any) to the article you were reading.
2. Click any of the links and start reading.

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What's a Permalink?
A permalink, short for permanent link, is the URL for a specific blog article. In an active blog with lots of entries, a particular article will only stay on the blog's front page for a short period of time. It becomes hard to bookmark a specific blog article or to email a link when the article you want is replaced with something new.

This is where permalinks, which alway stay the same, come in handy. They take you directly to an article, rather than to the blog's front page, which typically shows only the last few articles.

To use a permalink:

1. Click Permalink at the bottom of a blog article.
2. Copy the URL that appears in your browser's navigation toolbar.
3. Paste the link wherever you need it.

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What is a tag?
A tag is a single keyword applied to a post that describes a topic, theme, or category of the post. Each post may have multiple tags. For example, a post about a mouse might have the tags, mouse USB optical wireless DPI. If you enter multiple words separated by spaces you will create multiple tags, not a phrase.

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What is a tag cloud?
A tag cloud displays tags used frequently within an area of a community. Tags applied frequently will appear in a larger font. A tag cloud can give you a sense of what the hot topics are in a given area.

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What can I do with tags?
Tagging items helps other users discover interesting posts. Tagging can also help you bookmark related items.

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Why do people tag?
Some users will tag posts for their own convenience in finding them later. Other users enjoy helping categorize interesting posts for the benefit of the community. Users who tag lots of posts gain status by appearing on Tag Leaderboards.

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How do I tag?
You can use tags to bookmark, categorize, or identify a post. A well chosen tag will also help other users find interesting content.