How to post a message

Wise Young · 06-11-2002, 12:24 PM

A user recently asked... "I have already validated my email address but cannot find instructions on how to post a question. Thanks for your help". Here was my answer:

Quote:

I assume that you can click and get into the forums to see messages in the forums. When you are in a forum, looking at messages, you should see some buttons (rectangular boxes) on the upper right. One of them should say "New Topic", "Post a Poll", "Popit", "Post Reply".

If you click "New Topic", it should present you with a new window where you have text windows for entering a subject title and a topic that you would like other people to comment on. If you submit this, the topic shows up as a new topic in the forum list of topics.

If you click "Post a Poll", this should present you with a new window where you have text windows for entering a subject title, a topic, and a series of five polling choices that you can designate. You should ask the poll question in the subject title, make sure that you put logical choices for the poll, and submit the poll. This will show up in the forum as a poll that people can vote in. Every member can vote only once. The poll allows people to see the results of the poll when they press the "Results" button. The voting is completely anonymous. People can also post messages commenting on the poll.

If you click "Popit", you will be brought to a window that contains your member Popit page. You then have a number of choices including telling the site to send you an email message if anybody posts a reply in the topic, a daily or weekly digest of the topic and all the messages in it, or to place it in your Popit page where you can click and see the topic without having to search for it later.

If you click "Post Reply", you will be brought to a window that allows you to type a response to the topic that you are in. All messages within a topic are listed in reverse date order. In other words, the latest posting always is on top. This is so that people do not have to scroll very far to see the latest response.

I hope that this is helpful.

Cherie · 06-12-2002, 08:35 PM

I have a question about the format of this message board. I have been to a lot of message boards and this is the first one that I've found the messages don't follow each other. I know I'm not explaining this right. It seems to me that all new messages go ahead of the previous ones. I had a terrible time following the topics at first, because they weren't making any sense. I've since figured out that each new post goes ahead of the last one. Is this the way it really is, or is it just me? I find it kind of strange. Reading the first post then having to go to the end and read backwards. Just curious.

Jeff · 06-12-2002, 09:53 PM

It's true. Actually, I like it a lot better this way. When you revisit topics you don't have to scroll to the end to see the latest replies. When there's more than one page that can be really annoying. Also, in this forum the original post stays at the top and I like that feature, too. I think if you try it this way for a while it might grow on you.

~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion

~

Wise Young · 06-13-2002, 04:42 PM

Cherie, many people who come to this site use voice command, mouth-sticks, or limited hand movements to navigate. When I first set up the site, I carefully counted the number of mouse or keyboard movements necessary to read and post messages. The format of this bulletin board allows people to read and post messages with a lower number of steps than any other bulletin board.

If a person has a large screen, he or she can get into and read the most recent topic and message for any forum with just one click (by clicking the most recent topic displayed for each forum in the front page). It takes two clicks to read the most recent message into any of 50 most recent topics in any forum (clicking the forum and then clicking the topic). It takes only three clicks to post a message, i.e. click the Post Reply button, click the text window (type or dictate text), and click the submit button.

For people who really have a hard time doing even the above, the site also offers a very useful service (Popit) which will send an email of any topic as soon as there is a replay, or even provide a daily or weekly email digest of the topic. You can even get a daily email digest of every posting in a forum. This is also useful for people who are logging in from overseas and cannot spend hours on a computer but can collected email.

This site provides several additional non-standard features:
• User-initiated polls
• Real-time count of the number of views of a topic (in one visit)
• Ability of viewers to rate topics and indicate feelings about a topic
• Private topics
• Posting images and files
• Avatars (user selectable or custom images associated with each post)

Wise.

06-12-2002, 08:35 PM	#2
Cherie Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rindge, N.H. USA Posts: 36	Question about placement of posts I have a question about the format of this message board. I have been to a lot of message boards and this is the first one that I've found the messages don't follow each other. I know I'm not explaining this right. It seems to me that all new messages go ahead of the previous ones. I had a terrible time following the topics at first, because they weren't making any sense. I've since figured out that each new post goes ahead of the last one. Is this the way it really is, or is it just me? I find it kind of strange. Reading the first post then having to go to the end and read backwards. Just curious.

06-12-2002, 09:53 PM	#3
Jeff Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Brunswick, NJ, USA Posts: 6,858	Cherie It's true. Actually, I like it a lot better this way. When you revisit topics you don't have to scroll to the end to see the latest replies. When there's more than one page that can be really annoying. Also, in this forum the original post stays at the top and I like that feature, too. I think if you try it this way for a while it might grow on you. ~See you at the SCIWire-used-to-be-paralyzed Reunion ~

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06-13-2002, 04:42 PM	#4
Wise Young Administrator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: New Brunswick, NJ, USA Posts: 37,988	Cherie, many people who come to this site use voice command, mouth-sticks, or limited hand movements to navigate. When I first set up the site, I carefully counted the number of mouse or keyboard movements necessary to read and post messages. The format of this bulletin board allows people to read and post messages with a lower number of steps than any other bulletin board. If a person has a large screen, he or she can get into and read the most recent topic and message for any forum with just one click (by clicking the most recent topic displayed for each forum in the front page). It takes two clicks to read the most recent message into any of 50 most recent topics in any forum (clicking the forum and then clicking the topic). It takes only three clicks to post a message, i.e. click the Post Reply button, click the text window (type or dictate text), and click the submit button. For people who really have a hard time doing even the above, the site also offers a very useful service (Popit) which will send an email of any topic as soon as there is a replay, or even provide a daily or weekly email digest of the topic. You can even get a daily email digest of every posting in a forum. This is also useful for people who are logging in from overseas and cannot spend hours on a computer but can collected email. This site provides several additional non-standard features: • User-initiated polls • Real-time count of the number of views of a topic (in one visit) • Ability of viewers to rate topics and indicate feelings about a topic • Private topics • Posting images and files • Avatars (user selectable or custom images associated with each post) Wise.