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If you have never used an online bulletin board before, don't worry.  It might seem a little confusing at first,  but using it is no harder than sending an email. 

It is very easy once you learn a few of the terms and give it a few tries.  No technical know-how or ability is required. 

If anything is unclear, you can post questions in the FAQ section of the forums, or email info@tourdirecting.com

Six Things you should know about online bulletin boards

1.  Registration -- Registration is not required to read posts, but it is required to post anything or contact other members.  You're email is required to register.  (It will not be shared or sold.)  When you register, you can chose whether other members can email you or send a private message.

2.  No Commercial Posting -- Spam is a problem on all online boards.  Repeated spammers will be banned (someone can be banned by email address, or even by their computer)  Please report any commercial posts or other violations to the administrator.

3. The Lingo

If you have never participated in an online forum it can be a bit confusing at first.  However, once you get used to the lingo it's easy.  Here are the basics. 

A forum is a section of a bulletin board that contains threads, which are topics or conversations that are all related somehow.   Once a topic is started, you can reply or add to it.  Forums can also hold more forums. sometimes called sub-forums.  

A sticky is a thread that is stuck to the top of a forum by a moderator, because it is important.

A User CP is your control panel, where you can read private messages, edit your personal profile, avatars, signatures, buddy list, etc. 

An avatar is a picture that you can upload that will automatically show up next to your name when you post.  It helps to build a sense of community.  Only pictures of a certain size can be uploaded, so if you don't know how to resize a photo, just email it to info@tourdirecting.com with your username and we will resize it and upload it for you.

A signature is something you create to show up automatically at the bottom of your posts,  like a quotation, or a link to a web site.

A private message is a way to communicate with someone on the board, without it going to their email.  When you sign into the board you can read your private messages.  You can also set it so that you receive an email notification when someone private messages you.

4.  Viewing Threads--  Click on the word thread to sort threads in alphabetical order.  This is very useful when searching for topics in the commentary section.  You can also use the search feature to look up all the threads that contain a word you specify.

5.  Thread Tools -- click the "thread tools" button and you will find a way to print threads, email them, or subscribe.

6.  By subscribing to a thread or forum, you are signing up to receive emails or private message notifications every time someone posts something new.  This is useful if you want to know when someone responds to your post, or to stay informed with subjects you are interested in.

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