Hi, Just a few questions about the forum: 1. What should I look at first in terms of forum usage, etc. (I've read the "help" - is there anything else?) 2. When viewing threads, how do I know which ones I've already read and which ones are new? 3. What are those little envelope icons at the left hand side of the topic list? What do the different ones mean? 4. Is there any particular reason for the message icons (smileys) next to messages? 5. How do people get titles like "Member", "Junior Member" etc. after their names? Who can change them? Some people seem to have ones which are unique to them. What does it all mean? 6. How do I get a list of the most recent posts (for, say, the last half-hour)? Any help would be appreciated. If I haven't looked somewhere I should have, could somebody please point me in the right direction? Thanks.
Okay to try and help: 1: I can't help you with usage because I'm not sure how you mean, but all the forums are open to everyone to put their views to everyone else. 2: You can subscribe to threads by using the link at the bottom of the page the thread is on where it says "Recieve Updates to Thread", this will subscribe you to that thread, and you can find out using the "Control Panel" at the top in your Subscribed threads section if anyone has posted. In a subcategory index, new posts are usually at the top. I usually look at the Date and times of the posting. Or you can use the "view new posts" on the sciforums front page to see the new posts (since your last visit) 3: If you look at the bottom of a thread page (a page listing threads in the subcategory) there is an explaination for the envelops and what they mean. 4:The Message icons near the envelops are put in by the user when you post. i.e. mines a triangle with an exclaimation mark. They just make the post stand out a little. 5: If you want to change your title, then you need to travel to the "Control Panel" and then click "Edit Profile" somewhere near the bottom of the profile edits there is one called "Custom User Title" this is where you can change your title. The titles themselves mark how many posts you've accomplished, but when you put a custom one in they won't change from your custom one. 6: you can use the "view new posts" on the sciforums front page to see the new posts (since your last visit) (You can also place a 60x60 pixel avatar using "control Panel" , "Edit options" and looking for "Avatar".)
In the listing of threads, the envelope icons denote the threads with new messages (since your last visit). To jump to the first new post (since your last visit) in a particular thread, click on the 'down double-arrow' next to the thread title.
Thread lists Say I'm viewing the list of new threads. I click on a thread and read it. Then I want to go back to the list of threads again. What's the quickest way to do that? So far, I've been clicking on the sciforums.com thing at the top of the screen, but that takes me to the initial screen. There has to be an easier way (is there?). Same question applies for viewing threads in a particular topic area. How do I get back to the topic list easily?
At the top of the page -- just under the black nav bar, there is a list something like this: sciforums.com > Life > Free Thoughts > sciforums.com starcraft game!! These are links that will take you back up the hierarchy as far as you want to go. eg. click "Free Thoughts" in this case to go back to the "Free Thoughs" thread listing.
Another Newbie W/ Questions I'm new too, Question below, but first a guess at an answer, Couldn't you just click your back button? This Monday morning, after registering last week and only subscribing to one forum, I wasn't able to get into this one or any others, kept getting "You're-not-logged-in" messages. I wanted to subscribe to Human Science, psychology. Finally I went to the one I could get into, and from there, by clicking "change forums", I've arrived here, and that must be the way you always have to go, start with your first subscribed forum first??? Thanks in advance for a confirmation or explanation. AmerEagle Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
From what I know, Sciforums can be configured to use Cookies to remember your password for a while. (You can configure this from Control Panel) The problem with this is if you don't have the computer as your home system, the computer might be set not to recieve or possibly to delete cookies as a security measure. This is why it would seem your are not logged in. This is simply dealt with, you should notice when you enter www.sciforums.com if it says your logged in (A username) or not at the top of the entrance index. Down at the bottom of the page will be a login box, so you can re-apply your login. It's worthwhile noting this especially if more than yourself access your computer (the one your using), and a good idea to use the LOG OUT (also at the bottom) of the index page. This limits the chances of your handle being stolen, or your handle being accidentally posted under.
Thanks. It's Okay Now. A friend came over and we cleaned out all my zillions of cookies and fooled around with the computer a while, found that a "no" had been accidentally checked. Thanks again. AmerEagle
Aww . . . Look! It's JamesR's first thread. Look how much of a noob he was EXACTLY 3 YEARS AGO TODAY!!!!! . . . Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Don't be embarrased JamesR, for it humanizes ya, and everyone was at this stage at SciForums at one time or another. Congrats to ya for being a member of SciForums for 3 years! How 'bout I start a SciForums birthday thread? (42 posts to go!)
