Web Discussion Board Documentation: Getting Started
Welcome to this
discussion board! This document gives you the
basic knowledge that you need to use this board effectively. If you
experience any difficulties with the board, contact one of the
moderators listed under the Contact link from the Main Menu.
Reading Discussions
Anyone with WWW
access can read discussions on this board. To
read discussions, navigate to the discussion of interest by single
clicking on the links from the list of topics and subtopics. You can
navigate backwards using the navigation bars at the top of each
page.
Contributing to Discussions
To post a message
to an existing discussion, fill in the "Add a
Message" box at the bottom of the page.
Enter your full
name in the Username: box
Leave the Password: box empty
Enter your e-mail address in the E-Mail: box (Note: contrary to
what
the on-screen note next to the box says, your e-mail address is required.
This will allow the instructor and other course participants to respond
to your web board postings.
Where available,
you may click on a "Create New Conversation"
button to start a new discussion. This will add a subtopic with the
subject you specify and start a conversation with the initial
message that you specify. After filling in the subject line, post a
message as described above.
Searching the Board
This discussion
board can be searched by time of post (New
Messages search) or by matching text (Keyword Search). Each of
these searching mechanisms provide convenient methods to locate
discussions of interest.
To search for new
messages, click the New Messages link from the
Main Menu. If you have an account with a valid username and
password, fill in your username and password in the appropriate
boxes to search for messages since your last check. If you do not
have an account, you can still search for new messages posted
since a given date. The Last Day and Last Week options on the
Main Menu are equivalent to searching for messages posted within
the last day and messages posted within the last seven days,
respectively.
To search the board
by keywords, click the Keyword Search link
from the Main Menu. You can then specify the words that will be
used in the search. Additional instructions for using the Keyword
Search option are displayed on the search screen itself.
When you have performed
the search, click on any of the links to
the pages to view the page, or click on a link in the result to go to
the post where that text occurs.
Where to get further information
For additional
information on using this system, read the Formatting
document and the Troubleshooting document, available from the
Main Menu. If you have additional questions or concerns, post
them to an appropriate area on the discussion forum, or contact
one of the moderators or the board administrator from the Contact
page.
Rules and "Netiquette"
When writing your
messages, please use the same courtesy that
you would show when speaking face-to-face with someone.
Flames, insults, and personal attacks will not be tolerated. It's fine
to disagree strongly with opinions, ideas, and facts, but always
with respect for the other person. Great minds do not always think
alike, and that's where the fun is! Also, note that messages
express the thoughts of the writers, not Teacher Created Materials,
Fresno Pacific University or the web board moderators.