Tip #2: Cool Forum Tools to Check Out

[Rizar]

I didn't notice that our forum has several useful tools at the top of each thread. So this is a little laundry list of some of the things I found most interesting about the forum:

1. Subscribe to a whole forum: A toolbar exists for each major forum category; it allows you, for example, to subscribe to a whole forum section. Click security for example, then click "Forum Tools," and select "Subscribe to this Forum." You will get many emails though!

2. Sort forum threads the way you want: You can also sort forums by many criteria: "Views," "Thread Ratings," "Last Post," and "Replies;" just click on the one you want at the top of the forum (at the top of the security forum, for example). The default is "Last Post."

3. Rate forum threads to help others find good threads: After you click on a thread, look at the top bar of the thread just before the initial posting by whoever started the thread: it has a toolbar of sorts in which you can vote on the quality of the thread discussion or initial thread comment. Just click "Rate Thread," select your rating, and click "Vote Now" (FAQ: Rate forum threads).

4. Add polls, email thread pages, subscribe or unsubscribe to a thread: In each forum thread, check under "Thread Tools," and you will find many options: email pages, show a printable view, add a poll, and subscribe or unsubscribe to the thread. I just discovered, for example, that you can add a poll after the thread has started!

5. Find the posts you want, report posts that break the forum rules: You can also search a thread or change its display mode from the thread toolbar. On the top left side of the same thread toolbar there is a quick link to allow you to "View [the] First Unread" comment. You can also report bad posts under each person's total number of posts (look for the triangle symbol).

6. Get a better list of today's posts, navigate the forum quicker: Under "Quick Links" for the whole forum is an excellent list of "Today's Posts." I included a link to it in the Editor's Choice List (FAQs: new posts or today's posts). At the very bottom of the forum threat is a "Forum Jump" combo box in which you can go to other places in the forum.

7. Why are some items italicized in polls? In the polls I found that whichever item you vote for, gets italicized. I initially thought it was whatever the most popular item was!

8. My tip for creating multiple quotes: When you write your comments, I find it helpful to place selected text into a blue bordered quote box by using the quote tagging tool (it's next to the insert image tool when you write your comments).

I'm sure there are many other interesting things I'm missing! I haven't looked much at the FAQs yet.