nitrc:Future User Guide - Tool/Resource Feature: Forums
From NITRC Wiki
 |  |
All users can access the NITRC Community Forums by clicking the Community Forums sub-menu link below the "Community" main menu. In addition, every tool/resource has its own discussion forums. Public tool/resource forums can be accessed by clicking the "Forums" menu link for that tool/resource. Private forums can be also accessed by clicking the "Forums" menu link for that tool/resource, but only members will see private forums listed. When a new tool/resource is registered, three forums are automatically created:
- Open Discussion: This is a public forum for general discussion.
- Help: This is a public forum for help requests.
- Developers: This is a private forum for tool/resource development discussion.
Tool/resource administrators can create other forums.
Contents |
Accessing a Forum
Click the "Forums" link for the tool/resource to get to the main Forums page. The Forums page displays a list of available discussion forums for this tool/resource. The list includes the forum name, its description, the number of threads, the number of posts, and the date of the last post. Clicking on the forum name opens a list of the threads or all posts for that particular forum, depending on the display view last chosen. The initial view is "Active Topics."
Forum Views
The initial view for a selected forum is "Active Topics," but there are four types of displays that are described below. If you are logged in, the system will remember the last view selected whenever you return to this page.
- Threaded Posts: Shows the entire contents all posts grouped by thread/topic. The thread with the most recent post is listed first, followed by other threads chronologically by latest post date. Initially, posts for 25 threads/topics are displayed on the page, but you may change this to 50, 75, or 100 topics per page.
- Flat: Shows the entire contents of all posts in the order in which they were submitted. There is no grouping by thread/topic in this view. Initially, 25 posts are displayed on the page, but you may change this to 50, 75, or 100 posts per page.
- Threaded Titles: Shows all posts grouped by thread/topic. The thread with the most recent post is listed first, followed by other threads chronologically by latest post date. Initially, posts for 25 threads/topics are displayed on the page, but you may change this to 50, 75, or 100 topics per page. Only the title of the post is displayed in this view, not the entire contents. You may click the title of the post to view its contents.
- Active Topics: Shows only the initial thread/topic post. The topic with the most recent post is listed first, followed by other topics chronologically by latest post date. Initially, posts for 25 topics are displayed on the page, but you may change this to 50, 75, or 100 topics per page. Only the title of the post is displayed in this view, not the entire contents. You may click the topic of the post to view its contents.
Posting a Message
Only registered users may post messages, unless the administrator has allowed anonymous (observer) postings to the forum. In most cases you must be logged in to start a topic or reply to a post.
You must enter a title and the message to submit a post. You may also upload a file to attach to your post. Click the "Submit" button when you are ready to post your message.
Special markup is allowed in forum messages. A WYSIWYG editor is provided to make this easier for commonly used markup, but you may directly enter the special markup in the "Message" box. To see what your message will look like with markup that is not recognized by the WYSIWYG editor, click the "Preview" button below the "Message" box. To edit the source code directly, click the "BBCode" button in the WYSIWYG editor.
Note: Special markup for forum messages:
|
| Note: If you choose "Quote" for the style in the WYSIWYG editor, the editor assumes a new paragraph when you press "Enter" on your keyboard and a new box is created. To stay in the same box and move to the next line, press "Shift" and "Enter" on your keyboard. |
Adding a Topic
Once you have selected a forum, click the "Start New Topic" button above or below the list of other posts. Follow the instruction above for posting a message, and click the "Submit" button to post your new topic.
Replying to a Post
When you are viewing the contents of a posted message, you may click the "Reply" button or the "Quote & Reply" button to reply to the message. Use the "Quote & Reply" button to pull the selected message into the "Message" box to include with your message. Follow the instructions above for posting a message, and click the "Submit" button to post your reply.
Note: If you selected Quote & Reply to respond to a message, the original message will be contained in BBCode quote tags in the "Message" box:
|
Editing a Post
Authors of a post and administrators of a forum can edit the text of a posted message. When you are viewing the contents of a posted message, you may click the "Edit" button to edit the text of the message. You may enter text, preview it, and submit it just like the original text following the instructions above for posting a message.
Forum Options
The forums have two very powerful options for registered users. You may save your place and subscribe to the forum.
Saving Your Place
If you post a message or reply to a post, your place is automatically saved, but you may also save you place manually. Once you have selected a forum, click "Save Place" (above the list of posts) to record the current date and time. Any messages that are posted after this date and time are highlighted (the title is displayed in bold) when you return to this forum. The posts will remain highlighted until you save your place again, either manually or by posting or replying to a post.
Subscribing to a Forum
| Note: When a tool/resource registration is approved, the administrator is automatically subscribed to the default forums that are created. |
Subscribing to a forum allows you to be informed about new messages without being logged on to NITRC. If you would like to receive posts to a forum by e-mail, you have several subscription options:
- Immediately: Select "Email every posting" to receive an e-mail notice shortly after any message is posted to this forum. (If you do not want to receive an e-mail notice for your own postings, go to your Account Maintenance page and check "Do not send me forum, task, or tracker email notices generated by my actions.")
- Daily: Select "Daily digest" to receive an e-mail daily (some time after midnight) with all messages posted to this forum on the previous day. (For example, on Wednesday morning the daily digest will contain all messages posted any time on Tuesday.)
- Weekly: Select "Weekly digest" to receive an e-mail weekly (on Monday) with all messages posted to this forum in the previous week. (In other words, on Monday morning the weekly digest will contain all messages posted any time the previous Monday through Sunday.)
All forums that you subscribe to are listed in the "Subscribed Forums" section of your My Personal Page.
Unsubscribe
If you no longer want to receive e-mail for a particular forum, you may unsubscribe from the forum. NITRC provides several mechanisms for unsubscribing:
- E-mail Link: Click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any forum e-mail message that you receive.
- Forum Page: Navigate to the forum and select "No Subscription" from the pull down list above the list of posts.
- My Personal Page: Navigate to your My Personal Page and click on the trash can icon next to the forum name in the "Subscribed Forums" section.
