Using the Forum

[webmaster]

Board Index - this is the first page you see when entering the forum. (The correct term for what we have been calling the "forum" is in fact a "bulletin board" - hence "board" index.)

Forums - each heading shown on the Board Index is the name of a "forum" covering a specific area - CSF Contact information, CSF Regional Notice Boards, Cancer Treatment, etc. Forums and their headings have been set up by the Board administrators and may be changed or added to in the light of experience.

The forums that all can see are "public" forums. In addition to these there are two "private" forums, one for Active Listeners and one for Treasurers and Secretaries. These private forums can only be accessed by Registered Users who are then authorised - the ALs by "pennycsf66" and the T&S by "csfmoneybags".

Sub-forums, Topics and Replies - click on a forum heading (for example Cancer Treatment) and you will see "sub-forums" and/or a number of "topics". Click on the heading of a sub-forum or topic to expand it, and you can read whatever has been written there. You can return to the Board Index using links at the top and the bottom of the page.

Topics are simply entries on any subject at all that a Registered User wants to start. Other Registered Users can then "reply" to the Topic - thus creating what is referred to as a "thread" - a Topic followed by one or more replies.

Deciding which forum or sub-forum to use, and whether to reply to an existing Topic or start a new Topic can be difficult, and this inevitably results over time in the Board becoming harder to get around. Hence the provision of a Search facility on every page.

Writing a Topic or replying to a Topic is known as "posting". Only logged-in members of the Board can post to the Board.

Registering and Logging-in - to be allowed to post on the Board it is necessary to register. During registration you choose your own Username and Password, and you need an e-mail address. To foil automatic registration you must also enter a Confirmation Code.

The Username and Password you have selected are required each time you log in to the Board.

Once logged in you have access to most of the Board, though some areas are restricted - the Links forum, for example, cannot be written to except by Active Listeners and the Board Administrators.

Control - the public areas of the Board are monitored regularly to stop offensive language, advertising and links to other web sites being posted. As the private areas can only be accessed by authorised members these areas are not monitored.

Help - you will see FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on many Board pages - click on this to see answers to many queries in the use of Boards. Also, the first forum in the Board Index, "Tips for new users" contains invaluable information to simplify your use of the CSF forum.