New Member Info Compilation -- Come Here for Any General Forum-Related Questions!

[Kisa]

Hey guys, you know, why didn't someone think of this sooner? >>

I decided I'd start a thread explaining a little bit about the inner workings of the forum, stuff that new members, and even some experienced members may not know: how to post pictures in a thread post, how to post a new thread, what "rep" is, how to PM, etc, so on and so forth.

I will start below with a detailed listing of everything I think new members should know, and add little tidbits that everyone should be aware of.

Enjoy.

[Kisa]

I'll start with starting a new thread, so that John doesn't have to move so many of your posts because you've accidently put them in the wrong place. It'll be easier on everyone. XD

To start a new thread, a member (starting on the main page) would look to the right of the screen where there is a huge list of links. Scroll down just a little ways and you'll see a link entitled "Forum", under which are the titles "User CP" and "FAQ" (This should be nearly level with the "Photo of the Month" entry on the front page). Click on "Forum" and this will take you to the next page.

Now you need to find your topic, as there are plenty of sub-forums to choose from. This is simplest part really, just decide which category your thread will fall under, be it a "General Discussion" topic that addresses the forum or pertinent information to FF and it's users, or, let's say you want to post a thread about your lovely new White's Tree Frog because you have some questions: Just scroll down to where it says "Tree Frogs" and click the green link.

I'll use the former example since that's where this particular thread takes place.

Once you click on the link for "General Discussion & News" you will even even MORE links into even MORE sub threads. Again, just find your topic and click the link.

Once inside the final sub forum, you will see a button at the top right of the list of already posted threads that reads "New Thread" and has a picture of a talk bubble beside it. Click it.

This will take you to a screen much like the one I am using now: At the top you will see and empty field called "Title" and below you will see another, larger box entitled "Message". In this large blank box you will type your message, at the top of this box is a menagerie of different editing tools. You can change your message's font, size, color, or even the alignment of your text. These, of course, are just for fun, or to add a little flare to your post.

Now, over to the right of this empty box you will see a bunch of little faces, these are called emoticons, and can also add a lot of flavor to your post. Just click on one and a little message will come up in your text. Don't be worried if you don't see the face you've just clicked in your actual text, the picture will show itself when you actually post your thread or new message.

Last but not least, just click the "Submit Reply" button at the bottom...wait a few seconds aaaaand...voila! Here you have a brand new thread, started by you, for all the other members of frog forum to enjoy!

I hope this has been helpful, at least for now. In the next few days I will be adding more posts about various workings, and even pictures to existing posts to make instructions more clear.

Next I will discuss how to post in an existing topic...

[Kisa]

Posting a reply to a pre-existing thread is much easier than the process I've described above, and some of the instructions over lap. Follow the first four instructions given in the previous post, only this time don't click "New Thread".

Once you have chosen your sub thread and sub sub thread, there will be a new list of sub sub sub threads. These are the threads started by members, not by our admin, and they are easily recognizable because the topic poster will most likely not be John. XD

If you find a thread started by another member to be interesting, or if you can answer a question they have just asked, posting in their thread is the best way to show them that you care. Choose the thread you would like to add your 2 cents to, and click it's link.

This will take you to a page similar to this one, with a bunch of boxes of text or pictures, whatever the original poster's topic was should be apparent by the things people are posting. To add to the discussion, one must simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the button that reads "Post Reply", the picture next to this title looks like a talk bubble with an "X" inside.

Another way to add a comment to a post, is if you want to say something related specifically to what another member has already posted.

Under all posts you will find a series of buttons that include, "Edit", "Quote", " +" " (multi-quote), a talk bubble with lines inside (quick reply), and on posts made my other members "Thank". Click the quote button.

Either of these will take you to a very similar page to what I described in the post above about starting a new thread. You will see the field "Message" and along with this there will be various editing tools all around these blank boxes. Type your 2 cents, and hit the "Submit Reply" button at the bottom of the page. And again, voila! Your comment has been added to the thread for all to read and enjoy.

This was just the basics of the basics, next I will be describing how to post pictures, links, or videos inside a reply or new thread post...

Stay Tuned!

[bshmerlie]

This is great Kisa. This is definately a "Most Informative Thread". Please keep it up for all of us computer illiterate people out there. I went through 4 years of college without a computer. I'm still learning how to use my cell phone

[Kisa]

This is great Kisa. This is definately a "Most Informative Thread". Please keep it up for all of us computer illiterate people out there. I went through 4 years of college without a computer. I'm still learning how to use my cell phone

That is exactly the response I was hoping for from everyone, thanks! I just hope people can learn from this thread. I know there were some things I had trouble with when I first joined and had to learn along the way, especially since I'm not a computer expert and don't use FB or MS so I don't have all the technical knowledge others may have. I figured it out on my own, but others may not be so lucky. Here's hoping the info I post helps at least one person on FF. XD

Bear with me guys it's gonna take a long time to fully complete this thread with pictures and every little tid bit of information I can find, but I'll be taking requests once I feel I'm done covering the basics, so once I say so feel free to post what you guys think I've missed.

This is still definitely a work in progress though, let me get a little farther before you start shouting things out. XD

Love the 80s cell phone picture btw Cheri, one reason I'm glad I wasn't around then...did they sell extra big purses so you could fit your cell inside? XD Or maybe pants with EXTRA huge pockets?

[Kisa]

Alright everyone, time to give you a run down on how to break that huge wall of text in your posts by adding pictures, links, or videos to a post! (I will also be covering a bit about member albums in this post, so for those of you who don't know how to use the albums on your profile page, stay tuned, it's coming up!)

Alright, so you've started your new thread or you've posted your comments in an existing topic but...there's something missing. Even with all the editing tools and emoticons you feel like your post is lacking and needs a little something extra. In fact, just the other day you saw a great photograph online of the frog you're discussing in your subscribed topic, and you think others would benefit from getting a look at it. Now, how do you go about posting this brilliant picture into your post so people can see it as a thumbnail without having to follow a link to another website?

At first this was hard for me to figure out, but once I looked around and used some old knowledge I had stored up in my brain, it was easy to figure out.

First I'll start with albums, as this is where this process begins.

You will see on your profile page that there is a section to the right underneath your list of friends (which hopefully is or will soon be very extensive ^ ^) entitled "Albums". Now if you click the link that allows you to view all albums (or it could be there if you don't have any albums, I do have them so I don't quite remember what it looks like, hopefully you can find it), at the bottom you will see a link (in my favorite color: green, as always) that will allow you to "Add Albums".

Now, after you click the "Add Albums" link you will be taken to a page that looks a bit similar to the "Post a Message/Thread" page. There are blank fields for "Title" and "Description". Now, you're basically allowed to call your albums and describe them however you wish, but it's easier if you at least stick with something that's pertinent to the items you're going to want to store in this album. Say you have White's Tree Frogs that you're going to be taking pictures of, you can title the album "My White's Tree Frogs" and under the description you can put the names of your frogs, for example "Bruce Campbell and Bruce Wayne" (my White's).

Once you've done this you can choose the "Album Type". You can either choose "Public", which allows everyone to see your album and pictures, "Private", which shows your pictures to your friends and moderators, or "Profile", which makes your pictures only available for you to view. Once you're done here, you can click the "Submit" button and begin adding pictures!

To add pictures, you will simply click your album and then click the link that reads "Upload Pictures" and you will be taken to a screen you may not have seen before. This screen has the familiar grey box and inside there is a listing of five buttons that read "Choose File". Click one of these buttons and a screen will pop up from your computer with a list of pictures or other files. Navigate to the picture you want to upload and double click it. It should appear next to the "Choose File" button.

Now I'm not sure if all members have experienced this problem, but it has been increasingly problematic to me when I try to upload new pictures. The window in which your list of files (from your computer) appears is transparent, so while you may be intending to choose some things from this window, FF thinks you're trying to click the links behind this window. This may be a little confusing to you already...but if you experience this problem you'll see what I mean. A quick fix to this is to move the "Upload" window into a different spot where there are no links on the FF page below, this should solve the problem and allow you to choose the picture you want to upload.

Now once you chosen your picture, you will be taken to a screen where you can see your picture and you have a field entitled "Description" where you can explain this picture. When you are all done click the button at the bottom and voila! Your pictures are now available for use!

I will continue the explanation of adding pictures to posts below, stay tuned...

[Kisa]

To start a new thread, a member (starting on the main page) would look to the left of the screen where there is a huge list of links.

Had to edit something, sorry. Up in the second post I put that the list of links is to the right when in reality it's to the left. I'm so sorry for any confusion this has caused, I'll try to avoid this problem in the future.

[Kisa]

Ok, here's the "pictures in posts" section! I know everyone has been waiting patiently for this...

To add a picture to a post first follow to steps to start a new thread or add a new post to an existing thread, once you reach the empty boxes it's time to start adding you're pictures.

Now, in another tab or window on your computer, you're going to want to open your albums in your Frog Forum profile (remember when I taught you to upload files? That's where this knowledge comes into play.) Go into the album you wish to add the picture from, click on the picture to enlarge it...

And below the picture you will see your description in italics. Below this will be two fields filled with miscellaneous text. Find the field entitled "BB Code" (under "Picture URL"). Now, click this field twice (or however many times it takes to highlight the entire field in blue), just make sure the whole thing is highlighted, then right click and copy (sorry Mac users I have no idea how to do this on a mac). Go into the other window where (hopefully), you have the thread or post open where you want to post the picture. In the "Message" field, paste this "BB Code" you've copied and voila! You should have a picture below or above or beside your text.

Here's an example.



Now, posting a link is actually much easier than this.

To post a link, have the page open that you wish to display, click the URL at the top of the page until the whole thing turns blue, copy this, and then paste it in your "Message" field. Like so.

http://www.frogforum.net/

And there you have your link!

(Remember, anyone who's reading this now, pictures will be added to help illustrate the steps I've outlined, I just need a little help with that so give me some time.)