Message Center Settings
Meet Discussions Leaders and Hosts
Becoming a Host
Getting Started
If this is your first time in the ThirdAge Discussions, you may want to take the Discussions Tour. Then start with the Introduce Yourself discussion, where you can read posts from others who are new to ThirdAge Discussions and post your own introduction.
Basic Organization
The ThirdAge Discussions are organized into categories such as Family & Friends, Sports, and Community, which contain titled folders and individual discussions.
- A folder contains a collection of discussions on a specific topic (such as "Investing").
- Individual discussions (such as "Stocks" or "Mutual Funds") consist of posts that relate directly to the topic of the discussion.
- Discussions have threads, which are composed of an initial post and all replies to it.
Getting Around
When you first enter an individual discussion, the first post you see will usually be the most recent. To get a general idea of what has been going on, you may want to click on the "Outline" view. The Outline lists all of the posts in that forum discussion. Here you can get an overview of the discussion, as well as click directly on specific posts that interest you to open them.
Your location always appears at the top of the page, and you can navigate quickly by clicking on any part of that listing. In this example, "Outline" will always bring you to the Outline of the discussion. Selecting "Community" will take you to the index for all of the Discussions in the Community area. Selecting "Discussions Home" will take you to the Discussions front door, the main "table of contents" of the Discussions.
Within each discussion, there are numbered posts, with the oldest labeled "1". Your screen can only show a limited number of the total posts in a discussion. Navigate through the posts (or through the outline) by selecting "First Page," "Previous Page," "Next Page," or "Final Page."
Remember that the first page will show the oldest posts in the discussion, and the most recent posts will appear on the final page of posts.
Becoming a Registered User
As a visitor, you can read the Discussions and post as a guest. However, you won't be able to use the advanced features of Discussions unless you are logged in as a member.
If you aren't yet registered, please join here. It's free and easy!
Posting a Message
To post a message, login with your ThirdAge username and password by clicking on the "Member Login" button outlined in red, at the bottom of the page. Once you are logged in, more options will appear to you.
There are two ways to post a message.
1.You can reply directly to a post by clicking on the "Reply" button next to the message. This creates a thread in that discussion. Your post will appear directly under the post you replied to and will be slightly indented. Be sure to title your post for clarity, and enter the text of your message in the box. Then click "Post My Message."
2. If you'd like to add a post on the same topic but do not wish to reply to a specific post, you can add a post at the end of a discussion. Scroll down to the posting box near the bottom of the screen. Enter a title and type your message into the box, then click "Post My Message." Your message will be added to the end of the forum discussion. (Clicking on "Compose Message" will bring you quickly to the posting box.)
Starting a New Discussion
Only ThirdAge members may start a new discussion. Once you are logged in, enter the category area that is appropriate to the topic you want to discuss, then click on the "Create New Discussion" button that you'll see at the bottom of your screen. Fill out the form with a discussion title and description and hit the "Create" button.
Before starting a new discussion, be sure that your topic is not already addressed by an existing discussion. You can do this easily by searching the Discussions with the search box located at the bottom of every ThirdAge page. Remember the topic you choose should be something that others will share an interest in discussing.
Be sure to start your topic in the appropriate discussion category. For example, a discussion about "Elvis" should be in Arts and Entertainment, rather than Sports!
Checking for New Messages and Favorites
When you are logged in as a member, ThirdAge Discussions can help you keep track of messages as you read them. When you view a discussion, the listing will include the total number of messages in the discussion and the number of new messages. This will show you how many posts have been added since the last time you visited.
Favorites
You can also check for new messages in the Discussions you like best with your "Favorites list," a personalized list of your favorite discussions. You can add a discussion category, a folder, or a discussion to your Favorites list by clicking "Add to Your Favorites" at the bottom of that forum or discussion. (To remove a Favorite listing, just click on "Remove from Favorites.")
Check for new messages by clicking on "Check Your Favorites." You'll then see a list of discussions and discussions that have received new messages since you last checked. After you're finished with that discussion, click "Check Your Favorites" again, and it will take you to the next discussion with new messages. Continue until it says "no new messages."
Check to see what is listed in your Favorites list by clicking on "Your Preferences."
Your Preferences
Click on the "Your Preferences" button to personalize your ThirdAge Discussions experience. You can change your setting, review your Favorites list, and add a sub-title to your name that will appear bold with your name when you post a message.
Message Center
When you click on the "Message Center" button you'll find the following:
New Messages list:
Listed here are the first of new messages in any forum discussions that you have added to your Favorites list. To go to a discussion, click the corresponding link. This allows you to view only those new messages you wish.
Bookmarks list:
Unlike your Favorites list, this is used for visiting certain discussions on a regular basis. You may want to Bookmark a Discussion category, "Discussion," or an individual post to save important information for future use. For example, you may want to bookmark a specific post about an event or place of interest, so that you can easily find it for future reference. Click on the "Bookmark" that corresponds to post or discussion you want to save. Your Bookmark list appears in the Message Center for easy access.
Message Center Settings:
Set the display and announcement style for your discussions message center.
For more information on the WebX Discussions software, please visit Web Crossing's Web site.
