tmoning Report post Posted November 3, 2009 The forums are the heart of the FMCA.com Community. If you're comfortable using forums in general, then feel free to jump in without reading any further. If you'd like a bit more of an overview of how to find and create messages, then read on. A note on time zones: The default time zone for the forums is Eastern time. To set your time zone so your messages will reflect your time zone: Click your username at the top right of the screen. From the menu, select "My Settings." Select your time zone. Categories, Forums and Threads You can enter specific forums, such as the "Forum support" forum that you clicked to read this message, from the Forums homepage. The forums are grouped in categories, such as Motorhomes, Technical and Travel, and named for the general topics they're intended to contain. Upon entering a forum, you will see a list of topics, also known as topic "threads." A topic thread is a new message or set of messages on the same subject. When a forum member creates a new message topic, that is the start of a new thread. When other forum members reply to that original message, and to each other's replies, the thread grows into a set of related messages that are all part of the same thread. By default, the topic lists on the FMCA.com forums are sorted by date, with the most recent topics on top. To read the messages in a topic, click a topic's title. When viewing the messages within a topic, the first, or root, message will be on top, with replies listed below by order of when they were posted. Searching the Forums One way to think of the messages in the FMCA.com forums is as a searchable knowledgebase of information about motorhoming. If you have a question, you may want to try searching the forums first, before asking a question by starting a new thread. By searching the forums first, you may find what you're looking for without the need to compose a message and wait for a reply. New Topics and Why Topic Titles are Important If you can't find the information you're looking for, or if you just want to share a tip, go into an appropriate forum for your topic and click "New topic." When you create a Topic Title for your message, try to include key elements of your question or tip. Keep in mind that the Topic Title is what others will see when deciding if they can help you or if they are interested in reading your topic. Give some thought on how to best summarize your message. Sometimes it's easier to define the subject after you've finished writing the main body of the message. Text Formatting: Use Sparingly The message editor provides rich-text editing features for controlling font and formatting options, but I recommended using default fonts and simple paragraph formatting. Overuse of formatting features can make it more difficult to read a message and may result in other forum members skipping over your message rather than reading and responding to it. Simple and Clear for Everyone For every message posted in the forums, there will be hundreds of other forum members and visitors who will search or browse through the forums looking for the same information. So when answering a question on a technical issue, try to explain your answer in straightforward language, avoiding technical jargon whenever possible, even if the question was phrased in a way that suggests a high level of expertise. Using straightforward language will help to ensure that your message can be understood by everyone who may read it. More Than Questions and Answers You don't have to ask or answer a question to participate in the FMCA.com forums. Another way to join in the discussions is to share tips, advice and experiences with others. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the forums! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
