Message Board Help

Words in italics are defined to the right.

Do you need your password? If you recently registered for this message board but have not received your password via e-mail, or if you lost your password, just go this page: I forgot my password! and follow the directions.

To read posts, simply open a forum to display the list of discussion topics and click an appropriate discussion topic. Note that the topic name, topic starter (username), number of replies, and date and time of last posting are displayed also to help you decide which threads you'd like to read. Upon opening a discussion topic, your computer displays all the posts in the topic thread,

The discussion topic appears at the top of the thread, followed by all posts -- beginning with the oldest and ending with the most recent. The poster's name, status, number of posts, location, and date registered are displayed in the left column next to the message itself. The date and time of the post appears near the top of the post. Adjacent posts are distinguished by different colors (light orange and yellow).

When you've finished reading the topic, you can choose to go on to another topic by clicking the links at the top and bottom right of the message board ("next newest topic" | "next oldest topic"). Clicking one of these hyperlinks lets you move forward to back in the board without returning to the list of discussion topics. You may also choose to post a reply to the thread (Reply) or start a new topic (Add New).

To reply to a topic, first open and read a topic, then click the Reply button at the top of the list of posts. Type your username and password into the appropriate fields, if the information wasn't already filled in for you. Note that our message board will save the information you type in the username and password fields in a cookie, enabling the message board to recognize you when you return. There is no danger is allowing the message board to save this information, and we recommend you do so for the best possible message board experience.

Now choose a message icon, and then type your message into the message field. If you wish to add formatting to your post, our message board supports the following formats:

Bold — type [b]word[/b]
Italics — type [i]word[/i]
Web addresses — type [url]address[/url]
More formatting options are detailed in the UBB Code document.

If you need help formatting your posts while you are composing them, you may click the "UBB Code" link beside the message field for assistance.

Once you've composed your reply and double-checked it, click the "Submit Reply" button to post your message to the message board. If successful, the window confirms your post and displays the entire thread for you. If your post isn't visible at the bottom of the thread, you may need to reload the message board—just click the reload button in your browser, open the thread again, and scroll to the bottom.

If your message doesn't fit in an established thread, you may create a new topic. Click the Add New button. Type your user name, password, subject, and message as you would do for a reply. As this is a new subject, you must also type a subject line. Please choose your subject lines wisely, accurately describing your subject, topic, question, or comment. This will help others recognize your subject, read it, and post replies to it. When ready, click the "Submit New Topic" button at the bottom of the window to post your message to the board.

We welcome and encourage everyone to post replies and add new topics to our message board. We do ask that you read our Community Guidelines before posting, however. If you have more questions about using our message board or adhering to our Community Guidelines, please e-mail us at jenniferanddave@passporter.com.

cookie - n. A file on your computer that records specific information, such as your name and e-mail address. Only the information that you provide, or the choices you make while visiting a Web site, can be stored in a cookie. For example, the site cannot determine your e-mail name unless you choose to type it. Allowing a Web site to create a cookie does not give that or any other site access to the rest of your computer, and only the site that created the cookie can read it.

formatting - n. A special way of distinguishing text, such as bold or italics. Limited formatting is available in our message boards.

post - 1. n. A message in a message board.
2. v. To submit a message to a message board.

reply - 1. n. A message in a thread.
2. v. To submit a reply to a thread.

subject line - n. A descriptive phrase that accurately represents the contents of a subject. A good subject line may be like "Time of Tapestry of Nations?" while a poor subject line may be like "Disney" or "Questions."

PassPorter Friend - n. A registered message board member who has posted 25 or more messages.

PassPorter Guest - n. A registered message board member who has posted less then 25 messages.

Profile - n. A set of information about a registered member of the message board. Anyone can view profiles, but only a members may edit their own profiles.

topic - n. A message subject in a message board. When you open the message board, it first displays a list of the discussion topics. A topic may contain many posts in a thread.

thread- n. A collection of posts on the same subject and displayed in chronological order. The posts in a subject are collectively known as a thread.

UBB Code - n. The method our message board uses to format text, include Web addresses, and display images. See UBB Code for more information.