Dusk’s Guide to Forums, Threads, and Other Nonsense

Dusky

Dusky

Succubus
Dusk’s Guide to Forums, Threads, and Other Nonsense

Introduction

Mission Statement


Some Helpful Features



The Menu




Alt Text





Forums



Sub-forums





Threads


Posts


An Analogy

Navigating RPN

Where Forums Are Located


Sub-forums


How to Create a Thread


How to Write a Post

Summary

Terms


Related Tutorials
 
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Introduction

Mission Statement

At times - and especially to those who do not normally frequent them - forums are a convoluted, scary place, full of hidden corners and lots of confusing links. RpNation, I think, does a good job at being intuitive, but it is not inconceivable that some clarification might be needed. This tutorial aims at educating one and all on how forums work, specifically on RPN.


Some Helpful Features

The Menu


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c8490d560_MenuBar.png.40a57f6d67a00c695ea835b7b6dfae57.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110440" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c8490d560_MenuBar.png.40a57f6d67a00c695ea835b7b6dfae57.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


You should always see it at the top of the page. Depending on your browser, hovering over one of the eight categories - Forums, Bookmarks, Donations, Gallery, Members, Roleplays, Dice, and Site Chat - will change the coloring and, for some of them, reveal a little arrow, like so:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c848ecffa_MenuBarHover.png.1b65c5e9f203f37f5401815b190f45fb.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110439" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c848ecffa_MenuBarHover.png.1b65c5e9f203f37f5401815b190f45fb.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


If you hover over that arrow, you will see a drop down menu with further options to navigate the site, like this:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c848eaaef_MenuBarDropDown.png.21d33844c1ca8a84559c184a393ff459.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110438" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c848eaaef_MenuBarDropDown.png.21d33844c1ca8a84559c184a393ff459.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


This definitely helps in navigating the website itself! But we’re concerned with FORUMS, aren’t we?


Alt Text


Are you at the home page? Good. Scroll down to take a look at the forums.


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c848e79ac_HomePage.png.d28dff6b72cb814fb307ddd5b9063623.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110437" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c848e79ac_HomePage.png.d28dff6b72cb814fb307ddd5b9063623.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


Above you see a handful of the forums available to you as an RPN member. Curious as to what one of these forums is about? Just hover over the name and you’ll be able to see the alternative text which gives a small description! Like so:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c848e2d38_HomePageHover.png.0a1a027adf3db5a37ffbd78a59432fbf.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110436" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c848e2d38_HomePageHover.png.0a1a027adf3db5a37ffbd78a59432fbf.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


This too helps with navigating the site! There are also other places on RPN where this is a feature, so when in doubt, hover!


But what are forums? I still haven’t answered that question.


Forums

The Creativity Forum:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/Forum.png.5a1afb06297214a47543a4979441eadb.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110442" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/Forum.png.5a1afb06297214a47543a4979441eadb.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


In the past, the word “forum” referred to an event where people got together to share information. Now the definition has broadened slightly. According to Merriam-Webster:


fo·rum


ˈfôrəm/


noun


noun: forum; plural noun: forums; plural noun: fora


2. an Internet site where users can post comments about a particular issue or topic and reply to other users' postings; a message board.



But even this definition is not quite what we’re looking for. Within forums themselves, the word has another meaning.


Essentially, a forum is a group of threads.


Sub-forums


These are also a thing, and will be discussed later.


Threads

A Thread in Creativity:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/Thread.png.5fdbb35e50fc867771148272d1f63c4b.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110444" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/Thread.png.5fdbb35e50fc867771148272d1f63c4b.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


Most traditionally, a thread is a long, thin piece of something, usually some sort of fabric. Eventually it came to also mean a theme or common characteristic between many things. That’s how it got its internet meaning. Here’s Merriam-Webster again, skipping straight to the one which concerns us:


thread


THred/


noun


noun: thread; plural noun: threads


4. a group of linked messages posted on an Internet forum that share a common subject or theme.



Unlike last time, there’s not much to add here. A thread is, essentially, a group of posts.


Posts

A Post in the Thread Thoughts in the Forum Creativity:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/Post.png.f294138f1840b8680cfafb462de10dcb.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110443" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/Post.png.f294138f1840b8680cfafb462de10dcb.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


A post is a message, as the original meaning was essentially synonymous with mail. In Europe this is still used - if you’re going to receive communication by snail mail, you will be “notified by post.” That’s how it got its online meaning - a post is a message you type in a thread. According to Merriam-Webster:


post


pōst/


noun


noun: post; plural noun: posts


2. an online posting.



Not a very good definition, is it? I like mine better.


An Analogy

I find it easiest to think of forums as folders. File Explorer on your computer is RPN. All the places where it groups your files - Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos, generally - are forums. The different folders you have within, say, Documents, are threads. The files you have in those folders are posts.















 

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Navigating RPN

Where Forums Are Located

The home page! The Forums tab! (Which is circled below.)


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c84920fd3_MenuBarCircled.png.75c61e1dc45161981ccb2db071c8eed4.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110445" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c84920fd3_MenuBarCircled.png.75c61e1dc45161981ccb2db071c8eed4.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


The forums are fairly easy to locate.


Sub-forums

RPN has sub-forums. Sub-forums act exactly like forums, except they are themselves inside a forum. This allows some organization within particularly large forums. For example, below you will see the Roleplay Discussion forum. I’ve circled its subforum, Character Feedback.


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c8492ed97_SubForumCircled.png.9f87026cfecfa14456ef44615d534632.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110447" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c8492ed97_SubForumCircled.png.9f87026cfecfa14456ef44615d534632.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


When you click on Character Feedback, it will take you to another group of threads - another forum.


How to Create a Thread

Every forum and subforum has a button at the top which is circled in this screenshot:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c84927c9d_PostNewThread.png.9679c846c2cc18a802c3c64b7c5ea4c4.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110446" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c84927c9d_PostNewThread.png.9679c846c2cc18a802c3c64b7c5ea4c4.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


Once you click it, you’re taken to a screen where you can fill in the boxes for title and content. It’s that easy!


Below that you’ll see options for a poll. You don’t have to fill it out unless you want a poll, of course. You can just ignore it.


How to Write a Post

So you’re trying to respond to a thread! Here’s a thread that I’m viewing, myself:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c8493c845_PrivateWorkshop.png.554a920691fb4177bb53a666a0d2abac.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110450" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c8493c845_PrivateWorkshop.png.554a920691fb4177bb53a666a0d2abac.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


I want to add a post talking about my Canterbury Tales idea, so I’m going to scroll waayyyyy down to the bottom until I see this:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c8493219a_WritingPost.png.acc8a0f92403ffe27ed46662486a4cdb.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110448" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c8493219a_WritingPost.png.acc8a0f92403ffe27ed46662486a4cdb.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


When I’m done writing in that text box, I’ll click the button I circled up there and my post will be added to the thread!


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c849366f4_WrittenPost.png.7d9dd93aeecc833b71a6817add34a7e6.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="110449" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/57a8c849366f4_WrittenPost.png.7d9dd93aeecc833b71a6817add34a7e6.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


And that’s how you reply to a thread!











 

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Summary

How to Make a Thread: Go to the forum the thread belongs in and click the big blue button!


How to Make a Post: Scroll waaayyyy to the bottom of a thread and have fun!


Terms

Forum: A group of threads which all have a common theme.


Sub-forum: A forum within a forum for specific kinds of threads.


Thread: A group of posts about one topic.


Post: A message displayed within a thread.


Related Tutorials and Resources
 
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