[OFFICIAL] Community Features FAQ. Review how to use the community like a power user.
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How do I post a message?
To post a message:
Go to the board where you want to post.
Click the New Message link.
In the Subject field, enter your message title.
Tip: Make your subject clear and concise, as it’s the only part of the message that shows up on the message-listing page.
In the Body field, type your message. Be sure to include all necessary details, especially for technical topics.
Format and spell check your message, as needed.
Click Submit Post.
How do I reply to a message?
Click Reply to respond to a particular post.
The Reply Message screen is similar to the Post Message screen, with these differences:
- When you reply to a post, the subject line is filled in automatically. You can change it if you want.
- You can paste the message to which you are replying into the body of your reply by clicking Quote Message.
- Your reply is added to the existing thread; it won't create a new thread.
Accepted Solutions:
What is an Accepted Solution?
An Accepted Solution is a way for you to choose the reply that best answers a question that you've posted. When you accept a solution, both the question and the solution get special icons and links that take you directly from the question to the answer.
An Accepted Solutions icon also appears on boards and in search results so you can see which messages have solutions.
You can mark a solution as accepted only for questions that you've posted (you started the thread). Community moderators can also mark one of the replies to a message as an accepted solution.
How do I mark a message as a solution?
To mark a message as a solution, click the Solution button on the reply.
If you change your mind or if another reply provides an even better answer, you can revoke the first selection and accept the second reply.
To revoke an accepted solution, click Options > Unmark as Accepted Solution.
You can choose another solution or leave the question unsolved.
Likes:
What are Likes?
Likes is a content rating system that lets you vote for the messages you think are the most useful or important.
When you give Likes to a message, you are giving a thumbs-up for good content and a pat on the back to its author. Your Likes help to boost the value of certain messages and enhance the reputation of their authors.
Giving Likes is as easy as a single click, but the impact of Likes ripples across the community.
How do I give Likes?
You can give Likes to any posts in the community except your own.
To give Likes to a message and its author, click Like! on the message.
If you change your mind about the quality of the message, you can revoke your Likes.
To revoke Likes you've given, click Options > Revoke My Likes from this Message.
How can I see who's given me Likes?
Want to know who thinks a message is good? It's easy to find out which regular community members and community experts have given Likes to a message. Likes from community experts carry more weight than those from brand new members.
How can I see which messages or authors have received the most Likes?
There are usually two Likes leaderboards on the community's front page -- one for authors and another for messages. The author's leaderboard shows who has received the most Likes. The message leaderboard showcases the most liked messages. Links from the front-page leaderboards take you to the full leaderboard pages.
To view the Top Likes Messages leaderboard, click view all from the front page module.
To view the Top Liked Authors leaderboard, click view all from the front page module.
How can I see who has given me Likes?
To see who's given you Likes:
Go to your profile page.
Your Profile pages show the names of community members who have given you Likes, the messages they liked, your top liked messages, and the likes you've given.
To see all of your recent Likes activity in an area, click view all. Click the tabs to see more info about your Likes activity.
I can’t see how many likes a post has received.
Sometimes a message gets so many Likes that we run out of space to show the number. When that happens you'll see a Hot Likes symbol or icon instead of the Likes count.
Private Messenger:
What is the Private Messenger?
Private Messenger enables you to send private notes to other community members. Private Messenger has two big advantages over email:
- You don't have to know the other member's email address to send the note. (Also, you don't have to reveal yours.)
- You can read and send private messages without leaving the community, making it easy to have a quick conversation with another community member.
To use the Private Messenger, you must be registered and signed in. You'll see a Private Message icon at the top of your page. If you have any new messages, you'll see the number of unread messages next to the envelope icon.
Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
How do I send a private message?
To send a private message:
Sign in to the community.
Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
Click Compose New Message.
Enter the recipient's name in the Send to area.
Enter the subject for the message in the Message Subject area.
Type the reply in the Message Body editor.
Click Send Message.
You can look for the messages you've sent in the Sent Messages tab.
How do I read a private message?
To read a private message:
Sign in to the community.
If you have any new messages, you'll see the number of unread messages next to the envelope icon. Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
To read a message, click the message subject.
To reply to a message, click Reply. Type the reply and click Send Message.
How do I delete a private message?
You can delete messages one at a time as you read them, or in bulk from your Inbox.
To delete a private message:
Sign in to the community.
Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
To delete several messages at once, click the check box for each message you want to delete. Click Message Options > Delete Checked.
To read and delete a message, click the message subject from the Inbox. Click Delete Message.
How do I see private messages I've sent to others?
To see the private messages you've sent:
Sign in to the community.
Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
Click Sent Messages.
What is my Followers List and how do I add people?
Your Followers List is a way to create your own community within a community.
Depending on your privacy settings, the people on your Followers List can see your biography, other personal information, or online status. If you send private messages, you can choose friends from a list instead of typing their usernames.
To add people to your Followers List:
Sign in to the community.
Click the user name of a friend to see the friend's About user name page.
In the Contact area, click Add user name to Followers.
What is my Ignore Users List and how do I add users to it?
Most users in an online community get along very well. Sometimes, however, you might encounter someone you consider a nuisance. If you are receiving messages that you'd prefer not to receive, you can add the sender to your Ignored Users list. The system blocks all messages from users on your Ignored Users list.
To add someone to your Ignored Users list:
Sign in to the community.
Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
Click a message from the user you want to ignore and click Ignore user name.
To remove someone from your Ignored Users list:
Sign in to the community.
Click Ignored Users to see the list.
Click Remove from Ignored list to begin receiving messages from this user again.
You can also search for community members and add them to your Ignored Users list.
To search for a user:
On any page, enter a user name in the Search box.
Choose Users and click Search.
In the Search Results, click the user's name.
Click Ignore user name in the Contact area.
Profile Settings:
My Settings > Personal > Password
Members can change or reset their password by adding their current password, new password and verify password and clicking on Change My Password or Reset.
My Settings > Personal > Personal Information / Download
Members can view and edit their personal information (ex: first name, last name, signature, title, location, personal web page, biography, private notes, IP address and device ID) by making changes and clicking on Save.
My Settings > Personal > IM Screen Names
Members can view, edit and reset their IM screen names (ex: ICQ number, AIM screen name, MSN Messenger screen name, Yahoo ID, Skype name notes, IP address and device ID) by making changes and clicking on Save / Reset.
My Settings > Personal > Auto-Signin Options
Members can turn off Auto Signin for all computers or for this computer only by clicking on the respective option.
