Starting a Conversation
Click on the '+ Start a Conversation' button to create a new conversation (also known as a thread).
Once done, you'll be greeted by our posting interface (see below).
Topics
The first thing you're going to want to do is choose a topic you want this conversation to appear in. The Topic you are currently browsing will be the one set by default, but you can change this by clicking on the dropdown menu to the right of "This post is about" and select a more applicable topic.
The Subject Line
Next type a subject into the 'Subject' line. This should accurately describe what you want the conversation to be about in a succinct way so that users perusing the forums can easily identify the subject matter. Vague subject lines like "What should I do?" or "Looking for advice" are probably not the best way to get the most out of your posts.
The Conversation Body
Next you're going to write the body of your conversation. Here's where the meat of your post is. Write your question, describe your situation, talk about your feelings. Just remember to reference our Community Guidelines to ensure you're following the rules.
Post your Conversation
Once you're done writing, post your conversation by clicking on the 'Post' button at the bottom of your screen.
Don't worry, you can always edit and delete your post at a later time (see instructions below).
Styling
There are several options to style the text of your post to create emphasis, better organize your post, or to quote other users. These options are located at the top left of the body text field and look like the below.
(A) Bold
(B) Italics
(C) Underline
(D) Strike out
(E) Quote
(F) Bulleted List
To style your text, click the applicable styling option and then begin typing in the body text field. If you've already typed what you want to style, you can highlight the text you'd like to change and click on any of the 6 options. In both cases, if applied the icon will turn blue.
In addition, you can activate either bold, italic, or underlined text by holding ctrl (command for Mac users) and hitting B for bold, I for italics, and U for underline
If you wish to remove the style, highlight the text in question and click on the blue icon and to return it to normal text.
Replies
There are a couple of ways to reply to a post and they each accomplish different things, so it's important to understand what you hope to accomplish with your reply.
Standard Replies
The first way to reply to a post is by clicking the "+ Reply to this Conversation" button underneath the original post.
This will post a standard reply that will appear at the bottom of the conversation thread.
Referenced Replies
The second way to reply is by clicking the 'Reply to this post' button on the post itself.
This will post a referenced reply. Referenced replies will reference the specific post they are replying to via a green box that appears in the body of the post (highlighted below).
Once you've chosen which Reply button best suits your need, another screen will pop up allowing you to post your comment.
Click on the 'Post' button at the bottom left corner of the window to post your reply and add to the conversation.
Editing a Post
If you find a typo, want to add some more details, or just generally make your post clear you can easily edit them after the fact.
First, navigate to the post you want to edit and click on the 'Edit' button along the bottom.
A window will pop up allowing you to edit your response. Once done, click the 'Edit Post' button.
Your edits will now take effect, and will show that the comment was edited with a time stamp in the upper right corner of the post.
Helpful Posts
Users can vote on whether or not they find a reply or thread helpful.
Click on the thumbs up icon on the bottom of the post to mark it as Helpful. Once a reply or thread gets 5 votes it will gain a permanent badge, so forum readers will know which posts the community find the most informative.
When one of your posts receives the Helpful badge, it will be denoted on your forum profile, making the users who know their stuff to be easily identifiable to everyone else.