What Do Forums Need?

When starting a new thread, please do your best to use a thread title that suggests the topic that the thread is about, and include an opening post that has content, so that it is clear to people what the thread is going to be about. You'll find that more people will participate in a thread if the topic is clear from the title, and you will also be more likely to attract readers from the outside, who may later become members themselves.

 

Every forum needs members, particularly those who will enjoy what we have to offer, and be eager to participate in discussions. Everyone should feel free, but in no way obligated, to invite anyone fifty or older who you think might enjoy the forum. Please explain the first and last name convention to them so that I don't have to ask them to change their handle into a name, since that always feels like getting off to a poor start, on my end and theirs. I am also willing to work with anyone who may be having difficulties registering. Often this comes up when a new registrant's email tags our email confirmation notice as spam, and moves it to a spam folder. Since it is automatically generated, some spam filters do that. In such cases, I am perfectly willing to approve the account manually if they send me a request, since I can validate the email address that way. I have done this a few times, but some people just give up if they register for an account and never receive a validation email (which is probably in their spam folder). Anyhow, please feel free to invite anyone who you think might be a good fit.

Being able to use the English language is required, but various levels of proficiencies can be accommodated. I don't care what part of the world our members are from, or what their religion and political persuasions might be. Although these things might come up in discussion, there are no requirements for membership that address such things.

 

@Chrissy Page , both Bobby and I , Ina, and Dave all use our iPads (that I can think of right offhand). Sometimes you have to make a space after a mis-spelled word before the touch and fix option will work; but you should be able to just backspace over the word and re-spell it if you notice it right away.
If you are using a virtual keyboard; I recommend getting a bluetooth keyboard case instead. That is what we use, and it is much more convenient for typing than using the virtual keyboard.
The case that I have is hard to get the iPad out of ; but the one that Bobby has, the iPad slips in and out easily, and he can use his without the keboard case if he is doing something where he won't be typing.
The case that we have is made by Zagg; but there a good variety of all kinds and prices if you look on Amazon. Having a keyboard case makes the iPad almost like having a miniature laptop, but with all of the extra features that the iPad has and a laptop doesn't.

 

I noticed that we have had a couple new members sign up in the last few days. They both tried to sign up with user names instead of regular names.
I know that Ken just mentioned this recently; but since people are not seeming to understand how to make a "real sounding name", rather than a username, I wanted to bring it up again.

Whenever I have invited someone to the forum, I always tried to explain this to people , so they understand how to register. I tell them that it can either be a real name , or a made up name; it just has to look like it could be a real name. Then I usually explain what my name is on the forum; so that way, if you are inviting friends from another forum that uses usernames, they have the idea of how to register.
If someone you invite is still having trouble, you can message Ken, and he will straighten it out. He has had to help me with people a time or two.

 

We all have things to say, and we can either state them to a vacuum, by simply posting whatever it is that we have to say, or we can bring it up in conversation. Of course, the latter is preferred. Although sometimes it's necessary to simply make a statement when starting a new thread, forums are more fun when people speak to one another. Read, not only the opening post, but what other people have had to say about it. You can address other members by name through the use of the @ symbol. After entering the @ symbol, enter the first couple of letters of the member's name and the forum will make suggestions for you. This is similar to tagging someone in Facebook in that it gets their attention, letting them know that you have said something that might be of interest to them. Plus, it's more conversational and natural to use someone's name.

I've mentioned it more than once before but, unlike some forums, whose owners are only interested in a lot of new threads, I like the ones we have to go on until we've exhausted everything we have to say about the subject and, even then, if someone new comes along, they should feel free to bring it up again. New threads are good too, as long as there are replies to it. Otherwise, a new thread can be disappointing to the person who started it, since we all like to believe that others are interested in what we have to say. For the most part, I think we are.

 

We have only a few political sub-forums, and plenty of non-political ones, and I am willing add more.