(You may download this post to save as a reference.
It is available as a 3 page Microsoft Word document attached to this post.
You are not able to write a reply or post a new topic to this forum, as it is in a read-only format.)
Welcome!
You may always use the forums as a guest and read the posts without logging in. You must be a member, and then log in as a member, to make posts. Registering to become a member is an easy process, and we urge you to participate.
These forums and galleries are here for a real purpose: to build the trail community and to promote the story of Lewis and Clark. They are here for you to use. If you have ideas for new forums, or we see that posts need new forums, we will add them. Betty and Mary and myself are serving as forum moderators, keeping an eye on things.
The forums are set up under categories (Travel, Study, Photos, Biddle. etc). Under each category are forums. When you click on a forum title it will show you the posts that have been made to the forum. You are reading a post now in the forum called “How to use the forums (click here).”
The most recent posts are always at the top of the list in an active forum. This forum is “read-only.” No new postings are allowed so that these posts remain right up front and on top. (The map forums are also read-only for the same reason.)
QUESTIONS? Contact Kira Gale .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
REGISTRATION
The register link is at the top of the home page.
You will need to supply a user name, a password and a screen name (which can be the same as your user name) and your email address. Only your screen name will be revealed in your posts. The user name and password are needed to log into the forums.
An email will be sent to you after you register. When you reply to this email it will activate your membership.
Log into the forums to post; and at the end of a session, simply log out. The log in and log out links are also found at the top of the home page.
HOW TO MAKE A POST ON A NEW TOPIC
First click on a forum, such as “Trail Travel (7) Montana to the Rockies.” This changes to a new screen showing any posts on topics that are already in the forum. Then click on “New Topic” to make a post of your own.
This will bring up a new screen with a text box where you write your post. You may write up to 1,500 words in any single post. You may also attach JPEG photo images and Microsoft Word documents. Your screen name will be automatically added to the post after you submit it.
HOW TO REPLY TO A POST (DISCUSSION THREADS)
Click on any post that is already in the forum; then on that post’s page click on the “Post Reply” button. This will bring up a text box for you to write your own post on the same topic. This makes a “threaded topic” where all posts relating to the first original post are threaded together in one long string relating back to the original post. This one of the great features of a forum—threaded discussions.
WRITE YOUR POST IN MICROSOFT WORD FIRST
You can write your post in Microsoft Word and then simply highlight (select) the text, copy and paste into a post text box. It’s fast and easy. You can copy and paste by right clicking with your mouse. You can also do the reverse copying from the post to Word, which is how I made the attached document.
SPELL CHECK, PREVIEW, UPDATE AND EDIT POST
There is a spell check right under the box where you enter the text. You may preview the post before submitting it. After you preview your post, you will need to submit it. You can edit a post after submitting it, and then you click on the update button and it will be submitted again.
HOW TO MAKE A LINK TO A WEBSITE OR EMAIL ADDRESS
AND OTHER FORMATTING STUFF
At the top of the text box for posting are a series of little boxes. After you have highlighted some of your text by dragging your cursor across the text, you can then apply the formatting that is in those little boxes by clicking on the box you want to apply. The results look messy, because it is in code and it makes a long string of letters and symbols. It won’t look that way when you view your post on the forum website.
WEBSITE AND EMAIL LINKS <a>
EASY WAY: To link to a website or email address all you have to do is type in the website address or the email in your text box. For example, http://www.lewisandclarkroadtrips.com and .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) These will become active when you submit your text. (I typed in only the www. part. It supplied the http:// all by itself when it was posted on the website.)
EXPERT WAY: Open a new window on your browser and go to the website page you want to link to. Copy its long url address located in the browser’s web address box. Copy the url by right clicking with your mouse, and then come back to the post’s text box where you want to make the link. And paste the long url in the box by right clicking again with your mouse.
In this example, I highlighted the words Trip Planner, then clicked on the little box with the <a> above the post text box. This opened a small new window asking me to supply the website url.
http://www.lewisandclarkroadtrips.com/trip_planner/index.cfm
When I entered it, the Trip Planner text in my post box got surrounded by code which looks like this. (You can see the code in the MS Word document. Right now it is just doing its job and is invisible to you.)
EMAIL DIRECT LINK: Or to send an email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) You highlight the word you want an email attached to, and then click on the little box with the <@> That brings up a window where you enter the email address.
OTHER STUFF:
(<b> means bold text; <i> means italic; <u> means underlined <quote> means you can put a quote in a special box at the top of the page.
ATTACHMENTS
At the bottom of the post box, under the Options section, is a place to add attachments to your post. You simply browse through your own computer to find a Microsoft Word document or a JPEG photo image. Select what you want, click “open” and a copy will be uploaded onto the internet server where these forums are located. The original document or image will remain on your computer. I am adding this Guide Post as a document and a Biddle the Bear photo as a surprise.
JPEG: The image size of the JPEG is limited to 1500 x 1500 pixels, 0r 96 dots per inch resolution for an image that will fit on an 8.5 x 11 inch page. The image size is set high to accomodate the maps for the Study Group and Maps Forum. You may post smaller photos and pictures. Just try attaching a photo and see what happens.
OPTIONS
Leave the box checked to receive an email when somebody has posted a reply to your post.
