Member Manager Help/User Guide

Getting Started with Member Forums

Forums are commonly referred to as web forums, message boards, discussion groups, discussion forums, bulletin boards or simply forums. For example, in a Member Manager site that was for, say, a Parkinson's Support group, the discussion forums would allow members to discuss what different drugs did, and did not do, for them in trying to find the best treatments. For a Member Manager Golf Club, a discussion forum might be discussing potential changes to the course or member rules. For an Engineering Professional Organization, it might be used to discuss new trends in technology.

Each forum starts with someone submitting a Topic (or question). The forum then contains a chronological list of all the replies/comments to the original topic and previous replies.

• Activating the Member Forums feature - To activate the feature you:
• Click on Features & Payment under the Site Management dropdown.
• Click on the box to put a check mark in the box for the Member Forums feature.
• Then select Update Services.
• Then select Submit Feature Changes.

  Note, turning on a feature does not make you pay immediately for the feature. The payment will be included when the next renewal date comes up.

• Forums - Clicking on the Forums option under the Applications dropdown brings up a screen like the View Folders or View Galleries screen. It shows the list of all open Topics.

  There will be a View button (and a Delete button depending on the situation).

  • Clicking on the View button takes you into that topic and shows all the responses.
  • You can then read all the responses so far.
  • And add another response to the bottom, if you want to.
  • Clicking on the Delete button, deletes the topic and all replies. Roles determine who can add and delete topics. The creater of the topic can also delete it.
  • Clicking on the +Start a Topic button, allows you to pose a new question starting a new topic.

    For instance, for a Golf Club, the Topic might be "15th Hole" and the initial question might be: "Should we cut trees on the left side of the 15th hole, thus widening the fairway?".

  • The Originator of the Topic is the "Moderator" of the topic and can delete responses that are not in keeping with the topic or the aims of the club.

That's it! A very simple, but powerful, feature!

If you still have questions, send a question to the Member Manager Support Staff.

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