How to Join a Forum

Forums are quickly becoming a new method of communication for people across the globe. Forums are essentially chat-rooms that have topics that vary based upon the intent of the site. Learn how to register for a forum account using a few simple steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Internet connection
• Pictures (optional)

1. Finding a Forum: There are thousands of the forums on the Internet that vary in content- from video games to working at home, there are forums for pretty much every subject you can think of! To find a forum that interests you, go to your favorite search engine (Google.com, Ask.com, Prizewish.com, etc.) and type in the subject you are interested in and then type the word "forum" at the end of the search criteria.

2. Signing Up: Forum registration is a very simple process. Typically there is a link located near the top-right side of the website that says "Register" or "Sign-Up." Click that link.

3. Registering Your Information: Once you click the signup link you will be transferred to a page that requests personal information such as name, date of birth, e-mail address and time zone. If a field has a '*' next to it, that field is mandatory for registration. Once you complete the information select the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page.

4. Check Your E-Mail: Most sites will send a confirmation link directly to your e-mail, so check your inbox shortly after submitting your registration. There is typically a clickable link inside the e-mail from the site, or a link you will have to copy and paste into your Internet browser to confirm that your e-mail is valid and that you are a real person who is signing up to participate.

5. Setting Up Your Profile: Once you confirm your registration, you are ready to begin posting. Many people set up their "profile" before posting, which consists of adding personal information such as goals for using the site, an "Avatar" and a "Signature."

6. Avatar: An Avatar is your picture, or a picture you want to represent you as your image in the forum. When you post in threads it is one of the first things people notice and is a good indicator of your personality. This can vary from an actual picture of you to your favorite cartoon character- it is all up to you! Many forums even have generic Avatars you can use if you don't want to (or know how to) upload a picture.

7. Signature: A Signature is a line that goes at the end of all of your posts- it is a personal reflection of your personality, and oftentimes contains links to sites like blogs, other sites you prefer or even your own promotional links. Signatures are not mandatory, they just help your posts stick out when you are in a forum setting.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not sign up in forums simply to SPAM links- you will find that you will be quickly banned from sites for doing so.
• Do not give out personal information in forums- just like any other stranger, do not give people the ability to find you based on the information you give out online.

[zemzem82]

on 2/4/2009 great article. I tried a orum bu it sucked maybe these tips can help- zemzem.ecrater.com

[Aari]

on 12/9/2008 Thanks for the information you provided

[Nemlee]

on 8/27/2008 Great info thanks for sharing it

[guardtoday]

on 8/24/2008 Thanks for spelling this out to make it easy to understand. For anyone looking for a topic you gave great tips. As always Thanks for the great tips
Donna Safe & Secure http://www.guardyourselfnow.com

[txmusicgal]

on 8/21/2008 Good tips that anyone could easily follow.