Table of Contents

• What is a message board?
• What can I do with the message board?
• What is a thread?
• How do I read a message?
• How do I post a new message?
• How do I post a reply?
• Why isn’t my message showing up?
• Can I search the message board?

 

What is a message board?

A message board (also known as a bulletin board) is a place for many people to come together and communicate about a certain topic.  In the case of this message board, the topic is the Eardley family and the Eardley family reunion.  Message boards have been around for a long time, long before the “World Wide Web” came into existence using graphics and hyperlinks.  The general purpose of a message board is to allow people to post questions or comments that are useful to others. 

 

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What can I do with the message board?

You can submit a question or comment to the board and start a new thread.  You can reply to a message that has been posted.  You can search the message board for a specific topic that you are interested in (example: “stained glass”).  And you can simply read through the messages that have been posted and see what others are talking about.

 

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What is a thread?

A “thread” is a particular topic that someone starts inside of the message board.  For example, if someone wanted some information on St. James Church, he/she would post a message with the subject “St. James Church”.  This starts a new “thread”.  When anyone replies to that particular post, they add to the thread “St. James Church” and the reply is listed underneath the thread's original message.  Threads are very useful because once you have found the topic that you are interested in, you can simply navigate down through the replies.  This is why it is a good idea to use the “Post Response” option when answering a message, so the topic stays together and others don’t have to search the whole message board to find related entries.

 

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How do I read a message?

Click on the underlined heading (known as a "header"). The header is in blue.  The message will appear after you click the header.  From there you can use the “Read Next Msg” and “Read Previous Msg” links at the top of the message to scroll through the messages, or click on "Return to Index" to return to the list of messages.  You can also post a reply to the message.

 

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How do I post a new message?

Click on the “Post New Message” link located near the top of the page.  This will take you to the Post New Message form which contains fields for your name, email address, subject, and message.  Make sure that the subject you choose accurately reflects the topic of your post.  You also have the options of providing a web link (for instance if you've found a web site that you think other members would be interested in) or a picture on the web that you wanted to link to.  After you are done typing in the body of the message in the message field, click on the “Preview Message” button.  You will get a copy of your message as it will appear on the site.  You can edit the message if necessary, post the message, or simply click the "Return to Index" link if you change your mind.  Your message should appear when you go back to the index.

 

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How do I post a reply to a question/comment?

After you have read a message, click on “Post Response”.  This will take you to the Post Response form which contains the same fields as "New Message".  The subject will always be “Re: <subject you are replying to>”.  You can change this if you want to, but in general it is best to leave it as the default so it is obvious to others what you are replying to.  Use this form the same way as the "New Message" form.  After you have posted your reply, it will appear underneath the original header for the thread..

 

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Why isn’t my message showing up?

 If your message is not appearing in the article list, please click the “Refresh” or “Reload” button in your browser.  If the message still does not appear in the list of articles on the left, hold down the shift key while clicking the refresh or reload button.  If you have started a new thread, your message will appear at the top of the list with the word "New" beside it.  If you have posted a reply to an existing article, your message will appear under the main subject header.  BEFORE you repost a message, please follow the above steps, and if necessary close your browser and re-open it.  If the message still does not appear, then try to post it again.  If you are still having problems please email webmaster@eardley.org

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Can I search the message board?

Yes, you can search the message board.  Click on the "Search" link and type in a few key words that relate to your topic of interest.  If you don't find anything, try to use a broader topic.  For example, if you are interested in St. James Church, you might type in "St. James".  If no messages come up, try just "church".  If you get too many messages, narrow your search field.  For example, instead of typing in "Eardley", type in "Robert Eardley" to narrow down the field.  You can also search by dates and by authors.

 

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Last revised: October 28, 2001