What if …

• there was a place you could go online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and ask your computing questions?
  
  
• your questions could be answered by other ICON members, folks you know and trust, without having to bother them via e-mail or phone, and without having to wait for the next ICON meeting, hoping that you and they could both be there?
  
  
• those who answer the same questions over and over again could post their answers in a place that others could search and find the answer without even having to ask?

Well…now there is! The ICON Members' Forums were unveiled at the August 16 monthly meeting, and the 75+ members in attendance seemed to like the idea. To visit the forums, simply go to ICON's home page, http://www.iconusersgroup.org, and click the word "Forums" in the menu on the left. The first category on the page that appears is entitled "New to the ICON forums? Start here…" Clicking this link will take you to a help page that will answer some basic questions and give you step-by-step instructions for the registration process. (Registration is NOT required if you prefer to just read or search the forums; however, if you wish to post a question or comment, you must register). You will find answers to other questions by clicking the "FAQ" link at the top of any forum page.

Remember

• Cookies must be enabled to use the forums. Cookies are only used to keep track of your login while using the forums, and they are deleted from your system when you log out.
  
  
• If you use a firewall program, it must be disabled during the registration process; then it can be re-enabled.
  
  
• Only three fields must be filled in to register:
  
  
  1. A valid e-mail address - You will receive an e-mail from the forum at the e-mail address you provide, and you will be asked to click the link in that e-mail to complete your registration. Your e-mail address will NOT be revealed to the other members in the forum. (See the details on the help page mentioned above; AOL users, see below).
     
     
  2. A user name - This may be your real name, initials or a nickname. Your user name may consist of spaces, letters, and/or numbers. User name is the one field you cannot change once you have registered. (Make a note of your user name; you will need it later.)
     
     
  3. A password - Select your own password, fewer than 25 characters, case sensitive, no special characters like # or *. (Make a note of your password; you will need it later.)
     
     
• You can always change any of the information you submitted during registration (except user name) by clicking the "Profile" link at the top of any forum page.
  
  
• Read and heed the "Forum Etiquette & Other Considerations" provided on the help page.
  
  
• If you are an AOL user, the links you receive in e-mail will not be clickable. Just highlight the link, copy it (right click > copy), and paste (right click > paste) it into the address bar in your browser. Then click go.
  
  
• Take some time to become familiar with the forum. Hover your mouse over each of the icons, and a tool tip will appear identifying that icon. You'll soon know them by sight.
  
  
• Use the Practice Posts forum to make test posts when you are learning or testing new features of the forum.
  
  
• The only stupid question is the one that remains unasked. So ask away!

Coming Up

Each month for the next several months, one (or more) of the forum's features will be explained in more detail in the newsletter and online. As I write this, the forums have been live fewer than 24 hours, and over 30 ICON members have registered. Several have already posted questions and answers, and some have already suggested additions/improvement. Such enthusiasm is contagious! I can't wait to log in and see the latest posts!