Read the rules of the Master Trend Forum 2024

Read the Master Trend Forum Rules

Please read the Master Trend Forum rules – Read before posting.

What is a forum system?

A bulletin board is an online discussion site.

It is sometimes also called a 'board' or 'forums‘.

It can contain multiple categories, consisting of forums, threads, and individual posts.

How is all this structured?

The bulletin board as a whole contains several categories (broad subject areas), which in turn contain forums (more specific subject areas) that contain threads (conversations on a topic) that are made up of individual posts (where a user writes something).

The dashboard home page has a list of categories and forums, with basic statistics for each, including the number of threads and posts, and which member posted the most recent message.

How do I find my way?

When you click on the name of a forum, you are taken to the list of threads it contains.

A thread is a conversation between members or guests.

Each thread starts as a single post and grows as different users add more individual posts.

Threads can be rated (?) to show how useful or popular they are and may contain polls (?).

To start a new thread, simply click the 'new thread' button Post new thread (you may need the appropriate permissions to do this).

Topics can be arranged in many different ways.

The default is to have the thread with the most recent activity at the top.

But you can easily change this order, for example to have the thread with the most posts at the top or the highest rating.

Simply click on the appropriate column header at the top of the thread list (Thread, Thread Starter, Rating, Latest Post, Replies, or Views).

You can also reverse the sort order by clicking the arrow next to the active option name.

(Note that 'sticky' threads will always be at the top no matter how you change the display options.)

Multi-page views

When there are more threads to display than can fit on a single page, you may see the 'Page' box, which contains page numbers.

This indicates that the list of topics has been split into two or more pages.

This method of splitting lists of items across many pages is used throughout the dashboard.

What are sticky threads?

'Sticky' threads are created by moderators or admins (?), and remain 'stuck' at the top of the list, even if they haven't had any posts recently.

Its purpose is to keep important information visible and accessible at all times.

How do I read a thread?

To read a thread, click on its title.

Each post in a thread is created by a member or a guest.

You will see brief information about the member who created the thread above the main message of the post.

In some cases it will be on the side of the post.

PTo post a reply to an existing thread, click the 'Post Reply' button Reply to thread.

If the 'Post Reply' button does not appear, it could mean that you are not logged in as a member, you do not have permission to reply, or the thread has been closed to new replies.

If enabled, there will also be a 'Quick Reply' box where you can quickly enter a reply without having to go to the 'Post Reply' page.

You may need to click the Quick Reply to this message quick reply button on a post to activate the quick reply box before you can write in it.

In long threads, you may want to change the way posts are ordered.

For more information on different ways to view and navigate threads, click (?).

Is there a faster way to get to the forums?

If you know which forum you want to go to, you can use the 'Forum Jump' control, which appears at the bottom of many pages within the forum.

How do I find out more about members?

To view information about a particular member, click on the username.

This will take you to your public profile page (?).

What is the navigation bar?

The navigation bar at the top of each page has links to help you move around.

A 'breadcrumbs' area at the top left shows where you are now.

A form on the right allows you to log in quickly.

With just one click you can access areas such as: the User Control Panel (?), FAQ (which you are reading now), the Calendar (?), Search Options (?), and Quick Links (?) to other useful features.

What is the 'What's going on?'

Box on the board home page? On the forum home page, you'll see a section at the bottom that tells you what's happening right now.

It tells you things like the number of registered users online, the number of guests, and even things like birthdays and upcoming events.

Can I change the appearance of the dashboard?

You may be able to change the style of the dashboard using the style changer at the bottom left of the page.

This allows you to choose different skins that change the color scheme and appearance of the board.

If this option does not appear, the board style cannot be changed.