Welcome! If you are viewing this page, we assume you are new to the ICON forums and are wondering how to get started. Click one of the links at the right to jump directly to the section of your choice, or scroll down the page to see all the information.

Additions will be made to this help as needed. If you have suggestions for changes or additions, please e-mail the forum administrator.

• Do I have to be an ICON member to use the forum?
  
  
• I just want to read and/or search existing posts.
  
  
• I want to post a question/comment to the forum.
  
  
• Forum Etiquette & Other considerations
  
  
• My problem is not addressed here; I still need help with the forum
  

If you would like to post a question or comment to the forums, then you must first register.
IMPORTANT: If you are using a firewall, you must temporarily disable it in order to register. As soon as you have finished registering, re-enable the firewall.

1. Click the "Register" link (See Figure 2) at the top of any of the forum pages; the Privacy Statement will appear.

2. Read the Privacy Statement, and click "Agree" at the bottom of the page.
   
   
3. The form that appears has only 3 required fields:
   
   
   1. E-mail Address - a valid e-mail address is required. You will not be able to complete the registration process if you do not provide a valid e-mail address. You are asked to type the address twice to avoid error. Your e-mail address may be updated/changed as necessary, as long as it is replaced with a valid address. Duplicate e-mail addresses are not allowed, so if you wish to register under two different User Names, you must have two different e-mail addresses.
      
      The question immediately below e-mail address is "Allow Forum Members to Send you e-mail?"
      If you answer "yes" to this question, then any forum member can send you e-mail. However, when they send you the e-mail, your address will not be shown to them; the e-mail will pass from their Internet Service Provider through the forums to you. They will only know your e-mail address if you choose to respond to the e-mail they send to you. For your convenience, most moderators of the forums will have enabled the e-mail feature so you may contact them.
      
      If you answer "no" to the question, then forum members will not be able to e-mail you. (The forum administrator will always be able to e-mail you in the event you lose your password.
      
      
   2. User Name - may be your real name or a nick name. The User Name is the name that will appear in the forums on your posts, so if you wish to remain anonymous, please do not use your real name. User Name is the only field on the form that cannot later be edited or changed, so choose your User Name wisely. The following special characters are NOT allowed in the User Name: !#$%^&*()=+{}[]|\;:/?>,<'
      
      
   3. Password - may be any combination of letters or numbers. Passwords are case-sensitive. The following special characters are NOT allowed in the password: !#$%^&*()=+{}[]|\;:/?>,<'
      Duplicate passwords are prohibited, so if you choose a password that is already in use, you will be prompted to enter a different one. You are asked to type your password twice to avoid error. You may change your password at any time after you register, by editing your Profile.
      
      It is a good idea to make a note of the User Name and Password you choose, so that later, you will be able to log into the forums.

4. The remainder of the fields on the form are optional:
   1. AIM, ICQ, MSN and YAHOO fields are for your screen name for those respective instant messenger services. If you would like forum members to be able to contact you via one or more of these services, complete these fields.
   2. Home Page and Cool Links are fields where you can provide URL's for those items.
      
   3. First Name/Surname are self-explanatory
   4. Signature is the field where you specify the signature (closing lines) of your posts. You have the option to exclude your signature from each post. Your signature might contain your name (or nickname), a favorite quote, or other details that make it uniquely yours. Signatures longer than 2 lines are considered poor netiquette, unless they are truly conveying necessary information.
      
      In computer forums, it is common for users to include the configuration of their system in their signatures, i.e. Pentium 4, 2.0 GHZ, 512 Mb RAM, Windows XP Pro. This prevents the user from having to type this information in posts and provides the data to any one in the forums trying to answer the posts.
      
      
5. Once you have completed the fields as desired, click SUBMIT.
   
   
6. You will see a message that instructs you to check your e-mail, where you will find an e-mail from forumadmin@iconusersgroup.org. (It may take several minutes for this e-mail to reach your in-box). Open the e-mail and click on the link to complete your registration. You will then see a message saying "Your Registration Has Now Been Completed! You may now begin posting using your new UserName and Password"
   
   Note to AOL (and perhaps other) users: If the link in your e-mail does not appear clickable, copy the link and paste it into the address bar of your browser, and click GO or press ENTER.
   

There are several basics to consider and remember when posting on the Internet

1. Remember that what you post is available for the world to see. Never divulge personal information such as your address, phone #, social security #, etc. in the forums.
   
   
2. Typing words in all capital letters (LIKE THIS) is the equivalent of shouting and is considered rude.
   
   
3. Remember that there are no facial expressions or voice inflections to temper the words that you type. If you must say something "tongue in cheek" use one of the smiley icons to indicate it. Feelings can be easily hurt.
   
   
4. Profanity is expressly prohibited. Users who violate this policy will be banned from the forums.
   
   
5. Search before asking. Please search the current posts and archives for answers to your questions prior to posting them. Often your question will have already been answered in the forums. Don't bore those who give of their time to answer questions by repeating ones that have already been answered.
   
   On the other hand, if you truly do not understand previous answers given, it is perfectly acceptable to state your problem, and explain that you do not understand the previous answers.
   
   
6. Ridicule or "flaming" of any one who posts to these forums is not acceptable. We were all beginners once. Gently refer users to previously posted answers to their questions.
   
   
7. Give your question a descriptive Subject line. A subject line that says " Help!!!!!!!!" will often be ignored, whereas one that says "Cannot run ScanDisk" is likely to get a much quicker answer. A descriptive subject line will also help future readers of the forums to easily scan previous posts.
   
   
8. Requesting an answer via e-mail rather than in the forum defeats the purpose of the forum.
   
   Post your answer(s) for all to see. Share the learning. Answering questions "offline" or via e-mail is counter-productive.
   
   
9. Any advice offered via these forums is just that...advice. You must decide whether to take the advice, and you must accept responsiblity for anything that happens to your system as a result.