How to Use iVillage's Message Boards
Main Page
The main page of each message board lists the Board Title, Recommended Links and a paragraph called About This Community, which gives a short introduction to the board.In the shaded area at the top of the board, you will see the message board's title. Above the title, you will see a welcome message. If you are logged in, you will be greeted by member name. If you aren't logged in, you will be greeted with the word "welcome!" and a login button. Once you log in, you will see four links -- your profile, favorite boards, board settings and log out (described below).
Below the title, you will see a search field and links to outline view, invite a friend, folder view and archives for the message board. The lower portion of the board lists the titles of messages posted to the board.
Profile
Every member can create a Member Profile on our boards. Creating a member profile gives you a chance to express yourself
To create a profile, click on the Profile link near the "welcome!" message at the top of the message board page. Answer the questions you choose to answer, then save the page and go on to the second and third pages. If you would rather not answer a question, just leave the field blank and it won't be displayed on your profile. You can choose a personal avatar (image) to display on messages that you post. From your profile, you can also see private lists of people that you've added to your Friends or Ignore lists. Your Friends will be able to view all three pages of your profile. When you add people to your Ignore list, the messages that they've posted won't be displayed to you.
Board Settings & Favorite Boards
Right next to "welcome!" at the top of message board pages, you'll see links to Board Settings. Use Board Settings to specify a time zone for message display. Favorite Boards provides you with a convenient area to store a list of your favorite boards. It also keeps track of boards that you've recently visited. With one click, you can move boards that you've visited to your list of favorite boards!
Log Out
To log out or switch member names, click the Log Out link.
Search
Enter a word or a phrase into the search box to find all messages that have been posted to the board on a specific topic during the past year.
Outline View & Folder View
To see a list of discussion titles and responses, click on Outline View in the shaded bar at the top of the page. Like the Outline View, Folder View opens separately in a small window. It's a handy way to keep your place as you move through the board reading messages.
Archives
To view the archived messages for a specific board, click the Archives link. The Archives are closed to new messages, so you can read but you can't post a response. If you find a message that interests you, you can copy it and repost it. All of iVillage's old message board content and board archives are available through these Archives links.
Sorting
For a list of message display options, use the pull-down menu on the box that says Show Me All Discussions. For example, you can set the display to show messages from yesterday, messages from last week or messages that you've recently read.
Folders
All of our message boards have folders that organize the messages on a certain board's topic. For example, a message board might have a folder for general discussions and another folder for questions. To start a new discussion, click the Start a New Discussion button next to the folder where you'd like your message to be listed.
Reading Messages
Messages display the title of the discussion, the member name of the person who posted the message, the time and date of the message, and how many replies the message has received. In the box to the right of the message, you will see some information about the person who posted the message, such as how many messages she has posted to the board and the time of her last visit to the board. (Note: This information will not appear on some boards that deal with sensitive topics.) You also have the option to add this person to your list of friends or to ignore messages that she has posted.
Message Options
Send to a Friend
To send the message you're currently viewing to a friend via email, click Send to a Friend in the shaded option menu to the right of the message.
Print & Bookmark
To easily print the message you are viewing, click "print" in the shaded option menu to the right of the message. To bookmark a specific message, click "bookmark" in the shaded option menu to the right of the message.
Report a Violation
If you read a message on our boards that you believe is a violation of iVillage's Terms of Service, click on the Report a Violation link on the page where you read the message.
Edit Message
Messages can be edited after they have been posted. Open your message, then click on the Edit link to the right of the message. This link only shows up if you are the person who posted the message. When a message is edited after it was posted, the date and time of the change are noted on the message.
Posting
To start a new discussion, type in a title for your message. If you like, you can select an "emoticon" from the drop-down box. Our new boards use the same emoticons that we used on our old boards (happy, sad, thank you, etc). Type your message in the text box. When you are finished composing your message, click Preview Message.
Posting a Message -- Preview
The preview screen will show you how your message will be displayed. From this screen, you have the option to edit your message or to post it. If you are satisfied with the way your message looks, click Post to add your message to the board.
