Please see the threads below. They will explain how you use and navigate this forum if you are unfamiliar with it.
Using the Forum: Instructions
- Thread starter SBEN
- Start date
- Status
How to Register & Login
To register and login to the forum, you will need to go to the top right of the page and do one of the following:
Register:
- If you are new to the forum, enter your details in the registration form, then select 'register' at the bottom. An automatic email will be sent to you to confirm your email address - you must confirm your email address otherwise your registration application will not be complete.
- Once your registration is complete, an Administrator for the sben Forum can accept your registration and you will then be able to see all the forum for the members.
- Please Note
You must be a member of sben before we can accept your application. If your company is already a member of sben, but your email address does not match the company, we may need further proof that you are a member of the company. If we do not think you have provided sufficient evidence that you are a current member we may ask for more evidence. Please allow up to 2 working days for a reply on your registration application.
Login:
- Once you have been accepted, you can now use the 'login' function'. You should now be able to see two groups. The ‘sben info’ group and the ‘sben member’s’ group. If you are unable to see these options and/or are unable to post in these forums, please contact sben@staffordshire.gov.uk or message us on the sben forum.
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Terminology
'Groups, Forums and Threads', what are they?Groups:
- Groups are the two main sections that you will see on your home page: sben Info and sben Members. The first group is locked for editing, however, members can edit and post in the latter 'group' as that is for members.
Forums:
- Within each 'group' there is a number of forums. These will be the main subjects that are covered in the sben Forum. (Try not to confuse the name of the site we are on (sben Forum) with the names of individual 'forums'.) For example, Member Introductions & Collaboration; Sustainable Business Practices; Environmental Legislation; Grants & Support Opportunities; Events, Training & Promotions are all forum titles.
Threads:
- Within each 'forum' there are individual 'threads'. These are places where the conversation happens, each thread is a topic that relates to the larger subject. For example, in the forum Member Introductions & Collaboration, there are 3 threads titled Introduce Yourself, Project Collaborations and General Discussion. Members can add their own threads if they do not think there is one already that relates to their discussion.
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Messaging
Like, Quote & Reply Options
- Like = You can like someone else’s post.
- Quote = You can select quote on someone’s post (you can select multiple people), then when you go to post something yourself there is an ‘insert quotes’ option and the selected quote(s) will appear in your post. You can then write your own message below it.
- Reply = Similar to the Quotes option, you can reply to someone’s message. The person whom you are replying to will receive a notification that you have replied directly to them. It also means that you/anyone can see who you have responded to, they can also select the orange name on the replied replied message to find the original message.
Jump to New, Watch, Share & Bookmark
- Jump to New = This is an option will appear on you threads where you have not read all of the posts. You can then jump to the first unread post on the thread. It saves you from scrolling all the way down and finding where you left off from.
- Watch = If selected, you will receive notifications from that specific thread if people have posted in it. It will therefore notify you via email every time someone has posted in that thread. You can watch specific forums and threads alike. We recommend that you follow the ‘Environmental Legislation’ thread so you are made aware of any changes that could effect you and your business.
- Share (3 connected circles) = This will allow you to share that particular post on various different social media networks. You can also copy the specific URL link to that post there as well.
- Bookmark = You can save posts that you would like to go back to. To view your bookmarks, click on your profile image on the top right of the page. There will two tabs to chose from, select ‘bookmarks’ and you will find your bookmarks that you have saved. You can also select ‘show all’ and it will direct you to your bookmark page where you can view all of them.
- Hashtag = You can make the URL link specific to that particular post. This means that you can copy that specific URL and send it to anyone so that they can find the specific post you wanted to share.
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Posting
There are lots of features that you can use when you are posting a comment. They will appear when you are writing your own post. (You have 24 hours to edit your post after submitting.)In order from right to left, when selected they will appear as shown below:
- Removes any text formatting that has been applied.
- Bold text (Ctrl+B)
- Italic text (Ctrl+I)
- Alters font size: Size 9, Size 10, Size 12, Size 15, Size 18, Size 22, Size 26
- Changes the text colour
- Extra options:
- Changes font family: Arial, Book Antiqua, Courier New, Georgia, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS, Verdana
Strikethrough- Underline (Ctrl+U)
Coded text- Inline spoiler: This allows text to be blurred, until someone clicks on the blurred area.
- List: including bullet points, numbered points, indent text and outdent text.
- Alignment: Move text to left, centre, right or justified.
- Heading options to structure your post:
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Normal
- Add a link (Ctrl+K)
- Insert an image (If you write and article the first image will be the article image. You can also align the images left, right or centred. This will make your text wrap around the image, if you would prefer that over to the text being above or below it.
- Insert smiles to express yourself. You can hover over the smiles to see what each expressions shorthand is.
| Add in a table | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 |
Please Note
The note option can make your text clear if you wish to emphasise something.
- Extra options:
- Warning
Add a warning to emphasise a point to others.
- The horizontal dash visually separates your text for the reader.
Insert a video-
You can let others know if your text has a spoiler in it or not. You can let others decide if they want to view the spoiler text or not.
- Media option allows you to add in URL link to show your chosen media. This will allow the media to show up in your post, rather than acting like a link where it will just direct you to another page. Example below:
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Direct Message
You can message directly in two ways:- You can select a person’s profile and write something on their profile. This message will be direct to them, but the wider members of the forum can also view and comment on your post.
- If you would like to message someone more privately, then select their profile and you will be able to ‘start a conversation’ with them. This means that your message can only be seen between yourself and the other person you have contacted.
- You can view who has access to the conversation by viewing the list beneath the title of the conversation.
- You can add more people in the conversation if you would like.
- There is also an option to lock who can invite more people to the conversation
- You can leave the conversation if you want as well.
Your Profile & Account
You will be taken to your ‘account details’ page. You can edit your information here such as your username, email address, title, location, website, company name, about you, and links to your Facebook and X.
On the right-hand side of the page are further actions you can take (they are the same ones listed in the ‘your account’ tab). You can change your password, privacy settings, preferences, add a signature, see who you are following and ignoring. You can also view your booked marked posts, the reactions your posts have received, any alerts that you have had, and short cut to your accounts profile page.
Content Bar
Forums:
- Select and view threads you have created
- Threads where you have posted
- Any threads that have remained unanswered
- All the threads and forums that you are watching.
- If you are also finding it difficult to find a specific forum there is a search tool for you to use too.
What’s new:
- View all the unread new posts that have been made
- If anyone has added to their profile
- Your news feed will fill with posts that the people you are following have posted
- The latest activity will show you all the recent activity that has been made on the forum.
Members:
- Who is on the forum the same time as you
- If anyone has posted anything new to their profile
- Search peoples profile posts.
- Status