How to Use the Joyful Heart Bible Study Forum
If you've never used bulletin board or forum software before, this might be
hard the first time. But you'll get onto it pretty easily, and then find it very powerful. You can access the Joyful Heart Bible Study Forums at http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/
If you've already registered, but lost your password click here.
How to Register the First Time
Even though you've signed up for the e-mail portion of the Bible study, you must register separately to participate in the Forum.
You can read others' comments as a guest, but to participate yourself you
need to register. This involves three steps:
1. Register
Find the "Register" link at the top of the webpage.
After you click on this link you'll see a place to register. Please enter
your full name, such as "John Doe" (spaces in your name are okay).
Then enter a password that is between 3 and 32 characters long. Be sure to write
down your name and password some place safe so you'll have them even if your
computer crashes. :-)
Incidentally, though you'll enter your e-mail address, it won't show up on
the bulletin board, so your privacy will be protected.
2. Validate Your Membership
Check your e-mail immediately and look for a message with the subject "Registration at Joyful Heart Bible Study Forums".
Scroll down the message to find a link. It's right after the line that reads:
"To activate your account, simply click on the following link"
If you're using AOL, you may need to copy and paste the link into your web
browser.
3. Login
Here's what the login screen looks like:
Now log in using your name and password (the ones you just entered on the
registration screen). Unless you're using a public computer, let the program
"remember" you so next time you won't have to re-enter your name and
password.
To Post to the Forum
If you want to add your comments to a particular topic, click on the
"Add Reply" button at the bottom and top of the webpage. (Note, the
"New Topic" button is disabled at this point.)
A window pops up with a space where you can type your message. The buttons at
the top of the screen allow you to add boldface, italics or even different fonts
to your message. The bottom line in the message I've shown is in boldface. The
program has entered [B] and [/B] to indicate that. The actual boldface will show
when you "Preview Post" or "Add Reply." To learn how to use
these, just experiment and preview the results.
You can also add smiley faces ("emoticons") to your messages, if
you like, just for fun.
How to Add Your Own Picture to Your Forum Postings
You can add a picture to your postings if you like. Click on the "My
Controls" link at the top of the webpage.
Under "Personal Profile" at the bottom left side of the "Your
Control Panel" page, click on the "Edit Avatar Settings" link.
The word "avatar" as used here is a cartoon character or symbol that
represents you, and is intended to have none of the religious or philosophical
meaning sometimes associated with the word. You can select from one of the
included pictures that you like, or upload your own. Uploaded pictures must be
64x64 pixels or they'll look distorted when displayed on the Forum.
Of course, there's no need to do this, but have fun. Enjoy.
Below are a few of the many avatars available. I purposely didn't include denominational logos, since we're celebrating our unity in Christ, not our separateness.
Introducing Yourself
When you've figured out how to use the forum, you may introduce yourself to others in your Bible study. To do this, go to the main forum page (www.joyfulheart.com/forums). Then look for your Bible study name (there are sometimes several Bible studies going on at once), and the link that says "Check in here". For the Gideon Bible Study, Check in here, then click on the "Add Reply" button to introduce ourself.
If All Else Fails
Following each step carefully will probably answer 95% of your
questions. If you're still having trouble, please feel free to
e-mail me, describing EXACTLY what you are trying to do, and what the screen says when it doesn't let accomplish that.
Copyright © 1985-2012, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
joyfulheart.com> All rights reserved. A single copy of this article is free. Do not put this on a website. See legal, copyright, and reprint information.
Joyful Heart Renewal Ministries
JesusWalk®
Publications
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, Director
Contact Information
