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How do I use read messages in the Forum.

Just click on any topic to view a list of further topics, and/or the specific topic itself.

How do I post a message.

No matter where you are, look for the icons "new topic"  and/or  "post reply". Click on one of these icons and a box will appear asking for a name, title, and the text message.  Just fill these in as desired, and click on "Submit".  It's that simple !

The reason for requiring a name to be entered,  is just so that others can refer to you specifically, in their messages, as responses build.

Why do some forum message responses contain just a single word ?  Usually its "bump". 

First, one must understand how these forums work.  When any person  posts a new message, it goes to the very top of all message postings, within any group.  That way,  when  message readers first go into a group to read messages, all of the most recent message postings will be located at the top of  the "stack/pile" of all the message posts in that group.  Old messages thus propagate to the bottom.

Further, when anyone responds to a message posting (with a message of their own),  that main topic (and all of it's attached responses) also gets pushed back up to the top of the "stack/pile" of all messages posted in that group. This happens because any new message response makes the original main message post become relevant again,  just because someone has actually showed an interest in it by posting to it

If a posted message is getting many new message responses, it will therefore stay on the top of the "stack/pile".  Many people are obviously very interested in it at that time.  That message  would be considered a "hot topic", and the many message responses make it stay "on top"  for people to easily see and read.

As new message posts come in, and in the case where no responses are made to any given existing message,  that message gets "pushed" further and further down in the total "stack/pile".  This occurs because there is little interest in it any more.  In other words, new and hot messages stay on top.  Old and dead messages propagate down towards the bottom of the pile.  

Now......

Let's suppose your message, or one that you have a great interest in,  gets "pushed" pretty far down in the "stack/pile".   It is essentially "buried in the pile", and few if anyone will read down to it.  But you want to get it back up to the top of the "pile",  for a variety of reasons.  To do this, just go to that message and post a new "one word" response message to it (even if it is your own original post).  That word is usually just the single word "bump" (without the quotes).  This in effect will cause the forum system software to actually "bump" the original message (and all of it's responses) back up to the top of the stack/pile in that group where it will be easily seen again by others.

Don't be confused.  That response could have contained any word or words desired.  But by just using the single word "bump" (without the quotes),  everyone will know why you did this.  This action is considered fair game in all forum systems.

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