Starting a new thread and other questions

[Clancey]

Okay, so I am having some social anxiety. There is a movie called Dumb & Dumber, that's me. I cannot figure out Psychlinks. How does a person ask a question, without jumping in the middle of someone's thread? I guess the question is, "How do you start a thread?"

A while back, someone asked me to be a friend. What is that about? I ignored it, because does that mean holding hands in the park, or what? I don't mean to slight anyone, but I would like to know what I am getting into.

What exactly is a Global moderator and an MVC or MVD or whatever? Are these paid positions? (lol)

I found the "do's and don'ts," but is there some basic "How to get around," information somewhere? You know for those of us who were not born cyber friendly.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Start by deciding where your new thread best fits. Go to the main index page at Psychlinks Self-Help & Mental Health Support Forum and browse the category and topic list there. Choose one you think is appropriate to the question or issue you want to discuss (if you're not sure, don't worry about it - that's one of the reasons we have moderators - your thread can always be moved).



Click on the topic you think matches what you want to discuss.

Let's say you think your topic belongs in Panic Disorder. Click on that heading to go to that forum.



Now, once you get to the forum, you'll see a Post New Thread button:



Click on that and you will go to this page:



Enter a title for your new thread then enter the content of your post in the editor box below.



And finally, click on Submit New Thread to actually post what you've written.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

A while back, someone asked me to be a friend. What is that about? I ignored it, because does that mean holding hands in the park, or what? I don't mean to slight anyone, but I would like to know what I am getting into.

It simply means that the person who requested you to friend them is interested in the content of your posts. you will appear on each others' Friend List. You're not agreeing to anything beyond that.

There are similar things on most social networking sites. On Twitter, the equivalent would be to get a message that someone is "following" you and you might decide to "Follow" them back (or not): if you do, you will see their tweets first before random tweets that Twitter thinks you might like. Similarly, on Facebook, "friending" someone means you will see their posts first in your news feed. On vBulletin forums, it doesn't mean anything other than that person is marked as someone you have "friended" and I think there might be some marker of that in Who's Online (to be honest, I can't recall).

What exactly is a Global moderator and an MVC or MVD or whatever? Are these paid positions? (lol)

No, we can't afford to have any paid positions here, not even for me.

A Global Moderator has the ability to edit or remove posts in any forum that violate our Forum Rules (linked from the main navigation bar on any forum page). Some forums also have Moderators who are restricted to moderating in only specified forums; we don't use that category at Psychlinks.

The MVP (Most Valuable Poster) is a title bestowed on forum members who have made consistent contributions to the forum:

A Psychlinks MVP is a forum member who has demonstrated a consistent record of efforts to be supportive and helpful to other forum members, i.e., a Most Valuable Poster. This is meant as a simple token of appreciation for those who help to make this forum community what it is.

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I found the "do's and don'ts," but is there some basic "How to get around," information somewhere? You know for those of us who were not born cyber friendly.

You can start with the forum FAQ (also linked from the main navigation bar on any forum page).

 

[Clancey]

Thanks, a bunch! For the most part, I stay off of social media like face book & twitter for example. Over the years there have been a lot of problems associated with them. You can find trouble anywhere, but life for me is confusing enough without getting involved in that. On this forum I've actually found a lot of good, positive information that helps me in my journey. Many people who honestly can relate because they themselves are either "there," or have been there.

Knowing how to start a thread will let me zero in on those issues that are of current consequence to me.

Again, thank you for taking the time to help me. How about a category called "Just Ask." (We will keep you up both night and day, David.) lol

 

[David Baxter PhD]

There is such a category: It's titled Psychlinks Tech Support.

Post any questions about the forum there and there are also some additional informational threads there. Some you mught want to read are:

Uploading Images from Your Computer to a Forum Post

Post a YouTube Video on Psychlinks

[How To] Upload multiple images to a post

How To Insert Images and Videos

Psychlinks Auto-Save: Retrieve a Lost Post

Using the new vBulletin 4.14 CKEditor

Using the Table BBCode

Also: New Feature: Quote Breaker

 

[MHealthJo]

Technology and the way people have begun to mix life with it, can certainly be confusing and daunting, that is for sure. Etiquette, norms, fashions, communication, language, meanings, expectations.... all the different people from so many different backgrounds and experiences, trying to mix together... hey, that was always tricky and confusing enough even before technology came along! You are doing well Clancey. Quite a lot of people who did not grow up with it, have found it too confusing or stressful entirely. It's great when you find somewhere that seems just manageable enough and supportive enough to ease into it a little bit, and as you say relateable life experiences - that certainly helps too.

This thread will probably be handy and encouraging for quite a lot of people out there who have not had much experience - I know for sure there are many of certain age groups who did not grow up with it and just never quite had someone really helpful and supportive to guide them along or answer little questions along the way.

This thread can continue on as a 'Just Ask' thread if you like - good idea, I think I will make it a sticky! (Sticky just means that a useful and important thread can stay noticeable near the top of a forum section forever, instead of dropping down as newer threads get posted. )

 

[Clancey]

Jo,
I saw my first computer when I was a Junior in College. I had a business for awhile and got very caught up in graphics. I felt comfortable with it. I had a stroke a few years ago and I lost just about everything physically and mentally. I didn't know how to even tie my shoe. Coming back, the learning is much faster than when things were first learned, but it's like everything has to be relearned. If that makes sense. Memory is present, but I have to be reminded, before I remember. So I appreciate the time taken to walk me through the basics of this forum so that I can get much more out of it in the long run.

You know, you go through this thought process where you want to ask something, but you feel fear, or perhaps it's an ego thing, not wanting to appear dumb, less worldly, or in my case admit that I'm getting older. Well, too late, I'm getting older!

Isn't it great that there are people writing here that care enough to take time to help. Eliminate bad posts, to protect everyone. Make sure that it's a positive experience for all involved. Do you find that on other platforms? I haven't seen that in past experiences.

Well, I have lots of reading to do...

 

[Retired]

go through this thought process where you want to ask something, but you feel fear, or perhaps it's an ego thing, not wanting to appear dumb, less worldly, or in my case admit that I'm getting older.

Clancey,

Never any need to feel apprehensive about asking anything here on Psychlinks, as we are all here to help one another, with no judgements being made.

You are in the good company of several other "senior citizens", myself included.

It sounds like you have done a remarkable job in recovering from your stroke. Your persistence and hard work have paid off...good for you!

Go ahead and try different things with the Forum, and don't be concerned about possibly making a mistake. Any one of our Moderator team can help you out when necessary.

Let us know how we can help!

Enjoy the Forum!

 

[MHealthJo]

Oh wow, I see Clancey, that must be a hard thing to try to describe to anyone else who has not experienced it... "re" learning, or maybe more like, sort of "re"-accessing the knowledge or memories or abilities. Really interesting. Thanks to the gift of search engines, I think your journey will be found by people out there who have experienced something similar, and will help them to feel encouraged and not alone. Which is a really great thing. Yup, just encourage yourself along the path and enjoy going at your own manageable pace.