| Quicksteps: Getting Started Fast |
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If you want to get up and running fast with the fewest steps possible, follow the steps below. Tips are included to inform you of additional preferences and procedures that you can add, later on.
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First, register for the forum if you have not already done so:
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| 1) |
At the top of any page, click  Register.
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 Note: You will not see the link to register if you are already registered and logged in.
AOL Users: If you are having problems, please read this note.
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| 2) |
Read the agreement. |
| 3) |
If you agree with the terms, click the agreement link that corresponds to your age (13 and older, or under 13). |
| The Registration Information form appears. Fill out the required information by doing the following: |
| 4) |
In the Username text box, enter whatever user name you want to appear when you post messages. Type it exactly as you want it to appear in posts and in the membership list. Capitalization and spaces are permitted. |
| Note: To avoid confusion, members cannot change their username after registering. Be sure to choose one that you won't mind keeping for the duration of your forum membership. |
| 5) |
In the E-mail address text box, enter your e-mail address. |
| Notes: Be sure to enter your e-mail address accurately because your registration will be activated via a message sent to your e-mail address. All messages from the forum are sent to this address. You can change it in your user profile any time after your account is activated. Only administrators of the forum can view your e-mail address; your privacy is protected at all times. |
Spam Filters - Make certain any spam filter you or your ISP uses is set to allow email from the ZCrew.net domain or
Admin [at] ZCrew.net. (Replace [at] with @) |
| 6) |
In the Password text box, enter the password that you want to use each time you log into the forum. |
| 7) |
In the Confirm password text box, enter the same password that you entered in step 6. |
| 8) |
In the Confirmation code text box, enter the letters and/or numbers that you see in the "fuzzy-looking" gray box, directly above. |
| Note: Be sure to type the code exactly as it appears, including the same use of capital and lower case letters. The number "zero" has a line through it; the letter "O" does not. |
 Tip: The required portion of the registration form is now complete. Everything else is optional. You can address the remaining preferences that appear in the registration form, later, by making changes in the profile edit form (it contains all the same options). Some of the same options show up in the Preferences area of the forum. You can set them at either place. For more information, see Changing Profile Preferences and Understanding Profile Preferences. |
| 9) |
Click the Submit button. |
| Tip: If you experience trouble registering, see Registering for the Forum or Troubleshooting Problems. |
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| Next, activate your account: |
| 10) |
Watch for a message from the forum in your e-mail Inbox. |
| 11) |
When the message arrives, click on the link in the body of the message. |
| Your browser opens and a message appears, indicating that your account has been successfully activated. |
| Note: If you are under 13 years of age, a COPPA form arrives, instead of a simple link to click. Have your parents fill out the form and send it to the e-mail address Kelly [at] ZCrew.net (replace [at] with @) . When an administrator receives the form, your account is then activated manually, and a message is sent to your e-mail address, indicating that your account is now active. |
| Tips: |
| We recommend that you keep your activation message in a safe place; it lists your username and password, and you can consult the message if you ever forget either one and want to log in. |
| If you do not receive your activation message or if you experience trouble activating, see Activating Your Account or Troubleshooting Problems. |
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| Log in to the forum: |
| 12) |
If you are not already there, visit the forum. |
| 13) |
At the top of any forum page, click Log in. |
| The log in page appears, asking you to enter your username and password. |
| 14) |
In the Username text box, enter the username that you defined when you registered for the forum. |
| 15) |
In the Password text box, enter the password that you defined when you registered for the forum. |
| Tip: You can have the forum log you in, automatically, the next time you visit the forum. For more information, see step 4 and the information that follows it in Logging In. |
| 16) |
Click the Log in button at the bottom of the forum. |
| Tip: If you experience trouble logging in, see Logging In or Troubleshooting Problems. |
Note: We have a Introductions forum that you can use to not only introduce yourself to all the other members, but feel free to practice there as well (while introducing yourself  ). Try creating new posts, replying and quoting - try out all the tools there until you feel comfortable.
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| Search for a topic that interests you: |
| 17) |
If you are not already there, navigate to the forum index page by clicking Forum index in the navigation linkbar (example below or for larger graphic of page with navigation link, click here). |
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| 18) |
Scroll down the page and find a forum or sub-forum name that interests you. Click on the name to navigate to the corresponding forum page. |
| Note: If you click on a forum name, all the associated sub-forums appear on the page; you must click on one of the sub-forum names to view specific topics of discussion. |
| The list of topics for the forum or sub-forum appears. |
| 19) |
Click on the name of the topic you want to view to navigate to the associated discussion. |
| Tips: |
| If the topic has more than one page, you can click on one of the page numbers (shown below) to navigate to the page you want (or you can click Next or Previous). Messages appear in ascending chronological order. |
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| For other ways of finding topics, see Finding Topics of Discussion. |
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| To post a reply message in one of the existing topics: |
| 20) |
Read the forum policies by doing the following: Navigate to the index page, click the Welcome link in the Board Announcements box; then click the link for General Forum Policies. Or, go there now. |
| Note: It is required that you read all the general policies before posting your first message or contacting any forum member via e-mail or Private Message. |
| 21) |
Click the New Reply button (shown below) on any page within that topic (shown below). |
(Note that graphics for buttons may change) |
| The message creation form appears. |
| 22) |
If you want to include a title, enter it in the Subject text box. |
| 23) |
If you want to include a brief description of the message, enter it in the Subject description text box. |
| 24) |
Type your message in the large text box inside the form. Press the Enter key twice to separate paragraphs. |
| Note: If you copy and paste text into your message from another source, such as an e-mail message, be sure to remove any additional line breaks that move text to the next line without filling the whole message area on the topic page. You might need to preview your message before you can see where they are (see step 10). |
| 25) |
Click the Preview button to preview your message. Edit your text and formatting, as needed. |
| Note: Members should preview all messages before posting them. It is amazing how many corrections you might need to make, once you see how your message actually appears in the browser. |
| 26) |
Click the Submit button to post your message. |
| 27) |
At this point, a page appears, offering you the choice to either go to the forum index or to view your message inside the topic. Click the link that corresponds to your preference. |
| Tip: For a comprehensive set of instructions for posting both new topics and replies to existing topics, see Creating & Posting Messages. For information about formatting messages, see the list of topics under Posting Messages in the Help Menu or see Formatting Messages-Overview. |
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| Congratulations! And Welcome to ZCrew.net! |
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