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What can I do if I don't register?
As a "guest," you can browse and read messages posted by others, but you cannot post messages of your own, or personalize the way the boards are displayed.

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How do I register?
Just click the Register link near the top of any Book Clubs page, and enter the following information:

• User Name.
  This is your public identity in the Book Clubs. It appears whenever you post a message or send a Private Message. Your User Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), but has to be at least two characters long. Your User Name should represent you, but should not be your real name or e-mail address. Be creative, but choose carefully -- your User Name cannot be changed once your registration is complete.
• Password.
  This is a secret word or code that you use in connection with your User Name to access the Book clubs. It can be any combination of five or more alphanumeric characters (plus - and _). It should be something you can remember, but it should not repeat your User Name, e-mail address or any other information that others can guess. We recommend you use a mix of numbers and letters (in capital and lower case). Please note that passwords are case-sensitive.
• E-mail address.
  Please enter a valid e-mail address. You will not be able to post messages or use other community features until you first verify your e-mail address. After you complete the registration form, we'll send you an e-mail containing a link back to this site. Click on that link, or copy it into your browser, to verify your e-mail.

The registration page also allows you to enter some optional information, including your First and Last Names, your time zone, and whether you want to automatically adjust your settings for Daylight Savings Time. This information is not required to create your account, but if you enter it here, it will be added to your Personal Profile. You can update or remove information from your Personal Profile by clicking on the My Profile link near the top of the Book Club pages. You can also control your Privacy settings by clicking on the Display & Privacy Settings tab in the My Profile area.

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How do I sign in?
Once you've registered and verified your e-mail, you can sign in to the Book Clubs and begin personalizing your experience.

1. Click the Sign In link at the top of any page.
2. Enter your User Name and password, and click the Sign In button.

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How do I recover my password?
We can help you recover your User Name and password. Simply click on the "Forgot Your User Name or Password?" link on the Sign In page, and enter your registered e-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with the information you need. To protect the privacy of your password, we recommend that you change it when you return to the site.

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Does my BNU account work?
Most Barnes & Noble University student accounts in use since October 2004 have become Book Club accounts. To determine whether your BNU account made the transition, click on the Sign In link near the top of this page, and enter your BNU User Name and password. If your account information is accepted, then you are ready to participate in the Book Clubs.

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What if my BNU account doesn't work?
If you do not remember your BNU User Name or password, you can try to recover it using the "Lost User Name and Password?" link on the Sign In page. If your e-mail address is in our system, we'll be able to help you recover your information.

If your e-mail address is not in our system, it means that your account did not transition from BNU. There are three reasons this could have happened.

1. We only carried over accounts that have been used since October 2004.
2. We did not transition any accounts that included certain special characters in the Nicknames (or accounts wherer Nicknames varied only in capitalization).
3. We only allow one User Name per registered e-mail address. If you had multiple BNU accounts attached to your e-mail address, all of those accounts were canceled.

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Where is my BNU profile?
We have transferred only the information needed to maintain your account, including your User Name, password, e-mail address and communications preference. We did not carry over any other BNU profile information, including your location or biography data. To see what information is in your Profile, please sign in and click on the "My Profile" link near the top of the page. You can update your Profile, including your communications and privacy settings, at any time.

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How are the message boards organized?
The Book Clubs are arranged in categories according to subject. Each category has multiple Book Clubs for discussion, some of them featuring authors, others led by moderators.

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Can I just look around?
Many users like to browse the Book Clubs before posting messages. This is a great way to become acquainted with how the Book Clubs work, and how people interact. You can browse the category listings on the Book Clubs home page, and dig deeper into the categories themselves. As an alternative, you can use the "Our Discussions ..." pulldown menu in the top right corner of any Book Clubs page to find the categories and Book Clubs available for discussion.

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How do I search for information?
The Book Clubs have a powerful search tool that lets you search for content and other users. Type the keyword you're looking for into the Search box to find matches across the Book Clubs. Click the Users link next to the Search box to find other users, and click on the Advanced link if you want to limit your query to a specific board, specific parts of the message (subject vs. body) and other advanced parameters.

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How do I change the icon next to my name?
The icon attached to your account is a way to personalize your messages and send clues to other users about your interests. We have a wide range of icons available, and will add more over time. You can choose a new icon -- or choose not to use an icon -- by clicking on "My Profile," and then clicking on the Personal Icons tab.

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How do I create a signature for my posts?
Your signature is text that appears at the bottom of every message you post. You can set your signature in the My Profile area, and filling in the Signature box on the Personal Profile tab.

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How do I tell other users about me?
Your Personal Profile contains information that you add to our system to help identify you. You have control over what information you post, and whether it is visible to all users, your "Friends," or to no one. Whatever your choice, please do not post any confidential information, or anything you don't want others to see.

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What is my Friends List and how do I add users to it?
Your Friends List has three functions:

If you have entered personal information on your Personal Profile page, and if you have checked the Friends Only option for Profile Privacy on your Display & Privacy Settings tab, then only people on your Friends List will be able to see your personal information.

Similarly, if you have checked the Friends Only option for Online Status on your Display & Privacy Settings tab, then only people on your Friends List will be able to see when you are online or not.

When you send a message in the Private Messenger, all your friends will appear in a dropdown menu that you can select from. You can then send one of them a message without having to type their user name into the Send to field.

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How do I set my viewing preferences?
There are a number of display preferences you can set to personalize your Book Club experience. These are described in the table below. To modify your preferences, do the following:

1. Sign in.
2. Click the My Profile link.
3. Click the Display & Privacy Settings tab.
4. Make any changes you wish, as described in the table below.
5. Click Save Changes.

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How do I post a message?
Go to the board you want to post on, and click the New Message link near the top of the message list.

On the Post Message page, you will see a Subject area and a Body area.

1. In the first field, the Subject field, type a title for you message.
   This is the only part of the message that shows up on the message listing page, so try to make it something that will be clear and concise. Use keywords about your topic.
2. In the second field, the Body field, type your message. Put details about your topic here.
3. If you want, you can click Check Spelling to look for misspelled words, or you can click Preview Post to see what your post will look like on the boards. Note: the spell checking and preview features are only available in Internet Explorer 5.5 or later.
4. When you are happy with your message, click the Submit Your Message button.
   Your message will be added to board and everyone else on the board will be able to read it.

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How do I reply to a message?
Use the Reply button in a message to write a response to a particular post. You'll see a screen similar to the Post Message screen. There are a few differences:

• When you reply to a post, the subject line will be filled in for you automatically. You can change it if you want.
• You can use the Quote Post button to paste the message to which you are replying into the body of your reply.

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What is a "thread?"
When one or more people reply to a particular message, a "thread" is created. A thread is a series of posts that go together. If you've ever heard of someone "following the thread of a conversation," you get the idea.

If you post a new message, then that starts a new thread. If you reply to an existing message, then that message becomes part of the original message's thread.

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How do I use Macros?
The Macros feature allows you to create boilerplate text that you can paste into any message with the click of a mouse. Note: Macros are only available in Internet Explorer, version 5.5 or later.

To set up a Macro:

1. Sign in.
2. Click the My Profile link.
3. Click the Saved Text tab.
   
4. In the Macro 1 Title field, enter a short title for your first Macro.
   The title should be short because it will show up in a pulldown menu. Make sure it is distinctive enough that you will remember which title belongs with which Macro.
5. In the Macro 1 field, enter the text you want to be able to paste.
6. Enter any other Macros you have.
7. Click Save Changes.
   Your Macros will be saved to your Profile in the database.

Note: If there is particular text that you wish to appear at the bottom of every message you post, put the text in a signature instead of a Macro.

To use a Macro:

1. Sign in.
2. Navigate to a board where you want to post a message.
3. Click New Message.
   (Or, you can reply to an existing message by opening that message and clicking the Reply button.
4. Once the post message window has loaded, you will see a Saved Text menu.
5. Click in the Body field where you want to paste your text.
   If the text is short, you could also paste it in the Subject field.
6. Click on the Saved Text menu to open it.
7. Select the macro you wish to paste.
   The text of your Macro will paste where you have your cursor.
8. Type any other text you wish in the message body.
9. Click Submit Post.

Note: If there is particular text that you wish to appear at the bottom of every message you post, put the text in a signature instead of a Macro.

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How do I use bookmarks?
Bookmarks allow you to list boards, threads, and individual messages on a special page so you can easily find them again.

To Favorite a board:

1. Sign in.
2. Go to the board you want to bookmark.
3. Open the Board Options menu and click Add this Board to my bookmarks.

To add a thread or message to your bookmarks:

1. Log into the Forum.
2. Open the message you want to bookmark.
3. Open the Message Options menu and click Add this Thread/Message to my bookmarks

To view your bookmarks, click My Profile, and then click the Bookmarks tab.
To delete any of your Bookmarks, click My Profile, and then click the Bookmarks tab. Place a checkmark in the bookmark you want to delete from the list and click the Remove option for that section.

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How do I use Subscriptions?
If you add a board, thread, or message to your Subscriptions, the system will send you an e-mail every time someone posts to the board, or replies to the message or thread.

To add a board to your Subscriptions:

1. Sign in.
2. Go to the board you want to subscribe to.
3. Open the Board Options menu and click Add board to my subscriptions.

To add a message to your Subscriptions,

1. Sign in.
2. Open the message to which you want to subscribe to.
3. Open the Message Options menu and click Add this Thread to my subscriptions or Add this Message to my subscriptions.

To view or delete your Subscriptions, click My Profile, and then click the Subscriptions & Bookmarks tab.

To delete any of your Subscriptions, click My Profile, and then click the Subscriptions & Bookmarks tab. Place a checkmark in the subscription you want to delete from the list and click the Remove option for that section.

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How do I use the Dashboard?
Your Dashboard is a little window that displays a lot of information. It is launched when you click the Dashboard link near the top of any Book Clubs page. The Dashboard displays:

• Your current icon.
  Click on it to choose anther one.
• Your current statistics.
• Private Message information.
  Click the envelope to launch the Private Messenger and reply to your messages.
• Your Subscriptions and bookmarks, including recent activity.
  Click on a Subscription or bookmark to see what's new in those areas.
• Quick links to Search, your Personal Profile, and other things.

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What is RSS and how do I use it?
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication." It is a way for you to get the latest content from this community, along with many other sites that you visit, all in one place. With an RSS feed reader, you subscribe to Web sites, and those sites feed you headlines so you can stay up to date. To use RSS, you'll need a feed reader, such as Bloglines, MyYahoo, or the Live Bookmarks feature of Firefox. There are many free options. Once you have your feed reader set up, you can find RSS feeds in the community by going to a Board, Blog, thread, or message and selecting Subscribe to RSS Feed from the options menu. There you will see a preview of the feed. Most RSS readers give you a button to click at this point. Once you click it, the RSS feed will appear in your reader, and you will see new content from that section of the community whenever it becomes available.

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What's a Blog?
A Blog is an online journal maintained by one or more authors. Blogs are usually presented in reverse-chronological order, so whenever you navigate to a Blog you are seeing the latest article, followed by earlier articles in turn. Some blogs have comments from readers, which you read by clicking on the comments button at the bottom of each article.

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What is the Private Messenger?
The Private Messenger allows you to send private notes to other users.Private Messenger has two big advantages over e-mail:

1. You don't have to know the other user's e-mail address to send the note. (Also, you don't have to reveal yours.)
2. Private Messenger is more interactive than e-mail. It's easier to hold a quick conversation through it.

You need to be signed in to use the Private Messenger. If you're signed in, a Messages link will appear on the top of your page. If you have any new messages, a yellow envelope icon will appear next to the link and the number of new messages will be indicated.

If you click on the link, the Private Messenger window appears.

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How do I send a Private Message?

1. Sign in.
2. Click the Messages Link
3. In the private messenger window, click Send a New Message.
4. If you have created a Friends List, and you want to send the message to a listed friend, select the friend from the Send to Friend pulldown menu.
5. If you want to send to someone not in your Friend List, type the person's user name in the Send to field.
6. Type the subject of your message in the Subject field.
7. Type the body of your message in the Note field.
8. Click Send Message at the bottom of the page.
   The message will be sent to the other user. The message will also appear in your Outbox.

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How do I read a Private Message?

1. Sign in.
   If you have any new messages, a yellow envelop icon will appear next to the Messages link and the number of new messages will be indicated.
2. Click the Messages Link.
   The Private Messenger window will be displayed.
3. Click the Inbox link.
   Your Inbox will be displayed.
4. Click the Subject of the message you want to read.
   The full message will be displayed.
5. After you have read the message, you can click on links to Reply to the message or Delete the message buttons at the bottom of the page.
   You can also click on the Add User to Friends List link to add the sender to your Friends List.
   Or, if you don't want this user to send you any more messages, you can click on the Add User to Ignore List link to add the person to your Ignore List.

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How do I reply to a Private Message?

1. Sign in.
2. Click the Messages Link.
3. Click the Inbox link.
   Your Inbox will be displayed.
4. Click the Subject of the message you want to read.
   The full message will be displayed.
5. Click the Reply link at the bottom of the window.
   The Send Message window will be displayed with the Send to and Subject fields pre-populated.
6. Enter your message in the Note field.
7. Click Send Message.

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How do I delete a Private Message?
While reading a message, you can click the Delete link at the bottom of the window to delete the current message.

While viewing your Inbox, you can delete several messages at once by checking the checkboxes next to the messages you want to delete, then clicking Delete Checked.

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How do I see Private Messages I've sent to others?
When in the Private Messenger, click the Outbox link to see all the messages you sent to others.

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What is my Friends List and how do I add users to it?
Your Friends List has three functions:

If you have entered personal information on your Personal Profile page, and if you have checked the Friends Only option for Profile Privacy on your Display & Privacy Settings tab, then only people on your Friends List will be able to see your personal information.

Similarly, if you have checked the Friends Only option for Online Status on your Display & Privacy Settings tab, then only people on your Friends List will be able to see when you are online or not.

When you send a message in the Private Messenger, all your friends will appear in a dropdown menu that you can select from. You can then send one of them a message without having to type their user name into the Send to field.

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What is my Ignore List and how do I add users to it?
Most users in an online community get along very well. Sometimes, however, you might encounter someone you don't want to interact with. Adding someone to your Ignore List will stop them from being able to send you Private Messages.

To add someone to your Ignore List:

1. Sign in.
2. Click the Messages Link.
   The Instant Messenger window will be displayed.
3. Click the Find Users link.
4. Enter the user's screen name in the Search box.
5. Click Search.
6. When the user's name is displayed, click the Add to Ignore List link on the same line as the user's name.

You can also click the Add User to Ignore List link in any message the user has sent you to add that person to your Ignore List.

To see who's on your Ignore List, click the Ignore tab in your Private Messenger. You can remove them from your Ignore List if you've changed your mind.

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What is a tag?
A tag is a single keyword applied to a post that describes a topic, theme, or category of the post. Each post may have multiple tags. For example, a post about a mouse might have the tags, mouse USB optical wireless DPI. If you enter multiple words separated by spaces you will create multiple tags, not a phrase.

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What is a tag cloud?
A tag cloud displays tags used frequently within an area of a community. Tags applied frequently will appear in a larger font. A tag cloud can give you a sense of what the hot topics are in a given area.

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What can I do with tags?
Tagging items helps other users discover interesting posts. Tagging can also help you bookmark related items.

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Why do people tag?
Some users will tag posts for their own convenience in finding them later. Other users enjoy helping categorize interesting posts for the benefit of the community. Users who tag lots of posts gain status by appearing on Tag Leaderboards.

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How do I tag?
You can use tags to bookmark, categorize, or identify a post. A well chosen tag will also help other users find interesting content.

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Where are my tags?
Find messages you've tagged by visiting your profile and choosing the tag. You can also click on the tag on any cloud and look for the My Most Tagged Messages section.

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