Reading and responding

Each topic contains a series of responses. A response, or post, is a single comment in the discussion. Responses are posted chronologically, one after another, like dialog in a play. Read together, the responses are an ongoing conversation.

• Response separator
• Following a topic
• Forgetting a topic
• Remembering a topic
• Posting a response
• Slipping in
• Changing a response
• Hide command
• Scribble command

Response separator 

Each response in a discussion is separated from the other responses by identifying information. That information includes:

• The name of the conference and number of the topic.
• The topic title.
• A checkbox to placemark the response.
• The unique number of the response within the topic.
• The total number of responses in the topic.
• A pseudonym chosen by the author.
• The username of the author.
• The date and time the response was posted.

Following a topic

Just above the first response displayed to you, there are links to earlier points in the discussion. Use these links to move to any point in the discussion.

• See all responses displays the entire discussion on one browser page.
• Scroll up 20 responses displays the last 20 responses in the topic.
• Jump! provides a text input box to specify which response number or range of responses to display.

Tip: If the input box is left empty, the Jump! button refreshes (reloads) the page to display the latest responses, including those posted since you started reading the topic.

Forgetting a topic

Suppose you want to remove a topic from the list you see when you enter a conference:

1. Open the topic by clicking its title.
2. Select one of the options from the list at the top of the page. You'll see a different set of Forget options depending on whether the topic is linked between conferences. Click the This topic is linked link just below the topic title to see where the topic is linked.
   • Forget here: Remove the topic from your list in this conference.
   • Forget elsewhere: Remove the topic from your list in other conferences to which it is linked.
   • Forget everywhere: Remove the topic from your list in every conference.
   • Forget: Remove a topic that is not linked to other conferences.

Remembering a topic

To remember a topic you have previously forgotten, click Forgotten in the Browse Bar above your topic list in a conference to see the topics you have removed from your list. Open a topic you wish to put back on your list. Click Remember or Remember everywhere at the top of the page. Click Recent in the Browse Bar to return to your topic list in the conference.

Posting a response

Unless a topic has been frozen by a conference host, you may post a response in the topic.

To post a response:

1. Read to the end of the topic.
2. Click inside the pseudonym box to edit your pseudonym for this response, if desired.
3. Click inside the response box and type your response.
4. Click Spellcheck to preview your response, if desired.
5. When you are ready to add your response to the conversation, click either Post or Post and Go.

Clicking Post adds your response to the discussion and reloads the browser page showing your response posted to the topic. To move on to another topic, you must select Pass.

Clicking Post and Go posts your response to the topic and exits the page without displaying the topic again.

To leave the topic without posting a response, click Pass.

TIP: If you click Pass after typing in the response box, you will be asked whether you want to post your response or leave the topic.

Slipping in

While you are reading a topic, other participants may post responses to it. If another participant posts between the time you begin reading a topic and the time you post a response there, you will be notified that responses have slipped in to the topic. When another response slips in, you may edit your response, post it as is, or discard it by deleting the text in the Response box, then clicking Pass. WELL members using PicoSpan, the text-based interface of The WELL, are notified of slips after they have posted, so they may post indicating that there was a slip if their posts might be misunderstood.

Changing a response

Once you have posted your response, it becomes a permanent addition to the topic and the history of the discussion. It cannot be edited. However, you can change the status of your response in two ways: Hide and Scribble. Only the author of a response and the host of a conference can change the response status.

To change the status of any response you have authored:

1. Locate the response in your browser.
2. Click on the response number. A new browser window will open.
3. Click the Hide or Scribble button.
4. Close the browser window.

To confirm the new status of your response, refresh your screen display.

Hide command

The Hide command conceals your response from immediate view by replacing it with a hypertext link. Participants who wish to read your response may click on the link.

It is sometimes polite to hide an exceptionally long, detailed, or tangential response. By posting the response and hiding it, you do not disrupt the flow of the conversation but allow interested readers access to your contribution.

TIP: A hidden response can be "unhidden" by its author, or a host, at any time.

Scribble command

The Scribble command deletes a response from the conversation, leaving only the response header as a placeholder. A scribbled response cannot be retrieved.

INTRODUCTION
Getting started

THE BASICS
Your personal conference list
The Toolbar
Settings
Inside a conference
Reading and responding
Learning more about your fellow WELL members

ADVANCED TOOLS
Hypertext linking
Placemarks
Shortcuts

REFERENCE
Frequently asked questions
Glossary