REGISTRATION AND LOGIN

Why do I need to join?
To take advantage of all the features of the Birds & Blooms community, such as creating a profile, choosing your avatar, posting in community forums and group forums, sending and receiving private messages, you will need to register. It takes only a few minutes. If you’re having trouble with your username or password, see the Help section.

How do I join?
To join, simply click the "Join now" link in the upper right. You will be asked to provide a valid email address, mailing address, and choose a screen name. Please review our Privacy Policy.

FORUMS

What is a forum?
A forum is a collection of related discussions.

What is a discussion?
A discussion is a collection of related posts in a forum. The first post starts the discussion, and replies to the first post add to the discussion.

When I view a forum, I don't see any discussions.
A brand-new forum may not have any discussions yet. Otherwise, there may be no discussions that match the filters you have set, such as discussions newer than a certain date.

What are the different icons next to forum discussions?
The icons next to forum discussions indicate different status. Move your mouse cursor over each icon to see what it means.

Can I sort discussions when viewing a forum?
You can sort discussions when viewing a forum by Author, Replies, Views, and Last Post. The default sort for a forum is to display the newest discussions first (Last Post descending). To sort simply click on the "more options" button at the bottom of the screen and select your desired sort order and click 'Apply'.

Can I use HTML?
You cannot type HTML directly into the forum. In most browsers, the forum uses a rich text editor that will automatically format posts using HTML.

What are emoticons?
Emoticons are small graphics (such as smiley faces) that can be added within the body of a post. To add an emoticon to your post or reply, click on the smiley face in the tool bar or the "Options" tab of the post window and select an emoticon to use.

How do I post a new message to a forum?
Click on the "Write a New Post" button at the top of the forum to open a post window. Fill in the Subject field and then type your post in the Message field. If you like, add tags to the Tags field. (See "What are tags?") When you're finished, click the "Post" button at the bottom of the screen.

How do I reply to an existing discussion?
You can reply to an existing discussion using either the Reply button or the Quick Reply link displayed with each post. If you do not see the Reply button or Quick Reply link when viewing a post, you may not be logged in or the post may not allow replies.

How do I edit my posts?
You will see an Edit button in posts you have made. Clicking on this button will allow you to edit your post.

How do I delete my posts?
You will see a Delete button in new posts you have made. If a post you have made has one or more replies, you will no longer be able to delete the post.

My post has words replaced with ***
Word filters are enabled for certain words that are deemed to be offensive. These words are replaced with the '*' character.

What is email notification?
Email notification sends you an email message each time someone responds to one of your posts or replies. To turn it on or off, click on the "Options" tab in the Write a New Post window and check or uncheck the "Email me replies to this post" box.

What do the abbreviations in posts/replies mean?
For a list of common abbreviations, click here.

How do I add a photo to my post?
Birdsandblooms.com does not host photos; your photo needs to be hosted at a photo hosting website. Try free sites like www.photobucket.com or www.flickr.com. To add a photo to your post, click on the insert photo icon in the toolbar (to the left of the smiley face). Copy and paste the image URL from the photo hosting website, add a short description of the image (optional), dimensions (optional) and spacing (optional). Then click "Insert."

How do I add a link to my post?
To create a hyperlink in your blog (or in a forum post or reply), first type the words or a sentence that describes the link, such as: Here's a link to the recipe. Next, highlight the words or sentence that you want to link somewhere by dragging through them. When you highlight, link icons will appear in the formatting toolbar above the text window (these look like chain links). Click on the link icon (chain links) and a window will open where you can add the URL for your link. You can also choose whether the link opens in the same window or a separate window. Type (or paste) in your URL and click "Insert".

GROUPS

What are Group forums?
Group forums are similar to Community forums. They are organized for a group of individuals who have a common interest and want their discussions to focus mainly on that subject.

How do I post or reply in a Group forum?
Before posting in a Group forum, you must join the group. Visit the group home page and click on the "Join [Group Name]" link. After you have joined, you can click on the "Join an existing conversation" link or the "Start a new conversation" link.

AVATARS AND PRIVATE MESSAGES

What is an avatar?
An avatar is a picture or illustration of you (or another picture of your choice that represents you). It is displayed with your posts and replies in message boards and groups and also on your My Page.

How do I set my avatar?
First, choose a digital photo or an illustration you wish to use. Accepted formats are jpg, gif and png. For best results, it should be square. From any page, click on "My Profile" in the upper right corner. On your My Profile page, find the "Change Avatar" field. Click the "Browse" button and locate the photo or illustration on your computer. Then click "Update." Scroll to the bottom of your page and click "Save." NOTE: Your avatar may not show up immediately, so be patient.

What is a Private Message?
A private message is like email within the community. You can send a private message to other users that is visible only to them. No private information, such as your email address, is ever disclosed. To send a private message to another user, click on the user's screen name to go to her or his My Page. Then click on "Send [screen name] a private message." You can also send a private message to a user by clicking the "Contact" button in posts and replies to community or group forums.

How do I read my private messages?
Click on the mail icon in the upper right corner

What do the abbreviations in posts/replies mean?
Here's a list of common abbreviations used on the forums:

• BBL = be back later
• BF = boyfriend
• BH = better half
• BIL = brother-in-law
• BRB = be right back
• BTW = by the way
• DD = dear daughter
• DH = dear husband
• DIL = daughter-in-law
• DS = dear son
• DSD = dear step-daughter
• DSS = dear step-son
• DW = dear wife
• FIL = father in law
• FWIW = for what it's worth
• GF = girlfriend
• HTH = hope this helps
• IIRC = if I recall correctly
• IMHO = in my humble opinion
• IMNSHO = in my not so humble opinion
• IMO = in my opinion
• ISO = in search of
• JMO = just my opinion
• LMBO = laugh my butt off
• LOL = laugh out loud
• MIL = mother in law
• OMG = oh my gosh
• RAK = random acts of kindness
• ROFL = rolling on floor laughing
• SA = smart aleck
• SAHM = stay at home mom
• SIL = sister-in-law or son-in-law
• SNERT = snot-nosed egotistical rude teenager
• SO = significant other (boyfriend/girlfriend)
• TIA = thanks in advance
• TY = thank you
• YW = you're welcome