Getting Started

Congratulations! By reading this message, you’re well on your way to getting started as a member of the BigBlueBall community!

If you never participated in a discussion forum before, don’t worry… you’ll find it’s easier than you thought.

The first step is to sign up as a member. At the top of the the left-hand of this web page is a box titled “Sign-In”. This is where existing members enter their username and password.

The first time you use our forums, you’ll need to sign up. Pick “Sign up now” and you’ll see our usage policy. Don’t be alarmed. The policy simply explains the basic rules of our forum, and how to keep your own information safe. Once you’ve read the policy (and, assuming you agree with it of course), press continue.

The next step is to fill out your member profile. This is where you pick your member name, password, and supply any additional information you want to share with other BigBlueBall members. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk.

Some people like to create a member name that’s simple (like “Jeff”). Others prefer to get creative…the choice is entirely yours.

Once you’ve signed up, you can sign-in and begin posting new topics or replying to existing topics.

First, find the category you’re interested in. If you see a topic that you’d like to reply to, click “reply to topic”. You’ll see a message window that allows you to type your reply. When your reply is complete, click the Post Reply button and you’re done!

The steps for creating a new topic are very similar. Click the new topic icon, and in addition to your message, you’ll also need to enter a descriptive subject. This will help other members know what the message is about without opening it first.

You’ll notice a lot of formatting buttons and options are available. You don’t need to worry about those for now. Let yourself grow familiar with how the forums work first, then you can begin experimenting with the formatting.

Welcome to the BigBlueBall!