About The HDC Forum

Introduction

Firstly, those who know about Forums and simply wish to access and Register, can do so HERE.

For those who've never been involved in a Forum before, it's not difficult at all but there is a little to know, so read on and I'll explain the idea, the concept and the reason why we've decided to attach one to our website. The HDC Forum is for Club members only. It's not open to the general public. We believe there are enough members of HDC to make our Forum interesting, helpful and useful but above all, fun. It will be a perfect environment for our members, who see each other only on rare occasions like Competitions, to keep in touch and to share their knowledge, learn from the more experienced and also have interesting discussion and (civilised) debate about all things related to Horses, Dressage and even unrelated topics, such as hobbies. There is really no limit to the benefits that can be obtained through this safe, easy contact.

Here is the Address of another Forum in the US, with a similar general topic. Have a look and you'll get an idea how they work. http://horselover.net/forum/index.php. You will see that it's just a simple matter of one person "posting" a topic, which may be a question, observation, a story or even a greeting... whatever. After which, other members reply. There is no 'hurried' atmosphere, a post can be there for hours until someone answers or comments or advises, again, whatever. Of course, as more people become involved, the discussions can get moving sooner. Some Forum "threads" (that's a single discussion or topic) can go for days, weeks or even longer. Anyone can join in at any time, as all the past replies and comments etc are there to be read, so one can read through from the beginning of the 'thread' or topic and be up to date and then join in.

Safety and Anonymity 

First of all, Forums are NOTHING like 'Chat Rooms'. Forums are meeting places for groups of people with common interests, where categorised topics can be discussed, questions asked and advice given in a safe environment at a leisurely pace. YOU decide how much or how little you reveal about yourself. When you register, you choose a nickname or 'User Name' and it's your choice to have anything else known about yourself. Only the Administrator of the Forum, who is a responsible member of the HDC or often the webmaster of the attached website, will have access to your REAL name (which you will need to email to the Administrator, along with your chosen 'User Name' in order to confirm that you are a Club member when you register) and your email address, in order to contact you privately if need be and to be issued forgotten passwords etc. NO information about ANYONE is divulged to anyone. This is the prime rule of any Forum. Being a 'Closed Forum' i.e. for HDC members only, there would be little to be concerned about anyway. There will be no list of 'Real Name' versus 'User Name', as there is no need to give your real name when you register. You only give it in the email to ADMIN. You are known on the Forum under your chosen 'Nickname', if you so choose. You can, of course, make yourself known to your friends, if they don't guess anyway....

Registration

When you register for Forum membership, you will be asked to read and acknowledge an Agreement, regarding responsibilities the behaviour within the Forum. As there will be younger people visiting and taking part in discussions etc, the way in which people conduct themselves is even more important than in a Forum where those under 18 years are not permitted. Children of any age, within reason, can join if they are HDC Members.

To register, you will need to choose a "User Name" and you will need to enter an email address (you can choose NOT to have your email visible to the rest of the Forum members) everything else, in terms of facilities and information etc is optional. When selecting 'options' while you register, don't worry if you don't know what to do. Everything can be changed later, by clicking on the "Profile" link at the top of the page, once you are in the Forum.

You will be able to take part in the Forum immediately, for convenience, as we don't think there will be many (or any) attempts by the general public to get access. However, you MUST immediately email the Administrator (address in the Forum as described above) with your Forum User Name and your Real Name. This is because your identity needs to be confirmed as a member of the HDC. If you are a member, you will receive a return email to welcome you to the Forum. If you are NOT a member of HDC, the account given to you on registration will be deleted, along with a polite email being sent. So, you MUST email both names to Admin (address in the Forum) as soon as you are registered. As there will be only a couple of people checking these 'Registration Notifications', so be patient. You will still be able to use the Forum in the meantime. If you don't receive a 'Welcome' email in three (3) days, please send the Admin a reminder, as the email may have been lost....

The best place to start is the 'Introduce Yourself' topic, where you will be able to be greeted by current members and also help make newcomers feel welcome, once you have been introduced. If you have had Forum experience before, by all means, pick a topic and start a discussion, ask a question, tell a story, give some advice, tell a joke, you can even hold a poll. The controls and options in the Forum are relatively easy to use and learn. We would hope that those with experience will help those who request assistance. If you have difficulty, which you cannot resolve, you can email the Administrator, who will be made known in the Forum (as soon as we find a generous volunteer...). In the meantime, our new Webmaster, Steve Brennan, is available to answer questions and help people initially. His email address is admin@hawkesburydressage.com.au. 

Forum Control

In any Forum, regardless of the closeness and civility of the members, things can sometimes get a little out of hand. That's not to say that this will ever be the case within the HDC Forum but it is a standard practice for any Forum to have 'Moderators' who are basically like 'Deputies', who are appointed by the Administrator to keep an eye on things within the Forum, as the Administrator cannot always be present.

Until the Forum gets moving and there are regular visitors reading and posting etc, there is little need for anyone to fill this role however, it may become necessary at a later date to appoint a couple of Moderators, who will have the power to 'close' topics (or 'threads' as they are known) if they begin to get out of hand, warn, censure or even suspend members for breaches of the rules (only the Administrator can ban someone, thus denying access indefinitely), solve problems and also take care of the odd bit of housekeeping, like moving posts to the correct category if they are posted in the wrong place etc. All the time they are within the Forum, they will also be able take part in discussions etc. 

As I said, it is unlikely that any serious 'blow ups' would occur among such a dedicated and civilised group however, in the interests of 'being prepared' these Moderators will be chosen when the Forum becomes busy enough for them to be needed. If you have had Forum experience, please make this known to The Administrator or our Webmaster at the email address previously mentioned.

The appointment of our Administrator will be announced as soon as chosen. Expressions of interest should be directed to Admin.

Kind Regards,

Steve Brennan
Webmaster

You will need to Register (or 'Log In' if already Registered) in order to get to the Forum, through this link - Go To Forum To Register (a new browser window will open, so this window stays open. You can close this window manually if need be, after the Forum is opened, without affecting your link to the Forum).