Questions About Conferencing

Tripod is currently using its own member-oriented conferencing system. It's less anonymous than some others you'll find on the Web. You can see the member profile of the person who has posted a message simply by clicking on the member name in the post — so make sure your profile is up to date!

Q: What's the difference between Zone and Pod conferencing?

Conferences exist on two levels: Pod conferences and Zone conferences.

To understand the difference between these conference types, you first need to know the difference between a Zone and a Pod. Zones are where you will find the latest contributions from Tripod's editors and writers; Pods are member communities created around a theme, topic, or interest which is generally shared by the Pod members.

Zone conferencing is hosted by Tripod's editorial staff. Conferencing doesn't happen at all times in all zones: conferencing coincides with special events, like a guest host or a featured topic.

Pod conferencing happens inside our member communities. Pod conferencing is hosted by a volunteer Poderator and the conference topics reflect the theme of that Pod.

Q: Can I join any conference?

All Tripod members can be involved in any Zone conference.

Right now, all Tripod members can be involved in all Pod conferences.
Please keep in mind, though, that in the very near future Pod conferences will be available only to the members of Pods — so, if you're looking forward to conversing about your pet in the Critters Pod, or about any other Pod topic for that matter, become a member of a Pod (or Pods!) now, and avoid the rush!

Q: How is conferencing different from chatting?

A conference is an ongoing conversation or debate. People read and respond to others' posts over a period of time. Chat is real-time live interaction. The people you are chatting with are there now and response is usually immediate.

Q: How do I post a message?

You're free to post a message to any topic you'd like, either adding to an existing conversation within that topic or starting a new conversation (also relevant to that specific topic) to which your fellow Tripod members can read and respond.

Where to start: To post a message you first need to be in a conference area, following a topic that is of some interest to you.

Whenever you want to post a new message within a topic, simply click on the "Add New Message" button. You'll be taken to a screen where you may enter the text you'd like to post.

Note: All postings must have a valid member name, or they won't be visible on the "board."
Before you have at it, there ARE a few guidelines we'd appreciate you thinking about...

Please stick to the topic. Your name and a link to your Tripod member profile will be posted on your message, so there's no need to post something that says "HEY! COME TO MY HOMEPAGE! http://members.tripod.com/~pointless/index.html" If you're worried about people not finding your page, make sure you have a current profile posted and save the blatant self-promotion for the talk show circuit.
Try to keep things short, sweet, and neat. Doctoral dissertations on the "topic du jour" may be fascinating and well-written, but the sad fact is that the sheer bulk will be a bit intimidating for most people. Similarly, a message typed ENTIRELY IN CAPS WITH SPELING ERRORS ALL OVR HTE PLACE will drive most would-be readers directly on to the next posting. The best way to assure that your message is read and/or responded to is to keep the length down and the quality of writing up.

One more thing, if you want to add a hypertext link in your message (to a favorite site for example), you need to write a little bit of HTML.

Like this:

<A HREF="http://sitename.threelittleletters">The Name of the Site</A>

Here is an example of how it would look if you linked to Tripod:

<A HREF="http://www.tripod.com">Tripod</A>

Note: Only the word "Tripod" would appear in the body of your message, but it would be linked to Tripod's front page.

Q: How do I respond to a post?

So you want to give your feedback to a particular message? First, click on the title of the message you want to respond to.

Click on the "Add New Message" button at the bottom of the page and you're now ready to reply!

By using the Quote button, you can quote as much of the original response as you'd like, which is a definite help to those who may not remember the text of the original message.

Also, please remember that your subject line should reflect that this is a response to a specific posting: "I Agree With Bobsquatch," for example, or "RE: All Moms are Working Moms."

When you're done, you'll have two choices:

The Submit Message button will send your message off to the public area, where anyone and everyone will be able to marvel at your wit and brilliance.

If you change your mind and you really don't want to reply, click on the Cancel Message button.

Q: What can I and can't I say?

Freedom of Speech is a wonderful thing, and we at Tripod support every member's right to have their fair say in open discussion. Any member may post a message under any given topic... and any member may respond to that posting. We like that. Messages that are profane, abusive, or threatening, however, are in violation of Tripod's Terms of Service... and they aren't welcome here.

Q: What do I do when I get an error message?

Tech Problems: If Tripod Conferencing isn't working, let us know. Please be as specific as possible, because a message saying only, "IT'S NOT WORKING!!!" really isn't helpful. What is helpful is if you include the time of the problem, your browser type (Netscape, Explorer, etc.), a description of the problem, and the error message that you see on your screen.

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