FORUM98 allows you to interact with others asynchronously, at everyone's own time of convenience. You can add your own comments by typing messages in a communal document or by creating links that allow you to comment specifically to a particular word or words. This is one of the unique aspects of FORUM98 versus other work-group software. These links can be used to just make a comment or to point the way to information found within the various categories of documents in the FORUM database. It saves time when working on projects or revising/editing documents.
You can create six types of links, but the ones your will surely want to use are the Quick Note or New Article. A Quick Note is similar to adding a comment in the margin of a document an immediate response. A New Article is created to provide space for more lengthy discussions. FORUM98 also has billboards, where one can post pictures or other graphics (in *.bmp format). Clicking with the right mouse button on the link anchored text or icon will bring up the topic window to let readers decide if they want to follow that link. Clicking with the left mouse button will bring up the linked item.
To Annotate: Put cursor where you want to start.with a left mouse click and just start typing. However, you cannot type on pages for which your access permission is "read only." If you are typing on a page that others can also write on, type in what you want, then pull down "Insert Date, Author, and Line" from the Tools menu. This provides a separator line. If you are logged in as "guest", "guest" will appear in the signature line, but you can type over it to put in your real name. The next person comments below the separator line and so on. This way you can have a running dialog all in the same place without the need to open and close numerous e-mail messages.. You can revise and format any of your own comments using the tool bar and menu just like in a word processor program.
Quick Notes (pop-up "sticky notes): Pop-up notes allow you to comment or question a specific word or thought. You cannot link from a Quick Note, but it allows immediate response to the information for others to access and/or add to. Words with pop-up notes attached to them will appear in yellow, highlighted and underlined. Click once on the highlighted text to view note. To create such notes, hold down left mouse, press and drag to highlight the text that will serve as the context for your comment. (The highlighted text forms an anchor tying the Quick Note to it.) Then click on the Quick Notes icon on the tool bar or choose Quick Note from the Create menu. Type in your comment followed by your name/date. Close the note window.
New Article: This is a full word-processor controlled page (like the one you are on). The Article is the basic unit of a FORUM98 conference. It may express, for example, an assignment, question, answer, observation, task, idea, issue, opinion, or concept. It allows you more space for comment and discussion about specific items found within the various classes. It can also accommodate graphics inserted right into the text (see the Tools menu). All Articles are be linked to a specific class and are usually anchored to the information found within. To create this kind of link, highlight text to serve as an anchor (see above Quick Notes). Then click on the New Article icon on the tool bar (the icon with the blue title bars) or choose New Article from the Create menu. Note that you are given a choice of article class (type or category). For example, pick "agree" to create an article in support of the information, "disagree" to challenge the information, etc. This allows the reader to go a topic and see comments in like categories. After you pick the one that is most appropriate, your new blank page will open. Some of these types have icons assigned (indicated by *), and you can create the link without highlighting text. Be aware that the assigned icon will deposit at the exact spot where you cursor was when you activated the link; you cannot drag and drop the link icon, so be sure your cursor is where you want it to be. Now you can begin new discussion or import your support or explanatory graphics. When the article is closed, the contents are saved automatically. There is also a "Save" option from the Article menu if want to save periodically while working on a long document. Every time you come across highlighted linked text within the classes discussion/comments, you can click on it and be taken to an article containing support documentation, discussions, etc. It is also another way to footnote and index.
To Import Files (ASCII only) or Graphics (*.bmp only): go to Tools menu. For large graphics that you don't want to put "in-line," create the graphic using the Graphic option under the New Article menu item. To check link anchors for topics: right mouse click on the icon or highlighted text.