DG Site Updates: Changes to the Forums, 1 by DreamOfSpring

DreamOfSpring wrote:
Ok, per request, I will put the instructions here for getting updates on your homepage. Because I have my homepage set up this way, I probably only use the Forum List (under Communities) a couple times a year, just when I want to find something that is not on my homepage.

The item I think will be most helpful with this is the Thread Watcher to which you referred earlier, Pattie. This will let you know as soon as one of your watched threads is updated and will take you directly to that thread when you click on it. Photo 1 shows the Thread Watcher as it appears on my home page. I circled the words "Thread Watcher" in red for emphasis. Notice that the 2nd item showing on the list in Photo 1 is "Rants, Raves, and Even Cats". That's my thread, and when it shows up on my Thread Watcher I know that someone has posted to it.

If the Thread Watcher is not on your home page, you need to put it there. Go to your Preferences. Choose "Custom Homepage" from the menu items on the left. This will take you to a page with a large list/chart with the various items you can add to your home page. Photo 2 shows the top of that page on my screen. On the right under "Module" are the items you can add to your home page. On the left under "Column and Order" is the option box you use to either disable a module or add it to your home page by assigning it to a location.

On my example in Photo 2, note that the 1st item at the top of the list, the Company Representative Watcher" is disabled, because it is assigned to "Column1, Disabled". This means it will not show up on my home page. My Thread Watcher is assigned to "Column1: Position 2" that means it will be the 2nd item on my home page (under Dmail updates).

You can remove or add any of the items on that list by simply changing them to "Disabled" or assigning them to a location. That's all there is to it. When you have finished making changes, be sure to click the button at the bottom of the page to "Update Modules".

The Column: Position thing may seem confusing at 1st glance, but it's really quite simple. The main and largest area or position on your homepage (starting on the left) is Column 1. Anything you assign to Column 1 will show up in this area. The order, by that I mean which one comes 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc, will be determined by the Position assignments. So on my homepage (see Photo 2 assignments), Dmail updates come 1st, followed by the Thread Watcher, then the Diary Watcher (which must not be working), then Favorite Forums, and so on. The items on the far right side of the home page are in Column 2, and their order is determined by Position number the same as with Column 1. The only other caveat is that you must make sure not to assign to items to the exact same Column & Position, because 2 things can't be in the same place.

There is also an item on the 1st page or your Preferences that you need to know about, because it effects the threads that will show up on your Thread Watcher. The item Auto-Watch Threads is circled in red on Photo 3 to make it easier for you to find. If you check this box, any time you post to a thread that thread will automatically be added to your watch list and updates to that thread will show up in your Thread Watcher. If you don't check that box, threads will only show up in your Thread Watcher if/when you click their associated "watch thread" link.