  <h1 align="center">Editor Fora</h1>
  <ul class="toc">
    <li><a href="#general"><b>General Points</b></a></li>
    <li><a href="#links"><b> Links in Forum Threads</b></a></li>
    <li><b><a href="#which">Deciding which Forum to Post to</a></b></li>
    <li><b><a href="#search">Forum Search</a></b></li>
    <li><b><a href="#titling">Titling Threads</a></b></li>
    <li><b><a href="#etiquette">Forum Etiquette </a></b></li>
    <li><a href="#smilies"><b>Smilies</b></a></li>
    <li><b><a href="#standard">Standard Threads</a></b></li>
  </ul>
  <p>The ODP has a threaded message board (<a href="http://dmoz.org/forum/">forum</a>) 
    that facilitates communication between editors. </p>
  <h3><b><a name="general"></a></b>General Points</h3>
  <ul>
    <li>No forum has a specific moderator, despite the 'moderated by' text at 
      the left of the page. However, <a href="/ddp/03011/">meta editors</a> 
      do have the ability to close threads.</li>
    <li> 
      <div align="left">HTML and UBB Code are disabled for all the fora. It is 
        not possible to use them.<img src="/ddp/i/5.gif" width="365" height="22" align="right"></div>
    </li>
    <li> 
      <div align="left"> You can modify the contents of any post that you made 
        by clicking on the 'edit' link directly above your post. The exception 
        to this rule is locked threads, where no posts can be edited.<br>
      </div>
    </li>
    <li> 
      <div align="left">The yellow folder icon next to a thread's title has several 
        states: open, which indicates new posts; closed, which indicates no new 
        threads; and padlocked, which indicates a locked thread to which no further 
        replies can be posted.<img src="/ddp/i/6.gif" width="75" height="15"></div>
    </li>
    <li>If you click on the yellow folder icon next to a thread that you have 
      read previously, then you will be taken to the last post that you read.</li>
    <li>To provide a link to a specific post in a thread you use the following 
      syntax: <code>http://dmoz.org/forum/threaddisplay.cgi?t=ForumN/HTML/NNNNNN.html#itemX</code> 
      i.e. a link to the thread with '<code>#itemX</code>' appended on the end. 
      '<code>X</code>' is replaced by the item number that you wish to link to.</li>
  </ul>
  <h3>Using the Forums</h3>
  <p><b> </b>You also can use the forum for the top-level category you edit (example: 
    <a href="http://dmoz.org/Arts/">Arts/</a>), to communicate with the other 
    editors in your category. One way to gather feedback from other editors is 
    by creating a forum thread and then emailing your co-editors with the thread's 
    URL, requesting that they to reply in the thread (not by email). This way 
    everyone can participate in the discussion. You may also get some very useful 
    suggestions from editors who don't edit in your specific category, but just 
    happened to be browsing the forums. We strongly encourage editors to email 
    others regarding a forum topic if he/she wishes to solicit a lot of response 
    or if the topic being discussed is a large-scale change that would affect 
    a number of different editors (some editors don't read the forums regularly). 
  </p>
  <p>Please note that, although these forums are useful, their content does not 
    necessarily represent official ODP policy. </p>
  <h3><b><a name="links"></a></b>Links in Forum Threads</h3>
  <p>If you are referring to a specific category or site, include the URL. If 
    you type in anything beginning with "http://", the Forum software will make 
    everything from that until the next space into a hypertext link. Readers can 
    click on the link to see what you are referring to. However, this also means 
    you don't want to type http://dmoz.org, as that comma will be converted into 
    part of the link, and will lead nowhere. Leave a space before and after any 
    hyperlinks before punctuation.</p>
  <p>To include a link to an ODP category in a reply to a thread, you should enter 
    the slash separated category path, with a space at the beginning and the end. 
    For instance, to link to <a href="http://dmoz.org/Arts/Music/">http://dmoz.org/Arts/Music/</a> 
    you type:" Arts/Music ". The exception to this rule is the Test category, 
    for which you link to like a regular URL. For instance: " <a href="http://dmoz.org/Test/Robozilla/Reds/">http://dmoz.org/Test/Robozilla/Reds/</a> 
    " </p>
  <h3><b><a name="which"></a></b>Deciding which Forum to Post to</h3>
  <p>All top-level categories, as well as some <a href="http://dmoz.org/World/">World/</a> 
    categories, have their own forum. If your query relates to a specific top-level 
    category then please post it to their forum. </p>
  <p>If your query relates to the organisation of multiple categories, spanning 
    multiple top-level categories, then you should post to the <a href="http://dmoz.org/forum/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&amp;forum=Ontology&amp;number=2&amp;DaysPrune=25&amp;LastLogin=">Ontology 
    forum</a>. </p>
  <p>If you are a new editor, and after reading DDP you still have a general question, 
    then please post to the <a href="http://dmoz.org/forum/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&amp;forum=New+Editors&amp;number=31&amp;DaysPrune=25&amp;LastLogin=">New 
    Editors forum</a>. </p>
  <p>If you think you have discovered a bug in the editing software, or you wish 
    to request a feature be implemented, then please post to the <a href="http://dmoz.org/forum/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&amp;forum=Bugs+%7CAMP%7C+Features&amp;number=21&amp;DaysPrune=25&amp;LastLogin=">Bugs 
    & Features forum</a>. The subject of your post should indicate whether it 
    deals with a bug or feature by prefixing the subject with either [bug] or 
    [feature], as appropriate. The General forum should be used for threads that 
    do not relate to specific categories, and do not fit the remit of the other 
    forums. The subjects should relate to the directory as a whole. </p>
  <p><a href="http://dmoz.org/forum/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&amp;forum=ODP+Culture&amp;number=3&amp;DaysPrune=25&amp;LastLogin=">ODP 
    Culture</a> is for discussing directory-wide strategies, style guidelines, 
    and related issues.</p>
  <p>Joke threads, discussions about non-editing related matters, and socialising 
    should be restricted to the <a href="http://dmoz.org/forum/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&amp;forum=Penguin+Cafe&amp;number=35&amp;DaysPrune=25&amp;LastLogin=">Penguin 
    Caf</a>. </p>
  <h3><b><a name="smilies"></a></b>Smilies</h3>
  <p>The ODP fora allow you to include emoticons or 'smilies' in your replies. 
    All smilies have a corresponding code which, when typed in a forum message, 
    will produce the desired graphic. Some smilies have two codes, use whichever 
    one you find easiest to remember. For instance, to have <img src="/ddp/i/77.gif" width="15" height="15"> 
    display type '<code>:)</code>'. A <a href="/ddp/02004/">list 
    of smilies and their corresponding codes</a> is available. </p>
  <h3><b><a name="search"></a></b>Forum Search</h3>
  <p><a href="http://dirt01.netscape.com/cgi-bin/forum_search">Forum Search</a> (requires you to log-in again) should be used 
    both when you have a question that isn't addressed in DDP, and before starting 
    a new thread. </p>
  <p>You may search by thread subject, thread content, the username of the poster, 
    or any combination thereof. If you wish to locate a thread that you have read 
    previously, and you know which forum it appeared in you may wish to expand 
    the list of threads shown for that forum. By default only the last 25 threads 
    that have been posted to are shown. To change this, go the forum in question 
    and, in the drop-down list underneath the 'Post New Topic' button' change 
    the 'Show last 25 threads' option to a higher number. This also facilities 
    the use of your browser's in-page search function, for the currently shown 
    threads.</p>
  <h3><b><a name="titling"></a></b>Titling Threads</h3>
  <p>After you have located the correct forum to which to post, you should ensure 
    that your thread has a meaningful title. The title should concisely summarise 
    the subject that is being addressed. This is important, as it allows others 
    to easily identify threads that they have an interest in.</p>
  <p>For instance, titles such as '<i>Question</i>', '<i>How do I...</i>', or '<i>Big 
    Problem!!</i>' are not descriptive of the thread's contents. Whereas, '<i>Difficulties 
    in Deleting a Sub-Category</i>' or '<i>Should I Name Myself as Editor of Categories 
    That I Create</i>' clearly indicate the subject for discussion. </p>
  <h3><b><a name="etiquette"></a>Forum Etiquette </b></h3>
  <p>The ODP is a diverse community, in which people of many different cultures, 
    ages, and groups co-exist. Therefore, it is important to attempt to word posts 
    in a respectful and considerate manner.</p>
  
<p>The fora should be used for communications that affect multiple editors. If 
  you have a question/disagreement with another editor then please address this 
  matter privately. Editor disputes should be dealt with via <a href="http://inelegant.org/mediation/">mediation</a>.</p>
  <p>You should notify editors via e-mail if you start a discussion affecting 
    categories that they are listed in. Generally, the e-mail need only include 
    the thread's URL and an overview of the topic under discussion.</p>
  <h4>Email and Forum Privacy </h4>
  <p>The content of the ODP Editor Forum, Editors' Notes, and Editor-to-Editor 
    email or Feedback are private and intended only for internal use by ODP editors. 
    Editors may not publish or disclose quotes from these sources to anyone other 
    than other editors or the ODP staff. Rephrasing is allowed only if the communication 
    as rephrased could not be attributed to a specific editor and disclosure would 
    not violate any editor's expectation of privacy, with the understanding that 
    a diplomatic choice of words is the rephraser's responsibility. It is never 
    appropriate to disclose the identity or e-mail address of an ODP editor without 
    the consent of that editor. </p>
  <p>Violation of ODP email or forum privacy will not be tolerated and is grounds 
    for <a href="/ddp/03001/#removal">removal</a> and possible legal 
    action. </p>
  <p>Netscape Communications Corporation may disclose the relevant contents of 
    forum threads, e-mail, editor's notes, and other ODP communications in legal 
    matters involving the ODP. This means that the contents of the forum threads, 
    including the private meta forum, as well as email sent to staff, may be forwarded 
    to legal representatives. </p>
  <h3><b><a name="standard"></a>Standard Threads</b></h3>
  <p>There are a number of long-running threads, that appear in the majority of 
    top-level category forums. These include:</p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <h4>Rename/Move/Delete/Sort Requests (R/M/D/S)</h4>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>There are minor variations on the title from forum to forum, however the 
    purpose remains the same: to communicate requests to <a href="/ddp/03009/">editall/catmv</a> 
    editors. For instance, a request could be made to rename a given category. 
    When an editor with catmv abilities sees, and agrees with, the request, they 
    will perform the rename. The thread can also be used to request the addition/modification 
    of @links, related category links, and alternative language links.</p>
  <p>In some forums the R/M/D/S thread is also used to request 'category features' 
    that can be modified by <a href="/ddp/03011/">meta editors</a> 
    only. However, some of the larger forums use a separate thread for this purpose.</p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <h4>Help Wanted</h4>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>Attention is drawn to categories in need of help. 'Help' may be in the form 
    of an overly large amount of unreviewed sites, non-guideline-compliant descriptions, 
    or poor ontology. Such categories are also listed in <a href="http://dmoz.org/Test/Help_Wanted/">Test/Help_Wanted</a></p>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <h4>I'll Be Away</h4>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>This is used to notify others that you will be absent from the ODP for a 
    certain period of time. It is useful in that fellow editors know to take care 
    of categories that you are listed for, and explains delays in your response 
    to ODP-related e-mail.</p>
