The forum is the heart of WQA and one of our most active sections. Here’s a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to forum threads. For FAQs on forum responses please refer: How to submit a Forum response at WebQuestionAnswers.com

What is the forum section?

The forum is an open section for all WQA members to use as a platform for exchanging views, sharing knowledge, discussing current and important topics of all general types (except those under restriction), making suggestions for the site and submitting a request or a complaint.

How to submit a forum thread?

1. Register as a member. If already a member, log in through the link at the top right-hand corner.
2. Go to the forums section. Click on ‘Post A Topic’.
3. Select a Topic Category. If you are unsure of which category to post, you can select General. [Note: A member cannot post a thread in the announcements category. Only Webmasters and Editors can submit threads in this category of the forum]
4. Put in a good and appropriate title and write in the descriptive text box. A forum thread should neither be too lengthy nor too short. It should be descriptive enough to convey your mind to the reader clearly. Click on submit when you are done.
5. If you want to make some changes in the text already submitted, click on the ‘edit’ button and make the required changes and submit again. There is no restriction to the number of times you can edit your post. However, it is advisable not to edit once a response has been posted to the content of the thread. That would be against basic ethics.

What are the benefits of submitting a forum thread?

There are multiple benefits:

1. You may get cash credits and enhanced points for a good quality thread.
2. Win the Thread of the Week (known as TOW) award or the Special Prize award.
3. Learn how to present content in a concise, informative manner. This will subsequently help you to present a good quality article.
4. Submitting forum threads will help you to practice your English skills and improve on it. A thread with poor quality English will not be deleted. Instead, members and editors are likely to guide you by pointing out language errors, spelling & grammar mistakes, right usage of capital letters and punctuations, etc.

What topics can I post on?

You can post on any topic that falls under the purview of the different categories available in the section. What is not allowed: Adult content; Intrusive questions which invades the privacy of an individual (e.g. how many WQA members are married or unmarried?); Posts which are against a religion, community or individual; Spam (promotion of other sites/own site or blog).

It is advisable to have a look at the New Posts list before posting on a current topic so as to avoid duplicate threads on the same topic. Also, make it a point not to raise threads based on other threads so as to avoid confusion among the members and to ensure that all threads are sufficiently responded to.

Can I submit a forum thread in a regional language / foreign language?

No, you should submit a forum thread only in English. WQA does not have any support tool to submit threads in a regional language or a foreign language. You can use quotes/ proverbs in regional languages in the thread content or response but the same should be properly translated into English.

Is there any list of specific forum posting guidelines?

Yes. Refer: Forum Posting Guidelines

My forum thread was deleted. How do I find out the reason for the deletion?

You can either send a message to a Forum Editor or submit a thread in the forum, giving the URL of your deleted thread. If it is not due to any general reason like copying, violation of guidelines, use of abusive or indecent language etc, our editors will intimate you the reason through the internal messaging system.

How do I find the thread I posted since I cannot see it in the forum?

In case your thread has been shifted to the pending or deleted status, you will not see it in the forum pages. Instead, you can locate it in one of the following 2 ways:

• Go to the forum section.
• Click on My Forum Topics OR
• Go to your Dashboard page.
• Click on Scoreboard – Forum Messages.
  Note: Threads which are deleted will appear in Red, while those in pending status will be in Grey. Threads which are approved will appear in Blue.

I contacted the forum editor when my thread was deleted but I am not happy with the reason the editor gave for deleting my thread. What should I do?

You can send a message to the Managing Editor, along with the URL of your thread and other details, who will review your thread and take a decision on allowing/leaving the thread as deleted after a discussion with the forum editing team & the Webmasters.

How is the AdSense revenue of forum threads shared?

Refer: AdSense revenue from Forum

How many forum threads can I submit in a week?

A member cannot submit more than 20 threads (maximum) within a time frame of 10 days. The restriction applies to members of all levels equally.

Can I give links in the text of my forum thread?

Yes, you can give 1-2 links. However, these links should be only to internal pages of WQA. Once in a while you can also give a link to your own post located in another section (such as articles or Ask Expert section). However, do not do this repeatedly as it will be considered as spam and a forum editor will then remove the links in your text.

External links are not allowed. If absolutely necessary, you can give a text URL of the external site. Links to one’s own blog or website are also not allowed.

Can I use HTML tags in my forum thread?

You can use the HTML tag in a forum thread only for linking to an internal page. Other tags, including for bold, italics and underlining, are not allowed. Only editors and Webmasters use such tags, which are also for announcements made in the forum.

Can I put in an attachment to my forum thread? If yes, how to do so?

Attachments can be submitted by posting a response in the same thread and using the attachment link provided – this link can be seen after you type in the text and use the edit button.

I want to put a quote at the end of the text in my forum thread. Can I do so?

Yes, but you should not type the quote or put in endnotes or put in salutations such as ‘Regards’, ‘Thanks’ or even your name. For all such texts (and other permanent quotes), you should use the Forum Signatures Feature at WQA.

What is the Forum Signature Feature? Where to find it?

The forum signatures feature, as explained above, is to be used to put in your name, quote, etc (if you so wish) at the end of the text of a forum thread. Once you use it, all your forum threads will have that text and you won’t need to type it each time you submit a forum thread. To locate the forum signatures visit your profile and while editing profile you will find the Forum Signatures.

I saw a spam thread in the forum. How do I report it?

You can directly report it to any of our editors by sending a message using the WQA messaging system. If you are unable to send a message, you can report it in the forum itself by posting a thread in the problems/complaints category. Similarly, you can report inappropriate threads and threads with copied content too. In both the cases remember to give the URL of the thread you are referring to.

I want to conduct a quiz contest in the forum. Can I do so?

Yes, you can. However, you cannot award cash credits to the winners. Instead, you can gift virtual gifts from our gift shop. The facility of virtual Gift Shop at WQA will be activated soon.

Note: If you want participants to send answers to a quiz to you, it is suggested that you create a personal email address specifically for the purpose. This is best, as it would be difficult to judge the winners because the answers posted as response will be visible as such to the other participants.

I would like to participate in the contest announced in the forum. How to do so?

Read the contest announcement thread. The instructions will be clearly given on how to participate. You can also refer: Guidelines for submitting entries for contests

How will I know if I am a winner of a contest?

Names of winners (and runners-up if any) will be announced in the Winners category in the forum.

A contest was announced but I did not see any announcement of the winners. Can I alert the editors or Webmasters about it?

Yes, you can. If there is any undue delay, you may submit a forum thread in problems/complaints category as a reminder that the winners have not yet been announced.

My thread about a query related to WQA was locked but I did not get a satisfactory response to it. What should I do?

You can submit a new thread and give a link to the earlier thread, explaining that you did not get a satisfactory response to your query.

How will I know if responses come in to my thread if I do not have time to check daily?

You can tick mark the box ‘Subscribe to this thread’. This will send you alerts by email to your email ID directly to let you know when a new response was posted in your thread.

It is highly advisable, though, that the author of a thread should keep track of the thread and intervene when felt necessary. Further, if you have posted a specific query, request, problem or complaint, it would be nice to be courteous enough to post a response once satisfied.

When does a forum thread get locked?

A thread gets locked when:

1. The thread’s author is satisfied with the response to the query made and requests for the thread to be locked. However, then, too, a forum editor may take the decision not to lock it and let the discussion continue.
2. The forum editor has seen that the query has been satisfactorily dealt with and does not require any further response.
3. The thread goes gets blown out of proportion, with too much of needless aggression.
4. The thread has needless responses which are off-track from the main topic despite a forum editor requesting to keep it on track.
5. A thread, other than an announcement or a thread outlining guidelines, that is twenty or more days older and no longer active will be locked.