Create a discussion board when you want to provide a place for newsgroup-style discussions.  They are used to virtually discuss issues when face-to-face meetings may not be practical.  Discussions are organized into "threads".  When a new discussion is created, it starts a new thread. 

Discussion boards provide features for ensuring that only approved posts appear.  If you create a discussion or reply to an existing one, yet your entry does appear immediately, wait a few minutes.  Your system administrator may need to "approve" it before it will be visible to everyone.

Note the hierarchy of the discussions:

• This screen shows two discussions:  Renewals and Cancellations
  
• The Cancellation thread contains two replies.  One of these replies contains its own reply.
• When conducting a discussion, it's important to stay "on topic" and to reply to a specific thread in order to keep the conversation flowing properly.

Starting a New Discussion

1. Click on the Add new discussion link to display the New Item window
   
2. In the Subject field, type a brief description.  This will appear as a hyperlink in the list of discussions.
    
3. In the Text field, type your question or topic details.   You can use all of the options available on the toolbar to format your message
   TIP:  Type a www address or email address and press the spacebar to automatically format it as a hyperlink.
    
4. Click on the Attach File button to attach a file to your item.  This is especially useful for any supporting material that is relevant to your discussion.
5. Click on the Save and Close button to complete the entry.

Posting a Reply

Be sure to reply to the appropriate thread so that the conversation flows properly.

1. Hover your mouse over the discussion thread until a down arrow appears, then click on the down arrow to display the following menu:
   
2. Click on Reply to display the New Item window.
3. You should keep the Subject intact to make the discussion easier to follow.
4. Type your response in the Text field.
5. Click on the Attach File button if you wish to attach a file to your reply. 
6. Click on the Save and Close button to complete the entry.
7. Your reply will appear beneath the thread that you replied to.

• To edit your reply, repeat these steps and select Edit Item.
• To delete your reply, repeat these steps and select Delete Item.  When the confirmation message appears, click on OK.