Easy answers to common site questions

Where are the missing threads?
It sometimes appears as though threads have disappeared. They're usually still there. Try these four steps to find them again.
  1. User menu
  2. Edit your preferences
  3. Date Limit
  4. All Available Topics
What are the restrictions on the different types of boards:
  1. Public -- Open to everyone to read and post
  2. You must be a member and logged in to Forward Motion (not chat) to post on anything but the public boards.

  3. Protected -- Can be read by everyone, but only members can post.
  4. Restricted -- Only members can read and post.
  5. Private -- Only selected members can read and post. (These are mostly the private critique groups.)
Please note:

Only one chat room has a 'writing only' rule. If you are in that chat room please limit the off-topic discussions and respect that others come to that room to specifically discuss writing-related subjects. You need not be writing in Writing Only, but you may only discuss writing.

Click here to go to chat

The Forward Motion Chat Rooms are linked directly to your FM account. You no longer need two accounts and need only be logged into the boards in order to use the chat rooms.

Read and follow the chat rules below


  • IMPORTANT: Please read note that the chat is part of the Forward Motion Website and follows the same rules. You are responsible for knowing the rules and following them.

  • Review the User Menu to adjust your information and preferences.

  • Moderator Warnings :  If a moderator tells you to quit some behavior and you persist in continuing you will be removed and banned from the chat rooms.   

 

About Our Chat Room Culture

Our chat rooms are unlike those you'll find most places on the Internet, and behavior that is considered acceptable elsewhere will quickly mark you as an outsider here. The following guidelines will help you fit in faster.

Do not ask....

Don't ask chatters for either their location, age or anything else that might be considered personal.  Since the site welcomes younger members, we are very careful not to make them targets from predators.  Never volunteer this information to strangers on the Internet.

Chat-speak

Members in our chat rooms hold actual conversations -- our live rooms are some of the few on the Internet where people are expected to have something to talk about and to take the time to say it well. Typos and errors are as inescapable, but our members don't use much of the abbreviation-laden chat-speak you'll find elsewhere. We're writers and our objective is to make certain we express ourselves clearly.

Snippets

When someone is snippeting from their work into chat, there are a few things to remember:

1) If you want to snippet, please ask for permission first. You will most likely get an unequivocal yes, but it's polite to ask nonetheless.

2) Once you've finished, indicate so with an extra line that says "end" or something similar.

3) Please do not snippet more than a few lines of text.

4) Please don't interrupt a snippet in progress. Wait for the "end" sign to say something.  (However, people do drop in during a snippet and don't realize, and that's inescapable, but please don't welcome the person until after the snippet.)

5) Please ask the poster if comments are welcome. Some people just want to share what they enjoyed writing and don't want a critique and you would do more damage than good just barging in with one.