Starting Discussions: A How-To Guide

[Guest guest]

Getting one's needs met in a forum or on a message board is

relatively simple.

1. Decide what you want to discuss.

2. Create a nice introductory post with a catchy subject line. It

doesn't have to be a long, involved introductory post. It just has

to be something you want to discuss and with enough details that

other members of the group will know what direction to take the

discussion.

3. Post the second post if you really want to jump start the

discussion.

4. Participate by adding relevant comments and, where possible,

links to sources that support your comments if you are posting more

than personal opinion. If it is personal opinion, then indulge

yourself while remembering to respect other people's personal

opinions which may differ greatly from you own.

Over the years, I have discussed many things in various Autism-

related forums. Some of been related to Autism Spectrum Disorders

while others have dealt with situations in my personal life (like my

son's recent diagnosis with Myasthenia Gravis wherein approximately

100,000 people in the world have been diagnosed with it and that is 5

times more rare in children than in adults).

Remember that no one is a mind reader ergo if you want to be 'heard'

(meaning: read), you have to actually speak up (meaning: post).

It's not that difficult, especially in a forum that has such diverse

individuals with widespread perseverative interests and who have

researched their perseverative interests to the 'nth' degree (meaning

they can provide sources when required and/or when requested by other

forum members) and from a number of countries, not just America.

Raven