How does the e-forum work?
Moderators
Participating in discussions
Posting resources to the site

How does the e-forum work?
The e-forum provides a way for people interested in discussing the issues that affect resource centre development to come together and share experiences. Members of the group can post messages online using the e-forum website, or by sending an email to the group. All the members of the group will receive the email and the message will also be posted on the e-forum website. Any documents, reports and resources can also be added directly to the e-forum, the group will be notified by email whenever any new items are added.

The e-forum website has the following sections:

• Messages - lists the emails sent by the group
• People - lists the members of the group
• Resources - contains resources added by the group e.g. guidelines, background information, case-studies
• Events - any important events for the group
• Members of the group are free to add content to any of the sections.

Moderators
The e-forum will be a moderated group. Moderators are responsible for guiding the group discussions and keeping the content relevant.

Participating in discussions
Once you have joined, follow the tips below to make your messages easy for other people to read and respond to.

Keep postings brief
Limit postings to one or two screens in length, and point to resources and further information if possible (e.g. reports on other websites etc.). This will help to keep the file size of emails down which may be a consideration if people have to pay for the volume and number of messages they receive. >> see Resources below

Keep it neat and simple
Take time to compose your message - pay attention to the content and format - so it is easy to read. Re-read your message before you send it out, especially if it is dealing with a sensitive issue. Once it is sent, you cannot get it back. It is much easier to amend a message before it goes out, rather than give explanations to the group later.

Identify yourself
Sign off your messages with your name and email address. This is useful for following up emails privately.

Start new topics
If what you want to say doesn't fit into any existing topics - start a new one.

Message titles
If you are posting a new message make sure the title is clear. Keep the title short. Headings started with Event; News; Introduction; Summary; etc. will provide context for the message.

Plain text
Try to post messages in plain text, as everyone can read plain text online, regardless of what system or software they are using (also known as DOS text, ascii text and text only).

Use private email when appropriate
When you would like to have a personal discussion send a message to the individual involved only.

Resources
Any resources, such as reports, images, case studies etc, should be posted directly onto the e-forum, rather than emailed around the group. This helps to keep the file size of emails to a minimum.

Each time a resource is posted to the website an email will be sent to the group. For those members of the group who do not have full access to the Internet, the e-forum administrator can arrange for resources to be emailed separately to them.

The above guidelines were adapted from 'Workplace to Workspace' a guide to using email lists by Laureen James and Liz Ryykert, International Development Research Centre, Canada, 1998.