janroe

Some easy instructions on how to set up and maintain the site forum:

Some terms and configurations:

Hierarchy:
Container = high level forum heading
Forum = a heading in a container that contains Topics
Topic = a heading in a forum created by a user (that user is often called the Original Poster [OP], with a first topic message)
Comments = replies underneath the first topic message, that users make in reaction to the OP's first message
See Administer » Content management » Forum, for containers and forums. Topics and comments are generated by users, on the forum itself.

Roles:
Anonymous = anyone on the internet who comes to the site (role created by the system but can be renamed, sometimes to Visitor)
Authenticated = everyone who registered (or whom you allowed to register) (role created by the system but can be renamed)
Administrator = someone with site admin rights (role created by the webmaster)
Forum moderator = everyone who has been assigned as forum moderator (role created by the forum access module)
See Administer » User management » Roles. There can be more roles if the webmaster created them.

Permissions:
These are the permissions set by the admin about who can do what, where. This is based on roles (who) and hierarchy (where). In the permissions you specify which actions (what) the users are allowed to do.
See Administer » User management » Permissions

Setting up the forum by the webmaster:

Containers
To set up a structure you create one or more containers. Go to Content management » Forums, menu item Add container. Give it a name and a very short description. The container can also be inside another container, choose the location in Parent. Control access to the container (and everything that will be inside the container) by checking the boxes in Access control. With the left side boxes you control what the mentioned roles can see and on the right side what they can do. Generally, if you allow anonymous users to post messages, there might be a lot of spam, so they should not be allowed to post messages.

Forums
After containers you need to add forums. This is where users can create topics. Go to Content management » Forums, menu item Add forum. The setup instructions are the very similar to those of containers (above). It needs a good forum name, a short description, a confirmation for its parent container in Parent. Add a weight to control the position of the forum in a list of forums. The Access control is finer, use the checkboxes to control access to the permisions to view, post, edit and delete according to the site's roles.

Adding a forum menu item:
A menu item is a a link on all (or most) pages that point to the forum. Go to Site building » Menus » Primary links (or another menu type). Click menu item Add item. In Path insert the relative address, write: forum. In Menu link title write the title and in Description write a very short description: khiaw's forum. Leave the rest as it is (or play around with it). - If you want to, you can also add a specific container or a forum to the menu. Check the address bar location of that container or forum and copy the part that starts with forum, for example: forum/37. Use this as the path for the menu link.

Topics and comments by the users
A topic is a new posting by a user. The user goes to a Forum » Post new Forum topic. This is usually at the top, just beneath the forum name. The user enters the post's subject, the content and can make some settings. Then previews or immediately saves the post.

A comment is a reply to the first post in a topic or a reply to any other comment. The user is at the first topic posting or comment that he/she wants to reply to and goes to » Add a new comment. This is usually at the bottom of the first post or any comment. The user can (but does not have to) enter a subject, adds the comment and can make some settings. Then previews or immediately saves the post.