Guide to Learning Exchange forums

1.   Keep the Learning Exchange forums friendly and courteous, even if you disagree strongly with a point another forum participant has made. To keep the Learning Exchange professional, friendly and appropriate, the moderator relies on members reporting abuse and inappropriate posts. If you are offended by a post, if it contains racist, sexist, homophobic, defamatory or otherwise unwelcome, inappropriate content, please use the Report Abuse button at the bottom of the posted text to tell the moderator who will then be able to remove offensive posts and material from the site.

2.   Be clear and as succinct as you can. Use bullet points where possible and Plain English. Full sentences and proper punctuation will help other forum particpants understand your posts more easily. Avoid using chat language and spelling and make sure you’re your ‘caps lock’ key on your computer isn’t on. Always check what you have written before you press the ‘Post’ button.

3.   Private message: this button is there for you to send a private message to another forum participant.

4.   Quoted reply: If you want to refer to what someone has said in a post, use this button. However, only show the information you are referring to. This avoids making posts too long and helps other members understand which points you are addressing.      

5.   The Learning Exchange is not a commercial site and forums must not be used to advertise products or services. Please do not put links to commercial sites in your forum threads. Please read the Learning Exchange Moderating Policy and the Terms and Conditions.  

6.   Avoid using long quotes from reports or books. To draw people’s attention to a relevant quote, simply put a maximum of about four lines of the quote into the post and cite the source. You may place links to other websites only if they are acceptable and appropriate and meet the requirements stated elsewhere in the Learning Exchange forum rules. Important note: Please reference published material that is not yours properly. Posting other people's words as your own will infringe copyright laws. 

8.   Avoid using forums to chat - send private messages instead.

9.   If a forum has closed, and you still have questions or comments about its subject, please email them to the moderator and they will be passed to whoever is most able to respond. You can also read summaries of some forums

10.  Forum topics: If you have an idea for a forum topic and would like to discuss it before you start it on the Learning Exchange, please don't hesitate to contact paddy.odea@continyou.org.uk.