JUOT is a forum community that uses the very popular vBulletin software. While you may be familiar with vBulletin sites in general JUOT has a few customizations you will not have seen on any other forums. This post will help familiarize you with some of them.
A) Logo Graphic - Click on this to return to the main forum listing showing all JUOT forums.
B) (OT) Link - This is custom to JUOT. As JUOT is "off-topic" centric all roads should lead back to off-topic. Click on the (OT) link when you're in any other forum to return to off-topic.
C) Navbar - The "Navigation Bar" or "Navbar" is a great tool for browsing different parts of JUOT. It allows quick access to extra features such as the Calndar, the Community menu (see "I"), and other standard and custom JUOT pages. In the default style the navbar has images, in other styles it is only text based.
D) Special Posts - This is another feature unique to JUOT. There are several forums which will show up here if there are unread (new) posts in these forums. If any forum icons show up here then clicking on them will bring you directly to the forum to see the new posts. When there are no unread posts in these forums "None" will be shown.
E) Secondary Navbar / Direct Link to Forums - Again you won't see this on most other forums. This extra navbar shows an icon for every major forum on JUOT. Clicking on an icon will bring you directly to the forum you request and this is a great way to change forums on the fly. This navbar is not available in the JUOT "Express" Styles, if using Express click on the JUOT Logo instead to get a forum listing.
F) Sticky Threads - "Sticky" threads are "stuck" to the top of a forum. If a thread is "sticky" it means it is important and you should definitely read it in full and whenever there is a new post added. Important forum info is communicated through "sticky" threads.
G) "All Topic" Icons - One more unique JUOT feature is "All Topic." All Topic allows for JUOT's numerous "on topic" forums to show up in off topic. This means you will never miss a conversation just because it was started in a different forum. The All Topic icons are smaller versions of the forum icons used in the secondary navbar. In this specific example (G1) the icon the arrow is pointing to is the "puzzle palace" forum which is a subforum of OT Light. (G2) is an icon for "The Network" forum. Above either thread is a standard off-topic thread with no icon indicating it is indeed an off-topic thread.
H) New Posts - This is arguably the most important item on this page. Clicking on "New Posts" will bring up a listing of every thread with unread posts in every forum you have access to on JUOT. This should be your primary way of keeping up with JUOT discussions across the entire site. If you've never used "New Posts" before you should try to use it, it is a really great feature- a bit overwhelming at first but a great way to keep up once you get caught up.
I) Community Menu - The community menu allows access to a lot of JUOT "extras" besides the simple forums such as Social Groups (which are like small user created forums of their own), Pictures and Albums, Members Lists, Contacts & Friends, the FAQ, Stock Trader, Tic-Tac-Toe game, and online Poker room.
J Jump to First Unread Icon - This is also arguably the most important arrow on the page, and for such a small icon! This small image serves a big purpose! It is visible in every thread with an unread post and clicking on it will bring you directly to the first "new" post so it's quite the time saver than scrolling through what could be pages of old posts. Again this is a feature you are going to want to try and get used to if you haven't used it before.
For more information please read the Rules Sticky in off-topic for more info on JUOT and its unique features and policies.
Curious about why threads are about you? Check this out: BB Code you and me BB Codes - JUOT - Joe's Ultimate Off Topic
Check out info on some of our hidden forums: The VIP Lounge, Board Room, Champagne Room Guns N Ammo - JUOT - Joe's Ultimate Off Topic
A) Logo Graphic - Click on this to return to the main forum listing showing all JUOT forums.
B) (OT) Link - This is custom to JUOT. As JUOT is "off-topic" centric all roads should lead back to off-topic. Click on the (OT) link when you're in any other forum to return to off-topic.
C) Navbar - The "Navigation Bar" or "Navbar" is a great tool for browsing different parts of JUOT. It allows quick access to extra features such as the Calndar, the Community menu (see "I"), and other standard and custom JUOT pages. In the default style the navbar has images, in other styles it is only text based.
D) Special Posts - This is another feature unique to JUOT. There are several forums which will show up here if there are unread (new) posts in these forums. If any forum icons show up here then clicking on them will bring you directly to the forum to see the new posts. When there are no unread posts in these forums "None" will be shown.
E) Secondary Navbar / Direct Link to Forums - Again you won't see this on most other forums. This extra navbar shows an icon for every major forum on JUOT. Clicking on an icon will bring you directly to the forum you request and this is a great way to change forums on the fly. This navbar is not available in the JUOT "Express" Styles, if using Express click on the JUOT Logo instead to get a forum listing.
F) Sticky Threads - "Sticky" threads are "stuck" to the top of a forum. If a thread is "sticky" it means it is important and you should definitely read it in full and whenever there is a new post added. Important forum info is communicated through "sticky" threads.
G) "All Topic" Icons - One more unique JUOT feature is "All Topic." All Topic allows for JUOT's numerous "on topic" forums to show up in off topic. This means you will never miss a conversation just because it was started in a different forum. The All Topic icons are smaller versions of the forum icons used in the secondary navbar. In this specific example (G1) the icon the arrow is pointing to is the "puzzle palace" forum which is a subforum of OT Light. (G2) is an icon for "The Network" forum. Above either thread is a standard off-topic thread with no icon indicating it is indeed an off-topic thread.
H) New Posts - This is arguably the most important item on this page. Clicking on "New Posts" will bring up a listing of every thread with unread posts in every forum you have access to on JUOT. This should be your primary way of keeping up with JUOT discussions across the entire site. If you've never used "New Posts" before you should try to use it, it is a really great feature- a bit overwhelming at first but a great way to keep up once you get caught up.
I) Community Menu - The community menu allows access to a lot of JUOT "extras" besides the simple forums such as Social Groups (which are like small user created forums of their own), Pictures and Albums, Members Lists, Contacts & Friends, the FAQ, Stock Trader, Tic-Tac-Toe game, and online Poker room.
J Jump to First Unread Icon - This is also arguably the most important arrow on the page, and for such a small icon! This small image serves a big purpose! It is visible in every thread with an unread post and clicking on it will bring you directly to the first "new" post so it's quite the time saver than scrolling through what could be pages of old posts. Again this is a feature you are going to want to try and get used to if you haven't used it before.
For more information please read the Rules Sticky in off-topic for more info on JUOT and its unique features and policies.
Curious about why threads are about you? Check this out: BB Code you and me BB Codes - JUOT - Joe's Ultimate Off Topic
Check out info on some of our hidden forums: The VIP Lounge, Board Room, Champagne Room Guns N Ammo - JUOT - Joe's Ultimate Off Topic
for move to Help & Support Forum.