Welcome to our new Forum platform! If you’re coming from Discord, this guide will help you understand how the Forum works and how it complements our existing community spaces.
Topics Page - Your New Home Base
Unlike Discord’s channel-based structure, the Forum introduces you to a “Topics” page - think of it as your personalised feed of discussions that matter to you.
You’ll see the latest conversations from various categories all in one place, eliminating the need to jump between different channels or having to try to scroll up to the start of the conversation just to catch up.
Here, the topics come to you.
You also can use the mobile app to check in and immediately see all the updates in one place.
This is great if you have a busy day and can’t keep up with the pace of Discord chatter.
Powerful Search Capabilities
One of the biggest upgrades you’ll notice is the robust search function.
Look for the magnifying glass icon in the top right on any page or go to the easy to use search page
Unlike Discord’s basic search, our Forum’s search helps you find specific discussions, solutions, and related content with precision. No more scrolling through chat history hoping to find that one important message!
Creating and Linking Topics
Think of topics as persistent conversations that evolve over time.
When you create a topic, you’re starting a discussion that others can easily find and contribute to - even weeks or months later. This also applies to Discord links, so make sure to link to Discord channels and messages!
The best part? You can reference other topics by simply copying and pasting their links, creating a web of connected knowledge.
Long-form Discussions vs Chat
The Forum is designed for thoughtful, detailed discussions that deserve more than just a quick chat message.
While Discord remains perfect for real-time conversations and community banter, the Forum gives your ideas room to breathe. Take your time to craft well-thought-out responses - there’s no rush!
Managing Your Engagement
We know you’re busy, and that’s why the Forum comes with powerful tools to manage your engagement.
Each category and topic has a default notification option that only notifies you after you reply to the topic or if someone mentions your name.
You can watch all topics and replies or you can dial it right down. The power and choice is yours!
Use bookmarks to save discussions for later reading, and customise your notification settings to focus on what matters most to you.
Click the three dots on a post and choose the bookmark option!
You can even set reminder bookmarks to follow up on interesting discussions at a more convenient time.
AI Assistance with SummaryBot
Meet your old friend, @SummaryBot!
Access bots through the bot icon in the top right, or tag @SummaryBot in your replies. Whether you need a quick summary of a lengthy discussion or help finding related topics, our cheerful, helpful AI assistant is here to make your Forum experience more efficient. Say hello to everyone, @SummaryBot!
Category Purposes
To help you get a lay of the land, we have the following categories and their purposes:
- FAQ - General public topics that are accessible on the internet. Mental health resources, useful topics for general audiences.
- Games - Public wiki of early Internet era games. Please document all the game information, tips and tricks, setup guides, etc. here. Don’t post DadLAN info, such as server IPs here.
- DadLAN KB - Logged in users only, post DadLAN info, such as server IPs here. KB of DadLAN specific things that we can reference.
- Dad Life - Logged in users only, use this space to post about cars, health, DIY, movies, your building projects, and all the wonderful topics that our community discusses.
Final Thoughts
The Forum isn’t here to replace Discord - it’s here to enhance our community’s ability to share knowledge and have meaningful discussions. By using both platforms for their strengths, we’re building a more robust and accessible community resource.
Use likes and emoji reactions liberally.
Suggest improvements in Feedback category. We want to make this space YOUR space, so your feedback is appreciated.
If content is not suitable, use the flag icon on any topic or post to report it to the dadmods.
Start exploring, create your first topic, and don’t forget to bookmark this guide for future reference!