Trails Forum

What is the purpose of this forum?

Please feel free to use our Trails Forum to exchange information on the outdoors as it relates to PATC's trail area in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. If you've recently been on a hiking or backpacking trip, you can use this forum to post information on trail conditions, trip reports, sell used backpacking equipment, make connections with friends, locate others who enjoy backpacking, make connections with others who are heading into the backcountry, or request information on hiking and backpacking areas.
This is YOUR forum. The utility of the forum to other users depends on your willingness to keep it current. If you submit regularly, many, many others will profit from your experiences and information.

How do I get started?

This is a moderated discussion forum, and membership is required before you can post a message. All membership passwords are kept confidential. Please be sure NOT to use the same password you use to log in to your Internet Service Provider. Pick a new password that you haven't used before. After you register, your password will be confirmed by separate Email. At that time, you will receive full rights to manage your posts. The "Members" button located at the very bottom of this page will take you to the sign-up area for this forum.

How do I post a message?

To add a new message to the forum, go to the bottom of this page and press the "Add" button. Or if you want to add a response to an existing message, just double-click on the message to open it, and press the "Add" button at the bottom of the message window. When you finish composing your new message, you will be give an opportunity to add a color icon that will appear next to your message title in the Forum. You'll also be given a chance to preview your message before you post it. If you're not happy with your response, you can use the "back" button in your Web browser to make corrections, then preview the corrected message again before posting.
Once posted, Hypernews will automatically send you a "confirmation copy" of your message verifying that the message has been posted in the Forum. NOTE: In order to see your newly posted message, you must press the "RELOAD" or "REFRESH" button on your web browser to reload the Forum.

After a couple of messages, you'll see how easy it is to use this forum.

Are there any rules for using this forum?

Only three:
1. Discussions and/or disagreements should be polite. (American Heritage Dictionary defines "polite" as 1. Marked by or showing consideration for others, tact, and observance of accepted social usage. 2. Refined; elegant.) Individuals who are not polite will have their messages bounced out of this forum. NOTE: This is a private, moderated forum provided for the benefit of the public. This is >not< a free-wheeling USENET newsgroup.
2. Discussions covering topics of a sexual nature are totally inappropriate in the forum. Don't post them unless you want a complaint registered with your employer or Internet Service Provider.
3. Commercial advertisements that are unrelated to our trail region are NOT allowed. If you're in business to make money, then post your advertisement elsewhere, not here. However, the forum may be used for the sale of used outdoor equipment by forum members, or by local merchants who provide services to hikers who use our trails.

DO NOT use the forum to send messages to me Andy Hiltz or the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. Please send these messages by separate email to ensure a timely response to your inquiries.

What makes for a good post and bad post?

Simply put, a bad post is one that criticizes, and a good post is one that leaves the door open for others to join in and comment. For example:
Bad Post: "You don't know what you're talking about!"
Good Post: "I disagree for the following reasons....."