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StumbleUpon is a powerful Social Networking and bookmarking site that will drive traffic to your site in matter of minutes . “StumbleUpon lets you “channelsurf” the best-reviewed sites on the web. It is a collaborative surfing tool for finding and sharing great sites. This helps you find interesting web-pages you would not think to search for.”

With more than 2,555,043 Stumblers, your site will be discovered in seconds, and hundreds of viewers can instantly access your site from stumbler's recommendation. However, you do need to know how to use it effectively to get the traffic you want. You just need to learn how the system works and use it to your best advantage. If you have a blog or a site that needs some serious traffic; this is the best tool you can use to get noticed.

First, you need to make sure that your web design is visually appealing. It only takes a click of a button to stumble on to another page; therefore, you need to make sure that it grabs the stumblers attention immediately. Great header with a balanced design of graphics and text will be to your advantage. Great content is also key. Title that pulls the reader in is an essential. It has been said that if you spend half hour writing a good content; you should spend the other half writing a great headline. If you have ads, make sure it doesn't dominate the whole page. Nothing will make the stumbler click on the next button faster than a page filled with no graphics or ads placed haphazardly around. Page load time should also been considered. If it takes longer than couple of seconds; most likely, your page will be passed over for the next stumble.

Next, join StumbleUpon. It is free and easy. Do not forget to download the StumbleUpon toolbar. This makes your stumbling experience fun and easy. I will go into the functions of the toolbar later, but for now, let's focus on your profile. You will have a home page on StumbleUpon which you will use to create a profile for yourself. This is important, because this allows you to connect with other stumblers. You need to connect with others in order for your page to get stumbled. It will be ineffective for you to stumble your own pages. Go to the upper right corner and click on “Preferences”. Write a little blurb about yourself and upload a profile pic. It does not have to be a picture of yourself. Some people use pictures of their pet, logos, photographs and such. List your interests. The StumbleUpon will show how many others have similar interests as you. Join groups if you want. This will help you to network and make friends. You can even change the color of your home page. Just click on settings and play around with the colors.

Next important step is to find tags. Go to the “Stumbling” Link and click on that. Here you can check the preferences of the media you want to receive: video, images, flash, PDF's and audio. After that, you need to find tags. Try to find tags thats that pertain to your site or your niche. Click on “find tags” and you will be taken to a page cloud. Just click on the tags of the subjects you want to stumble. You should try to include the most popular tags within your niche (more popular tags are in bold text). Now you are ready to stumble.

Now, back to the toolbar. A toolbar with an icon with the Stumble Logo, Thumb up with text (I like it), thumb down, Send to Icon, and Conversation Bubble will be located on top of your browser. When you are stumbling, if you see a page you like. Click on the thumb up button. The icon should turn green. Congratulations! You stumbled your first site. Want to leave a review? Click on the conversation bubble. There you can tag the site and write a short review. If you want to stumble and tag your own page; you can. Some people say you should not but I have done this to my own page and received visitors. However, you cannot stumble your pages only. Then stumbling will be ineffective. Tagging is very important; then, it will be seen by people who are actually interested in seeing that particular topic. Do not over tag. It will not be effective, and people have known to report wrong tagging. You can use the StumbleUpon Icon to land on the next page, and another site will be shown. Only pages with your tagged interests will be shown. This is great, because you will find sites that you would have never found otherwise. All these are from recommendations of other stumblers. This is how your own pages will be discovered. How a page is discovered depends on how many people like the site (give a thumb up), and how much of a master stumbler you are. Someone who has hundreds of friends and thousands of stumbled pages will have more clout than someone who has no friends and very few stumbled pages. I had a master stumbler give me a thumbs up and a massive traffic was hit on that day. So friends do matter on Stumble and So does your stumbling ability. Good news is that it is easy to stumble. Once you get into it; it's very addictive.

Choose your networking friends carefully. You are limited to 200 friends. People who have thousands of friends exploited a bug in the system, but that is fixed now. Mutual friends will be able to show you their stumbled pages. Friends you added but have not been added by them can still show you pages. People who have added you but you have not added back will see your pages but you won't be able to see theirs. The best way to make friends to participate in other social networking sites and you can add each other on StumbleUpon. Blog Catalog has a discussion forum where we exchange stumbles to help each other out. Reach out to master stumblers, but do not be discouraged if they do not add you back. The master stumbler probably reached their limit of friends; however, they can always give you a thumbs up. Leave them a review of their page on their profile. They might return with a thumbs up on your page or even a review which in turn will increase your traffic. Out of all the networking sites out there. StumbleUpon has been the best way to increase my page views. With these points, you are on your way to become a master stumbler and drive massive traffic to your site.

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Discusion Forum

Stumped on the best Christmas gift for your mother in law? Needing advice on planning your office Christmas gift party? Are you not sure how a White Elephant or Dirty Santa Christmas Gift exchange works? Needing advice on how to decorate for the big Christmas family reunion? Don't fret! There are several online message boards and forums where you can seek the insight of others, chat about the holidays, discuss Christmas traditions and much more. Here are some websites to check out if you just love to discuss Christmas!

Christmas Forum or Message Board #1: All Things Christmas Forum

I just joined the All Things Christmas Forum and have found it to be very helpful. It's url is www.allthingschristmas.com/forum/index.php. If you need advice on anything from Christmas decorating, to Christmas carols,you might be able to find it here. They have a Christmas decorations, Christmas recipes, Christmas recollections section and much more. There's even on place where you can discuss Christmas in other languages. It's members are definitely very fond of the holidays. I even ask a spot where someone asked if you decorate your bathroom with Christmas decorations! Check it out.

Christmas Forum or Message Board #2: My Merry Christmas Christmas Forums

This is another very thorough Christmas forum. It takes a few more seconds to load on my computer, probably because of the graphics. You can visit it at http://mymerrychristmas.com/forum/. (You'll have to wait a few hours or so to get approved to post.) It's a fantastic and very throughout message board. It's full of people in the Christmas spirit discussing advice on everything from unique Christmas traditions and gifts, to controversies over using the term “Merry Christmas'. It has a recipes section full of recipes for Christmas cookies, dinner, appetizers and much more. If you're looking for “gifts in a jar” recipes its there. There is also a Christmas lights and decorations area, and even a help wanted section. You can also discuss other holidays such as Valentine's Day.

Christmas Forum or Message Board #3: iVillage Christmas Discussion Board

Another Christmas forum that is worth a visit is the iVillage Christmas board. You can go to it here: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppcmas9 . Its not as details as the ones above, you but could still get some advice on everything from Christmas songs how to decorate your Christmas tree. There is also a forum just for Christmas recipes called “Holiday Recipes.” You can visit it here: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-fdholidayfds/.

Christmas Forum or Message Board #4: Cafemom.com Christmas Groups

Even if you're not a mom, you can still visit Cafemom if you want. There are several Christmas and Holiday online groups where you can discuss Christmas till your hearts content. Simply go to the groups section and search “Christmas” and you'll find a plethora of groups. The largest one is “I love Christmas” which has over 6400 members.

Christmas Forum or Message Board #5: Topix Christmas Forum

Another final Christmas chat spot is the Christmas forum on Topix. Here's the link: http://www.topix.com/forum/holidays/christmas. It's not very organized, but one plus is that you don't have to sign up to join. It has a variety of different discussions related to Christmas. It is more focused on Christmas in the news. For example, there is currently a discussion on Christmas-related crime.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

discussion section of a research paper

Living with Colitis can be difficult. IBD is physically and emotionally draining. On the Road Again: A Forum for UC Learning , sponsored by Shire Pharmaceuticals, offers patients a chance to refresh their lives through learning, interaction, and meeting others who live with ulcerative colitis.

The ulcerative colitis forum features a variety of UC experts. Every minute will be filled with information, interaction, learning, and fun. The event is free, and free goodies are an added perk.

What should I expect at the Los Angeles ulcerative colitis forum?

On the Road Again: A Forum for UC Learning is a professional, yet casual event. You will be treated to a nutritious meal, meet others who suffer from ulcerative colitis and Crohn's, and learn from experts. You will find out more about ulcerative colitis, current treatments and research, how to eat nutritiously, how to build a support network, and how to communicate effectively about your disease.

You will hear from doctors, a nutritionist, and a medical therapist. The agenda will include brief discussions, non-threatening audience participation, and opportunities to ask your questions of the experts.

Who should attend the Los Angeles ulcerative colitis forum?

Anyone with an IBD, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's, will benefit from the forum. If you are a member of a support group, invite the entire group to come.

Family and friends of colitis and Crohn's patients will also find On the Road Again beneficial.

Together you will gain understanding and insight into ulcerative colitis and it's affect on the lives of those who have the chronic illness.

Why do you recommend this Los Angeles area ulcerative colitis discussion?

I have attended a number of IBD forums, discussions, and symposiums. This is among the most organized, professional, educational, and empowering ulcerative colitis or Crohn's events I have attended. The staff is friendly. The atmosphere is casual. Most importantly, the speakers, sponsors, and event organizers believe in what they are doing. Their mission is to educate the ulcerative colitis community, bringing help and hope.

On the Road Again is a genuine, effective campaign of support for IBD patients. If I didn't think this was worth your time, I wouldn't waste mine telling you about it. Special thanks to Shire Pharmaceuticals for sponsoring this event. I learned so much.

Visit Road to UC Learning to find out more information, register for the free event, and join a discussion forum with other ulcerative colitis patients.
Los Angeles – 7/13/2008
10:00AM
FREE
Westside Jewish Community Center
5870 West Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
213-455-0871

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While Board of Directors members are often required to sign confidentiality agreements, unless confidentiality is enforced, the Board will generally operate at less than peak efficiency. The adage, “Loose lips sink ships” referred to the dangers of not protecting military secrets, yet while Board deliberations may not be “life and death,” there are also often dire consequences for an organization when Board secrecy is not assured.

Board members need to be assured that they can deliberate without being concerned that their deliberations are prematurely released, or released out of context. When a Board member “innocently” tells someone something that occurs during Board deliberations, there is always a danger that the information will be misinterpreted when taken out of context. While much of a Board's deliberations are perfectly acceptable to be publicly released, there are times, particularly when a Board adjourns to Executive Session, when it is completely improper, as well as a defection of other associate's confidences, when a Board member breaks confidence and informs non- Board members regarding confidential deliberations.

Those not immersed and involved in the background and intricate information of a Board deliberation, often will not have all the data and information necessary to get a full enough picture, to gather a competent decision. While this may be somewhat counter to an organization's best interests, it is not as detrimental as the violation of confidence and trust created by the Board member's betrayal.

Many Board's simply require their members to sign confidentiality agreements, but do not enforce any penalty against anyone who violates this confidence. Boards should also have rules and procedures in place to sanction and/ or remove any Board member who violate their confidentiality pledge. Otherwise, the confidentiality pledge is simply a document and exercise without “teeth,” and if Board's do not have sanctions enforced against violators, the confidentiality agreements have little value.

Most Board's face numerous challenges, and very few are generally “up to the task” of assuring successful and competent deliberations. If Board members do not feel they can comfortably state their opinions, regardless of how controversial they may be, members will hesitate to participate in a thorough discussion. Obviously, that can have disastrous impacts and effects on the organization.

Discusion Forum

If you like “Social Networking” then this is a site to check out. Positioned mainly as a discussion forum, as opposed to pictures, music and private messages, myLot has over 140,000 members from all walks of life and is truly global with members from countries as diverse as India, Australia, Canada, Philippines, USA, UK and some you never heard of. MyLot is a fun and informative site. I am a member of a few social networking sites and have benefited by making lots of friends on all of them, but they always seemed a little limited to me.

Now, MyLot, well, you can start a discussion on any subject you like. There are dozens of categories and when you sign up you are asked what your interests are. Don't worry if you miss some, you can always go back later and add interests that you may have forgotten (in your excitement and haste to get started!)

You are provided with a profile page where you can upload a picture to represent how you want to appear to other members, Ive used a picture of me and my favourite dog – it was a hard choice as I have five dogs! Your profile is completely customisable as far as content goes, you can display all your friends, your interests and activities. You can also turn these off if you want to.

The beauty about the profile page is the facility to add an HTML box (or two or three) and paste in any referral links you might have that you want to share with, and promote to, other users. This can be a very powerful tool if you are looking for people to sign up under you on things like PTC sites. When you have edited your profile page – and this can be altered later too, nothing is set in stone – its time to go exploring.

If you click on Discussions, to the left of the page within the list of areas available, you will get a host of subject icons (these will be equal to your chosen interests) and they will display when the last discussion was added. You can click on the appropriate icon, eg. “making extra money” (its a green tree icon) and all the latest discussions within that subject will appear beneath it.

Scroll up and down and find a discussion that you think you would like to respond to, read the post fully and any responses already there, then simply respond with your own thoughts on the subject. You get a point for every response you make, and you can watch these grow next to your handle (name).

You can also click on “new discussion” at the top left of the screen and choose the appropriate category for your post. You can watch the responses coming in and you will want to reply to these responses, if you hit on the right subject at the right time, you can end up with dozens of responses and you need to go back and reply to those, it can get quite addictive. Be careful though, no posting referral links in discussions, you have to invite people as a friend if you want to share that type of information, otherwise it is considered spamming.

Mylot truly is a social site, its fun, you get to speak your mind (although swearing is not encouraged and nor is flaming) and the absolute best thing about it is they pay you for your contribution. I haven't even been a member for a month and my earnings are up to almost $8, and I dont even feel like Ive worked for it. They pay out at $10 if this coincides with the end of the month and transfer to your Paypal or Moneybookers account. It is, of course, important to read all of the TOS before deciding to join, and certainly before writing anything when starting or responding to discussions.

Join up, its fun, you´ll genuinely make friends, get involved in discussion on subjects you may never have previously considered, even get to pour your heart out once in a while (if you are that way inclined) and you will be paid for doing so. Click here to check it out

http://forums.promoteonnet.com

A book discussion group can be a wonderful place to form a sense of community that is often sorely lacking in our go, go, go society. But, when the obligation of reading a book for the discussion group becomes one more chore among many, what should you do? Consider suggesting a book that you have already read.

What Books Have You Read Lately?

Is it fair to suggest a book you have already read? The obvious benefit, if you are short on time, is that you have already read the book, and you can simply skim through it to refresh your memory before your group meets.

The obvious downside is that, if you have already read the book, you will most likely simply skim through it before your group meets. If your holiday schedule permits, you could actually reread the book and gain new insights. This way, your will be in basically the same boat with everyone else who has recently read the book, and you can be as much a part of the in-depth discussion that takes place.

If you have an all-time favorite you are dying to share with the group, do so! Your enthusiasm will be welcomed during discussion. I would not always choose a book I have read before, but I would not discount doing so occasionally.

Location, Location, Location

Cafes and other places your book discussion group normally meet can become very busy during the holiday season as people stop off for some coffee to fuel their bodies for more shopping. Be sure there is sufficient room for all members of the group and that the location is not too noisy so that everyone can adequately discuss the book.

Although coffee shops or cafes are typically a great choice, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can put a damper on your wish for a quiet, relaxing evening. Consider going to an off the beaten path place. Personally, I try to support independent, local businesses by having our group meet there. They may not have as much business as the Starbucks on every corner, so your group can enjoy the book discussion in an unhurried way.

If your group would prefer not to spend money on food or drink each time the group meets, meet at the library or rotate between people's homes. Meeting at a group member's home, especially during the warmth of the holidays, holds the possibility of bringing your group closer to each other.

All Topic Forum

Just like every other social venue in the world, internet forums have their own set of etiquette rules. If you want to make the most of your time online in an internet forum, find answers to your questions, or strike up interesting conversations, following the tips in this article can help you.

Rule #1: Read First, Type Later

One of the most irritating things for a seasoned member of a forum is to have a newbie come into the forums and start typing before they know anyone or have read any of the threads. Read first and you will learn the feel and flow of the forum before you post a message.

Rule #2: Respond Before You Start a New Thread

If you want to follow good forum posting etiquette, try responding to some existing conversations before you launch your own thread. Learn what everyone else is talking about, get a feel for the tone and conversations at hand, and find something with which you agree and can relate.

Rule #3: Look For It, Don't Ask For It

Chances are, any simple questions you may have are already addressed somewhere in the forum. Good forum posting etiquette means you should use the search feature available to you or manually scan the topics before you ask a question. One sure-fired way to get the seasoned posters on your bad side is to ask a question that has already been answered.

Rule #4: Don't Just Talk, Respond Too

Forum posting etiquette dictates that you should respond to at least twice as many threads as you start. If you want people to respond to your threads, it's always best to respond to theirs too.

Rule #5: Use the Title and Subject Fields Wisely

If you are in an informational, technical or help forum, there are many seasoned and experienced subscribers in that forum who are likely willing to help you, but these folks scan the subjects for things they know the answers to and avoid threads that they may not be able to answer.

A thread subject or title that says: “HELP!!!!” may go answered, whereas a title that says: “I Need Help With XXX” is much more likely to get a good response from someone who knows what XXX is and can help. Make your title informational, informative about what question or subject you are asking or talking about.

Rule #6: Be Courteous

In person at social situations, you may say or do something out of character or perhaps lash out or hurt someone's feelings, but that incident can be quickly forgotten or only remembered by those who see it.

In an online forum, that type of an incident is there forever, and anyone can see it, or worse, stumble upon it weeks or months later and dredge it up again. Ask yourself before posting whether what you are about to say is something you will want read a month from now. If it's not, don't type it, no matter how tempting it may be at the time. Remember, everything you put out on the internet can come back to haunt you.

Rule #7: Don't Use Internet Shorthand

It's one thing to be casual in a forum and not worry too much about perfect grammar or spelling, but be sure to write out all your words and avoid most internet shorthand. An occasional BTW, LOL, or the like is perfectly acceptable, but avoid using IM short speak.

Rule #8: Stay on Topic

While it's okay to make a casual comment, share an experience, or make a joke, try to keep the comments you make in a thread on-topic with the conversation. Forum posting etiquette says there is little more frustrating than to scan a thread title about one subject only to find 60 posts about something entirely different and you had to read them all to see if the question was ever answered.

Rule #9: Don't Spam or Promote

This probably should have been listed in the first position for forum posting etiquette. It's usually acceptable to have one link in your posting signature, but it is never acceptable unless the forum is for that specific purpose to post affiliate links, promotional content, or advertising. Nothing will get you blacklisted or kicked off a forum faster than spamming.

Rule #10: Help as Much as You Are Helped

If you come into the forums to ask questions, post a thread, and then disappear and never respond to anyone else's threads, questions or comments, chances are the forum members will be less likely or willing to help you in the future. You don't have to personally thank everyone who responds, but you can definitely respond with thanks to all who answered and make an effort to help others if you can answer their questions too.

Rule #11: Use Socially Acceptable Language

You wouldn't come into a stranger's house and start cussing, telling off colored jokes, or using inflammatory language and you shouldn't do this in a forum either. Until you are absolutely certain of the rules and atmosphere of any given online forum, it's best to always keep your language PG-13 or cleaner.

Rule #12: Read the Forum Guidelines and Follow Them

If the forum has guidelines, it's good forum posting etiquette to read those guidelines and follow them to the letter. When in doubt, refer back to the guidelines.

Rule #13: Respect the Moderator

If there is a moderator in your forum, and that moderator tells you not to do something, whether you agree with them or not, don't do it! Forum posting etiquette says you are coming into someone else's forum, you play by someone else's rules. If you don't like it, you're welcome to find another forum with different rules. Remember, the moderator usually has the power to suspend your posting privileges or ban you from the forum.

Rule #14: Post in the Proper Forum or Thread

Internet forum posting etiquette says to place your post in the appropriate forum or thread. It doesn't matter if one forum thread is more active than another, you should always use the appropriate forum or thread for your content.

Rule #15: Quote or Use Names When Responding

Some forums allow members to receive email updates. A post in a forum that has continuity is one thing, but an email that says only, “I agree” will not be of much value unless the member goes back to the forum, finds the thread, and retraces the conversation. If you have the ability to quote someone, do so. If not, use the name of the person to whom you are responding and use part of the original question in your response. Also, when threads in a forum become long, it's difficult without quoting or directing your response to someone to know who or what you are responding to.

Lastly, let's look at some quick forum posting etiquette rules to follow:

• Never use all caps
• Don't toggle between CaPitAl aNd LoWeRcAsE LetTeRs
• Use normal punctuation and grammar
• Keep it short and simple whenever possible
• Be careful sharing private information
• Provide enough information to answer any questions you ask
• Use minimal outbound links, and only when absolutely necessary
• Don't be a troll and don't feed the trolls (*see below)
• Follow all posted rules of the forum at all times

If you follow these simple etiquette tips you will find your time in an online posting forum productive and fun. Happy posting!

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