When you join a group, you will be able to add replies as well as post your own topics through the group’s Forum. This is the easiest way to connect with other members.  You can add links to external sites, images, videos, blogs, and other resources. You may decide to schedule an online meeting through Skype or Google+ Hangouts, add a shared calendar, or post materials for review and editing.

Note:  Depending on the work of the groups, some are private and others are open. All members are expected to follow this site’s terms of use responsibly.

Joining Groups and Getting Started

1. Login at the black bar above the header.

2. Enter your username and password.

 3. Look at the current groups and choose one to explore.  Here is the Web Committee Group which is private.

4.  I decided to try to join this group because it appealed to me.  Since it is a private group, I clicked the Request Membership button to the right. This sends a notice to the group’s administrator.

5. I  found a second group called the SiteFeedback Group. It is an open group. I clicked on on the  Join Group button to become a member.

6. As you can see, I’ve joined the group immediately. Now I can get started.

 7.  I clicked on Forum to see what has been posted so far and then chose a topic to read.

8. I decided to add to the discussion between Sam and the Web Editor about more detail on the private groups, so I scrolled down to the bottom. I entered my text into the Add a Reply box. When I hit enter, my reply becomes part of the Forum post.

9. I went back to Forum and added a question under Post a New Topic. I entered a Title, some brief Content, and some Tags to help others find this topic. If I click on Post Topic, it will be saved to the Forum.

I can return later to see if someone replied to this.