Read this before posting!

Laura · 11-19-2007

Welcome to the Future Shop Community Forum.

The Forum is a place to exchange ideas, tips, information and techniques related to the products and services available in Future Shop stores.

Registration

Registering for the Community will allow you to:

· Post new messages

· Post responses to existing messages

· Receive email notification when someone replies to a specified post or thread

· Exchange Private Messages with other members

· Personalize your experience on the boards

Click here to register. If you are a Future Shop associate, click here.

As a new member of the Community, you might be wondering where to start. There’s a lot of information on the forum but don’t feel overwhelmed! This thread contains all the information you’ll need to get started, so read on and happy posting!

Community Guidelines & Terms and Conditions

These let you know what you can and cannot do in the Community. It’s mostly common sense: don’t be rude, don’t link to competitors’ sites, don’t post copyrighted materials, etc. Make sure to read through these documents before posting.

Before you post

Search the Community for an answer before you post a new message. It could be that the answer you’re looking for has already been provided. There is a search bar on the top left of every page, or ask Aaron, our Online Product Expert.

Who is Aaron?

Aaron is Future Shop’s online Product Expert. Ask him a question and he’ll diligently search the site for your answer. If he doesn’t have the information that you are looking for, you can always submit your question to the Community!

· Questions that come from Aaron are identified in the Community by this icon:

· The username is listed as Questionxxxxx

· The user who submitted the question gets emailed a notification when an Expert User replies to their question

Click here to learn how to interact with Aaron.

How do I …?

Got a question about using the forum? Take a look at the Community FAQ or check out the help section and see if you can find your answer there. If you have unanswered questions, post them on this board and the Community will provide you with an answer.

Moderators and Administrators

You might notice that there are some members with bolded red usernames – these are the Community Moderators and Administrators. We’re a friendly bunch, so feel free to send any of us a Private Message if you have any questions or just want to say hi! (To send a PM, click on a username and the click on “Send this user a private message” link in the “Contact Me” section.)

Laura

Julez

JSH

ElizabethS

Jonathan_K

Dany_S

Introduce Yourself

Some of us have posted our faces, and we invite you to do the same! If you don’t have a photo handy, then write a quick note introducing yourself to the Community.

What’s an Exalted Expert?

The more you contribute, the higher you’ll climb in the ranking structure. When you first join the Community, you’ll be identified as a “Newbie”. But as your post count grows and you spend some more time here, you’ll notice your rank going higher and higher!

Newbie

Visitor

Contributor

Emerging Expert

Recognized Expert

Trusted Expert

Exalted Expert

Click here to view the full ranking structure.

Community Ambassadors

The Community Ambassadors are a group of seasoned Community members who have shown an interest in fostering a healthy discussion forum. The CA team are volunteers and are here to help you get started in the Community. They are a very friendly bunch and are experts in their areas of interest and in the Future Shop Community in general. If you have any questions, direct them towards one of the people listed below!

Who are the Community Ambassadors?

Digital_Cam - generalist
Snapshot -Home Theatre
Mandy - generalist
lilwingman - Gaming, Home Theatre, Home Office
ScottM - generalist (with an affinity for Home Theatre)
Iceman - generalist
Jay28 - PC Gaming & Computer and Laptop Hardware
Krypto - generalist
DjDatz - Xbox/Xbox 360 Ninja
Credible_Chris - Gaming, Home Office & Community Information Centre
mtrump - Home Office & Computer Services
Tanarus - Computers, Gaming, & Future Shop policy
sonimax - Home Theatre, Movies & ConnectPro

How do I become a Community Ambassador?

Right now, this is by invite only. However, if you would like to get involved, send a moderator or an admin a Private Message and let them know that you are interested in participating. Should any openings come up, your interest will be taken into consideration!

Future Shop Do’s and Don’ts: Some tips on Posting

Do	Don't
Use a descriptive title for your posts.	Use a vague subject like "HELP!" or "Urgent question!"
Read other responses (if any) first.	Repeat information already provided.
Further the discussion.	Excessively quote previous messages.
Relate personal experiences.	Go off topic.
Ask for clarification.	Make assumptions.
Put yourself in the customer's shoes.	Dole out truisms (e.g., "You get what you pay for" ).
Get to the point.	Overwhelm with information.
Be positive.	Trash products, brands or people.
Be understanding.	Argue.
Know when to back off.	Get personal.
Focus on your areas of expertise.	Bite off more than you can chew.
Compare using relative terms.	Refer to specific prices.
Act like you would in-store.	Use excessive slang, foul language or off-colour humour.
Strive for correct spelling and grammar.	Worry if you're not perfect. This is the Internet, after all.