a few tips from: (the bastard who spends the most time on the forum, i'm embarrassed to admit...just check the forum stats
) some will find them useful, while others will find them worthless
1) set up your forum account so the most recent posts appear first, you can do this under the tab that says "profile/modify profile/look and layout" (I believe)...this way, you are always reading the most recent posts, without having to click on the last page of the thread, also having to scroll down looking for the most recent post.
2) also, check the forum stats regularly, you can do this on the main page, it's a discreet link that says "more stats"...this can be a helpful tool, for researching the most popular topics, learning more about members, and the forum in general.
3) viewing who's online, click the link on the first page underneath the title, "users online", it will have the total amount of people currently on the forum for you to click. This is a very important tool for me...it allows me to see who is looking at what, if your profile is not hidden, I can start to figure out who reads the same topics as me. I'm always searching for members who share common interests, and I'm also curious to see which threads are getting the most attention, and when.
btw, you must be a member to do all of this, so it's another reason to join the forum and quit lurking!!
these are just a few tips I wanted to share, being that I'm a tropical fruit forum fiend....misery loves company!