This represents an enormous step forward for the online community at large, and the chiropractic profession in particular. For the first time in history, doctors of chiropractic will have an electronic meeting place in which every chiropractor - and only chiropractors - will be able to discuss issues vital to the profession free from the watchful eyes of those outside the profession.
The current discussion forums on ChiroWeb for chiropractors and chiropractic students will be phased out by the end of October. They will be replaced with the chiropractic discussion forums and accessed by user name and ID number.
Image 1: Make sure to enter your user ID and password exactly as it appears on the front page of your issue of DC.
While most of your registration has already been taken care of, you have to complete the registration by going on line to www.chiroweb.com and visit the Discussion Forums section. Listed on the front page of that section are three forums: DCs Only, Student Forum, and Open Forum. Click on the DCs Only Forum "Registration" link. Chiropractic students should use the "Student Forum" Registration. Those that are not DCs or chiropractic students should use the "Open Forum" for their registration.
The front page of the DCs Only Forum contains a section outlining the rules, policies and disclaimers for posting messages online. Once you have read that information, if you agree to it, click the "Agree" button to continue the registration process.
You will next be brought to the discussion forum's predesignated user registration page. To proceed with registration, enter your user ID and password in the appropriate fields. This information is included on the front page of this issue of Dynamic Chiropractic and highlighted in a yellow box. Make absolutely certain that the information you enter is exactly the same as what has been printed on the front page of your issue of DC, including UPPER and lower case letters. After entering your user ID and password, click the "submit" button to continue.
Having entered your user ID and password, you will then be sent to ChiroWeb's bulletin board registration page. This page will give you an opportunity to choose a new UserName/Posting Name for your messages on the discussion forums and let you change preferences for the way information is stored and messages are displayed.
The option of choosing a new UserName/Posting Name contains several advantages. Users are welcome, for instance, to use their full name as their user ID. This lets viewers know exactly who is posting messages and replies. Other users may opt for a moniker (such as "Spineman" or "BackDoctor," for instance) to preserve their anonymity. Remember, though, that once you choose your UserName/Posting Name, you can't go back and change it. This is part of the security of the system.
In addition to the UserName/Posting Name field, the bulletin board registration page contains a number of required fields for your first name, last name and e-mail address. You can enter your degree, the URL of your personal website, and a signature file which will appear at the end of your messages, as well as the ability to set preferences for storing your ID information and the age of the messages that will display for you.
For future identification by phone or mail, you have the option of entering your mother's maiden name, the last four digits of their social security number, or your birthplace as a way of verifying your identity for later use. If you ever forget your password and UserName/Posting Name, you can click "Forget Your Password?" on the posting screen, enter your e-mail address, and your information will be e-mailed to you. This is why you should always keep your e-mail address current.
Once you have entered the correct information, click the "Submit" button. A "Congratulations" message will appear, which lists your new UserName/Posting Name (forget the old one, you will never use it again), e-mail address, first and last name, degree, home page and signature file. You will also receive an e-mail message confirming your registration on the discussion forum.
Now that you have successfully registered on ChiroWeb's discussion forum, it's time to start posting messages. To do so, click on the "Click here to enter the Bulletin Board now!" link, which will take you to the front page of the DCs Only Forum.
The DCs Only Forum is divided into four sections: Clinical Issues, Hot Topics, Philosophy and Technique. The front page of the forum also lists the number of topics (and posts) in each section, the date and time of the last message posted in each section, and the moderator of each section.
To post a message, click on the particular section you would like to read or post messages on. You will see a "Private Forum" page that again asks for your UserName and Password. While it may admittedly seem like overkill, this is the page that protects your posts from the eyes of non-chiropractors.
Enter your information, making sure to leave the Forum Password field BLANK. This is for administrators. Now click on the "Confirm Identity Now" button. You will receive a "Thank You" message and be taken back to the front page of the section you selected. It may seem like an unnecessary step, but it is only required once per session.
Now click on the "Post New Topic" button located in the upper right half of the screen or select the already posted topic you would like to respond to. The first time you post a message, you'll be asked to enter your user name and password (more security you'll appreciate later). For all future postings, however, you won't need to enter that information.
Image 2: The front page of the DCs Only Forum is divided into four sections: Clinical Issues, Hot Topics, Philosophy and Technique.
Image 3: To post a new message, enter your user ID and password, then type in your subject heading and the text of your message.
The rest of the page for posting new topics is fairly straightforward. Enter the subject of your message in the Subject field, then type your message in the Message field. One advantage that the new discussion forums have over the old ones is the ability to include UBB code in a message. With this feature, users can format their text so that it appears larger than normal, bolded, italicized and so on. Users can also include live links to web sites or e-mail addresses and insert images or other files in the body of a message. You can find out more by clicking on the "UBB Code is ON" link next to the text field in the message box.
Once you have entered a subject and the appropriate text for your message (remember the rules, courteous, respectful, non-commercial, etc.), click on the "Submit New Topic" button at the bottom of the screen. You'll receive a quick thank you message, and the bulletin board system will automatically return you to the topic list for the folder you were in.
When you review your posted message, you will note that you are listed as a "Junior Member." This is temporary designation that lets other posters know to be patient with you as you are new to the Forums. Once you have posted 10 messages, you become a full "Member."
Admittedly, a number of DC's readers still do not have internet access, and a surprising amount of the profession do not use a computer at home or the office. If you do not regularly use a PC or browse the internet, it is still recommended that you register on ChiroWeb as soon as possible. Doing so will not only reserve your UserName/Posting Name; visiting the Discussion Forums and spending even a few minutes online can open up a new world of interaction between yourself and fellow DCs, students and other advocates of chiropractic.
Take a little time to explore the new features available on ChiroWeb's Discussion Forums. They will add to your ability to communicate with other DCs around the world. Enjoy your own space where you can post in peace and confidence.
Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email
.