Have something to say and want the world to hear it? The Internet is littered with places for you to express yourself with others and has enough debate on it to impress even the ancient Greeks. Ready to jump into the global think tank? Here's some tips on how not to be eaten alive by message-board sharks.

Signing Up

We're guessing you have a fairly good idea of how to register for a Web site, by now. Normally, to join a discussion forum, all you should need to provide is an e-mail address. Bear in mind that many forums no longer accept "free" e-mail accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.). This is done primarily to cut down on spammers registering. An AOL or other "paid" e-mail account is normally acceptable. Finally, like all things Internet, be wary. Should a discussion forum require too much personal info, it may be a good one to avoid, though  these are rare.

The next step is to select a unique user name for your alias. Try to use something that explains something about you. For example, if your name is Bob Smith and you're kind of a funny guy and you like to draw:

Bad Username: BobSmithfunnyartist

Good Username: WackyDoodle

Then, set yourself up a password and you are ready to roll. Be ready, however, the early going in a discussion forum can be rough for a "Noob" as forum members have taken to call new members.

Know the Rules

Like just about everything in life, the key to a good discussion board is moderation. Take his set-up: Bob finds a Web site about drawing that has a discussion forum. He signs up and says hello:

WackyDoodle: Hi everyone! Great to be here!

The responses come fast and furious:

BuggedBunny: Who asked you, noob?

DaffyDrunk: What are you going to do about it, eh, WackerDawdle? {Note: Please notice the cunning, yet juvenile insult. This will be discussed in greater detail further down.)

HateEverythingDude: I hate you.

And on and on they go - someone manages to arrange a bunch of commas, semi-colons, parentheses and periods into a very strong representation of an obscene gesture, people swear at you, someone tries to sell you a new hair-growth crème, etc.

This is why it is always smart to check out the rules of a forum before joining. A few boards will have no moderation, and therefore, it becomes an anything-goes Internet free-for-all. On the other side of the coin, some boards will have moderators for every sub-forum they host.

Different discussion board owners will have different rules on things like language and hurtful speech. A good rule of thumb is to always stay above the fray and find a forum where you get to know and like the regular posters.

Useful Discussion Board Info

Unlike in normal, day-to-day life, people on Internet message boards tend to be eager for confrontation:

WackyDoodle: I like food. Food is fantastic.

HysteriaGuy: Are you insane???? Look at all the overweight people!!! Oh, the humanity!!

There are many ways to show how you feel through a text-based medium, here are some of them:

• Smilies: Oh, how far they have come from the old-school days of the simple colon-right parentheses days. Now, many discussion forums will have a vast array of smilies - some animated - to show every emotion or feeling one can imagine. One word of warning: The use of smilies is a delicate art, and try and under use them rather than the opposite. The cute little yellow balls making faces are only interesting in moderation.

• The Ghandi Approach: This technique is a sure-fire way to earn a spot as a respected forum member. Just avoid any type of confrontation:

WackyDoodle: Life is great!

HateEverythingDude: I hate you. I hate you a lot.

WackyDoodle: Awww, you just need a hug.

HateEverythingDude: Sigh. Yeah, I do.

• Fighting fire with fire: The Ghandi Approach is nearly infallible. However, it's also rarely used. Someone needs to do a study to on why some sweet-as-pie grandmother will call someone every name in the book for questioning her sewing technique on a discussion board. It's sad but true, many of us enjoy a little verbal warfare. A positive way to keep yourself from being abusive to someone, is to attack opinions you don't like, and don't attack the person who has the opinions. Bad: You're an awful, horrible person for having that opinion. Good: You're opinion is awful and horrible.

• Common Sense: Always remember to keep your cool. There are other human beings behind the other screens of a discussion forum and there are some people who are out there posting things just to try and upset people. Don't fall prey. Also: Avoid posting the same things over and over on a board. This will get you banned for spamming; Type normally, not ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS or in SoME funky WaY.

Contribute to the Discussion

Some posters will get so wrapped up in personal asides that they will forget about the discussion at hand. Discussion board regulars love noobs that come into their forum and add to the debate. Some advice: Always have sources for information. Don't just say "Martians are planning to attack the world!", say "Martians are planning to attack the world: Says the Big Newspaper Daily" and give links whenever available.

Where Everybody Knows your Name

Discussion forums can have thousands of members or as few as two. With separate discussion forums available on every topic in the sun, there will be many forums where about 10-30 people post regularly. As you have found out by now, or will find out in the future, a discussion group becomes an odd sort of family.

Imagine a discussion forum as a bar. You go in, sit down and start being loud and making fun of the regulars. That probably won't go over well. But if you take a little time at the beginning to get to know the regulars and treat people with the respect you would like, then soon, there will a be a seat at the bar just for you.