Welcome to the Xbox.com Forums! Here you’ll find Xbox enthusiasts just like you, discussing anything and everything Xbox.

“How do the forums work? Where do I begin?”

Well, all of our forums fall into the falling groupings:

• General Discussion
• Tournament Invitations/Discussions
• Xbox Live Discussion
• Games
• International Forums

Within each of the groups are various individual forums you can participate in. To enter an individual forum, simply click on the forum title itself. Once in, you will be presented with a list of 25 threads. (A “thread” is simply forum slang for a topic, subject or discussion.) In most cases the thread will be self-explanatory as to the subject matter. To view all the comments within the thread, simply click on the thread title. Once in the thread, you can either have the material presented to you with the most recent submissions at the top or with the original thread entry at the top and all the replies following.

“How do I jump in?”
So, let’s say you want to join an existing thread. With the most recent thread that we viewed from above, let’s click on “Post Reply” to the right of the last entry. You will be presented with a text box for you to enter your comments. Once you’re done, simply click on Post. That’s all there is to it. Your submission will now post to the top of the list (or perhaps the bottom if you’re reading it oldest to newest).

To create a new thread, you’ll first need to be in the group and forum of your choice. Then, find the “New Thread,” button and click it. This time, you’ll have the ability to actually create and title your thread. You’ll find it’s better to create a descriptive and logical title. Once you’ve created your subject/title and entered the text in the “Message” box, go ahead and click on “Post.” Your new thread will post to the top of the threads within the forum. You’ll see that you created it, the number of replies it’s received, the number of people who’ve viewed it, and when the last post occurred.

That’s the basics! Definitely the easiest way to get acquainted with the forums is to dive in and contribute.

“Are there any rules of conduct?”
The forums are an open and unrestricted medium for expressing our thoughts, asking questions, and providing feedback to others. To that end, we need to behave in such a manner so as not to insult, inflame, or otherwise harass other forums users. The Terms of Use and the Code of Conduct are explicit in what’s permitted and what’s not. Let’s put some words around the general behavior within the forums. We’ll call it “Forum Etiquette.”

To most of us, the folks in these forums are perfect strangers. We all do share a common passion though, and that is Xbox.

Etiquette Rule #1: Keep the subject aligned with the forum.
There is a place within the forums for just about everything. There are general discussion forums, games forums, and even a technical issues forum. The key is to act accordingly and keep the subjects to the respective forums. We don’t want to see discussions about Halo in the MechAssault forum. We don’t want to see discussions about who’s running for president popping up in a technical issues forum either.

Etiquette Rule #2: Don’t use all caps, as it’s perceived as yelling.
We don’t walk up to somebody on the street and just start yelling at them. In the forums, using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is the equivalent of yelling.

Etiquette Rule #3: Don’t use profanity.
We don’t walk up to strangers and start cussing at them or use profanity. Swear words—whether spelled out, abbreviated, or padded with characters—aren’t tolerated. If and when the moderators find the material, it will be deleted, and you’ll be warned to knock if off. We can all communicate and get our points across without swearing.

Etiquette Rule #4: Don’t use racial or gender attacks and slurs.
Along the same lines as number 3 are racial and gender comments, attacks, or slurs. There’s no call for it, and again, if the moderators find such a posting, they will delete it and warn you to knock it off. We are all here because of Xbox, so we’re not different.

Etiquette Rule #5: Don’t start or participate in fights.
We all hear, read, or see things that we don’t agree with. The forums are a place of various opinions and beliefs, and they are demonstrated on a daily basis. Just as you are entitled to your beliefs, so are others. If you have an opinion to a topic or question, then please feel free to share it in the appropriate manner. Don’t attack or harass others simply because you don’t agree. Keep your comments clean and non-aggressive, allowing your thoughts to be conveyed in a professional manner. Don’t get into a fight or attack others. When the moderators get involved, the offending threads will be deleted, and all the participants will receive warnings.

These are your forums, and you are a member of a community that includes more than 200,000 members. So, join in, contribute, share your thoughts on Xbox … and enjoy!
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