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WHAT THE HELL IS THIS BLOG?

Since you ask, the word "blog" is the shortened version of the word "weblog" - which is a log of someone's life on the world wide web. The PM blog is written by me, the presenter of PM. I'm Eddie Mair. Hello. When I'm not Eddie Mair I might be Carolyn Quinn. But enough about my weekends.

WHAT ARE ALL THESE STRANGE LINKS...THE GLASS BOX...THE BEACH..THE FURROWED BROW?

They're places which serve specific purposes. The Glass Box is where you can comment on the content of PM. What you thought of the interviews, the reports, the running order or anything else. The Furrowed Brow is where serious discussion takes place about whatever you like. And the Beach? Well, that's a very special place. Why not click on the Signpost to the Beach to find out more...?

HOW DO I ADD A COMMENT OF MY OWN?

It couldn't be simpler. Well, it could, but we hope it's not too tricky.

First you have to register to use the blog by following the 'create your membership' link, and clicking on the link in a verification email. Once registered, you simply fill in the box at the bottom of the page and submit your comment. Your first few comments will be checked by our moderators before they appear on the blog as with old system, but after that they will now appear straight away.

WHY AM I HAVING PROBLEMS REGISTERING?!

Have you paid your taxes? What about the TV licence? If you're up to date with those, the most common problem when registering is entering the wrong email address or the verification email from the ´óÏó´«Ã½ ending up in your spam or junk mail folder. I mean, come on. What are you playing at? If you've checked these and you still can't post then you can contact the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Central Communities Team here /messageboards/newguide/feedback_form.shtml They live in a village, you know.

WHY DO WE NEED TO REGISTER BEFORE WE CAN POST A COMMENT?

You've got a lot of questions haven't you? Registering helps protect the boards against spam and other meat-based products. Registering will also allow you to track your comments and message board posts, and once you've posted a few times your comments will appear on the site straight away, instead of having to wait for the moderators to check them first. That's right. You read it correctly. But it still seems unreal, doesn't it?

I ALREADY POST ON HAVE YOUR SAY OR THE MESSAGEBOARDS - DO I NEED A NEW ACCOUNT?

No, you can use your existing account. You will be prompted to accept the terms and conditions of the site before you post but that only takes a click.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY MEMBER NAME AND MY NICKNAME?

When you register for bbc.co.uk membership you will be asked to create a 'Member Name'. This will act as both your sign-in name and your default Nickname. Member Names must be unique so you might not get the one you want.
After you have registered, you can create a new 'Nickname'. Your Nickname is the name that appears above your messages. Nicknames don't need to be unique so you can have any name you want. We advise you to change your nickname at least once, as it increases the security of your account.
If you would like a different Nickname, you can change it to anything you like, as long as it doesn't break the House Rules and still carry on using the same account.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A UNIT TRUST AND A PENSION SCHEME?

This was more than adequately covered in an old French and Saunders sketch. It may still be available on DVD.

WILL I HAVE TO ENTER MY PASSWORD EVERY TIME I COMMENT?

No, you can tick the 'remember me' box when you sign into the site and your details will be remembered unless you sign out or delete the cookies from your computer. Don't do this on a shared computer in a library or office though, or other people may be able to access your account. Idiot.

HOW DO I COMPLAIN ABOUT A COMMENT?

Oh you're that sort are you? Actually, there can be all sorts of opportunities for offence and we don't want that sort of thing so if you see something that you believe breaks the House Rules /messageboards/newguide/house_rules.shtml of the blog then please alert the moderators by clicking on the 'complain about this post' link. The moderators will examine the comment you complained about to see if it breaks the house rules and take appropriate action. The PM blog is post-moderated /messageboards/newguide/checking_messages.shtml so all comments will be checked by the moderators within a short time of them appearing on the site.

Please don't use the 'complain about this post' button if you disagree with someone else's views - you can post your own comments to explaining why your view is different.

For more on moderation, have a look here if you are very very bored: /messageboards/newguide/checking_messages.shtml

WHY HAS MY COMMENT DISAPPEARED?

David Nixon sometimes moderates at the weekends. Also, please be patient - your comment is being checked by the moderators.
• If there is no problem with your comment it should reappear shortly, though please bear in mind that the moderators will sometimes have to refer to other ´óÏó´«Ã½ staff or even the lawyers to check whether a post is ok.
• Your first few posts will not appear on the blog immediately. This is because all comments by new members are pre-moderated, which means that they need to be checked by a moderator before they appear. This may take a while (because the moderators read thousands of postings a day), so please come back later to see your comment on the blog and check the responses. After you have used the new system for a while, you will become a trusted user and your posts will appear immediately - as long as they don't break the House Rules.
• If your message breaks our House Rules it will be removed permanently and you will be sent an email explaining why, along with a copy of your message.

WHY DO I HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE POSTING AGAIN?

There is a three minute delay (sometimes referred to as 'speedbumping') that forces you to wait between comments on the board - this is there to discourage chat from derailing discussions and to help cut down on short or one-word comments and spam. Although it can sometimes be frustrating, it's really not that long, so please just be patient. The timer starts from when you submitted your last post and includes any time spent writing the next one, so if you want to fill the time, just write a longer post.

OTHER QUESTIONS

If you have a question about the new software that hasn't been answered above or here /messageboards/newguide/faq_index.shtml then please contact the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Central Communities Team via the feedback form here /messageboards/newguide/feedback_form.shtml
If you have questions about life and the universe, you may want to consult a clergyman, or other person of faith. Or perhaps someone of no faith. It really is up to you. Frankly, if you're looking for answers on a blog FAQ you've got what's coming to you.

WHAT'S ALL THIS STUFF ABOUT FROGGERS AND FROGGING? DO YOU HATE THE FRENCH?

There's no call for that. Even from its earliest days, people who commented on the blog pointed out that it was a combination of a blog of Eddie's entries, and a forum of comments. Blog + forum = frog. Bloggers are also known as froggers, while blogging becomes frogging. You're sorry you asked, aren't you?

AND THE FROGGERS' REFUGE?

The Froggers' refuge was originally set up by a very eager frogger Jonnie to provide somewhere else to go when the real PM blog wasn't working properly. It's still a place were froggers meet up and talk to each other. It also stores a lot of photos and songs, and is generally well worth a visit.

ANY TIPS ON HOW I SHOULD BEHAVE HERE?

Be nice. The PM Blog should be a happy place, and is best when people are discussing not arguing. You might not agree with the comments of a fellow blogger, but please be constructive in your criticism.
Do not feed "the trolls". If an inflammatory comment appears from a newcomer, then please think carefully before responding. "Trolls", as they are known, intentionally post derogatory/inflammatory messages about sensitive topics in an established online community in order to bait regular users into responding.

WHAT'S THE HISTORY OF THE PM BLOG?

The PM Blog began, quietly, accidentally even, on August 17th 2006, and since then it has grown to become one of the biggest and most successful ´óÏó´«Ã½ blogs. We don't know why.

IS IT TRUE PADDY O'CONNELL'S BEEN FIRED?
Yes.

AND CLARE ENGLISH?

Yup. Different reason, though.

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