Welcome to the Internet Asylum - Meet TPampered Chef's Microcosm!

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Welcome to our little corner of the Internet Asylum! In this forum, you will meet one of the most interesting microcosms of society made up of some of the most interesting, friendly, knowledgable and informative people on the net. More importantly, they all have something in common, The Pampered Chef. (Usually referred to as TPC, PC or HO.) You'll also find a can of mixed nuts, some crackpots, a few weirdos that help keep this place light and entertaining and at least one or two curmudgeons who can find the cloud around every silver lining.---------------------
DISCLAIMER: I am not an administrator or moderator on this forum, I'm just a user like you are. The guidelines here are not necessarily those of the owners of this site, they're just my opinions garnered from over 25 years of posting on the Internet and at least a couple in this forum.
---------------------As a newbie to our forum, or "noob," you naturally have a lot of questions. Rather than have you ask the same question some other noob asked three days ago, we're going to try to list them here, along with some general advice, to enhance your experience and help you to become a valuable member of our community. (Note: We use the term, "noob" in a good sense here. Be careful, it may be considered a derogatory term on other forums.)

You'll find this place to be like a giant playground so the main thing is for you to have fun! If you're not much for the monkey bars, try the swings or other equipment. There's something here for everyone.

Some general advice for the newbie - read more, post less. This will give you a chance to learn who is who around here and learn some general etiquette. There are real people behind these posts, so don't go saying something in a post that you wouldn't say to them in real life. While it is tempting, don't insult or demean people. (We had a terrible squabble up here a long time ago with lots of accusations, name calling and reputation bashing. The net result was a lot of hurt feelings and people who left the forum for good and even some who quit TPC over it.) Think twice before you hit "Post Quick Reply" or "Submit Reply." Rule of thumb - if you wouldn't say it to someone in RL (Real Life) don't type and post it here.Also, before you post a question, you might do a Search to find out if the topic has already been covered. Near the top of the window, there is a drop-down menu that allows you to do a quick search (not real useful) or an Advanced Search where you can set parameters for search criteria. You can also search within a thread for specific terms, which can be quite useful, especially in very long threads. You can also use an outside search engine, like google, to search here. Click the link to see how to use google to search Chef Success.

NEW FEATURE Added March, 2010I N D E XHere are links to some frequently asked questions. Note to newbies: This is a shortcut for those who have already read this thread. Read the entire thread before you try the index, thank.

Acronyms: What do all the funny DH, DD, IMHO, EAD etc. mean?Avatar: See "Control Panel" because it's not a movie, it's that little picture under your user name.Chef Success Member Guidelines: What are the rules for this site?
See Also: The Official CS Member Guidelines by Greg.Control Panel: How to set up your Chef Success Environment.FedEx, Fed Up With, I'm angry with: So are lots of other people, no need to start a new thread, we've heard it all before.Hijacking: Why does a thread go off on tangents?Icons: What do all those little pictures mean?Jokes & Humor, Where to Post: There's a thread for that.Links, Creating Links: How do I create a link to my other favorite website?Photos: How do I add photographs to my posts?Quoting a Post, (It's in the next post, near the bottom.)
See also, Multiple Quotes: How do I quote mutliple posts in my post?Rule Violations, Reporting: "I found someone selling on ebay! I'm so mad!" So are we. Don't start t thread, turn 'em in.Reporting: See "Rule Violations" Above.
ebay
Personal Information on the Web
Personal Website Violations
Linking ViolationsSearching: Before you ask, look for an answer. Someone has probably already posted the answer to your question.Smilies: How do I use smilies besides the ones here?Symbols, what do they mean? See "Icons" above.Threads: What is a thread?Threads, Locked: What is a locked thread and why is it locked?Ready? Here we go, starting in the next post.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

ThreadsThreads

What is a thread? This forum is based on software called vBulletin, which is the engine of hundreds of other forums on the Internet. They all work pretty much the same. The entire website is called Chef Success, and it is divided, by topic, into forums to make it easy to find the topic you want. Some forums are further divided into sub-forums. The Chef's Lounge is a forum for stuff that either doesn't fit into one of the other forums or for subjects that are considered Off Topic or OT.

The Lounge is further divided into subforums for (at the time of this writing) Introductions, Prayer Requests, Congrats and National Conference. (In a timely fashion, of course.)

If you're a noob, you might go into the Introductions sub-forum and introduce yourself!

In each forum, topics are discussed in threads. Each thread is listed with a title and name of the person who started it. Every time a thread is started, or someone posts a new message to a thread, it appears at the top of the forum and all the other threads slide down the page. See "What is a 'bump' below.

• How do I post in a thread? There are two methods of posting. The Quick Reply is always available at the bottom of a thread. Quick Reply has limited editing tools. In the box, simply type your reply and click "Post Quick Reply" and your answer will appear in chronological order, oldest post first. The second method uses the Advanced editing tools. For more on Advanced editing, see 'How do I quote text in my post?' below.
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• How do I get that little picture under my name? That little picture is called an Avatar, or AV for short. You can use one that is provided or you can upload your own custom avatar. Since this is usually the second question people ask, but has nothing to do with threads, it is covered in the Control Panel section.
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  • Notes on Post Etiquette:
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  • Complete words, please! This forum is not a cell phone and these are not text messages. It is considered rude behavior to use numbers and texting shorthand here. If U wnt 2 B pplr, spell out complete words. You will sometimes see text speak used as a joke or to tease but those are exceptions.
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  • Proof read before you post. We all make misnakes when typnig, and for the most part, you won't get called on it unless it's humorous. (Like if you try to type Bob and spell Boob, you're going to get a lot of teasing about it.) It is possible to go back and edit a post, but not a thread title. Double check your spelling in a title because the only way to fix it is to delete the thread entirely and start over. That's okay if you catch it right away, but deleting a thread after folks have posted in it is considered rude.
    
    Go back and edit a post right away - once the error is quoted in a post, it's there forever.
    
    You might wish to consult the Merriam-Webster dictionary website before you post. (If you use Firefox or Mozilla for a browser, it will tell you your misspellings but it isn't always right.)
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  • Turn Off the caps lock. POSTING IN ALL CAPS LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING. Funny looking, isn't it? Not half as funny as rude. For the most part, vBulletin will change all caps to lowercase but a WORD or TWO in all CAPS can be used for EMPHASIS.
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  • Profanity is frowned upon, well, generally. If you wouldn't say it in church, you probably shouldn't say it here. Which doesn't stop some of us, anyway. vBulletin will automatically censor certain text strings with asterisks. This can result in some rather humorous postings, for example, vBulletin will not allow the four letter string that means "male chicken." This results in common words having stars in them, like stopping after work in a ****tail lounge. So, you'll see postings with words like roostertail dress or "Proud as a pearooster." Some people will use the clinical name of a critical piece of the male anatomy in place of ****. (Some people consider this word usage in bad taste but that's the way it is here.) You'll figure it out soon enough. The automatic censor also results in creative spellings for common words, like the biblical beast of burden might be seen here as an a$s.
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• How do I use smilies? In the advanced editor, a number of smilies are available to you. Just click on the appropriate smiley where you want him to appear. Careful where you click on the smiley because that's where he'll be. As you get more familiar with writing posts, you'll find you can enter a smiley by just typing the code for it. For example, if you type : and ) together, you'll get .
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• What's a "sticky?" Since threads get bumped down the page with each new thread posting, the administrator has a way of making an important thread stay at the top of each page. It's like having a note put up on a cork board with a stick pin, so the term has just been shortened to "sticky."
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• What's a "bump?" Because each new posting moves, or "bumps" a thread to the top of the forum, people who want to move a thread to the top of the forum will do so by simply typing the word "bumping" and post it. (There is a minimum character requirement in a post, so "bump" by itself doesn't work - it's too short.)
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• How do I quote text in my post? At the bottom of each post, there is a button that says, "Quote." This will take you to the advanced editor and the previous post text will be inserted into your post, using the tags {QUOTE=PostersName} and {/QUOTE}. (Curly brackets are used here intead of the proper square [ ] brackets so you can read them.)
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• How do I create a thread? Click on the "New Thread" icon and type a post like any other. Be sure to give it a meaningful title. If you are angry about something, to avoid being jumped on as one of the nattering nabobs of negativity, be sure to put "RANT:" in your thread title. (Thank you Bill Saphire and Spiro Agnew, where ever you are.)
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[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Special FeaturesSpecial Features

• How do I get a star under my name? Keep posting! The stars are rewards for posting. You get an outline, or "stripper" star at 1,000 posts, I think you get a yellow star at 2,000, pink at 3,000 and blue at 5,000. There is a multi-color star awarded at 10,000 posts and, as of this posting, only chefann has that one.
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• What is a "post slut? A "post slut" is a user who posts meaningless drivel to get their post count up in order to get the next level of star. Sometimes the term is used endearingly, like when someone is a few posts away from a threshold, but often the term is used derrisively because blatant, excessive and outlandish post slut behavior is considered extremely rude as well as annoying. See "What are buddy and ignore lists?" under "The Control Panel" to see what you can do about it.
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• What does "Gold Supporter" mean under someone's name? It means that user has made a cash payment to the owners above and beyond the membership fee.
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• What does DD, DH, DS, and all those other acronyms mean? While text shorthand is frowned up, commonly used terms have been reduced to acronyms to make everyone's life easier for typing and reading. If you type C & S together, vBulletin will automagically change it to Chef Success when you post. Other acronyms remain acronyms. The most common ones are:
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  • TPC or PC - The Pampered Chef. (TPC can also mean Top Performance Cluster, so check the context.)
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  • HO - Home Office of TPC in Addison, Illinois.
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  • D and any combination following - Dear Husband, Daughter, Son. Since I don't have a husband and my wife doesn't like being referred to as DH, I just call her The Kat Lady.
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  • NC and Wave 1, 2 and 3 - National Conference. There are so many consultants that it isn't possible for all of us to converge on Chicago for TPC conference, so we're divided into three separate "Waves" of consultants to attend NC. Your wave is determined by your upline National Director. Your director will be able to tell you which wave you are in and when your wave will be in Chicago.
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  • Initials - Common posters often get their names shorted to initials. I've become KG. After you've been here awhile, you'll figure out who most of them are - there aren't that many. Some people will actually get their first names used in a post, like chefann is often just called, "Ann." Imagine that.
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  • OT - Off Topic. Some people start a thread with OT to flag it as off topic. In the Lounge, that's redundant, since everything here, by definition, is OT.
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  • HWC and RUFTH - Help Whip Cancer and Round Up From The Heart
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  • For a complete list of acronyms... go read The Acronym Thread. There you'll be able to find out what an Easy Accident Decorator is. (There are several recurring gags, like that one, around here, too.)
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• How do I put pictures in my posts? It isn't possible to post graphics directly into a post in a vBulletin forum. You can attach a photo in the Advanced tools. This will result in a link. Readers will have to click on the link to see your photo. Many of us won't bother. You can have a photo appear directly into a post by linking it from a source on the Internet, like this:
  
  Gosh, what's that logo on my shirt?
  To see how it's done, go read The Photo Thread.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

The Control Panel and HijackingThe Control Panel

The control panel is where you customize your posts. In here, you can add a signature line, add an AV, tell us where you're located and tell us other things.

• How Do I Get That Little Picture Under My Name? - See "How Do I Get an Avatar?"
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• How Do I Get an Avatar? In the User Control Panel, click Edit Avatar. You'll be taken to a page where you can select from a group of avatars. You can also upload a photo to use as an AV and the control panel will tell you how to do that. It has to be small or it won't work. If the photo you have chosen is too large, it will tell you. If it is too large, but not too too large, vBulletin will rescale it for you.
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• What's a subscription? - If there is a thread that you particularly like, you can subscribe to it. Chef Success will notify you, by email, if someone posts in the thread so you can go read the new post. You can also find subscribed threads very quickly by clicking in the drop-down menu, Quick Links, on the "Subscribed Threads" link.
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• What's a profile? This is where you can tell us about yourself (or not.) Your profile is visible to anyone who wants to look you up but the info doesn't appear in your regular posts. You can also post a larger photo of you than your AV will allow.
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• What's a signature? This is text that appears at the bottom of every post you make. You can format the sigie text any way you like, but the administrators have not enabled graphics in the sig lines - no pictures.
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• What is a buddy list? Buddy lists are where you list people in Chef Success you like. When someone on your buddy list is online, they show up in the users list (on the front page) with a + next to their name. Also, in Quick Links, you can open your buddy list and see who is online, otherwise, it's just a cute, but mostly useless, list.
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• What is the ignore list? The IGNORE list, OTOH, is quite useful. Remember we said this is a playground? Just like a real playground, there are going to be posters here you just plain don't like. If someone raises your blood pressure when you see their posts, put them on your ignore list. (Sometimes shortened to "iggy" list.) When someone is on your iggy, you will never see their posts, unless you want to.
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• How do I add someone to my buddy or iggy list? Click on the user's name. You'll be taken to their public profile, and you will have a choice to add them to your buddy list or your iggy list. Confirm your choice and, if they're being added to your iggy, POOF! they're gone from your sight.

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Well, that's about it - the most frequently asked questions. If your question wasn't answered here, keep reading, someone may have asked it here. If you don't see it, post it and one of the Chef Success gurus will get back to you.

Enjoy your visits! We're glad to have you here!

Hijacking

What is hijacking? Hijacking is when the subject of a thread changes from the stated title. It's the way a normal conversation ebbs and flows, so hijacking is a rather common occurrence around here.

For example, this thread is titled User's Guide & List of FAQ. If someone posts a message that says, "Who are you rooting for in the Superbowl?" that is an attempted hijack. If no one answers, no harm, no foul. If, on the other hand, several people answer Giants, Pats, and the discussion morphs into Superbowl discussion and away from FAQ, the thread is said to have been hijacked.

Usually, when a thread gets hijacked, it returns to the original subject. Sometimes, both subjects continue in parallel.

No one has ever been drawn and quartered for hijacking a thread, but there's always a first time. So if you want to talk about the Superbowl, go start your own thread. (It tells you how a couple of posts up from this one.)

 

[fruit76loop]

My goodness, KG you are even funnier that the last time I was active on here!! :balloon: :balloon:

 

[janetupnorth]

VERY well written KG - and I am not shouting.One note to add...either under gold supporter or the green and blue dots. As a gold supporter, you have additional options, like 200 mailbox limit and the ability to be "invisible" so to speak. Your dot is always red to you and to others it is blue. It doesn't show when you were last logged on. (...and I will delete my post in an hour or so after you've read this so we can keep this thread cleaner). Oh, and add to the signature section for the noobs not to post their entire website address only
/jrs or whatever theirs is.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

VERY well written KG - and I am not shouting.

One note to add...either under gold supporter or the green and blue dots. As a gold supporter, you have additional options, like 200 mailbox limit and the ability to be "invisible" so to speak. Your dot is always red to you and to others it is blue. It doesn't show when you were last logged on.

(...and I will delete my post in an hour or so after you've read this so we can keep this thread cleaner).

Thanks for deleting Janet!

If you like this thread - rate it 5 stars.....if you'd like to see it as a sticky - send a note to Greg and let him know.

And if you'd really like for it to be successful - don't post a bunch of stuff after KG's info!


Oh - and I'll be deleting my post later today too!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I'll just bask in the glow until you delete your posts.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Rule Violations: Direct Links to Websites, ebay/Craig's List sales, etcI just found something for sale on ebay! I'm so MAD! How do I start a thread about it?I know you're mad, but don't bother posting a thread. We've discussed this so many times up here that no one wants to read it anymore.If a consultant is selling PC stuff on ebay or craig's list, or if someone has linked their PC Personal Website directly, well, it's nothing new. Get the specifics, the web addresses, the auction number, that sort of thing, and send it to the Home Office!Don't rant here and don't confront the violator on your own. Just report it to HO. They have full time people who are paid to confront the rule breakers.Send the violation information to: [email protected] or [email protected]. (Some people send them to both locations to ensure that the report gets to the right place.)(Edited to update the address for reporting violations.)

 

[Grandmarita]

Kitchen Guy, this is an awesome amount of information. I have been on since Nov. 05, and you have answered so many of my questions. I never really knew how to ask a question by starting a thread. All I have been able to do is reply to ones that someone else started. I'd like to see Greg send this to everyone who becomes a member. How do we make that suggestion to him? This is my only forum, so I have no other experience to fall back on.
Thanks so very much.

 

[legacypc46]

Great overview....thank you for taking the time to write this up!

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Wow KG, you have WAY too much time on your hands! But I'm glad you did. I agree with Grandmarita, this should be mandatory reading for all new cheffers...and some not so new cheffers

Glad you addressed my biggest pet peeve...misspelled words, especially in a thread title. Of course, it's usually in a thread that everyone wants to read so it keeps popping up over and over again!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

When in doubt, take a look in hereThe more I cruise around this site and get questions and comments from all of you, the more I think a lot of problems could be avoided if Cheffers would just look here:

Chef Success Member Guidelines.

In fact, that thread is a sticky in a forum called ChefSuccess Feedback & Announcements and it's a good idea to check out the whole forum periodically to see what Cheffers are talking about.

While you're in there, take special note of this text in Greg's entry:

"Advertising:
Advertising for exclusive personal gain of any kind is not permitted in any forum or by private message. Posting website links will be permitted occasionally, but will be dealt with on a case by case basis. "

I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but that sounds to me like an extension of the stated policy of TPC that prohibits linking your PWS (Personal Web Site) here or anywhere else.

Just don't do it. For every client you think you might find, you're going to attract 15 PC consultants and it only takes one of them to turn you in. If you post your PWS anywhere, or if you try to sell product on the Internet, you're gonna get caught. It's that simple. Don't do it.

If you decide to go ahead and try it, when you get caught, don't whine about it here. No one cares, in fact, if you took a poll, you'd find the majority of Cheffers are not only glad you got caught, they wish they were the ones to turn you it.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

The more I cruise around this site and get questions and comments from all of you, the more I think a lot of problems could be avoided if Cheffers would just look here:

Chef Success Member Guidelines.

In fact, that thread is a sticky in a forum called ChefSuccess Feedback & Announcements and it's a good idea to check out the whole forum periodically to see what Cheffers are talking about.

While you're in there, take special note of this text in Greg's entry:

"Advertising:
Advertising for exclusive personal gain of any kind is not permitted in any forum or by private message. Posting website links will be permitted occasionally, but will be dealt with on a case by case basis. "

I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but that sounds to me like an extension of the stated policy of TPC that prohibits linking your PWS (Personal Web Site) here or anywhere else.

Just don't do it. For every client you think you might find, you're going to attract 15 PC consultants and it only takes one of them to turn you in. If you post your PWS anywhere, or if you try to sell product on the Internet, you're gonna get caught. It's that simple. Don't do it.

If you decide to go ahead and try it, when you get caught, don't whine about it here. No one cares, in fact, if you took a poll, you'd find the majority of Cheffers are not only glad you got caught, they wish they were the ones to turn you it.

Thanks - I think that says it all for me!

 

[janetupnorth]

Thanks - I think that says it all for me!

Just saw this! Yup, that's probably very true.

 

[sarahlegare]

Thanks for posting this KG!! That's a whole lot of great info!!

 

[purrbal]

Good job KG

Special Features

• How do I get a star under my name? Keep posting! The stars are rewards for posting. You get an outline, or "stripper" star at 1,000 posts, I think you get a yellow star at 2,000, pink at 3,000 and blue at 5,000. There is a multi-color star awarded at 10,000 posts and, as of this posting, only chefann has that one.

hehehe I just asked Ann this one on one of my threads, I figured it was due to # of posts just wasn't sure of the # to hit etc... now I know. Most of the other stuff you've written I know but it is nice refresher to see it all in one post. Very well done. By the way be thankful I use KG because I keep wanting to call you Kitchen George {NO CLUE

WHY EITHER LOL}

now back to your regularly scheduled post

 

[pcchris]

wow, kg.......I have to admit that I've seen this thread, but never read it - that is, until now.

I"m quite impressed with all of your information! You could quite easily have a future in this kind of stuff!!

Thank you for posting all of this.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I am SO mad at FedEx! Why me?Okay, take a deep breath and relax. FedEx just screwed up your order, left the boxes on the neighbor's front lawn, drove past your house, delivered someone else's order, routed your order through Timbuktu, whatever, and of course, you're the only one this has ever happened to and you want to vent about it.Well, as Gomer Pyle said, "Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!" You aren't the only one. Before you go off on a rant, you might want to take a look at any of these threads that have all been posted since FedEx took over the contract from UPS for deliveries from TPC. Check these out and maybe you'll feel a little better.Yet another Fedex Gripe - fluffy215 6/5/08ANOTHER Fedex VENT!! - ginamkiely 2/26/08FedEx Question...Little Venting but mostly need help! - Cookin' Mama 2/23/08Dear Mr. FedEx Man - Di_Can_Cook 2/16/08FEDUP w/ FedEx - Tropicalburstqt2 2/14/08FEDEX Rant - dollfangs 1/23/08For all those who "love" fedex here you go... kaseydee 1/14/08Another Fed Ex story - pamperedlinda 1/9/08I Hate Fedex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - pampered1224 12/26/07Darn that FedEx! - raebates 12/12/07UPS or FedEx?? - sarahlegare 10/11/07 (Not really a rant but there are some in the thread.)FedEx vs. Water Buffalo - janetupnorth 10/07/07 (A parody but with rants contained in the thread.)Omg!! FedEx Has Screwed Up!!! - tiffanypc05 4/28/07OK, now I'm mad at FedEx...well at least a stupid driver. janetupnorth 7/31/07WHAT??!! FedEx doesn't deliver on Mondays?? - chelynn 6/11/07To Tip or Not To Tip the FedEx Guy? (Poll) - TwinGirlsMom 3/22/07Saturday FedEx Delivery Question - KellyTheChef 2/23/07FedEx- I know we have discussed this to death but - jrstephens 2/19/07fedex delivered at 10:47pm - sillylittlechef 2/07/07UGGHHH Fedex!!! - heat123 1/28/07FedEx vs. Brown - The_Kitchen_Guy 1/27/07 (Not a rant. This was in the early days!)FedEx... SillyChef 1/20/07 (Also in the early days.)Return via FedEx - mandydollie 1/18/07

 

[purrbal]

What about some stuff on Kit Enhancement & tax time???

 

[chefann]

I'd like to add some info to this thread.While we love to help answer questions, we are only human and sometimes things are mis-remembered. If you have a question about policies, please RTFM (read the freakin' manual). HO has an electronic copy posted online. It's even in the "Frequently used links" area on the right side of Consultant's Corner. If you're brand new to PC, it's a good idea to read all the way through the policies at least once to familiarize yourself with them.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

This thread was really written to be about Chef Success and to answer the questions that continually come up around here, and not really for TPC issues. I agree with Ann that if people actually read the documentation that comes with their kits, these questions wouldn't come up.Perhaps it's time that someone put together a similar thread addressing those issues. Oh, BTW, I'm also not a tax attorney, nor do I play one on TV, so someone else would have to tackle that issue.

 

[chefann]

If we start a thread about common PC questions, I'll delete my post above (well, I'll move it into that thread).

 

[purrbal]

Whatever you wish...I was just trying to help

 

[chefann]

How do I prevent people from thinking I'm a jerk?In a group this diverse, unintentionally hurting someone will happen. But you can reduce the likelihood by taking the following steps:

• Don't assume that everyone thinks like you or holds the same beliefs/opinions.
• Don't phrase your opinions as facts.
• When composing a post that contains potentially hurtful material, stop before you hit the "post reply" button. Wait 5 minutes and reread what you wrote.
• Be specific when you use a negative description. People aren't stupid. Some ideas are, but that doesn't make the person who suggests it stupid, too. Sometimes they just haven't considered all the ramifications of their idea.
• It's OK to type something as a "vent" and then delete it without posting. That can be a good way to blow off steam without offending others. (Especially in the heat of the moment.)
• You have the right to free speech. Respect that others on the board do, too. If you consistently don't like someone's attitude or viewpoint, choose not to read their posts. The same goes for topics you don't agree with - don't read those threads.
• If you do hurt someone's feelings unintentionally, apologize. It can happen to any of us, especially because we're used to oral communication, not written.

Taking a minute to put yourself in others' shoes can save untold amounts of bruised feelings in the long run.

 

[cochef]

Wow - I have been a member just a few months and have truly been amazed at all the info shared on this site. Thank you sooooooo much for answering some questions. Now, I have another question that may have an answer elsewhere on this site but I am still trying to figure out how to look stuff up, such as a response to something I have posted if it is not right away. What do the little symbols to the left of a post mean (looks like an envelope)?
Again, thanks so much!

 

[chefann]

The envelopes refer to how "hot" a thread is.

If there's a little page peeking out of the top of the envelope, there are new posts in it.

If the envelope is blue, there have been less than 15 replies or 150 views.

If the envelope is red, there are more than 15 replies or 150 views.

Red with a page means that it's a hot thread with new posts.

The arrow means that you've posted to the thread.
And a lock means that the thread is closed.

 

[JAE]

The envelopes refer to how "hot" a thread is.

If there's a little page peeking out of the top of the envelope, there are new posts in it.

If the envelope is blue, there have been less than 15 replies or 150 views.

If the envelope is red, there are more than 15 replies or 150 views.

Red with a page means that it's a hot thread with new posts.
The arrow means that you've posted to the thread.
And a lock means that the thread is closed.

Wondered about those, myself. Thanks, Ann.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Here's the locked thread icon.

Ann was faster than me this time.

 

[cochef]

Thank you both for all the info. Now, just why does a thread get locked?