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## 2.3. Creating topics, replying and editing posts

A topics is the starting point of any conversation on a forum. An initial poster creates a subject and a post, and then other users can reply to it. In this way users can converse about specific 'topics' of conversation.

To create a topic, follow these steps:

1. Browse to the forum you want to post a topic in, then click on the 'New Topic' link above the topic list.

2. The posting interface will now be displayed. First, enter the subject of your topic, and then the message section. You can add smilies, formatting, links, pictures and more to your post by using the editor tools located above the message box, which is present on most Phorum installations. Hover over the buttons for a description of what they do, and for help with BBCode (Bulletin Board Code) and smilies, click on the ? button on the right.
You can also choose to add your signature to the post, and to follow the topic. Additionally, you may post attachments by clicking on 'Attach a file...'. When you are finished, you can click on 'Preview' to look at your post before submitting it, or post it by clicking 'Post message'.

To reply to topics, browse to the topic you want to reply to then click on the Reply link below a post, or fill out the posting form at the bottom of the topic. Then follow the same procedure described above.

You can also edit your posts after submitting them by clicking on the 'Edit' link beneath your post. The administrator can set a specific time limit within which you can edit your post.

### Important

Some of the actions you can perform are limited by administrative settings. For example, an administrator can prevent users from starting new topics, replying to them, editing posts, adding attachments and following topics within specific forums.

TODO: Link certain features (e.g. topic follow) with appropriate sections when written

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