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ITS Technology Forum - Information and Posting Guidelines

What Is the Objective of the ITS Forum?

The objective of the ITS Technology Forum is to support a two-way dialog among those transportation organizations and professionals involved in planning, researching, deploying, and operating ITS technologies. It is particularly intended to be a place where practitioners can share "lessons learned."

How does the focus of the ITS Technology Forum differ from that of the new Talking Operations Forum?

The ITS Techology Forum focuses on specific transportation technology and technology deployment issues and challenges. The new Talking Operations Forum addresses broader issues revolving around the operation and management of our surface transportation system.

I understand that the ITS Technology Forum is a moderated discussion forum. What does this mean?

Your forum message is first submitted to the "forum moderator," who reviews the posting to make sure it is appropriate, not off-topic, or off-color. Messages which achieve the overall goals of the ITS Technology Forum -- to help transportation practitioners share "lessons-learned" will easily pass muster.

Which Types of Postings Are Inappropriate?

All postings should be on-topic (related to ITS technologies or deployment) and constructive. Unsolicited commercial advertisements or sales pitches are inappropriate, and will not pass the moderation process. Off-color comments and content-free postings will also not be posted.

How do I post a message on the ITS Technology Forum?

Simply click on the "Post a New Message" link near the top of the page, which will move your browser to the message posting form. After you're done filling out your message, you can either submit the message to the forum moderator immediately ("Post Message") or preview it first ("Preview Message").

Can I preview my message before submitting it?

Yes! Our forum software lets you optionally preview your message. If you like the way it looks on the Preview page, simply press "Post My Message." If you want to change it, use the back button on your browser. By the way, some browsers can get confused when you use the back button, and you might have to use it twice.

What fields are necessary to post a message on the ITS Technology Forum?

The "Name,""Subject," and "Message" fields are mandatory, and you will receive an error message if you press the "Post Message" button without putting information in these fields. If you receive this error, press the "Back" button on your browser to return to the input page (you may have to press it twice), fix the problem, and resume the posting process.

When will my posting appear?

When you submit a new message for posting on the ITS Technology Forum, the forum moderator receives a notice by email, telling him or her that a new message is awaiting approval. In most cases, your message (assuming it is suitable for the forum -- see above) will be posted within a few hours.

Why are there colons in the message when I try to post a followup?

Colons appear in the message dialog box when you try to followup on a message to indicate that those lines are quoting the previous document.

Where should I start typing followup messages?

Your followup message should start on the second line below the last line of the previous message (which is set off by colons). That is, leave a blank line before typing your response.