How do I read a post?
To open a post, click the text of the post topic, contained in the farthest left column of the message board. A topic is basically the subject line of the post, which is entered by the member to describe what the post is about. All the responses to that post, if there are any, are listed below the original post.

Can I change the way I view posts?
When you visit one of our message boards for the first time, the posts are presented newest to oldest. Above the list of posts is a pull-down menu that allows you to change the number of posts you can view at one time.

Messages are displayed in one of two ways--linear or threaded. You can switch between the two by clicking the links that say "change to linear view" or "change to threaded view." See the question "What does threaded vs. linear mean?" for more information.

How do I post?
To post on the board, you must be a registered MTV.com user. Click on “Join Now” at the top of the any page. If you are already registered, follow these instructions.

To access a message board:

• Click on “Community” on the top any page.
• Choose “Message Boards” from the drop down menu.
• Choose a message board from the index page by clicking on the board name you would like to view.

• Click on the "Start a New Topic" link on the top left hand side of the page.
• Type a subject for your message in the field labeled “subject.”
• Type the content of the post in the large text box labeled “message.”
• Check the "Notify me by e-mail when someone replies" box if you want to know when someone replies to your post. An e-mail will be sent to e-mail address you have listed in your MTV.com account information.

How do I reply to posts already on a board?

• Click on "post a reply" link located below the text of the post you would like to respond to.
• Type a subject for your response in the field labeled “subject” if you would like to change the original message subject.
• Type your response in the field labeled “message.”
• Check the "Notify me by e-mail when someone replies" box if you want to receive replies to your e-mail account.

What does threaded vs. linear mean?
When you first visit a message board, the posts will be in "linear" format. Linear boards list posts as they are received, in chronological order. There is no differentiation between original postings and replies.

Threaded boards list posts in chronological order, but replies are grouped with their original posts. Replies are indented underneath the original postings.

You may switch between threaded and linear to get a different view of the boards.

Is there a list of all the message boards on the site?
Click on “Community” on the top of any page and choose “Message Boards” from the drop-down menu. This will take you to a page that has a listing of message boards.

How do I know if someone is really a celebrity or MTV personality posting on the boards?
Celebrities and MTV personalities will generally have a user name containing “MTV” indicating that their identity is real. Other members are not permitted to use “MTV” in their user names.

Why don’t URLs show in my posts?
MTV.com’s filter does not allow URLs in message board posts. We do this to protect users from being exposed to or lured to inappropriate Web sites.

Why can’t I see my post? Is it gone?
If you submitted a post by clicking “post now,” your post should be live on the message board. Try doing a keyword search or scanning the subject lines to locate your post. At times, technical problems will prevent your post from appearing. If this happens, we apologize, and invite you to post again.

I got an e-mail telling me that my post was deleted, am I in trouble?
A community can only exist with guidelines to ensure that interactions are safe and comfortable. If your post was deleted, please review the site guidelines by clicking on “Community Guidelines” at the bottom of any message board and post again keeping the guidelines in mind.

Do show cast members read message boards?
Many cast members, MTV personalities and even celebrities read your message board postings. You never know who is going to read your next post!

Why does MTV.com have moderators for message boards and profiles?
MTV.com wants to make sure the site is safe and fun for everyone. The role of moderators is to make sure the MTV.com Terms of Use and Community Guidelines are followed.