As part of the participation requirement for this seminar, everyone has been asked bring to each seminar meeting one or two topics or questions to contribute to the discussion. You are also encouraged to post these topics on Web Crossing (or WebX) before class so that everyone will have a chance to read and think about them beforehand. These postings are intended to supplement and extend the discussion we have in class, not serve as a substitute.

In general, the discussion topics you contribute, in class and online, should relate to key points in that day's reading, and should lend themselves to a variety of opinions. Please also indicate some key passages or examples (with page numbers, when possible) that will help us understand and discuss your topic.

Discussion topics might:

(1) pose questions or problems related to the readings-things you weren't able to answer for yourself or that you would like other opinions about;

(2) suggest tentative or trial interpretations of specific passages from our reading for others to consider;

(3) follow up on the previous class discussions with insights that you weren't able to fit in during the period or that occurred to you after the session, or you could also follow up on other WebX postings with additional thoughts or questions.

If you hope to receive a grade of A or A- for participation, you should post on WebX a minimum of 26 substantive topics (of at least 100-150 words) over 14 different weeks of the semester (that is, on average, a couple per week). To receive credit, questions posted to WebX are due before class meetings (no later than 9 pm on Mondays or Wednesdays), and must clearly relate to the next class discussion.

Using WebX:

Please read and follow these directions carefully.

1. Go to the Web Crossing Forum home page.

Log in using your internet (email) id as your name [e.g., mine is "csigler"] and the password "webx."

2. Select "A Guided Tour of Web Crossing" for instructions about using the program. This takes from 5-10 minutes, depending on how much you play with options and practice items along the way.

3. Using the "Preference" button, change your password to something uniquely yours. (For the sake of simplicity, you can use your email password. Whatever PW you select, be sure to write it down and put it somewhere safe so you don't forget it. If you should happen to lose it, please see me as soon as possible. Don't bother hitting the "Lost Password" button at the log-in screen, as it doesn't work (an unfortunate glitch in the WebX program).

4. IMPORTANT: Please type your FIRST AND LAST NAME on the SECOND LINE of the "Personal Information" section of the Preferences page, which is appropriately titled "Second line of information," and leave your internet id on the first line (even though it says your name should go on the first line). You must do this before you post your first message, or I won't be able to identify you, which means I will not be able to give you credit for your postings!

5. Log on again using the URL (Web address) for the English 8181 Forum.

6. If you have your own computer, bookmark this URL. Otherwise, save the email you received and click on the address when you want to read or post messages to the Forum. You can also access the Forum by returning to this section of the course web site.

7. At the opening folder, click the "Subscribe" button at the bottom. (This will allow you to keep track of new messages simply by hitting "Check Messages.")

7. Read the first message ("Welcome/Netiquette"), then click on the folder for the week to which you'd like to contribute.

To start a new discussion topic, click on the appropriate higher-level folder (e.g., "Week Two Discussions"), then click on "Add Discussion." In the first box, give your discussion topic a title: one clear enough that people will have a fairly good idea about what it entails (e.g., "references to slavery in Jane Eyre" or "satire in North and South"). Then go to the next box and type in what you have to say; when you're finished, hit "Post My Message.

To add a thought or suggest an example for an existing topic, move down the page to the box and type in your response; then click "Post My Message," or click on "Reply" to respond directly to a classmate's posting.

It's that easy. Explore the various buttons within the Discussion Forum for additional information and more sophisticated things that you can do with the program. Click on "Preference" to customize the program in various ways (add a photo or picture, for example).

Please contact me with any questions or problems; however, if you need to have something explained or clarified, please see me in person rather than e-mailing me. I'll be happy to sit down with you at my office computer and take you through all the steps of this program.

Some odds and ends:

• To keep track of your postings, hit "Search" and type in your name or email address as it appears in the heading of your messages. This will bring up everything you've posted.
• WebX will automatically log you out if you have not entered a keystroke for 60 minutes. (If you wish, you can change this default by going to "Preferences.") Be careful, then, not to leave a message too long without editing or posting it; you will lose all your work!
• To return to the WebX Forum from another Web site (e.g., if you click on a hyperlink contained in a posting to the Forum), hit the "Back" button of your browser or hold down the "Alt" key and press the left arrow key (<--).
• As you participate in the WebX Discussion Forum and use the course alias (batch e-mail address), be sure to abide by the rules of "netiquette" (see the "Welcome/Netiquette" message).