What is a topic?
Any time you write an email with a subject line, you're creating a topic. A topic is a discussion around a particular theme.
Any time you reply to an existing email discussion, you're participating in the topic.
The group settings control who can see a topic from the web or join in the discussion.
Create a topic: over email
To create a new topic, send email to your group email address (usually in the form of <groupname>@<organization>.topicbox.com), with your subject containing the name of the topic you want to discuss.
If your group's topics are moderated (messages need to be approved by a group administrator before they are accepted), there may be a delay before your topic email is sent to the group.
Create a topic: in the Topicbox web interface
You can create a new message within a group in the Topicbox web interface by using the New Topic button. This will start a new message, prompting you for a subject and message content.
When you send your message, it still has to pass through any moderation controls before it will show up in the Topicbox web interface.
Reply to a topic: in the Topicbox web interface
You can also reply to messages through the Topicbox web interface. Find the topic conversation you want to add to, and use the reply box to start a reply.
If you wish to refer to another message in your reply, select a piece of text. This will pop up a prompt "Insert Quotation in Reply". Clicking on that prompt box will copy the text into your reply. To cancel the quotation, unselect the text.
Drafts are saved: if you click away to another group or another set of topics, then return to your original topic chain, your unsent reply will still be waiting for you.