The link is at the top of the main page "gallery". It's a great place to post pics without discusions.

Thank you az but forgive me, I can't find the link to which you refer unless it's the one labeled "Photo Galleries". But that link appears also on other pages, leaving one to wonder why the "Gallery" link is necessary

Forgive me guys for bubbling this one back to the top but I still don't understand what Image Gallery is for and how to use it

1. Go to the top of this page and click on "Return to Pools and Spa Forum".
2. Find the Purple Star with "Messages" next to it. (If I scroll up all the way, it's half-way down my screen and above all the threaded discussions.) Once you find this look right after it and in the center of the screen. If you are in the discussion view, you should see "On Topic Discussions....Switch to gallery". If you are already in the gallery mode you will see "Image Gallery....Switch to discussions".

Whichever mode you are in when you start a new discussion, the forum will automatically put your post into that category. Most of us like to use "discussion" since we type questions or want comments and feedback. If you are just posting pictures and don't really want to "discuss" something and receive feedback/comments, then you would post into "gallery".

Thanks Fora for your tact and patience in the face of my relative ignorance concerning board algorithms. I know how to get back and forth from one window to another but once I'm in "gallery" mode I'm confused upon the following point:

Of course many of these threads contain photos as part of the post while others contain a ink to a photo, and of course that's expected. But it's those apparently containing neither photo nor link that puzzle me. Why would anyone post a message in "image gallery" containing no photo

"Why would anyone post a message in "image gallery" containing no photo"

Because people get confused as to which section they are in. ;)

Just look at the background color--when the background is purplish, you're in the gallery. When it's white, you're in this discussion forum.

"Because people get confused as to which section they are in. ;)"

That was my guess Rice. Perhaps there are other aspects of the P&S algorithm that might be improved to minimize the participant's confusion

But again thank you for your assistance and patiece

For instance the order in which posts are listed and the logic behind which ones are highlighted--stuff like that

Dale
The GW (garden web) forums, as to my understanding, is a product of iVillage, and not moderated by anyone on the posting on the forum. Everyone is independant of GW, be it a pool buidler, someone looking to build, someone in the process, etc, etc.
How things are set up in the GW community is set by GW, not anyone on the forum. This forum differs from others in this way, where an individual may set up a forum for certain topics and then moderate it.
The image gallery is, I believe, is a separate space for older threads of photos, could be a build I suppose, and seem to be saved for a longer period of time, where as the discussion forum (for discussing topics)only goes back so many months before the threads are archived (but I dont know where).
Highlighted threads to me seem to be the ones I have read, while currently logged on. If I log off, and log in another day, those threads are no longer highlighted for me.
I do not know anything about subscribing to threads on GW so that you can follow certain ones. I know you can on other forum, or be emailed responses to ones posts. But I dont think that works here on GW. I could be mistaken though.
BTW (By the way) did you mean ALGORITHM, rather than ALGOTITHM, as stated in your OP (original post) as in:

In mathematics, computer science, and related subjects, an algorithm (derived from the name of Persian mathematician al-KhwÃÂrizmë) is an effective method for solving a problem expressed as a finite sequence of steps. Algorithms are used for calculation, data processing, and many other fields. (In more advanced or abstract settings, the instructions do not necessarily constitute a finite sequence, and even not necessarily a sequence; see, e.g., "nondeterministic algorithm".)

I am not active enough on the many threads of GW to know the in's and out's of it all