BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / A little help? I'm overwhelmed.

**Posted by veecee** February 16, 2014 2:44 am

I'm not sure this is the right section for this post. Feel free to move it.

Since I returned to the forum after Season 3 aired here in the States, I am overwhelmed. I have lots of questions and comments, but there are already so many posts that I don't know where to start. Anything I post may have already been asked or stated, but even with the very fine organization of the index, I can't possibly look through everything. And it just keeps growing. I sign on once or twice a day and find 30 or more pages of new posts.

I'm glad the forum is so popular and successful, but I really could use some help navigating. If anyone has any suggestions, I wouild greatly appreciate them.

Thanks!

Last edited by veecee (February 16, 2014 2:44 am)

**Posted by Wholocked** February 16, 2014 5:54 am

Most of the posts about season three are in the relevant episode or at least the season three forum. Your best bet is to read the first couple of posts of a thread to gauge it's subject and then jump forward to current posts. I don't think anyone will mind if you repeat something that has already been said, so just jump in :-)

**Posted by Davina** February 16, 2014 6:58 am

Yep, I agree. Just post away. It is just impossible to read through everything. Pick and mix from the topics that appeal to you and ignore the rest.,

**Posted by Ormond Sacker** February 16, 2014 10:18 am

Veecee if you repeat something one of two thing will most likely happen:

1) If it has already been discussed in detail and the rest of us don't really want to go back over it, some kind soul will likely point out where it has been discussed. This has already happened a couple of times, and no hard feelings on anyones part. Actually it happened quite a lot in the first weeks, so you can easily find five, six, seven different threads which deals witht the same issue., no wonder you're confused.

2) Even if it's been discussed some of us may have missed the discussion the first time - and possibly the second, third and fourth time too - since you are not the only one who has been away, or maybe we have somepoints to make that we didn't think off then. Then we'll pick up the discussion. I've noticed this happening quite a lot in the S1 and S2 parts of the forums where new members of the forum brings something up that technically have already been dealt with but that we are all too happy to rehash .

So my advise would be: Nose around in the S3 part of the forum a bit and read, most of the titles of the threads are quite telling so you'll have a good idea of what is covered. If you still have things you want brought up once done with that, ask.

**Posted by TeeJay** February 16, 2014 10:48 am

I totally get what you're struggling with. There have been so many new posts since season 3 aired, which is probably a good thing because the show really encourages discussion, but it can be overwhelming to keep up with if you don't check the forum at least twice a day.

My question is, are you checking for new posts through the "show new: posts" or the "show new: active topics" link? I feel it's much easier to keep track of things through the "active topics" link, because it gives you the thread titles rather than an accumulation of all the actual posts.

I usually do what others have suggested: Look at the topic titles and then pick and mix. I don't look at every new post or every thread. I just look at the thread title and then decide whether the discussion might be of interest to me or not. Of course if you're interested in everything, that doesn't really help.

Oh, and of course, if you wanted that sort of thing, you can also put certain topics on notification alert so that you get an e-mail whenever someone replies to that topic. You know, in case you wanted to make sure you checked the threads that you think are important to you, or to make sure you didn't miss replies to something you posted.

Last edited by TeeJay (February 16, 2014 12:04 pm)

**Posted by SpiralStaircase** February 16, 2014 1:09 pm

I'm still quite a newbie and find trying to keep up with everything almost impossible. So I've just bookmarked certain picture threads that I want to work my way through, and keep updating the bookmark. I also have email alerts for certain threads I'm particularly interested in. When I have more time I'll explore more fully.
But this is a fab forum and I'm enjoying my time here and I'll just keep chipping away at the posts etc over time.

**Posted by veecee** February 16, 2014 11:34 pm

Thankis, everyone, for your kind responses.

**Posted by Russell** February 17, 2014 6:11 am

Funny you made a post about this, because I so hear you! Everyone else has pretty much mentioned all the good points, but just wanted to say I can sympathize as well. Ever since the beginning of January, I stayed away from the entire Series 3 section, and the picture threads, to not get spoiled until I could watch them. Even now, I'm not even nearly "caught up"

I second TeeJay… I just watch for new threads on the main page (or 'new active topics') and pick and choose based on subject titles of what you want to read/discuss, and don't feel like you have to click everything. Even then, it's a little too easy for my mind to get 'obsessive compulsive' about reading 'all the pages' (don't even get me started on the hundred of pages added to the Ben/Martin pic threads!) and almost feel like all the interesting threads for each of the episodes that get much more chatty activity, I should read everything in before contributing, too. But then you get busy with other stuff as well, and, well, this is an awesomely talkative forum. Shared suggestions for getting your mind to knock it off appreciated. Good luck!

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** February 17, 2014 9:41 am

I have the same problem!! I'm sure we all do, to a certain extent.