I just thought I'd post this tutorial on how to navigate this site. I am NOT an administrator for this site, I'm an ostomate just like you, and I'm just trying to help others out.
As some of you may have already noticed, in order to send emails or private chats, you have to be a paying member. There are 6 month, 1 year and lifetime memberships. I myself bought the lifetime membership which was around 59 US. Please see the post below by wcde for pricing. If you are a non paying member, you can still communicate with other members. You can reply to emails or private chats that are sent to you, but you just can't initiate them. And if you really want to get in touch with someone, you can always post it in the forums but remember, everyone can see that post.
Also, if you are one of the top 10 people to contribute to forum posts or blogs, you will receive a 1 month full membership for free allowing you the full benifits of a paying member for one whole month!
On your smart phone or tablet, there is an icon for your avatar or profile picture in the UPPER RIGHT hand corner of the screen once you log in. Just below that, there are 3 horizontal lines with little circles in them. If you click on these lines, you'll see a selection of links to manage your account, upload pictures, etc, etc. I will try to edit this post with pictures so you can see what I'm describing. But if you click on it, you'll see what I mean....lol
In the LOWER RIGHT corner of the screen, there is a box that says "Mobile Chat". If you click on this box, it will open a new page for general and private chatting. Once you've logged in, you are automatically in the general chat area.
In the UPPER LEFT corner of the screen, there is a box with 4 horizontal lines. If you click on this box, you will see a selection of links to the site, and if you scroll down, you can see who is online. If you click on a person that IS online, it will open up their profile and show you a brief description about that person, given they have taken the time to fill out the profile. Please note whether or not that person is here for friendship or support, etc, etc and please treat them accordingly. Not everyone is here looking for a relationship unless they specify so.
If you send someone an email/private chat or talk in the general chat area and no one responds, don't take it personally. Most members, especially those on smart phones or tablets aren't aware they are being talked to or where to check their email. Others might just be shy.
Like I said, this is just a basic post on how to get around the site. Feel free to correct me, add to this post or just ask questions and everyone here, myself included, will do their best to help you with an answer. I am normally online Monday through Friday between 9AM-5PM EST. Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Bain