===== J   Join a Conference =====
Conferences serve as a way to separate information and topics on a bulletin board system.  By dividing up the information, you can find what you are after quicker than ever before.

==== Subcommands : Alphabetical Listing ====

|**[conf. name]**|Conference name to join.|Specifies the conference name you wish to join.  Joining a conference by name is useful when you do not remember conference numbers, or in case the conference is moved to a new number.|
|**[conf. num.]**|Conference number to join.|Specifies the conference number you wish to join.|
|**Q**|Quick-join the conference.|Sometimes the conference that is being joined will have a news or introduction file.  This subcommand will make sure that these files are not displayed when the conference is joined.|
|**S**|Search conference names for text.|As pointed out earlier, you may want to join a conference by name instead of number. What if you do not know or remember the conference names?  This subcommand enables you to search the conference names on a system for text.  When prompted for text to search for, enter the text you wish to search for.  If a match is found in the conference name then both the conference name and number will be displayed.|


==== Description ====
Conferences provide a method which information on the bulletin board system can be broken down into areas.  Each conference can have unique file directories, message bases, scripts, bulletins, and doors, or it may share these with other conferences on the system.  In order to go to one of these conferences, use this command.  Once you join the conference all of the features of the conference are made available to you.


==== Examples ====
If you want to join conference number 13, enter the following at the conference command prompt:

	J;13

If you know the name of the conference instead of the number of the conference, type in the name of the conference to join.  For example, if you want to join the Computer_Art conference then you would type:

	J;COMPUTER_ART

If you do not know either the conference name or the conference number, use the search subcommand to help you find the right conference.  For example, you may only remember that the conference deal with art.  In that case, type the following at the conference command prompt:

	J;S;ART

PCBoard will  search the conference names to see if it could find a match.  For this particular example, you may see a report like the following:

	1) Classic_Art
	13) Computer_Art
	37) Digitized_Art

The number to the left is the conference number and the conference name is listed to the right.  You can then pick the conference number or name that you wish to join.