The quickest way to get started with BadwareBusters.org is to browse through existing topics.

Several views are provided to help you find the content you’re looking for:

• Most recent topics shows the latest conversations.

• Top rated by the community are the topics that our users have decided are the most interesting.

• Selected by the moderators includes frequently asked questions and other topics they think will be helpful to new visitors.

• Topics awaiting a response are those that no one has replied to yet.

• All posts includes every individual post, instead of just the topic of each conversation. The posts are displayed with the most recent first.

• Tags, which can be found in the lower-right corner of the browse page, highlight specific keywords that our users associate with their posts. The larger the tag, the more posts there are with that have been tagged with that word.

You can also search for specific keywords using the Search link at the top of every page. The More Resources page also includes links to other sites that may prove valuable.

When you click on a specific topic or post, you will be able to read the entire conversation. Here are a few things to observe when reading a conversation:

• Badware Buster’s name and reputation: Every Badware Buster starts with a reputation of one star (out of a possible five). The reputation changes based on the community’s ratings of the Badware Buster’s messages and other factors. A higher reputation may open up new opportunities, while a very low reputation can lead to an automatic ban from the site.

• Badware Buster’s affiliations: These small badges indicate if a Badware Buster is a moderator or administrator of the site, or if s/he represents one of the site’s partner organizations (e.g., StopBadware or Google).

• Message visibility: The higher a message is rated by the community, the darker it appears, and vice versa. This allows you to quickly scan through a conversation and to focus on the most valuable contributions. If you want to read a message that appears very light, simply point your mouse at it, and it will darken so you can read it.

Are you ready to become a Badware Buster? It’s free and as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Sign up to create a username and password:
   
    
2. Check your e-mail and click the confirmation link that we sent you. This way, we know that it’s really your e-mail address.
    
   
3. Make sure you’re logged in (look for “Welcome, USER_NAME” in the top-right corner of the screen) and get started!
    
   

Now that you’re a Badware Buster, here are a few things you can do:

• Vote: As a member of the community, you can vote on any conversation topic or any response in a conversation, except items you posted yourself. Your votes help other users focus in on the most interesting topics and the most valuable responses. Just click the thumbs up (for a message that you find helpful, interesting, or positive) or thumbs down (for a message that you find unhelpful or uninteresting). If you believe the message is spam (unsolicited advertising), abusive, or otherwise in violation of our Terms & Conditions, click the Spam/Abuse button. You may change your vote at any time.

• Join a conversation: As a Badware Buster, you can reply to any message. Just click the Reply button, type your response, and click Submit. Your message will appear in the conversation right away. Feel free to add a couple tags (keywords) that you think are relevant to your response, if you like.

• Post a new topic: Do you have a question to ask of the other Badware Busters, or something you’d like to say to the community? Go ahead and post a new topic. Add a subject line, type your message, and add a couple tags (keywords), if you like, then click Post Topic.

Still have questions about using the site? Post a question or contact us directly.