Clicking on the Start a new Discussion button (see the Getting started section) brings up the applet window appearing in Figure 3. The window consists of two parts, concerning the new discussion you want to initiate and the initial issue of it.

Figure 3

You have to fill in the Discussion Subject and Initial Issue Subject panels. For the example given here, ``Cyclepaths - City of Bonn'' is the discussion subject (title), and ``Selection of a cyclepath for the city'' is the subject of the initial issue.

Filling in of both the Discussion Comments and Initial Issue Comments panels is optional; write there any information you think useful for you and the users that will later participate in this discussion. The Proof Standard menu indicates Preponderance of Evidence, which is the appropriate one for the initial issue of a discussion. Leave this panel as it is (you will find more on Proof Standards in the Submitting argumentation elements section). Finally, you can give a URL address in the Initial Issue URL panel (optional). This URL may contain all related information about the issue (for instance, for the example given here, a detailed specification of the problem, a map of the city, etc.). Later, when you will be already in the discussion forum, you will be able to open the above URL directly from the discussion applet.

The Submit, Clear and Cancel buttons should be used for the well-known purposes.