Tangent21 is the new place to go online to discuss sci-fi and related genres all from a uniquely UK perspective, with a high level of interactivity for members available at all sections of the site.

Everyone! If you like anything from Star Trek to Thunderbirds, Buffy to Bagpuss, X-Files to X-Men, you'll find it here. Tangent21 welcomes all ages, and from all corners of the Earth!

Tangent21's posting boards probably aren't like the ones you are used to. Tangent21 doesn't pigeonhole people into a number of predefined forums. Each main section (Space, Cult etc) will divide into any number of specialised areas. But the real difference is that we don't decide what subsections are needed, you do. The posting boards will change and evolve in ways even we can't predict.

Like every community we have some rules, take a look at the ‘Members Guide’ to find out what they are.

You are! This site works only because you make it work! But if you mean the Site Team, you can see them here

Tangent21 can cover so many topics and shows that to have a regular forum for each one would create a really long, hard to use list. A subforum is a way of dedicating a part of a forum to its own special subject, say on the USA Cult forum, there is a Buffy subforum, which is the place where all the posts about Buffy can be found.

As Tangent21 grows, so will the number of forums. Rather than having to navigate to each forum in turn view new posts, this is a way to add direct links on the front page to those forums you visit frequently. Look for the heart icon on the forum, click 'add to favourites'. There will now be a link to that forum on the front page, it will also show you how many new posts there have been on them since you last logged on.

Watched Topics is an easy way to monitor if there have been any posts on specific topics (or threads), this will update every time you visit the front page. When viewing a thread, click Watch Topic at the bottom. The front page will tell you how many replies there have been to how many topics. Click this for a breakdown, and links to each thread there have been replies to.

Posts can sometimes be removed if they break the site rules, threads can also be moved if they are posted in the wrong forum. If you see the message ‘This post has been suspended’ or a message from the site staff in place of your post, this means that the post has been temporarily suspended while it is checked by the Sentinels.

Click on the ‘Site Help’ link on the front page of Tangent21. One of the site staff will reply. Alternatively, if you prefer it to be confidential, you can email the staff at help@tangent21.com.

Remember, the staff run Tangent21 in their spare time, please be patient when waiting for a response.

The site staff are the people who have created the site, but we do need help in keeping the community running smoothly. The first thing you should do is use the site responsibly (and regularly!) if you want to be asked to help. The best way NOT to be asked is to pester the staff about it…

Being a member of the site staff means a large investment of time and energy. If you really believe you should be part of the staff, the first step is being an Adept or helping out in a particular section. Adept aren’t always staff, but are the best way to show you have what it takes.

You like the site, right? You want to help it succeed, right? Well?

1. Tell your friends! The Tangent21 community is more successful the more people use it!
2. Order goods through the site. Any time you see links to buy items like DVDs, videos or books on the site, use them! Tangent21 has an arrangement with online stores like Blackstar and Amazon, every time you follow a link to their site and buy something, the site benefits a little!
3. Any donations made to the site would be most welcome, and are guaranteed to be used only on the running costs of the site. Click here if you would like to make a donation.
4. Use the Printouts page, print off one of the flyers for the site. Put it on your university notice board, in a newsagents window, take it to a convention, anywhere people can see it!

That way more people get to hear about us!

The different smilies you see next to some members names on the forums are there to indicate which of us are staff, so they aren't available to regular members.