Flexibility is one of the principles around which we've designed Multiply. For example, our e-mail alerts give you the option of being notified of new content and comments posted by your contacts... including the ability to reply to them directly from the e-mail. Or if you prefer to read your messages on the site, turn off the e-mail alerts. It's up to you.
One might say that the central Multiply feature is the Message Board, the thing that ties it all together and shows you what's going on in your network. If you just want to see what's up, feel free to use it as is. But if you don't mind getting your hands a little dirty and tweaking a few options, you'll find it to probably be much more powerful than you had previously thought.

Click "Preferences"... and there you go! In these three small boxes, you have the opportunity to shape the way you view your network on Multiply.
The options for customizing the "Look & Feel" of your Message Board are pretty straightforward. However, customizing your display options may take a little trial and error, and you may want to try out certain columns for a few days at a time to get a feel for how they affect the way you read your messages.

For instance, one of my favorite options is "Status Column." The envelope icon allows you to choose whether or not you are subscribed to a message and receive an e-mail every time a new reply is posted. The pin allows you to keep the message "pinned" to the top of your message board, which makes it easier to keep an eye on ongoing conversations, or just something you don't want to lose track of.
These preferences are just another example of how control over your Multiply experience is where it should be -- in your hands.
Is there a Multiply feature that you can't live without and would like to see featured here? Let us know!