You’d like to get more involved in the Excel community; find out what the talk is about, orient yourself to the new ad-ins and downloads in Excel. Where do you go?

Forums are a great help and lots of fun, especially when you consider how easily they manifest themselves in your in-box and how connected you can feel with others with more knowledge and expertise than you have.

Here’s a great list of the best excel forums you might want to consider when jumping into an Excel community.

• Joseph Rubin has a great list of Excel related forums here: http://www.excelforum.com/.  Be a part of general Excel interests or narrow your interest to Excel programming, tips and tutorials or Excel 2008 help, plus many more—15 Excel groups to choose from. You can even go “Off Topic” by joining “The Water Cooler.”
• “The Code Cage” offers free Microsoft Office help for every application. Learn about the forum before joining by perusing the Forum Help Videos, guidelines and rules. The Code Cage will assist you with worksheets, charting, programming and more. http://www.thecodecage.com/forumz/excel-forum/
• “Excel Forum” gives you tips, training, and a community that enjoys Excel and knows more than a little something about it. Ask a question; get an answer quickly from an expert by narrowing your question and explaining what you have already attempted. http://www.excelforum.com/excel-worksheet-functions/
• Have a business? Want to stay connected? Try” Excel Help Forums for Business.” A great list of 20 forums is offered here http://www.business-spreadsheets.com/forum.asp.

Choosing the best Excel forum for your tastes is important. Find one that caters to your needs as well as your level of understanding.  Joining an Excel forum is somewhat like joining a group workshop. Don’t be afraid to try another if your first choice doesn’t work out.