Blog frequently asked questions & user's guide

• Introduction:  "What are blogs all about?"  (located on a separate page)
• Getting Started  (Immediately below)
  • Where can I find the Blog feature?
  • Do I need to be registered to view or comment on someone's Blog?
  • How can I view a Blog?
  • What does a blog look like?
  • How can I make a comment? 
• Creating your own Blog      (unregistered users)
  • How can I create my own blog?
  • What does registration entail?
• Creating your own Blog     (registered users)
  • How do I log in?
  • How do I get to my Control Panel?
  • How do I create my Blog?
  • Your Blog settings screen.    (Illustrated page)
• Features of your new Blog
  • What features will my Blog have?
  • How will my Blog look?      (Two illustrated examples)
• Posting entries to your new Blog
  • How do I post an entry?   (Illustrated page)
  • Do I have to post regularly?
  • What may I write about?
  • How should I organize my post?
  • How may I create Categories?
  • How can I write posts without making them public?
  • How can I edit or delete a post than has been published?
  • How can I include images in my posts?
  • Content Block Settings.    (Illustrated page)

Getting Started

Please do not be deterred by what you encounter below. It's pretty much straight forward, easy to learn and even easier to blog. So, if you are at all interested in blogging, give it a try. If you encounter a problem or have a question, please let us known via email: editor@scaview.org.

Where can I find the Blog feature?

Blogs are located on the Message Board. The Message Board can be accessed directly at www.scaview.org/Invision or from our website's Home Page, the Sun City Anthem menu page, Headline News and selected other pages. Just click on the Message Board Link.

To access the Blog feature, click on the word "Blogs" in the main header, as illustrated below.

Do I need to be registered to view or comment on someone's Blog?

No, anyone may view or comment on someone's blog. (At lest I hope so. Ed.)

How can I view a Blog?

Clicking on "Blogs" will take you to the Community Blog List page, illustrated below. This page displays all available Blogs with some information about them. The screen also includes some search and filter options. We have set up two sample Blogs to assist in getting started. One is called "Ron's Blog," which already has 4 entries, and the other is "rlj's Blog," which has no entries. Clicking on the Blog's name from the Community Blog List screen should take you to that particular Blog, where you may view the entries and, or comment as you wish. And by clicking on the Member's name or date will take you to those pages. [Note, the underlined Links in all illustrations on this page are not active.]

Community Blog List

Blog name		Member	Entries	Views	Last entry	Comments	Last comment
	Ron's Blog Random musings	Ron	4	31	Apr 27 2005, 05:06 PM 4/27	0	-- in: by: --
	rlj's Blog	rlj	0	1	--	0	-- in: by: --

What does a blog look like?

For example, by clicking on the blog, "Ron's Blog," you will see the following, plus other features not displayed below.

Ron's Blog

Random musings

Entries on Wednesday 27th April 2005    4/27 Email this entry | Print this entry Apr 27 2005, 05:06 PM had golf car serviced after replacing batteries. new "wont start" problem. broken wire & new solenoid. rt r t visited IC in golf car; took some candid shots acid cleaned stains on driveway Blog program installed on message board Permalink | Comments: 0

How can I make a comment?

If you wish to add a comment to an entry on someone's Blog, click on the "Comments" link located in the lower right hand corner of the dated entry. The dated entry page will reappear on a different page with the following REPLY options:

Click on one of the above options (the "FAST REPLY" brings up a quick reply form) or click on the "ADD REPLY" button to be able to add a comment to the Blog entry. Then click on one of the following:

              .

Creating your own Blog (unregistered users)

How can I create my own blog?

In order to create your own personal blog, you must a registered user of the message board. That would include those who are already registered users as well as those who will choose to register.

Registration is a very simple process and is illustrated below. There is no validation process to register. You will need only three pieces of information in order to register: 1) a user name of your choosing; and 2) a password of your own choosing; and 3) your e-mail address.

What does registration entail?

If you are not already registered, click on the word "Register" in the following:   Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Clicking on "Register" will take you to a page titled "Registration Terms & Rules." Please read the Terms & Rules. At the bottom of the page, you will see the following box, which should be checked if you agree: 

I have read, understood and agree to these rules and conditions

After checking the "I have read . . . box," click on the "Register" box at the bottom of the page:   

You will then be taken to the Registration Form, as illustrated below:

Security Code Confirmation Confirm security code Please enter the 6 digit numerical code shown in the image.

I agree to the terms of this registration and wish to proceed.

After providing the requested information, including the Security Code (self explanatory), merely click on the "Submit my registration" box. You will then be registered.

Creating your own Blog (registered users)

How do I log in?

Once registered, you will have access to your own Control Panel, where you can control a number of message board features, including the ability to create your own blog. Persons who are not registered, e.g., guests, do not have a Control Panel to display & control certain feature available to registered users (members). To view "Your control panel," however, you will first have to click on the "log in" Link at the top of the page:

                     Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )  

The process of logging in will take you to the main page of the message board, but the screen will display a new banner heading like this:

It will show you as being "Logged in as:" with your user name and you will have a number of options. If you have already set up your Blog, there will be a Link to "My Blog." If you have NOT already set up your Blog, there will be no Link until after you have set up your Blog. In order to set up your community Blog, click on the Link, "My Controls," which has been highlighted in the above menu bar.

How do I get to my Control Panel?

Clicking on the Link "My Controls" will take you to "Your control panel." You will see the screen's welcome message, "Welcome to your control panel." (see a partial illustration below)

  To the left of this heading, you will find a range of menu items for the message board,

  one of which is the menu group for "Community Blog," illustrated below.

  How do I create my Blog?   

  To create your Blog, click on "Your Blog Settings." 

  This will take you to your blog settings screen, illustrated here. On this page, you will be asked to provide a name for your Blog and a description of your Blog (optional). Under "Your Blog type," if not already selected, select "Local" in the drop down menu, which means the blog is hosted on this website.

  In the remaining entries on the settings page, you can set up your Blog,

  customize the look of your blog, and create entry categories to suit your

  preferences.

When you are finished setting up your Blog, click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page:

Your Blog has two additional features:

• Under the "Content Blocks Settings" screen, you can manage your content blocks (the little blocks of information that are displayed on the left or right side of your Blog page). Currently the default side if the right side of the Blog page.

• Under the "About Me Settings" screen, you can enter information which will be displayed on your Blog's About Me screen.

The last Community Blog Link ("Your Blog") takes you to your personal community Blog. 

Features of your new Blog

What features will my Blog have? Your Blog will contain the following features:

•     a header with the name of the Blog (and description if you have provided one)

•     a search feature

•     three fixed content blocks: 1) Your Blog Options; 2) a Calendar; and 3) My Blog Links

•     room for additional blocks of your choosing and design

•     for example, in the sample blog, Ron's Blog, we have added an image with the heading "My Picture."

How will my Blog look?

To illustrate how your Blog will look, we have two examples:

• a start-up Blog (how your Blog will look initially with no entries):      A start-up Blog

• a completed Blog (with some sample entries and a picture):   A completed Blog

Posting entries to your Blog

How do I post an entry?

When you go to your Blog, you will have three fixed content blocks, one of which is called "Your Blog Options."

This Options block contains active Links to help you manage your Blog, as illustrated below.

Click on "Add Entry" to add an entry to your Blog. You will be provided with a post form, including all the options you are used to when posting a topic in the message board. See illustration "Add entry" form.

You can post the entry as "Draft" (not yet viewable by other members/guests) or "Published" (viewable by all who are allowed to view your Blog), using the drop down menu as illustrated below.

When you have completed your entry, you may either Preview your post or Post your new entry (see below).

Do I have to post regularly?

Just post with the regularity you wish. There are all types of blogs and blog authors. Some post several times per day. Most authors range between posting daily and posting a couple times per week. Some post less frequently, in the order of a couple posts per month.

Whatever the posting frequency, it is advisable that you don't go for larger than usual periods of silence without warning your readership. If you post rather frequently, and suddenly go for vacation, leave a notice on the blog so that your readers don't think you abandoned them.

What may I write about?

As indicated in the Introduction piece, you may write about anything: your daily life, readings, any form of art, travel or hobbies. Generally, the more your writings are unique, the more interesting is your blog.

How should I organize my post?

A blog post has three important entities: a title, a body and a category (which may be none).

The title is the most visually prominent part of the post. It will appear in the post itself, search results, and new posts list. It should be short and descriptive about the post contents. The body makes up the post text. The post category is a form of classification of your posts. Think of categories in terms of your readership. If you think people may be interested in following your political musings but not your personal life, separate these posts into different categories, so your readers may filter what they prefer.

How may I create Categories?

The most natural way is creating Categories upon posting. In the "Your Blog Options" block to the right of your message, under "Settings," click on "Your Blog Settings."

At the bottom of the Setting page, you will find the following box, "Your Blog Categories," where you may designate different Categories, illustrated below. Whether you wish to create separate Categories is up to you since there is no need to do so. You may wish to wait and see how your Blog develops before deciding to set up separate Categories. If you decide to set up Categories, they will be available to select from your "Add entry" form. 

On the "Add entry" form, there is the following pull-down menu (see below) and option for selecting different categories to post your entry to.

How can I write posts without making them public?

As previously indicated, you may write posts that don't get published. On the Add Reply screen, merely select from the drop down menu the Draft selection. Whenever you do want to publish the post, go to the Edit Post page, change the state to Publish and click Edit. Your post will be published then. Note that you may want to change the post date if it differs much from the original creation date.

Posts can be written, and publication deferred to a later time. This feature is quite useful for incomplete posts, or for reviewing posts before publishing.

How can I edit or delete a post that has been published?

Assuming you are logged into your Blog, you may edit or delete any post you have publish simply by selecting the applicable "X DELETE" button or the "+ EDIT" button, illustrated in the menu bar below. 

How can I include images in my posts?

In Blog there are different ways to post pictures:

• There is the My Picture content block. This takes the picture from the profile of the member.

• You may upload a picture and place it in an entry.

• You may upload a picture and place it in a "Content Block" that you create for that purpose.

Content Block Settings. 

In "Your Blog Options" (see below), under "Settings," click on the Link for "Your Content Block Settings." This screen is illustrated here.