How-To for the new IFIWatchnet
From IFIwatchnet Wiki
IFIwatchnet has shifted to Drupal (for more information see http://www.drupal.org), a very promising OpenSource Content Management System (CMS) which is now reaching maturity. The "look and feel" of familiar tools resemble the previous CMS (ActionApps). Despite that, the engine that powers IFIWatchnet features is completely different, so there are features -- user menus and system utilities -- that will be new for many IFIWatchnet users.
|
[edit] New front page
Some changes have been made in the front page of IFIWatchnet. A new Hot Topics section replaces what was known as Editorials. This section will carry content similar to the former Editorial section, but in a much more dynamic style. You will be able to link and display in this section any referenced object inside the IFIWatchnet database, not only editorial information. Other minor changes and features will be discussed later in this How-To.
[edit] Campaign in a box feature
This new feature will allow members to launch a campaign with banners, pictures and signature collection for a specific purpose.
[edit] IFIWatchnet WIKI
This wiki will be used to create and collaborative on documents, ideas and actions around IFIs, and can be an exciting place for all members to share thoughts and launch activities. In fact, what you are reading now is the... wiki!
[edit] Uploading information
In order to upload new documents, articles, links, or to edit what's already online, you should first log into IFIWatchnet, using your username and password. If you have forgotten them, don't worry! The system automatically assigns you a new password; in the worst case you should provide your registered e-mail address to get it.
To log in, please click the "Log in" link in the upper menu. The log in screen has a tab to request a new password, by the simple means of typing your username OR your registered e-mail address. The system will send you a short-lived link that you must open in your internet browser, to effectively activate your new password. This link expires in 24 hours, so if you don't follow it the password change will not be effective.
After authentication, you immediately see a welcome message, and the user menu. Through the user menu you can upload and edit information inside IFIWatchnet.
In the welcome message, there's a link to a password-protected space called the Shared Area. This has been developed to allow IFIWatchnet members to have a private place on the internet in which to interact with other members and organizations, sharing vital information. The purpose, scope and features of the Shared Area are discussed here
[edit] The User Menu
Now, you can still navigate through content in the site, the only difference after giving your credentials is that you have the user menu visible at the top of the navigation bar on the right.
[edit] My blog
The first item in the user menu is My blog where you can add new entries. The entries are displayed in the Blog section of IFIWatchnet, together with the entries of other members. In this general display, you can filter entries by poster. So, each member has his/her own blog, which is accessible from the general blog section of the website.
To begin a new entry, you click on the: Post new blog entry link. You will notice that the user menu on the right shifts to "Create content: blog entry". In fact, the Create Content menu is the tool you will use for navigating all your inputs to IFIWatchnet. We use it every time we need to update content in IFIWatchnet.
While editing a blog entry, we see the main text editor, a feature that is common to the rest of the site too, so we are going to examine it a bit. This text editor has, as everybody would expect, the normal features for text formatting, plus some HTML language additions. HTML is the language in which the World Wide Web is written, but thanks to the editor functions you'll (almost) never have to worry about its syntax.
The good thing about the text editor is that it shows how the text will look directly on screen. You can play with the text formatting tools selecting text in your editor window to see the outcome. There are several style and paragraph formats to choose. Particularly useful are the "chain-like" button, to make a link to other documents, the "anchor-like" button to reference to a specific place inside a page, and the "insert-image" button, to include images in your text. Also, if you feel proficient enough you can edit text straight in HTML format, using the HTML button.
Below the main editor window, there's the submenu that controls some features of what's going to be published. These subfeatures are also common to the rest of the sections we are going to cover.
[edit] Enable/Disable Rich Text Format
The Enable/Disable Rich Text is a toggle function. You can toggle between no formatting toolbar, then only to show a bare bones editor, that will ask you to feed it with HTML code for fomatting and linking. Here, Rich Text is the same as HTML text.
The other submenu command roll-ups will display different options for the entry being edited, as follows.
[edit] Input format
Allows for filtered or full HTML. Filtered is a small subset of HTML tags: "a, em, strong, cite, code, ul, ol, li, dl, dt, dd". This command ignores the rest of HTML tags (if used), and is useful to avoid compatibilty problems when using different browsers that may not comply with W3C standards. Are you thinking of one particular browser that pays no attention to standards? Oh, yes... that one... The W3C, also known as the [World Wide Web Consortium], is the Internet entity that dictates the standards for the HTML language.
[edit] File attachments
In the upload form, you can select a local file, in your computer, to upload to IFIWatchnet website. Then, in your text, you can link it as a document, an image, sound, video, etc. After pressing the browse button, you visually select the file you are going to upload, and then click the button Upload. This shows the upload progress bar:
[edit] Authored by and Publishing Options
The last two items in the roll-ups are the author's name and how the document is published.
If you don't change the default information in the author's form, the document will be published with the username and system time of the upload. Otherwise, you may wish to change that information. Publishing options give us more flexibility while uploading a document. Ticking Published actually gives the document the status of published, that is, it will be shown in it's corresponding section inside the website. Otherwise, waiting in the moderation queue will make it wait till the moderator of the section (if he or she exists) finally approves it.
[edit] Promoted to the front page - Hot Topics!
This is an important state. By promoting the document to the front page, you make it appear in the Hot Topics section, what was known before as Editorials.
[edit] Sticky at top of lists
The sections inside IFIWatchnet can display a short list of their content. That is the case of the documents list in the right main navigation bar. Making your contribution sticky will show it at the top of that list. You are thinking right: we are all honourable people and will use this feature only for very relevant pieces of information.
