This tutorial includes a series of exercises to get people started with the website, including how to open an account, how to join a group, how to create articles, how to update images, and other basic tasks.
To open an account, go to this link, complete the form, and follow the instructions: http://can.org.nz/user/register
[Note that if you are already registered as a user and logged in, then the above link will not work!]
To join a group click on 'Groups' under your username on the right hand side.
Click 'Join' or 'Request membership' next to the group you'd like to join.
Please note that all existing groups are listed there. If you have been asked to join a specific group not included in the list, get back to the person who requested you to join.
To invite others to join the group click on your group name under 'My Groups' on the right hand side.
Click on 'Invite friend' then follow the instructions.
An 'Article' is an item of information that is not needed after it has been posted. Use for information, news items, informing of other permanent posts.
To create an Article click on 'Create content > Article'.
Fill in the fields (those with a red asterix have to be filled in while the others are optional). Title and body are the most important.
Under 'Groups', select an audience, usually your own group and public.
If it is a closed or working group, do not select public.
[Note that selecting your 'group' publishes the content to other members of your group. If you also choose 'public', then the content will be visible to anybody browsing the website. If you want to keep the content confined to others in your 'group', then do not choose 'public'.]
Click 'Preview' to check your post
Apply any changes required
Click 'Save' to save your post
How to use the Rich Text Editor (How to write like a word processor)
You can format text, add headings, images, tables, links, and other rich text formatting options if you enable Rich Text Formatting.
To enable Rich Text Formatting, go to "Create Content > Article" (or other content type).
Scroll down to the bottom of the "Body" input area. Below the input area you will see a link "enable rich text. Click on it. You will se a word-processor like interface, which many people will find more intuitive and easier to use.
In order to learn how to use each of the features, you have to experiment with each one of them. But most of the features are pretty much intuitive. In order to format bold text, highlight the text and click the button "B". Duh.
Some features are more complicated. But it's not rocket science, just try it and you will figure out how they work.
To create an Image click on 'Create content > Image'.
Give it a title (this will become the image caption), then browse for the image on your computer.
Select an appropriate gallery from the drop down list.
You can add tags, a teaser and body if you'd like to.
Select audience (generally, you will make a picture available to every website user, you you need to choose 'public' as well) then click 'Submit' to save.
An alternative way of uploading an image to the website is to use the camera icon on the editor. The the 'add image' facility is open, click the 'upload' button. From then on, it works the same as described above.
This assumes that you have (or somebody else has) already uploaded the image to the website (see the previous page).
In the editor (called 'Tiny MCE' i.e. where you create the text), place the cursor where you would like to have the image appear.
Click on the camera icon. Within the 'Add Image' utility, find the image and select it.
Choose the alignment of the image. If you select the image to appear as a link, website users have the chance of downloading a higher resolution image from a subsequent page. Amend the 'Title' if you want (that will become the caption in bold text). If you add a 'Description', this will be added to the caption (in normal text). Click insert when finished.
Once you have inserted the picture, you can resize it within the Tiny MCE editor by clicking it and then dragging one of the corners of it either in or out.
You can leave comments with articles that others have created, or respond to other comments.
If comments are allowed, you will find an input box for comments underneath the article. Write your comment and click 'post comment'.
You can also reply to a comment, or reply to a comment reply. Go to the relevant comment and click on the link 'reply' underneath it. This will open an input box. Write your reply and click 'post comment'.
To attach a file to an Article scroll to the bottom of the page once you've created an article and expand 'File attachments'.
Click browse and select the file you'd like to attach, then click 'Attach'.
'Submit' to save changes.