How to become a member of the Lab and contribute to this site

If you'd like to get started registering and adding your own material right away, skip to the "How To" Contents by clicking here.

What's this all about?

The very brief summary about what this site is about:

• This is a "Wiki" site, which means that members can contribute to it.  Right now, when you register, you are given a "folder" (called "My Folder") which you can edit.  (You can also "add a comment" at the bottom of each page in this site - this is a good way to ask questions or contribute information relevant to the appropriate page).
  
• You can edit your "My Folder" area by adding "content" (such as web pages, images, weblogs, and other folders - these are called "objects").   In each of the folders you create inside your "My Folder", you can add more web pages, images, weblogs, and more folders, etc.  (Essentially, you can create your own multi-page website within this website).
  
• You can change the "view" for your folders (i.e. how objects are listed).  You can also choose a single object to be the "default" view for your "My Folder", from which you can link to all your other objects.
  
• You can move the contents around within a folder, or from one folder to another.
  
• Once you add / edit the content, it will not be viewable by anyone else until you choose to "submit" it.  Once it's submitted, the administrators will "review" and "publish" it, at which point your content -will- be visible by anyone who surfs this site.  You can also send the "URL" (website address) of your folder to your friends, and they will be able to view it, too.  (They do not need to be members to view your content).  If your UserID is "AlexDemo", then your URL will look like http://www.SteampunkLaboratory.com/Members/AlexDemo
• Note - Plone was specifically designed to be easily searchable by Google - thus, anything you add, or any names / bio information you include will probably show up in Google searches a few days / weeks later, FYI.
  
• Hopefully the "How To" directory below will explain how to do all of this.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the administrator! 
  

A note about this type of site

This site was built using a "Content Management System" called Plone.  Plone is an open-source (i.e. free) software package, developed and supported by enthusiastic volunteers.  A "Content Management System" is a way of doing just that - managing content, provided by one or by many contributors.  It is designed for collaboration by many people from many different places.  It is also designed to be managed "Through The Web" (TTW), which means you need no software other than an internet browser to upload, edit, and view your content.  Pretty cool! 

It is also designed so that different members have different roles.  Most members can contribute (i.e. "submit for publication) their own content, but they cannot necessarily "review" it (i.e. "publish" it, so that it becomes visible on the web to everyone).  Administrators review and publish the content provided by different members.  Additionally, members who have been designated as "reviewers" by administrators can also review and publish content.  As you become more familiar with the site, if you would like to become a reviewer, please contact the administrator.

This means that it's a -little- tricky to learn how to add new content (text, pictures, webpages, weblogs, etc).  HOWEVER - if you have any problems adding, editing, or submitting your content, PLEASE do not get frustrated.  That's the role of the administrator (and trust me - he has been plenty frustrated in the past for both of us, but thinks he has a handle on it all now. ;-)  If you have any questions, or can't get something to work, just email / contact him, and he'll walk you through the problem or do it for you.

A note about reading this page

Note: it may be helpful to read these instructions in one window of your browser, while accessing the site in another tab (window) of your browser.  That way you can read these instructions in one tab, and then edit your page in another.  I recommended Mozilla Firefox for internet browsing.  (You can download it for free from here).  To open a new tab in Firefox or Internet Explorer, press "control"-t.  (On a Mac, it's "command"-t).

Contents

How to Register

How to contribute to the "My Folder" page

How to add a new "Page" (a "Page" is what you're reading now)

How to edit a Page (add text, images, hyperlinks, documents, etc)

How to add a "Weblog" (a blog)

How to add an image to a Page or a Weblog entry

How to browse to different folders, pages, or blog entries in your folder

How to add a hyperlink to your Page or Blog

How to set the "default" view for your folder

More information about editing Plone sites, straight from the horse's mouth

How to Register

• Click on the word "register" at the far right-hand-side of the menu bar (above and to the right), and then fill out the necessary information:

• enter your name (you don't need to put your full name if you don't want to)
• pick a user name (pick any nickname you'd like))
• enter an email address (if you'd like to be notified about updates and events)
  
• pick a password for this site
• choose whether or not you'd like an introductory email sent to you with further information about this site
• then, in the next screen, click the "Log in" button
  
• now you'll notice that the menu bar at the far right has changed - your name is listed, as well as the words "My Folder", and "Log out" (shown circled below)

• To change any of your preferences, click on your name at the top right, and then choose "Personal Preferences".  You can change your name, your bio, and even upload an image to use as your "portrait".  This will appear beside your blog entries, if you post any.
  
•  To learn how to contribute to your folder please browse the topic headings below.

How to contribute to the "My Folder" page

• Once you register, you are given an "online locker" to store any writings, images, internet links, etc, so that you can communicate / share these resources with the other members of the Lab.  This "locker" is called "My Folder".  (You can see it at the far-right of the menu bar, after you log in.  The link to "My Folder" is circled in green in the image above).
  
• To access your folder, make sure you are logged in (click on the words "Log in" at the far right of the menu bar.  If you are already logged in, you will see your name, the words "My Folder", and the words "Log out").   Click on the arrow next to the word "Private", and select "Submit for publication".
  
• Then click on the words "My Folder" at the far right of the menu bar to enter your folder (shown circled below).  Then follow the directions below for any of the features you'd like to add.
  

How to add a new "Page" (a "Page" is what you're reading now)

• Go to "Add new..." and select "Page" (shown circled at right)
  
  

• You will be prompted to provide a title for the page, a brief description of the page (~1 sentence), and then you will be given a space to add content.
• To enter the title and the brief description (which is optional) simply left-click in the entry form and type it.
• To add "content" (text, images, links, etc) to your page, left-click in the large white region beneath the words "Body Text"  (beneath the list of editing icon buttons) and type something.
  
• Just type a few words and click "Save" at the bottom of the page.  You can edit this page more fully later by following the directions below.  (Don't worry about the box asking you to leave a comment for a "Change note" - just leave that empty).
  

How to edit a Page (add text, images, hyperlinks, documents, etc)

• If you have just created a page, and it is still in your browser window (i.e. you can see the "Kupu" editor buttons), skip the next bullet and image.  If you are returning to edit a page you have created earlier, but which is not on your browser right now (i.e. you cannot see the "Kupu" editor buttons), then "choose" the page by clicking on "My Folder", and then clicking on the name of your page. 
  
• Then make sure that you are in "Edit" mode, at the top left of the window (as shown in the picture below).   You should be able to see the Kupu editor now.
  

• "Left-click" in the white box below the words "Body Text" (below the editing icons, as shown below).  You can use the built-in editor to arrange and style your content.  This editor is called "Kupu", and it's similar to most simple word processors.  The image below shows how most of the icons can be used to format your text.  It's called a "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) editor.  Experiment with it! :-)
  

• As you add content to your Page, you should click "Save" at the bottom of the page, every once in a while.
• NOTE: Clicking "Save" on your Page will probably bring you out of "Edit" mode.  If you wish to continue adding content / editing it, you have to click "Edit" again at the top left of your screen (as shown 2 images above).  This is the hardest thing to remember about editing pages like this! :-/
  
• Once you have finished editing a Page, you need to "submit" it for "review", in order to "publish" it on the web.
• To do this, "Save" your Page.
• Then go to the top right of your screen, and you'll see the word "Private"   
• Click on the arrow next to private, and choose "Submit for publication"                        
• The next time an administrator or reviewer logs in, they will see that you have submitted some new content for publication, and they will "publish" it.  At that point, it will be visible on the web.
  
  

How to add a "Weblog" (a blog)

• Click on "My Folder"
  

• Go to "Add new...", and choose "Weblog"

• Choose a name for the Weblog, choose an (optional) brief description for it, and click "save"
• The next page will bring you to the Weblog editing screen.  Notice two things - the "State" (which is in red, and is called "Private"), and the phrase "Add Entry".
• Click on the arrow next to "Private", and choose "Submit for publication".  ("Submit for publication" indicates to the Administrator that you would like them to publish this content.  The next time the Administrator logs in, they will publish it, and it will become available on the web). 
  

• To add a new entry to the blog, choose "Add entry".  Like adding a new Page, you will be prompted for a Title, and for a description of the entry (called an "Excerpt").  Fill these forms out (the Excerpt is optional), and then add the Entry Text in exactly the same manner as you would add the "Body Text" for a Page (described above in "How to edit a Page").  Note that you also need to be in "Edit" mode, as described in "How to edit a Page", too.
  

• Once the entry is added, scroll down and you will see a list of "tag words", as well as an option to "Allow comments".  Tag words are used to find your blog entry, if people search for those type of words anywhere in this site.  If any tag words exist which describe your entry, you can click them.  (If not, then you can suggest to the administrator to add new tag words.  In the future, Lab Members will be able to add their own tag words to attach to their entries). 
  
• If you would like other members to be able to leave a comment on your entry, check the "Allow comments" box.
• Then click "save".
  

• After you type your blog entry, you then need to submit it for publication as well (as explained under "How to add a Weblog").  Go to the word "Private", click the arrow beside it, and select "Submit for publication".  The next time an administrator logs on, they can publish it for full viewing on the website.
  

How to add an image to a Page or a Weblog entry

•  To add an image to your page or your blog entry, make sure you are in "Edit" mode (as described in "How to edit a Page", above).
  
• Then click on the icon of the picture of a tree
• A new screen will appear, allowing you to choose a picture which has already been uploaded, or to upload a new picture
• If you choose "Upload image here", you may then browse your own computer for the image.  You will also be asked for a title (necessary) and a description (optional).  NOTE:  if you are adding an image to a Weblog, it will ask you whether you want to upload the image to "topic images" or "parent folder".   "Topic images" will probably be in red, because it has not yet been published.  If you put your image in there, you will then also need to browse to the "topic images" folder, and submit it for publication.  (To learn how to "browse" to different folders, pages, blog entries, etc, see "How to view the contents of your folder", below).  Your images will not be visible until the folder in which they are stored (in this case, "topic images") is also published.  Alternatively, you can simply choose "parent folder", and store your image there.  However, if you have many images and many blog entries, it may become difficult to keep them all organized, because all the pictures for all your blog entries will be stored in this one folder.
  
• After making those selections, and hitting "Ok", the image will appear in your Page or your blog entry.
• You can then use the left, right, or center justifications to move it.  You can also position the cursor to the left and "push" it with spaces.  You may also resize the image by clicking on it and moving the white boxes at the corners.
  

How to browse to different folders, pages, or blog entries in your folder

• Your folder is a "container" in which you place your Pages, images, Weblogs, etc.
• You may view those different "objects" by clicking on "My Folder", and then clicking "Contents" at the top left of the screen.

• Then you can select any of the contents within.  By clicking on the title of the object (e.g. "Alex's Test Page", or "AlexDemo's weblog", above), you will be brought to that object.  By switching back to "Edit" mode, you can then edit that object.
• In this view, you can also see which objects are published, which are pending review, and which you have not submitted for publication yet.
• You can also change the order they appear in your "My Folder" listing, by "left-clicking" on the "::" icon under the "Order" heading, and dragging it up or down.
• You can also rename folder contents (including other folders), as well as delete them, cut/copy them, or change their state (i.e. retract or submit objects for publishing).

How to add a hyperlink to your Page or Blog

Linking text to a website outside this site

• To add a link to a website outside this site, type the text which you'd like to connect to the site (such as www.SteampunkLaboratory.com, or a simple phrase like "click here").  Then highlight the text with your cursor (left-click and drag across the text).
  
• Then click on the "internet link" icon (it looks like a circle which I -think- is supposed to be the planet Earth)
• Type the location of the internet site in the entry form; click "Preview" if you'd like to double-check it, then click "Ok"
• The link should now be attached to the words you typed.  NOTE - you may not be able to "click" on it in "Edit" mode.  Go to "View" mode to test it.

Linking text to a Page, a Blog, or an Image inside this site

• To add a link to a page or blog inside this site, type the text which you'd like to connect to the site (such as "My Blog").  Then highlight the text with your cursor (left-click and drag across the text).
• Then click the "internal link" icon (it looks like 3 links of chain)
• Then, in the screen that pops up, browse to the object you'd like to link to (a blog, a picture, a page, etc).  You can see a preview of images, but you can't see a preview of pages or blogs - just the name and the description you gave the object when you created it.  (That's why it's a little important to title/describe the objects well, so you can remember what they are later).
• Then clikc "Ok" and it should link to your text.

Linking a Picture to a website or object

• You can add a link to a picture (either inside this site, or outside this site) by following the same steps above.  However, instead of typing text, highlighting it, and then clicking on the "globe" or the "chain link" icon, simply click on the picture, -then- click on the globe (to link to an external website) or the chain-links (to link to an object in this site)

 How to set the "default" view for your folder

•  Your folder is essentially a "container" for the different objects you add to it (such as Pages, Blogs, Images, etc).
• As such, when you add something to it, you'll see it listed in your "My Folder".  If you add several things, you'll see them all listed.
  
• You can change the way this listing appears, by going to "View" at the top left of your screen
  

• Then, at the top right of your screen, click "Display"

• Notice that there are 4 different ways you can arrange your "My Folder" (Summary, Tabular, Thumbnail, and Standard views).  Choose one and see how it looks.  If you like it, keep it.  If you don't, try a different view.
• Additionally - you can choose one of your objects (a page, and image, a weblog) to be your "default" view - that is, when you (or anyone else) clicks on your "My Folder", then they will automatically be directed to -one- object from your "My Folder", which you can pick with the "Change content item as default view" option.  A good way to organize all of your objects is to have a single "Page" which acts like a table-of-contents for your other Pages, Weblogs, or other subfolders (i.e., there are "links" inside that page to direct people to your other objects).  Then select that single page (the "table-of-contents" page you created) as the "Default view"
• To change the "default" item, choose "Change content item as default view..."
• Then in the screen that pops up, choose the object you want as the default view (if it's in a subfolder, browse to that subfolder and then choose it).
• This will change the way your "My Folder" loads - it will now just show you that -one- object you picked.
  
• If you ever wish to view the other objects you still have in your "My Folder", you can view all of your "My Folder" contents by clicking your "My Folder" link (far right of the menu bar), and then clicking the "Contents" tab at the top left.

More information about editing Plone sites, straight from the horse's mouth

• If you need / want to know how to do anything more complicated on this site, simply email/call Alex or use the "Contact" button at the top right of this screen. He may already have tried to do what you want to do, and may know some hints.
• Or - you can "add a comment" at the bottom of any page in this site (see the button?) asking a question, answering a question, making an observation about life in general, etc.  Another member may know the answer to your question, and can reply to it by replying to your comment.  This could be a good way for us to post and answer our own questions, at the bottom of each appropriate page.
  
• If you'd like to look up more information on your own, try the following links:
• Conceptual overview of Plone: http://plone.org/documentation/manual/plone-2.5-user-manual/introduction/conceptual-overview
  
• A detailed description of editing the "My Folder contents in Plone: http://plone.org/documentation/manual/plone-2.5-user-manual/introduction/plone-user-accounts
  
• A detailed description of how to use the built-in editor in Plone (called "Kupu") http://plone.org/documentation/tutorial/content-creation-with-kupu
• Another description of some of the basics in Plone http://www2.le.ac.uk/plonedocs/userguide/part1-basic/
  

• The organization that maintains the documentation and support for Plone: plone.org

• The name of the Weblog program we're using on this site is Quills 1.6 beta: http://plone.org/products/quills/releases/1.6