Guide
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Please add profile picture. |
How things work
Saves time and frustration having a read at this.
On your home page is four buttons:
HOME | BLOGS | GROUPS | EVENTS
The following instructions will show you how to use these categories and how to:
- sign up (register)
- what to put on your profile page
- what the key sections are for (blog, events, etc)
- basic how to write a blog
- basic how to put an event in the calendar
- basic how to join a group + what groups are for
- basic how to start a group
- about up-loading files to the Bridge
- forums discussions
- widgets
- RSS feeds
- some terms used on the site
- sign up (register)
When you register you will be asked for a:
Display name
Thats the name that will display on your posts and activities on the site.
Your email address so you can be sent confirmation of joining
A user name and password in order to sign in to your Bridge account on any computer.
- what to put on your profile page TOP
Your profile page is pretty important because everything you write there will be used to create connections to you: Your geographical area, your interests, your skills, your website and anything you want to say about yourself or your group. Your profile is all folk might know about you at first so try to make it as descriptive as possible. The Bridge will automatically create links from your profile to others that share the same interests, likes, dislikes and skills. You can change your profile at any time.
Your site picture
Your site picture is an icon to represent yourself throughout your personal landscape. You can
upload ten in total. You then choose which one you would like to be your default – this will be the
one that is displayed throughout the system. At any time you can change the default or choose to
have no icon.
Instructions:
To Upload a picture or select a new picture’
In the Edit profile icon
• Using the browse button search your computer for the picture you would like to use as an
icon. To do this just locate the folder where you keep the picture on your computer
• Once you have found the picture you want to use. This decision is not final – you can alter it later
• Just click ‘upload’ and you are done.
• You can also crop the picture to
If you make changes to any of these three just select ‘save’ to store the new information.
- what the key sections are for TOP
Your blog (weblog) will be your main tool to get your information out there. Once you write a post there are different ways that your blog posts can be linked up to your group - and to the outside world.
For example...
- basic how to write a blog TOP
When you sign in you will be sent to your Dashboard page (where you control your operations from) At the top there's a drop-down menu if you click on Blogs, that will take you to your own blog. (you automatically get one when you sign up)To get started we need to create some content. "Click on Write a post"
Once you have put in a title and written your post you then have to decide on who is going to see it
Assign to This is who on the network you want to know about this post. (If you are new to the Bridge) So far you have only one option here - because you haven't joined or created any groups yet. (We will get on to that when we talk about Groups)
Tags Tags are the next most important thing to content. Tags will help to direct viewers to your page and help you to connect with other people and groups. If someone is searching your blog for articles on architecture - it would be handy if you have a post on that subject to have "architecture" on your tag line and another could be "buildings" and if it has to do with planning issues then "planning' is another tag that would be useful. You can also tag events to geographical areas, such as "Edinburgh" so folk will know where the event is taking place. If you add more than one tag to a post separate them with a comma,like this.
Access
Private - friends - Logged in users - Public
You can save your blog post as Private where only you can see it. Friends where only friends who are linked to you can see it. Where logged in users to the site can see it - or Public where anyone looking at the site or where your blog is linked on the net can see it.
At the top left of your "edit blog post window" you can Preview your post before publishing it - save it as a draft if it is not ready for publishing - or hit save to publish your post to your chosen audience.
To add an event. TOP
From the tools menu click "Events calendar" here you will see events for the month we are on. You can also click <Prev and Next> to see the past and proceeding months events. Filling in details is straight forward. if you click on the wee pink square it will allow you to click on the date you want your event to happen - then figure out who you want to tell in the Access box. (See Access above) In the all events page you have the choice of viewing, All events - Friends events or My events.
TIP Adding events: This is when you have the opportunity to find other groups/people who may be doing the same thing - Joining up events - picking a date that doesn't clash with other events - organising meetings and planning your schedule.
- basic how to join a group + what groups are for TOP
Groups are there to join people up with the same interests and goals - Where they can make connections - share information and organise things together. We will do this by joining or creating groups, linking up our blog content, using "Feeds" (see Feeds)
The first thing we do is see if a group has already been created that will serve our needs or the topic you have in mind. We do this by doing a straight forward search entering tags that relate to what we are looking for for instance "walks' "gardening" "history" and so on - or simply look through the groups listed.
To Join a group. Go to - Tools - Groups. Select the group you want to join. Hit the link "Join group" and thats you a member - simple. If it is a closed group you may have to apply for membership. Click "Request membership" and you will be informed by email of the groups decision regarding membership.
- basic how to start a group TOP
Go to - Tools - Groups - click "Create a group" link. Once your group is created you will be able to invite friends - use the group calendar - create group discussion - upload files - links from your blog posts and your members blogs. You will also have Subscription feed where members of the public can subscribe to your groups updates
- You can create and moderate as many groups as you like
- You can keep all group activity private to the group or you can use the 'make public' option to disseminate work to the wider public.
- Each group produces granular RSS feeds, so it is easy to follow group developments
- Each group has its own URL and profile
- Each group comes with a file repository, forum, pages and messageboard
About up-loading files to the Bridge TOP
Always try to use small file sizes when up-loading to the Bridge
If you need to upload video and audio files:
The preferred way to do this is linking to a third party service like the "Internet archive" or "You Tube" here you can load your files first then create a link to them in your Bridge blog rather than loading an raw video file to the Bridge, which would take up a lot of space on the server and slow things down.
Here are two examples where you can upload audio and video free: You Tube gets more exposure - is a bit distracting - has adverts and length of film is limited and the video quality isn't great.
Internet Archive, Less exposure, is better quality, less distracting, less limiting, offers film file size to suit slow and fast computers, no adverts.
To use You tube You set up an account (membership) then load up your movies to your account: See a video on how to start an account here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_IZ6CAlxG8
To use "Internet archive" it is a similar procedure to You Tube
http://www.archive.org/index.php
Forums (discussions) TOP
To start a group discussion click the link in the group sidebar - you will the be able to add topics for discussion and comment on others topics
Widgets - Adding widgets to your dashboard. (your dashboard is what you see when you sign in)
A widget is a wee packages of of different information in your account. You will see some when you sign in to the network. such as "Blogs" "Events calender" "friends" and so on. On each widget there is a + and a - sign so you can close or open each widget to save space on your dashboard. If you click on the "edit Page" (top Right) you can swap your widgets around - have fewer or more on your dashboard - just drag them around to suit yourself. Don't forget to hit save when you are finished rearranging.
All widgets have the ability for the user to choose the access level, (Private, Public, Friends, Logged in users) some will also provide additional configuration options.
RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication) If you see an RSS feed on a page by clicking it you can receive updates, from blogs, news headlines, audio and video and such like. So instead of visiting lots of websites you want to be updated on- you can receive all of this information in the same place by subscribing to the RSS feed of the website. So for instance is if I am interested in 2 or 15 of the members blogs on the Bridge website I don't have to surf the blogs for information updates - I can click on the RSS feed button and receive updates automatically - all in the same place.
Account - When you join you have an account.
Subscribing - joining
Widget - Wee things that organise your information.
Forum - A place where you can start an on-line conversation.
Blog - (web-log) A website.
RSS - A way of collecting information from all over - in the same place.
URL - Address of a web-page. Example: http://www.bridgeweb.info/
Browser - The thing you look at websites with "Firefox" "Internet Explorer" "Safari"