How to Use this Site

Hi, all, and welcome! Ben here. In this first post I’ll give you a short orientation to this site, covering the following topics:

1. Finding handouts, including the syllabus;
2. Adding new posts, and making sure they’re findable;
3. Making sure you know the privacy options on the posts you create.

Handouts

Did you know that handouts are posted on this site? Find them in the navigation bar under the header image, like so:

Note that most of these are Word files, which will just be click-to-download rather than click-to-view. The images, though, should pop open then and there.

Adding Content

To create a new post on this site, log in and look up. At the very top of your browser window, you should see a menu bar that includes the option, “+ New.” Click that. Not sure where to log in? Watch the video:

You’ll be taken to a new screen, where you can (and should) enter an engaging title for your post, add text, images, and video (the last two through the “add media” button), and soon enough “Publish” by clicking the green button to the right of that editor window.

Before you publicize, categorize

Before you publish, though, consider adding two things: Categories and Tags. Categories are like folders that the Professor and I have set up, corresponding to the various readings, events, and assignments. These folders correspond to the menu items on the site, each of which will take you to the complete set of posts for that category; thus, if you want your post to show up and be counted, you’ll have to indicate the category where it should appear. Tags, on the other hand, are completely open-ended and up to you: just like hashtags on Twitter or Facebook, these can be used to add humorous self-reflection, to participate in an ongoing conversation (or start one up), or to look back later and see what we’ve all been talking about all along.

A word about privacy

Ready to publish? One more thing: you see the “Visibility” option in that box? The default is “public,” meaning that everyone gets to see what you just wrote. But if you want to share it just to our class, or to no one, you can also set a password or make the post private. Even if it’s private, though, editors and admins — that is, your ITF and Professor and a handful of people at MHC, like Dean Ugoretz (Joe) — can still look in. Feel free to talk to us about the options.

Got it? Great! Then get posting, and publishing, and we’ll look forward to hearing from you!