Posting blog items

Depending on your permissions, you may have the ability to post blog items. You also may have the ability to modify and delete your own posts.

As part of the process of posting a blog item, you can enable commenting, add images, and so forth. However, most of these elements can also be modified later. Note that when you save modifications to the content of a post:

· Changes are reflected in the portlet instance and in the My Subscriptions view of the portlet.

· The system will send notifications about the change to people subscribing via RSS feed, but the notifications will have the same timestamp as the original post.

· The system will not send notifications about the change to people subscribing via Message Center or e-mail.

If you have permission to post Blog items, you'll see a button labeled Add a New Post at the top of the portlet instance when the portlet is maximized.

Note that you might have permission to post items in one instance of the portlet, but not in another. If the link is not displayed and you think you should have permission to post, contact a system administrator.

1. Navigate to the portlet instance where you want to post.

2. Maximize the portlet instance.

3. Click Add a New Post to display a form.

4. Fill out the Content tab as follows:

o In the Headline field, enter a headline for the post. This field is required.

o To make your item's headline display in red, under Priority, select the High radio button.

o If the post requires more information than you created in your headline, add body text in the Text field.

o If appropriate, add images to the post. For details on how to do this, click the How Do I Use Images? button.

5. If you want to review or modify the default posting options that exist for the post, click the Options tab. You may want to do any of the following:

o Use the Enable Comments checkbox to enable or disable commenting. Note that, depending on how the portlet instance has been configured, only certain roles my have permission to comment.

o Use the Attribution checkbox to specify whether your name is displayed or hidden.

o Use the Show To area to determine which roles in the system can view the post. Note that even if you do not choose your own role, you will be able to see the post.

o If desired, use the Start and End areas to control when the post will launch and whether it will ever expire.

o If you are a member of the Faculty role, the system may display a section labeled Cross Post. You can use this section to publish your post not only in the current portlet instance but also in other Blog portlet instances associated with the courses you teach. This option is available only while you are initially creating the post -- you cannot come back later to an existing post and cross-post it to another portlet instance.

6. If appropriate, click Preview. The system displays previews of how the full post will look, as well as the summary for the initial portlet display.

7. If you are satisfied with the item and want to post it, click Save. If you chose to publish in the future, the system saves the post and will launch it at the appropriate time. If you chose to publish immediately, the system publishes the post and sends it to any subscribers.

1. Navigate to the portlet instance hosting the item you want to modify.

2. Maximize the portlet instance.

3. Locate the item you want to modify and click the corresponding pencil icon.

4. The system opens the item for editing, displaying the Content tab. As appropriate, modify any of the following values for the item:

o Its Headline.

o Its Priority.

o Its Text.

o Its Images.

5. If appropriate, display the Options tab and modify any of the following:

o Whether comments are enabled.

o Whether your name is displayed as the author.

o The roles that are allowed to display the post. Note that even if you do not choose your own role, you will be able to see the post.

o If desired, use the Start and End areas to control when the post will launch and whether it will ever expire. Even if the item is already displayed, if you choose a future Start date, the system will remove it from view and launch it at the newer time that you select. Note, however, that copies of the item might already have been stored by subscribers in their RSS readers and e-mail accounts. If you are looking for the Cross Post area, note that this option was only available when you initially created the post, and it will not be displayed now.

6. If appropriate, click Preview. The system displays previews of how the full post will look, as well as the summary for the initial portlet display.

7. If you are satisfied with the item and want to post it, click Save. As appropriate, the system updates or removes the item in the portlet instance and in all My Subscriptions views. If the item is still publicly viewable, the system sends notifications to RSS subscribers that there was a change.

When you delete a post, it is only deleted from the Blog portlet instance and from individual users' My Subscriptions portlets. Users who subscribed to the portlet instance using other methods may still have copies of the post.

1. Navigate to the portlet instance hosting the post you want to delete.

2. Maximize the portlet instance.

3. Locate the post you want to modify and click the corresponding trash-barrel icon.

4. When you see a pop-up dialog asking if you're sure you want to delete the post, click OK.

Posting, modifying, and deleting Blog items