This is an inquiry into how to upload and download files.

2007_Proposed_CTRI_Constitution

This was accomplished by selecting the Insert Media button above the edit icons and selecting the desired file, then pressing insert into post. This creates a link to the file which will permit whatever operations are supported by the browser the user is using. In my case I could open the file (it is a PDF) and read it, or I could download it to my hard drive.

Now let’s try a data file such as and XLS file.

Field Day 2009 equipment and to do list

That appears to work the same way.

When you login if you look near the bottom of the right hand sideboard you will see a widget titled SUBSCRIBE TO POSTS. If you put your email address into the dialog box and press the Submit button you will get a screen compaining that you haven’t put the correct entry in the Captcha box. Ignore the fact that you haven’t even tried to do so yet and put your best interpretation of the scrambled characters you see in the Captcha display into the input field and press enter. Chances are good that you will have to fill in the input field several times to get it to go.  This is a pain but it stops spambots from messing up our website and stealing your email address, etc.

You will be told that an email has been sent to you that you must respond to. Follow the directions.

Now what do you get for all this aggravation? Whenever a new post appears on the website you will get an email telling you about that. When next you log in you should read the post and if it is a subject you would like to follow you can check the Subscribe to this Post box and you will be notified when the post is edited or when comments to that post are entered. The net result of all this is that you will be notified whenever a new subject is raised and will then be able to arrange to be further notified when it is updated if you are interested in the subject.

The site has been set up to present officer reports in an easy to find way for the members. If you follow these steps everything will work well:

1. Go to the Dashboard and select Posts > Add New
2. Type in the Title of your post, e.g., Minutes of July 24, 2010
3. Now you may either type your report directly into the edit input box, or you may copy the text you have previously prepared in, for example, WORD. If you choose the latter then:
   1. open the WORD document in Microsoft WORD or in Open Office Word and select the entire text and enter CTL-C to copy it.
   2. Then position the cursor in the Add New Post edit input box.
   3. Now look in the second line of icons above where you placed the cursor (if you only see one line then go to the right end of that line and you will see an icon that looks like three lines of tiny icons, click it (it is called kitchen sink)) for the icon that looks like a clipboard with a blue W in a box. Click this and another box opens.
   4. Place your cursor in this box and press CTL-V to paste the text copied from WORD.
   5. Press Insert and the text will be inserted into the Post edit box preserving the formatting from Word.

If you are typing your report directly into the Post edit box you can, obviously, ignore all those steps. The choice is yours.

Now scroll down to “author” and choose your call.

Go on down to “Categores” and choose “Columns”.

Continue down to “Post Tags”, press “Choose from the most used tags” and choose your office from the list.

Now scroll back up to the blue “Publish” button. Press it and your report is made available to the members.

To save you the trouble of stumbling around finding out how to create a post:

On the home page there is a header area across the top of the page with two columns underneath that, one wide (left) the other narrow (right). The left column holds principal content, the right column is called a sidebar and holds various “widgets” which display, for example, the login entry which changes to loged in status after you login. The sidebar also displays the most recent posts and a tag “cloud” which lists the tags which authors have tagged their posts with.

So login, edit your profile if you like, then when you are returned to the home page direct your attention to the login widget and you will see a welcome call and three choices. Choose “dashboard” and a very busy three column screen will appear. Do not be alarmed. Most of those items may be eliminated if you choose.  In the left sidebar about an inch down is the button called “Posts”. Clicking Posts will offer you the ability to select the Add New screen, which is where you create your posts.

At the top, right under “Add New Post” is a text box containing “Enter title here” which is where Pat entered “No Code CW Contesting”, for example. Put the name you want to call your post in this box then click in the text input box below all the word-processing-like icons. Just type away. If you want to enter a photo look just above the two lines of icons and you will see “Upload/Insert” followed by four icons. The first one will take you to a photo upload screen. Ken, K3IU, is at work determining how best to upload photos, but you should not let that stop you from experimenting.

Down aways is an area titled “Author” with a drop down list box that should be preloaded with your call. If it isn’t then click the down arrow point and select yourself.

Right below that is Publish which contains, among other things, a “Save Draft” button. It’s always a good thing to save your input every so often. The publish button will publish your post, but don’t push it yet. Just below is “Categories”.  Select one of those then drop on down to “Post Tags” and choose an existing tag or create a new one (or several) that best describe what this post is about so others can find it in the future by searching on tags.

Now you can push Publish.

Let the rest of us know how you make out.