WebBoard Documentation:
Overview of WebBoard
Participating in WebBoard Conferences
Managing a WebBoard as the Course Moderator
Participating in WebBoard Conferences
WebBoard is copyright (c)1998 O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
This documentation is largely adapted from the WebBoard help screens
within the program.
This documentation was created by Ken Black, Dominican University
and modified for use at Elmhurst College.
Introduction to WebBoard Conferences
You can participate in WebBoard conferences in two different
ways. First, you can read and post messages directly at the WebBoard
site using your web browser. Second, you can read and post messages
indirectly using your email program. The latter option involves
editing your user profile (explained in other documentation on
Overview of WebBoard).
You can also mix and match the two methods. For example, when
you are at school you may find that visiting the conference area
with your browser over Elmhurst's network is fast and easy. However,
when you are traveling or working from home, the slower connection
can probably make participating by email cheaper and more convenient.
Still, using a browser is the recommended method, since it allows
you to keep tap more easily of all message threads within a conference.
Types of Conferences and Messages
Before getting into all the nuts and bolts of posting messages,
take a few minutes to review some basics about WebBoard's conferences
and messages. Any board on a WebBoard site can have four different
types of conferences:
* Public conferences let anyone read and post messages.
* Moderated conferences have one or more persons exercising
editorial control. Anyone can post, but the messages are reviewed
before being posted. A moderated conference helps keep discussions
focused.
* Private conferences are limited to specific users who
are authorized to read and post messages. Private conferences
allow you to discuss confidential or nondisclosure topics. Private
conferences appear in the Conferences list only for authorized
users. Instructors may create private conferences for various
group projects in the class, allowing access only to those students
working in the group.
* Read-only conferences are used to distribute official
information to WebBoard users, such as policies or announcements.
You can read, but not post messages to a read-only conference.
Note that the conference types can also be mixed. For example,
a private conference might also have a moderator to move the discussion
along.
WebBoard conferences can have two different types of messages:
* Topic messages start a new thread of a discussion within
the overall subject of the conference. You can start a new topic
at any time and you should start a new topic if your message is
not a direct response to a previously posted message.
* Reply messages respond to an existing topic or reply
message and keep the current discussion thread going. Replies
are always indented under the message being replied to in the
Conferences list.
As you read and start posting messages, these differences will
become more clear.
Participating through a Browser
When you participate in conferences through your browser, you
can take full advantage of WebBoard's many message posting features.
You can read multiple messages at once and understand where the
discussion has already been before jumping in. You can also preview
your messages, spell check them, post anonymously, and include
file attachments. You can also edit or delete messages you have
already posted. These tasks and more are described in this section.
Posting a Topic Message
When you post to a conference, you are either adding to a current
topic or starting a new topic. If you have something to contribute
to the general theme of a conference (say, to ask others for good
afternoon tea spots), but it doesn't relate to the existing topic,
then you can start a new topic. If you are the first visitor to
a conference, you will also need to post a new topic message.
This section describes how to post a new topic message. Responding
to existing messages is described later.
To post a new topic, follow these steps:
1. Select a conference by clicking the conference name or expansion
box (+ to the left of the conference name). Here is what a typical
conference listing looks like:
2. Choose from one of three ways to display the Post form.
* From the WebBoard menubar, click Post.
* From an open message, click Post on the message menu. This is
located as a hyperlink directly above the message itself.
* From the WebBoard menubar, click More to display the More Options
menu.
On this menu, click Conference Profiles to display a list of all
conferences. Click the conference to which you want to add a new
topic. From the conference profile, click Post a message to this
conference. Needless to say, this is the most cumbersome method
to post a new topic!
3. Enter the new topic name in the Topic field. Keep the topic
name short.
4. Choose any of the following options by checking the appropriate
box(es) in the menu at the top of the message posting form:
* Convert line breaks to HTML breaks to automatically turn
line breaks into carriage returns or blank lines. If you deselect
this option, all lines in your message are run together.
* Preformatted text (No HTML) to turn off HTML features.
This setting is helpful when you are inserting text from another
source. However, you should leave this box unchecked if you want
to include a Web address within the body of your message. (For
example, you want your readers to check out Yahoo! at http://www.yahoo.com.)
Including a Web address will automatically create a hyperlink
that your readers can click on.
* Anonymous to post anonymously. Your name is not attached
to the posting. Not recommended for a class-related discussion
group!
* Preview message to review your message before you post
it. It's highly recommended you click on this box if the next
choice is disabled--it's always good to take one last look at
a message before posting it.
* Preview/Spell check to review and spell check your message-this
is the default setting.
* Attach File to attach a file to your message. (Explained
in more detail below.)
5. Type in your message. You can include HTML tags for formatting
as well as links to other web pages and images. Note that any
links you include must have the full URL, such as http://www.myserver.com/linked.html.
Some WebBoards may not allow active links in messages. If you
have a question about this feature, contact the WebBoard administrator.
6. When you complete your message, click Post. Depending on which
options you have selected, WebBoard either posts your message
immediately or allows you to preview it (with or without spell
checking). Previewing and spell checking are discussed in the
following sections.
In a moderated conference your message may not be posted until
the moderator reviews and verifies it.
When the new message is posted, the Conferences list refreshes
automatically, showing the new topic. WebBoard users subscribing
by to the conference's mailing list also receive the message the
next time they check their email.
Previewing your Message
You can preview messages before you post them to ensure that they
say what you really intended. Message preview comes in two flavors:
without spell checking and with spell checking. Previewing without
spell checking allows you to see any HTML properly converted,
while previewing with spell checking allows you to catch and correct
misspelled words.
To preview your message without spell checking, follow these steps:
1. Check Preview on the Post message form.
2. Enter the topic name, your message, and click Post. WebBoard
displays your message exactly as it will appear to other users
on WebBoard.
3. If you are dissatisfied with your message and want to change
it, click Back on your browser. If you are using a Netscape browser,
you can also right-click your mouse, and click Back to get to
the previous frame.
4. Once you are satisfied with the appearance of your message,
click Post. Your message is immediately posted to the conference
and WebBoard displays it in the Message window.
Spell-Checking Your Message
You can spell-check any message you post on WebBoard by using
WebBoard's built-in dictionary. Each instance of a misspelled
word is flagged as a link, which displays a list of suggested
replacements. You can select a replacement or enter a different
word. If you change misspelled words, you will see another preview
of your message before posting it.
To spell-check your message, follow these steps:
1. Check Preview/Spell check on the Post message form. This is
the default option.
2. Enter your message, and click Post. The Message Preview window
opens. Your message is spell-checked, with each occurrence of
misspelled words being flagged as a link.
Spell-checking does not convert HTML tags to HTML (as plain Preview
does). Rather, many HTML tags are flagged as misspelled words.
You should ignore these during spell checking. To preview the
HTML in your message, use Preview without spell checking enabled.
3. Click on each misspelled word to see WebBoard's suggestions
for corrections. You can either select a word from the list or
enter a new one in the textbox.
4. Click Done to return to the message preview. The corrected
word is shown in the message. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 if necessary.
If you are a WebBoard administrator, manager, or moderator, the
spelling correction form also includes a button allowing you to
add the misspelled word to the dictionary. This feature is handy
for adding words such as proper names, HTML tags, or abbreviations.
5. If you are dissatisfied with your message after correcting
the spelling errors and want to change it, click Back on your
browser to redisplay the original Message form.
6. Once you are satisfied with your message, click Post. Your
message is posted to the conference.
Attaching Files to Your Message
Attaching files to your WebBoard messages is a handy way to give
users ready access to information that doesn't fit well in a text
message. For example, you may want to provide a spreadsheet or
video clip for other WebBoard users to review. You can attach
one or more files to a message posting.
Your browser must support file attachment capability (Netscape
Navigator 2.0 or higher; Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 with
plug-in or higher) for uploading files. Almost any browser can
download file attachments. Additionally, those who want to open
the files must have the same or similar applications to open them.
Keep in mind, for example, that if you posting a document formatted
with Microsoft Word that your recipients must also have Microsoft
Word in order to view the attachment. A better option may be to
post a duplicate of your attachment in plain ASCII (text-only)
format if possible, which anyone will be able to retrieve and
read.
File attachment capability is not available at all WebBoard sites
or for all conferences. The WebBoard administrator determines
whether or not file attachments are allowed and can also restrict
the number of attachments per posting and the size of attachments.
If you have difficulty, contact the WebBoard administrator.
To attach a file to your message, follow these steps:
1. Check Attach file on the Post message form.
2. Type in your message, and click Post. If you selected Preview/Spell
check or Preview, complete the preview and click Post. The Attach
a File form opens.
3. Click the appropriate Category radio button for the file you
wish to attach. The category you select causes WebBoard to display
the corresponding icon next to the file attachment link in your
posting, which gives other users a quick idea of the file type.
The categories are as follows:
* Unknown if you do not know what type of file this is. Experience
has shown us that this is actually the safest option to click--even
if you are well aware of what type of file it is you are posting.
In most cases, assuming you have not changed the three-letter
extension to a file name (such as .doc for Word documents, or
.avi for video files), your recipients will have no difficulty
with the file.
* Document if this is a text file.
* Image if this is a graphics file.
* Audio if this is a sound file.
* Multimedia if this is a multimedia file.
* Application if this is an application.
4. Enter the name of the file in the File to upload field.
OR - Click Browse to select the attachment you want to upload
from your directories. A File Upload dialog opens. Navigate through
your directories to select the attachment. If there is no Browse
button, your browser does not support file attachments. Click
Open to continue, or click Cancel to cancel the upload, which
has the effect of immediately posting your message.
5. Enter the description of the file attachment in the File description
field. It should be fairly descriptive, such as Homework assignment
in Microsoft Word format.
6. If you want to attach more files, click the Upload another
radio button.
7. Click Upload Now to attach the file to your message. Depending
on the size of the file and speed of your connection, this process
may take a few minutes. Your message is immediately posted to
the conference. The attachment appears as a hyperlink at the end
of the message. An icon indicates the file type.
8. If you clicked Upload another, the Attach a File form appears
again. Repeat steps 3-7 for each file attachment you want to upload.
Posting a Reply Message
You can post a reply to any message within a topic. For example,
if a topic has 10 messages, you can reply to the first message
or to the tenth message. Whenever you reply to a message, your
new message is indented under that message in the Conferences
list to show other readers the thread of the conversation. Replies
are displayed chronologically within each topic. You can also
reply to a posting privately, by sending an email message to the
original message poster. This section describes these two types
of replies: public and private. In addition, note that posting
a reply message uses many of the same basic steps as posting a
topic message; these steps were the topic of the previous section.
To post a public reply
To reply publicly to the message you are currently reading, use
one of the following options:
* Select Reply from the menu at the top of the message
you wish to respond to.
* Select Reply/Quote from the menu to include text from
the original message.
WebBoard displays a message creation form for you to complete.
The form is the same as the one for posting a new topic except
the topic from the current message is displayed. You can use this
topic or change it. Otherwise the form works the same as described
in "Posting a Topic Message" earlier in this chapter.
Please refer to that section for details.
To send a private reply
Rather than post a reply to the whole conference, you may prefer
to send a reply only to the individual who posted the message.
Some replies need to be shared with all the participants of a
conference, while others are appropriate only for the individual
who posted the message. WebBoard lets you reply privately to the
message author by email. Note that if a message was posted anonymously,
you can not send a private response.
To reply to the author privately to the message you are currently
reading, use one of the following options:
* Select Email Reply from the menu at the top of the message
you wish to reply to.
* Click the poster's email address link in the From field of the
message.
WebBoard launches the email program associated with your browser
with the recipient's email address included (but not the topic
or any text from the message posting). You must enter a subject
and your response. You may also wish to cut and paste the WebBoard
posting to provide context for the recipient.
Sending email replies uses your web browser's email capability.
Your browser must be set up to send email; WebBoard itself does
not provide this email capability.
WebBoard is copyright (c)1998 O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
This documentation is largely adapted from the WebBoard help screens
within the program.
This documentation was created by Ken Black, Dominican University
and adapted by Susan Swords Steffen and Charles Ophardt, Elmhurst
College, May 1999.