Main Menu Page
WebBoard Documentation:
Overview of WebBoard
Participating in WebBoard Conferences
Managing a WebBoard as the Course
Moderator
Overview of WebBoard
WebBoard is copyright (c)1998 O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
This documentation is largely adapted from the WebBoard help screens
within the program.
WebBoard Basics
WebBoard is a tool for online conferencing. Sometimes referred
to as forums or discussion groups, online conferencing allows
you to share information with others quickly and easily.
You can share information by posting messages directly to WebBoard
conferences (and reading responses). When you need to make a file
available to your conference-mates, simply attach the file to
a message. If you or others in your group travel, WebBoard lets
you participate by email, both reading and responding to posted
messages. And, if you need or want to discuss something in real
time, WebBoard's chat (if enabled) provides instant interaction.
Since WebBoard is a Web-based application, you work with it through
a browser-an interface with which you are already familiar. For
email participation, your favorite email client is your interface.
This documentation walks you through all the steps you need to
get started with WebBoard. First it provides an overview of the
WebBoard structure. Then it shows you how to establish an account,
navigate, and find information. With these basics in hand, you
will be prepared to jump right into the conversation.
What is WebBoard?
WebBoard is a collection of messages posted by various participants.
In Elmhurst's case, the boards are usually course-related and
have been established by the instructor. To keep track of those
messages and foster meaningful information exchange, WebBoard
messages are organized in a hierarchy with four levels:
* Board (also called virtual board)
* Conference
* Topic
* Message (new topic or response)
You can liken this hierarchy to the relationship of pages in books
to the bookcase that houses the book. The bookcase is the board,
which houses multiple books, or conferences, on similar or varying
subjects. Each book contains chapters with numbers or titles,
just as conferences contain topics, with more focused subjects.
Each chapter in a book has specific content that relates to the
chapter title, just as topics have messages discussing that topic.
WebBoards at Elmhurst are set up by the WebBoard administrator
while conferences within each WebBoard are set up by the board
managers--usually the instructor of a class. The manager decides
how to arrange the subject matter of conferences within a board.
However, you create the topics and messages by posting and replying
in conferences that interest you. You can start a new topic in
a conference any time you want to change the subject. Your instructor
will provide directions regarding which conference is relevant
for which topic(s).
Elmhurst's WebBoard can have different types of boards and conferences
for different purposes. Some boards may be closed to you and some
conferences may let you read, but not post, messages. The WebBoard
administrator and board managers configure the settings that control
board and conference types. You don't need to know about the settings,
but you do need to understand how your work with WebBoard may
vary depending on those settings.
Getting Started
Stand alone discussion board - easiest to learn and use - Recommended
for first users.
WebBoard is a web-based application. The administrator (Jim Maracum)
will provide the exact address (URL) of the WebBoard for a class.
You can reach it by entering the board's URL (or web address)
directly in your browser. At Elmhurst, the address will typically
look like this:
http://206.68.119.120/~name of course
WebBoard - example
http://206.68.119.120/~workshop
Browser Requirements
Some of WebBoard's features such as frames, file attachments,
Cookie Authentication, and Chat have certain browser requirements.
At minimum you should use a level 3 browser such as Netscape
Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Note that Internet
Explorer 3.0 does not support file attachments without an additional
plug-in, which is available from Microsoft. In general, we recommend
you use a level 4 browser such as Netscape Communicator or Internet
Explorer 4.0, both of which are available from their respective
vendors. If you are using a WebBoard from home, you must set
your browser to accept cookies. Accepting cookies is necessary
for WebBoard to authenticate you. The proprietary browser that
once came bundled with AOL with not work.
If you are using Internet Explorer, go to the View pull-down
menu, then select Internet Options. Next, click the Advanced
tab. Scroll down to the section on Security, where you will see
options on cookies. Click Always accept cookies. If you are using
Netscape Communicator, go to the Edit pull-down menu, then select
Preferences. Click the Advanced category in the window, where
you will see on the right options for cookies. Click Accept all
cookies. |
Logging in to WebBoard
After entering the WebBoard address you wish to access, you will
be greeted by a log-on screen.
If you are accessing WebBoard on campus, you should not click
the box labeled Remember my password. This will enable any following
users at your terminal access to a WebBoard logged in as you!
From home, however, you can have WebBoard remember your login
name and password (with a cookie, a bit of information stored
safely on your own computer) to make subsequent logins quicker
by bypassing the login page by clicking the box. The cookie is
valid for up to six months.
Logging in as an Existing User
If you already have an account, you simply enter your login name
and password in the textbox on the login page. Click Enter to
complete the login. If you are already a member of any active
Elmhurst WebBoard, you do not have to log in as a new user (see
below). It is also important that you keep the same Name and Password
you have already used on other WebBoards. Note that an administrator
can choose to limit access to any board (called a closed board)
and unless you are an authorized user, you will be denied access
to the board.
Logging in as a New User
If you want to participate in a board either by posting messages
or chatting, you must be a registered user and have your own WebBoard
account. In some instances, the WebBoard administrator has already
set up an account for you with a login name and password. If so,
go to the section above on "Logging in as an Existing User."
If you do not yet have an account, you can self-register and create
your own account by selecting a login name and password and providing
some additional information such as your real name and email address.
When selecting your login name and password, keep in mind the
following:
* Your login name should be the same as your Elmhurst email account
name.
* Your password does not have to be the same as your Elmhurst
email account password, and should not be the same as your login
name.
To log in as a new user, follow these steps:
1. On the WebBoard login page, click New User. The New User Information
form appears.
2. Follow the directions on this page and fill in the required
blanks (marked with red dots). You can later change or add to
this information by editing your user profile by clicking the
MORE button on the WebBoard menubar and choosing Edit Your Profile.
3. At the end the form, select whether to view WebBoard in frames
or non-frames mode. The default is frames, which enables you to
view the Conferences list while reading and posting messages.
To use frames, you must be using a level 3 or higher browser.
If your browser does not support frames or you prefer to not use
frames, select the No frames mode. However, it is strongly recommended
you enable frames.
4. When you have completed entering information on the form, click
Create. If your login name is unique, WebBoard creates the account
and displays the main WebBoard page. If your login name was already
being used or some other information was missing, you must complete
the form again and resubmit it.
Logging in as a Guest
Some boards allow guest access. To login as a guest, click Guest.
WebBoard displays the board's main page with the conference list.
You may browse conferences and read messages but not post messages
or participate in chat sessions. If there is no Guest button,
you must create a new account to work with this board.
Working with WebBoard
Before you start posting messages and participating in chat sessions,
you'll want to take a few minutes to become familiar with WebBoard's
layout and basic operation, including navigation and functionality.
Once you've successfully logged in, either as an existing user,
new user, or guest, you will see the board's main page, where
most WebBoard activity occurs.
If you selected frames mode (recommended), you will see a page
similar to that shown in Figure 1 below. Typically, a board's
main page has three main activity areas, which are listed below
and described in the next sections:
* The conference list (left frame) displays the conferences, topics,
and messages. This list can toggle between displaying the conference
list and the list of new messages.
* The menubar (top frame) has buttons for using WebBoard's commands
and features.
* The message window (right frame) is the working area where information
and forms are displayed. For example, the message window is where
you read and post messages, complete user profile information,
and execute searches.
In non-frames mode, you will see the menubar and either the conference
list or message window, but not both at the same time. You can
switch
between modes by editing your WebBoard user profile.
Using the Menubar
You can accomplish many WebBoard tasks quickly by using WebBoard's
menubar, located at the top of your browser window. This section
describes each of the functions you can perform from the menubar.
The menubar is at the top of your WebBoard screen.
| Post |
opens a form in the message window to compose
and post a new topic to a conference (note, you must select a
conference first). |
| Refresh |
updates the Conferences list. In general, WebBoard
refreshes the list when new messages are posted, but you may
want to manually refresh the list on occasion. |
| Chat |
displays the Available Chat Rooms list, which
gives links to each chat room and tells how many active users
are in each. If chat is not available for this board (the WebBoard
administrator's prerogative), this button does not appear. |
| Search |
opens the Message Search form for finding specific
content in topics and/or messages (see "Searching Messages"
later in this document). |
| Mark All Read |
displays a list of all conferences and allows
you to mark messages as read in one or all of them. Marking messages
as read eliminates the NEW icon next to the message and changes
the title of the message from italic to regular font. WebBoard
does not automatically mark messages read; you must do it manually. |
| More |
opens the More Options menu.
From here, you can select the features and functions listed below. |
| Edit Your Profile |
displays your user profile information
and allows you update it, including changing your password. |
| Email Notify |
displays a list of conferences from which
you can select which conferences should let you know by email
that a new message has been posted. |
| Mailing Lists |
displays a list of conferences from which you
can select which conferences you want to receive all postings
via email. |
| Current Users |
lists the users who are currently logged on (updates
every 60 seconds). |
| Today's Users |
lists the names of people who have logged in
today. |
| Search Users |
displays a form for finding active WebBoard users
by first or last name. From the search results you can look at
any user's profile information. |
| Top 10 Users |
lists the top 10 users by the number of logins. |
| Top 10 Posters |
lists the top 10 message posters. |
| New Messages |
lists all messages that are marked New. The new
messages are listed in the Conferences list frame. |
| Today's Messages |
lists conferences that have messages posted today. |
| Conference Profiles |
lists each conference with a brief description
of its purpose. |
| List Boards |
lists each virtual board on this site that you
have visited. Each board name is a link to that board, which
lets you move easily among boards. |
| Login as a Different User |
lets you to log in as a different user to the
current board. This is particularly important if you are at a
terminal in the Lab where the previous user forgot to logoff
of his/her WebBoard! |
| Help |
displays Help for WebBoard features. This documentation
is based largely on WebBoard's very useful help files. |
| Logoff |
ends your WebBoard session and displays another
page. Logging off provides a bit more security for WebBoard users.
Note that after logging off in the Labs, you should also close
your Web browser! |
| If you have been designated as a WebBoard manager
or moderator by the WebBoard administrator, you will see more
items on this menu. Please consult documentation on Managing
WebBoards. |
Browsing Conferences, Topics, and Messages
Conferences are the idea starters for the board. Topics and messages
provide the content for conferences. A conference is created by
a WebBoard administrator or manager but the real discussion begins
when someone posts a topic to it. Other users can reply to the
topic by posting reply messages at any time. All messages in a
topic may have the same name as the original topic or a different
name; however, reply messages are indented under the topic message-a
visual clue to show the relationships.
WebBoard's ability to let you browse by conference or topic from
the Conferences list means you can either follow a subject exhaustively
or pick and choose just the messages you want. The Conferences
list shows all the conferences on this board. An expansion box
(+ icon) to the left of a conference name indicates that the conference
has topics and messages. The numbers in parentheses to the right
of the conference name tells how many total and how many new messages
are in it. Conferences with new messages have a NEW icon to the
right of the conference name.
To display the topics in a conference, click the conference name
or the expansion box. You can expand one conference at time. When
you expand another conference, the previous topic list collapses.
Or, you can close the conference list by clicking the expansion
box again.
An expansion box to the left of the topic name indicates that
this topic contains more than one message. Topics and messages
both have hyperlinks that you can click to open them in the right
frame. To the right of each topic and message is the poster's
name and date. The poster's name is also a hyperlink to that person's
profile.
Reading Messages
WebBoard's messages are arranged logically with the earliest (original
topic) message at the top of each topic list. You can follow a
thread from its beginning if you desire, or jump in at a later
point. When you click a message on the Conferences list, the message
appears in the right frame (unless you are using non-frames mode).
By default, all subsequent messages in the topic are displayed
so you can read them in order. This viewing mode is called the
Full topic view, which you can change to a one-message-at-a-time
mode by editing your user profile. Note that you cannot see messages
earlier in the list; however, you can click the Previous hyperlink
in the Message menu.
Follow these steps to read specific messages:
1. From the Conferences list, select the conference you want to
view and click its name or the expansion box (+ icon).
2. Locate the topic you want to read and click its name or the
topic expansion box. If you click on the name, the message and
replies are displayed in the message window. If you click the
topic expansion box, the subsequent messages are displayed.
3. If you expanded the topic list in step 2 but did not display
the message, locate the message you want to read and click its
name. The message displays in the Message window. You may need
to scroll to read the entire message(s).
4. When you have finished reading the message, you can select
another message to read or you can post a new topic or reply.
Displaying New Messages
WebBoard gives you several ways to see and read new messages quickly.
Conferences that have new messages are marked with a NEW icon
to the right of the conference name. The numbers in parentheses
following a conference name tell you how many total messages there
are in the conference as well as how many new messages. When you
expand a conference, you can quickly identify new topics and messages
by their italic titles.
However, looking for NEW icons and italic titles can be a bit
tedious, especially in a large conference. Instead, WebBoard has
three ways you can get to new messages instantly:
*
New Messages Link: Welcome Page
Each time you log in to WebBoard, the Welcome page in the right
frame includes a link indicating how many new messages you have.
Click on the link and a list of conferences with new messages
appears in the Conferences list frame (to the left). Expanding
any conference listed displays only the new messages in that conference.
*
New Messages Link: Conferences List
At the top of the Conferences list are two links: Conferences
and New Messages. Clicking on these two links toggles between
the full conference list and a list of conferences with new messages.
To see the new messages, click the New Messages link and expand
any conference listed.
*
New Messages Link: More Options Menu
The More Options menu (available from the More button on the menubar)
includes a link labeled New Messages. Click on this link and a
list of conferences with new messages appears in the Conferences
list frame (to the left). Expanding any conference listed displays
only the new messages in that conference.
The first time you log in to WebBoard, you will have no new messages.
You will still want to read through several messages, but only
once you are a registered WebBoard user, do messages appear as
new.
Updating Message Status
WebBoard considers all messages to be new until you update their
status. That means even if you have read a message, WebBoard thinks
it is new until you manually mark it as read. Although probably
more desirable from a user perspective, automatically updating
message status adds huge computing overhead and has not been practical
for a Web-based application like WebBoard. Automatic updates are
on the list to implement when feasible.
To manually update message status from new to read, select
Mark All Read from the menubar. A page opens listing the conference
names. Select the conferences that you want to have marked read.
WebBoard instantly updates the information and refreshes the Conferences
list. +To update all conferences at once (for example, if you've
been away from WebBoard for a period of time or have been reading
messages by email), select Mark All Conferences Read.
Searching for Messages
Sometimes you may need to find messages with specific content
or titles from one or more conferences. WebBoard lets you search
for content in topic titles or in both titles and message bodies.
You can also request varying counts of search results and whether
search results are shown in a detailed or short (standard) format.
When WebBoard finds messages that match your search criteria,
it lists them by date order, grouped by conference. Each entry
in the list is a hyperlink, so you can click on any message and
view it.
Your search request can be for a single word, part of a word,
or a group of words. So, if you search for the word "boil"
in topics only and standard format results, you enter the word
boil and WebBoard returns the match of How to Boil Water from
the Cooking conference. If you search for "spring flowers"
in topics and messages detailed format results, WebBoard find
matches including "lovely pink spring flowers," "buying
small spring flowers," "daffodils are spring flowers,"
and so forth.
To search for words within topics and/or message bodies, follow
these steps:
1. From the WebBoard menubar, select Search. The Message Search
form opens.
2. Enter the word(s) you want to search for in the textbox field,
for example, coffee. For a phrase, you may want to enclose the
words in quotation marks.
3. Select how many matches should be displayed (Display count).
For example, if you know that the word coffee is used often, specify
120. Of course, the higher the display count, the longer the search
takes.
4. Select how the matches should be displayed (Display detail).
Standard results shows the topic/message title for the matched
word. Detailed results shows the matched word in partial-sentence
context of the match. If the word you want to find is frequently
used, specify Detailed results to see the context. For example,
to find "Bring coffee to the meeting," specify Detailed
results so that you can see the context of the word coffee.
5. Select whether matches should be found in topics only or in
topics and message bodies. Topics refers to the title of a topic
or message, not just topic messages.
6. Select the conference(s) containing the search word. To select
more than one conference, hold down the Control key as you select
additional conference name(s) with the mouse. (The Shift key also
works to select contiguous conferences.)
7. Click Search. The Message Search Results form appears displaying
the conference name, the subject, and the date. If you have selected
Detailed results, the details of each result appears below the
conference name. Click Search Messages to return to the Message
Search form.
Editing Your User Profile
Each user has a profile, which contains information WebBoard uses
in various ways. The most important way is that it stores your
login name and password which WebBoard uses to give you access
to a board. It also contains personal information about you that
other WebBoard users can view, such as your address, professional
information, hobbies, and other interests.
Your user profile is also a place for selecting how you will work
with WebBoard, such as using frames or non-frames mode. When you
first log in as a new user, WebBoard asks you to fill out a New
User Information form. This information is part of what makes
up your user profile. This section tells you how to change that
information and what else makes up your user profile.
You can edit your user profile at any time. In fact, you should
review your user profile shortly after logging in the first time,
to ensure that all the information is complete and correct. To
edit your user profile, follow these steps:
1. Select More from the WebBoard menubar. The More Options menu
appears.
2. Click Edit Your Profile from the More Options menu. The User
Profile page appears, as shown below.
3. Make any changes necessary (see the rest of this section for
descriptions of items on the profile). Note that you cannot leave
a required field blank.
4. Click Save to update your profile. WebBoard responds with an
Edits Saved message.
5. Continue with your WebBoard session.
The information you can change in your user profile includes:
Login Name (required)
This name is your unique key for entering WebBoard. You were either
assigned this name or created it when you registered on WebBoard
the first time you logged in as a new user. In general, this name
is not displayed to other users unless the WebBoard administrator
has chosen to use login names instead of real names. At Elmhurst,
the login name should be the same as your email user name.
Password (required)
This entry is masked (shown as *s) for security. You can change
your password to protect your postings and user information. If
you do, you must enter it twice on the form to ensure you typed
it correctly. The password is never shown to other users. Your
password for WebBoard does not (and probably should not) be the
same as your email password.
Email Address (required)
This address is used for WebBoard's email notification and mailing
list features. It is also included with each message you post
to make it easy for other board members to respond to you directly.
Signature
This field holds information that is attached to every message
you post. Similar to an email signature, you may want to include
your name, contact information, a quotation or vision statement,
and so forth. Your signature can be up to 2,000 characters and
contain HTML. Remember, however, that other users probably appreciate
short signatures that don't take long to download over the Web.
The Home Page information can be filled in if you have
a home page on the Internet. Hobbies is not necessary, since other
users can't view it anyway!
Use Frames
This option allows you to switch between viewing WebBoard in frames
mode or non-frames mode. The default is Yes, use frames, which
means WebBoard displays both the Conferences list and the message
window at the same time. This is highly recommended. If your browser
does not support frames or you find frames too slow for your connection,
choose No for this option.
Full Topic View
This option allows you switch between viewing messages in full
topic mode or single message mode. The default is Yes, full topic
mode, which means that all subsequent messages posted to a topic
are displayed in the message window. In single message mode, only
one message is shown at a time and you must click a link to show
the next message in the topic. We recommend using full topic view.
Mailing List Format
This option allows you to choose which format WebBoard uses to
send you mailing lists. Mailing lists allow you to keep track
of WebBoard discussions at an email address of your choice. It
does, however, somewhat defeat the purpose of WebBoard, since
Conference threads of discussion are more difficult to follow
in the mailing list format. The three mailing list formats are
non-digest, messages sent individually when they are posted; digest,
messages sent once a day in a single email that is indexed by
message; digest/zipped, messages put into digest format and then
zipped up to compress the size of the email. Depending on the
traffic and your need to respond to the conferences you participate
in by email, you can select the best delivery method. For example,
if you want to respond to many messages that are posted, you should
select the non-digest form. If you simply need a record of messages
posted on a board, select the digest/zipped format. Selecting
a mailing list format does not subscribe you to any WebBoard mailing
lists; you complete that task from the More Options menu, then
selecting Mailing Lists. Mailing lists are described in more detail
here. We recommend you read the appropriate help screens on mailing
lists before changing the mailing list format.
Logging Off
When you are finished with your WebBoard session, you can simply
point your browser at another site on the Web (if you're at home)
or you can officially log off WebBoard. The Logoff button in the
menubar takes you to another page designated by the WebBoard administrator
(such as your instructor's home page). Note that if you click
the Back button in your browser, you will be returned to WebBoard
without having to log in again. This is why it is important that
you should close your browser or clear your browser's cache if
in the Lab. You should also not have WebBoard remember your password!
Ready to Start?
This documentation has probably provided you with sufficient information
to begin using WebBoard. If you would like more detailed documentation
on using Conferences (posting messages, replies, etc.), consult
separate documentation 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.
Created by Ken Black, Dominican University. Adapted by Susan Swords
Steffen and Charles Ophardt,Elmhurst College, May 1999.