Website@School Users' Guide
Prev		Next

Althing (weblog)

1. Introduction
1.1 Assumptions
1.2 Features

2. Alting demonstration web page
2.1 Althing for the impatients
2.2 Posting
2.2.1 Add a post
2.2.2 Preview post (#0)
2.2.3 Post post (#1)
2.3 Replying (#2)
2.4 Adding files (#3 & #8)
2.5 Harvesting (#11)
2.6 More posts, more to see
2.6.1 Almost everything (post #5)
2.6.2 Quoting (post #6)
2.6.3 Postillion d'amour (post #7
2.6.4 Post a link (post #9
2.6.5 Redacted (post #10
2.6.6 Harvesting (post #11
2.6.7 Unpublished (Post #12)
2.6.8 The bottom line

3. Content options
3.1 Content
3.2 Configure
3.2.1 Status and visibility
3.2.2 The e-mail alert messages
3.2.3 Text fields
3.3 Moderate
3.3.1 Moderate overview
3.3.2 Moderate a post
3.4 View log
3.5 Report
3.6 Advanced options

4. The module in practice: tips
4.1 Althing management permissions
4.2 Those awful colors
4.3 Entry fields in Add a post
4.4 References

1. Introduction

"A blog? Isn't that a weblog without the 'we'?"
Anonymus

Althing [1] isn't a blog [2]. It's a weblog, equipped with additional features that facilitate research, analysis and production [3] of texts. Althing is not a replacement for 'parler', for exchange of opinions, discussion and interaction, for deliberations between real pupils in real classrooms.

In this chapter we explain Althing (weblog) for visitors and moderators. Visitors write posts and moderators manage them. We explain this process by using our own demonstration data. That is, the Exemplum Primary School, a small school described in Account Manager

1.1 Assumptions

This chapter elaborates on other chapters. We assume you have at least done Basic procedures for beginners of the Website@School Users' Guide.

1.2 Features

The features in no specific order:

Blind and visually impared users: Althing can be used and managed with braille terminal and screen reader.
Posts: Users can add post, review and edit posts before posting. BBCode and images can be used.
Replies: Reply to a post.
Harvesting: Reply to selected posts.
Logging:
Reports: Selectable posts, fields and report format (HTML, plain text or BBCode).
Moderation: Posts can get 'marbles' (qualifications), comments, visible/hidden, published/unpublished.
Header, introduction, question, conclusion and footer texts: Text fields, HTML and CSS can be used.
Accessibility: Open, frozen or closed
Visibility: Hidden, for registered users only or visible.li>:
E-mails: Moderator and subscribers e-mail notitfications.
Bazaar Style Style: very configurable wiht BSS.

(top)

2. Althing demonstration web page

An Althing with the installed demonstration data can be found in MyPage under section Althing (weblog). It looks like:

weblog_site_overview_demodata-top.png

[Many posts snipped] Below, the bottom of the demonstration data:

weblog_site_overview_demodata-bottom.png

As example Althing we use a simple question. The posts that follow show features of the Althing module for visitors and posters.

Please note a few items. They play a role in the explanation. The question "Is chocolate (dark, milk or white) healthy?", the [Post] and [Harvest] buttons and the clickable text links in the pink colored fields.
Do not worry about the colors of the header, posts and footer. They can be changed with Bazaar Style Style to fit your theme.

If you are impatient, you can create your own Althing from scratch by following the steps below.

2.1 Althing for the impatients

To get hands-on experience, create a test Althing yourself. For example in the Area of the Exemplum Primary School demonstration data. You've done the Basic procedures for beginners.

How to set up an Althing in 7 steps:

As usual, add a page. In the Module dropdown menu select Althing (althing), set the page visible, click [Save]. You are immediately in Edit basic properties of page n.
In the Menu, click Configure. You are now in Althing configuration.
- At 'Status of the althing', if necessary, set the radio button on: Opened.
- At 'Initial visibility', change the setting of the radio button from 'Hidden' to 'Visible'.
- In the field 'Moderator e-mail addresses', enter your valid e-mail address.
- Optional: enter something in the fields: Header, Introduction, Question, Conclusion and Footer. It's unimportant and can be changed later on.
- Click [Done].
Go to your website's Althing page and click [Post]. Add a post, preview it, edit it and submit it by clicking [Done].
Your post is immediately visible. An e-mail alert is sent to your address (step 5).
Go to the Page Manager's Alting page, click Moderate, click on the ID number 1. The page Post -1 yourname - date opens.
Moderate the post. At 'Marbles' enter a number between 1 and 10 and enter some text in 'Remark'. Click [Done].
To generate a (very small!) report, in Menu, click Report to enter Althing report.
In the field 'Posts' enter '1' (omit quotes) and click [OK]. Play with the report checkboxes.
Check the View log and check your moderation on your post on the site.

If you have skipped the option to enter some texts, you see on the website:

[ Althing page, created but not configured ]

weblog_site_no_configuration.png

Now log in and go to your Altihng page, click on its name and in the Menu, click Moderate to see:

weblog_moderate_no_posts.png

Time to add some posts! Here ends the Althing for the impatient. In the next section we discuss the posting process.

2.2 Posting

In this section we describe the posting process by the unregistered visitor 'wrmorris', i.e. someone not logged in.
The default settings for our demonstration Althing are: 'Status' is 'Open', i.e. posting is possible, and at first, 'Initial visibility' is 'Visible', i.e. posts from unregistered visitors are immediately visible. Details can be found in Configure.

When no posts have yet been made, our demo Althing looks like:

[ Althing, fields configured, no posts ]

weblog_site_posts_none.png

Please read the research question "Is chocolate healty?". Yes, something is missing. Also note there is no [Harvest] button (there's nothing to harvest), and note the text "You can be the first!" (because there are no posts).

2.2.1 Add a post

Visitor wrmorris clicks the [Post] button to open the Add a post dialogue:

weblog_site_post_add.png

Note that wrmorris created his own subject: Research scope.

Explanation:

Add a post: Workplace pane header
Name (required): Enter a name. When a logged in user posts, this field contains the full name of the poster. Default text: wrmorris.
E-mail (required but will not be publised): Enter a valid e-mail address. When a logged in user posts, this field contains the e-mail address of the poster. In the moderation the e-mail address is visible. Default text: wrmorris@example.org
Subject: Enter a short subject. Default text: Research scope
Message (required): Enter a message. Bulletin Board Code (see below) can be used to markup the message. Default text:
How about broadening the research scope of your research to [b]all[/b] types of chocolate(dark, andperhaps even milk)? William
[Preview]: Clicking the [Preview] button brings you to the Preview dialogue. Not a bad idea.
[Cancel]: To cancel the post and return to the Althing overview page.
Available BBCode: Below is an overview of the BBCode tags that are available to markup the text.

weblog_site_post_bbcode.png

"Bulletin Board Code is a lightweight markup language used to format posts in many message boards. The available tags are usually indicated by square brackets ([ ]) surrounding a keyword, and they are parsed by the message board system before being translated into a markup language that web browsers understand [...]." Source: Wikipedia
Website@School uses BBCode as a security feature.

The examples in the texts and screenshots speak for themselves.

When an error is made in the BBCode, for example:

    
This is an [b]error[/u]

A yellow status message is displayed:
BBCode: opening tag at offset 8 (near '[b]error') does not match closing tag at offset 19 (near '[/u ]').
Count the characters in the message and find the error.

2.2.2 Preview post (#0)

When the [Preview] button is clicked, the post can be examined in the Preview dialogue:

weblog_site_post_preview.png

Explanation:

Preview: Header text
From: The name and e-mail address entered in the Name and e-mail fields. The name is visible in the post, the e-mail address is visible in moderation.
Subject: The subject entered in the subject field, visible in post and moderation.
Date: Full date and time of the post in: dd Month yyyy hh:mm:ss TZ (Time Zone)
IP-address: The posters IP-address. It is invisible in the post and visible in moderation.

Below the above fields, the post is displayed as it will appear in the overview of posts:

[Edit]: Brings you back tot the Add a post dialogue for further editing.
[Done]: Will post the post, send an e-mail to the moderator(s) and opens the Thank you for your contribution dialogue.
[Cancel]: Brings you back to the overview of posts.

Click the [Done] button to post the post and send e-mail alert(s).

2.2.3 Post post (#1)

When the [Done] button is clicked, the post is posted, e-mail alerts sent and the Thank you for your contribution dialogue displayed:

[ Site, post posted, thank you for visitor ]

weblog_site_post_thank-you_visitor+open.png

Remember, in Configuration, the Initial visibility in the demonstration data is: Visible. William Morris is a visitor, his post is published immediately. An e-mail alert is sent to the moderators Catherine Hayes and Andrew Reese and (if added) subscribers. Click here for the alert e-mail that is sent to the modeators

Explanation:

Thank you for your contribution: Header tekst.
Your post has ben published at this URL:
http://exemplum.eu/index.php/38/Althing_(weblog).html#p1: The text speaks for itself.
Click here return to the overview page: The text speaks for itself.

The remainder of this dialogue is the same as the preview page. There are no buttons.

William Morris clicks the here link and sees:

weblog_site_post_added.png

Note that the [Harvest] button is added and texts are changed. Harvesting is explained in 2.4 Harvesting.

2.3 Replying (#2)

Catherine Hayes is one of the moderators of this Althing. Catherine is a registered user, i.e. she has a username and password. Her e-mail address is added to the list of moderators in Configuration. Thus she receives the alert message generated by wrmorris' post.
Catherine logs in, changes the Question and also awards William's post with two marbles. This is discussed in section 3.3 Moderate. Subsequently she creates post #2 to thank William in public.

Catherine clicks the Reply link and enters the Add a post dialogue:

[ site, add reply post by registered user ]

weblog_reply_unedited.png

Note that the Reply link was clicked. The 'Re:' is added to the subject automatically.

Explanation:

Add a post.

Notice the differences for a registered user:

File Manager (opens in a new window): Clickable link. Catherine is a registered user and is logged in. She has permissions to the File Manager in her 'My Files' directory, so the link is added. This is described in section 2.4 Adding files.
Name: Catherine Hayes: Catherine is a registered user and is logged in. When she replies her full name is automatically added.
E-mail: catherine@exemplum.eu: The address is automatically added.
Subject: Re: Research scope: This post is a reply so the original subject is automatically added.
Message (required): Catherine removes wrmorris' text, adds her own text, reviews it and posts:

[ Site post thank you for registered user ]

weblog_site_post_thank-you_reguser.png

Note that anyones post (either from visitor or from registered user) is visible immediately as long as the 'Initial visibility' is set to 'Visible'.

On the site we see:

[ Site, reply by registered user added ]

weblog_site_reply_added.png

There is a lot to be seen here:

The texts at the buttons are changed.
Wrmorris has received a reply, clickable link #2. Clicking on the link brings the post to the top of the page.
Catherine is modeator. She has followed wrmorris' advice and adapted the research question in the configuration.This procedure is explained in section 3.2.3 Text fields.
She has given wrmorris 2 marbles. This procedure is explained in section 3.3.2 Moderate a post..
In reply to: #1: Clickable link to see the original post at the top of the page.
Now that there are two posts, the Sort ascending or Sort descending link is added.

2.4 Adding files (#3 & #8)

Below are some examples of ways to add materials (picutres, links) to a post:

weblog_site_picture_theobroma.png

Photo by Hans Vissers, Botanical Garden, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

An image in the post:

        
[img="/users/hparkh/theobroma_small.jpg"]

A clickable link to a picture:

        
Here is an image of a [i]Theobroma cacao[/i] 
you can use in your report.
[url="/users/hparkh/theobroma.jpg"]Here[/url] 
is a more detailed version.

[ Site, post, picture of droste cacao tin ]

weblog_site_picture_droste.png

Photo Website@School team.

A clickable image that opens in a larger version in a new window:

        
[url="/users/hparkh/droste.jpg"]
[img="/users/hparkh/droste_small.jpg"][/url]
[i](click on the image for a larger version)[/i]

How to add a file to a post:

NOTE:

Only registered users,
being logged in,
with permission to use the File Manager,

can upload files (images, PDF's, etc.) and can create links to them.
Unregistered visitors must enter plain URL's (i.e. non-clickable) to point to materials. This is a security feature.

NOTE:
For this upload procedure Javascript must be enabled.

Click [Post] or [Harvest] to Add a post. Your name will be in the 'Name' field because you have an account and are logged in.
Use one of the possibilities listed above. Example:
```
        
""
```
Put the cursor between the two quotes"".
Click on the link: File Manager (opens in a new window). The File Manager opens in: My Files /users/hparkh
Navigate to the file you want to use.
Select the file by clicking on its name.
You return to the post. In the Message field the path to the file is entered in the BBCode.
Finish your post and check the result by clicking the [Preview] button.

2.6 Harvesting (#11)

Harvesting is selecting multiple posts to add in a reply. For example:

weblog_site_harvest

2.7 More posts, more to see

Below the remaining posts are explained, each post shows a different feature.

2.6.1 Almost everything (post #5)

[ Site, post with almost all functions visible) ]

weblog_site_5.png

NOTE: Almost every item in the above screenshot has a mouseover. Please explore and experiment!

Explanation:

Checkbox: Mouseover text: Use [Harvest] to reply to multiple posts simultaneously. Select multiple posts by ticking their checkboxes and reply to all of them by pressing the [Harvest] button.
Andrew Reese: Mouseover: 'registered' or 'unregistered'. Name of the poster. When registered, the full name of the user is shown.
(#5) : Mouseover: no mouseover. Every post in this Althing has a unique number. When clicking the Post ID, the post is displayed at the top of the page.
hh:mm or Day hh:mm: Mouseover: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.
The date and time shown depends on the moment you retrieve the Althing page:
- If date is same as today: hh:mm
- If date is older than today up to a week: Day hh:mm
- If date is older than a week: yyyy-mm-dd
----------: Posts can be rewarded with 'marbles' by the moderator(s). Minimum 0, maximum 10. Mouseover: Marbles rewarded to this post n out of 10.
---------- means no marbles
***-------<//span> means 3 marbles, etc.
Reply: Mouseover: Reply to this single post.Clickable link opens the Add a reply dialogue.
: Mouseover: To top of page
: Mouseover: To bottom of page
Re: Chocolate galore: Mouseover: no mouseover. The subject of the post.
Replies #n: Mouseover: no mouseover. Clicking the link opens the post of the replier in the top of the page.
In reply to: #4: Mouseover: no mouseover. This post, #5 is a reply on post #4. Clicking the link opens that post in the top of the page.
NOTE: If this message #5 would be a reply to two or more posts, this text would read 'Harvested from: #6, #7' rather than 'In reply to: #4'.
Replies#6, #7: Mouseover: no mouseover. This post, #5 has generated two replies, #6 and #7. Clicking #6 or #7 opens the corresponding post in the top of the page.
Harvests #11: Mouseover: no mouseover. Poster #11 used post #5.
But how about... Andrew: no mouseover. The content of the post. Andrew has removed the quote from post #4.

2.6.2 Quoting (post #6)

weblog_site_6.png

A quote in a post. The dotted line is adaptable in BSS. The post is also harvested.

2.6.3 Postillion d'amour (post #7)

weblog_site_7.png

Georgina replies on #5, but does not quote and says something to Andrew. This post is needed for post #11, because that post contais many quotes and harvests.

2.6.4 Post a link (post #9)

[ Droste effect demonstrated in a post ]

weblog_site_droste_effect.png

Andrew is in fact a registered user, but even a registered user cannot create a clickable link to some stray URL outside of the website. Any poster (visitor or registered user) is allowed to refer to a file on the web server where the Althing (weblog) is hosted. The registered users have the advantage of the File Manager, the anonymous visitors have to 'know' the exact name of the file or image. (They can see those filenames when quoting a post that has a link in it). Noone is allowed to post a clickable link to a resource outside the website. This is a security feature. Note that it is perfectly OK to simply write the URL as text, as demonstrated in this post #9.

2.6.5 Redacted (post #10)

2.5 Redacting (#10)

weblog_site_10.png

This post (submitted by an anonymous visitor calling himself 'Ludovico') was made visible immediately because the 'Initial visibility' (see 3.2.1 Status and visibility) was 'Visible'.

After reading this post by 'Ludovico', a moderator (in this case Maria Montessori, see 3.4 View log) decided that this post #10 was inappropriate. She changed two things. Firstly she made post #10 'Hidden' using the Moderation option of the Althing (see 3.3 Moderate). Secondly, she changed the 'Initial visibility' of the Althing from 'Visible' to 'Registered users' (see 3.2.1 Status and visibility). This blocks the immediate publication of posts by anonymous visitors like 'Ludovico', while at the same time allowing posts from registered users made visible immediately.

From this point onwards new posts by anonymous users (like #12, also by 'Ludovico', see 2.6.7 Unpublished (post #12) below) remain unpublished until a moderator approves and decides to publish it.

2.6.6 Harvesting (post #11)

weblog_site_11.png

A nice illustration of the harvesting feature. Three posts from which one is a quote in a quote. Also note the: Harvested from: #5, #6, #7.

2.6.7 Unpublished (post #12)

There is no visible post #12, not even redacted. The post is submitted but remains unpublished as can be seen in Moderate. After having received this post, Maria Montessori has set the Initial visibility from Open to Registered users to prevent further actions from Ludovico. See also 2.6.5 Redacted for the explanation.

2.6.8 The bottom line

weblog_site_post+harvest_bottom.png

[Post] and [Harvest] buttons also at the bottom of the overview of posts. Clickable link shows Hide redacted or Show redacted makes all redacted posts invisible and changes the link name or vice versa. This is a useful feature when many posts are redacted.

(top)

3. Content options

In the next section a brief summary is given of the content of Content, wereafter Configure, Moderate, View log and Report are discussed.

3.1 Content

To go to the overview of the content of the Althing module, open the Page Manager, click the given Page Name link to open the Althing overview dialogue:

weblog_content.png

Description: In the Menu the usual Basic properties and Advanced. The Content is divided in Configure, Moderate View log and Report.

The workplace pane title:
Alting overview contains:

The Althing-module is a research tool to publish a question, supposition, etc. Visitors can react, their posts can be analysed, a report can be constructed and results published. The following options are available in the submenu.

Configure - For this Althing, several text fields can be configured. E-mail alert lists for moderators and subscribers can be created . The visibility of posts and the status of the Althing can be set to Open, Frozen or Closed.

Moderate - The overview screen gives a summary list of all posts. From there you can navigate to individual posts. Approve new posts or make posts invisible. Posts can can be awarded with Marbles. Please see the comprehensive explanation in the manual.

View log - An overview of all moderator remarks, ordered by post.

Report - Select posts in a self-defined sort order and create output for further processing.

Please select one of the options to continue.

[Cancel]

Explanation:

Configure: Clicable link to the Configuration page.
Moderate: Clickable link to the Moderation page.
View log: Clickable link to the Log viewer.
Report: Clicable link to the Report generator.
[Cancel]: Button to return to the Page Manager

3.2 Configure

NOTE: to save some space, entry fields in screenshots are shortened.

In the Menu pane, clicking the link Configure, opens the Althing configuration dialogue:

3.2.1 Status and visibility

[ Configure status and visibility, default settins open and hidden ]

weblog_configure_status+visibility.png

The default configuration settings are: 'Opened' and 'Hidden'. This ia a security feature.

Explanation:

Alting configuration: Workplace header title

Status of the althing

Opened: Posts are visible and new posts can be added, replies given and harvests made.
Frozen: No more posts can be added. The [Post] and [Harvest] buttons, harvest checkboxes and Reply links are removed from posts.
Closed: All posts are invisible, only (if configured) the header-, introduction-, question-, conclusion- and footer texts are visible.

Initial visibility

Hidden: New posts (also from registered users) are hidden and stay unpublished until a moderator approves them.
Only when the post is published, it can be set to 'hidden' or 'visible'. If 'hidden', on the site the post is visible as 'redacted', i.e. subject, poster and content are not visible.
NOTE: The default setting for a newly created althing is 'Hidden'. This is a security feature.
Registered users: New posts by registered users are approved and published immediately. Post from unregistered users (visitors) must first be moderated for approval.
Visible: New posts are always published and immediately visible.
A published post can be set to 'hidden' in the moderation page of that post. On the site the post stays visible but 'redacted', i.e. subject, poster and content are not visible.

3.2.2 The e-mail alert messages

Whenever someone post a message, either in a public or in a private area, an e-mail alert is sent to the moderator(s). E-mail alerts are also sent to subscribers, either immediately (open/visible) or after moderation. Below the e-mails are explained.
E-mail alerts do not contain a subject and content. This is a security feature.

NOTE: to save some space the entry fields in the screenshots are shortened.

weblog_configure_emails.png

E-mail addresses can be added, one address per line:

    
catherine@exemplum.eu
andrew@exemplum.eu

etc.

    
wrmorris@example.org
chocofactory@example.com

etc.

Below the e-mail alert from visitor wrmorris (Post #1).

    
Subject: [38] New public post #1
Date: Tue, 17 June 2014 09:01:01 +0200
From: Exemplum Primary School <webmaster@exemplum.eu>
To: catherine@exemplum.eu (Moderators)

A new post has been added to page 38:

Author:     wrmorris (unregistered)
Message ID: #1 (1)
Date:       2014-06-17 09:01:01
Subject:    Research scope
Content:    http://exemplum.eu/index.php/38#p1

(Back to explanation in 2.2.3 Post post (#1))

Below is the e-mail alert from Ludovico's post #12 where he complains about the fact that his post #10 has been made 'Hidden'. At that time, the 'Initial visibility' was 'Open'. Once Maria Montessori discovered the inappropriate post #10, she decided to make it 'Hidden' and she also decided to change the 'Initial visibiliy' to 'Registered users'. This means that Ludovico's latest post #12 was not published (and probably never will be).

    
Subject: [38] Moderation request for post #12
Date: Tue, 17 June 2014 23:59:12 +0200
From: Exemplum Primary School <webmaster@exemplum.eu>
To: catherine@exemplum.eu (Moderators)

A new post submitted to page nn requires your attention:

Author:     Ludovico (ungistered)
Message ID: #12 (12)
Date:       2014-06-17 23:59:12
Subject:    WHY HAVE YOU DELETED MY POST?
Moderation: http://exemplum.eu/admin.php?job=pagemanager
&task=editcontent&area=1&node=38&option=moderation&sort=
-n&post=12

You may need to login first to see the new post: http://exemplum.eu/admin.php?login=1

Below an example of an e-mail alert to the moderators of a private Alting.
Configuration: Initial visibility: Visible

    
Subject: [39] New private post #1
Date: Fri, 13 June 2014-06-13 11:12:13
From: Exemplum Primary School <webmaster@exemplum.eu>
To: a.cackle@exemplum.eu (Moderators)

A new post has been added to page 39:

Author:     Amelia Cackle (registered)
Message ID: #1 (13)
Date:       2014-06-13 11:12:13
Subject:    Team meeting
Content:    http://exemplum.eu/index.php/39#p1

You may need to login first to see the new post: http://exemplum.eu/index.php?login=1

Below are two posts to subscribers. The first one from a public area, the second from a private area.

    
Subject: [38] Public post #2 is now published
Date: Fri, 13 June  10:12:02  +0200
From: Exemplum Primary School <webmaster@exemplum.eu>
To: wrmorris@example.org (Subscribers)

A new post has been published on public page nn:

Author:     Catherine Hayes (registered)
Message ID: #2 (2)
Date:       2014-06-13 10:12:02
Subject:    Re: Research scope
Content:    http://exemplum.eu/index.php/38#p2

    
Subject: [39] Private post #1 is now published
Date: Fri, 13 June 2014 hh:mm:ss +0200
From: Exemplum Primary School <webmaster@exemplum.eu>
To: h.parkhurst@example.org (Subscribers)

A new post has been published on private page 39:

Author:     Wilhelmina Bladergroen (registered)
Message ID: #1 (13)
Date:       2014-06-13 11:12:13
Subject:    Symposium 2015
Content:    http://exemplum.eu/index.php/39#p12

You may need to login first to view this newly published post: 
http://exemplum.eu/index.php?login=1

3.2.3 Text fields

NOTE: to save space, the entry fields are shown abbreviated.

weblog_configure_text-fields.png

Header: Header text maximum length is 240 characters. The text is used for the subject. Default text:
Chocolate galore
Introduction: HTML markup and BSS can be used. Default text:
Please do not abuse this Althing unless you want your messages to be redacted..
Question : HTML markup and BSS can be used.
Note the <hr> tag at the bottom of the question. It produces a nice separation between the question and the [Post] and [Harvest] buttons. Default text:
We are doing research into the subject of chocolate. Our main research question is: <strong&gtIs chocolate (dark, milk or white) healthy?>/strong<

We invite you to share your thoughts and ideas in the replies below. Catherine and Andrew <hr>
Conclusion: HTML markup and BSS can be used.Default text:
<h2>Conclusion</h2>(we have not reached a final conclusion yet)
Footer: HTML markup and BSS can be used.
Note the <hr> tag that visually separates the footer and closes the Althing on the site.Default text:
If you want you can use BB-code in your reply.<hr>

3.3 Moderate

Moderation is the process of evaluating the posts. In our demonstration data Catherine Hayes and Andrew Reese are the moderators.They are the content masters of the 'Chocolate galore' page. Maria Montessori, their teacher, also has access permissions to that page and keeps any on the work of the moderators.

After creating the Althingpage, there are no posts:

weblog_moderate_no_posts.png

3.3.1 Moderate overview

In the Menu pane, clicking the link Moderate, opens the Moderation overview dialogue:

weblog_moderate_overview.png

Description: In the Menu the Moderate link is chosen. The Moderation overview is a table with 7 columns. The clickable column headers are used to sort the table on that field. A second click reverses the sort order.

Explanation:

Moderation overview: header title.
ID: Mouseover: Post ID.
Unique number of this post in this Althing.
Clicking on the post number opens the Post nn - Name - yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss date/time dialogue, where this post can be managed.
Date: Mouseover: Date of posting.
The date and time shown depends on the moment you retrieve the Althing page:
- If date is same as today: hh:mm
- If date is older than today up to a week: Day hh:mm
- If date is older than a week: yyy-mm-dd
E: Mouseover: Number of edits (moderations).
Clicking on the numbers in the E column, opens the View log of moderation message dialogue.
NOTE: Only the numbers > 0 are clickable.
V: Mouseover: Visibility: Visible, Hidden, Unpublished
- V: Visible. The post is immediately published
- H: Hidden. The post is hidden, a 'redacted' message is shown.
- U: Unpublished. The post is not visible, not hidden but not (yet? )published.
M: Mouseover: Marbles
The number of marbles for this post.
The numbers are not clickable. Please click the Post ID to enter the Post nn - Name - yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss dialogue.
Name: Mouseover: Author name.
Mouseovers: author e-mail address.
Subject: Mouseover: Subject of the post.
[Cancel]: To return to Content dialogue

3.3.2 Moderate a post

In Moderation overview, clicking on a number in the ID column, opens the Post nn - Name - yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss dialogue:

weblog_moderate_post.png

Description: In the Menu the Moderate link is chosen.

This is the place where posts are published, made visible or invisible. All those changes get a remark. If the remarks are done in some clever way, the overview of remarks (in View log) can be a valuable instrument when using the report function. Whenever a change is made in marbles, and or visibility and status, a remark must be added. This is a feature.

Explanation:

Previous post-Up-Next post: Clickable links for navigating between the Moderation overview list and its posts. Try it and enjoy this feature when having to moderate a number of posts!
Post nn - Name - yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss: Header for the workplace
ID: n(n): The post ID and the number of the post in the database. The numbers can differ if more Althings are added.
IP-address: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn: The IP-address of the poster. This address is not displayed.
<name@example.net>: The email address of the poster. This address is not displayed in the overview of posts.
Date: yyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss: Here the date is always displayed in full, whereas the visitors see the abbreviated date, e.g. hh:mm or dd hh:mm.
From: name: The authors name.
Subject: subject : The subject of the post.
Content of post: speaks for itself.
Moderations: n: Clickable link to the View log of moderation messages dialogue. Note that this link is not clickable if there are no moderations for this post at all.
Marbles [entry field]: Enter a number between 0 and 10 to validate this post. In the post asterisks from none '----------' to, for example, 5: '*****-----' show how the post is valued by the moderators.
Visibility: (radio button) Visible (radio button) Hidden | Status: (radio button )Published (radio button )Unpublished: Please see the table below for details on these settings.
Remark [entry field]: To enter a remark about the change(s) the moderator made. When a change is made, a remark must be given.
:
- {Save] = save the changes but stay here,
- [Done] = save the changes and return to Moderation overview,
- [Cancel] = discard the changes and return to Moderation overview.
Previous post-Up-Next post: Clickable links for navigating between the Moderation overview list and its posts. Try it and enjoy this feature!
NOTE: These clickable navigation links 'remember' the sort order you selected earlier in the Moderation overview. Example: you could sort the list by author name and quickly step through all posts by a single author with 'Next post' and 'Previous post'.

The complex relations between Visibility (visible/hidden) and status (published/unpublished) is explained in the table below. The Initial visibility is set in Configure.

Initial visibility	Visitors	Registered users
Visible	visible	visible
Registered users	moderated	visible
Hidden	moderated	moderated

Legend:
visible = posts are immediately published and can be set to hidden. If the post is hidden, it is shown as 'redacted'.
moderated = posts are unpublished and can be published, wereafter they become visible. Once published, they cannot be made unpublished (but can be made hidden). This is a feature.

NOTE: If marbles, visibility or status change, you have to add a remark. Please see section 4. The module in practice: tips, 4.6 Marbles for more on this feature.

3.4 View log

View log shows an overview of all moderation actions.

weblog_viewlog.png

Description: In the Menu the View log is chosen.

Explanation:

View log of moderation messages: Header title
ID: Clickable link to reverse the sort order.
n: The ID numbers are clickable links to the Post nn - Name - yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss dialogue.
Date:
Bold date: Date of post
Normal date: Date of moderation
Name:
Bold name: Name of author. The mouseover shows the e-mail address.
Normal name: Name of moderator
Subject remark: The subject of the post and the moderator's remark.
Status old/new:
Visibility: old=...., new=... Marbles: old=...New=...: The track record of the post. Every change made to visibility or marbles is recorded; a moderator is not able to keep a moderation secret for the other moderators. This is a feature.
Cancel: to return to the Moderation overview.

Please see section 4. The module in practice: tips, 4.8 Logging for usage of this feature.

3.5 Report

Althing has some facilities to create a basic output of selected posts. This output can be copied and pasted and used as basis for the conclusion or other texts. Its use almost speaks for itself:

weblog_report.png

Description: In the Menu the Report is chosen. In the workplace severeral checkboxes to select report output.

Explanation:

Althing report: Workplace header
Posts [entry field]: Enter a comma delimited list of posts. Example: 3,4. Keyboard shortcut: Alt-P or Cmnd-p.
NOTE: You should use the Display-ID number '#n' (omit quotes and #) and not the Post-ID '(n)' in this list.
Fields: the fields that can be selected to be included in the report.
- [checkbox] Message ID: Keyboard shortcut: Alt-M or Cmnd-M.
- [checkbox] Author: Keyboard shortcut: Alt-A or Cmnd-A.
- [checkbox] Subject: Keyboard shortcut: Alt-S or Cmnd-S.
- [checkbox] Date: Keyboard shortcut: Alt-D or Cmnd-D.
- [checkbox] Reply: Keyboard shortcut: Alt-R or Cmnd-R.
Format: The form of the output.
- [checkbox] HTML (page): Keyboard shortcut: Alt-H or Cmnd-H.
- [checkbox] HTML (code)" Keyboard shortcut: Alt-T or Cmnd-T.
- [checkbox] BBCode Keyboard shortcut: Alt-B or Cmnd-B.

Select the desired output and press the [OK] button to generat the output in HTML code, or a HTML page (below):

weblog_report_output.png

Description: The generated output as web page.

3.6 Advanced options

The advanced options also apply to this module. In particular it means that you can use Bazaar Style Style (BSS) to get rid of awfful colors that mismatch with the school site or with the pictures on the page.
More on the backgrounds of BSS can be found in chapter Viewpoints, paragraph 4. On form and content.

(top)

4. The module in practice: tips

4.1 Althing management permissions

With the Account Manger the management permissions for every Althing in Areas and sections can be individually fine tuned. That is, the different moderators, for example pupils can be given access to the Content of their Althing only, but not on their Basic properties and Advanced. These are, for example, managed by the different teachers. This setup is archieved as follows:

The moderators of one Althing must have Admin permissions, set in: Account Manger > Users > Username > Admin: Basic administrator, Page Manager, File Manager.
In the Page Manager the modeators are given permission as Content master (i.e. only read and write of content) for their Althing.
If the teacher has at least Page Master permissions, she can , for example, set the Althing page to invisible, hidden, embargo or read only.

At the Exemplum Primary School the permissions are set as follows. Andrew and Caterhine are members of the group Seniors in the capacity of Pupils. By way of the group permissions of the Seniors they already have access to the Page Manager and the File Manager for their own pages.
For this Althig only they are given permissions as Content master (lowest permissions, only read and write). Now it's possible to long as Andrew or Caterhine manage the complete Althing, but they cannot touch anything else.

The teacher of the Seniors (Maria Montessori) has via Seniors/Teacher permissions to the Page- and File Manager. And she has been given, for this Alting only (!) permissions as Page Master. She changes properties of the node itself, for example, make it read-only.

MOTE: When creating an Altihing page, you have to have at least Pagemaster permissions.

NOTE: Remember that Wilhelmina Bladergroen is webmaster and Guru; she has access to all things in all Althings.

4.2 Those awful colors!

In the Menu, under Advanced, in Extra style at page/section level, Bazaar Style Style can found to set the colors of the Althing for this page:

  
.althing_introduction { background-color: #FFAAFF; }
.althing_question { background-color: #AAFFAA; }
.althing_conclusion { background-color: #FFFFAA; }
.althing_footer { background-color: #AAFFFF; }
.althing_buttonbar { background-color: #FFAAAA; }
.althing_buttonbar_top {
  background-color: #FFAAAA;
  border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;
}
.althing_buttonbar_bottom {
  background-color: #FFAAAA;
  border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;
}

4.3 Entry fields in Add a post

Depending on the chosen theme (examples Frugal, Rosalina, etc.), the message fields in 'Add a post' can be too wide or to narrow. The width can also be set in The same BSS field al the colors. For theme Frugal on a 1024 x 768 screen, 510 pixels is a good value:

  
textarea  {
  width: 510px;
}

.textfield {
  width: 210px;
  background-color: #00FF00;
}

This produces:

weblog_sitepost_add_colors.png

Adjust to taste.

4.4 References

[1]- Althing: Icelandic for parliament. Wikipedia: Althing.

[2] Unfortunately Wikipedia's 'web log' redirects to 'blog': "A weblog (a truncation of the expression web log) is a discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web and consisting of discrete entries ("posts") [...]". Wikipedia: Blog.

[3]- Media Action Projects, A Model for Integrating Video in Project-based Education,Training and Community Development. By Dirk Schouten and Rob Watling. Published by the University of Nottingham, ISBN: 0- 85359- 209 - 8
Downloadble in PDF format on http://dscho.home.xs4all.nl.

- 3 visies op burgerschap (Dutch text: 3 viewpoints on citizenship)

- Corresponderen per weblog (Corresponding with a weblog), Echer cahier no. 3. Auteurs: de Uilen van het ANker en de bovenbouw van de Toermalijn, juf Titia Schuitemaker en meester hans Bol, John Bronkhorst en Jimke Nicolai. Uitgave van JAS (Jenaplan Advies en Scholing), BLL (Bureau voor Levend Leren) en De Freinetwinkel. Valthe 2008. ISBN/EAN: 978-90-70961--34-3.

- Kennis en werkstukken maken met Internet. Freinetbeweging, z.j. (Create knowledge and texts with Internet)

(top)

Prev	Home	Next
Album		Chat

Author: Dirk Schouten <dirk (at) websiteatschool (dot) eu>

Last updated: 2014-10-29, version 1.14

Contents