Introduction

This tutorial will be most valuable if you are actually performing the actions as you are directed in this tutorial. For this purpose, we recommend that you open a new browser window to access your board or that you print out a hard copy of this tutorial before proceeding further.

This tutorial goes into depth covering basic information that you as the superuser will need to know to utilize the Discus program fully. It will take approximately 30 minutes for a new user to complete this tutorial. We suggest that you do this tutorial in one time block with minimal interruptions. Once you get the feel of the program, you will be able to figure out most everything for yourself without consulting tutorials or instructions.

Welcome to your discussion board

When you have completed the default installation of the Discus program, the installation program creates two topics on your board.

The first topic is called "Welcome to this discussion board." This topic gives you information about the program, essentially the same information as you are given in this tutorial. You should read the information in that topic -- it gives you a chance to read about the Discus program from within a Discus interface.

The second topic is called "Test topic." This topic is set up to allow public posting of messages. You can post a message in that topic even before you log in to the administration program. Sample discussions on the weather and good restaurants are started for you.

Things you absolutely must do

All administration of the Discus program is performed using the administration interface. One special user, called the "superuser," has special rights to add and remove moderators and to establish those moderators' editing permissions. When the board is initially set up, the "superuser" is the only moderator that exists on the system.

To access the administration program, click on "Administration" from the program's main menu. This will bring you to the administration login screen. In the Username blank, type the superuser's username. The superuser's username will be admin unless you changed it in the installation process. Leave the Password box empty (do not type anything there). Then click on "Submit."

The first time you log in (with the blank password), the administration program will not give you any options other than to change your password. To change your password, use the "Set Password" screen, which is loaded into the right frame upon logging in, to enter and verify your password. Save your password by clicking on "Save Changed Password."

When you have changed your password, you will be prompted to register Discus. To register, click on the "Register Now!" button. This is the only registration that is necessary for Discus.

Possible Error: If you successfully see the left menu frame upon logging in to the administration program but the right frame displays a "Bad Username/Password Combination" error, then the problem is that you have not enabled cookies on your browser. The administration program stores your encrypted password in a cookie. Set your browser to accept cookies. Then click on "Cancel" and repeat the login procedure.

2. Locate the administration instructions

When you have changed your password and registered Discus (version 2.30 and later), you should log in to the administration program again. In version 2.30 and later, there is a link on the bottom of the "Thanks for Registering" screen that takes you to your board; from your board, click on "Administration" and log in as you did in step 1, except that you should now use the password you specified in step 1.

Upon logging in with the changed password, the full range of administration options are available to the superuser. The Administration Instructions are available as a link from the administration main menu. These instructions fully document all operations in the administration interface. These instructions also contain this tutorial as well as a "Getting Started" tutorial for other moderators. You should feel free to consult the Administration Instructions if you want additional information about a feature or if you want to learn how to use a feature.

Establishing groups and topics

Discus editing and posting privileges are controlled using "groups." The superuser is responsible for adding, removing, and editing groups. Groups are added and removed from the "Group Manager." Access the Group Manager by clicking on the link from the administration main menu.

The telnet/console installation program established two groups automatically, called "public" and "system." The installation program later used other functionality to allow the public to post messages in the public group (we will cover how to allow public posting in a later step in this tutorial).

You can create a group that will later be used for system announcements. To do this, type announce into the text entry box under "Add a Group." Then click on the Add this Group button. Also create a group called test using this procedure.

In order to have editing privileges within a group, a moderator must be added to a group. By default, the superuser is added to a group when it is created. However, at this point it is instructive to click on the edit icon next to a newly created group to see the moderators in the group. To return to the Group Manager screen, click on "Group Manager" on the top of the screen.

4. Create topics

At this time, you have not yet added any topics to the top page. Discus is structured so that only the superuser can add topics to the top page (this allows you to keep the top page orderly).

Topics are added and removed from the top page using the "Board Manager." Access the Board Manager by clicking on the link from the administration main menu.

The installation program established two topics automatically. You can create a new topic for system announcements. To do this, under "Add a Topic," type System Announcements into the text entry box next to Topic Name. Then use the list box next to Topic Group to select Announce from the list. This will create a new topic that is "owned" by the "announce" group. At this point, also add a topic called Test Messages and make the topic be owned by the test group.

Intermission

At this time, click on "Go to Board" from the administration main menu. On the topics page, you will see the two topics you created. Click on the "Test Messages" topic. You will see that there is absolutely nothing on the form -- no "Add a Message" form, no "Create New Conversation" button -- nothing. We will need to change the page layout to make the topic usable by users of your board.

Configuration of your topics

5. Set up the "System Announcements" topic

Log in to the administration program again. This time, you should see a list of the topics on your board in the right frame. If not, click on "Page Manager" from the administration main menu to bring up this list. We will configure the "System Announcements" topic first. Click on "System Announcements" from the list in the right frame.

The "Page Manager" is the interface that you will use the most as a moderator. It allows you to add, remove, edit, rename, reorder, and move subtopics; add, remove, edit "about messages;" and add, remove, edit, reorder, and move messages.

First, we will change the layout of the page to add an "about message." An about message is a message that only the moderator for the page can add, remove, or edit. It is useful for giving static information to the users to identify the purpose of the page.

To access the page layout, click on "[Page Layout]" from the "Quick Options" panel. By default, you will notice that the "List of Subtopics" option is checked. For now, check the About message box, the Messages box, and the Add a message form box. Leave the other two boxes unchecked. Then click on the Change Page Layout button.

We will now add an about message to describe the purpose of the topic. In the text entry box under the "About Message" heading, type the following:

This page will contain system announcements and information for users.

Then click on the Preview/Save Message button. Verify that the preview is correct and then click on the Save Message button.

At this point, go to the board by clicking on "Go to Board" from the administration main menu and go to the "System Announcements" page. Observe the layout that is employed.

We will now use the user interface to post a message into the system announcements topic. Note that there is also an "Add a Message" form in the administration interface that functions similarly.

Into the "Add a Message" box, type the following:

I have successfully installed the Discus web conferencing software package.

Please feel free to post test messages in the "Test Messages" topic. If you have any questions about this web conferencing system, please contact me.

Enter your username and password in the appropriate boxes beneath the "Add a Message" text entry box. Click on Preview/Post message to view a preview of your message. When you have entered your message correctly, click on Post this Message. You will notice that your message is added to the page.

Possible Error: If your message does not show up, you need to reload the right frame. Alternatively, view "My post does not show up" in the "Troubleshooting" document. This problem is experienced by users who have not set their browsers to verify documents upon each load.

Note that even though an "Add a Message" form is present on the bottom of the page, one needs a valid username/password combination to post a message there. Further, the moderator or user needs to belong to the announce group in order to have posting privileges (that is because the announce group "owns" the topic). In this way, you can allow only certain users to post messages in certain areas.

We will now set up the test messages topic as a sort of "guest book" so users who stop by your site can add a message. You should log in to the administration program at this time. Once you have logged in, click on "Test Messages" from the right frame.

First, change the layout of the page to include messages and an "Add a Message" form. (Changing the page layout was discussed in step 5 of this tutorial.) When you have submitted your change, you will notice that in the Page Manager, instead of the subtopic editor, you will see a table for messages. The Page Manager interface changes to include those elements that are active on a page.

Next, we will make the "Test Messages" topic allow public posting. To do this, click on "User Manager" from the administration main menu. Then, in the right frame, click on the "Test" group.

Scroll down the page to the "Special Permissions" section. Check the box next to "Public: Posting enabled with any username/password at all" and click on "Save this Configuration."

Now return to your board and look at the "Test Messages" topic. You will see a page that contains only an "Add a Message" form. You may enter an initial message, welcoming users to your site. Then you may optionally fill in your username and password. (Since this is a public topic, anyone may post a message by typing anything in as a username.)

Checklist

Checklist

[  ] Log into administration program [  ] Change superuser password [  ] Register Discus [  ] Log into administration program again [  ] Locate administration instructions [  ] Create group called announce [  ] Create group called test [  ] Create topic called System Announcements [  ] Create topic called Test Message [  ] Look at the board to see what you've done [  ] Change layout of System Announcements page [  ] Enter an "About Message" [  ] Look at the board to see what you've done [  ] Post a system announcement message [  ] Change layout of the Test Messages page [  ] Enable public posting in the test group

Conclusion

You should continue to experiment with administrative tools and the posting interface to determine how the board works. To learn more about the Page Manager and the User Manager, consult the moderator tutorial by clicking on the right arrow below or by selecting it from the index.