Getting Started - ModeratorDISCUS Administration Instructions

Introduction

This tutorial is intended for moderators new to this discussion board program. This covers basic procedures of setting up your topics using the Page Manager and the User Manager. We strongly recommend the Discus Resource Center as a source of ideas on how to set up your topic.

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 a moderator will need to know to utilize the Discus program fully. It will take approximately 20 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.

Logging In

1. Log in to the administration program

2. Locate the administration instructions

Setting up a topic

Pages which contain subtopics and messages are created and edited using the "Page Manager." The Page Manager will be the functionality that you use most to administer the board as a moderator, so it is essential that you gain familiarity with the functionality therein.

3. Choose a topic to edit

4. Change the layout of the page

5. Add your first subtopic

6. Navigate into your new subtopic

7. Create a bunch of subtopics

8. View the subtopics in the user interface

Adding Users

The moderators (that's you) have control over who may post messages to their topics. You can configure the board to allow public posts, require logins, or even disable posting alltogether. This is all accomplished through the "User Manager."

9. Add a user account

10. Configure public posting

Checklist

The following is a checklist of the things you were instructed to do in this tutorial.

Checklist
[  ] Log into administration program
[  ] Access Page Manager
[  ] Change page layout
[  ] Create an initial subtopic
[  ] Navigate into that initial subtopic
[  ] Create six new subtopics with various layouts
[  ] Look at the board to see what you've done
[  ] Return to administration program
[  ] Access user manager
[  ] Add a user named "apple"
[  ] Enable public posting

Conclusion

Congratulations, you have now seen some of the basic functionality available from within the administration program. You now know that you can create subtopics, change page layouts, add users, and enable/disable public posting. But there is a lot more...

You should continue to experiment with administrative tools and the posting interface to determine how the board works. To learn more about specific administrative functions, continue reading these administration instructions, or experiment on your own.

Copyright © 1998, Kevin W. Paulisse and William F. Polik, all rights reserved