Message Board: Adding Posts

Before you can add posts to a message board tool, you must add the message board tool to a page. If you need help setting up the message board tool and configuring its properties, please review the article Message Board: Getting Started.

Once you've added your message board tool, you can add a post from either the administrator side, in Site Manager, or from your live website, if you selected that option in the properties. As explained in the article on setting up the message board properties, you can either allow your users to add a message board post from the website or only allow new posts by administrators logged in to Site Manager. 

Adding a Post From the Admin Side

1. Go to the page where you have added your message board tool in Site Manager.
2. To the upper right of the message board tool, click on tool menu.
3. Select "Create New Post". 
4. Fill out the required fields and any other fields that you choose:
• Created By: Required Field. Enter the author's name here.
• Post Title: Required Field. Enter the title of your post here.
• Post Date: Enter the date that you would like associated with your post. The default is today's date, but you can enter a past or future date if you choose.
• Is Active: If you would like this post to show up right away, leave this box checked. If you would like it to be inactive, but still available for you to edit in Site Manager, uncheck the box.
• Schedule Status Change: If you would like to change the status of this post, from inactive to active or vice versa, click on this button. This will allow you to enter the date when you would like the change to occur, what you would like the status changed to, and any email address that you would like notified of the change.
• Post: Enter your post content here. This is the full content editor, so you can add images, links, etc., if you choose.
• Graphic Upload: While you can add an image in the content editor, you also have the option to add a single image per post using the graphic upload button. Click "Choose File" to select the image that you would like to upload.
• Justification: Select how you would like your image to be oriented with the text in the post. 
• Image Width: Select what size you would like your image to be. The system will downsize your image for you, but will not make your images larger.
• Alt Text: Enter descriptive text that will appear when your user hovers over the text and is also important for SEO purposes. 
• Caption: If you would like a caption to display under your photo, enter it here.
• Add Attachment: You can attach a file to your post, if you choose. It must be one of the following file types: .gif, .jpg, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .xls, .xlsx, .htm, .html, .ppt, .pptx, .pps, .png, .tiff, .txt, .zip
5. When you are finished filling out the fields, click "Submit". 

Adding a Post from the Website

Remember that users being able to create a post from your website is an option that you can turn on or off in the message board properties, by selecting "yes" or "no" for the field "Allow Users to Create Posts:". To access the message board properties, in Site Manager, on the page where the message board tool is located, go to "Tool Menu" to the upper right of the message board tool, then "Edit Properties". 

1. On the page with the message board tool, click "New Post". 
2. This will take you to the page where you can create your post. 
• Your Name: Enter your name here. This will show you as the post author.
• Post Title: Enter the title of your post here.
• Simple Text Editor: The message board post is automatically on the advanced text editor with full editing capabilities. If you would like to use the simple text editor instead, click this button.
• Editor box: Type in the content of your post here. If you use the advanced editor, this is the full content editor, so you can add images, links, etc. to your post.
• Graphic Upload: If you would like to attach one image to your post, you can do that here. 
• Justification: Select how you would like your image to be oriented with the text in the post. 
• Image Width: Select how wide you would like your image to be. Please note that the system will downsize your image, but it will not make your image larger.
• Alt Text: Enter descriptive text that will appear when your user hovers over the text and is also important for SEO purposes. 
• Caption: If you would like a caption to display under your photo, enter it here.
• Add Attachment: You can attach a file to your post, if you choose. It must be one of the following file types: .gif, .jpg, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .xls, .xlsx, .htm, .html, .ppt, .pptx, .pps, .png, .tiff, .txt, .zip
3. Enter the CAPTCHA text that you see in the box. 
4. Click "Submit Post" to add your post to the message board.