Need Help Using Our Site?
Here is some background information, adapted from drupal.org, and some tips to get you started.
How do I write an entry on My blog?
How do I join a forum discussion?
Click on "Resources," from the top right menu of tabs. You'll come to a page with a menu of ten Elements. Each box shows an expert associated with that element. For example, at the top left hand corner, Dr. Irina Yacobson is pictured, to represent the element, "Well-trained, motivated and supervised staff." When you click on the expert's photo, you come to a page where all the videos and audio interviews focusing on that element are listed.
Click on the one you want to hear. Then, when the video box comes up, press the play icon in the middle of the screen. You may also download the videos and audio files by clicking on "Download this interview," below the play screen.
Not all the interviews are videotaped.
Sometimes we were lucky to catch experts on the phone, like Tehran-based Dr. Eslami, who we spoke with by telephone from Baltimore. When you click on his photo, from the page for "Supportive government policies," you'll be able to read about his work history on the right part of the screen. Underneath his photo, you can click on "Download this interview," and the audio file, which is an mp3 file, should download immediately. It should begin playing in Quicktime.
You can comment on any video or audio interview by clicking on "Add new comment" below the expert's photo.
That's our way of keeping you up-to-date on the newest information on your focus areas, whether it's the integration of services or M&E systems. The lists you see here are names of resources that the INFO Project's One Source database has recently archived. Here, you'll be able to scan quickly to see what new publications, tools and other resources come out each time you're on the site. The list comes up because our site has subscribed to several RSS feeds, which pull from the One Source database.
The blog module lets registered users maintain an online weblog, commonly known as a blog (or sometimes as an online journal or diary). Blogs consist of individual posts, time stamped and typically viewed by date, like a diary. Blogs often include links to webpages users have read (and may express opinions about).
How do I write an entry on My blog?
Click on the "My Home" tab, then choose "My blog" from the menu at right. Next, choose "Post a new blog entry." Enter a title for your post, choose what element you are focusing your comment on (or choose "Big picture" if you feel your message is on a general topic). Write your message in the box for Body, using the planet symbol on the Toolbar to embed a hyperlink for a Web site in your text (you highlight the text, click on the button, then type or paste in a Web url).
You can add photos, if you like, by clicking on the icon of mountains between the anchor and the graph (it says, "Insert/Modify Image" when your mouse is over it).
The comment module creates, in effect, a discussion board for each post. Users can post comments to discuss a story, book page, blog post, forum topic, or whatever.
The discussion forums for a particular topic on our site are similar to a message board. Forums are very useful because they allow community members to discuss topics with one another, and they are archived for future reference. Forums are organized under what are called containers. Containers hold forums and, in turn, forums hold threaded discussions.
How do I join a forum discussion?
Click on the "Discussion" tab, then click on "Forum", if it is not already highlighted in the top left menu. Next, click on the forum name in green letters that interests you. When the question comes up, you'll have an opportunity to "Add new comment."
A poll is a simple multiple choice questionnaire which displays the cumulative results of the answers to the poll. Having polls on the site is a good way to get instant feedback from community members. Users can create a poll. The title of the poll should be the question. You can also choose the time period over which the vote will run. The poll item in the navigation menu will take you to a page where you can see all the current polls, vote on them (if you haven't already) and view the results.
To see the active polls, click on the "Discussion" tab, and then the "Polls" tab at the top left of the page. You may click on any open poll title to vote.
Go to "My Home" tab, and click on "Create Content" from the menu at right. Then choose "Poll" from the list at left. You may categorize your poll as being specific to a certain region, or you can choose "Global." Then, you decide if your poll relates to one of the 10 elements (Training, Logistics, etc.) or if it's part of the general "Big picture" of successful family planning programs--"Big picture" is the last option.
Type in your question, and the options, then choose your poll duration from a drop down menu (from "Unlimited" to "1 year"). Make sure to select Poll Status as "Active." Next, click "Submit." Your poll should show up when you click on "Polls" under the "Discussion" tab.
Click on the "Discussion" tab on the home page. Then click on "Chat." You may enter any of the "Chats" by clicking on the title, for example, "All users chat."
Then, just type your first message into the bar next to the "Send" button, and hit "Send." You will then see your message entered into the conversation!
Questions? Email us here.
