Introduction to the WebBoard

Terry Dennis

The WebBoard -Our Connection

The WebBoard URL is

www.courses.dsu.edu:8080/~infs601

The WebBoard Log In Screen

WebBoard Main Screen

WebBoard Communications

• Conferences– Allows us to post

announcements, explanations, questions, etc.

– Each Conference may have several different Topics and each Topic may have several different messages

ConferencesThis WebBoard currently has five conferences. The first three each have topics posted in them – a shown by both the plus sign (+) and the number in parentheses. To open a conference, simply click on the conference name (Assignments will be used as an example).

Topics within Conferences

As you can see, clicking on the Assignment conference opened it and show the two topics currently in it. Topics are listed in reverse chronological order – that is, the most recent (last) topics are listed at the top (first).

Opening a TopicOpening a topic is identical to opening a conference. Simply click on it. The Example Assignment topic will be opened.

Topic/Message DisplayThe topic is opened on the right-hand-side of the screen. The menu above the topic shows possible actions. The first line contains editing and response items; the second line contains movement (browsing) choices.

When deciding what you want to view, you can choose to view all topics (messages) or only new messages by clicking on All Messages or ? New (? is the number of new messages – 1 here). You can change this selection at any time.

Note that if you click on New, the title changes to New Messages and only those conferences containing new messages are shown.

Reading a MessageIn summary - clicking on the conference, then on the posted topic opens the topic/message on the right-hand-side of the screen

Replying to a MessageYou can Post a new topic or Reply to add to the current topic. Always use Reply to continue the current topic.

Replying to a MessageClicking on Reply opens the message window. Type your reply in the lower (larger) box, then click the Post button.

Type reply here

Replying to a MessageClicking the Post button does NOT post the message. It opens a Message Preview screen and runs spell check. If the message is OK, click the Post button on this screen.

If there are spelling errors in the message preview, WebBoard will let you know.To correct, click on the misspelled word (in red).

To accept the spelling offered, click the radio button “on” and click the “Done” button.

Spelling errors are corrected one-at-a-time. Repeat the process if there are additional errors. If not, click Post to post the message.

Error Correction

If you see other errors, use the back-arrow at the top of the screen to go back to the previous screen and correct the error.

Reply CompletedOnce you have clicked Post from the preview screen, your reply is added to the topic

Attaching a File to a Message or ReplyWhen you make your entry, be sure to click the “Attach file” box. After you click Post and then Post again, you can specify the file to be attached.

Use Browse to Select the File to AttachWhen you have selected the file, click Upload Now. The attachment will be attached to your message.

Attaching Files•When you are attaching files, if you want to attach more than one, make sure the Yes button is clicked for “Upload another?” BEFORE you click on the “Upload Now” button.

•You can also click on the radio button that identifies the type of file being posted before uploading.

Attaching FilesWhen you are attaching files, if you want to attach more than one, make sure the Yes button is clicked for “Upload another?” BEFORE you click on the “Upload Now” button.

You can also click on the radio button that identifies the type of file being posted before uploading.

Opening an AttachmentTo open an attachment, double click on it. You will be asked to save it. Do so, then use the appropriate application (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) to open it.

Attachment

Deleting a MessageIf you have created a message, you can later delete it. You cannot delete messages that you have not authored. Simply open the message and click Delete on the message actions menu.

Deleting a MessageWhen you click Delete, the following verification message appears, requestion confirmation (Yes) or (No). No cancels the Delete.

It is generally a good idea to NOT delete messages relating to questions or problems, because others may want to go back and review them if they encounter a similar problem.

Printing Topics/MessagesTo print a topic, click on the right side of the screen (to make sure that frame is active), then click the browser print button (or File/Print from the menu).

Click here

WebBoard Menus and Options

WebBoard Main MenuMenu

– Post – post to a conference (which must be open)

– Refresh – update the screen– Search – find a particular topic– Chat (when available)– enter the

chat room– Page – page another person on web

board– More – Opens an additional menu– Help– Logoff

More – Additional Options

Clicking on More opens the More Options menu. One of those options isMark All Read

Mark All Read Option

• Mark All Read – when you click this option, it will mark all New messages as having been read by you. Once you do this, they will not show up as new any longer. You cannot select messages to mark – it marks them all as read, whether you have actually read them or not.

More Options – Current Users

Current Users Option

Clicking on the Current Users Option opens a list of users currently logged onto the WebBoard.

PagingClicking on the bell icon next to the name of a current user opens an editor and allows you to type a message to them.

Page EditorNote that you are limited to 150 characters in your page message.

Page Example

Once sent, the message pops up on the recipient's screen (shown below):

More Options Modifying a Profile

Modifying a User ProfileSelect More on the menu, then select Edit Your Profile under More Options. This will open the User Profile editor. (Since the profile is long, segments are shown over three slides.) Items with a red dot must have an entry.

Modifying a User Profile

Modifying a User Profile

You can also use the radio buttons to make selections, although the defaults are normally recommended. When you have completed the modifications, click the Save button.

Questions?

• If you have a questions about something related to the course, post it on the WebBoard. That way the entire class can benefit from the question and answer.

• If you see a questions posted and know the answer, please use Reply to answer it.

• If you have a personal question, send me an e-mail.

This concludes the introduction to the WebBoard.

Play with it – experiment. You have the “rights” to delete anything you create. So post a message, see what it looks like, and then delete it (so we don’t clutter the board with practice messages).