Using Discussion Features in Manila

1. Introductions
2. Overview
3. Joining and using a Manila discussion forum
• Join the site (normally participants must be members to post and/or read)
  
• Reply to my home page message.
  
• Click the Discuss link in Editors Only menu or on each page
• Create a new discussion thread on the Discussion page.
  
4. Setting up the discussion feature
• Enabling and configure membership
• Click Prefs link
• Click Membership
• Settings (described at session)
• See subsection below for info about membership
  
• Enable the discussion feature
• Click Prefs (if not already there)
• Click Discussion Group
• Settings (described at session)
• Notify the editor
  
• Use the Editorial page to change settings
• Send email to editor when new story or discussion message is posted.
• Send email when a message is changed.
  
• Adding a comment to an existing story or other element
• Each story, picture, news items can have comments
• Click on the comment link to post a comment
• text formatting works the same as on stories pages
• after posting you may return to the page and request email notification in the Email box.
  
• Creating new topics
• Easy way is to use link on discussion page
• Chronological vs Topics views
  
5. Managing Discussions
• You can use the Discussion page to view and find discussion messages, but...
  
• This can become complex with many messages ... and stories, etc.
• Creating discussion management pages (stories)
• Separate pages can hold relevant discussion links
• To create links use shortcuts
• Create a new topic
• View the page and click shortcuts
• Provide a descriptive shortcut name
• Add shortcut name to a central discussion topic page
• You can add a "new message" shortcut to other pages on the site.
  
6. Promoting discussion messages to story status
• Use the Admin box on the discussion page.
• Create a shortcut if appropriate
7. Discussion of pedagogical issues/questions.
8. Work time.
   

• The Join Now link in the sidebar
• members handle their own membership request
• members select their own passwords
  
• Added via the Admin Editors Only page
• site owner adds members
• members are assigned a random password
• Admin can set membership level

• At end of term
• Dealing with problem posters
  

• Limiting who can post via Prefs pages
• Limiting who can read via the Prefs pages
• Requiring membership confirmation by email.
• Blocking members
• Deleting members
• Deleting topics and posts