SFI Labs http://sfilabs.org/blog The Future of STARFLEET -- Today! Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:54:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.3-2.2.1 en Where do I turn for help? http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/08/09/where-do-i-turn-for-help/ http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/08/09/where-do-i-turn-for-help/#comments Thu, 09 Aug 2007 04:09:10 +0000 Dave Lowe http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/08/09/where-do-i-turn-for-help/ To continue on your quest for information on how to create your SFI Labs website, I took a page from WordPress Dot Com. They use a custom version of the same software we use here, just on a much larger scale.

Check this link for Frequently Asked Questions about WordPress.

There is also a great tutorial video for the free service on YouTube. It’s bout 45 minutes long, it discusses, literally, “how to blog” using WordPress Dot Com.

The best way to learn WordPress is to just jump in and start messing ith it. If you are on the hosted service, there is nothing really hat you can break. And if you do “break” something, you can always elete it and start over. You can select your theme from the available hoices. Post a few test posts, see how things look. Drag and drop different sidebar widgets in place. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

One thing to remember is there is a difference between “posts” and pages” in WordPress. A “page” is treated as a static web page and it s included in the navigation menu. I have built whole websites in WordPress with no “blog” at all. The “posts” are presented in a
newest-on-top manner on your main page.

You can also contact our staff if you have any specific questions. There is even a “WordPress for Dummies” book out there, and other “quick start guide” books.

But the best way, as I said, is to roll up your sleeves and get dirty.

]]> http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/08/09/where-do-i-turn-for-help/feed/ Uploading Images http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/21/uploading-images/ http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/21/uploading-images/#comments Sat, 21 Jul 2007 20:00:36 +0000 Dave Lowe http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/21/uploading-images/ I got this question today from an SFI Labs user. Thought I would pass it along in case it helps anyone else.

> I created a site  and I am trying to upload some pictures to add to it.
> Is that possible, or do I need to change them to link to another location?

What you need to do is upload them via the post editor. In the Dashboard, go to Write -> Write Post. Just under the editor, in the very next section, is a section for uploading. Browse to the file you want to upload and follow the prompts.

Once the file is in the system, you can browse to it and select how you want to display the images in your post or page. Choose, and click “send to editor” and the picture will appear in your page or post.

If you use the rich editor (default) you can drag and drop the picture into your post, manipulate the image’s position and size right there without typing any HTML code.

I hope this helps. I have also included a link to the FAQ on WordPress Dot Com, they run a custom version of WordPress MU and have thousands of users. Their FAQ is good reading.

http://faq.wordpress.com/2006/07/16/how-do-i-upload-pictures/

]]> http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/21/uploading-images/feed/ What is a Blog? http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/13/what-is-a-blog/ http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/13/what-is-a-blog/#comments Fri, 13 Jul 2007 05:53:43 +0000 Dave Lowe http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/13/what-is-a-blog/ Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles explaining this whole “blogging” phenomenon and how it affects your site here on SFI Labs. Watch this category for more articles in the coming weeks.

“Blog” is an abbreviated version of “weblog,” which is a term used to describe web sites that maintain an ongoing chronicle of information. A blog is a frequently updated, personal website featuring diary-type commentary and links to articles or other Web sites. Blogs range from the personal to the political, and can focus on one narrow subject or a whole range of subjects.

Many blogs focus on a particular topic, such as web design, politics, sports, or mobile technology. Some are more eclectic, presenting links to all manner of other sites. And others are more like personal journals, presenting the author’s daily life and thoughts.

Generally speaking (though there are exceptions), blogs tend to have a few things in common:

  • A main content area with articles listed chronologically, newest on top. Often, the articles are organized into categories.
  • An archive of older articles.
  • A way for people to leave comments about the articles.
  • A list of links to other related sites, sometimes called a “blogroll”.
  • One or more “feeds” like RSS, Atom or RDF files.

Some blogs may have additional features beyond these.

For more information, check out this article.

]]> http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/13/what-is-a-blog/feed/ Welcome New Sites http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/05/welcome-new-sites/ http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/05/welcome-new-sites/#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2007 20:56:38 +0000 Dave Lowe http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/05/welcome-new-sites/ Welcome to the following new sites!

  • USS Atlanta
  • USS Devil’s Tower
  • ISS MacArthur Operations

They’ve been added to the blogroll. Enjoy!

]]> http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/05/welcome-new-sites/feed/ WordPress and You http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/05/wordpress-and-you/ http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/05/wordpress-and-you/#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2007 08:17:49 +0000 Dave Lowe http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/05/wordpress-and-you/ We have really gotten off to a good start. We have a platform for chapters, departments, projects, and individuals can create their very own website with top of the line features that can be ready to use in minutes.
The site is powered by WordPress. This is pretty cutting edge stuff. These sites are weblogs, they have dynamic content created by you and with the latest posts displayed on the top in a news format.
You can also choose to have a static front page, that is a page that does not change often. With WordPress, you are not required to have a blog at all. You can use the sitebuilder to build a complete website with no weblog at all.
We have included some of the best additions as plugins. These can be activated in your site’s dashboard. Some of the plugins offered include spam protection, contact form option, polls and surveys, and even a forum plugin to allow you to run a “bulletin board” type site, if that is what you choose.
You will also have the ability to select a layout for your site, a theme with colors and graphics already configured. Some of the layouts are STARFLEET themed. Others are dynamic, and can be customized with your own graphics from the dashboard.
Each of the themes provided to you have “widgets” that can be dragged and dropped onto your page in the dashboard. We have searched the Internet and found some of the best widgets and plugins to make your site modern and easily accessible for your prospective users.
Not a code monkey? Not a problem. Our team will help you set up your initial site and hand over the keys. No coding required. We’ll provide as little or as much assistance as you need. Simply email support@sfilabs.org with your questions or concerns and we’ll discuss your needs on a case-by-case basis.

]]> http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/05/wordpress-and-you/feed/ What Can We Do For You Today? http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/03/what-can-we-do-for-you-today/ http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/03/what-can-we-do-for-you-today/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:01:21 +0000 Dave Lowe http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/03/what-can-we-do-for-you-today/ SFI Labs can offer your chapter a free, WordPress blog-driven website. We offer that right now, all you have to do is sign up and get started in seconds.

There are other things we can do for you as well to make your chapter run more smoothly. Stuff that other chapters have that maybe your chapter has been missing.

  • Free electronic mailing lists (@sfilabs.org)
  • Free email addresses (@sfilabs.org)
  • Free web hosting for your own website (yoursite.sfilabs.org)

We also offer “turnkey” installations of popular blogging and Content Management Systems for you to build your own websites (yoursite.sfilabs.org) using the following software packages:

  • WordPress
  • Gallery
  • Pligg
  • Moodle
  • Joomla
  • dotProject
  • phpBB
  • MediaWiki
  • WebCalendar
  • Advanced Poll

We also have other scripts and packages available, feel free to contact the webmaster to discuss options available to your chapter.

]]> http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/03/what-can-we-do-for-you-today/feed/ A Website for Every Chapter http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/03/a-website-for-every-chapter/ http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/03/a-website-for-every-chapter/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:31:47 +0000 Emmett Plant http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/03/a-website-for-every-chapter/ Hey, folks!

I’m Emmett Plant and I’m running for Commander, STARFLEET, but that’s not what this post is about. This is not a message to every CO in the fleet asking for a vote. While I’d love your nomination, this is primarily addressed to COs of chapters that do not have a website according to the STARFLEET Vessel Registry.

A big part of our campaign is ‘Why wait?’ We refuse to wait until next year to start rolling out neat stuff for our friends in STARFLEET. One of these things is the answer to a common problem I’ve heard all over the place in the past few months — Everyone needs a web designer, everyone needs someone techie to help out building a chapter website.

We want to help you put your chapter on the net! If you don’t have a chapter website and you want one but are tired of looking for help, please write back ASAP — We can have a website running for your chapter that *you* control, and it’s very easy to use. No code, no fuss — And we’ll always be around in case you get stuck.

If you haven’t checked out our campaign yet, I encourage you to do so! Free websites and help aren’t the first thing we’ve offered up, and they definitely won’t be the last. We want to make STARFLEET better right now, and build a solid infrastructure to build on for the future, no matter who wins the election in November.

Feel free to write back via E-mail, call our toll-free number, or join #starfleetreboot on irc.fleetchat.org. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and we hope to hear from you soon!

–
Emmett Plant
tetrisblock@gmail.com
http://www.starfleetreboot.com
888-ADM-KIRK / 888-236-5475

]]> http://sfilabs.org/blog/blog/2007/07/03/a-website-for-every-chapter/feed/