User Guides: Authenticated User

Welcome

This user guide has been produced to help you make the most of the Let’s Work Together (LWT) Regional Learning and Skills website. The guide takes you through the core features of the site; it covers:

Overview.
- Different users roles; what is an ‘Authenticated User’? Your privileges.
- File Management - Quotas & Download
- Creating and managing an account: registration, login and passwords.
- Navigating around the site, searches and breadcrumbs.
- Viewing and responding to Jobs, courses and events.
- Sending feedback
- Quick Links

Overview

The Let’s Work Together website has been produced to allow anyone working or with an interest in the voluntary and community sector in the region, to find or share useful information with others in the sector. It contains information and developments which will be of interest to the North East Voluntary and Community Sector.
The site has several features, pages, stories, news items, an events calendar, a discussion forum, and sections for displaying information about jobs and also courses.
Site content is organised by section.
The basic ‘content types’ which can be displayed are:
Course
A course listing, containing information about course details and an email address to send/ receive enquiries.
Event
An event is a story which can be given a start and end date, thus appearing in the events calendar.
Forum topic
A topic for discussion in the forums.
Job
A job listing contains job details and an email address to which enquiries can be received/ sent.
Page
A static page, like a contact page or an about page, use a page.
Story
Stories are articles in their simplest form: they have a title, a teaser and a body, but can be extended by other modules. The teaser is part of the body too. Stories may be used as a personal blog or for news articles.

The type of content you can either create or view depends upon the type of user you are, this is defined as your ‘User Role’.
The user roles are: Administrator, Partner, Organisation, Authenticated User and Anonymous User. Registering an account on the site is an automated process and you are automatically assigned the role of ‘AUTHENTICATED USER’. Should you wish to be assigned the specific user role; ‘Organisation’, this can only be set by a ‘LWT administrator’ and has to be requested.

What is an Authenticated User? Your privileges.
Authenticated User
This role is defined as individual users with an interest in the sector. They can access all posted content and reply to jobs and courses, but can not add content themselves.

So this means that you can:
view and respond to jobs listed on the site
view and respond to courses listed on the site
view event listings appearing in the event calendar
download any files attached to pages/ jobs/ courses and event listings
view and contribute to topics in the online ‘Forum’
directly contact other users recognised by the website
send direct feedback to LWT
create & manage your own profile

What you can not do is create any content or upload any files to the site.

File Management - Upload, Quotas & Download
User quotas. Certain users are allocated a file quota for uploading content, but Authenticated Users are not.
As a recognised user on the system you will be able to access and download content published by other users.
Other user roles:
Administrator - This role is reserved for LWT/ Regional staff you appoint thus. This role allows for access to and modification all site content except the ‘taxonomies’ - the underlying core site modules/ PHP code. An administrator can set roles for organisations and individual users. They have access to all ‘Logs’ on site use.
They can create, review, edit and delete all content types (‘pages’, ‘stories’, ‘jobs’, ‘courses’ and ‘events’).

Organisation: This role is set aside for Community and/ or Voluntary organisations etc.
These can access and view all levels of the site; they can add courses, jobs & events but not stories and pages. Creating and managing these content types is covered later.

So this means that an organisation can:
create postings for jobs,
create postings for courses .. attach documents to both
create event listings which will appear in the event calendar
view and contribute to topics in the online ‘Forum’
directly contact other users recognised by the website
send direct feedback to LWT
manage their own profile
Anonymous user - can view the site but not respond to posts, jobs, courses or events. These users are simply those who come to the site and browse. Anyone who in effect has not as yet registered on the site.

Creating and managing an account.

Registration
At the top right of the screen there is the login section ..
Below the login button is a link; ‘Create new account’, selecting this takes you to a section to an automated account creation section.
To register you need to select and enter a user name and a valid current email address.
After submitting the 'create new account' button, an email will be sent to the email address you supplied, with instructions as to how to log on.
It is important to note that the password provided is temporary and for reasons of security will expire 24 hours after issue. You must therefore complete your registration within 24 hours.
Included in the email you receive will be further instructions plus a direct link to the profile section, to complete your profile & set your password. We advise you make this memorable and that it contain a mixture of numbers, lower and uppercase letters. You can also change your profile details at any time by selecting the ‘my account’ link on the user menu.

Once your account is created you will be recognised on the system as an ‘authenticated user’. By default all new accounts are set to the ‘Authenticated’ user role.

Log in
Enter the Username you selected plus the password you have chosen for yourself and click ‘Log in’. You will now see a menus like this Fig. B giving you various options.
The option to log out is also contained here.
NOTE: It is very important to LOG OUT at the end of every session, to make sure nobody else can use your account.

Selecting the ‘my account’ option takes you back to the section where you can change your password and other profile details, Fig. C. ‘Contact settings’; is selected by default, this allows other LWT site users contact you via email. Note that you email will not be visible to them. If you de-select this then they will be unable to contact you, LWT Administrators will still, however be able to do so.

Obtaining ‘Organisation’ status
Should you wish your status to be changed to that of ‘Organisation’ this needs be set manually by a LWT administrator, to request this status, click on ‘Contact’.

A dialogue box will appear, automatically entering who you are and your email. By default all fields are required; you will need to add a subject and your message, e.g. I am person-x from organisation-y. We are based in Tees Valley and provide services for .. We wish to acquire ‘Organisation’ status. Regards ..”. By default the contact form categorises your message as an ‘Organisation Account request’.
Once received an LWT administrator will asess your request and, where apprporiate, update your status to that of ‘Organisation’.

Passwords
If you forget your password you can contact the administrator to request a new one by selecting the ‘Request new password’ option Fig. A. You must enter either your username or email address. A new password will then be emailed directly to you.

Navigating the site: searches and breadcrumbs.

The site is arranged by categories and sections. There are 6 main sections: About Us, Learning & Skills, Partners, Information Resources and Jobs. There is also a tab to open the discussion ‘Forum’. Each section also has its own ‘sub menu’ which is revealed on the left of the screen, which contains links to other stories. As discussed earlier there is a ‘user menu’ at the top right of the screen (Fig. B) below this there is an ‘event’ menu, with links to 12 impending events listed within the events calendar. Selecting one of the slinks takes you directly to the ‘event calendar’ as does selecting the relevant link from the ‘user’ menu.
The main centre area of the screen is for actual articles and other content.
The home page displays the main welcome page, plus links to other significant articles.
Along the top bar to the left, there are three additional links.
‘Contact Us’ provides a quicklink through which to send an email to LWT (as discussed earlier).
Site Map: provides a quick view with active links of all the main site content by section. User guide: provides a link to the latest user guides.

Searching site content:
There are two types of searches.
A persistent site search field ‘Quick search’ is included within the main navigation bar at the top. This will search all referenced articles within the site. Enter the topic you wish to search for. e.g. ‘LSC’ and click on the search button. Your results will be displayed.
The ‘Advanced search’ link accessed within the search section, allows a more specific search, where search criteria to be narrowed. See Fig. E

For example, it allows you to search for a specific phrase within an article, within a particular section. Or alternatively to limit the search to content listed as ‘Jobs’.

Note: the search relies upon the information held by the site database, and the expressions and categorisation specified by the content author(s).
So if an article does not contain the expression you are looking for, the search will not be able to find it. Also it can not search attachments uploaded with an article.

Breadcrumbs
Located at the top of the main content area, these provide you with a quick reference as to where you are within the site hierarchy.

Accessing and responding to Jobs, Courses and Events.

Different organisations who are registered on the site are able to post listings. Typically these will be for jobs and training courses they are offering and also notifying you of events which are taking place.
As a recognised ‘authenticated user’, you will be able to access these posts and respond to them.
Jobs: viewing and applying for
Current Jobs listings are accessed by selecting the ‘Job’ tag from the main, top navigation.
This page provides a brief summary of all current jobs. If there a lot of jobs available then there will be several pages to this section, links to these are at the bottom of the screen in the main central content area.
The brief ‘teaser’ provides some basic information about the job:
The job title, when the job was listed on the site and by whom. Note: the organisation listing the job may not be the actual organisation offering the job and you should always check the full details of the listing.
The salary range and brief information about the position. The actual organisation offering the Job and the closing date for applications.
If there are attachments there will also be a direct link to this. Typically attachments will be application packs, application forms, job specifications and maps etc. Clicking on these will give you the option of downloading them to your computer.

The ‘read more’ link or clicking the job title will take you to the full job listing on the site, giving further particulars and details of how to apply.
Sometimes this will be by downloading an application form which will be attached.

However, for many positions you will be able to apply online through the LWT site using your profile. Selecting the ‘Request Further Information’ link reveals an online form: Fig. F
This form contains a number of areas to enter your personal information; known a s fields. Fields marked with a red star are compulsory and you will not be able to submit your form without completing them.
You need to give your full name, a valid email address (for further information to be sent back to you). A mobile and other telephone number can also be added if you wish.

The ‘Details’ section allows you to send a specific message to the organisation offering the position. The nature of this will depend upon the actual application procedure specified. Selecting the ‘enable rich text’ option will allow you to format your message.

Once you have completed this information you simply select the ‘Submit Application’ button and it is sent to the offering organisation. Someone from the offering organisation should then contact you in the furtherance of you application.

Note: After you have done this the first time the information you have entered will be remembered by the system. You can if you wish change any of the details you provide in future applications.

Courses: viewing and applying for
This is very similar to the ‘Jobs’ process described above.
Selecting the ‘Learning and Skills’ tab from the main top navigation takes you to a section where the ‘Courses’ currently being offered are listed. They are listed chronologically; those which start the soonest are listed first, there are usually several pages of courses which can be navigated by the numerical page links at the bottom of the section.

The brief ‘teaser’ provides some basic information about the course:
It’s title, when the course was listed on the site and by whom. Note: the organisation listing the course may not be the actual organisation offering the job - although it usually is - you should always check the full details of the listing.
The start date and time of the course. The organisation offering the course, closing date for applying for a place and the number of places available, if appropriate.
Some courses will have attachments, there will also be a direct link to these. Typically attachments will be application forms, further information, course specifications and maps etc. Clicking on these will give you the option of downloading them to your computer.
There is also a link ‘Calendar’, which will show the course in the ‘Event Calendar’.

The ‘read more’ link or clicking the course title will take you to the full course listing on the site, giving further details; start and end date/ time and also list any attachments to the course.

Selecting the ‘Request Further Information’ link reveals an online form: Fig. F
Note: This is the same form you may use for any ‘Jobs’ you are interested in. It basically contains a brief profile of you, allowing the offering organisation to contact you and you to contact them. After you have completed this the first time, the information you have entered will be remembered by the system. You can if you wish change any of the details you provide in future applications/ requests.

This form contains a number of areas to enter your personal information; known as fields. Fields marked with a red star are compulsory and you will not be able to submit your form without completing them.
You need to give your full name, a valid email address (for further information to be sent back to you). A mobile and other telephone number can also be added if you wish.

The ‘Details’ section allows you to send a specific message to the organisation offering the position. The nature of this will depend upon the actual course and if there is an application procedure specified. Selecting the ‘enable rich text’ option will allow you to format your message.
Once you have completed this information you simply select the ‘Submit Application’ button and it is sent to the offering organisation. Someone from the offering organisation should then contact you.

Event Calendar
This can be accessed in several ways; by the link on the user menu (Fig. B) by selecting any of the impending events in the “Upcoming Events’ menu on the right, or by actually selecting an event or course from the main pages.
The event calendar provides a calendar of forthcoming events which have posted by organisations and administrators. By default it displays a monthly calendar view, but you can change this view weekly, by day, as a table, and as a list with newest events at the top.
In monthly calendar view you can navigate between months by clicking on the small arrows in the top corners. Fig. G

The event calendar contains listings for all courses - as previously described - and also of other events that site users have posted.

The calendar section contains some ‘filters’ for you to narrow your search. Leaving the drop down menus set to ‘(all)’ will show all events and courses. Selecting ‘Type - Courses’ will narrow content displayed to just those classified as courses. ( Note: The Jobs and News Stories are not relevant to this section).
The same result can be achieved by the second, lower drop down menu. Here you can choose to display only content categorised as an event or as a course.

The calendar view itself also tells you if an event is a course or an event. The view provides brief information; the title of the course, start and end time. The title also acts as a link to the full information about the event or course. Simply click on it to view the full information.
Some events/ courses have attachments which you can download in the way described previously. Some will have links to websites and to email specific people involved in the event/ course.
A ‘Request Further Information’ link is attached to courses but not to ‘events’. As an authenticated user you can post a comment; basically send feedback to the organisation which posted the event.

All information types: Jobs Events and Courses.
Important Note: Let’s Work Together offers this as a free facility for its site members to use. Unfortunately we can take no responsibility for the accuracy of the information which is published. Equally we are not responsible for any of the Jobs or Courses listed unless specifically stated otherwise. We can not therefore become involved in any correspondance between different users and have nothing to do with the application procedures involved in the Jobs or Courses.

Sending feedback
You can send feedback to an LWT administrator by selecting the ‘Contact Us’ link (top menu on the left) or the ‘Contact’ link on the user menu.
This will bring up a contact form, your user name and email will already be entered. To help an administrator deal with you enquiry, you will then need to provide a subject, a category - from the drop down list, e.g. General Enquiries and your message. If you select the ‘Send me a copy’ box a copy will be sent to the email address you have provided.

Some content types, e.g. events allow you to post comments back to the provider of the event/ article. Selecting ‘add new comment’ brings up a simple dialogue form with your username already entered, you can then add your subject and comments and send these via email.

Rich Text
When sending feedback, applying for obs and courses you can if you wish format the text.
Selecting ‘rich text’ allows for word processor style formatting.
Text can be typed directly and formatted. Formatting options include: bold, italic and underline type style applied, paragraph style set to range left, centred, range right, bulleted or numbered lists created, and a horizontal page divider inserted.
We do not recommend that you try to cut and paste from the internet.
Preview; before you submit a job or course it can previewed.

Quick Menu Options:
Latest News: displays all posts categorised as ‘news stories’. These posts can be selected, viewed, edited and their usage tracked.
Home: displays the homepage for editing its content.
Create Content: gives access to create new content for the site with the options of ‘jobs’, ‘courses’ and ‘events’.

Event Calendar: displays the event calendar with the option to edit content.

Feedback: gives the option to send feedback to the site administrator. This therefore is actually for authenticated users & organisations to send feedback to LWT.
Recent posts: provides a quick way to view the most recent posts to the site. It displays the type, e.g. page, story, course, title of the post, the author, replies and the date of the last reply. Both the post and the author can be selected directly and be viewed.

Site Map: provides a categorised view of the core site content.

July 2007. version 1 revision1