1. Local Area Networks SIG (hold here until updated)
The Local Area Networks (LAN) SIG learns about managing small networks. The principles are the same as those applied in the business world and can be applied equally to the home network or small organisations like the PCUG. Using virtual machines the full process of creating a domain and networking workstations can be experienced. Although there is much theory to learn, this is largely a hands-on group where you can immediately test what you learn by practice in a fully functional virtual network. The LAN SIG is led by our LAN Manager, Allan Hepworth, and normally held at the PCUG Centre on alternate Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. However, as at January 2011, Ben Cauchi is running this SIG on alternate Sundays from 1.00pm to 5.00pm. Please check the PCUG Calendar for dates and contact Ben at training@pcug.org.au for more information.
2: 20110901 (am):
On 14 February am asked “How does your site handle the following?” and “log in as a member, committee member, office volunteer”.
The query was raised because you did not have a “logon” option. I see that
is now there. Anyone who logs on using their TIP username and password
becomes a registered user and can access any pages restricted to registered
users.
They can also be added (by the administrators) to any other group. At last
look you had only one group – committee (Since added office and editors (nb)). If you want to set up other
groups, that has to be done by one of the administrators.
Once you are logged in, you can access any pages restricted to groups that
you belong to.
This can be set up in two different ways:-
. show menu items for the restricted pages and prompt users to logon if they
attempt to access them
. allow users to initiate their own logon and only show the links to
restricted items to those already authorised to access them.
3 Update 20110902 (nb):
I’ve also been resetting most of the page protection ‘group’ allocations on an individual rather than inherited basis. Many were moved and lost the parent protection. They should be OK now but it is worth keeping an eye on.
Most of the 16bits listed at http://www.pcug.org.au/
4 Update 20110902,3(am,nb):
am:Have you looked at Sidebar login ?
See http://wordpress.org/extend/
I use it on my sites as it provides a 3 part thing – username box, password
box, and login button. Most importantly, it logs you in and takes you back
to where you logged in from. I find it much preferable to the “META” box on
other than the home page.
nb: Deactivated the Sidebar login and installed a new plugin called Login-logout. This one seems to be working, although on pressing login in the sidebar it sends the user to the normal login window – a small extra step. Importantly, it returns the user to the page it originated from, which was the desired objective.
5. 20110905 (am):
I (a.m.) have now set up a URL http://www.pcug.org.au/
the old site.
I suggest that something like the following be put on the /wp home page
“This PCUG web site is being redeveloped using WordPress. auntil that is
complete, the old site will remain available at
http://www.pcug.org.au/
Any feedback on the new site and suggestions on information to be included
should be emailed to website@lists.tip.net.au.”
A link to the oldsite should be selectable. I think feedback should go to a
wider group than two and that the list set up last December but ignored by
most is the relevant one to get comment. I would hope that the address
would be spam crawler proofed, either by changing it or having feedback via
a form.
6. Update 20110906 (nb):
There is a problem with the Fast Secure Contact Form plug-in and Atahualpa. Have deactivated it and have installed Contact Form 7 plug-in and Captcha addons instead. Seems to work OK. Am replacing all PUBLIC emails with a form. (You were right Allan!)
7. Update 20110911 (nb):
Have tidied up the menu structure to allow more user friendly access to those menus which have, or will potentially have, a large number of sub-menus (eg the HOWTOS and the Newsletter). These sub menus can extend well beyond the bottom of a viewing page and are this hard to select from .
1. To do this and to ease the hiding of menu items I have installed the ‘Exclude Pages’ plugin- it provides an easy to use check box in the editing panel for a page for deciding whether that page should show in the main menu or not. NB The menu item still shows in the Sitemap.
2. Installed the ‘Subpageindex’ plugin. This plugin provides a list of the first level submenus of a particular page which link to the submenu selected. To use insert [subpageindex] in the html view of the parent page.
For the moment I have modified the php script of this plugin to order the list in accordance with the menu_order (replace the existing page_order). The page order is based on a random page ID number allocated when a page is first added and is not very useful as an ordering item for lists. NB. This means this plugin can’t be updated without reediting as above.
The menu order is as selected in the Page tree view so we have easy control over that. At the moment the Howtos are in alphabetical order, but if there are many to come we might need to reconsider a more formal structure with some groupings eg as in Hardware, Programs, Ancillary Equipment, Windows, Mac, Linux, Mobile phones etc. This will probably require a further level of menus in between the existing parent and the current children.
Have also placed a text box class in the Atahualpa CSS inserts area (eg warning box re new site on Home page). To use insert the following on any page:
<div class=”box” >
the text …
</div/
8. Update 20110922(nb)
a.Installed Bulk Page Creator plugin by Dagon Lev
b.Placed Howtos and Advice in table to group data better.
1.To add a new category add a new page (eg “Mobiles”) under the menu Help and Advice and use the Bulk Page Creator to add one or more children pages to “Mobiles”.
2. Untick the box on each child page to not include that page in a menu (it still shows in the current version of Sitemap)
2.Add the content to each child page or use a url link from that page to the content.
3.Add the following html code to the “Mobiles” page (making use of subpageindex plugin):
View this table below in html:
| [subpageindex] |
c. Placed a Help text box underneath the Members Login window
d. Placed a quick links text box underneath that.
e. Installed BM custom login and replaced WordPress image with a PCUG logo. Could try and find a bigger image.
f. Added a link to Copyright and Disclaimer page in footer
9. 20110928 (nb)
I’ve noticed a couple of instances of a possible glitch or error in the use of the “Subpage index” and “Exclude Pages from Navigation” plugins. I’ve used these two plugins for Contact forms and Help and Advice parent/child structures.
- not all, and usually the last two or three child menus
- only when not logged in as member or editor, ie the view a member of the public would see.