WebBoard Tutorial

WebBoard is a web-based bulletin board system. It was originally implemented to facilitate discussions in the online classes. Previously this level of interactivity was provided by e-mail or listservs. While these technologies are still used, they become cumbersome when a discussion needs to be carried out among many individuals. The WebBoard archives and dates all message postings in one central location and provides a mechanism to navigate easily among all message topics.

Many of our online instructors use the WebBoard as the primary interface for conducting their class, while others use it as an adjunct to web pages they have produced. You should register yourself for the board assigned to your class and consult with your instructor as to how they will use it during the class.

Your WebBoard is accessed using web browser software. Both Netscape Navigator 3 and above and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 and above work fine with WebBoard. Some users have had difficulty with proprietary browsers such as the AOL software. If you are an AOL subscriber we recommend that you logon to the AOL service but use Netscape or Internet Explorer to access WebBoard. To get to the WebBoard you will need the URL assigned for your class. Your instructor can provide you with the address or check the listings at the online class list web page for the proper URL. You should see the following screen when you go to the WebBoard.

Click on the New User button to register yourself and create a login name and password. All fields marked with a red dot are required fields and must be filled out to register.

Click on the Create button to complete your registration. You will then proceed to the main screen for your WebBoard. The next time you access the WebBoard you will use the login name and password you selected to enter the board.

The main screen of the WebBoard is laid out as shown above. The left hand frame lists the conferences available for the board, while the right hand frame will show the individual messages in the conferences. The black bar at the top is the main menu. Notice that the conference menu is laid out like an outline. The plus icon () next to a conference heading indicates that there are lower levels present. Click on the plus icon to reveal the topics present in the conference. If the outline branches further you will see more plus icons. Clicking on the topics themselves will show the message text in the right hand frame. All the messages grouped in one topic will be listed in chronological order in the right hand frame and can be scrolled through. All the messages associated with a topic are often referred to as a message thread.

Typically your instructor will post the first message of a new thread within a conference. Then you will reply to that message to contribute to the discussion. Use the reply function rather than the post function to insure that your message is associated with the proper thread.

When you click on the reply link at the top of a message you will see the message entry screen. It looks like an e-mail message and works in the same manner. The topic will be filled in with the topic of the original message with a box for entering your text. The check boxes should be left as is for most messages. Enter your message in the box and click on the Post button to preview your message. You will see a preview screen that will let you review your message and also do a spell check on your message. If you are satisfied with your message, click on Post again to register your message.

To attach a file to your message, click on the check box for Attach file that is above the message box before you post the message. After previewing the text message and clicking on Post again, you will see the following screen.

If you know the name and location of the file to post you can enter it in the text box. Alternatively, you can click on the Browse button to pick a file from your computer’s drives. The attachment icons and description are optional selections. Click on Upload Now to post your message and attachment.

Other WebBoard options are available at the top of each message or in the black menu bar. Most options are fairly self-explanatory and there is also an excellent help file to guide you through other options. Here are some other pointers for using the WebBoard.

1. As new messages are added to the board they will be marked with a New icon. This lets you keep track of what’s been posted since the last time you viewed the board. The icons will clear automatically from those messages the next time you log on. If you don’t finish reading all new messages in one session, you can turn off the automatic feature through the More, Edit Your Profile menu and check the No box for Automatically mark new messages read option. Then you must manually mark messages read by using the Mark read button on the menu bar. This allows you to mark only those messages you have actually read.
2. Another way to keep track of new message is with e-mail notification. This option is available in the More menu. With this feature you can mark the conferences you want monitored. WebBoard will check these conferences daily for new messages and will send you e-mail whenever there are new items to read.
3. WebBoard contains an excellent search engine for locating past messages. It is available in the Search menu and each search can be customized by conference, date and keyword.
4. You can delete, edit or move any message you create in the WebBoard. Messages that you did not create cannot be manipulated.
5. Posting of assignments can be done by either cutting and pasting from another program or attaching a document with the Attach file option. Attaching a file usually ensures that the formatting of your document will be preserved, but some instructors may not utilize this because of the risk of virus infection. If you will be cutting and pasting from a word processor, it is recommended that you avoid applying formatting features (e.g. changing fonts or styles, using tables or lists). Hidden codes are often generated by these changes and can prevent the message from being posted correctly.
6. If a message fails to post, try it again later, sometimes the WebBoard database is unavailable. If the error persists, e-mail jnakason@chaminade.edu with information about the error. Be sure to include as much detail as possible including the WebBoard you are using, the conference you were in, error messages if any and the time of the error. Also list your computing environment including the type of computer, the web browser used and the Internet provider used.
7. WebBoard uses cookies for the login process and javascript for its function. Both of these features must be available to use WebBoard properly. WebBoard uses cookies safely, but you can set your web browser to always inform you before setting a cookie so that you can monitor other programs that might try to set unwanted cookies.