ghs1974 - New Member Instructions

If you're just getting started in this website, and this editing stuff doesn't make sense, try following these instructions. You will be an expert shortly.

1) The first thing that you need to know is about logging in. There is a menu list on the right side of every page. Under "User", it will say "Log In" if you are not logged in, and "Log Off" if you are already logged in.

Being logged in allows you to edit any page, and to view the Directory (since we don't want the whole world to see the addresses). Go ahead and log in. Your password may be a little difficult - be careful about the special characters and upper/lower case. We can make your password simpler, if you like. You can let your browser remember it.

2) Next, go to the Directory, and look at it. There is a "Directory" link in the menu on the left side of every page. Click it, and you should be there. So far things should be familiar, like if you go to a bank website, or Yahoo, where you have a password.

3) Now comes the thing which is a little unique for a website. All of us can edit any page.

There are two modes - one is a viewing mode where you are now, and the other is an editing mode. To get to editing, there is a link in the menu on the right side, under "Page", called "Edit". When you click it, an editor forms in the middle of the page, a window inside a window. It should look like this picture. At the top of the inner window is a tool bar which starts with "Style", and has a bunch of tool icon buttons like your email editor or word processing program.

So you can recognize when you are in editing mode by the frame with the editing tools. Inside the editing window you can type and edit. When you are done you need to save your work. There is a "Save" button under the editing window. You will have to scroll down the outer window to get to it. Note that there are two scroll bars - for the inner and outer windows.

I hope that you are with me so far. That was the hardest part to getting started. Go ahead and edit the Directory, scroll to the bottom of the table, and fill in the squares that make sense. Don't wory about making mistakes, or leaving things out. You, or I, or someone else will probably come in and clean it up - no problem.
Watch out not to leave the editor open too long. After half an hour, it will log you out, and you could lose your work. Do a little editing, and if you get distracted, then save before you leave. At first you should save quickly, so you don't forget.

4) Once you have accomplished your Directory entry, you can go on to your own page.

Go to the Members page from the left-side menu. You will find your high school name in the list ordered by first name. Notice that the link has square brackets around it. That means that the page has not been started. Some other people's pages already exist. You might want to look around at other peoples' pages first to get an idea of what you want yours to look like.
When you are ready, click on your name, and it will open the editor for your page. You can type into it, and save, just like the Directory (except that it is not a table, just free-form text). Don't worry about pictures or fancy formatting at first. Go ahead and write something, and Save it, and you are instantly famous. You can come back and edit it to make it better any time.