Blogs

Blog - Introduction

The term "blog" is the abbreviation of weblog and is derived from the terms World Wide Web and logbook. In other words, a blog is a logbook that can be created on the Internet and made accessible to other users.

A blog is a chronologically sorted list of posts - the most recent post is always at the top. Posts can contain text, images, videos, or attached files.

Blogs can be shared with other people. Contributions can be commented on and rated. The contributions are written, edited, and published by one or more authors.

Blogs are suitable, among other things, as learning diaries: learners can document their progress in working on a topic and share it with others.

Creating a blog

Creating a new blog

You want to create a new blog.

Prerequisite: You are in your workspace or a container object.

1. Open the Add new object selection menu.
2. Select the Blog entry.
3. ILIAS opens a new page.
4. Select Option 1: Create a new blog.
5. Give the blog a title.    
   Optional: Enter a description.
6. Click the Create Blog button.
7. ILIAS creates the blog and reports "Object added".

Import blog

You want to import a blog.

Prerequisite:

• You are in your workspace or a container object.
• The import file must contain a blog created with ILIAS. You will get such a file if you export an already existing blog.

1. Open the Add new object drop-down menu.
2. Select the Blog entry.
3. ILIAS opens a new page.
4. Select option 2: Import blog.
5. Select the desired file and click the Import button.
6. ILIAS imports the blog and reports "Object added".

Copy blog

You want to copy a blog.

Prerequisite: You are in your workspace or a container object.

1. Open the Add new object selection menu.
2. Select the entry Blog.
3. ILIAS opens a new page.
4. Select option 3: Copy the blog.
5. Enter the blog title you want to copy and click the Next button.
6. ILIAS opens a new page and reports, "Your search returned the following results. Please select one."
7. Activate the radio button in front of the desired blog.
8. Click on the Copy blog button.
9. ILIAS copies the blog and reports "Object copied".

Export blog

Creating an export file

You want to export a blog in a file.

There are two ways to do this:

• You create an HTML export with all blog content. You can view this export on your computer even without the Internet and without access to ILIAS.
• You create an XML export. You can reuse this export on another ILIAS installation.

Variant 1: Quick way to the HTML export file

1. Open the Actions menu of the desired blog.
2. Click on the entry Export as HTML file.
3. ILIAS opens the download dialog or downloads the file immediately, depending on your browser settings.
4. Unzip the file on your computer. Open the index.html file in an internet browser to view your blog.

Variant 2: Create XML or HTML export file in the export tab.

Prerequisite: Your blog is in a container object, and you are in the edit mode of your blog.

Note: If your blog is in your workspace and you want to create an XML export, first copy your blog into a container object.

1. Open the Export tab of your blog.
2. Select the type you want in the drop-down menu below the tab bar. You have the following options:
   Export as XML: Use this export format to transfer your blog from one ILIAS installation to another.
   Export as HTML: Use this export format to use or deploy your blog offline.
3. Click the Create export file button.
4. ILIAS will notify you that the export file has been successfully generated.

You can now download the file. To do so, follow these instructions.

Download export file

You want to save a blog's already created export file on your computer.

Prerequisite: You have already created an export file via the Export tab.

1. Navigate to the table with the export files.
2. Click the Download link in the Actions column in the row of the desired file.
3. ILIAS opens the download dialog or downloads the file immediately, depending on your browser settings.

Delete export file

You want to delete an already created export file of a blog.

1. Navigate to the table with the export files.
2. Activate the checkbox in front of the desired export file.
3. Click the Delete button above or below the list of export files.
4. ILIAS asks you if you really want to delete the export file.
5. Click on the Delete button.
6. ILIAS deletes the file.

Creating posts on the blog

Opening the blog in edit mode

The default view of the blog is the presentation view: blogposts and the title are displayed, plus a sidebar where keywords, the blog archive, and contributors can be found. This view is available to all blog visitors with at least read permission.

On the other hand, the edit view is only available to the owner of the blog and possibly other contributors. Here you can - depending on your rights - change the blog's settings, add contributors or create new posts.

You want to open the edit mode of a blog.

Variant 1

1. Open the ▼ menu of the blog in the repository and select the entry Edit.
2. ILIAS opens the blog in edit mode.

Variant 2

1. Click on the blog title in the repository to open the blog.
2. Click the " Edit blog link in the bar above the content.
3. ILIAS opens the blog in edit mode.

Create new post

You want to create a new post on a blog.

Prerequisite: You are in the Content tab of the edit mode of a blog.

1. Enter a title for your post in the Title text entry field and click the Add Post button.
2. ILIAS creates a draft post and opens the page editor.    
   Note: To get instructions for the editor, click the Help button there again.
3. To add content, click on the light gray area with the + and the text "Click here to add content".
4. Select the desired content (e.g., text or image/audio/video).
5. ILIAS opens a new page where you can insert the selected content.
6. Compose your contribution in this way bit by bit. Click the Save and return button at the top of the screen after each change.
7. ILIAS will save your post. Note: Your blog post is not yet published. However, it is available as a draft for further editing or publication.    
   If you want to publish the post directly, click the Publish Post button.

Publish post

You want to publish a previously created post on your blog.

Prerequisite: You are already in the editing mode of the blog.
Note: Posts that have not been published are outlined in edit mode with a red dashed line.

1. Open the Actions menu of the desired post.
2. Select the entry Publish the post.
3. ILIAS publishes the post and reports: "The post has been published. The first text block is used as an excerpt in the list of entries."

Undo publication of a contribution.

You want to take back a previously published contribution to your blog.

Prerequisite: You are already in the edit mode of the blog.

1. Open the Actions menu of the desired post.
2. Select the entry Undo publication.
3. ILIAS takes back the publication and reports: "The content of this post is visible as a draft only for you".
4. Outsiders can no longer read the post. Note: Contributions that have not yet been published are outlined with a dashed line.

Rename a post

You want to rename an already created contribution.

Prerequisite: You are already in the edit mode of the blog. If necessary, switch to the Content tab.

1. Open the Actions menu of the desired post.
2. Select the Rename entry.
3. ILIAS opens a new page.
4. Enter a new title for the post.
5. Click on the Save button.
6. ILIAS applies your changes and reports, "The settings have been saved".

Edit keywords

You want to create or edit keywords for your blog post.

Prerequisite: You are already in the edit mode of the blog. If necessary, switch to the Content tab.

1. Open the Actions menu of the desired post.
2. Select the entry Edit keywords.
3. ILIAS opens a new page.
4. To add or remove keywords, use the +/- icons.
5. After you have finished editing, click the Save button.
6. ILIAS will save the keywords you created.

Edit date

You want to edit the date of your already created blog post.

Prerequisite: You are in the edit mode of the blog. If necessary, switch to the Content tab.

1. Open the Actions menu of the desired post.
2. Select the Edit date entry.
3. ILIAS opens a new page.
4. Edit the date according to your wishes.    
   Note: The post will not be published automatically just because the entered date is reached. So regardless of the date you enter, you still have to publish your post.
5. After you have finished editing, click the Save button.
6. ILIAS saves your changes and reports, "The settings have been saved".

Delete post

You want to delete your blog post.

Prerequisite: You are already in the edit mode of the blog. If necessary, switch to the Content tab.
Note: Posts that have not yet been published are outlined here with a red dashed line.

1. Open the Actions menu of the desired post.
2. Select the entry Delete.
3. ILIAS asks if you really want to delete the post.
4. Click on the Delete button.
5. ILIAS deletes the post and reports, "The post has been deleted".

Edit settings of the blog

Changing the basic settings of the blog

You want to edit the settings of your blog.

1. Open the Settings tab of your blog.
2. ILIAS opens the tab in the Blog Properties sub-tab.
3. Change the title and, if necessary, the description.
4. Specify whether the blog owner must approve all posts before they are published. If you want this, activate the option Release new posts.    
   Note: This option is only offered for blogs in the repository that may have multiple contributors. In your workspace, you are always the only contributor. Therefore, this option does not appear there.
5. Select the Public Comments checkbox if you want readers of your blog to be able to leave comments on your posts.
6. Check the Enable RSS checkbox to offer an RSS feed for your blog. It is then possible to subscribe to your blog in a feed reader.    
   Note: The RSS feed of a blog is always public if the address is known! The publication happens independently of any blog shares or user rights.
7. Click on the Save button.
8. ILIAS applies the settings and reports "Changes saved".

Customize the sidebar in the blog.

All settings for the sidebar can be found in the Navigation section. There you can use the following options:

Mode:

Select Monthly List to display all months in which blog posts were published in the sidebar.

• The number of months with posts displayed: The titles of all posts appear in the sidebar.
• The total number of months: This number of months appears in the sidebar. Older months are not accessible from the sidebar.
• Select Complete Month to display the titles of all posts for a single month in the sidebar. Each month can be viewed from a drop-down menu in the sidebar.
• Authors: Check this box to display all contributors to your blog in the sidebar. Blog visitors can click on an author's name to view their posts.
• Keywords: Check this box to display all keywords of your blog in the sidebar. Blog visitors can click on a keyword to see all the related posts.
• Sorting: Click on the arrows to determine the order of the navigation elements in the sidebar.

1. Make the desired settings.
2. Click on the Save button.
3. ILIAS saves your settings. You can view the result under the Preview link.

Customizing the appearance of the blog

You want to customize the appearance of your blog.

• Show profile image: If you select this option, the image you have stored in your profile will also be displayed in the blog header.

Banner: To display an image in the blog header, upload the desired image as a banner.

• Note: To achieve an undistorted display, crop the image to 1370 x 100 pixels.
• Only the following file types can be used: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif.

1. Make the desired settings.
2. Click the Save button.
3. ILIAS will save your settings. You can view the result under the Preview link.

Set the overview of the blog.

The overview is the display that blog visitors see when they call the blog. Here the latest posts are displayed - if necessary, only as an excerpt and, if desired, with a picture.

You want to define how the overview of your blog should be displayed.

Number of entries in the initial overview: Define how many entries should be displayed in the overview of your blog.

• Note: This setting is used if no specific month is selected.
• Shorten excerpt: This option limits the maximum length of a post excerpt. Enter the maximum number of characters you want an excerpt to be in the input field.
• Add image to excerpt: Displays the first image of a post in the overview in a reduced size. Specify the width and height of the image in the two input fields.

1. Make the desired settings.
2. Click the Save button.
3. ILIAS saves your settings. You can view the result under the Preview link.

Adding other users as contributors

What is the difference between blog authors and editors?
You can add other contributors to your blog. ILIAS provides two roles for this by default, which have different rights:

Blog authors are allowed to create and publish new posts. Authors are only allowed to edit and delete their posts afterward.

• With the setting "Enable new posts," you prevent blog authors from publishing posts on their own. An editor or administrator must first enable the new posts if this setting is active.
• Blog editors are allowed to create, modify, and delete posts. They have these rights for all posts in the blog, regardless of the author. Editors can also change the blog's settings, add new contributors, and export the blog.

In summary, authors can only create and edit their own posts. On the other hand, editors have almost all options to edit the blog. Only they are not allowed to change the permissions of the blog.

Quickly add a user as an editor or author.

You want to add more users as authors or editors, and you know the user name.

Prerequisite: You are in the Contributors tab in the edit mode of your blog.

1. In the User text entry field, type the user name.
2. Select Blog Author or Blog Editor from the drop-down menu.
3. Click the Add button.
4. ILIAS adds the desired user as author or editor and reports, "The settings have been saved".

Search for users and add them as editors or author

You want to add more users as authors or editors, but you do not know the exact user name.

Prerequisite: You are in the Contributors tab of your blog.

1. Click on the Search Users button.
2. ILIAS opens a new page and shows you different search types:
   Search for Users: Enter the last name or user name in the text entry field.
   Search for role members: Enter the user's role name in the text entry field.
   Search for course members: Type the name of a course the user is in in the text entry field.
   Search for group members: Type the name of a group the user is in into the text entry field.
3. Click the Search button.
4. ILIAS creates a list with the results of the corresponding search type.
5. Activate the checkbox in front of the desired user.
   Note: Depending on the search type, you must first confirm the respective role description, course or group before you can select the user.
6. Select the entry Blog author or Blog editor in the selection menu and click the Execute button.
7. ILIAS adds the user as an author or editor.

Adding course members as editors or authors

You want to add members of the course your blog is in as authors or editors.

Prerequisite: your blog is in a course.

1. Click the Contributors tab.
2. Click the Add user from the current course button.
3. ILIAS opens a new page and displays the search results.
4. Activate the checkbox in front of the desired user.    
   Note: You can also select multiple users.
5. Select Blog Author or Blog Editor from the drop-down menu and click the Run button.
6. ILIAS adds the selected course members as blog authors or editors.

Remove contributor

You want to remove a user who is a blog author or blog editor on your blog.

Prerequisite: You are in the Contributors tab of your blog.

1. ILIAS displays the contributors of your blog.
2. Select the checkbox in front of the user you want to remove.    
   Note: You can also select multiple users.
3. Click the Remove button.
4. ILIAS opens a new page asking if you really want to remove the author or editor.
5. Click on the Delete button.
6. ILIAS applies the changes and removes the user.

Being notified about new posts and comments

Start e-mail notification for a blog

You want to be notified by email when the blog has been updated.

Prerequisites:

• Notifications and mail forwarding are enabled on your ILIAS installation. If this is not the case, please get in touch with your technical support and describe the problem.
• You are in the presentation view or preview of the blog. In edit mode, it is NOT possible to subscribe to notifications.

1. Open the Actions menu in the upper right corner next to the blog title.
2. ILIAS opens a selection menu.
3. Select the entry Activate change notification.
4. You can tell by the color of the small bell next to the Actions link that the notification is enabled. If the notification is not enabled, the bell is gray.

Stop email notifications for a blog.

You no longer want to be notified about blog updates.

1. Open the Actions menu at the top right of the blog's title.
2. ILIAS opens a selection menu.
3. Select the Disable change notification entry.    
   Note: You can only (de)activate the notifications in the presentation view or the blog preview.
4. You can tell that the notification is disabled by the gray color of the small bell next to the Actions menu.

Notifications for the course and group members

Automatically notify members about new posts

If your blog has been created within a course or group, you can notify members of the course or group about new posts in the blog.

By default, members must enable the notification themselves. However, if you want to ensure that all members receive new blog posts quickly, use the automatic notification.

You want to automatically notify your course and group members about new posts in the blog.

1. Open the Settings tab in the blog.
2. Navigate to the Notifications sub-tab.    
   Prerequisite: This sub-tab is only displayed if the blog is within a course or group!
3. Activate the checkbox Members will be notified automatically.
4. If necessary, select the Members cannot disable notification checkbox.
5. Click on the Save button.
6. ILIAS accepts your setting and reports, "Your changes have been saved."