All You Need To Know About BRAASS on the Web
A step-by-step walk through that should answer any question you might have
· Logins and passwords
· Sending out group emails (i.e. using the message board)
· BRAASS chat
· Calendar
· BRAASS Home Page site content
· Photos
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I know that this whole BRAASS online thing has gotten a little complex and most of you guys are having a hard time trying to figure out how to use it. I wrote this up to try to clarify a few things… I hope it helps. If you are still having problems I can explain anything you need help with. Please read this carefully. It sounds really complicated, but it's actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. If you need me to, I can post any information you don't know how to upload.
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Logins:
All yahoo IDs registered by BRAASS can be found at:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BRAASS/members>
The basic ones are:
braass_Becca
braass_Rita
braass_Andrea
braass_Anna
braass_Sarah
braass_Soquel
and
braass_project
For all BRAASS IDs the password is the same. PLEASE DON'T CHANGE IT.
You can use these to get into the accounts I created for you on:
Yahoo! Groups
Geocities
Yahoo! Photos
and
Yahoo! Mail
Yahoo! Group:
You have all been signed up for this and are already receiving email from this service whether you know it or not. This could be a great way for all of us to stay in touch when we're off at college if we got everyone using it.
The web address for the "yahoo! group" is:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BRAASS/>
You can access this site anytime you are logged in to yahoo, (you don't need to be using a BRAASS ID.) If you want to know which IDs are registered for the group, check with me or visit:
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BRAASS/members>
You'll see a vertical lime green bar on the left side of the screen that has these links:
Home
Messages
Pending
Post
Chat
Files
Photos
Members
Pending
Calendar
Messages:
This is actually a very simple service to use. All you have to do is send an email to:
BRAASS@yahoogroups.com
and your message will be sent out to everyone in the group and will be stored in the archives at the web site.
You can also post a message by clicking on "Post" at the website and typing your message that way. It will be delivered in the same fashion.
You can view all archives by clicking the "Messages" link on the lime green side bar.
Chat:
If you haven't ever been in a chat room, it's somewhat like AIM, only you can get a bunch of people talking on the same template at the same time. I figure this could be a good way for us all to chat when we're not at home. We could organize chat times by email or something…
To use the chat room, simply visit the Yahoo! Group site and click on the "Chat" link on the lime green side bar. If all goes well, you will be logged into BRAASS chat and can begin chatting with anyone else that's on. (The real trick is getting people to go on.)
Files:
You can use this feature to share basically any format of file you want with the group. You can upload mp3s for instance, but they have to be under a certain size, so it may not always work. I don't know exactly what we would use this for, but hey, it may come in handy. (Becca, we used this for environmental science.)
To upload a file
1. Click on the "Files" link on the lime green side bar.
2. Click the link that says "Add File"
3. Click the gray button that says "Browse…" (next to the text box labeled "File Name:")
4. Locate the file you want to upload on your hard drive
5. Click the gray button that says "Open"
6. Now click the gray button that says "Upload File"
7. It may take a minute or two, depending on the size of your file, but if all goes well, your file will now be on the web!
You can access the available files by visiting the "Files" page and clicking on the link of the desired file.
Photos:
See "Photos" section…
Members:
Shows a list of all the IDs and email addresses registered for the Yahoo! Group.
Calendar:
This is a great way for us to keep each other posted about when we have college breaks, when our schools start, any major trips any of us are going on, important events we want each other to know about in our lives and anything we all plan on doing together.
To view the calendar, click on the "Calendar" link on the lime green side bar. You should see a calendar layout for the current month including any events during that time period.
To see details for any specific event, simply click on the link for that event.
To see other months, use the small light blue box in the upper far right hand corner.
To add an event:
1. You can click "Add" on the specific day of the event or the "Add Event" link.
2. Type in a description of the event in the text box labeled "Title:"
3. You can add a classification of the event in the scroll menu labeled "Event Type:"
4. Make sure the date is correct
5. Under "Time:" you can specify the start and end time for the event or choose "This is an all day event."
6. "Location" and "Notes" are optional.
7. The section labeled "Repeating" can be used for events like trips that last for several days, or events like Birthdays that happen over and over again.
8. Setting a "Reminder" will send a notice out to the group informing them of your event. If you actually want anyone to know about anything you post on the calendar, I would suggest you use this section.
9. When you are done filling out the form, click the gray button at the bottom of the screen labeled "Save"
10. Check the calendar to make sure that it was updated with your event.
Geocities:
This is the BRAASS home page. The web address for the front page is:
<http://www.oocities.org/braass_project/>
How to use PageBuilder:
This is how you create new additions to the BRAASS web page and modify current content. Don't worry about getting fancy: if you get it on the web I can do clean up. You can put any content you want on your personal page.
· Launching PageBuilder:
1. Go to <http://www.oocities.org> (You will be redirected to <http://geocities.yahoo.com/>)
2. Sign in using your yahoo! ID and password. (See "Logins" section…)
3. Click on the link that says "Yahoo! PageBuilder"
4. Click on "Launch PageBuilder" (It may take a little while to load on your computer)
You should now have a program open that looks a little like Microsoft Word. Notice the Menus (for example: "File" and "Edit" at the top of the screen. Notice also the buttons under the menus (for example: "New" and "Open." I'm not going to explain to you how to use every feature of PageBuilder, so experiment - most features are pretty self-explanatory.
· Using Templates:
On most BRAASS pages I have created templates to help you get started with your page. It is important that you use these when you are working on your page because they contain important links.
1. To access the template, click the button that says "Open"
2. Highlight the available file named "template"
3. Click on the gray button that says "Open"
4. To edit text in the template, double click the existing text, highlight it, and begin typing.
5. To duplicate template text, click on the desired textbox and use "copy" and "paste"
6. To add a new textbox, click on the button that says "Text." Click and drag the new textbox to the desired location and begin typing.
7. IMPORTANT!!!: To save your page without destroying the template file:
-Click the button that says "Save"
-Type a new name for your page
- Click the gray button that says "Save"
· Links:
1. All pages created on the template have links to the front page, personal pages and feedback
2. Please link new pages you want people to be able to access to your personal index page.
3. To create links:
- Highlight the desired text or object
- Click the button that says "Link"
- If you are trying to make a link to an external web page, or another BRAASS page that was not created under your account, you can type or "copy" and "paste" the Web URL into the textbox
- If you are trying to link up pages within your own page, click the down arrow and highlight "My Page." Then click the gray button that says "Choose…" and highlight the name of the page you want to make a link to.
· Images:
1. To add an image to your site, begin by clicking the button that says "Pictures"
2. Click the gray button that says "Upload…"
3. Click the gray button that says "Browse…"
4. Find the image file on your hard drive, highlight it and click on the gray button that says "Open"
5. Click the gray button that says "Upload" (this may take a few minutes)
6. Find the box labeled "Picture List" and double click "[User Files]"
7. Find your image and click on the gray button that says "OK"
4. Adjust the size and position of the image on your page.
Site Content:
· The links to personal pages are presented vertically in the letters of B*R*A*A*S*S on the front page. They are also at the bottom of each page within the site, in the letters of B*R*A*A*S*S, above the link to the front page.
· BFF Mixes - here you will find track lists for all the BFF mixes and a few other mixes. You will also find lists of songs for mixes in the making and "outtakes." Please post or send me suggestions for these sections.
· Quotes - You guys know what this section is about. If you want to add quotes, start PageBuilder logged in as "braass_project" and open the page "quotes(#)" (for example "quotes3") Or you can send them to me and I will post them.
· Memories - You guys can do whatever you want with this page. If you want to send me stuff and have me post it, that's fine. If you want to link up to stuff on your personal page, that's fine. The idea is to put stuff like the spring break journal up here, or even a couple of random sentences of sentimental tangents… whatever. To edit it, start Page Builder logged in as "braass_project" and open the page "memories"
· Links - Put whatever the hell you want on here. I would really hope that everyone would at least put links to their schools' home pages. If you don't want to deal with posting yourself, send me your links and I'll make sure they get online. To edit this page, start Page Builder logged in as "braass_project" and open the page "links"
· Photos - See "Photos" section…
· BRAASS Yahoo! Group - See "Yahoo! Group" section…
· Feedback - This is the "Braass Interactive Message Board" and "BRAASS Guest Book." There are links to the Feedback section all over the web page; it's where people who see our site can respond to what we've done, or just say what's up. Feel free to post on either of these places.
· Site News - This is located at the bottom of the front page. All recent editions to the site will be posted here (hopefully with dates), so you can quickly access new information. If you update part of the site, please let me know so that I can post it, or post it on site news yourself (Login: "braass_project"; Page: "index".)
Photos:
This is probably the most confusing part of the whole BRAASS on the web thing. I was experimenting with different ways to post photos and the end result was photos in 3 locations.
Yahoo! Photos:
This is where you should post all photos that you want to be viewed publicly.
1. To post photos, go to <http://photos.yahoo.com/>
2. Find the link that says "Sign In" unless you are already logged into yahoo using your personal BRAASS login (for example "braass_sarah")
3. Type in your personal BRAASS login and password (always the same) and click the gray button that says "Sign In"
4. To start posting photos, you can either create categories by clicking on the link that says "Create a New Album" or you can just start posting photos by clicking on "Add Photos"
5. When you click on "Add Photos" you are asked to select the album you want to place the new photos in. Do so, then click on the gray button that says "Select"
6. For each photo you want to add, click on the gray button that says "Browse…" find the image file on your computer and click the gray button that says "Open"
7. When you have selected all the photos you wish to upload, click on the gray button that says "Upload" (this may take a few minutes.
8. Links to all Yahoo! Photos accounts can be found by clicking on "Photos" on the front page of the BRAASS web page, clicking on the name of the individual whose photos you would like to view and clicking on the link with that person's personal BRAASS ID.
-They are found at these URLs:
<http://photos.yahoo.com/braass_becca>
<http://photos.yahoo.com/braass_rita>
<http://photos.yahoo.com/braass_andrea>
<http://photos.yahoo.com/braass_anna>
<http://photos.yahoo.com/braass_sarah>
<http://photos.yahoo.com/braass_soquel>
(You can also use these links to update your personal albums)
9. Please experiment with Yahoo! Photos, I'm not going to tell you every detail of using it.
Yahoo! Group:
This is where you should post all photos that you want to be viewed only privately.
1. Go to <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BRAASS/> and make sure you are logged in to yahoo.
2. Click on the link that says "Photos" on the lime green side bar
3. Click on the folder labeled with your name.
4. To create subdirectories, click "Create Album" or simply start uploading photos.
5. To upload photos, click "Add Photo"
6. For each photo you want to add, click on the gray button that says "Browse…" find the image file on your computer and click the gray button that says "Open"
7. When you have selected all the photos you wish to upload, click on the gray button that says "Upload" (this may take a few minutes.
8. You can view all photos on the Yahoo! Group, if you are logged in, at:
<http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/BRAASS/lst>
Geocities:
There are some photos online in web page format. I would suggest not trying to post them this way because it is tedious and complicated.
Links to all photos that are not on the Yahoo! Group can be found through the BRAASS web page. You can view the "Scrapbook" at:
<http://www.oocities.org/braass_scrapbook/>
If you wish to link up any photos that are already on a page outside of "Yahoo! Photos" or "Yahoo! Groups" get in contact with me.
Yahoo! Mail:
Every BRAASS yahoo! ID has an email account to go with it. I think you all know how to get to these.
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This document will be printed once for each member of BRAASS.
It will also be available on the Yahoo! Group under "Files" and online at:
<http://www.oocities.org/braass_project/help.html>
(The link is on the front page and says "Get Help")
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