Starting your own Elsmar Cove Forum Registered Visitor Blog

Getting started is as simple as posting the first message (using the same familiar vBulletin editor). There is no lengthy setup process - blog owners are free to personalise their blog at any time by defining a title and a description that will appear at the top of every blog post.

To Start your Blog, go to your UserCP (http://elsmar.com/Forums/usercp.php) (User Control Panel). Look on the left of the page and you will see a column of links.

http://elsmar.com/gif/Blog_how_to_1b.gif

The bottom link should say "Blog (http://elsmar.com/Forums/blog_usercp.php)". Click on it. The following page should appear. Note that there are a number of options to address when setting up your Blog:

Blog Title and Description
Blog Options
Blog Categories
Etc.

http://elsmar.com/gif/Blog Control Panel Options_550.gif

Just set it up as you want it and there you go!

Categorization: You should (probably) categorize your entries. I'm still researching this aspect, but here are the basics. To set up Categories, go to your Blog Control Panel (http://elsmar.com/Forums/blog_usercp.php). Notice the link for 'Blog Categories (http://elsmar.com/Forums/blog_usercp.php?do=editcat) in the 'Blog Control Panel' links on the left of the page.

I have set up 2 Categories in my Blog as of right now. No matter, you will se a blank slate, so to speak, however there will be an Add New Blog Category link just as there is in the graphic below.


http://elsmar.com/gif/Blog_Categories_Detail_550.gif

Once you have set up Categories, when you start a new post you will be able to set which category you want the post in.

http://elsmar.com/gif/Blog Category Choices_550.gif

Blog On!

Great! I would love to have a blog here...if i didn´t already have so many blogs to take care of (and i´m really doing a very bad maintanance in some :-()

Shall have to take a look and see if I can come up with anything interesting stuff to actually have a blog.

As this is a new area for the forums do the forum rules still apply? (no politics and no religion) and also should we try to avoid swearing in our blogs?

I don't know that anyone will really use it. It came up in another thread, and it was so cheap I figured what the heck. It can't hurt. I expect blogs to be started and abandoned, actually, just like on the internet in general. They sound nice until you have to put something in on a regular basis....

It's like some people expressed a desire for a Wiki here. I finally got it all together, including a 'bridge' so only Registered Visitors can add and make changes (spam control), and no one really adds anything in it. I really wish they would because I think it has good potential.

So - We'll see what happens. It is kinda neat.

Marc,

When I go here: http://elsmar.com/Forums/blog.php

and look at the "Find Blog Entries" box, there's code visible inside the box and the search function doesn't work.

There are two places where there's a code issue I have to resolve that I know of. One is the 'Tags' search button/page, and the other is the Blogs page and button. I have to create a 'raw' template which is stock vBulletin and turn off all the 'mods' and look at those pages (will do probably Saturday) to ensure a mod isn't the cause. I've searched the templates (haven't gotten into the php files yet) and haven't been able to spot the problem. I expect it to be something simple, but finding it is the problem...

I figured it would take a week or so to iron out all the bugs from old template and file edits that still exist.

Where is the 'tag cloud'.

Where is the 'tag cloud'.

Never mind, I found it by clicking on 'tag' (http://elsmar.com/Forums/tags.php) in the header of the tag box.

Is there a way to have an option of looking at the tag cloud from the main forum page? Maybe format it like "Registered Visitors that have stopped by the forums today" where it defaults to being collapsed?

Is there a way to have an option of looking at the tag cloud from the main forum page? Maybe format it like "Registered Visitors that have stopped by the forums today" where it defaults to being collapsed? Probably, but before I start looking to make the code do that I want to get these two major html problems solved.

The "Registered Visitors that have stopped by the forums today" is a mod. I remember I had a bit of a time making it collapsed by default. I'll have to look at that mod and the table set. Basically is should be just taking the tag cloud page elements and putting them in a collapsible wrapper like the "Registered Visitors that have stopped by the forums today" does with it's output.

Marc,

When I go here: http://elsmar.com/Forums/blog.php

and look at the "Find Blog Entries" box, there's code visible inside the box and the search function doesn't work.Fixed. Phrase issue.

Update vBulletin Blog Instructions (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showpost.php?p=248830&postcount=1).