User Guide
Blog
To view all blogs, click the Blogs link from the left sidebar. To create your own blog which will be listed on the Blogs section, click the My Blog link on the left side bar and then click the post new blog entry link.
Creating a Blog
To make your own blog, simply select "Create a new blog entry" from the Blog menu on the left-hand side of the screen. Once there, you will have the option of naming your new blog post and entering text, uploading files you would like to share, and embedding pictures within your post.
To see a list of all your posts, select "My blog" from the Blog menu. There is also a link to your blog posts underneath each of your blog entries. This way, if someone likes what you have to say, they can read more from you.
Groups
TEDA members are able to create groups that other members can join. To view a listing of all groups, click on the Groups link on the left sidebar. To join a group, click on the Join link next to the group you wish to join.
Creating Groups
Click on the Create a New Group link under Groups. Making a group will automatically make you the group manager. The group manager is able to edit the details and mission statement of their group. They can also remove or grant manager privileges to other group members.
By default, groups are made public, which means that they are viewable under the group listing and anyone can join. You can also make the membership process moderated, which means that people can click the join link, but must be accepted by a group manager before they gain access. Invite only removes the join link from your group, requiring people to be invited to join before they can access the group. Finally, closed groups disallow members from joining or leaving the group at all.
Managing Groups
To manage group membership, go to the Groups page and find your group from the list. The number of members your group has is also a link to the membership management section. Under Faces, you are able to view the profile pictures of every member in your group and you can click their picture or user name to view their profile. Under List, you are able to remove members or assign them admin privileges. Add members allows you to invite users to your group. To do this, type in the usernames of the people you would like to join. If you want to invite multiple users at once, separate their usernames with commas.
Group managers and admins are also able to edit all posts within a group. This allows them to keep the group moderated. To do this, click on the post you would like to edit or delete and click the Edit tab at the top. From here, you can alter the content or delete the post. The delete button is on the bottom of the page.
Making Posts Within Groups
TEDA members are able to create posts within the groups they are members of. To do this, click on the Create a Post Within a Group or Create a Wiki Post Within a Group. Normal posts are only editable by the author and the group administrators. Wiki Posts are editable by all members of the group.
Members can create a group post across every group they have joined. While creating a post, go to the section of the page labeled Audience. This will list every group you are a member of and you can select one or more groups to enter your post into. This allows members to post content that is relevant to more than one group.
Leaving Groups
If you would like to leave a group, click on the Groups link and then click the My Groups tab. Find the group you would like to leave and click on the Edit membership link. This will take you to a page where you can confirm that you would like to leave the group.
Friends
The TEDA website allows you to make friend, family, and coworker requests to connect to people you know. To do so, first go to the search bar on the left side of the page and select Users from the drop down list.Then, type all or part of the person's user name and hit Search to bring up your results.
Click on the user's name to bring up their profile. On their profile, you will have the option to send a friend, family, or coworker request Click the desired relationship status and it will send the user a request. You will not be their friend, coworker, or family until they approve your request. By default, you are e-mailed with a notification when someone sends you a request.
To turn this off, go to My account on the left sidebar and click the Edit tab. Scroll down until you see Relationship email settings. Uncheck the box that says Receive relationship email notifications, the scroll to the bottom and click Save to disable e-mail notifications for friend, family, and coworker requests.
Private Messages
You can send users private messages in two ways. The first is to search for the contact like you would if you wanted to send them a friend request and clicking on their user name to go to their profile. On their profile page, there is a link to send a message to that particular user.
You can also send messages is by clicking the Messages link, accessible from the left sidebar. Click on the Write new message tab. From there, you can start typing in the user name of your intended recipient. This field automatically gives you suggestions while you type so you can make sure that you're spelling the user name correctly.
If you don't want to receive private messages, you can turn them off in your profile. Click the My account link on the left sidebar and click the Edit tab. Scroll down until you see Private messages. Click the radio button that says "My relationships only." This will disallow anyone who is not listed as your friend, family, or coworker from private messaging you.
You can also disable e-mail notifications from private messages by unchecking the box that says "Receive email notification for incoming private messages."