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I'm trying to use my blog in a college class. I sent invites to all the students, and they've registered. But they still can't post, nor can I "find" them when I search for users from the dashboard.
I've tried following the specific directions posted here in the forum, but, alas, still no luck.
One question: do they have to create their own blog? And if so, how does that allow them to post on someone else's blog?
They have to register with wordpress. Then whether or not they choose to actually develop a blog is up to them. However, once they register you can register them on your blog in one of the roles listed there that you consider to be the most appropriate such as "subscriber".
Just to add on to that, you add them in at Dashboard -> Users with their email address. There's a post here about the different levels. If you're expecting them to publish to the blog, I would suggest using the 'Contributor' level. They can write the posts and save them. You would still have to publish them yourself.
hope this helps,
-drmike
Thanks for the responses. I've already tried both suggestions.
I've already invited everyone in the class, so I know they are registered. Yet when I go to Dashboard-> Users and search via "User List by Role," I get "that email address does not belong to any user here."
Same thing happens when i go further down the Dashboard-> Users page and try to add them as a user.
drmike -- in the event i get this snafu ironed out, where do the posts from "contributors" save to until I can post them. Also, because I want to use the blog as open forum -- it's a writing class -- is there a role that would allow them to post directly?
Thanks again for your assistance.
@ninthem
These are the ONLY roles there are http://faq.wordpress.com/2006/05/12/what-are-the-different-roles/
This is the ONLY place that those roles can be defined
-> dashboard -> users
This is the ONLY place you can set your discussion (comments) options
-> dashboard -> options -> discussion otpions
Wordpress.com blogs do not feature forums or polls - if you want a forum or a poll on a wordpress.com blog you must set one up through a third party.
Yeah, thanks. I understand the roles. Pardon the 'tude, but what part of "it doesn't work" do you not understand? I don't want a "forum or a poll" (WTF?). I just want what has been advertised as available to me -- that I can open my blog up to other posters.
You have said:
"I just want what has been advertised as available to me -- that I can open my blog up to other posters." Well drmike gave you this link http://faq.wordpress.com/2006/05/12/what-are-the-different-roles/
And I gave you the instructions to let you know where to set up roles and where to set your discussion (comments) up to enable the rest.
You also said in your previous post:
"Also, because I want to use the blog as OPEN FORUM -- it's a writing class -- is there a role that would allow them to post directly?"
So if you have followed all the steps above and "it doesn't work" then what are you doing here on the forum? drmike won't be back until tomorrow and even when he's here - he does not have back end access.
IT DOESN'T WORK - Well, you have a feedback button that you can use to contact sysadmin. Alternatively, you can send in an email to support@wordpress.com.
What are you waiting for?
Thanks.
You're welcome and sheesh don't be so grumpy when people try to help you okay.
ninthelm: see this thread http://wordpress.com/forums/topic.php?id=3463&replies=7
drmike -- in the event i get this snafu ironed out, where do the posts from "contributors" save to until I can post them
They'll show up on your Dashboard -> Manage -> Posts page. Everybody will be able to see them but only Editors and Admins will be able to publish them to the site.
Thanks much. I really dig wordpress, and find it very user-friendly. But I'm still having trouble getting everyone on board and able to post. I very much appreciate the advice I've received on this forum, but I have followed it to the letter and it hasn't worked out. I don;t want to take up anymore of anyone's time, so do you recommend I follow timethief's suggestion and email support@wordpress.com? Thanks again.
I just reread the thread and I see that you're asking if there's a level that will allow your students to publish their own posts. The level Author should be able to do that.
If there's another question in there, please restate it. I haven't had my coffee yet today. :)
drmike -- i appreciate your patience.
what i seem to be having trouble with is adding them on as users. I sent the invites and they registered. At first, I didn;t realize I then had to manually add them as, say, author or contributor. But when I tried to do that, both the "search for users" and "add user" functions came up empty, i.e. "that email address does not match any user here."
One student made it to the Dashboard, and here's what she reported back to me: When I either click on the link or copy and paste the address, I get this page: "Get another WordPress.com blog in seconds.
"Welcome back, ocpth5. By filling out the form below....."
When I click on “My Dashboard” or “New Post” on the top bar, it just refreshes that same page.
That's when I figured out I had to manually assign them a role, but when I tried...well, see paragraph above.
I wouldn;t be surprised if I'm just missing some very basic step in the process, but I can;t figure out what that would be. Thanks again.
Let's do this.
Please invite me at theapparatus at gmail dot com and I'll take a look.
timethief -- you;re right. i was unecessarily grumpy. sorry.
@ninthelm - Forgiveness is a gift I give to myself before sleeping - it's the stuff that better dreams and better awakenings are crafted from. So I forgave you yesterday prior to going to bed but it's good to hear your apology anyway. I can tell you've been going nuts with this and I sure sympathise with the frustration and stress you're feeling. Sometimes computers are crazymakers. So invite drmike into the asylum and he'll try to become a miracle worker.;)
ninthelm, if that was you who sent me an invite, I emailed you back. You need to add me in at Dashboard -> Users -> Authors and Users -> Add Users from the community.
Thanks,
-drmike
drmike -- i was indeed me. I followed your instructions and it worked fine. You're now appearing on my user page.
I emailed oyu back to ask: do you know of any reason why i am unable to add as users the students I sent invites to -- all of whom say they have registered?
Thanks again for all your help. A couple of my students suggested I switch to eblogger, but I won't.
I've found that adding people by wordpress.com username works a lot better than trying to add them by email address.
@engtech
Thanks for the tip [she said looking for her pad of yellow stickys].
drmike suggested in an email that my problem might be the unpredictable nature of college students.
Well, 'twas that, coupled with the lack of attention to detail by their instructor.
Turns out I invited my students via their campus emails. And to a one, they registered under their personal emails, which of course is why I could not find them when I tried to add them as users.
So, problem resolved, and I extend a most appreciative hand to the wordpress community, who made my problem its own for a few days. Thank you all very much.
Thumbs up ^^ so glad to hear it worked out for you. :D
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ninthelm
