Add a Page
Adding a page is easy!
Our 3 sites work just like Wikipedea
The site provides the structures and some basic material
..and the members provide the content.
But we do need to take precautions
So we have to make it a rule that you have to be a member before you can post a page.
However well meaning a site is it is still troubled by spammers
 Tell me more about membership |
Take me to the registration form |
Membership of Retired and Active
- Costs you nothing
- Does not result in endless 'newsletters'
And allows you to participate in the blogs, interest groups, galleries, competitions, chat rooms etc - all free.
Best of all it allows you to write pages of your own to share your knowledge, humour and enthusiasms with the rest of us.
You can start by typing with two fingers
..and progress from there.
RbA provides simple ABC guides to get you going.
It's perhaps best to read to the bottom of this box first, but there's nothing to stop you trying out the system here and now.
Posting Comments
You don't even have to log in or register to add your own comments to a page.
Just scroll down to the foot of the page you want to comment on and click on the 'add new comments' link.
Boxes like this are warnings to be ignored at your peril - though the worst that can happen is that you loose your workA form opens up and you just type normally double spacing your paragraphs
When you've finished scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the 'preview' button.
Boxes like this suggest something for you to think aboutIf you like what you see, then click 'Save' and your comment is added to the page
Add page to a group
If you're confident enough to give it a try right now click here, select 'group page', or blog, or 'forum, and type and there is a simple 
guide further down this page.
..and if you want to add your pictures to your text
...well that's a little more difficult, but nothing to phase you. Our of adding pictures to your posts will tell you everything you need to know.
Add content to a blog, interest area or forum
At starter level you can submit written material and images with no more skill than you used to find this site, and should you want to move on to greater things we can help you with that later.
With some Interest Groups You have to 'Subscribe' before you can add material to them.Interest Groups
Retired but Active Interest Groups are set up to permit members with any level of IT skill to take an active part
Submitting written material to an Interest Group
So where do I start?- To help you start we've set up a link in the text box on your right. This opens up a new page but keeps this one open so you can see what you're doing.
- Select the type of entry you want to make
- A blog entry
- A page for your Interest Group or
- A contribution to a forum
An entry form will appear.
What then?
You may prefer to prepare your work in the word-processing software on your home pc and then cut and paste it into the 'body'- The form will ask you for a title for your piece and then ask you to select from a list of topics. These help visitors to the site to find your material. Choose the one that most nearly matches what you want to write.
If you don't 'submit your work you will loose it!- Type your material into the 'Body' section of the form double spacing your paragraph ends so that our software recognises it as a paragraph break.
Now I've finished..- Then scroll down the page, selecting an 'Audence' as you go and then 'Preview' and if necessary correct your work using the button at the bottom.
- When you are satisfied with your work 'submit' it in the same way.
Adding Images
With Retired but Active you can add your images to your posts without needing any special IT skills
In this section you will learn how to 'attach' a picture to an Interest page, a blog or a forum contribution.
At starter level you can submit images with no more skill than you used to find this site, and should you want to move on to greater things we can help you with that later.
- Getting Started
- At step C of writing for an interest group you were instructed to scroll down the page to the bottom clicking on the appropriate 'Audience' box in the process.
- Now we say click on the 'File Attachments' as you pass. A box appears inviting you 'Attach a new File"
- Browse through your directories until you find the picture you want, write down its identifier including the .gpg, .gif or other subscript for future use.
- Uploading your Picture
-
If you don't 'submit your work you will loose it!
Click on the 'Attach' button and a copy of your picture is uploaded from your PC to the site. You will then be offered the chance to upload a second image should you want to do so.
When you click on 'Browse' you are taken to the directories of your own PC.To view your image you will need to click on the link at the bottom of the page. Otherwise you can integrate the image into your text.
You can stop here with a perfectly satisfactory way of displaying your images or continue down the page to integrate images and text.
Not quite as easy as what went before: but just needs a little patience...
Up until now we have only asked you to take simple, practical steps where the results were immediately apparent
This page builds on from our ABC of Writing Content for an interest group. and The ABC of Adding Images to your WorkNow we have to act like the old-time preacher and say 'believe because I tell you to believe' though unlike him we can provide proof-positive that our propositions work.
HTML and the web
HTML is the language of the web. You don't have to learn it but you will find that understanding a few 'tags' will enable you to do things like integrate images into your text.
The Image Tag
The only one you need for the moment is a real brute -
I did say it was a brute!
The good thing is that you only have to worry about the red bits, the blue bits you just copy in keystroke by keystroke.
So let's get on with it!
If you are the author of an item, RbA will let you in to edit it again. Just check the tab just under the site titles
- Locating your artwork on the page
- Locate your work piece in RbA and open it in 'Edit' mode. Scroll down to the 'block' then through the block to the place where you want to position the image.
- Enter the Image Tag
- Type in the Image tag exactly as shown above including the angle brackets and remembering that the tag is case sensitive.
- Match the Image tag to your file and location
- Where the copied in tag says 'yourpicturename.jpg' type in the name you noted when you uploaded the file.
- Change the 'align' parameter to 'right' if you want your image on the left
- View you Piece
- Scroll down the form and click on 'preview'.
- If your image is in the wrong place then edit it into the right place in your text
If you don't 'submit' your work you will lose it, and don't forget!..and that's it done!