Getting started – a step by step guide

Here are some steps to assist you in getting started at DownSyndrome.com by joining and creating your profile and blog. We’ve also included more detailed information about the various functions and settings for your blog and profile.

Step One: Joining DownSyndrome.com – On the ‘join’ page you’ll be asked to fill in some information including:

- Username: Your username is the name you will use for logging into DownSyndrome.com, and will also become the unique URL address for your profile (eg: jane38.DownSyndrome.com.com). It could be a good idea to ‘claim’ your first and last name here.

- Email address: This is not shown anywhere on the site and is only used as per our Privacy Statement. You can change this later under your dashboard / account settings.

- First and Last Name: DownSyndrome.com is a social and educational website so users are referred to by their first and last names.

- Profile Picture (Avatar): Upload a picture of yourself here. This is displayed on your profile and in the member directory. Members are more likely to connect with you if they can see a ‘real’ image of you.

This picture needs to be bigger than a thumbnail (larger than 250×250 pixels) and you will be able to crop it later. You can also change this later or upload this later.

Step 2: Activate your membership – Check your email inbox for the email from DownSyndrome.com to activate your membership.

Click on the link in the email and you’ll be directed back to the DownSyndrome.com site. Your account will then be active. Your username and password will be displayed – and also emailed to you for your records.

Welcome to DownSyndrome.com!

Now you can check out your dashboard and profile page. You can select:

>>view your site: where you will be directed to your ‘profile page’* (see below) (you will still need to log in here to do anything – tick remember me and you won’t need to login again)

OR:

>> log in: where you will be directed to the login page. Use the username and password emailed to you – tick remember me and you won’t need to enter this again. You will then be directed to the ‘dashboard’ **- essentially the ‘back-end’ of your DownSyndrome.com site. (see below)

Step 3: Add more profile information:

From My profile, select edit profile – this is a quick link to your dashboard settings. On the top menu you can select ‘additional info’ which allows you to add in more info about you and your business.

Select change avatar for a quick link to your dashboard settings to upload or change your picture avatar

From My dashboard, select the profile tab:

- Select Additional info to add more detailed information on you and your business that appears on your profile page when filled in.

- Select Avatar to upload or change your avatar here

Step 4: Create a DownSyndrome blog

Whether you are in your profile or dashboard pages you choose blogs/ my blogs – create a blog

You will see the following fields to be completed:

- Choose a blog domain (this cannot be changed and this becomes your unique blog URL eg:janesblog.DownSyndrome.com.com) You may want to ‘claim’ your business name here.

- Blog title: the title of your blog (this can be changed later) appears on the banner of your blog. (You can add a tagline/description later under settings; the default is ‘another fabulous DownSyndrome.com blog’)

Then login using your username and password (click on remember me!)

This takes you to your dashboard**, which now includes your blog dashboard as well as your profile dashboard.

OR Step 4: Add your existing blog

Go to My dashboard / external blog tab

* Follow the instructions to manually or automatically discover your existing blog

* Then add your blog description (which will appear on our blog directory)

* Then choose your blog avatar (which will appear on the blog directory)

Step 5: Fine-tune your DownSyndrome.com blog (not applicable for existing external network blogs):

Go to My Dashboard / Settings Tab

- Under ‘general’ – you can change your blog title and add in your own blog tagline (which appears on the banner of your DownSyndrome.com blog and is the description of your blog in the blog directory – the default is ‘another fabulous DownSyndrome.com blog’).

- Upload your blog avatar – the default is the DownSyndrome.com logo

Step 6: Change your password to your own password

- My Dashboard / Account Tab:

Here you can change your user password to something of your own choice.

Step 7: Write your first post!

- My Dashboard / write post

And enjoy!

More information on functions and settings:

*Your profile page

This is your profile page as the public views it – but you can also manage changes and your messages from this page.

The menu on the right includes:

- Activity – your activity on the site, posts, creating blogs etc

- Profile – My profile

* public: this is the view the public sees of your profile

* edit profile – this is a quick link to your dashboard settings. Note; on the top menu you can select ‘additional info’ which allows you to add in more info about you and your business.

* change avatar – this is a quick link to your dashboard settings

* my dashboard – takes you to your dashboard**

- View Blogs – My blogs

- My blogs: A list of your all blogs with an option to ‘create a blog’

- Recent posts: posts you’ve written

- Recent comments: comments you’ve made

- Wall: View all the public comments people have made to the ‘wall’ on your profile page

- Messages (these are private messages to your inbox)

* inbox – read your messages

* sent messages – your sent messages

* compose messages – write private messages

**Your dashboard

The ‘dashboard’ is essentially the ‘back-end’ of your DownSyndrome.com site. Here you can make changes to your profile information:

The menu tabs are:

- Account tab: Change your personal settings – namely your email address and your password here

- Profile tab:

- (Picture) Avatar: upload or change your avatar here

- My info: change your basic registration info (people see this on your profile page)

-Additional info: More detailed information on you and your business that appears on your profile page when filled in.

- External blog tab: If you have an existing blog elsewhere you can include it here and it will show up within the DownSyndrome.com site. Follow the instructions and then add your blog description (to appear on our blog directory) and choose your blog avatar (external network blogs have a border around them to show they’re existing blogs)

- Blogs tab:

- My blogs – lists all your current blogs and enables you to create a blog

- Recent posts

- Recent comments

Navigation Note: The ‘visit my profile’ button takes you back to your public profile page*

Your Blog dashboard

Navigation Note: The ‘Visit site’ button takes you to the ‘front’ of your blog site – the public view. From the ‘front’ of your blog site you can select ‘dashboard’ to enter the ‘back’ of your site to write posts, manage comments etc.

The blog dashboard tabs are:

-Write Tab:

- Posts: Here you ‘write a post’ by adding in your text for your blog posts.

Note: if copying from Word, it’s a good idea to click on the paste from word button (clipboard with w) otherwise the formatting is compromised.

Use the ‘add media button’ to add photos and video clips.

Tags are key search terms; these can appear as a tag cloud in your sidebar if you wish.

Categories appear on the sidebar of your blog, so you can assign your post to a particular category.

Select save – to save as a draft

Select publish to publish to the front of your blog site

Note: clicking the calendar edit icon allows you to publish into the future or to the past.

- Pages: Here you can add in static pages (like the about page) and choose for the page to appear in the blog navigation top menu

- Links: here you can add links to your link categories

- Manage Tab: Here you can manage existing Posts and Pages and Categories (for your blog posts) and Link Categories (eg a blogroll with links to your favourite blogs, a client list with a list of links to your clients etc)

- Design Tab: Widgets – here you can choose what appears in the sidebar of your blog eg: archives, link categories, etc

- Comments Tab: Comments – here you can manage the comments that are posted to your blog posts; you can approve, spam or unapprove them.

On the Right menu:

- Settings Tab: Under ‘general’ – you can change your blog title and add in your own blog tagline (which appears on the banner of your blog and is the description of your blog in the blog directory).

You can also delete your blog and upload your blog avatar

- Users Tab: Here you can add contributors, guest authors etc to your blog

- Account Tab: Here you can change your email address and user password for your blog

Right hand, top of screen menu: Here you can logout or go to the DownSyndrome.com home page

Navigation note: To return to the DownSyndrome.com home page:

Click on the DownSyndrome.com logo on the top left corner of your profile page, or the DownSyndrome.com home top right of your dashboard, or DownSyndrome.com home on the navigation bar of your blog home page.