Hi,
I seem to have found XOOPS to be one of the most intuitive and well formed of the CMS that I have available on my server via Fantastico. But I can't figure something out that might be obvious to others or that I'm missing somehow. How do I make it clear where a visitor first coming to the site can register? I've been looking through the administration area and there are ways to search for members but I don't see where a user would be able to join the community, as it were. I am reminded of the book, "Don't make me think," as useful for web design. My site should have it abudantly clear how to join/register so that they can post information, see more of the site and have different priviledges.
Please help me with this. I feel so confused.
Bruce

you could create a custom block with a blurb and a link to register.php

You can add a custom block, visible only to anonymous users (users who aren't logged in), that provides any information you feel is appropriate, including instructions on how to register.

I'll risk sounding ignorant but reiterate that I am a newbie. So, it sounds fine to have a link to the register.php page. How would I do that and have it show up on the first page? or elsewhere? It could be a link similar to what one sees here, login, not a member, click here to register? A got a few ideas that are close to understanding how to do this and am a web designer so I can write code (that is I can do html/xhtml with no problem and some php code but I doubt I'd need that). I'd create a block that shows up on the main page and specifically where I want it. Where does one go to create this block and then add it to the site in the proper place?
I'm also a bit confused by the weight items. What confuses me is that there are weights from 1-99. Is that for the establishment of the order of items in a column. In other words something with a weight of 99 would be up top of said column or vice versa. If my items get that long, that is up to 99 items, it might make sense to put some on a new page. I'd hate to have someone scroll through 99 items to find something.
Thanks,
Bruce

after you login in as admin go to administration menu -> system admin, from menu selectect blocks. once in blocks screen scroll down until you see "Add a new block"
so okay you can specify where as in left or right or center and so on.

once you have created custom block, select submit and you should now see your custom block in block list.

you then have to set permissions, so go to system admin, from menu select groups and once in groups screen select anoymous and you can then set permission for your new block.

Thanks that did it. However, I did find it unresponsive to changes in the font, color, size etc. Maybe I'm doing it wrong but I selected edit and then looking at the text block I selected some text and changed the font, the size and color. I then went and looked at the site that an anonymous user sees and it was unchanged, after I submitted my change.
So, now I added a newsfeed to the Headlines just to see if I had that figured out. So, I'm subscribed to some groups on Bloglines. I forget how I found that, probably after searching on the terms rss newsfeeds and atom. I took one subscription and by holding my mouse over the feed link I could get the web site and the feed. If I clicked on the link for the feed, the browser would not display anything.
I'd like to find some feeds for writers, artists, poets, and a few jokes, etc. I also like keeping up with technology news so that is cool to have. I asked this earlier but it seems like there might be a better way to get the news feeds. Is there a site that will list a good selection of feeds?
Oh, a few other quick questions. Is a Module something that everyone sees? meaning the anonymous visitor and the registered as well as webmaster, or do I need to setup permissions and display options for each type of user as to what the site will look like? It's cool that the block doesn't appear for registered users as it is not needed, to ask them to register. I'm guessing here that if 3 center columns are permitted then the size of each block is going to shrink in width as I add more, is that correct? I don't need to add a block to set a place for a module do I?
I guess I should have numbered these questions. It's good to have help and a CMS that is actually useful and well designed in terms of how to understand what is there. I looked at other CMS systems as a compete newbie and was left wondering what does this mean? and I do consider myself rather intelligent and able to figure things out, if people would design and describe things better.
I'd really appreciate some leads on adding some news feeds, atom and rss. thanks,
Bruce
http://wordsalad.net/CognitiveContent/ - my XOOPS site.

yes you would have to set permissions for diff groups to see diff blocks. on the headline thing i had a link i will look for and let you know. and yes you are using a three column layout.

check this link:http://www.jmagar.com/index.php?y=0&myh=user&myh_op=showLink&myh_link=1

there is a module there for xoops, but i am not sure if this is what you want and i cannot offer any support on this one as i have never tried it. please note it is designed for ver 2.0.2 so not sure if it will work with later versions of xoops.

edit: i assume you have checked out the XOOPS headline module.

Yeah, I visited the XOOPS headline module but I didn't notice any particulars on finding news feeds or adding them to a site. The newsfeeds I added recently don't seem to be doing much. So, I'm not sure how good they are specified. The only one that has a list of headlines is the one for XOOPS that seems to have come with the program or application. I'll have to look around more with the headlines module. I guess I do that specifically from my site or I could look at the documentation to the left here to see if any more light can be shed on the issue. I donwloaded the link you gave me, now to see if it helps me actually find newsfeeds and add them to my site.
Bruce

I think I overlooked the obvious though this was helpful. I noticed that when an anonymous visitor comes to the site it already does display the request to register. So, I didn't need to create a custom block.

Anyway, for visitors to my communit that may not know what different modules mean, such as Stories, News, Headlines, etc. does anyone have any example sites of how they have presented that for the newly registered and the anonymous visitors. I wouldn't mind some links to review on some sites. I plan to use this on a number of sites, one being my high school alumni web site. While it may not be hard to refer people with a link saying, when you get the site, and if you are an alumni, please register. But for the newly registered they won't know what the modules mean or what is there. So, I have a few options, one, change the buttons, if possible that link to News, Headlines, etc. or two include a block that doesn't waste too much space that just overviews the different links, modules, blocks.
So, if someone can recommend a good site to check out that addresses this, please post the link.
Thanks,
Bruce
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