FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is it meant to be so much like WordPress when ya log in? It even says WordPress all over it.

A: Yes it is a WordPress blog, but not hosted at wordpress.com. WordPress is free software so it is community maintained and free to use and change etc, but there is also a company called Automattic which run a website called wordpress.com. They offer a service which is free to use but which has certain problems with privacy. So the idea of this project is to offer all the great features of the software without the drawback of the privacy issues. There’s other blogging software out there but we’re using WordPress for this project so far.

Q: Is it possible to transfer data from an already existing wordpress site to n23 in an easier way than individually transferring each bit post by post?

A: Yes. On your old blog, go to the Tools menu and export the site to your PC desktop. Then, On your new blog, go to the Tools menu and import your blog. Select the WordPress link and upload your exported file. You’ll be asked whether you want to pull media across, too. You can also do this with exported Blogger or Blogspot files. We can enable others if needed, get in contact.

Q: We have moved from wordpress.com to a network23.org blog. How should we let our readers know? Can you do an automatic redirect?

A:You can do an automatic redirect from wordpress but they make you pay 15 dollars – http://en.support.wordpress.com/site-redirect/

Alternatively, you can move all the posts to your new blog, and then delete them from your original site. Then you can put up a splash screen to clearly show you have moved. Example – http://socialmediacentre.wordpress.com/

Q: Can I get a Twitter feed to show in the sidebar?

A: Use the twitter widget to have a twitter feed in your sidebar. Keep people updated! Support – http://en.support.wordpress.com/widgets/twitter-widget/

Q: We have bought a domain name and want to point it to our network 23 blog how can we do this? Can we get it so that our bought domain name stays in the address bar?

A: There are a few solutions.
Domain Mapping: This involves pointing the domain address to our server and then your blog will have your name in. Have a look at this help page to do this.

Non-Framed (normal) Forwarding: This will allow you or anyone else to enter your domain name into a web browser and the browser will automatically forward and switch to your existing website (i.e. https://network23.org/yourblog). Your domain name will not appear in the browser’s URL or Address bar, but display your existing website address instead. This will allow you to give out your domain web address, but allow the browser to load pages and fully display web addresses without being locked into a restrictive frame page.

Framed Forwarding: Your domain name will be set-up so that when you or someone else enters your domain name in a web browser, it will display your domain name in the browser’s URL or Address bar and load in your existing website (i.e. https://network23.org/yourblog) within a hidden frame. Your domain will remain visible as the web address even if a link on your website takes you to a different web address or website. This can be annoying for many people as it will prevent the real web address from appearing in the browser’s URL or Address bar when viewing a different website or URL within your own website.

Q: How do I make Images exactly the right size? Or I cannot click on the “medium” or “large” buttons when inserting image into post… only it stays on “thumbnail” option.

A: For full flexibility of how big your image is, You’ll need to alter the Advanced Settings of the image. To do this you should click on the image in your post. you should stil be in the edit mode. If you have published your post and are looking at the final result you’ll need to edit again.

 

When you click on the image in the post post then you’ll see two options appear.

The first is a image of a landscape, this allows you to change the settings of the image. The second is a red circle which is use to delete the image if you no longer want it to appear in your post.

Click on the image of the landscape. You’ll see a dialogue box similar to when you first inserted in the image into the post. There is a new tab which says advanced settings. Click on that. You should then be able to set the size of the image exactly there.

Check here for graphical instructions – http://write.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/creating-an-image-gallery/

Q: My blog looks boring. How can I change the look?

A: If you need help on changing the look of your site by changing your theme or uploading a new ‘header image’ (the one that appears at the top) then there is help which may be of use here: http://write.flossmanuals.net/wordpress/using-themes/

The particular sections that may be most useful to you when you are customising the look of your new blog are:

Q: Why is the connection not secure when I connect to my blog?
A: Because the people who run your browser want us to pay for a certificate to some obscure certificate authority but we prefer to do this in a more autonomus way. You may need to go to the advance options of the warning and repond on the positive to access your blog in a secure way