For those of you who haven’t used a WordPress blog before, here are a few tips for posting and reading posts.

First, you will need to log in by clicking on the “Login / Logout” link at the top of the right sidebar. You’ll be taken to a login screen where you will need to enter your username and password. If you don’t have one, send an email to our contact email address below and I’ll issue you one.

After you log in, you will be taken to the screen called the Dashboard that looks like this (click on the thumbnail for the larger version):

From the dashboard, you can begin to write a post by clicking on the “Write a New Post” button. This will take you to the compose page, which looks like this:

The Write Post page looks like a word processor with a few options. You can categorize a post so that it is easily accessible using the categories links on the lower part of the left sidebar. The default category is “uncategorized”, so you should remember to check the appropriate category for your post. Posts that are categorized “discussions” are easily accessible using the link under “Forum” on the lower part of the left sidebar.

Remember that your post will not be private unless you check the “Keep this post private” checkbox above the Save and Publish buttons to the right of the compose area. When you check “Keep this post private” only registered and logged in members of Redwood Rainbows will be able to see your post.

To edit or delete your post at a later time, click on the “Manage” button at the top.

By default, comments are turned on for our posts. This means we can have a discussion by adding comments to the post by clicking on the “comments” link at the bottom of the post. If you’re a registered user, your comment will appear immediately; if you aren’t logged in, it will go not be published until I review it. Moderated comments are a way for us to avoid getting spam in our blog.

If you would like additional categories, just email me at contact@redwoodrainbows.org and I’ll add it.

That’s pretty much it. Feel free to explore the Dashboard and your profile.