Help
Help
1. General questions
2. Personal menu
3. Main menu
4. Meta menu
5. Forum
6. Surveys
7. Symbols
1. General questions
1.1 What is the structure of the online discourse website?
The website is divided into 3 columns and the navigation is divided into 4 menus:
In the centre of the screen is the main menu with the options:
- Home
- Forums
- Ideas
- Library
- On the left hand side is the sub menu with the topics relating to the menu option you've chosen.
- At the top right hand side is the meta navigation menu options, which gives more general information about the project, how to use the site, etc.
- In the right hand column is your personal menu, which allows you to change your setup and look at your personal login data.
1.2 How do I navigate?
You can move the mouse freely on the screen and the mouse pointer changes when you hover over an object with a special function. For example, when you activate the function “new article” you write your text into the template and you can navigate up and down the screen using the scroll bars on the right hand side.
1.3 How do I register?
Anyone new wishing to register can do so by clicking the “Register now!” button in the grey box on the right side of the screen. A registration form will then ask you to enter details of your username, password, email address etc. Once you press the “Send” button, you will receive a confirmation email telling you that your login to the Consultation site has been registered. On receipt of this email, you will be able to “Login” to the site and make contributions to the discussions, write new articles, etc.
In addition you can use your Facebook or Google Account to login by clicking the respective links unter the register now button.
1.7 Who should I contact if I have a problem?
All queries regarding the site should be sent via email to heaven@tutech.de
This includes issues relating to content published on the site or any technical probelms. Enquiries will then be filtered and re-directed to the most appropriate person.
2. Personal details
2.1 Personal menu
This menu is only available once you are logged in to the site and offers you the following features:
- “Contributions”: Lists all your own contributions made to date, as well as those of other participants you’ve marked with the bookmark function.
- “Profiles” provides you with your personal data that you can change or make visible to other participants.
2.2 What can I do if someone insults me in the forum?
In this case please contact the moderator. You can communicate with them by opening the list of all participants and clicking on his profile. Then you receive a form where you can insert your message and press the button “Send”.
2.3 What happens to my personal data?
All personal data will be treated absolutely anonymously and confidentially and won’t be passed on to third persons under any circumstances.
3. Main menu
3.1 Navigation of the Main Menu:
- “Home”: An overview of the current forums, general news articles, announcements, updates, surveys, etc. These can be accessed by mouse click.
- “Forums”: This item will bring you directly into the Forums
- “Ideas”: You can use browse the list of ideas relating to the study or post your own idea or hint.
- “Library”: Any additional information that we think may be of interest to some participants, who like to review all available information before coming to a decision. Also, the regular summaries of the moderators, press releases as well as the collection of all ideas (Wikis) developed by the participants. All articles, documents and other material can be opened and/or downloaded by mouse click.
3.2 What are wiki-dokuments?
In the discussion process, typically within the second phase, Wikis might come into operation. A Wiki enables documents to be written collaboratively, in a simple markup language using a web browser. A defining characteristic of Wiki technology is the easy creation and updating of pages. Wikis will be opened exclusively to the registered users to be worked out collaboratively, for example to extract the most important results / ideas / concepts of the ongoing discussion in one thematic sub forum. They can be edited in real-time and appear almost instantaneously online. The moderators take care of the adequate use and intervene in case of rule violation.
The design of a Wiki document will be adapted to its intended purpose and appear like a specific web form with different boxes that refers to the specific discussion goal [to be adapted].
Every wiki can be changed continuously but has also a history of the different versions.
3.3 Where do I find the wiki-documents?
They will be opened in those thematic sub forums they are belonging to. You will find them in a list on the right hand side next to the corresponding sub forum. A list of all Wikis might be implemented in the library, too.
3.4 What do the numbers behind the different forums on the homepage indicate?
These numbers show the amount of new messages of the day in the different forums. They also indicate which specific aspect of the discussion is currently the most active.
4. Meta navigation
The meta menu is located at the top right hand side of the site
- “Help”: explains all functions and features of the system and how to use them.
- “About us”: provides you with an overview of the project coordinators.
- “Rules“: provides detailed information about the proceeding of the discussions, the netiquette, which is obligatory for all participants. In addition, you’ll find which measures the moderator will use in case of rule violations and information about data security.
- “RSS”: you can receive current messages.
5. Forums
5.1 How are the forums subdivided and represented?
You enter the forums directly from the homepage which displays a list of all forums and sub forums which are currently online [current forum]. Each forum concerns a certain topic indicated by its name.
If you click on a forum, a list of all the contributions and answers that have been made to-date are displayed. In the headline of the single contributions you’ll find information about the author, initiation date, number of associated answers, etc. If you click either on the heading or “more”, you see the whole text of the contribution, as well as any replies, which are listed underneath.
The order of contributions changes dynamically, which means that the newest one is always displayed at the top of the forum and older ones move downwards until someone replies to them again.
5.2 How can I participate in a forum?
You have to be logged in to write a contribution to a forum (anyone can read postings). For more information about registering on the site, see section 1.3 above. Once you are logged in you can click on any forum and enter it. Then you can either write a new contribution on the first level by clicking the button “New article” or answering another existing contribution by opening it and pressing the button “Answer”. In both cases you receive a form where you insert your text and press the button “Send”. Your posting will then be displayed in the list of the forum contributions.
5.3 Can I enter every forum?
Generally, yes. But some of the forums – so called “expert forums” - might be restricted for specific persons or experts who can write messages in this forum whereas the public is only allowed to read them.
5.4 Can I start a new forum?
No. Only administrators and moderators can start a forum. But you can suggest a forum be initiated.
5.5 What is an expert forum?
An expert forum is a forum where only invited person can discuss their specific expert field. All the other participants only allowed to read their contributions.
5.6 How do I participate in a sub forum?
Just like in the other forums you open the sub forum and write your contribution or reply to an existing contribution.
5.7 What happens in the feedback forum?
Here you can discuss topics which are not really interlinked to the central discussion issue. It can be used to clarify technical problems or questions about the ongoing proceeding.
6. Surveys
6.1 How can I participate in a survey?
To participate in a survey you have to be logged in. Then you click on the header of the survey and answer the questions. Normally, every participant has just one vote. The results will be currently updated and shown automatically.
