33rd & 424th District Courts

The whole idea of a Content Management System style of web site -- which this is -- is for users to be able to add content and comment on existing content. It is user-centric rather than webmaster-centric.

In sections above we've covered how to navigate about the site. Now you need to know how to view the content and then add comments, if you wish to get interactively involved.

Viewing: Each item of content is termed in the 'drupal world' as a node. Forget that. We'll call it an 'item' for clarity. Viewing an item varies slightly depending upon which theme format is being used on the site but this will be written for the default theme in use at the time this is written.

Locate an item you might want to read. It'll be in a box with a title at the top and some options at the bottom.

Find the title. It will be at the top of the item, in bold, and it's a standard web hyperlink. Just under the box surrounding the item will be a link to 'read more' if there is more content than is shown in the box. The material shown (if less than the whole item) is called a 'teaser' and is essentially an introduction.

Read the whole item by clicking either the title or the 'read more' link.

There are various optional links across the bottom of the item as follows:

• add new comment (or the number of comments): they're synonomous in action, depending only on whether there are comments already made. Click and you'll see the full item plus all comments. The comments may be viewed in many ways ... my recommendation is Threaded - Expanded.
• add new comment: this adds a new comment without quoting the prior text. You may add a comment to the main item or to an existing comment.
• quote: This adds a comment (as above) but quotes the preceding item first.

Caution: It is considered poor 'netiquette' to quote the entirety of an item just as it is poor form to quote an entire email when replying. Once you begin your comment you'll see the prior entry sandwiched between quote=username >> and . /quote . You can cut out unnecessary text by highlighting (in the edit box) with your mouse and pressing DELETE. Please delete all but what is directly relevant to your comment.


• subscribe (or unsubscribe): Toggles subscribing to an item to which you are already subscribed, or subscribing if you are not.

You will usually want to be subscribed to anything in which you have become a participant. You get an email. [subscriptions|read here about subscriptions]