Users:

Public users have limited access to the website unless they register on the site and log in.  Newly registered users are automatically assigned the role of Subscriber.  WordPress provides roles for Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber.  Only an Administrator, an Editor, an Author, or a Contributor has access to the Dashboard.  Subscribers gain only permissions to view and update their account and profile, but still have limited access to view the website resources and no access to comment or edit any pages or posts.

The plug-in “Ultimate Member” has been installed on the Beacon website to allow creation of additional roles.  After a user registers as a Subscriber, the administrator evaluates the users as a Member, Friend, or Visitor.  If the registered users cannot be verified as a Member, Friend, or Visitor, they remain as a Subscriber.  Users verified as Visitors gain additional access to view pages and posts that do not include Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or sensitive business information.  Verification of Friends and Members is based on the Beacon Directory.  Friends and Members gain access to view PII and Members gain access to view all pages and posts.

Roles:

Contributors, Authors, and Editors have limited access to the dashboard.  These roles have been slightly modified from the standard WordPress roles.  Administrators have full access to the Dashboard to view and edit all pages and posts, update and modify the website theme and plug-ins, and manage users. 

Contributors 

Can edit, publish, and delete their own posts

Can assign categories and manage, edit and assign tags

Can upload files, manage links, and read

Authors 

Can edit, publish, and delete their own posts

Can edit and publish their own pages

Can assign categories and manage, edit and assign tags

Can upload files, manage links, and read

Editors 

Can edit, publish, and delete their own and others’ posts

Can edit, publish, and delete their own and others’ pages

Can delete categories tags

Can read private posts and pages

Can upload files, manage links, moderate comments and read

These three roles are added to specific members who have agreed to work with the administrators to maintain an organized and efficient website.  If you are a member with one of these additional roles, you will need to log in to see the WordPress banner at the top of the page.  At the left end the banner there is another icon for Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation.  Hover over it and click the word “Dashboard” below the icon.  If you need to , select the full screen option in the upper right corner of the browser to see the full menu on the left.  What you see in the menu depends on your role.  You may return to the website by hovering over the home icon on the WordPress banner and selecting “Visit Site.”

Media:

The media library is available to members with contributor, author, or editor roles.  It contains files uploaded to the website.  These files may be photos, images, diagrams, or documents.  Photos, images, and diagrams are commonly either in JPG or PNG format. Other formats may work, but we recommend these two.  Diagrams may also be presented in PDF format.  The recommended format for documents is PDF because of the ubiquity of PDF readers.  DOC or DOCX format are not recommended except in rare cases where it is known that the user needs to be able to edit the document and has the capability to do so.

Before uploading any document, you should first look to see if it has already been uploaded.  Once a duplicate file has been uploaded, it should not be deleted unless you are certain that it has not been linked anywhere on the site.  Deleting it may cause a broken link.  When updating an obsolete file, you must first upload the file.  Then update the link on each page that uses that file.  You may then delete to obsolete file if you are sure you have updated all the links to the new file.

Posts and Pages:

The difference between posts and pages is primarily their purpose.  Pages form the structure of the website.  They are linked in a rather static structure to present information about an institution or agency.  Posts contribute to blogs.  They are dated articles appended to a list of articles for providing current time sensitive information about specific topics.

On our website, editors, authors, and contributors have access to post.  Contributors cannot create or edit a page, but editors and authors can.  Blogs have been created for specific members to use.  Contributors and authors may only create, manage, and edit their own posts.  Authors may also create, manage, and edit their own pages.  Different blogs are distinguished by categories on our website.  This requires each blogger to select the category specific to their blog.  While it would be possible for a contributor or author to post to another bloggers category, it should be avoided.  Contributors and authors cannot edit a post to their category from another blogger.

Creating and Editing a Page or a Post:

By selecting either Posts or Pages from the menu on the left, you can select to add a new post or page or see a list of all posts or pages to edit.  Whether you are on the website or the dashboard, you may create a new page or post or upload a file to the media library by clicking the plus sign on the WordPress banner.  The tool for creating and editing posts and pages is quite powerful.  There are online tutorials you may find helpful. You can also subscribe to forums for help using WordPress.  You can also find help uploading to the Media Library.