UO Blogs: FAQ

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Overview

This article provides answers to frequently asked questions about UO Blogs.

Information

How do I create a UO-related blog?

UO Blogs can be used to create blogs with UO-related content.

UO-related content can include:

UO-related activities.
UO groups.
UO faculty and staff.
Anything else affiliated with the University of Oregon.

For instructions on creating your blog, see Setting Up Your First Blog.

Can I change my blog URL?

Once you create a blog, there are two ways to change the URL of the blog:

Departments and administrative units may request a UO URL if they meet certain requirements. See Domain Mapping for UO Blogs for more information.
An administrator can clone your existing site to a new site with an updated blog URL (blogs.uoregon.edu/SITENAME). If you'd like to clone your site, click the Create a ticket button at the top right of the Web Development & Hosting Support page.

How do I change the title of my blog?

For instructions on how to change your blog title, see How to Change Your Blog Title.

Can I import content from another blog?

You can easily import content from a Wordpress blog into your UO Blog! For instructions, see UO Blogs: How To Import Content From Another Blog.

How do I navigate between blog dashboards?

For more information, see Navigating between different blog dashboards inside your account.

How can I delete my blog?

For more information, see How to delete a blog.

Note: This will permanently delete your blog.

What happens to my blog or website after I graduate?

You will have access to your blog or website for one calendar year after graduation to make edits. If you would like to keep your site after you leave the UO, you will need to migrate your content to another content management system (wordpress.org, wordpress.com, blogger.com, etc.). For instructions on how to export your content, see UO Blogs: How To Import Content From Another Blog. Sites or blogs that are inactive for more than two years will be archived.

How do I change the privacy settings of my blog?

The privacy settings of your site determine who can view your site and who cannot. There are six different privacy settings to choose from.

For more information, see Change Site Privacy (from EduBlogs).

How do I create a custom navigation menu?

Users have the ability to create custom navigation menus for their site. For instructions on how to do this, see Creating a custom menu.

Please be aware that UO Blogs limits the number of menu items a site can have. If you have a menu with approximately 50 or more items, you may have difficulty adding additional items. If your site requires a large number of menu items, we recommend splitting your items across multiple menus.

Can I export my blog content?

To export all posts, pages, comments, custom fields, categories, and tags:

Log into UO Blogs.
On the top left hover over My Site and choose the blog you want to export.
Go to your Dashboard.
Click on Tools.
Click on Export.
Choose what you want to export.
Click on Download Export File.

This will create an XML file to save to your computer. You can then use this file to import your blog content to another WordPress installation.

Can I use a WordPress theme or plugin in UO Blogs?

UO Blogs has a long list of plugins and themes available for customers to use to customize their sites. These plugins and themes have been thoroughly tested to ensure that they are secure and compatible. Please note that once you download a plugin, you must commit to maintaining the plugin for it to remain integrated with your blog. Because WordPress changes slightly from update to update, themes and plugins often need to be modified to maintain functionality.

Themes

We ask that users try to utilize the themes available to them before requesting access to additional themes for UO Blogs. If there is a custom theme you would like to use, see UO Blogs: Custom Themes for more information.

Plugins

In order to keep our UO Blogs network safe and reliable, we do not allow plugins other than those currently offered on UO Blogs to be installed unless granted by a special request. Supporting hundreds of different plugins can be risky and create problems during upgrades. To inquire about a custom plugin, click on "Request Help" at the top of the page.

How do I change the theme of my blog?

The default theme for all blogs is TwentyFifteen.

If you would like to change your theme for UO-related use, you will need to use the UO Banner Plugin to change your theme. If you would like to change your theme for personal use, see Changing your Blog's Theme. Note: if you are using your blog for personal use, see Can I use UO Blogs to create a personal blog? below.

What themes are available?

For a list of available themes, see UO Blogs: Overview of Available Themes.

For instructions on how to change your theme, see UO Blogs: Managing Themes, Appearance, and Widgets on Your Blog.

What should I consider when choosing a theme for my blog?

For some tips on choosing a theme, see Choosing Your Theme.

How do I add an additional administrator to my blog?

Additional administrators can be added to your blog. Typically, you would add an administrator to a blog if you want others to write blog posts or if your blog is private (i.e only visible to registered subscribers). For more information, see UO Blogs: Adding and Deleting Users From Your Blog.

How do I change the role of a user on my blog?

For instructions on how modifying user roles or removing a user from your blog, see Changing user roles.

How do I enable email subscriptions on my blog?

You can allow other people to subscribe to your blog by adding an email subscription widget to your sidebar. When readers subscribe, they will receive an email each time your publish a new post. For instructions on adding email subscriptions, see Enabling Email Subscriptions on your Blog.

Can guests use UO Blogs?

Yes, guests visiting the University of Oregon can request guest UO Blogs accounts to create a blog during their time on campus. To request a UO Blogs account, a faculty or staff member will need to sponsor the account. They can do so by filling out this form. See UO Blogs: Guest Policy for more information.

Can I use UO Blogs to create a personal blog?

Yes, UO Blogs can be used to create personal blogs. For all personal blog use, you are responsible for adding the following disclaimer to your blog:

"This site is maintained by the author for personal and professional communications as authorized by the University of Oregon's computer use policies. Unless otherwise indicated, the content and opinions expressed on this web site do not necessarily reflect the views of nor are they endorsed by the University of Oregon or the Oregon University System."

The disclaimer for UO personal blogs is required to maintain compliance with the Terms of Service for Academic Web Publishing and Collaboration Services and other UO Policies.

What is my blog dashboard and how do I use it?

The first screen you see when you log into your blog is the Dashboard. Your Dashboard provides a quick overview of your blog while also supplying tools to navigate to other areas of your administrative panel. For more information and how to use your Dashboard, see Using Your Dashboard.

What is the difference between posts and pages?

Posts: Posts are where you publish the latest update or new articles on your blog.

Pages: Pages are used for information that you want to share with your readers, such as contact information.

For more information on the differences between posts and pages, see The Difference between Posts and Pages.

How do I begin writing posts for my blog?

Blogs are composed of two main structures: posts and pages. For an explanation of the difference between posts and pages, see Differences Between Blog Posts and Pages. For instructions on writing your first post to your blog, see Writing Your First Post.

How do I edit my posts?

Posts can be edited at any point in time. For instructions on how to edit your posts, see Editing Posts.

How do I insert a document, PDF, or PowerPoint file into my post?

You can upload documents, PDFs, PowerPoint files directly to your blog posts. This does not directly embed the file into your posts, however; rather, a link to the file is inserted. When readers click on the link to the file, the file will either open up in another web browser or download the file to their computer.

For instructions on how to insert documents, PDFs, or PowerPoint files into your posts, see Inserting Documents, PDF and PowerPoint into your Posts.

How can I add categories and tags to my post?

Tags and categories on posts are used to help readers locate information in different ways. For more information on tagging and categorizing your posts, see Adding Tags and Categories to a Post.

Can I schedule a post to appear at a later date?

For more information, see Scheduling a Post For a Later Date.

Note: This function only works for public blogs and sites. You cannot schedule a post for private sites.

Can I use my mobile device to post to my blog?

Yes, you can use your mobile device to post to your blog by accessing the blog as you normally would on your computer.

Can I edit my posts in bulk?

To apply a change to many posts at once, go to the admin bar on the left and click Posts. Next, in the menu that appears, click All Posts. In that interface, select the posts you want to edit, select an action, and click Apply.

For more information, see Bulk editing posts to apply changes to multiple posts.

How do I begin writing pages?

Pages are used for information that you want to share with your readers but don't expect to update frequently. For instructions on how to write posts and tips for writing pages, see Writing Pages.

What is the Divi Builder?

For more information on using the Divi Builder, see the articles below:

What is an About page?

An about page is where the reader find information about you and your blog. For more information about setting up your About page, see Writing your About Page.

Can I change the page order in my blog?

For more information on changing the order of page viewing for your blog, see Changing page order in your blog navigation.

Can I control who comments on my posts or pages?

Yes, you can change your default comment settings to give you full control. For instructions on how to change your comment settings, see Controlling Who Can Comment.

Where can I find more information about comments?

Comments are an important part of blogging; they allow your readers to add feedback to posts and pages. For more information about comments, see Comments Overview.

How do I manage, edit, and approve comments?

For instructions on how to manage your comments, see Managing, Editing and Approving Comments.

Can I disable comments for posts and pages?

If you do not want people commenting on your posts or pages, you can disable comments. For instructions on how to disable comments, see Disabling Comments.

How do I insert links in my comments?

Inserting links into your comments is more difficult than placing links in a post or a page. For instructions on how to insert links into your comments, see Writing Links in Comments.

How can I insert links into my blog?

For more information on how to link to information, see How to insert links in your post.

How do I import links to UO Blogs?

To import links from a previous version of WordPress to UO Blogs, follow these instructions:

Type https://<sitename>/wp-links-opml.php into the address bar.
Copy this URL.
Go to the UO Blogs site's dashboard for which you are importing the links to.
Select Tools.
Select Import.
Select Blogroll.
Paste the URL into the Specify an OPML URL: field.
Optional: Select a category for the links.
Select Import OPML File.

How do I insert an image into my posts?

For instructions on how to insert images into your posts, see Inserting images, pictures and photos into a post and page.

How do I insert a photo gallery into my post?

A photo gallery can be used to display a series of photos on a post or page. For instructions on how to insert a photo gallery into your post or page, see Inserting a Photo Gallery into your post.

How do I add video or audio files to my posts?

For instructions on how to add video or audio files to your posts, see Inserting Video or Audio Files into your Posts.

Note: we only allow the following file formats: AVI, DOC, DOCX, FJSW, FLP, GIF, INS, ISF, IST, JPEG, JPG, KES, KMZ, M4A, M4V, MAX, MOV, MP3, MP4, NOTEBOOK, PDF, PNG, PPT, PPTX, SWF, TE, WAV, WMV, WXR, XBK, XLS, XLSX, XML, and ZIP.

How do I embed videos into my posts?

For instructions on how to embed videos into your posts, see Embedding Videos from Video Sharing Websites into your Posts.

How do I manage my Media Library?

All media files that you have uploaded to posts or pages are listed in your Media Library. For instructions on managing your Media Library, see Managing your Media Library.

What plugins are available for UO Blogs?

A list of available plugins and their description can be found here: UO Blogs: Recommended Plugins.

How do I activate a plugin?

For instructions on how to activate plugins for your blog, see Activating Your Plugins.

There are too many plugins to choose from. Which ones should I use?

For a list of recommended plugins, see UO Blogs: Recommended Plugins.

What widgets are available for me to use?

Widgets are tools that you can add, arrange, or remove from the areas of your blog. For more information and a list of available widgets, see UO Blogs: UO Libraries Widget. For instructions on how to change your sidebar widgets, see Changing Your Sidebar Widgets.

What is a pingback?

A pingback happens when another blogger writes a post and includes a link to your posts in their post.

How can I change my personal settings?

In the menu bar on the left side of your UO Blogs dashboard, click "Users" and then click "Your Profile." You can then modify the profile settings for that account. For more information see Changing your personal settings in your profile.

How do I add and use a wiki on my blog?

For instructions on how to add and use the wiki feature for your blog, see Adding and Using a Wiki on Your Blog (from EduBlogs).

How can I change or delete a blogs username?

There is no way to delete or change your blogs username in the system. However, you can change your display name (what your name appears as).

For more information, see Changing or Deleting A Username.

Can I add and use a forum on my blog?

The forum feature is no longer available in UO Blogs.

How do I add Google Maps to my blog?

The Google Maps (or WPMU DEV Maps) plugin allows you to easily embed Google Maps into your blog.

For instructions on how to add Google Maps, see Adding Google Maps to Posts, Pages, or Sidebar.

How do I set up Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a free tool that provides detailed statistics on visits to your blog.

For information about setting up Google Analytics for your blog, see Setting up Google Analytics on Your Blog.

Why can't I log in with a Role/Department Account?

Unfortunately, role/department accounts are ineligible for blogs access.

If you did not find a solution to your issue, feel free to contact the Technology Service Desk

By Live Chat.
By Phone: 541-346-HELP.