Here at TuscanyCircle, each registered user may create his own blog, to which anyone else may comment. Also, stories (a wiki page, as opposed to a blog entry) may be added, and books may be written. Of course, we also have a forum feature, too.

One of the primary features of this site is the ability to comment on just about any item that appears there. You can add comments to stories and blog posts by other members, as well as news and commentary items, and even the poll. The site is constructed to be an open forum for discussion and sharing of views and ideas. Take advantage of it!

Creating content

The main point of TuscanyCircle is to enable its members to post material to the site. These instructions explain how that is done.

The first step is to click on the "content" link in the action area and then "create content". This will open a sub-menu listing the different types of content that can be posted. (Note that not all of these features may be enabled for all users.)

They are distinguished as follows.

Blog entry

This is your opportunity to stand on your soap box and preach to whomever you wish. TuscanyCircle provides each member with a personal blog, where no one else can post (though anyone can comment on anyone else's blog post). The blog category is primarily for opinion-oriented posts (as opposed to "story" posts -- see below).

Book page

In the context of TuscanyCircle, a "book" is intended to be a collection of pages containing information on a single topic. Once a book has been created, anyone can add pages. Once a book has accumulated some content, it will hopefully comprise a useful source of information about that topic.

Forum topic

If you want to open a discussion with several participants, the forum is a great place to do so. More than just one user's soap box, but perhaps not as factual as a story (below) or book, a forum topic can be used to explore a subject in a round-table discussion format.

Menu Page

A plain "menu page" is normally considered a static page that is typically linked from the navigation menu.

Poll

You can create your own poll. You can add the title and the choices. (Follow the directions on the entry page if you need more choices.) When complete, it will be made available for other members to take, and the results will be displayed on the main page.

Wiki Story

Stories are similar to blog posts, but their intent is different. They should be used to convey factual content, such as a link to another item on the web, rather than opinion. Of course, comments that accompany the linked item are completely appropriate.