Blog

A blog is a collection of article-like items that can be authored by one or more editors around a particular subject. Blogs consist of two content types: Blog serving as the container, and Blog Post from which editors create individual posts. A blog typically contains multiple blog posts.

This section provides an example for setting up a blog.

Step 1: Create a new site

Follow the directions in Creating a site.

Step 2: Configure ad sizes

In this step you specify the ads and their sizes.

1. Click menu > Admin > Sites & Settings.
2. In the Sites widget, click the site you created in Step 1. The Edit Site widget appears.
3. Click Front-End > Ads.
4. To disable ads on the podcast, enter the your secret code to the Disable Ads Parameter Value field in the following format: http://www.yourdomain.com?disableAds=<yoursecretcode>.
5. Under Ad Sizes, click add_circle_outline. A form appears.
6. In the Width and Height fields, enter 100.
7. Click add_circle_outline to add a second ad size.
8. In the Width field enter 800, and in the Height field enter 200. Your form looks similar to the following:
   

   

9. Click Save.
10. In CMS Preview Disabled Ad Sizes, you can specify ad sizes to not display if the CMS detects them during preview by using the selection field. To specify more than one ad size, click add_circle_outline and select the additional ad sizes you want preview to suppress.
11. Under Ad Modules, click add_circle_outline, and select an ad service. A form appears.
12. Fill out the form for an ad to be sized at 100×100, then repeat for the ad to be sized at 800×200. Your form looks similar to the following:
    

    

13. Click Save.

Step 3: Set up the page layout

In this step you create layouts for your header, footer, and main section. The main section’s layout includes an ad above the blog post and an ad wrapped within the blog post.

1. Continuing in the Edit Site widget, define the hat, navigation and footer as described in Setting the site layout.

2. Under Front-End, under Layout, add a placeholder for the large advertisement above the blog post:

   1. From the Above list, select Replace. A list box appears.
   2. Click add_circle_outline and select Ad. A form appears with a selection field.
   3. Select the ad associated with the 800×200 size, and close the content picker. Your form looks similar to the following:
      

      

3. Add a placeholder for the small advertisement:

   1. From the Aside list, select Replace. A list box appears.
   2. Click add_circle_outline and select Ad. A form appears with a selection field.
   3. Select the ad associated with the 100×100 size, and close the content picker.
4. For the remaining fields, keep the defaults.
5. Click Save.
6. Add a form for visitors to submit comments to blog posts. Under Front-End, under Community, from the Commentable Types list, select Blog Post.
   

   

7. Click Save.

Step 4: Add an action bar

Follow the directions in Adding an action bar.

Step 5: Add a blog

Now you begin the hard work of developing and publishing content.

1. In the header, click add.
2. From the Create list, select Blog. A content edit page appears.
3. Set up your blog in the content edit form.
4. Complete your site’s workflow and publish the blog.

Step 6: Add an initial blog post

1. In the header, click add.
2. From the Create list, select Blog Post. A content edit page appears.
3. Write your blog post in the content edit form.
4. In the Blog field, select the blog that you created in Step 5.
5. In the Sites widget, from the Owner list, select your site. Brightspot applies the settings you made in the previous steps.
6. Complete your site’s workflow and publish the blog post.

On a blog, Brightspot lists blog posts in reverse chronological order, so visitors see the most recent postings first. You can pin blog posts so that they always appear first in the list.

To pin blog posts:

1. Search for and open the blog in the content edit page.
2. Drag posts from Dynamic Posts to Pinned Posts.
3. Reorder the pinned posts by dragging them with the mouse.
4. Click Publish.