[ zdvideo ]url[ /zdvideo ]

into a post (without the spaces.) This can either be the youtube url (which we really don’t want) of the url to which actually goes to the movie on the server.

Where on the server? WP won’t let me upload the file, or tells me that it isn’t an acceptable file format.

Outside of the wordpress installation there’s a folder named “videos” so the url will be “http://www.modelermagic.com/videos/your-flv-file.flv” when that’s in the post and the post is saved it’ll look something like this:

This may sound easy, but a large portion of the population has writing anxiety to one degree or another. A person may be used to writing in a forum or typing thoughts out in a chat during a conversation, but freeze up when it comes to pecking out a blog post.

To get over the hump, spend some time reading posts from different authors on MMM. Notice that while some are quite detailed, others write in a very essential and brief statements. Either style (or anything in between) is perfectly acceptable.

Authors and contributors can always write a post, save it, and request that an admin proof read and publish the post if you are unsure about spelling or grammar. (We’re not grammar gods by any means, still we’re pretty good at spotting common mistakes.)

You don’t have to go it alone, writing posts gets easier with practice, but if for any reason you need some help drop me an email or skype me.

The first role is Subscriber, this user has permission to read. We are not employing the Subscriber role to site visitors at this time. Visitors can use the rss feed from MMM to subscribe.

The next role is Contributor, this user has permission to read, write their own posts, edit their own posts, and delete their own posts.

Authors have all the same privileges as Contributors plus the ability to publish and manage their own posts.

Editors have all the same privileges as Authors plus the ability to moderate comments, manage categories, edit and publish pages, edit and publish all posts, and read private posts. We are not employing the Editor role at this time, this may change sometime in the future.

Administrators have all the same privileges as Editors plus the necessary access to install and uninstall plugins, make changes to the site, back up the database, etc.

One role is not better than any other role, an author is not more important than a contributor, and an admin isn’t much good if authors and contributors don’t exist (because no matter how pretty a website, if there’s no content it’s not going to work.) Your role might shrink or expand during the natural growth of the site, and you might request a role with more or less privileges than the one you have now.

For a more detailed overview of the default roles visit the Codex article.

We encourage you to link back to your own website. Log into your account, go to the left hand column of the dashboard and look for the tab marked “users” open it and go to “your profile”

Go down to the box marked “Biographical Info” and write a biography for yourself (in 3rd person!) and link to your website from there. Your bio and links will then be included at the top of your category archive page and at the bottom of each of your posts. You may also include your contact email, a small logo, or further details.

Passwords and lost passwords: Go to the log in and click “lost your password?” Enter in your username or the email address associated with your account. Check your email, and follow the instructions sent to you (don’t forget to change your password to something secure as well as easy for you to remember.)

Questions? Please do NOT email or skype me unless you absolutely need to know right now (in which case skype is going to get a much faster response.) All comments are emailed to me anyway– so please leave a comment on this or the most revelent post pertaining to your question.

Use the button below to skype me.

Remember to click the “add custom field button” and update the post in order to save.

Otherwise the theme will choose the first image in your post (or displayed in the gallery) as the default image for the post.

features gallery

The scrolly thing is actually called the features gallery, which is very cool but unfortunately there’s a conflict with the javascript for lightbox, so for the time being the lightbox feature has been deactivated.

Remember how not so long ago we had to do custom fields in order to show thumbnail images on the first page?

The features gallery chooses images from a set category or tag (so fill in those relevant tags guys!) And we choose which category or tag will be featured– so you have to be ready and do a custom field so that your image (and post) will show up in all it’s glory on the home page of MMM.

Go to your post in edit mode, open your gallery (by clicking on the “Add an image” button next to the words “Upload/Insert”, and going to the gallery tab.) Choose the photo most representative of your post, copy the file path, and close the gallery box (no need to save your changes yet.)

Scroll down to where we add our custom field and choose “Feature Image” from the drop down menu, in the value field paste your file path, and then click the “Add custom field” button, save the changes to your post (”update post” button to the right of the text editor.)

And that is all you need to do.

Remember, all this may seem a little confusing to you now, but after a few posts it’ll be second nature.

In cases where the original owner cannot be found or contacted authors and contributors have made a good faith effort to credit sources and obtain permission and in compliance with fair use.

Owners of copyrighted or trademarked works that feel their works have been published without permission and beyond acceptable fair use may contact the site management and request the work in question be removed. The work will be removed immediately and reviewed by site management, and the post author will be contacted to discuss the matter further. If it is found that the information within the post was within the authors rights to use or within the bounds of fair use the post will be restored, and if it found that the matter cannot be resolved clearly site management will request a rewrite of the post without the material in question.

All writing, files, images, and contributions to MMM and hostomni are property of their respective owners and are self published by the originators of such works, or published electronically with permission.

Authors and contributors that violate copyright and/or intellectual property laws, either through willful disregard or ignorance accept personal and legal risk of doing so.

Now that we’ve waded through all that stuff, let me just put it to you straight. If you don’t own it, don’t know where you got it, can’t credit the originator– I want you to think long and hard before hitting the publish button. If it came from a website and you assume the website’s author is the owner, I want you to take the time to ask permission to use it and link to the website. Link love is the least we can do, lets give them some credit for sharing what they have.

Second, although recipes and techniques are not copyrightable if you learn a trick from a fellow modeler/artist/crafter do not leave it as if you’ve made it up on your own; give credit where credit is due, show your appreciation, link and share the love.

Last but not least, if you need help sorting out what you should and shouldn’t include in a post, leave it in draft form or publish it privately and ask one of the admins to review it.

Bios and authors pages are now automatically created. If you do not have a gravatar (aka Globally Recognized Avatar) one will be provided for you automatically (in the form of a silly cartoon monster.) If you’d like to maintain your dignity go get a gravatar and use your own image or logo, don’t worry, it’s free and relatively painless. Be sure to use the same email address as your account at MMM.

You’ll also need to log in at MMM, go to your user profile and fill in your bio. Write in the 3rd person, brag shamelessly and revel in the glory of your fans.

Another change is that you no longer need to use the custom field in order for your images to have a thumbnail display on the front page (or elsewhere.) However, remember that only jpg files are converted to all sizes, if you are using any other file format you’ll still need to make your thumbnails manually and then upload them.

Video posts can now be featured on the front page (without significant drama) as well as in the sidebars.

Don’t forget to set the alignment (your choices are none, left, center, right) make sure to “link to image”, save changes, and then insert the image into the post.

When readers click your image it will open up in lightbox (the background of the page will appear shaded and your image will open up full sized over the center of the page.)

The advantage (or drawback) is that images opened in the lightbox are more difficult to right click and save. Please note, more difficult, slightly more difficult. Very slightly.

Consider yourself warned.** Edit: 01/03/2009 Lightbox is disabled

Now gallery does not have a light box feature. Please do not complain to me that the light box is not working when you use the gallery feature, a lot of thought and consideration has gone into this arrangement and it’s a good functional compromise. If it’s really important to you that your gallery images open in a light box, then it should be important enough for you to take the time to add each image into the editor and arrange them as you like.

To use gallery click the “add an image” button (top of the text box), upload your images, and go to the gallery tab– it’s pretty intuitive from there.

**01/01/2009 ETA: All it takes to bypass the javascript for the light box speed clicking (refreshing and right-clicking the page before js has a chance to load in the browser) or simply using a browser that has javascript disabled.

This tutorial will show you how to change that default setting so that clicking the button will open the image independant of the page at full size.

It’s very simple, in the editor upload your image(s) in the normal way. *The uploader now works on the default so you do not need to choose between the html and flash uploader any more.*

Go to the gallery view, where it says “Link thumbnails to:” tick the box that says “image file” then click the button that says “update gallery settings”

If you forget to do this, and hit publish, you can always go back and edit your gallery in order to make the necessary changes. Just remember to save your changes and update the page when you’re done.