Download the two-page cheatsheet as a PDFThe Webmaster #1
Welcome to the first installment of The Webmaster, a new publication from the Office of Digital Communications meant to inform you about WebCMS features that can improve the look and functionality of your website.
In this inaugural edition, we will inform you about three of our WebCMS features: sandbox, slideshow, and refreshed themes.
The Sandbox
Have you ever thought about making a change or adding a new feature to your website, but hesitated because you were unsure how it would look or whether it would fit within your site structure? The sandbox is your answer. An approximate mirror image of your live website, you can experiment in the sandbox without any repercussions.
Edits are made in the Sandbox just how they are in the WebCMS and web pages will look just how they do on your live website. The current state of the Sandbox reflects the live website as of May 2013.
If you would like access to the Sandbox, please contact cmshelp@hunter.cuny.edu.
The Slideshow
A great way to change the look of your site and to provide a more dynamic experience for the user is to implement the slideshow feature. Many of your websites already have a photo gallery of some kind, but their function is limited. With the new slideshow, there is greater control over how the images are presented, and each image can have a unique link associated with it. Hunter's homepage is a great example of the slideshow feature.
If you would like to implement the slideshow feature on your website, refer to our online tutorial to guide you through the steps.
Refreshed Themes
Did you know we have refreshed themes available for your website? The theme of your website determines its look and feel, including its fonts, colors, and layout, so changing it can have a big impact on how your information is presented.
The refreshed themes, "Refreshed Clean and Simple" and "Refreshed Hunter Public", were created to more closely align with the look and feel of Hunter's homepage. A great example of the "Refreshed Clean and Simple" theme (and coincidentally a great resource which all Hunter webmasters should utilize) is the Hunter WebCMS support website.
We strongly encourage all websites who haven't already done so to change to one of the refreshed themes.
When you decide to implement one of the refreshed themes, please refer to our online tutorial to guide you through the steps. And don't forget, the sandbox is a great way to test a different theme before it goes live on your website.
Training
Lastly, the Office of Digital Communications will begin to supplement the current WebCMS training that is available in the TRC with quick training sessions covering specific features. If there is a topic you would like to see covered in a training session or in a future newsletter, please email cmshelp@hunter.cuny.edu.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
-The Hunter WebCMS Team
