Guestbook...how??

Brewmaster · August 6, 2013

How do I make a new guestbook page so that my visitors can comment? I understand how to get a new page made, and tie a link to that page, but I can't seem to get a photo, or comments section in there.....a bit lost here, any help would be appreciated.

Allen · August 6, 2013

Brewmaster wrote: »

How do I make a new guestbook page so that my visitors can comment? I understand how to get a new page made, and tie a link to that page, but I can't seem to get a photo, or comments section in there.....a bit lost here, any help would be appreciated.

Create a new page, Organize > Create > Page

Add an html or text box widget and a comment widget under it.

You can add other widgets like a photo or slideshow also.

Brewmaster · August 7, 2013

Ok, so where are "widgets" located, or is that a menu selection somewhere? I have the page created, I just don't know how to do the next steps, or where to find them.

Allen · August 7, 2013

Brewmaster wrote: »

Ok, so where are "widgets" located, or is that a menu selection somewhere? I have the page created, I just don't know how to do the next steps, or where to find them.

After you get into customize look under "Add Content Blocks" in the drawer flyout. You drag any of
these out to your page and place them where you want them.

Brewmaster · August 8, 2013

So, maybe I am completely lost here. I understand how to drag the content blocks onto the page, but what I am trying to do is make a guestbook page that visitors can leave comments. I had this on my "legacy" site, and it worked quite well. If I just add the content blocks, I don't see how anyone can actually leave a comment. Also, I just noticed that although the page has been created, it doesn't show up at all unless I am logged in. What I really need is a step by step example of how to get the proper content into that page that I call guestbook that can be seen by anyone, and comments can be left by them. Is there css code involved in making this happen? if so, what is the code and how do I enter it?

Brewmaster · August 8, 2013

Ok, I figured out why it was not showing up.....I just had not published the edits. Enabling a comment by a visitor is a complete mystery to me.....would really like a comment page like Andy has on his moon river site. Need significant help here.

Allen · August 8, 2013

Brewmaster wrote: »

Ok, I figured out why it was not showing up.....I just had not published the edits. Enabling a comment by a visitor is a complete mystery to me.....would really like a comment page like Andy has on his moon river site. Need significant help here.

Did you drag a comment box out to the page? In the new comment box settings you can go select your
old guestbook and it'll transfer the comments to the new page.

Brewmaster · August 8, 2013

Ahh...ok, I was looking completely in the wrong place. I found the comment box now, and that was exactly what I was looking for. I have a picture placed on that page as well, but am having trouble putting it in a specific location. I would like the picture off to one side (i.e. left justified on the page), but can't seem to move it off the center of the photo box. If I shrink the box, the photo just gets smaller.

einat · August 8, 2013

How do I cutomize a page? I've created a blank one. But the customization "navigator" only has entire site, galleries and folders. How do I reach the page in order to customize it? I put it on my menu but I didn't publish the change yet as it is a blank page.
With the other pages I've created I didn't have a problem - it was before I unveiled so I could publish unfinished work.

Brewmaster · August 8, 2013

Sorry to be a pest Allen.....seems I am starting to figure this out finally. Looks like there was a relationship between how big the box was, margin sizes...etc. that were all pushing and pulling at each other. I managed to put a slide show in there as well. Would like to randomize the order in the slideshow however.

thenickdude · August 8, 2013

Would like to randomize the order in the slideshow however.

Sadly, this is not yet supported, but I bet it is on SmugMug's to-do list!

MenBrial · August 8, 2013

Brewmaster wrote: »

Sorry to be a pest Allen.....seems I am starting to figure this out finally. Looks like there was a relationship between how big the box was, margin sizes...etc. that were all pushing and pulling at each other. I managed to put a slide show in there as well. Would like to randomize the order in the slideshow however.

Can you explain step by step how did you do your guest book page ? thanks

einat · August 8, 2013

einat wrote: »

How do I cutomize a page? I've created a blank one. But the customization "navigator" only has entire site, galleries and folders. How do I reach the page in order to customize it? I put it on my menu but I didn't publish the change yet as it is a blank page.
With the other pages I've created I didn't have a problem - it was before I unveiled so I could publish unfinished work.

I managed customizing the page, but maybe there is a shortcut to reaching it. What I did was go to the organizer, go to that page and then click done. This way I remained on that page when entering the customization mode. It doesn't seem like the right way of doing this.

Now I have 2 more questions:
1. Do people REALLY have to be logged-in (either to SM or facebook) to leave a comment?? I don't like it.
2. In the comment's settings menu, there is "source" (no tool tip there). What is it for?

aschendel · August 9, 2013

einat wrote: »

I managed customizing the page, but maybe there is a shortcut to reaching it. What I did was go to the organizer, go to that page and then click done. This way I remained on that page when entering the customization mode. It doesn't seem like the right way of doing this.

Now I have 2 more questions:
1. Do people REALLY have to be logged-in (either to SM or facebook) to leave a comment?? I don't like it.
2. In the comment's settings menu, there is "source" (no tool tip there). What is it for?

I agree that it's difficult to learn how to get back to customizing a custom page and I put a feature request in for improved navigation while in the Customize mode: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=238054

1.) yes - there is a pretty passionate thread in here somewhere about that being a protective measure.

Brewmaster · August 10, 2013

MenBrial wrote: »

Can you explain step by step how did you do your guest book page ? thanks

Ok, I'll try...I stumbled around quite a bit, but Hopefully this helps:

1. First created a new "Page" by clicking on "Organize", then when the organize section comes up, in the top left side of the window, click on "Create", and select "Page" from the drop down menu. When the properties box popped up, all I did was give it a title of "Guestbook", and hit save. Finished by hitting "Done" on the organize site page (top right).
2. At this point, it put me on the new page, so I clicked on "Customize" and selected "Customize site" on the drop down box while on the new page. Now I had all the content stuff to add in.
3. I then added a single photo content block just under the guestbook title that appeared on the new page and added a photo to it. Needed to then hover over the photo and click on the dimensions triangle that shows up, and reduced the container width to something like 35%. With my photo (sized to small..you can do this by hovering over the photo and click the wrench).
4. This is where I really started stumbling around. I wanted a text box just to the right of the photo, and then a small slideshow just to the right of the text box. So, I dragged over a "text box" from the add content menu and hovered just to the right of the photo until the side of the photo box highlighted and dropped the text box. If you don't reduce the size of the photo container, the text box will drop below the photo. Now, I had a text box next to the photo, but it took up the remaining width of the container. You need to shrink the width of the text box container in the same way I did for the photo (I think I reduced it to something like 30%).
5. Then I dragged over a slideshow content box the same way as I did for the text box and put it on the right side of the text box. Again, the slide show box then immediately fills the remaining width of the container.
6. I had to play with the container width %'s on all three content blocks until they were sized to my satisfaction, and still all lined up along the width. They all kind of pull/tug at each other as you change things.
7. At this point, I wanted to add a comment block. In the "Add content" menu, you will find the "comments" contact block under the "Social" menu item. Drag it over and place it just below the Photo/text/Slideshow content.

That is where I am at right now. I have no comments on my page yet, so I have no clue if it works or not, but at least it's starting to take some shape. Hope this helps.

squirl033 · August 11, 2013

if, as it seems, visitors have to either log in to SM or Facebook to leave comment, all i can say is, that REALLY sucks!! most people will be utterly turned off by being forced to log into FB (and that's assuming they have a FB account) or SM (which they cannot do at all if they aren't SM subscribers!), and will simply leave. that is NOT what I want my customers to do!! if this is the case, there's no point in even having a guestbook page!

Brewmaster · August 11, 2013

Wait, so, not anybody can leave a comment on my guestbook page? Most of my family no longer use Facebook, and NONE of them have or subscribe to Smugmug. I suppose I won't waste anymore time on a guestbook page.

Guestbook...how??

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