U3A Site Builder: Frequently-asked Questions

Site Editing: General

How do I put information on the site?

You enter it on forms in your web browser. There is a menu of options with which you choose what to do.

I already have all the information in a wordprocessor file: can I just copy and paste it in?

You can, but you'll lose many of the Site Builder's useful features. You get a better result by using the right menu options for each type of information.

How do I lay out my pages?

You don't. The Site Builder isn't really a page authoring system, but a content management system. You enter the content — the program decides where and how to put it on the page.

Don't I get any formatting options?

In some page areas you can make simple tables, bulleted lists, centred headings, bold and italic text. But most formatting is done automatically.

What about colours?

You create your own colour scheme by "mixing" colours and applying them to different page areas.

And pictures?

You'll be able to add pictures to a site once it's published. More details here.

Can I insert HTML code?

No — HTML tags are stripped off before any text is saved. That's to avoid possible security "holes", and layout problems caused by mis-matched tags. Tags for display properties like <font> would not work anyway, as all layout and formatting is handled by style rules.

So the Site Builder is a bit limited?

In that respect: yes. If you're mainly interested in visual design, or like the freedom of writing your own HTML, you'll probably prefer different authoring software.

Then why use the Site Builder?

Because it's specially designed to show information which is relevant for all U3As, like their groups, meetings, and contact details. It allows inexperienced users to start making a site fairly easily. Responsibility for maintaining a site can be shared between several members, and the role of editor can be periodically passed on to a new person without loss of continuity.

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