Creating a journal

• Select journals from the site navigation menu.
• Select "Create Journal"

• Give your journal a title and fill in the description you want for it (i.e. what is your journal about?). Make it descriptive so people know what to expect. There is a minimum of 8 characters required for a title.

• Upload an image for your journal by clicking Upload a File. Journals require an image. The image you use for your journal will also be used for the entries.

• You can if you want to include some information about yourself in the about author section, but this is optional. The board is anonymous and you should not feel pressured to divulge personal information you're not comfortable revealing.
• You have at the bottom of the page the option to allow people to rate and review your journal. This is the one place on the site where you get to decide if your content should be up for critique by other users. Think about how it relates to your recovery. If a criticism, whether it be valid or invalid may set your recovery back then it is probably best to not allow rating and reviews of your journal.
• You now have two options before publishing your journal. You can either move straight into your first entry for the journal, or save the journal and do your first entry at a later date. Once you have selected an option click the "Create Journal" button.

Creating a journal entry

• Navigate to the Journals section like before, but this time click on "Post New Entry".

• The create an entry page is very similar to the create a journal page. You will enter a title for the entry, and then the detail that you want to share in the section for details.
• You have the option to add an image again, but it is optional for entries (Note: Your entry will only feature in the show your support slider if it has an image).
• You also need to add tags for the entry. As an example if you were creating a recovery journal for your cocaine addiction you might include the tags "Cocaine" "Addiction" and "Cocaine Addiction". Tags help people locate the journals of interest to them. You can also add categories for the same purpose.
• If you're using the "About Author" section on the journal, ensure the box is ticked at the bottom of the page to display it.
• When you're happy with your entry, go ahead and click "Create Entry" to publish it.

Adding an image to your journal or journal entry

• Click on upload an image.

• Navigate to the location of your image on your device, select it, and then click open.

• You can now (optionally) include it in the text for your journal or journal entry by clicking "Full Image". Your image will be available for others to view whether you choose to embed it or not, it just won't appear in the body of your text if you don't embed it. You can delete an image by selecting delete from the same area of the page.

Navigating the journals section

Finding new journal comments

Navigate to the journals tab, and then select new content - new comments.

Finding new journal entries

Navigate to the journals tab, and then select new content - new entries (the same location as above).

Watch a category of journals

Click on categories and then select the category you wish to subscribe to. On the category index there is a link to watch the category.

Watch a particular journal

Navigate to the journal (mind that an entry is not a journal, if you want to get alerts about new entries to a particular journal you need to navigate to the journal page. See the image below for an example).

Now select "Watch this Journal"

Watch a journal author

• This is a little different to subscribing to a journal as the same member may have more than one journal. Start by navigating to one of their journal entries, and then click on their name in the navigation map.

• Next select "Watch Author".

Finding my journals

Click the journals tab, and then select "Your Journals"

Alternatively you can find it from your profile navigation menu.

Frequently asked questions about journals

Why aren't people responding to my journal?

People do not respond to journals, the option to comment is on the entries themselves. If you have created a journal without any entries people will not be able to respond to it.

What is the location field for?

This is for a location associated with your journal entry. For example, if you talked about a rehab facility as a journal entry you might include the location field so that other members can locate that facility.

Why does my journal have to have a picture?

This is because of the way journals are displayed. When browsing the journals section each journal is displayed with an image and the first few lines of text. Having an image in this display greatly improves peoples ability to quickly identify journals they may be looking for. The picture you use needn't be anything particularly significant, just something to uniquely identify it as your journal.

How do I know if my friend has created a new journal entry?

Navigate to their journal and select the "Watch this Journal" option. You will receive an alert any time a new entry is posted.

What's the difference between an entry and a journal?

Think of the journal like a book, and the entries like the pages of it. The book (Journal) has a cover and a blurb that tells people a little about it so they know if they are interested in reading it, but the real detail is in the pages (Entries). Put another way, the Journal itself will have a bit of background about why you decided to create a journal, and your circumstances leading up to it. The entry will document your journey - how you're feeling and what you're doing.

How do I get my journal featured in the slider or made more visible?

This is an option for people who are supporters. You can learn more about donating privileges here: https://drugs-forum.com/wiki/Donating