OS EDU - Blog Permissions 101

Question:

We are trying to get our Management Blog up and running but ran into some issues.  Aside from editing the blog authors and viewers under “Manage Blogs”, is there another location where permissions also have to be updated?  I was able to create test blogs/posts but I think the issue I am running into is I do not have the option to configure the island with the blog category.

We only have portal admins listed as assistant managers under the “All Staff” workgroup.  Which is where our Management Blog is housed.  We want our department managers (authors) to be able to update the blog here, but we don't want to add them as assistant managers of the workgroup! Help!

Answer:

Oh this is a fun one. Blogs are... weird.

Okay - some ground rules first. 

Blogs are Managed from a Manage Blogs tool that lives outside of the island itself. If you're an admin, you'll see it under Module Tools -> Management Blogs.  You can also visit

https://YOURPORTALNAMEHERE.com/Modules/ManagementBlogs/MangeBlogs.aspx

     (yes - it really is MANGEblogs, it's a known typo, haha - Sarah)

We also allow anyone with the right permissions to hit the gearbox of the island and "Manage Blogs." All it's doing is taking them to that page url above. It's just a quick hyperlink.

So, normally, yes, we'd suggest adding the author to the Workgroup as an Assistant Manager, then giving her just the permission to Manage the Blogs.

But I can totally see your point in not wanting to add random people to your Main All Staff Workgroup as Assistant Managers - even if they have extremely limited permissions. It could look weird. So, Beth and I put our heads together this morning and this is what we figured out! 

Technically, the Blog Island is "broadcasting" the most recent blog (in the category the island has been configured to display) created in the Manage Blogs tool. You could have 10 different pages with 10 "Dear CSM" Blog Islands on them - and when THAT Blog is updated via Manage Blogs, they ALL update.

So - here's a fun way to to this!

• Make a new Workgroup. Call it something fun, like "Authors Home"
• Add every Blog Author as a Member
• Add every Blog Author as an Assistant Manager
• Give each Author permission to Manage Blogs (and Configure*, if he/she manages more than one Blog - see below)
• Make a page for each Author, place the Blog island on the page, and configure it to display his/her Blog. (We did Amy's on one page and Rubens on another in our example)

When Amy or Ruben update their Blogs from here, ALL Blog Islands displaying THAT Blog, will update at the same time!  This way, they don't have to manage any other workgroups, and can do what they need to do no matter what!

You can see here where I made the "Amy Blogs" page - Amy is the only Author - and she can safely manage from here. 

     (I also snuck in a Bensen picture, haha! That's Rachelle's baby. He's SO MUCH bigger now!- Sarah)

Let's quickly talk about Permissions for a moment. If you are not a Portal Admin, you can ONLY "Manage" Blogs that you are an Author of. See Ruben's List below. He can't even see Amy's Leadership Blog - so he can't edit it.

*So let's say I give Amy permission to also "Configure" so that she can go between the multiple blogs she Authors. She will be able to see the names of EVERY Blog in the portal... even ones she CANNOT Author!

Amy is feeling sneaky today and configures her island up to display the suspicious-sounding "Category FRI 11" Blog.

And when she goes to visit the page...

She still can't see the Blog. Portal Permissions only allow people to VIEW Blogs they have permission to see. Sorry, Amy - you can't be sneaky today!