Class Notes vs. Personal Notes Part 2
In our first article on this topic, we talked about the pros and cons of the Personal Notes part and the Class Notes part. In this article, we'll give a quick overview on how to migrate from Class Notes to Personal Notes.
Step 1: The first step is to check the configuration of Class Notes the Blackbaud NetCommunity (BBNC) plugin within The Raiser's Edge (RE) to find out what Notepad Type your organization is using. To do this, log into RE and go to the BBNC plugin. Once you are in the plugin, click the blue Options link in the upper right corner. Once the Options window opens, simply click Class Note Processing and write down the value in the Notepad Type drop-down.
Step 2: Now that we know the Notepad Type, we can begin creating a new Personal Notes part. To do this, log into BBNC and go to Website -> Parts. Once we are in the parts gallery, click New Part in the upper left corner of the page. Give your part a name, select Personal Notes from the Part Type drop-down, then click Next.
Step 3: Now our part is created, but we still need to configure it to work properly. The first section we see is Note Topics. In order to "import" the topics from the previous part, we will need to ensure we mark the checkbox next to the Notepad Type we wrote down in Step 1. You may select a display name for the Notepad type and choose whether to allow users to submit multiple notes. If you wish to include any other Notepad Types for users to edit or create, simply mark the checkboxes next to the appropriate Notepad Types.
Step 4: Now we have our Notepad Types selected, but we need to make some decisions on how users will interact with the part. In the Display Notes section, you will need to first decide if you want to display the notes on the page and if you want it to be the default action for the part. If you do not make this section available to users, they will not be able to see notes created by other users. After you have made that decision, enter a Title, Tab caption, and Instructions for the users. Next, you will need to select your Search Options. If you're familiar with the Directory part, you'll find this section familiar. Simply select a query if you wish to limit the constituents included for this part, then select the Available Fields you wish to allow users to search. Finally, select the Listing Options you wish to use for the part.
Step 5: The last section of the part configuration is Manage Notes. In this section, just like Step 4, you will need to decide if you want users to be able to use this section of the part. If you do not allow users to see this section of the part, they will not be able to modify or add their notes. Next, you will want to edit the text you are going to use for the Heading and the Listing Options, then click Save.
Step 6: Now that the creation of the part is out of the way, we just need to replace your current part. I recommend creating a new page for testing purposes. Add the part to that page and let a few select staff members or active alumni test it and get a feel for the new part. Collect any feedback they have to see if you can make the process any easier for them. Once you have completed your user testing, you simply need to cut the Class Notes part off its current page and add the Personal Notes part you created. It would also be a good idea to write an email to your alumni letting them know about the change and give them some pointers on the new part. If you have decided to allow multiple notes of the same type or multiple notes of multiple types, it's a perfect opportunity to advertise some new features of the website.
Well, that's it. You have now traded in your Class Notes part for a brand new Personal Notes part. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or create a case and we will be happy to assist.
Posts in this Series:
Class Notes vs. Personal Notes Part 1
Class Notes vs. Personal Notes Part 2