solved Can the skin global config section be more self-explanatory?

I am looking at my skin settings at this location:
http://[my domain name]/core/skin_admin/global/skin=psNingJaClone

Under Global Config> > Site index, two choices are given, but they are not explained by help statement "Check to show, uncheck to hide ".

The help I need here are explanations of what the "about" and "activity" sections are, where they can be seen, and why I might want index them.

Index About Section - Check to show, uncheck to hide
Index Activity Section - Check to show, uncheck to hide

Presumably the activity section is the section shown on a public profile page, when this option is enabled. What are the consequences of indexing or not indexing this?

In this context, where does the "about section" come from, where can it be seen, and why should this be indexed or not indexed? (I don't see it on profiles in my network).




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PJ Matthews, Kyoto
Migrated from Ning 2.0. Now at Jamroom 6 beta and using Jamroom Hosting for The Research Cooperative (researchcooperative.org)
updated by @researchcooperative: 01/16/17 07:51:47PM

"Site Index" to me means the site's index/home/main page.
Thus, the Index Activity would be the Activity Feed (Timeline) section on the site's main page.
And the Index About section is the section on the site's main/index page where you put public info of what the site is about. It's a specific Admin Blog post, technically speaking. See mine at the top of my site home page where it says "Welcome to ....": http://fotmd.com/
The instructions when setting up a site say that you can create/show this section on your main page if you as admin create a blog post with the category of: About.
In your active skin, under the Site Index TAB, you'll see a checkbox to show/hide the "About" blog post section, where you can create a top section there where you put site welcome info etc on your site's main page. Check the box to make it show, make sure Blogs are enabled for Master adimn, then when in your profile page as admin, create a Blog post, set the category as About...and put in your info. Clear cache etc and you should start seeing ti appear on your site's main home (index) page.
Remember if you are in your skin, references to "site index" are referring to the site's index/main/home page. Activity usually = Timeline. If it says index activity when you are in the "Site Index" area- it's going to mean the activity feed (timeline) on the main page, not on a profile page.
If you are in say the jrGroup module and seeing the 'index' template or reference- it means the main (index) page listing Groups. Not the index page of the site. Etc

In your cases above, the word "index" is not a command to 'index something'....rather it simply refers to the site's Index (main home) page.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015
updated by @strumelia: 10/15/16 02:57:23PM

Dear Strumelia,

You have answered several questions I did not know I was asking, and needed to ask!

Thank you.


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PJ Matthews, Kyoto
Migrated from Ning 2.0. Now at Jamroom 6 beta and using Jamroom Hosting for The Research Cooperative (researchcooperative.org)

So glad it was helpful! Please keep in mind that I'm not always sure what i'm saying is accurate- I just try when I can to share what I myself have learned so far ...stumbling along myself as a non-coder. Always look to the Jamroom Team's posts for more solid help than I can offer.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

Yet much remains unclear to me...

Quote:
"The instructions when setting up a site say that you can create/show this section on your main page if you as admin create a blog post with the category of: About."

My home page has been built as a static page using Site Builder. As far as I can see, I can't put an independent blog there with the widgets. I am not wedded to this page. Your home page design is much more functional.

If your Admin Blog is attached to a profile, why doesn't the profile title appear at the top of your home page above the blog post from your About blog category?

I need to find those instructions!


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PJ Matthews, Kyoto
Migrated from Ning 2.0. Now at Jamroom 6 beta and using Jamroom Hosting for The Research Cooperative (researchcooperative.org)

Near final note? I am setting up a private ticket for this issue. When I understand this better, I might come back. Thanks!


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PJ Matthews, Kyoto
Migrated from Ning 2.0. Now at Jamroom 6 beta and using Jamroom Hosting for The Research Cooperative (researchcooperative.org)

"index" means the home page. Those settings are put there by the designer to get the skin owners input.

So the "index about section" with the help text "Check to show, uncheck to hide" is asking you for your input:

"On the home page of your site, we could show the 'about' section if you would like to, if you would like to leave this box checked. If you want to hide that section, uncheck the box."

Ningja is being redesigned to use site builder by default at the moment, so a lot of those settings could disappear.
updated by @michael: 10/15/16 11:26:52PM

Ok, as someone who has never used sitebuilder and maybe wouldn't even want to start using it at this point... now I'm really nervous. I'm envisioning a mountain of updates in Ningja that I won't have the expertise to sort out and apply to my custom active skin (which was built from Ninja)....?


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015

michael: Did you clone it?
strumelia: Yes
michael: then changes to the default skin wont effect you.
strumelia: