One answer: on your Blog settings->pick a blog->permissions tab click the "wide" link (might be "advanced") and don't give anyone permission to post published. Make sure you do both users and groups permissions.

Dunno about the second.

the 'write-tab' is the default tab...
so they don't need to find there way.. they just need to start typing...

EdB wrote:

One answer: on your Blog settings->pick a blog->permissions tab click the "wide" link (might be "advanced") and don't give anyone permission to post published. Make sure you do both users and groups permissions.

Dunno about the second.

Brilliant!!! I think that's done just what I needed. I hadn't noticed the advanced layout in the permissions before - thanks a billion for the tip.

Topanga wrote:

the 'write-tab' is the default tab...
so they don't need to find there way.. they just need to start typing...

That's true - but in order to get to the write tab from the blog itself (i.e. from logging in to read the blog), editors still have to scroll down to where it says "admin" in the menu on the right hand side, and click on it to get into the back-office.

I've now got it straight in my head that "admin" is the place to go if I want to post/edit entries, but I didn't find it immediately obvious, and I want to make it as obvious as possible, so that my co-editors are encouraged to contribute easily.

So I suppose what I'm really wondering is this: could one put a copy of that "admin" button somewhere more upfront on the blog - like at the top of the page? and call it "post to blog" rather than "admin"?

Yup. Open skins/yourskin/_main.php and scroll through it until you see stuff that looks like it's making your sidebar. It'll be obvious because there's lots of comments and the function names pretty much describe what they do. Like this for example:

<!-- =================================== START OF SIDEBAR =================================== -->

<div class="bSideBar">

	<div class="bSideItem">
		<h3><?php $Blog->disp( 'name', 'htmlbody' ) ?></h3>
		<p><?php $Blog->disp( 'longdesc', 'htmlbody' ); ?></p>

Kinda obviously the start of the sidebar and the bit that makes an <h3> tag for the blog name eh? So if you wanted to you could add the admin link right there with this bit:

<!-- =================================== START OF SIDEBAR =================================== -->

<div class="bSideBar">

	<div class="bSideItem">
		<h3><?php $Blog->disp( 'name', 'htmlbody' ) ?></h3>
		<p><?php $Blog->disp( 'longdesc', 'htmlbody' ); ?></p>
		<p class="center"><?php user_admin_link( '', '', '', 'Post to Blog', 'go ahead - click me!' ) ?></p>