Description

Updates are posted to Presently through what we like to call the "Big Update Box". This is the large area at the top of the update stream on your home page (and many other pages) and provides your gateway to sharing updates through Present.ly

Basic Usage

To post an update, simply type some text into the text field and press Enter or click on the Update Button. This will create a status that will be published to your personal feed as well as all of those users who follow you. This kind of update will also be visible to anyone who browses to the "All Updates" section of the application.

Once you post an update you should receive a message that the update is being posted; once the processing is complete the update should appear in the update stream below the Big Update Box.

The Command Selector

You can do much more with Presently than just post basic updates. You can send a message directly to another user or one that can only be seen by members of a group to which you belong. You may also send a message from a group of which you are a manager; a handy feature for making announcements. Finally you may also cross-post an update to Twitter. All of these features are accessed using the Command Selector, the drop-down boxes that appear above the text field in the Big Update Box.

Share With

The default option in the drop down is "Share With." This allows you to create private messages that are only shared with a particular user or group.

To Send a Direct/Private Message: Click on the drop-down menu to the right of "Share With" (usually this will say "Everyone"). Select "A Person" and a text field will appear to the right. Start typing the username of the person you want to send the private message to and Present.ly will present you with a list of possibilities. You can use the arrow keys or mouse to select one of the options or just type the full username. When you click "Update" after entering your message the update will only be visible to yourself and the person to whom you send the private message.

To Send a Message To A Group: You can also send a message that can only be seen by members of a specific group. To do so, click on the drop-down box to the right of "Share With." You should see a list of the groups of which you are currently a member. If you click on one of these groups you may continue to enter your update text and send the update. You may also choose "A Group" or "Other Group..." from the options and manually enter the name of a group. You may send messages to groups you do not belong to. These messages will not show up in your timeline because you do not have access to them, but they are delivered as long as you see the "Update posted successfully" message.

Broadcast As

The "Broadcast As" option in the Command Selector allows you to send a message from a group of which you are a manager. The update will appear to come directly from the group, and is useful for announcements or other items that are relevant to the entire group. Simply select a group from the drop-down menu and type your update.

Note: If you are an administrator of the account you will also see the option to broadcast as "The System." This will be an update visible to everyone in your network that appears to come from the account's name.

Post To

If you have linked your Twitter account to Presently you can select the Post To option from the Command Selector and the message that you type will be simultaneously posted to Presently and Twitter.

Command Shortcuts

While the Command Selector is an easy and intuitive way to utilize advanced features of Present.ly, advanced users may find text-based commands to be more efficient. For more information on text-based commands, visit the Commands Knowledge Base Article.

Attaching Files

To attach a file to an update, simply click on the "Attach a File" button. A field will appear allowing you to choose a file to attach to the update. When you submit the update the file will be uploaded automatically.

Text Attachments

Presently also offers the ability to "attach text" to an update. This is a great way to post longer form content than the 140-character limit allows that is relevant to the update. For instance, you could post a snippet from a blog entry or the copy of some marketing materials on which you want feedback.

To attach text to your update simply click the "Attach Text" button. You will be presented with a second text field in which you can enter long-form text. You can also select a format, allowing you to present formatted HTML output or syntax-highlighted source code (for developers). Once you post your update, the text attachment will be visible by clicking on the "More" link next to the update.

Shrink URLs

If you are sharing a link to a website, it may extend beyond the 140 character limit. Present.ly comes with a built-in URL shortener. Simply click "Shrink URLs" and your URL will be turned into a shorter link that will redirect to the original site. Short URLs are password protected (only people with access to your network can visit them) and so you should not use this feature if you are cross-posting to Twitter.