November 2021 Web News & Announcements

November 15, 2021

Drupal Web CMS will be unavailable early Sunday, Nov. 21, during system update

Drupal will undergo a system update to the newest, currently supported version, Drupal 9, on Sunday, Nov. 21, between 4-6 a.m. EST.

Web managers should refrain from making any web edits in Drupal during this time. This update will not impact the editor experience within the platform.

Several modular elements updated in web system 

Hero Images 

Changes have been made to hero image settings: 

  • Hero images should now be uploaded as an Image media type rather than Slideshow. 
  • In the Hero Settings menu in a node’s editing view, the Display Hero option is no longer “on” by default. The option must be selected for a hero to display. 
  • For more details, review the help guide working with hero images.  

Topic Previews 

Up to six items may now be added to a Topic Preview section (two rows of three items each), and adjustments have been made to insert proper spacing between rows. 

Icon Tiles 

These sections now have an option for adding a background color. The options—Cupola White, Light Grey, Trillium Off-White, Sycamore Green, and Teal—are part of the OHIO brand guidelines and meet compliance standards for color contrast.  

Collapsible sections 

An issue that had prevented some sections from collapsing if they contained headings of different sizes has been fixed. Previously, content managers had to work around the problem by separating content into different rows. 

Action Links 

The “chevron right” pointer (>) at the end of the link label no longer wraps onto a new line by itself. 

Social Media Icons 

Social Media Icon links no longer display an unnecessary underline when a viewer’s cursor hovers over them. 

Holiday season is ideal for handling these web housekeeping tasks

As the holidays approach and the pace of work slows, it's an opportune time for web managers to review content and make routine updates. Stale content can negatively impact search engine optimization (SEO), so neglecting to make a few simple updates can result in fewer site visitors. Some suggestions:

  • Update staff directory information.
  • Review linked documents, updating those that need it and deleting from storage any outdated files.
  • Ensure pages, especially high-profile ones, have correct heading hierarchy. (Heading 1 is for page's title only and is automatically applied upon page creation based on page title field and should not be used in body text; Heading 2 is for page sections; Heading 3 for subsections.) Heading styles should always be applied in hierarchical order to meet web accessibility guidelines and to improve search engine optimization.
  • Update dates for recurring events and deadlines.
  • Note changes to operations, procedures, processes, and facility accesses—especially those related to COVID-19. Whenever possible,  point visitors to the Be Safe Bobcats (Coronavirus Response) website for up-to-date information related to COVID-19.
  • Verify your site's primary/secondary contacts on the Website Manager Directory and email any updates to grenert@ohio.edu.

Take note of these word changes and make edits on your site by Dec. 1

Patton Hall is new name for McCracken

References across the OHIO website have been updated. Going forward, web managers should refer to the home of the Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education as Patton Hall. 

Associate Degree (not Associate's)

Ohio University no longer uses " ‘s" in "associate degree," so web managers should update references on their sites. 

The spreadsheet linked below lists nodes that a system query indicates may contain the incorrect reference. Web managers should updated references on their sites these using the steps below before Dec. 1, being sure to highlight the updated nodes in green on the spreadsheet. 

Go to list of nodes with "associate's" references [excel doc requiring OHIO Id]

Suggested steps for updating nodes 

  • In the Web CMS, paste node URL in browser to access node's Page View.

  • Search for "associate's" references (CTRL + F, enter "associate's"). 

  • If NO references are found, highlight node in green on spreadsheet and move on. 

  • If references ARE found, duplicate browser tab (Right click + Duplicate).

  • In duplicate tab, open node for editing, update reference, save/publish page, then close duplicate tab. 

  • Highlight updated node in green on spreadsheet.

  • For archived pages (those with pink background in Page View), make the update and save node as Published, then re-archive node immediately.