Content Collection:

Content Collection Upgrade: June 2008

Note; This change does not affect most Blackboard users -- only those who specifically use the Content Collect within Blackboard. If you are not sure if you use the Content Collection, you must likely do not, as it is not something you would be using without full awareness.

Please be advised that the Blackboard Content Collection (aka Blackboard Content System) will be subjected to a major upgrade that will significantly affect how it is used, in June, 2008. This content system is, actually, a rather dated version of something called the Xythos Content Management System.  Being dated, it lacks some valuable functionality that our more advanced users expect in a content management system. What's more, it is tightly tied to Blackboard and unusable apart from Blackboard, which some members of the Princeton community consider a drawback.

We have recently licensed the full, up-to-date version of Xythos, which we are calling WebSpace, which you can access at https://webspace.princeton.edu/ with your Princeton NetID and LDAP password.  Among other advantages, this new version will make collaboration with your colleagues and others outside the Princeton community much simpler, and not require any kind of special ID or Blackboard access for outside parties. You can also use WebSpace to replace your H drive with more feature-rich Web-interfaced content management. Please click this text to see an overview of the features.

As part of this upgrade, those who have content stored in the Blackboard Content Collection are being asked to move that content either to the newer version (WebSpace) or to the storage devise of your choice. In either case, it is a simple drag-and-drop task (see instruction). We would like this transfer to be completed by June 1, 2008. If you do not need the content, please be so kind as to delete it. For the spring 2008 semester, we will continue to make the older version you are currently using available, but after June, we plan to have only the newer version in operation. 

If you use the Blackboard Content Collection to link materials to your courses, there will be a new tool, called Filebridge, for doing that with the upgraded version. Unfortunately, come June, your current links between Blackboard and the Content Collection will be broken.

We regret any inconvenience this upgrade may cause, but in the end, our hope is that you will find using the new version a much more valuable tool. Please know that we will be available to help you make this transition as smoothly as possible, by telephone (258-0737) and e-mail (blackboard@princeton.edu), and even office visits.

Your feedback is most welcome!

Help in Using WebSpace

Instructions for Transitioning Content to WebSpace from Other File Storage Locations

Due to the upgrade to the current Blackboard Content Collection that will be completed in June 2008, it is necessary for users to copy any files in the Content Collection to another storage area.

Below you will find instructions on storing the files in another location, as you will not be able to access them from the Bb Content Collection after the spring 2008 semester. Bear in mind that any links to these files, whether within Blackboard sites or shared by e-mail, will cease to work after the upgrade. Before beginning, consider where you want to store your files. Some options for storage include:

• WebSpace (https://webspace.princeton.edu), the upgraded version of the Bb Content System that can be used in conjunction with or independently of Blackboard. If you make your Bb Content Collection files available to your course or organization sites, this might be a good option. A particular advantage of WebSpace is the easy of sharing and collaborating with people both in and out of the Princeton Community. Instructions for Window. Instructions for Macintosh.
• H Drive If you currently are using the Princeton Central File Server, and are comfortable with it, this is an option, though we expect most people will eventually switch to WebSpace, as it is Web-based and far more feature-rich. Instructions
• Sharepoint If you have content stored in an Organization folder in the Bb Content Collection, this might be an option for you. In fact, this might be an option for completely replacing your Blackboard Organization site, if it is a site exclusively used by the University community. Microsoft SharePoint is a system that provides for the quick creation of collaborative web sites based on pre-defined templates. On a SharePoint-driven web site users can share documents, track tasks, and share ideas and information.
• Computer Hard Drive It may be simplest for the time-being to just download the content to your computer and decide later where you want to store it. Instructions

Deleting Files from the Bb Content Collection If you are not currently linking the content you copy from the Bb Content System to either Bb course/organization sites or by passes you have shared, it is a good idea to delete the files from the Bb Content System once you are certain they are safely stored elsewhere. If you move your content to WebSpace, you can create links to Blackboard course/organization sites using Filebridge, a tool you located in all content areas in the control panel of any Blackboard site. You also may decide you not even need to copy the files in the Bb Content System, as you have copies elsewhere or they are out-of-date. If so, please delete them.

Should you need any assistance with this process, please call (258-0737) or e-mail (blackboard@princeton.edu).

To copy the contents of your Blackboard Content Collection folders to WebSpace in Windows

1. Using Internet Explorer (will not work in other browsers), log into Blackboard and click on the Content Collection tab at the top of the page. This will take you to your Users folder. If your content is saved to folders in the Course Content or Organization Content areas, navigate to those folders using the menu on the left side of the page.
2. Click on the Web Folder button to open up a drag-and-drop window. If prompted to log in again, do so.
3. Open up a second Internet Explorer window, go to the URL https://webspace.princeton.edu and log in using your Princeton NetID and password. This will take you to your WebSpace Users folder.
4. On the right-hand side of the page, underneath the search box, click on the Launch Web Folder button to open up a second drag-and-drop window.
5. Place the two drag-and-drop windows side-by-side (you may need to re-size them), then drag the content from the Blackboard drag-and-drop window to the WebSpace drag-and-drop window.

If you need to move content from another folder in the Blackboard Content collection, simply navigate to that folder and repeat steps 2 through 5 above.

To copy the contents of your Blackboard Content Collection folders to WebSpace in Macintosh OS X

To begin, you will need to determine the web addresses of you Blackboard Content Collection folders.

Users Folder: You Blackboard Content Collection Users folder is you personal folder, the one that displays when you first click on the Content Collection tab in Blackboard. The address for your Users folder is "https://blackboard.princeton.edu/bbcswebdav/users/<Princeton NetID>". Replace <Princeton NetID> with your actually NetId. For example, https://blackboard.princeton.edu/bbcswebdav/users/hood is the address for Dennis Hood's User Folder.

Course Folders: Your Blackboard Content Collection Course and Organization folders are the folders for specific sites in Blackboard. The address for a course folder is - https://blackboard.princeton.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/<Blackboard Course ID> Replace <Blackboard Course ID> with the actual course ID. Your course ID will be the name of the course folder, as seen in the menu on the left in the Content Collection , such as ENG111_F2006.

Organization Folders: The address for an organization folder is "https://blackboard.princeton.edu/bbcswebdav/organizations/<Blackboard Organization ID> ". Replace /<Blackboard Organization ID> with the actual organization ID. Your organization ID will be the name of the organization folder, as seen in the menu on the left in the Content Collection , such as HIS_JNR_VOTE.

Now that you have determined the address(es) of your Blackboard Content Collection Folders:

1. Choose Go from the main Finder menu and Connect to Server. from the Go sub-menu.
2. Under Connect to Server , add the address of your Blackboard Content Collection folder (see above). Click the Connect button.
3. In the WebDAV File System Authentication window, enter your Princeton NetID and password. Click OK . This will open up a drag-and drop window for your Blackboard Content Collection folder.
4. Using Safari, go to https://webspace.princeton.edu and log in with your Princeton NetID and password. This will create a Users folder for you in the new WebSpace system.
5. Once again, choose Go from the main Finder menu and Connect to Server. from the Go sub-menu.
6. Under Connect to Server , add the address of your new WebSpace folder - https://webspace.princeton.edu/users/<Princeton NetID>, replacing <Princeton NetID> with your actual NetID. For example, https://webspace.princeton.edu/users/hood is the address for Dennis Hood's WebSpace folder.
7. Click Connect.
8. In the WebDAV File System Authentication window, enter your Princeton NetID and password. Click OK . This will open up a drag-and drop window for your new WebSpace folder.
9. Place the two drag-and-drop windows side-by-side (you may need to re-size them), then drag the content from the Blackboard drag-and-drop window to your the WebSpace Users drag-and-drop window.

If you need to move contents from another folder in the Blackboard Content collection, simply repeat the above process but substitute the address for the additional folder in Step 2.

To download the contents of your Blackboard Content Collection folders to your computer or H Drive

1. Log into Blackboard and click on the Content Collection tab at the top of the page. This will take you to your Users folder. If your content is saved to folders in the Course Content or Organization Content areas, navigate to those folders using the menu on the left side of the page.
2. At the bottom of the page click on the Go button next to the words Select All .
3. At the top of the page select Download Items from the dropdown box on the right and click the Go button next to it.
4. You will be asked where you would like to save the files. Select the place that makes most sense to you, such as a location on your computer's hard drive or your H drive, and click Save .

If you need to move content from another folder in the Blackboard Content Collection, simply navigate to that folder and repeat steps 2 through 4 above.

Disclaimer: Some information in this archive may have changed due to feature upgrades to the Blackboard software and/or new discoveries about the capabilities of Blackboard.