What happens when I ‘import’ a file into i-Sho?

When you create a channel on your PC and use the import a file command, a thumbnail icon or image is created that is displayed in your channel. The icon then acts as a representation of that file which remains located in its original Windows folder. If you put the file into a 'Hub' channel a copy will be stored on the central server.

Can I import a folder and include all the sub-folders?

Yes, just select ‘File’ then ‘Import’ then ‘Import Folder’ choose your folder and any subfolders will also be imported as well.

Can I ‘Import’ files directly from my digital camera?

You can drag and drop or copy and paste image files from your camera or phone memory folder into an i-Sho channel. If you need to view them to edit, delete or rotate them it is best to do that first in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer or other editing software.

NOTE: Documents or Files that are already OPEN  on your desktop  will not upload to a channel, you must make sure they are closed and not in use first.

What happens if I delete a File in one of my PC channels?

When you delete a file from a PC channel you only delete the icon (the visual representation) your actual file will still be on your hard disk in the original Windows folder.

What happens if I delete a file from a 'Hub' channel?

When you delete a file from a 'Hub' channel that file will actually be deleted from the server.

How should I organise my channels?

We have designed i-Sho to be a simple file organisational tool. This means that instead of organising files into folders and sub folders we simply use a timeline or diary metaphor. However because everybody organises their windows file system in different ways, we can only make some suggestions.

1. It's possible to have one folder for all your digital pictures then just link an i-Sho channel to that one folder. When you download your camera pictures to that folder they will automatically be organised in the linked channel.

2. When you put pictures into a single folder (it could just be the top level My Pictures) then it's good practice to keep this tidy, that means rotating images that are wrong, deleting pictures that are no good and so on.

3. A good tip is to title the pictures with keywords rather than a formal title, you can then easily find any picture when you search. This is easily done when you move pictures from the camera to your PC.

4. Having a main picture folder means that you can housekeep this channel, ie: clean up unwanted pictures and Tag them. Then when you move pictures they are already tagged.

5. Businesses might consider having two channels for each client;

• A channel that is linked to all the clients internal folders.
• A hub channel that is used for collaboration with the client and other suppliers and as a back up tool.

6. Keep a Daybook channel. This is a great way of keeping a diary and finding things. You can take mobile phone pictures each day to act as a visual reminder. Make diary entries using notes and put in appointment reminders with hyperlinks to maps etc. By keeping a diary you can also find other files by locating the day they were created.

7. Create a group channel for families, keep a channel open to all the members of the family so that they can all contribute pictures and notes, then everyone can just drag some selected pictures into the channel to show each other what they have been doing.

What is the best method of collaborating with documents?

Imagine your colleague has uploaded a Microsoft Word document, and you want to add to that document.
When you select the document and open it from the Hub, the document is downloaded to a temporary folder (much like an attachment in Microsoft Outlook). When you have edited the document save it in a local folder and give it a new name, use a convention that you and your colleague agree on e.g. add your initials and a version number. When you are ready just import the file to your channel again. It will be saved with the new date and it will be published to the 'Hub' automatically. If your colleague has the channel on screen a yellow refresh indicator will appear in the Channel label to show that new content is present. Right clicking on the channel will allow him to download the new file.

If I give someone Full Permission what does this mean?

Think carefully about giving people full permission, because you are effectively giving them exactly the same administration rights as you for the channel. This means that they can also give full permission to whoever they choose and that person can in turn also give full permission and so on. You will remain the Channel Owner and be identified as such in searches, the channel will also therefore be using up your storage space. Anyone with Full permission can also delete the Channel and rename the channel so its a powerful privilege! The alternative is just to pick and choose a combination of permission states.

How will my colleague know it has been updated?

They will receive an alert to show content has changed in your shared channel and when they refresh by Right Clicking the channel background they will see your new document posted to the channel.

How does a Linked Channel work?

Linking a channel is a really handy way of keeping your i-Sho channels updated without having to manually import files all the time. Lets say you have created a single folder for all your digital pictures, you can link this folder to your Pictures channel and then every time you add pictures or delete them from your Windows folder your i-Sho channel will automatically be updated. You can also Link multiple folders, so a channel can contain data from lots of different folders.

TAGGING

Tagging is just one of the ways we organise and find files and pictures.
By using words (tags) other people will be able to find your pictures, and you can discover channels that friends or fellow enthusiasts might have created.

By building up your tag Library not only will it allow you Tag files and pictures quickly and easily but you can also Search using Tags and View by Tags.

Tips with Tags:

Remember that Tags move with the files so try and get things tagged before you move them into other channels, it’s a good idea to have a master picture channel then use this channel to drag pictures to other newly created channels, this way you won’t have to tag them each time.

Tags are related to channels so if you delete a channel you’ll delete all the files and any tagging information that went with it for those files. However if those files have been tagged in other channels they will not be deleted.

Remember the Tag Library is designed to help you Tag your pictures and files quickly, you can also add much more detail by just typing specific tags into the keyword box.

To save time try copying Tags from one file to others.

TAG Library.

When you first start i-Sho it’s worth starting by building your Tag Library.  Open the Tag Library by clicking the ‘Tag’ button.

In the Who column. Type in a list of all your friends, its also worth typing in combinations of friends as well.

Next fill in the ‘What’ column. Here’s a list you can pick and mix from to create your own custom Library:

Holidays
o Christmas
o Boxing Day
o New Year
o Diwali
o Easter
o Summer Bank Holiday
o May Day
o Thanksgiving
o Summer Holiday
o Half Term

Events
o Birth
o Christening
o Birthday
o Wedding
o Stag Party
o Hen Party
o Anniversary
o Party
o Ball
o Retirement
o Dinner
o Bar-B-Q
o Fireworks
o Festival
o End Of Term
o Concert
o Play
o Film
o Exhibition
o Ballet

Activities
o Walk
o Picnic
o Swim
o Cycling
o Running
o Skating
o Skiing
o Wind Surfing
o Sailing
o Fishing
o Gardening
o Riding

Sports
o Football
o Cricket
o Rugby
o Baseball
o Tennis

The ‘Where’ column can be a specific place like the ‘The Red Lion’ or ‘Raffles Hotel’ or it can be a Geographical location like ‘Nottingham’ for even greater accuracy you could even use a map co-ordinate.

What do you mean 'Search using Tags'?

If you have been to a wedding recently and you want to find out if others have posted any pictures use the ‘Search By Tags’ button in the Search dialog. You can then select Who = (name of your friends)  What = (Wedding) Where = (where wedding took place). If there is a match on the Hub then the search results will display it. Who knows you may even find pictures from someone you don’t know!

What does 'View by Tags' mean?

When you ‘View by Tags’ you can filter your display to only show files that match the tags you have selected from the tag library. For instance you could just find all the invoices belonging to one client or show all the pictures with your son in them.

SEARCHING

Searches can be speeded up by narrowing down your search criteria.
For instance searching for John will retrieve every single file, note or picture with the word John in the title or in the keywords field of the file. So use more keywords, if you know the owner of the channel type in their username.

Can I search by date?

Yes, type the file name or keywords and select the date you want the information for.
NOTE: You could also ask to see all files posted by your friend on a certain date.

What happens if I find a picture or file I need, but don’t know the person who owns it?

Then select ‘Show’ and you’ll be asked if you want to send a request to view. Fill in the email form and tell them why you want to see their channel. They can then give you permission to see it.

What if I don’t want others to see my channel when they search?

That’s easy, when you  create your Hub channel just select the box that says ‘Hide this channel from other users searches’ if you want to change the permission  later then click ‘Channel’, ‘Permissions’ and check the box.