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Entries for the 'Website Tutorials' Category
Steve Wilson posted on February 03, 2012 21:56
Now that the Tribal Resources page is active, we thought it would be a good time to go through some of the best ways to search our site for tribal events and training.
The Tribal Difference
Tribal water and wastewater operators have a different process for certification. They follow the certification requirements for the National Tribal Operator Certification program. Because this certification doesn't follow any state boundaries, a tribal operator can't easily find training nearby using the "State" search in our event calendar, even though one of the options is "National Tribal Operator Certification" If you select State=National Tribal Operator Certification, your results will include tribal events from all over the country.
How The 'State' Criteria Works In the Event Search
Our database and search program uses both the location of the event and the state offering CEU's as criteria when you search by state. So, if you search by State=Arizona, then all events in Arizona, including tribal events, will be displayed. Any training in a different state that is accepted by Arizona for CEU credit will also be displayed.
Our System Narrows It Down For You
The best approach for finding tribal events near you is to use a series of conditions. For instance, if you are in Arizona, then first select, 'State=Arizona", then use the 2nd filter select button to choose 'Category=Tribal'. You could also put 'tribal' in the key word filter, or if you were searching for training from a specific organization, like the Indian Health Service, you could use the 2nd filter select button to choose, 'Sponsor=Indian Health Service', and only IHS events in Arizona would be displayed.
Be Creative
Searching for information is all about the words you use. If you are looking for a specific training, say about arsenic, you can use the 3rd filter select button to narrow the search down even further to only those tribal events in Arizona that have a component of the training dealing with arsenic. Or you could select 'State=National Tribal Operator Certification', and then 'Category=Arsenic' in the 2nd filter. Most of the time you won't need to get that specific, there aren't so many events on the calendar that you have to use the 3rd filter, but sometimes it can happen.
Here's a what a search would look like after applying all three filters:
Most importantly, if you have any trouble finding events, or documents of interest for that matter, call or email us. We will gladly assist you in searching for information, or even walking through a short tutorial over the phone to answer your questions and help you find what you are looking for.
Jennifer Wilson posted on April 27, 2011 10:50 
So this here is a blog. Blogs are different from regular websites in that they are distributed as a chronological series, kind of like a newspaper and its editions. Many blogs, like this one for SmallWaterSupply.org, are part of websites that do other things.
How are Blogs Different?
 The thing that makes blogs special is an extra page of code attached to the site, called the RSS feed. RSS stands for really simple syndication. This code allows tools known as RSS readers as well as other websites to access that content and deliver it to you in the way you prefer. You can identify a blog from a website by looking for the orange RSS feed button.
You can compare an RSS feed to a well pump. The water (the blog content) starts in the ground, in its storage location (the blog itself). The pump (this special code, the RSS feed) moves the water to the surface where it can be used (read by you) in a more convenient manner.
The most commonly used RSS reader aka "feed reader" is Google Reader. If you have a Gmail account, then you also have a Google Reader account. These readers allow you to import RSS feeds from as many blogs as you would like to read, all in one place.
Why Use an RSS Reader
The main benefit to using a reader is convenience. You don't have to remember to check for new posts or keep a set of bookmarks on your computer. You can access all your favorite blogs from one website, from any computer, at any time. Many times, seeing a new blog post will remind you to go check out the other features offered on the site.
Want to Start Using RSS?
If you need a second explanation of blogs and RSS, here is one of my favorites. If you've got several blogs bookmarked and would like help setting up Google Reader, just email us. We'll talk you through it. You can also check out this excellent visual tutorial or watch the video below.
Steve Wilson posted on February 11, 2011 09:28 
 If you get our newsletter, you already know that on Tuesday we mentioned our new YouTube site. On it we have not only our 4 help videos, but we have linked to many other YouTube videos we have found related to water and wastewater operations that we feel will provide some benefit to water and wastewater operators. Our YouTube Channel, SmallWaterSupply.org, will continue to grow, both with videos and operator interviews from us, and with links to other favorites we find. More and more organizations and TA providers are posting videos on YouTube, and some are definately worth a look.
The Power of One
One of those sites is CAWastewater.com. I found their videos on YouTube, but this young wastewater operator also has a website devoted to helping other wastewater operators prepare for the California wastewater exams, specifically the math problems. His website has 4 videos for the Class 1 exam, 6 for the class 2 exam, and 6 for the Class 3 exam. His YouTube Channel has all of those, and in addition, 2 videos with math problems related to the Class 4 & 5 exam.
But There is More to this Story
The site is managed by a very young wastewater operator who has been working in wastewater since he was a 16 year old intern (about 6 years!). He loves what he does, is involved with his WEA section, and understands the need for more qualified operators. So, he created these videos solely to help others and all are free to use. It's really great to see a site like this, one guy who just wants to help, that is really making a difference. And by making a difference, I mean his Class 1 videos already have thousands of views, which tells me they are really filling a need.
I encourage you to take a look at YouTube, and give it a chance. Take a look at CAWastewater.com and SmallWaterSupply.org's YouTube Channels and let us know what you think. If you have any ideas for helpful videos, for instance one of the agency's was considering developing videos for things like jar testing, please let us know. As always, if you have comments, questions, or problems finding information, please contact us, and we will be glad to assist you and do the legwork for you.
Stuff We Love is posted most Fridays and includes favorite documents, links and other resources for small water and wastewater systems. We'll find the cream of the crop so you don't have to.
Steve Wilson posted on November 16, 2010 09:33
We Are Building A Community
The goal here is to build a community of operators who are interested in sharing their experiences and have some clever ideas on how to solve specific problems. When we pool our collective knowledge for everyone's benefit, it makes us all better off.
Really, It's About The Forum
The forum we've provided is a place for operators to ask and answer questions they might have about any water or wastewater topic. If you have a question, it's likely there are a bunch of other operators out there who have the same question. The forum is a way to share your question or answer to the benefit of everyone. Plus, our staff are monitoring the forum and will try to find answers to questions from TA Providers and technical experts. We are helping you find the answers you need.
So Why Register?
We ask that anyone who wants to ask or answer questions in the forum or post relevant information be registered so that we can be sure only operators, TA Providers, and industry professionals have access to the site. The forum isn't a place to advertise your business, or to sell products, its a place to get answers and learn more about water and wastewater issues. The forum can be viewed without registering, and we encourage you to take a look by clicking on the "Forums" tab at the top of the webpage.
Registering Is Simple
The registration tab is in the upper right corner of the homepage. Click on it, and you will be directed to a page where you can enter your registration information. We share no personal information with anyone, and the questions we ask about your system and experience are so that other operators can see what your situation is and maybe ask you a question when your experience is with a topic they are not familiar with.
It's Worth 3 Minutes
We've created a video tutorial on how to register on the website. It's really worth the 3 minutes it takes to see someone go through the process and explain what the registration is about. You can view the video here.
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