Announcements - VLab Showcase
Communication: Announcements
To the right is a simple Announcements portlet. A community manager can add entries, define the scope of the announcements (ex: just this community), and each member will receive a notification, the method of which each user can define in their Account Settings as Email or SMS.
This portlet need not be seated in a Page that is visible to Navigation (ie: in the main Nav bar at the top). It can be placed in its own page, then that page linked to from wherever it makes sense, such as a community footer Web Content or a page that holds links for "Contact Us" and "Feedback" and "Help" type subjects. If the Announcements portlet is displayed prominently though, you will want to ensure it has fresh contents, which will encourage users to see the community as active and healthy.
What are Announcements?
Announcements are notifications intended to be received by the community's members. They can be displayed in a portlet on a page and can be sent via email to the community's membership.
What is it good for?
Announcements are good for whenever the community administration wants to ensure their community members are aware of various news items. Using the portlet will provide a good way to chronicle such notifications. This, of course, is more valuable to a community with a controlled membership (not a fully public and open community).
How Do I Use It?
Liferay provides an Announcements portlet, which can be added to any page. See the Vlab User Guide Announcements section, which describes how to make use of Announcements.