go.vcu.edu Keywords

What are go.vcu.edu keywords?

Go.vcu.edu is a prefix used in conjunction with keywords to form short persistent URLs. For example, the Biology Department’s official URL is http://www.has.vcu.edu/bio/. Biology requested the go.vcu.edu keyword “biology”. Now users can enter http://go.vcu.edu/biology into their browser and they will be redirected to VCU’s Biology webpage.

If the keyword “biology” does not exist in the system, the user will be automatically redirected to search results for the keyword “biology”.

Why use keywords?

Go.vcu.edu keywords serve three key purposes: they establish persistent URLs, they shorten and simplify URLs, and they serve as an alternative search tool.

The first purpose is to provide a consistent URL when a link must be put in a publication. This is useful for events or newsletters that frequently rotate URLs. The user will be able to enter http://go.vcu.edu/eventkeyword and see the updated content no matter where the actual web page is located.

Secondly, go.vcu.edu keywords simplify web addresses that may be long or difficult to remember. For instance, the URL for Blackboard training (http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course.asp?Keyword=blackboard&Sponsor=All&Category=All&Audience=All&Campus=All) has been shortened to http://go.vcu.edu/bbtraining.

Additionally, go.vcu.edu can be used as a web tool for VCU students and staff to find virtually anything with an obvious keyword, for instance, the website for the English Department can be located by typing in http://go.vcu.edu/english. If the keyword “english” does not exist in the go.vcu.edu system, the user will be redirected to a VCU Google search for the keyword “english”.

Go.vcu.edu keywords may only be used for VCU web pages.

Request a Keyword

Keywords are registered by individual faculty, staff, or students using their eID. The creator of the keyword will be able to manage and update their keywords by logging on at http://go.vcu.edu/addkeyword. To request a keyword, you must be part of the VCU community and have an eID and password.

The desired keyword may not contain spaces or underscores. Allowable characters include lower case letters, numbers, horizontal dashes (e.g. chess-club), and forward slashes (e.g. survey/one).

When a keyword is requested the owner can designate the “visibility” of the keyword on the site. If the owner designates a keyword as “Public” then the keyword will be visible to all go.vcu.edu visitors. If the owner designates a keyword as “Authenticated”, go.vcu.edu visitors will be prompted to log in with their eID in order to view the keyword list. “Private” keywords will never be listed on go.vcu.edu.

Managing Keywords

“Manage my Keywords” allows the owner to view all of their keywords. From this screen, the owner will be able to edit keywords and change their destination URL, view the usage statistics of keywords (number of times keyword has been used), and remove (delete) old keywords from the go.vcu.edu system.

This page contains four lists: Approved, Pending, Rejected, and All.

The Approved keyword list displays approved keywords registered under your eID. Clicking on “[sort]” allows you to sort the columns by one of the table columns. Clicking on a linked keyword takes you to the designated URL. Clicking “edit” allows you to edit the URL and the visibility value. You can not change the keyword once it has been approved, however you can delete and request a new keyword. “Remove” will permanently delete your keyword; you will be prompted to verify your request to delete keyword.

The Pending keyword list shows keywords which are awaiting approval.

The go.vcu.edu system keeps a record of all the requested keywords, including those keyword requests that were rejected, unless the owner removes the keyword from the system. See the next section “Why was my keyword rejected?” for more information.

The All keyword list will list all requested keywords and their status (approved, pending, rejected). Keywords are editable from this screen as well.

Why was my keyword rejected?

Keywords can be rejected for one of the following reasons.

• Keyword requested for a personal website or non-vcu website
• Keyword is more relevant to another URL, for instance the “Biology Club” can not use the keyword “Biology” since this would more appropriately belong to the Biology Department.
• Users can not request keywords that are part of another VCU URL, e.g. www.xyz.vcu.edu has virtually reserved the right to keyword xyz

If you feel that you have a legitimate claim to a reserved keyword, please email us.

Google Search

If a user specifies a keyword that doesn’t exist, they will be directed to VCU Google Search with results for the keyword they entered. For example go.vcu.edu/unicorns does not exist, but this search will redirect you to VCU Google search for the word “unicorns”.

Changing Keyword Owners

If you leave your department or change responsibilities, contact the TS Webmaster to reassign your keywords to another individual.