--- loncom/html/adm/help/tex/Open_Date.tex	2006/07/31 19:14:49	1.2
+++ loncom/html/adm/help/tex/Open_Date.tex	2008/05/22 18:22:28	1.3
@@ -1,8 +1,18 @@
 \label{Open_Date}
 
 The open date is the date and time when you first allow the students
-to view and work on the problems. By default, all problems are viewable
-immediately after being added with the DOCS Screen. You can change
-this default setting by deleting the course level open date. Note
-that parameters only control access to problems. Webpages are always
-viewable.
+to view and work on the problems. 
+If no opening date is set, problems are not viewable.
+You can set a general opening date for the whole course (your domain 
+coordinator might have done this for you), 
+and then your problems become available 
+immediately after importing them. 
+Particularly cloned courses may have an opening date already, 
+which may be in the past.
+
+Note
+that ``Open Date'' only controls access to problems.
+Webpages, PDF-files, etc, are treated differently than problems: 
+they are viewable by default,
+but access can be limited by ``Content Opening Date'' and 
+``Content Closing Date.''