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December 4, 2008 at 21:36:14

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Editor's Checklist: Website Consistency

by Rady Ananda Page 1 of 2 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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If you are a queue editor, it's really important that you read this document created by senior editor Rady Ananda. Thanks, Rady, for doing an extraordinary job. ~ Rob Kall

We're looking for consistency in our image, but writers submit their work in all kinds of formatting. Some people are visually impaired and have trouble seeing what they submit in anything less than 12 pt. Sometimes, people produce their work on a blog site that does not allow them to change the font or size, and then copy that work into the OEN Article Textbox. So, they will always submit it differently than what we want. We understand this. As web editors, you need to know how to change the formatting to adhere to OpEdNews preferences (see asterisked items below).

First, highlight all the contents of the article box (make sure your cursor is inside the article text box – hit CTRL A). Then select the correct size, font face, or color.

But sometimes, this doesn't work. There are two other ways to fix the formatting: using Notepad, or using HTML code. If you can't fix the font size or face, don't accept the article. Just make the edits you can make and leave the article for someone who can fix the font size and face.

1. Fixing the formatting using Notepad. (Windows users will find Notepad after hitting START, Programs, Accessories.) Copy and paste the article into Notepad. If the article has any embedded links, also copy it into your regular word document. Fix the formatting while in Notepad, then delete everything in the Article Textbox. Copy and paste all from Notepad into the Article Textbox.

Copy the links from your Word document into the correct place in the Article Textbox. Long URLs should be embedded (see below).

2. Fixing the formatting with HTML. As a web editor, knowing HTML basics is a great skill to have; here's a free online tutorial. Once you understand how HTML works, you may find this cheat sheet handy – scroll down to the HTML Tags Chart. HTML code p inserts two lines and HTML code div inserts a single line (each HTML code must be enclosed in the less-than and greater-than signs).

This is what OpEdNews wants for all articles (as with any set of rules, there will be exceptions that require a judgment call):

** Font face: Verdana 10 pt (size 2) non-bolded black type, single space, left justified.

** No indentation at the beginning of a paragraph.

** First letter caps on article titles – no ALL CAPS titles. There will be exceptions, e.g. if the news is BREAKING: or EXCLUSIVE: followed by regular 1st letter cap rules -- or, if it's some outrageously important news, like OBAMA WINS. See Chicago Manual of Style for headline capitalization rules if you are unsure. (In the 15th edition, it's Rule 8.167, including the other rules it references.)

** Titles do not end in a period; they can end in a question mark or, rarely, in an exclamation point, but only one. None of this !!!! or ?!? We're more than a blog site – and we need to reflect that in our titles.

** Emphasis within articles – sometimes putting ?!? in the article makes sense and fits what the writer is doing. But, too often, some writers overly rely on bolding, italics, large type, color changes, and exclamatory punctuation to stress their points. This is usually the mark of poor writing, or of an advertisement. If it's a piece about several events – then these tools are useful, but in a well-written op-ed piece, bolding and italics will be sparingly used, if at all. Bolded headings within an article represent another exception, especially in long articles.

** Embed long links:

In MSWord, copy the URL, highlight the word or words you want to embed, hit CTRL K, CTRL V, return.

In WordPerfect, copy the URL, highlight the word or words you want to embed, then click on Tools, Hyperlink, CTRL V. Hit OK.

** Remove the byline from the article text; it's okay to leave the author name in the article text if it's at the bottom and includes copyright info, or bio, or other relevant info related to the author. Italicize the bio at the bottom. EXCEPTION: If the member's "handle" is a blog-type pseudonym, but the author includes his/her real name at the top of the article (so that it doesn't get posted as a diary), then the byline at the top of the article stays.

** Remove the title from the article text. We already have a spot for title and author. The article textbox is just for the text of the piece.

** Remove "THE END" or #### or any other indication that the article has ended. This includes press releases. (See How to Handle a Press Release.)

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In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three books.
Her blogs also address religious, gender, sexual and racial equality, as well as environmental issues; and are sprinkled with book and film reviews on various topics. She spent most of her working life as a legal investigator for private lawyers, and five years as an editor. She currently serves as a senior editor at OpEdNews.

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." Tell the truth anyway.

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11 comments

Avid reader, jazz musician, philosopher, chef, stone mason, carpenter, writer, painter, poet,humanist, teacher, holistic ethicist who believes consciousness and love pervade the universe, except among self-obsessed humans. I perceive the philosophical unified field to be consciousness and joy. The entire universe is composed of waves, which we surf by understanding.
martinweissAvid reader, jazz musician, philosopher, chef, stone mason, carpenter, writer, painter, poet,humanist, teacher, holistic ethicist who believes consciousness and love pervade the universe, except among self-obsessed humans. I perceive the philosophical unified field to be consciousness and joy. The entire universe is composed of waves, which we surf by understanding.

amazing!

I had no idea you all went to such great lengths to create this

superior cyber space place.

As you can tell from my submissions, I am an editing tyro. I struggle just to think up stuff that may be helpful or instructive, or use the weapon of humor to bring the self-sanctimonious to a useful focus.

This note is just to express my admiration for your work. You are making a difference and enabling humanity to utilize communication to survive and prosper. I am merely a musician, not an editor, and I know my limits, but you folks are terrific. My compliments to all of you. You should take some satisfaction from the knowledge you are driving the envelope of awareness beyond the power of TIME, Newsweek and the NY Times to control common knowledge. While they take profit from controlling and cursing the darkness, you are lighting the future. While the mainstream media echo-chamber prints the propaganda of the war mongers and polluters and vested interests in subjugation, you are driving them out of business. Nice work.

by martinweiss (34 articles, 4 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 460 comments) on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 10:51:30 PM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

the beast behind good writing

is good editing.

;-)

by Rady Ananda (133 articles, 301 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 1239 comments) on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 12:11:08 PM

Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author and educator who counts First Lady Dolley Payne Todd Madison as well as two signers of the Articles of Confederation among her ancestors. Mary Ball, mother of George Washington is in the ancestral lineage of Butler's great grandmother, Blanche Ball. Grateful to know that the blood of America's founding mothers and fathers runs in her veins, Butler has been newly filled with matriotism as a direct result of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Lest she a...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Meryl Ann ButlerMeryl Ann Butler is an artist, author and educator who counts First Lady Dolley Payne Todd Madison as well as two signers of the Articles of Confederation among her ancestors. Mary Ball, mother of George Washington is in the ancestral lineage of Butler's great grandmother, Blanche Ball. Grateful to know that the blood of America's founding mothers and fathers runs in her veins, Butler has been newly filled with matriotism as a direct result of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Lest she a...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Thanks, Rady, this is helpful!

And thanks for all that all of you do to make this site a great site!
I would love to have an area of OEN where Mac users could connect to work out the blips in the interface screen. Sometimes I follow instructions but things still look a little weird. Much of this has been solved by posting thru Firefox instead of Safari, but not all of it.

For instance, no matter what font I post in the box, it seems to “right itself” into Verdana 2, at least that’s what it looks like from my end. And I guess that's a good thing. And when it posts, it looks ok. However, I got a comment once that it wasn’t in the right font, so that is a little confusing, because it seems to look right to me at that point. so I think sometimes things look a little different on the mac.

Also, I find that fonts seem to be random on my comments. I don''t have an icon on the comment box that I can use to change fonts or sizes (tho i do have icons for bold, italic or underlined, and other icons that are perpetually ghosted), but sometimes the sizes and fonts just change by themselves. And, well, I guess can't really argue with that, because I think change is good! ha!

by Meryl Ann Butler (53 articles, 61 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 535 comments) on Friday, December 5, 2008 at 1:23:46 PM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Mac issues

I received some feedback that this Tipsheet is too focused on MSWord, instead of what Mac fans use. However, no Mac user has yet provided the codes that effectively work, so they were not included.

As far as comments, the comment box is set up to post in 8pt Verdana.

Why you have differences between what you see and what is posted is beyond my knowledge. ;-)

by Rady Ananda (133 articles, 301 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 1239 comments) on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 12:14:03 PM

Margaret Bassett is an 86-year old, currently living in senior housing, with a lifelong interest in political conumbrums. She hopes to hold out for one more presidential election. Bachelors from State University of Iowa (1944) and Masters from Roosevelt University (1975) help to unravel important requirements for modern communication. Early introduction to computer science (1966) trumps them. It's payback time. She's been "entitled" so long she hopes to find some good coming off the keyboa...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Margaret BassettMargaret Bassett is an 86-year old, currently living in senior housing, with a lifelong interest in political conumbrums. She hopes to hold out for one more presidential election. Bachelors from State University of Iowa (1944) and Masters from Roosevelt University (1975) help to unravel important requirements for modern communication. Early introduction to computer science (1966) trumps them. It's payback time. She's been "entitled" so long she hopes to find some good coming off the keyboa...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Rady Dear, you are my hero

It's easier to write than to present the article in good form. And it's easier to "do" computers than it is to document how it is "done right." Information Technology, with soul. OEN should name an award for you.

by Margaret Bassett (38 articles, 2210 quicklinks, 30 diaries, 1501 comments) on Friday, December 5, 2008 at 2:14:53 PM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Margaret the Editor Queen

Margaret ~ you do SO MUCH for OEN that it is YOU who should get an award.

by Rady Ananda (133 articles, 301 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 1239 comments) on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 12:15:46 PM

Hater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired
John HanksHater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired

So how do I submit an article?

My problem is getting the thing through.

by John Hanks (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1485 comments) on Friday, December 5, 2008 at 8:17:40 PM

In 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rady AnandaIn 2004, Rady Ananda joined the growing community of citizen journalists. Initially focused on elections, she investigated the 2004 Ohio election, organizing, training and leading several forays into counties to photograph the 2004 ballots. She officially served at three recounts, including the 2004 recount. She also organized and led the team that audited Franklin County Ohio's 2006 election, proving the number of voter signatures did not match official results. Her work appears in three boo...

to see more of bio, click on member name

how to post an article

Go to your login page, click on Articles, click on submit an article.

by Rady Ananda (133 articles, 301 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 1239 comments) on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 12:14:44 PM

I have been a progressive activist since the '60s. After 28 years in health care management I left, disgusted at the mess that commercial health insurance companies have created.

I now work (self-employed) and perform with various classical & jazz groups.
R. QueisserI have been a progressive activist since the '60s. After 28 years in health care management I left, disgusted at the mess that commercial health insurance companies have created.

I now work (self-employed) and perform with various classical & jazz groups.

Thanks, Rady

Great help, seeing this so succinctly written. Thanks for all you do.

R. Queisser

by R. Queisser (12 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 72 comments) on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 2:44:56 AM

Jai Daemion, M.S., M.Ed. (counseling) explores in the realms of integrative psychotherapy, psychophysical integration and the study of culture and consciousness, using eastern-western and inner-outer tools. Still holding Vision for the power of family, groups, circles, community and love, Jai hopes to help this poor ol' world keep breathing a little longer, despite humankind's highly questionable intentions.
Jai DaemionJai Daemion, M.S., M.Ed. (counseling) explores in the realms of integrative psychotherapy, psychophysical integration and the study of culture and consciousness, using eastern-western and inner-outer tools. Still holding Vision for the power of family, groups, circles, community and love, Jai hopes to help this poor ol' world keep breathing a little longer, despite humankind's highly questionable intentions.

A small point about html coding

Rady - Thanks for this really clear guidance. I want to insert one suggestion: the

tag in html not only shows as a line break but also creates boxes within boxes within boxes, etc., and is probably best used for that rather than just to achieve a line break.Also, I want to echo others' raves for what you do for OEN. Thanks!

by Jai Daemion (7 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 28 comments) on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 12:31:37 PM

Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com and is a columnist with Northstarwriters.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump s...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Rob KallRob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com and is a columnist with Northstarwriters.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump s...

to see more of bio, click on member name

It's great to see our members appreciating...

OEN has an extraordinary editorial team-- dedicated, gifted people who give so much of their selves.

by Rob Kall (892 articles, 4058 quicklinks, 350 diaries, 1925 comments) on Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 9:04:20 PM

11 comments

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