This article describes how someone with "Author" status is able to create a new story and post it to the WAPA Web.
Before authoring and posting any stories on WAPA, it is important to understand the importance of your role. The WAPA website is a public site that is indexed by any number of search engines including Google, MSN and Yahoo. Stories potentially have a very wide exposure, and it is critical that stories do not expose WAPA to any liability. Because of this, we ask that the following guidelines be followed:
Link to relevant sources of information in the article so that readers can easily find supporting material. Make sure that all the links work prior to setting the article to display on the web.
WAPA seeks to promote and to improve the image of general aviation. It's okay to be a bit controversial, and to take a stand on things. But don't go overboard.
Bottom line: Think before you post. We don't want to be the subject of any lawsuits, be it libel or copyright.
This will bring up story editor page for a new story.
Say the story you are creating is about an antique aircraft, owned by the collins foundation that will be on display at Fitchburg Airport. The event is sponsored by the local EAA Chapter. You might add the topics: Fitchburg, Collins Foundation, EAA Chapter News, and Antique Aircraft. So using the topic popup, highlight the "Fitchburg" topic, and then press the "Add" button at the bottom of the hierarchy. Repeat for each topic applicable to the story. (If the event were a fly-in, you might also add that topic to the list.)
Once all the topics have been added, you can cick the "-" to close the window. The next step is to choose which topic should cause the story to show on the WAPA "Front Page". Select that topic from the list, as shown in this next illustration, and then click the up-arrow to move the topic up above the -^- Mainpage -^- line. This will cause the story to appear on the Mainpage or "Front Page"A couple of additional observations on topics:
The next fields are used to assign the story title, department, author, enable comments, set the story date/time, specify or create a poll, and checkboxes and links for setting other story attributes:
Guidelines for these fields:
The next edit box is used for the introductory text that will show up on the summary page.
Note that even though story submissions can be in "Plain Old Text" format, the Author process must be done with a basic knowledge of HTML tags.The introductory text should be a brief description of the story, with enough details to inform the reader without filling the front page with a single article. Many HTML tags are accepted: The list of tags is stored in a site variable "approved_tags".
B | I | P | A | LI | OL | UL | EM | BR | TT | STRONG | BLOCKQUOTE DIV | ECODE | SUP | SUB | SMALL | DL | DT | DD
Hide the reamaining story details in the following box:
Note that the extended text can also be uploaded by using the Browse button to select and upload a local file. This is not used to attach a file to the story, but is used to upload text for direct display in the story. Finally, use the preview button to check that the story appears reasonable, follow links to validate them, etc.If the words that matched are common and likely to be seen in many stories, you can exclude them from future story matching by selecting the checkbox next to the common word. This will add the word to the list of common story words. Note also the "display" checkbox. You can use that to hide the story from all access.
Just below the topic list is the current display status of the story.
If the story does not show up in the expected locations, you can move topics up or down to change where they will display. If at some future time the story is no longer of general relevant, for example, a TFR that is no longer in effect, push the topics down to below the -^-Mainpage-^- line to remove the story from the Front Page. Finally, next to each of the story text boxes will be the results of a spell check. Before saving the story with the Display checkbox enabled, review any reported spelling errors and correct as necessary. When everything looks good, make sure that the Display checkbox is checked, and press the SAVE button to save the story and publish it to the web. As long as the story is published with a story time prior to 0000 GMT (7 or 8 PM local) the story will be included in the automatic newsletter that is generated at 0200 GMT (9 or 10 PM).If you want to attach a file to the story, such as a graphic or PDF file, first you need to save the story. Un-check the "Display" checkbox and save the story to anchor it in the database, so that files can be attached. Then edit the story again. There should now be an attach_file link below the story title and department entry fields, as shown here:
When you click the attach_file link, the file upload page will open.
Use the "Browse" button to find and upload files. When the desired files have been uploaded, click the story title that is shown just above the browse button to return to the story. The files will be listed in a box on the right side of the story. The box includes slash HTML tags that you can cut/paste into the story text.
Consider converting Microsoft documents to the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). The free Openoffice.Org http://www.openoffice.org/ office suite can write directly to PDF format and can read many other popular office format documents.Note: The following information is taken from the slashtags.pod file shipped with slashcode.
This tag does not enclose text. Available attributes:
The SLASH-IMAGE tag is almost the same as the SLASH-FILE tag, but with additional attributes, and uses an IMG SRC output instead of an A HREF output.
<SLASH-IMAGE ID="SOMEID" TITLE="foo" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="200">
This is processed into something like:
<IMG SRC="//slash.example.com/blob.pl?id=SOMEID" TITLE="foo" WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="200">
This tag encloses text. Available attributes:
The SLASH-FILE tag allows linking to a file that has already been put into the Slash database, via the "Attach File" link that appears in the story editor once the story has been saved. Files attached to that story appear in the story's "Attached Files" slashbox in the story editor, along with syntax to use to include the file, something like this:
<SLASH-FILE ID="SOMEID" TITLE="foo">foo</SLASH>
Note: This syntax, upon preview/update, will change to:
<SLASH TYPE="file" ID="SOMEID" TITLE="foo">foo</SLASH>
This is processed into something like:
<A HREF="//slash.example.com/blob.pl?id=SOMEID" TITLE="foo">foo</A>
Related links can also be added to the related-links box without actually adding the link to the story. Use the SLASH-RELATED tag:
This tag encloses text. Available attributes:
The SLASH-RELATED tag creates an additional entry to the bottom of a story's "Related Links" slashbox. It produces no output.
<SLASH-RELATED HREF="http://www.example.com/">Example site</SLASH>
This produces no output in the story; rather, it adds to the "Related Links" slashbox text something like:
· <A HREF="http://www.example.com/">Example site</A><BR>