Primer |
Welcome to the Political Cortex Primer. As you might have noticed the Cortex works a bit differently from all those other online political communities. This unique functioning is the result of several features that we're introducing to the political web for the very first time. And to ensure that you're comfortable with them and able to take full advantage of everything this site has to offer, we've created this primer. Here, we'll address a handfull of those features you've likely not seen anywhere else before, offering a step-by-step walkthrough for simple, fast, and total understanding. Note: You MUST be a registered user before you can take advantage of these exciting features. Accounts are free and take less than 30 seconds to create. So if you haven’t already, go create your personal account now! Redundency: Note also that there is a deliberate degree of redundancy throughout this Primer. This allows a reader to go directly to the feature that matters to them at the moment without referring to other sections of the document.
Why are there so many posting options and how do I decide which one to use? How do I:How do I and the community “Edit” someone else’s Article Submission? Now for the Democracy! How do I vote on the Article Submissions? Read the FAQ: Even after you read and understand everything in this primer, you should take the time to read the entire FAQ. It will give you a much broader and more complete explanation of the Cortex’s workings. More importantly, it will ensure that you are able to take advantage of all the features offered here. So let’s begin.
Why are there so many posting options and how do I decide which one to use? One of the Cortex’s greatest features is that it really puts the focus on the registered Cortex community, allowing not only “diaries” and “comments” (as many other sites do), but also “Article Submissions” and “Quick Posts”. Each of these offers a new venue for expressing your opinions and sharing you knowledge, wit, and wisdom. So, when considering which which one to post to, you can think of these options as a spectrum of story depth and exposure: “Article Submissions” – Post here if your article is something into which you’ve poured your heart and soul and believe that the front page is where it belongs. Typically, these pieces are in-depth, well-researched, and dually fact-checked. A solid point is backed by a well-reasoned argument. (300 word minimum) “Diaries” – Post here if your article is a bit more casual in nature OR if you want to avoid putting your article up for a vote. (300 word minimum) “Comments” – Post here if you want to say virtually anything about the topic of the story to which you posted. For more generic comments, links to articles or websites, etc. you should Comment in an “Open Thread Diary “ which will periodically be posted by administrators to provide for an open community discussion.
Step 1) Click on the “Submit New Article” Link in your “User Menu” located in the right-hand column. This will take you to the “Submit New Article” posting interface. Step 2) Please Read the Rules at the top very carefully before posting. Below the rules listing, you will find the entry forms for your Article Submission. Step 3) Across from the line heading “Post to:” you will find 2 dropdown menus (If you’ve chosen the “Use WYSIWYG Editor” selection in your preferences, then only the first dropdown menu will appear). The first drop-down menu will offer the 3 selections: (See more about these sections below) · “Frontal Lobe” – Choose this if you think your Article is best described as an opinion piece based mostly on subjective observations, emotions, philosophy, etc. · “Left Brain” – Choose this if you think your Article is best described as an Analysis (using more objective means – statistics, facts, figures, quotes to point to a particular conclusion) or an Investigation” · “Code Blue” – Choose this if you think your Article is best described as pertaining to Activism” If you feel yours is a hybrid, don’t worry. Simply choose the section that you feel it leans toward most. There will be other methods of categorization to further identify your masterpiece. Step 4) The second drop down menu (You will only see this if you are using the basic editor) determines how your typed text will be interpreted for display. ** We almost always recommend that you use "Auto Format"! ** -- especially if you are unsure of what this selection does. But for reference, here is what each selection does: o “Auto Format” -- Converts your writing to HTML but it offers the additional advantage of adding most basic tags for further text customization. o “Plain text” -- Converts your writing to HTML but allows no additional tags; line breaks become paragraph breaks, etc. o "HTML" -- Reads your entry exactly as though it is written in strict HTML. Step 5) Next you will see a checkbox titled, “Request editorial feedback: Initially puts post in the 'Edit Queue'.” o If it is checked (which it is by default), your article submission will be sent to the “Edit queue” for a period of time before it is sent to the “Voting Queue”. o If you UN-check it, your article submission will be sent to the “Voting queue”. Note: We will discuss these queues in detail below. ** We highly recommend that you use the Edit queue"! ** -- especially if you are a new member or working to improve your journalistic writing skills. It can be a very enlightening experience. Step 6) Title: - Come up with a spectacular title for your
story. Something informative and catchy that summarizes your article while
drawing the reader's attention. Step 7) Keywords: This is a Required Field and it is very important to the functioning of the site! Enter up to three keywords, separated by commas, that you believe best describe the content of your submission. Use those keywords that you think a person would need to enter into a search engine in order for your article to appear. Please browse the Keyword List for possible choices, check your spelling, and use Full names (e.g. Use George W. Bush and Valerie Plame rather than just Bush and Plame). Step 8) Intro: - A two or three-paragraph introduction. State what it is you’re writing about, why you are writing about it, and a short introduction to it. This is your chance to bring the reader into the rest of the story. Do not enter your entire submission in this area. In fact the introduction will be limited to 300 words. If your entire submission is less than three hundred words, then you should post your submission as a “Quick Post” since both “Article Submissions” and “Diaries” have a 300-word minimum (Intro+Body). Step 9) Body: - This is where you enter the remainder of your story. Please do not include your introduction here again. Any images should go in this area. Notice the style buttons that sit on top of each of the text entry
boxes (In the basic default version). Hover your cursor over each
button to see what it does. To use them, simply highlight the desired text
and click on the desired button. Here a little experimentation goes a long
way. In addition, there is an “MS Word” style editor that is
far more feature-rich. You can choose this version in your preference page
entitled “Interface”. Simply check the box that reads, “Use
WYSIWYG Editor:” This comes complete with it’s own “Help” button
that you can see once the preference is chosen and saved. (The blue question
mark button found at the bottom of the Intro or Body text entry box). Polls : Polls are not required, but if you wish to attach a relevant poll to your article, and it’s well thought out, they can often add a bit of spice and insight for the community. Step 10) Multiple or Single selection: If you choose to include a poll with your article, you must also choose whether you wish to present one that allows only a single selection by each user (in which case the vote percentages for all selection will sum to 100%) OR Allow multiple selections (in which case the vote percentages for each selection could be 100%). The “multiple selections” option would be useful if, for example, you were trying to determine the top 3 candidates (out of 10). If you choose to “allow multiple selections” then make sure the associated checkbox is checked. Step 11) Enter the Question that you want answered by the poll. Step 12) Enter up to 10 possible answers to the question you posed in Step 11). Step 13) Preview: Click on the “Preview” Button. Preview
the article a few times and make as many changes as needed. Click on all links
and make sure they go where you want them to. Read your article aloud. Keep
re-previewing it until you are 100% happy with it. Then preview it again. Congratulations! You’ve just completed the Submission Process, now it’s on to the Editing and Voting Process.
EDIT QUEUE: If you chose to “Request Editorial Feedback” by checking the related checkbox, your article will initially be placed in the "edit queue". This is where all logged-in members of the community can view your article and make constructive suggestions for improvement. Step 1) Click on the “Vote/Edit Submissions” link in your User Menu located in the right-hand column. This will take you to the queue that will list all article submissions in both the “Editing” and the “Voting” Process. Find your article (designated by Title and User Name). Step 2) Since yours is in the “Edit queue”, it will have the word “edit” in the “Score” column. If it has something other than “edit” under score, then the “Request Editorial Feedback” checkbox was not checked when you pressed the “Submit” button on the posting page. In either case, you will have to enter the queue by clicking on either the Title or the word “edit”. Step 3) Once there, Scroll down till you get to a pair of buttons titled “Edit Story” and “Cancel Submission” and a checkbox followed by, “ Confirm cancel?” If you want to Cancel the Submission: As the author of this story, you may cancel the submission at any time during voting by simply checking the “Confirm cancel?” checkbox and then clicking on "Cancel Submission". Step 4) Read the editorial comments that have been posted by the community. If, after considering their advice, you wish to further edit your submission, then click on the "Edit Story" button found just above the comments section. This will take you back to the posting page where you originally insert your Article information. Step 5) Make any desired changes to your submission. Preview your changes by clicking on the “Preview” button. Once satisfied with the changes you’ve made, move on to Step 6. Step 6) Decide whether you want to resubmit your article back to the “Edit Queue” or move it to the “Voting Queue”. o To return the story to Editing , make sure the "Request editorial feedback" checkbox remains checked and then click on the “Submit” button. o To move the story to Voting , uncheck "Request editorial feedback" and then click on the “Submit” button. Step 7) If you returned to Editing, then you can go back to “Step 1)” and continue this process for a maximum of 3 hours before the system automatically sends your submission to the Voting Queue. Note: It’s considered good etiquette to post an editorial comment with your plans for editing the story. For example, if you will be working or sleeping for some of the time the story is in the edit queue, you should say you will not be able to respond to comments during those times so that other users do not feel you are simply ignoring any advice they give. To move your article directly from the “Edit” queue to the “Vote” queue without further revision, you will still have to click on the "Edit Story" button found just above the comments section. This will take you back to the posting page where you originally inserted your Article information. To move the story to Voting, uncheck "Request editorial feedback" and then click on the “Submit” button.
VOTING QUEUE: Once you have Submitted (or moved) your Article to the “Voting Queue”, the Registered members of the Cortex community can vote whether to Post it to the “Top-Rated Submissions” Column on the front page or over to the “Recent Diaries” listing over in the right hand column. You can monitor the voting progress by doing the following: Step 1) Click on the “Vote/Edit Submissions” link in your User Menu located in the right-hand column. This will take you to the queue that will list all article submissions in both the “Editing” and the “Voting” Process. Find your article (designated by Title and User Name). Step 2) Since yours is now in the “Vote queue”, it will have the number in the “Score” column. This is the net sum of all “+1 votes” (Post to front page) and all “-1 votes” (Send to the ‘Recent Diaries’). Step 3) Compare this score to the “Post Threshold” (Score needed for your article to post to the front page) and the “Hide threshold” (Score needed for your article to be sent to the “Recent Diaries” listing.). Timeout: If your post sits in the Voting queue for 6 hours without achieving either the “Post” or “Hide” threshold, then a stealth calculation takes place that determines whether or not the article is then posted to the "Top-Rated Submissions" Column on the front page or to the "Recent Diaries". Canceling your submission: If you decide you want to Cancel
the Submission, you will have to enter your story’s voting
page by clicking on its Title in the queue listing. Once there, Scroll down
till you get to a button titled “Cancel Submission” next to a
checkbox followed by, “ Confirm cancel? Step 1) Click on the “Create New Diary Entry” Link in your “User Menu” located in the right-hand column. This will take you to the “Create New Diary Entry” posting interface. Step 2) Please Read the Rules at the top very carefully before posting. Below the rules listing, you will find the entry forms for your Article Submission. Step 3) Across from the line heading “Post to:” you will find The word [Diary] and a single dropdown menu (If you’ve chosen the “Use WYSIWYG Editor” selection in your preferences, then only the word Diary will appear and you can ignore this step). The drop down menu (You will only see this if you are using the basic editor) determines how your typed text will be interpreted for display. ** We almost always recommend that you use "Auto Format"! ** -- especially if you are unsure of what this selection does. But for reference, here is what each selection does: o “Auto Format” -- Converts your writing to HTML but it offers the additional advantage of adding most basic tags for further text customization. o “Plain text” -- Converts your writing to HTML but allows no additional tags; line breaks become paragraph breaks, etc. o "HTML" -- Reads your entry exactly as though it is written in strict HTML. Step 4) Title: - Come up with a spectacular title for your
story. Something informative and catchy that summarizes your article while
drawing the reader's attention. Step 5) Keywords: This is a Required Field and it is very important to the functioning of the site! Enter up to three keywords, separated by commas, that you believe best describe the content of your submission. Use those keywords that you think a person would need to enter into a search engine in order for your article to appear. Please browse the Keyword List for possible choices, check your spelling, and use Full names (e.g. Use George W. Bush and Valerie Plame rather than just Bush and Plame). Step 6) Intro: - A two or three-paragraph introduction. State what it is you’re writing about, why you are writing about it, and a short introduction to it. This is your chance to bring the reader into the rest of the story. Do not enter your entire submission in this area. In fact the introduction will be limited to 300 words. If your entire submission is less than three hundred words, then you should post your submission as a “Quick Post” since both “Article Submissions” and “Diaries” have a 300-word minimum (Intro+Body). Step 7) Body: - This is where you enter the remainder of your story. Please do not include your introduction here again. Any images should go in this area. Notice the style buttons that sit on top of each of the text entry
boxes (In the basic default version). Hover your cursor over each
button to see what it does. To use them, simply highlight the desired text
and click on the desired button. Here a little experimentation goes a long
way. In addition, there is an “MS Word” style editor that is
far more feature-rich. You can choose this version in your preference page
entitled “Interface”. Simply check the box that reads, “Use
WYSIWYG Editor:” This comes complete with it’s own “Help” button
that you can see once the preference is chosen and saved. (The blue question
mark button found at the bottom of the Intro or Body text entry box). Polls : Polls are not required, but if you wish to attach a relevant poll to your article, and it’s well thought out, they can often add a bit of spice and insight for the community. Step 8) Multiple or Single selection: If you choose to include a poll with your article, you must also choose whether you wish to present one that allows only a single selection by each user (in which case the vote percentages for all selection will sum to 100%) OR Allow multiple selections (in which case the vote percentages for each selection could be 100%). The “multiple selections” option would be useful if, for example, you were trying to determine the top 3 candidates (out of 10). If you choose to “allow multiple selections” then make sure the associated checkbox is checked. Step 9) Enter the Question that you want answered by the poll. Step 10) Enter up to 10 possible answers to the question you posed in Step 11). Step 11) Preview: Click on the “Preview” Button. Preview
the article a few times and make as many changes as needed. Click on all links
and make sure they go where you want them to. Read your article aloud. Keep
re-previewing it until you are 100% happy with it. Then preview it again. Congratulations! You’ve just posted a diary.
How do I and the community “Edit” someone else’s Article Submission? Editing the Community’s “Article Submissions” is quite simple. In essence the community offers constructive editorial advice to the Author of the article via the use of “Editorial Comments” within the “Editing” queue. The author considers these comments while hopefully engaging in a dialogue with the community editors. He or she then decides whether or not to modify the article before sending it on to the “Voting” queue where Democracy may run its course. Note: In order to take part in this process you must be a registered member of the Cortex community! You can register here. It’s free. It’s fast. It’s fun. Acting as a community Editor Step 1) Click on the “Vote/Edit Submissions” Link in your “User Menu” located in the right-hand column. This will take you to a queue that lists all article submissions in both the “Editing” and the “Voting” queues. Articles are designated by Title and User Name.Step 2) Those submissions in the “Edit queue” will have the word “edit” in the “Score” column. Those submissions in the “Vote queue” will have the word “vote” in the “Score” column OR, if you have already voted on them, they will show a number. That is their current score. Step 3) If there is a Submission in the “edit” queue, that means someone is requesting your editorial advice. Click on the Article’s Title or the word “edit” to enter that Submission’s page, Step 4) Once in the page, read the article noting anything that you would change to maximize the value of the Article. Anything is game – content changes, additional information, better sourcing, improved grammar and reduced typos. Anything that will improve the quality of the submission. You can also mention where you think the article's strengths lie. The only rule is that you BE CONSTRUCTIVE. Step 5) Below the article, you will find the Comments section. At the top left of the comments section there is a “View” drop-down menu. If it doesn’t already say "Editorial Only", then choose the selection “Editorial Only”. This will ensure that any editorial comment you leave now becomes hidden when the article is finally posted. Step 6) Click on the “Post a Comment” Link (Just below the “View” drop-down menu) and leave your sage advice for the grateful author. Congratulations! You’ve just helped improve the content quality of the article, the Cortex, and the Progressive movement. Not bad for a few minute’s work!. Note: Feel free to make editorial suggestions to any post in the edit queue and please be courteous. Unproductive comments and insults are unacceptable and incredibly lame. The Author is asking for your assistance and surely doesn’t care to hear any jokes at his or her expense. The Golden Rule applies here as does it everywhere. Is it SPAM? If you feel that an article is abusing the edit queue, press the "Spam" button. Abuse of the queue includes advertisements, crap floods (nonsense posted to disrupt normal activity) and using the queue as publication medium i.e. an article that exists to sit in the edit queue. If enough users press the "Spam" button, the article will be moved to the voting queue where the post can be quickly posted into oblivion.
Now for the Democracy! How do I vote on the Article Submissions? Once an Article has been Submitted to the “Voting Queue”, the Registered members of the Cortex community can vote whether to Post it to the “Top-Rated Submissions” Column on the front page or over to the “Recent Diaries” listing in the right hand column. Each Registered Cortex member has a single vote. Use your power….wisely -- because you cannot take it back!
Casting the Vote! Step 1) Click on the “Vote/Edit Submissions” link in your User Menu located in the right-hand column. This will take you to the queue that will list all article submissions in both the “Editing” and the “Voting” Process. Articles are designated by Title and User Name. Step 2) Those submissions in the “Vote queue” will have the word “vote” in the “Score” column OR, if you have already voted on them, they will show a number. That is their current score. The Article's score (or net vote total) is the net sum of all “+1 votes” (Post to front page) and all “-1 votes” (Send to the ‘Recent Diaries’). Step 3) If you already voted, you can monitor the articles progress by comparing this score to the “Post Threshold” (Score needed for the article to post to the front page) and the “Hide threshold” (Score needed for the article to be sent to the “Recent Diaries” listing.). Both thresholds are displayed at the top of the queue. Step 4) If you have yet to vote, then click on the Submission’s Title or the word “vote” in the associated line in the queue. This will take you to the voting page. Step 5) When you get to that page, you will see the actual story that is up for vote. Read it and scroll down to the area just above the comments section. There you will find the voting mechanism – a drop-down menu with the words “Your Vote:” preceding it. You have three options when it comes to voting: 1) “Post it to the Front page (+1)” - Choose this if you like the story, or feel it is really worthy of being on the front page. If the story is voted “up” it will post to the “Top-Rated Submissions” in the middle column of the Front Page! 2) “Abstain (0)” - Choose this if you do not really care either way about the article. Note: that even these votes are important since, in the event of a “Time-out” (see below) where the submission has remained in the voting queue for too long, the voting threshold that determines whether or not an article makes it to the “Top-Rated Submissions” column is calculated using the total number of votes made. That includes the “Abstain” since such a vote certainly says something about the article in question – especially if there are many of them. 3) “Make it a Diary Entry! (-1)” - Choose this if you do not feel the article is worthy of posting as a “Top-Rated Submission”. Once you’ve voted, this part of the page will change to reflect your vote. Timeout: If a post sits in the Voting queue for 6 hours without achieving either the “Post” or “Hide” threshold, then a stealth calculation takes place that determines whether or not the article is then posted to the "Top-Rated Submissions" Column on the front page or to the "Recent Diaries".
Congratulations! You have just performed your civic duty as a vote-wielding Cortexan! |
” C
heck the “Confirm cancel?” checkbox and then click on "Cancel
Submission". 
