In light of the HP sellout and the exciting new influx of members that resulted, we relaxed a few of our editorial policies to make the transition to The Planet as smooth as possible. Our editorial policies mainly address which articles appear on the front page but in this article you’ll find information that will be helpful in posting your articles.

a. Front Page Articles

Our front page represents The Planet to the public so it is important to us that articles on our front page look complete and present meaningful issues that reflect the concern, passion and substance of the site and its community.

Posts on any and all topics are welcome though when they are primarily relaying a news article, dealing with a less accessible topic or of a more personal nature (not as issue-oriented), instead of being published on the front page, they may be published in Speakers Corner (more on Speaker’s Corner below).

Posts should be used when you have something of length to express. A brief POV or sharing news that’s just a few paragraphs should be expressed as a comment, on a pertinent thread or if none exists, in Morning Blog in the mornings or Time Out for Off Topic afterward. If a post is submitted that is quite brief, it will likely be converted into a comment and placed on MB or TO/OT.

b. Publishing Posts

Our editorial guidelines are that all articles need to have a graphic at the top of the article, a Featured Image selected, an excerpt, appropriate categories selected and tags added. We invite all members to apply these to their own articles since it will allow us to publish them quicker (and relieve our workload a bit). Your articles are always welcome but will have to wait for publication until we have a chance to add all of these elements to your article first (instructions on doing all of these appear below).

We do and will allow some members who consistently prepare their articles in full, the ability to directly publish them. We have to limit this number though so there aren’t too many articles published on any one particular day, allowing each article to get a fair amount of attention.

Some articles will be selected to be featured, in the slider at the top and/or staying at the top of the page. We try to spread that around a bit but it’s generally more topic driven or selections are made to provide a wider variety of topics.

Titles of articles are subject to change, if they are not descriptive enough of the subject matter, it will diminish the possibilities of an article being discovered on search engines. Graphics too may be changed if there is a copyright concern or if they are inappropriate.

c. Speakers Corner

As mentioned above, this category is for articles which are not as issue-oriented or aimed at a wider audience. Again, all articles are very welcome, whether they are about the Middle East or about one’s love of Golden Retrievers (guilty as charged) but the more personal, shorter, or less issue-related they are, the more likely they will be to appear under Speakers Corner.

Articles published in Speakers Corner don’t appear on the front page but are fully publicized to our membership, through email notification and appearing in the Recent Posts widget in the right sidebar of each page. Speakers Corner is a popular destination on The Planet, in fact, two of our main features, Morning Blog and Time Out for O/T appeared there until getting their own Speakers Corner categories recently. So if your article is published there, it will typically receive as many or more responses as some Front Page articles.

d. Off Topic Comments

We are not terribly strict about this but out of respect for the time and energy our members invest in their articles, we try to keep discussions on topic for that article. Jokes and brief diversions are usually fine but if we feel that one or more comments are pulling discussion way off track, we will move such comments to Time Out for O/T where that discussion is welcome to continue. So, if you posted an OT comment on a thread and it isn’t where you left it, you’ll know where to find it.

Here now are some tips on fully preparing your article:

How to Prepare Your Article For Publication:

1. Adding Images and Featured Image
(If you want to use an image that’s on your computer, skip to Step b.)
a. Find an image on the web that isn’t copyrighted (http://search.creativecommons.org/ is a great source). Download it to your computer.
b. When you are adding a New Post in your Dashboard, click at the very beginning of your article so the cursor appears there then click the first icon above the menu of the Post box (in the red circle):

Click the “Select File” button on the box that pops up and choose the file or files you want to upload.

c. Once the image has fully uploaded, a box will display with all the details about that image. Scroll to the bottom of that box, click “Use as Featured Image” then once it finishes processing that, choose a location (Left/Center/Right) and size desired then click the “Insert into post” button and you’re done!

If you’ve forgotten to add the Featured Image, just scroll down on your Add New Post page and look to the bottom of the right hand column, you’ll see a Featured Image widget, click the “Set featured Image” link then follow the instructions above to upload an image or use your Gallery (images you’ve already uploaded for that post) to choose and select a Featured Image.

2. Adding an Excerpt
Add a brief description or intro to your article in the Excerpt box just below the Post box.

3. Adding Categories
Scroll through the available categories and check as many as are appropriate. Please note that the News and Politics category is always selected initially so if this is not appropriate, please remove the check in its box.

4. Adding Tags
If you have the Visual mode set for your post (there are two tabs in the upper right corner of your post composition box, Visual and HTML), Tags will automatically be suggested for you in the Post Tags widget in the right hand column. All you need do is click on Apply All link and they will be added to your post. Click the “x” on any undesired tags to remove them.

We’re thrilled to have such a diverse community, creating such a variety of  insightful, intriguing and enjoyable articles. Thanks so much for all of your support and making The Planet what it is.

64
Leave a Comment

Please Login to comment
15 Comment threads
49 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
18 Comment authors
truth-seekerTruthParadisePlacebo74Peabody IIHaruko Haruhara Recent comment authors
  Subscribe  
newest oldest most voted
Notify of
Chernynkaya
Member

YAY! I mastered the “Featured Image” thingy! (And it was ridiculously easy.) Amazing how our mental blocks prevent us from seeing the forests for the trees.

Truth
Member

Thank you AdLib, this manual is very helpful. I saved it to my PPOV-manuals file for future reference. And thanks also for the new access to comments, it makes it a lot easier to keep track of the replies.

Now I would like to request that Cher’s excellent “The Daily Planet” gets her own space too. It is so refreshing to see news and ongoing initiatives on the same post. It just leaves me going away more hopeful than when I came and so it makes me read more news. I admit, I often read news in a very selective way ( = I omit 98 %) because they’re mostly made up negative and depressing. Why would I want to invite those two unwelcome guests?

truth-seeker
Member
truth-seeker

“I admit, I often read news in a very selective way ( = I omit 98 %) because they’re mostly made up negative and depressing. Why would I want to invite those two”

Wow – hate to say this, but how on earth are you going to get to any kind of “truth” when you don’t even read anything that MIGHT make you uncomfortable or unhappy??? Were you kidding? That’s the problem we have with tea baggers and people like Beck. Don’t tell me you think exactly like these folks!

Truth
Member

This is quite a bit far-fetched, truth-seeker. Tea baggers generally don’t seem to like to think for themselves, and they seem to be addicted to be filled with hatred and fear. Did my comment express this? If so, it somehow must have escaped my attention!

And media corporations, especially large Murdochy ones, thrive on blood and strive. I don’t support that and I neither like to fill my brain nor my system with that. Remembering the times at HuffPost, I recognize that I thought I’d have to bear with it. But no, I don’t. Why should I? I have to adhere to my ethics and bring about whatever positive changes I can. I find this much wiser.

Now to repeat my message once more: Cher proves it IS possible to present the news in a way that is uplifting and not depressing.

Chernynkaya
Member

I meant to add: the new toolbar also seems perfect for addressing the problem some people have had on keeping track of comments. All we have to do now–in addition to reading the latest comments on the sidebar–is to click on the “comments” tap on the new toolbar, and Voila! Another place to find the comments. Nice!

Haruko Haruhara
Member

Now, I have a ➀ in my comments toolbar that I can’t make go away.

It’s not a problem. I just find it curious.

jkkFL
Guest

HH- it’s just indicating p.1 🙂

ParadisePlacebo74
Member
ParadisePlacebo74

@AdLIb — I like the new changes, but I’m having a problem with the drop-down menus for “Speakers Corner” and “Take Action” being visibly blocked by the YouTube video in the “PlanetPOVideos” box. I’ve seen this same issue with embeded videos on many other sites, and I was thinking that if I’m not the only one with this problem, maybe you could flip-flop it with the “Sponsors” box.

Kalima
Admin

That’s odd, I just checked and it works just fine with me. The drop down menu covers that part of the video and you can see the other categories clearly on the green backdrop colour.

ParadisePlacebo74
Member
ParadisePlacebo74

Mine has never worked correctly — I still don’t know what the second item is on the “Take Action” menu :-). It could just be my setup. I’m running Internet Explorer 8 on fully updated 32bit Vista, so it wouldn’t surprise me any.

Peabody II
Member
Peabody II

Any problems with having a blog post here and on a different blog?

Haruko Haruhara
Member

I’ve never tried it at PPOV, but can you do a photo slideshow?

And, oh, my avatar and name are in a bar across the top of the page now!

Kalima
Admin

Not at the moment Haruko, we are still trying to fix other issues that we already have right now.

Marion
Member

Can you keep this hovering near the front page, please? I’m technophobic and will need to refer to the instructions.

Kalima
Admin

Marion here is a tip. At the bottom of Related Posts, you will see “Email This Post” you can use it to send the post to your own regular email address, then you have it there on your computer. It will of course always be here in our archives, but it will save you the work of searching for it when you need it. You can also C&P it.

Chernynkaya
Member

Another tip– you can bookmark this page too.

Truth
Member

Or c&p it and save it in your “PPOV-manuals”- file on your computer

ADONAI
Member

Well, that answers all my questions.

Thanks AdLib.

Khirad
Member

So I haven’t checked yet.

Am I to assume the image glitch in WordPress is fixed?

PocketWatch
Member

Khirad – been working ok for me the last couple of days.

Khirad
Member

Suhweeeet.

Okay, this opens up a few things for me.

Abbyrose86
Member

THANK YOU!!!! I so needed this tutorial!!!

Thank you!! Thank you and THANK YOU!!!
🙂

KevenSeven
Member

You refer to HP’s sellout as if it were a recent event……

choicelady
Member

Speaking of sellout…I have noticed that when I try to access something in a past HP that I found on google or whatever, if it speaks poorly of the corporate rich, and advertisement pops up THAT WILL NOT CLOSE – THE LINK TO CLICK ON THE X DOES NOT WORK.

Perhaps it’s just my problem, but does anyone else have that happen? And if so – are all the past articles casting aspersions on corporate bigwigs the focus of said problem?

Just asking.

Chernynkaya
Member

AdLib– re this:

c. Once the image has fully uploaded, a box will display with all the details about that image. Scroll to the bottom of that box, click “Use as Featured Image” then once it finishes processing that, choose a location (Left/Center/Right) and size desired then click the “Insert into post” button and you’re done!

When I upload the image there is nothing anywhere in the box that gives me any option to “Use as Featured Image.”

The only place that “Use as Featured Image” appears is, as you said,

If you’ve forgotten to add the Featured Image, just scroll down on your Add New Post page and look to the bottom of the right hand column, you’ll see a Featured Image widget, click the “Set featured Image” link then follow the instructions above to upload an image or use your Gallery (images you’ve already uploaded for that post) to choose and select a Featured Image.

And I did that–i.e. clicked the “Set featured Image” at the bottom of the entire page. Yet it still does not appear on the Home page–only in my post.

I don’t know what the heck I a doing wrong–if anything. I honestly do not have that “featured image” option in the rectangular box you highlighted in red, anywhere. Sorry!

PocketWatch
Member

AdLib – Thanks! On a personal note, I have been thinking that my business series needs to be in some sort of aggregated place so as to be easier to find for people that want to refer back to it. There are many Comments under those Posts that are useful as well. seeing as how there seems to be a small community of business people here, I’m suggesting a Business Blog or some such in the Speaker’s Corner or something like that.

I’m sure others may weigh in on this.

BTW, have you ever heard of or seen “The Well” website? I am familiar with it from years ago, and it is a very slick version or model of what I imagine PPOV wants to be in some ways. Worth a look just for reference.

Thanks.

jkkFL
Guest

Hey PW!
Checked out The Well, as far as I could go- without paying; which raises my issue:
It is slick, and it is subscription only.
There are people on PPOV who have documented their circumstances, and to some, even $6.50/mo would be unaffordable.
I will be honest, it was a bit too slick for me- too many ‘experts, and too much professional involvement; and, I suspect some serious editing.
I have no problem with editing guideliness set out by AdLib- fact is, some of us could probably benefit with some editing!
If/when PPOV turns into The Well, I doubt I would stay around long.

Emoticon

PocketWatch
Member

jkk ref: The Well

I know it’s a for-pay site, and I’m not suggesting that PPOV become so. They have been around since the old DOS days, using the old forum architecture. It is, as far as I know, the oldest and most respected such site in the world.

What I like about them is that they require people to be out in the open. “You Own Your Own Words” is their guiding policy. You cannot be anonymous there. Again, not suggesting that PPOV do that, but the sentiment here is similar to that.

They are owned by Salon, and obviously have a lot of money behind them. But I like the smoothness and ease of operation of the site and the way they are organized.

Just offering it to AdLib to check out and see if there are any attributes he might use here. I’m always thinking of the future. Nothing wrong with seeing how others do things.

jkkFL
Guest

I agree, however, having a very distinct last name,(mine was the only one in the ‘book’) and having had an incident of being stalked for an extended period of time, I have to take issue with using your real identity.
Men don’t usually think of those issues, and I don’t fault you for it- but my identity is mine and I don’t choose to put it out there for a reason.
There is nothing wrong with seeing what’s out there, but what drew me to the blog world was the idea that real people have a chance to vioice their ideas without having to pass editorial review.
Friends?

Smiley

PocketWatch
Member

jkk – I must have miscommunicated. I am not advocating an open non-anonynous (?) (what’s the opposite of anonymous, anyway? Am I having a brain fart?) style or forum here. Not at all!

What I was referring to is that The Well uses that to keep out the flamers. Here, it’s done a different way, and that’s fine by me for the reasons you relate.

What I like is the very open way of saying it: You Own Your Own Words. THAT I agree with!

Kalima
Admin

jkkFL. To answer your concerns, please read the link about why we started The Planet, and rest assured that we won’t be changing into a Rupert Murdoch, pay as your read site in the future.

The Planet will remain a site where people can get together to share ideas and express opinions, if that includes business ideas or how to make the perfect quiche it makes no difference, we have our principles and core values, those remain the same. We started the site to have a place to express ourselves freely, and our hopes were that people like you, and the members who joined us later would enjoy it too, it was never intended as a business venture for profits by any of us, just an escape from censorship, moderation and trolls.

Donations here are voluntary to keep The Planet up and running, and we run this site on a voluntary basis, so you can put your fears of ever being charged to read the content of this site to rest. If you haven’t read this, please do, it explains who we are, and who we intend to remain. Thanks.

http://planetpov.com/about/

Abbyrose86
Member

OH PW…I love that idea!

I would love to see a business section!

PocketWatch
Member

Abby – Since I started this marathon business series, I learned just how many small business people there are here, and it makes sense to corral that subject. There’s a lot to say, both from the standpoint of technical issues like you and I get into, but also from a larger perspective of ethics and community.

Lots of meat to chew on (no offense to the “veggie-heads” among us Smiley)

Abbyrose86
Member

There does seem to be quite a bit of interest, and let’s face it, business effects a lot of different social and political issues as well, so it seems like a great idea!

🙂

jkkFL
Guest

I would love to see, perhaps as a part of the ‘Business Section’, perhaps another- (sorry AdLib!) a section covering some of the OT topics, like last night where there was a lively discussion of making, making do, and repurposing items to reuse..

Smiley

jkkFL
Guest

But- veggie-heads have to chew too, they just leave out the meat!!
Smiley

PocketWatch
Member

jkk – raw carrots? (I like those.. a favorite snack)

snoskier
Member
snoskier

I would love to comment or contribute to a business space. I think those of us in the business community have a lot of things that could help folks understand what challenges we face. Speaking for myself, I can help discuss the food business, and how items get on the supermarket shelf. It is very dynamic, and the recent conferences I attended show how challenging it is to stay ahead of the trends.

escribacat
Member

That’s a great idea, PW. I haven’t been able to keep up with all the postings you’ve made but in future I’d like to take my time and read through it when I’ve got more time.