INSTRUCTIONS for final Story Package
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1. Download template folder and unzip the contents. If you're reading this, you have done it already!

2. Open the HTML files in a plain-text editor, such as Notepad (Windows) or Text Wrangler (Mac). DO NOT USE MS WORD -- or you will mess up everything! Mac users must NOT USE Text Edit. Windows users must NOT USE WordPad. A plain-text editor is a particular kind of editing program. You can't use just any old program you happen to feel like using, or you will destroy the code, and your pages will not work.

3. On each page, replace the words "Headline for Your Story" with one consistent headline for your own story. These words appear in the HTML TITLE and also in the H1.

4. On each page, replace the words "Your Name Here" with your own first and last name. This appears in TWO places on EACH page. You may link your name in the footer. DO NOT link your name in the top section (byline).

5. If you link your name on one page, you must link it on ALL pages. Consistency is the mark of a careful, responsible journalist.

6. The story links (in the bylne DIV) are already made for you. The file names of the three pages must stay as they are (index.html, data.html, slideshow.html). The links must stay as they are. Do not change the filenames or the links.

7. However, you will change the TEXT of the links in the byline DIV. There are two strings of text you will change, on every page:

* Data: Heading
* Audio Slideshow: Heading

In place of the words (all the words), write a very short phrase to accurately represent the contents of that page. For example, I might use one of these for the pizza toppings chart (data):

* Favorite Toppings
* Popular Pizza Toppers

Write with a general audience in mind.

CHANGE THIS TEXT to be exactly the same on all three pages.

8. Capitalization style is important. It contributes to the viewer's perception of whether you are consistent, and therefore reliable and trustworthy. For ALL HEADINGS in this package, you must use title case, or uppercase style. Here is what that means:

* The first word and the last word of a heading are always capitalized.
* All nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are always capitalized (even short ones, such as "Is").
* All articles (a, an, the) are lowercase, unless they are the first or last word.
* Conjunctions and prepositions are lowercase, unless they are longer than four letters, or they are the first or last word.

This is a standard style practice across English-language publishing, worldwide.

9. Instructions for each page:

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a) index.html
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Create two images in Photoshop. Each one must be exactly 260 pixels wide and 170 pixels high. EXACTLY. One image represents your slideshow. It must be a photo, and the file format must be JPG. The other image represents your data. It must be a "detail" of your map or chart, and the file format must be GIF.

Write engaging, interesting text to introduce your story (left side).

Write a heading and interesting text to introduce your slideshow (top right side). Do not change the link text.

Write a heading and interesting text to introduce your data (bottom right side). Do not change the link text EXCEPT to delete the irrelevant word, either "map" or "chart," and also delete the slash.

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b) data.html
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Decide whether a map or a chart will be the best way to help people understand the issue that is driving your story.

Write engaging, interesting text to complement your data (right side).

Find up-to-date, relevant data from a reliable source. (In the example of the pizza map, I would double-check all business names, addresses and phone numbers by calling each business or visiting it -- thus the reporter, me, would be the source. For non-map data, however, you will need to find numbers compiled by someone else. Reporters rarely conduct independent statistical research.)

If you choose a map, use the file "data.html"

If you choose a chart, you may use the file "data2.html" instead, but you must RENAME the file as "data.html" if you do.

Create your map or chart, and get all the necessary code for it.

** If you are using data.html -- delete my code on the template, being careful to RETAIN THE COMMENTS CODE, which looks like THIS:


<!-- ++ BEGIN   GSpreadsheets Map Wizard Generated Code ++ -->

<!-- ++ END  GSpreadsheets Map Wizard Generated Code ++ -->

Then copy your own map code, and paste it in between the two comment lines.


** If you are using data2.html -- you can keep all the code as is, but you need to change the filename of the SWF file to match the SWF for the chart you selected. In the template, the SWF file is named "FCF_Bar2D.swf" and you can see that file inside the "data" folder. The Fusion Chart you choose will have a different filename. (Make sure the capitalization in the HTML matches the capitalization in the actual name of the file!)

Make sure you copy your own chart, and its correct data file, into the "data" folder.

SEE: Week 13 page -- links at bottom

http://www.macloo.com/syllabi/toolkit/weeks/week13.htm

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c) slideshow.html
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The code between the OBJECT tags on this page should not need any changes if you do the following correctly:

1) When you start the new project in Soundslides, choose "Custom."
2) Choose a width of 800.
3) Choose a height of 533.

4) UNCHECK the "headline" option in your Soundslides. If you include a headline, it will look dumb in the template design.
5) After you finish and EXPORT your Soundslides, COPY all the files in your "publish_to_web" folder.
6) PASTE the files into the folder named "slideshow_files" inside the story templates folder.

After you have followed these steps, open the file "slideshow.html" in a Web browser and you should immediately see your Soundslides on the page, and everything should work!

NOTE: If your Soundslides appears distorted, or your pictures seem reduced in quality, then one of two things has happened:

1) You did not customize the SS project for 800 x 533.
2) You saved your JPGs at a smaller width and height, e.g. 600 x 400 (too small!).

If you do not want to write any text below the slideshow on this page, then DELETE the dummy paragraph that appears on the template.

Do not write more than three lines here.

10. HOW TO UPLOAD

When you know WHERE to upload the files, here is what you will do:

a) Make sure there are NO UNNECESSARY FILES in the "story_package" folder or its subfolders. For example, there should be NO files about pizza inside the "images" folder!

b) Test all the files and links thoroughly to make sure everythng works and looks okay.

c) If you are asked to change the name of the "story_package" folder, do it.

d) Upload the "story_package" folder and all its contents to the location specified.


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