How to properly write an Article

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How to properly write an Article

Post by recte44 » Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:13 pm

Team news and league features are the life line of our league. With a well written team news each owner has the ability to inform the rest of the league about a variety of information they may not have otherwise known. As a participation league reading and responding to team news is among our many forms of participation, and to make the reading experience better I have written this primer. Please take everything I say as suggestion and not as the ONLY way to properly construct an article.

First, something I stole from the GUBA constitution:
What constitutes a sufficient Team News report? In order to qualify for the points, your Team News writings must be original, owner-created content. Copying and pasting from your OOTP team page will not count. You must have at least two solid paragraphs of original, owner-created written content. One sentence is far less than a paragraph. Non PPT-worthy postings should be pinned in your Team News forum or posted elsewhere on the board. Also, please post each news item as a separate thread for easier tallying.
1. Titles and Numbering
The title of your article, be it a spotlight, feature, or team news is entirely up to each owner. The only guidelines we enforce is that, for team news and recurring features, that you number each article so that it is easier to keep track of for the participation count.
Ex. All the Rage! Issue 2, 2030 or vol.2 or #2 or whatever

2. Content and Linking
The content of your article is up to you but as stated before it must be original content and not copy pasting of OOTP news (you can use these things in your article just not as the entire article.)

When you name a player, please provide a link to that player's HTML page (at least the first time you mention them.) This makes it easier for the reader to look the player over. There are effectively two steps to doing this (and at least two ways to do the second). You can also use the URL Converter.

Step one: Open the html page you want to link and copy the url.

Step two: Put the link into the post you're writing. There are two ways to complete this step.

Manual Typing Method: (i.e. the long way)

1) Simply type {url=XXXXXXXXXX.html}Name{/url} (replacing all { } with [ ])
2) Paste the url where the Xs are

Semi-Automated Method:

1) Type the player's name (or whatever you want the link to read
2) Select what you just typed, and click the "link" button on the post toolbar. This will surround your tag with the brackets
3) Point to the end of url and type "=" ... then paste in the url from before

You can use links to scouts, teams, other articles, whatever.


LINKING PHOTOS:

On the same note many people like to use player photos in the articles. This is easy to do:

1) go to the player's HTML page, right click on his photo and select "Copy Image Location"
2) Go back to your article, put the cursor where you want the image to be and press the IMG button. This will create the Image brackets for you.
3) Paste the url of the image you copied between the brackets, i.e. {img}XXXXXXXX.png{/img} (again, replacing { } with [ ]
4) If you want to flow text around the image, select the entire code for the image (including brackets) and click the "float text" icon in the tool bar.

Links are required when posting a trade/waiver and are needed when posting a trade block as well.


3. Can't think of anything right now, any thoughts from my peers?

4. It's not a chore, it's to make the league experience better, so try to have fun with it.
Last edited by Lane on Sun Aug 19, 2018 11:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Al-Hoot

Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by Al-Hoot » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:41 pm

Hi. I know this was just a primer, but I have one comment/concern:
You must have at least two solid paragraphs of original, owner-created written content.
I usually use "shorter" paragraphs to allow for more easier reading. I think more people are likely to read content if paragraphs are shorter, say two to four sentences, than longer, say 8 or more sentences. But that is just my style.

And probably if you read online news sites and newspapers (if anybody still reads those, yeah maybe in the work break room), a lot of sites will use shorter paragraphs. This is not to get away from the requirement of writing "solid paragraphs" but of adding readability.

So I guess what I am saying is that I personally would "break up" solid, longer paragraphs into more numerous shorter ones. So the same amount of solid content is there, just presented in shorter, more attractive, and easier to read paragraphs.

Especially since here as on most forums, I do not think we have control over the column length. On any good online sites the columns will be about a third or a half a screen wide, so that they are easy to scan and you can read them with your eyes barely moving--or at least moving a lot less than if the column width were as wide as this one.

versus:

I usually use "shorter" paragraphs to allow for more easier reading. I think more people are likely to read content if paragraphs are shorter, say two to four sentences, than longer, say 8 or more sentences. But that is just my style. And probably if you read online news sites and newspapers (if anybody still reads those, yeah maybe in the work break room), a lot of sites will use shorter paragraphs. This is not to get away from the requirement of writing "solid paragraphs" but of adding readability. So I guess what I am saying is that I personally would "break up" solid, longer paragraphs into more numerous shorter ones. So the same amount of solid content is there, just presented in shorter, more attractive, and easier to read paragraphs. Especially since here as on most forums, I do not think we have control over the column length. On any good online sites the columns will be about a third or a half a screen wide, so that they are easy to scan and you can read them with your eyes barely moving--or at least moving a lot less than if the column width were as wide as this one.

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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by recte44 » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:43 pm

I agree. This was just put in to eliminate Team News that were something like this:

Last sim we played some games. We won some, and we lost some. No one got hurt so that was good.

Next sim we'll play some more games.

The end.

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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by TimB » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:52 pm

recte44 wrote:I agree. This was just put in to eliminate Team News that were something like this:

Last sim we played some games. We won some, and we lost some. No one got hurt so that was good.

Next sim we'll play some more games.

The end.
You just stole the first regular season issue of the Sox Sentinel. That's plagiarism you know... Well save the bit about winning some, that doesn't feature.

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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by aaronweiner » Sun Aug 07, 2011 3:03 pm

Well, since you're running the Black Sox, you can probably cut the part about winning some.

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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by uptonogoode » Sun Aug 07, 2011 9:46 pm

Ouch! ^
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by uptonogoode » Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:14 pm

Having seen your recent newsletters Al, I don't think you have anything to worry about. They are informative, and entertaining. I was really impressed with the former owner who posted that "What you need to know" article. Wow, basically the whole history of your club. Pretty cool.
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by indiansfan » Tue Apr 03, 2012 11:45 am

Ok I still can't figure out how to put pictures in. I do not have a "copy location" option when I right click. All I get is a regular copy option and that won't work for a link. What am I doing wrong?
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by Al-Hoot » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:37 pm

Which browser are you using?

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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by indiansfan » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:58 pm

Internet Explorer
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by 7teen » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:05 pm

You have to right click, go to properties, then click on the image url. I want to say it is near the bottom of the properties screen. I'm on a MAC right now but use IE at work.
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by indiansfan » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:10 pm

Ok found it. Thanks.
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by recte44 » Sun Jul 20, 2014 2:40 pm

With a bunch of new GM's, thought it was time to bump and review this thread.

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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by recte44 » Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:45 am

:bump:

Sent from my XT1526 using Tapatalk

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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by recte44 » Wed Aug 17, 2016 4:11 pm

:bump:

Reminder for all of what is expected from a PP worthy Team News.

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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by RonCo » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:38 pm

With Matt's authorization...and Randy's prompting...I've updated this little guide to match our current forum tools. At least I think I have. Please feel free to suggest improvements. I may not really know the best ways to do things.
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by tylertoo » Sat Dec 18, 2021 4:39 pm

This might be updated for new members to take out the linkage requirement.
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by Drew_V » Sat Dec 18, 2021 5:19 pm

Ah, linking. I've been doing it for so long, it feels wrong not to. I often wish I could review the stats on who actually clicks on the links I bother to generate...
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by usnspecialist » Sun Dec 19, 2021 12:39 am

Drew_V wrote:
Sat Dec 18, 2021 5:19 pm
Ah, linking. I've been doing it for so long, it feels wrong not to. I often wish I could review the stats on who actually clicks on the links I bother to generate...
Linking is still allowed/encouraged but just not required.
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Re: How to properly write an Article

Post by JimSlade » Sun Dec 19, 2021 9:45 am

This is a helpful thread to read. I'm getting ready to post my first team report, as I'm just beginning to out together names and faces in my organization.
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