crap_prevention 2004 ppt

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Whenever something goes wrong with your website, well call it crap.Crap costs me time and you your reputation.

The following PPT will help you avoid common pitfalls that occur when you areusing Movable Type software to create and build a professional e-portfolio.

After watching this PPT, you still might make mistakes, crap happens, but ifyou follow this PPT, you will know what caused the crap to happen and howto prevent it or fix the problem.

Anticipated questions:

What is crap? Crap is when you click a button or make a decision when youare working on your portfolio and it creates problems. The problems might

involve the appearance of your website or they might involve your ability touse the dashboard of your portfolio effectively. For example, sometimes you

will be blocked from moving forward because of an unsolved error messages:An Error occurred.

In summary, crap costs time. Most of the mistakes that you make that createcrap will hinder your ability to complete and showcase a professional lookinge-portfolio.

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Craphappens,itsnotpleasant.

Noan3cipatedques3ons.

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Know what actions produce crap and its prevention.You control crapthe following actions produce crap. Once you know what causes it, youcan avoid it. If you need help, and Im not around, there are a number of online help links

that you can consult. Before you click, if you are unsure of the consequences, consultanother source.

Selecting the Refresh Templates option produces crap.This is the worst kind of crap. It takes the most time to restore and it looks the worst.

Deleting a default Widget produces crap.

Although uncommon, this type of crap prevents you from updating your website and leaves

you in software limbo, helpless, like that guy in the video clip [shitter].

Copying and pasting text directly from Word into the default Rich Text editorproduces crap.This is the most common form of crap. For the most part, it is invisible crap; however, it can

appear at times and create a less than professional impression. Basically, it detracts fromthe professionalism of your website; in addition, this crap makes it more difficult to update a

page or entry.

Pasting embed code directly to a page or entry produces crap.

This crap is the noticeable on all browsers; however, it is the easiest to solve.

Consulting available online support help for using Movable Type prevents crap.

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Selecting [Refresh Templates] produces crap.Youshouldnevermakethisselec3on

The [Refresh Templates] option will restore default templates.Theparentwebsite,PorBolio-Remix,inthedefaultstate,wantsthechildrentodressandlook

liketheparent.Ineffect,inthedefaultstate,theparentdictatesinforma3onaboutthelookof

thechildrenswebsitesor,inthiscase,studente-porBolios

Customizedtemplatestransformchildrenswebsitesintoindependentwebsitesbyremovingsharedtemplateswiththeparentwebsite,allowingyoutocontrolandcustomizethe

appearanceofyourwebsite.

If the [Refresh Templates] button is selected, you must contact the course

instructor.Thecourseinstructorwillhavetorebuildthefollowingtemplates:

The[logIndex]templateorindependentblogpage The[Header]templateorwebsiteheaderand3tle The[Naviga3on]templateormenubar The[Stylesheet]template,whichcreatesyourwebsitesappearanceYouwillhavetochangeyourbannerandre-customizeanychangesthatyoumadepreviouslyin

thedesignofyourwebsite.asically,ifyouselectthisop3on,yourwebsitedefaultstoascratch

state.

An2cipatedques2ons:

Whereisthisbuonlocated?OneachandeveryoneoftheTemplatespagesofyourdashboard

andontheThemespage.

Whydoesthenaviga2onmenulooksoweird?ecauseitisreceivingmessagesnotonlyfrom

theparent,butfromallofthechildrenaswell.ThinkoftheStarTrekserieswhentheorgwere

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Never confuse refreshing your website for refreshing your templates!

Onceagain,the[RefreshTemplates]op3onwillrestoredefaulttemplates

Therefreshwebsiteicon[seeaboveimage]refreshesyourwebsitetopublishany

changesthathavebeenmadetoyourcustomizedtemplates

An2cipatedques2ons:

Canyouexplainthedifferenceintheirappearancesandloca2ons?

The[RefreshWebsite]isaniconanddoesnotincludewords.Itlookslikearefresh

buVonthatyoumightfindonyourbrowsertoupdateapage.Theiconislocatedon

thesameplaceoneverypageofyourdashboard,theupperright-handcorner.

The[RefreshTemplates]op3onconsistsofbothagraphicandwords.Thegraphicisa

toolandthewordsarecomplete,refreshtemplates.Itisusuallyfoundtowardthe

boVomormiddleofyourscreen.Useitaslastresortop3onbecauseitwilleliminate

anyfurtherop3onsasidefromhavingtheinstructorrebuildthecustomized

templatesandyouhavingtostartfromscratchintermsofdesigningyourwebsite.

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Deleting a widget produces crap.Once you receive this error message, there is very little that you can do to restore yourdamaged templates. What is most likely happening is that you have deleted a link in the

chain of command. The templates and widgets communicate with each other, sendingorders along a chain; if an essential piece is missing, for example, a deleted widget, your

command chain is halted in its tracks.

If your dashboard becomes inoperable, contact the course instructor.

IfyoudeleteadefaultwidgetandyourdashboardbecomesinoperablecontacttheProfessorThecourseinstructormustrebuildyourwidgetsets.Sincestudentstendtodeletewidgetinsetsor

inlargenumbers,cleaningupthiscrapcanbea3me-consumingtask.

The course instructor must rebuild your widget sets.

Thecourseinstructorhastwoop3ons,selectthenotorious[RefreshTemplates]op3onorrebuild

eachwidgetaskedforintheerrormessage.

An2cipatedques2ons:

Whydostudentsdeletewidgets?Thewebsitescomewithanumberofwidgetsalreadyinstalled.

Thewidgetsarecommonlyusedonwebsites,forexample,theyshowanyimagesthatyouve

uploadedtothewebsite,theyshowrecententriesandcommentsandserveanumberoffunc3ons

thatareusefulforvisitors.However,theyarenotuniversallyadmiredordesired.Thus,astudent

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Uninstalling a default widget is the best practice.If you are dissatisfied with the appearance of a default widget, dont delete it. The bestpractice is to simply uninstall the widget. Widgets should never be deleted, they should be

uninstalled. This is a simple drag-and-drop operation.

1. Open Design/Widgets/ Select a Widget SetOpen your dashboard and select Design/Widgets and choose one of your two installed

widget sets to edit.

2. Drag and drop widget(s) from the Installed Widgets column to the AvailableWidgets column

This is a simple operation. While your taking widgets out of your Installed column, youmight want to move some from your Available Widgets column and install them. You can

customize your sidebar this way.

3. SaveIf your forget to Save, your widgets will return to their original placement, and you willhave to repeat the drag and drop operation.

4. Select the refresh or update website icon.Thisisakeyopera3on.Youmustupdateyourwebsiteevery3meyouchangetheconfigura3onof

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Copying and pasting text directly from Word into the default Rich Texteditor produces crap

ThedefaulttexteditorRichtextproducesinvisiblecodewhenyoupastetextfrom

Word

Invisiblecodelookslikecrap Invisiblecodewillbevisibleonwidgetsandsomebrowserpages

An2cipatedques2ons:

HowdoIknowifIhaveinvisiblecode?Toseetheinvisiblecode,selectthe[]

buVonattheendofyourtoolbar.Thecodelooksmuchlikethecodethatisshowing

upintheimageabove.Withdirtyinvisiblecode,youwillfindthatoneparagraphof

textmighthavepagesandpagesofcodeoverrides.

Ifthecodeisinvisible,whydoesitmaer?Certainbrowsers,mostlikelyExplorer,

willpublishyourinvisiblecodeandyourpageswilllookunprofessionaland

unreadable.Mostwidgets,liketheoneonthepageabovewillalsopublishthe

invisiblecode.Thecodelookscrappy.Anotherproblemthatyouwillencounterwith

codeisthatwhenyouareupda3ngapageorentrythathasinvisiblecode,asmall

changeinwording,mightleadtoinvisiblecodeover-ridingyourcontrolsand

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Before pasting from Word, select [Convert Line Breaks].

TheConvertLinereakseditorop3oneliminatesinvisiblecode

UsingConvertLinereaksisaMovableTypewebstandardsbestprac3ce UsingConvertLinereakswillcreatebrowseruniformity

An2cipatedques2ons:

Ifthisisthebestprac2ceop2on,whyisntitthedefaultop2on?ecausethisop3on

scaresusers,itshowsbothcodeandtext.Theinvisiblecodeisvisibleandmanyuser

areuncomfortablewhentheyseecodeonapage.Ifyoufeelthatway,

uncomfortablewhenyouseecodeonyourpage,aerpas3ngyourtextfromWord,

switchbacktothe[RichText]editor.Ifyouarentcopyingandpas3ngfromWord,it

doesntmakeadifference.

Whatiscode?Codeconsistsbasicallyofdirec3onsthattelltextorwordshowto

look,forexamplecodetellstexttoappearbold,larger,smaller.Itgivescolorand

shapetotext.

DoIhavetoknowcodetoworkwithMovableType?No,notifyous3cktothe

basicsofonlinepublishing.Ifyouwanttodofancythingstoyourpages,thenyou

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Pasting embed code directly to a page or entry produces crap

UsingthedefaultAselec3ononthetoolbarmeansthattheembedcodewillbe

readastext

An2cipatedques2ons:

Howdoyousolvethiscrap?Copyanddeletetheembedcode.Next,selectthe[]

buVonontheendofyourtoolbarandpasteandupdatethepageorentry.Ifyouare

unsureifyouhavecompletedthistask,beforeyou[Update]thepageorentry,select

the[Preview]buVontoseewhatyourpublishedpageorentrylookslike.

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Before pasting embed code, select the button on your toolbar.

Selec3ngthebeforetheopera3onmeansthatitwillbereadasembedcode

An2cipatedques2ons:None.

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Consulting Movable Type online help sources prevents crap.

ConsultlinksfoundinthePorBolioRemixHelpwebsitetofindaddi3onalonlinehelpresources

Consult the Portfolio-Remix Help websiteYou will find a number of links and instruction sets on this website. In addition, you will find guides to reading theStylesheet, copyright laws, links to a number of creative commons licensed works available for reuse on your portfolio and

links to a number of cloud-computing tools that are available to help you customize your website.

o Consult instruction sets listed on sidebarThe instruction sets in the website were created by Penn State students as a project for the Teaching and

Learning with Technology people at Penn State. They will help you complete a number of simple operations,

such as changing your banner, adding a banner to every page and other useful projects.

o Consult blog entry help instructionsThe blogs have up-to-date instructions sets that provided to the class in a series of mini weekly lectures.

Consult links found on the Portfolio-Remix Help sidebar to find additional online help resourcesThe Portfolio Remix Help site also provides links to additional web-based resources.

o Consult official Movable Type online helpThe Movable Type organization provides online help in the form of guides, forums and wikis.

Consult web authoring and designingThe guides provide traditional step-by-step instruction sets for using Movable Type.

Consult Movable Type Forum HelpThis forum consists of a community of Movable Type experts helping novices

o Consult Movable Type blog tutorialsThere are a number of Movable Type experts who blog about best practice instructions and advice for usingMovable Type.

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Avoid crap!

Crapdoesnthavetohappen!Next,wewillmoveontocompleteabestexercisethat

willallowyoutoprac3cepreven3ngcrap.


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