This is the Intake Form for new Red County users. Please have new user information fill out and return to Red County administration.

New Contributor Intake Information Sheet.doc

The links below offer some very brief instructional videos that will solve many of the problems experienced by editorial contributors and readers of the Red County blogs.

PLEASE WATCH EACH OF THEM. If you are a Red County editor, please encourage your contributors to watch them.

The end result will be a more consistent and professional presentation of the outstanding editorial content our readers have come to love. If you have any questions, please contact me at mail@redcounty.com.


VIDEO: Better Spacing
Demonstrates how to make "hard spaces" in between paragraphs so that your posts are easier to read.




VIDEO: Formatting Long Posts
Demonstrates how to format long blog posts so that they don't consume as much screen space on the home page of your local blog.




VIDEO: Missing Sidebar Column
Discusses the problem experienced by users of Microsoft Internet Explorer v6 and the negative impact of cutting & pasting out of Microsoft Word.



VIDEO: How to Embed a Podcast into a Post

Editors -

For those of you who have ask to host or participate in our live blogging functionality on election day, here are the details.

1. It is super easy... almost no learning curve.

2. There are 3 ways to post to your live blog...  a.) a visitor can go to your website and type a comment in the comment box, b.) you can login to the module on the Cover It Live website (www.coveritlive.com), or c.) you can post via your BlackBerry or iPhone (www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php).

3. The module has been installed on the home page of Red County (for general interest national stuff) and at the top of your local blog. By late Wednesday morning, the contents of your live blog activity will be converted to a single post on your website).

4. If there is anything you don't understand or need help with, contact either mail@redcounty.com or redcountyrevolution.com. We can help.

5. You and your blogpen of contributors can continue to blog on Red County in the same way you always have. Nothing has changed in that regard.

6. The purpose of our live blogging experiment is to create a more interactive platform that will allow you and your contributors the opportunity to quickly upload the latest information, ideas, commentary, video, and news for your local community.


INSTRUCTIONS: Posting via Your Browser

Go to www.coveritlive.com and login using the username and password provided to you in our recent email.

Click on the MY LIVE BLOGS link in the right hand column.

Click on the UPCOMING / CURRENT link

Select a blog (preferably your own blog or the "Red County: Election Day 2008" blog that appears on the home page.

A pop-up screen will appear that should be completely self explanatory. If it is not, call us at 714-743-8313.

INSTRUCTIONS: Posting via the Red County Website

Just go to the Red County website, click on the Live Blogging module, and start commenting. Using this method will allow you to comment only.

INSTRUCTIONS: Posting via your BlackBerry or iPhone

Go to www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php using your phone.

Login with the username and password contained in our recent e-mail.

Write a post and click send.

The 5 most recent posts are also visible on your phone.

You also have the ability to upload pictures and video.

The interface is completely self explanatory.

MORE INFORMATION:

You can invite up to 10 panelist / co-producers to your live blog. Just send us (redcountyrevolution@gmail.com) a single e-mail with a list of up to 10 e-mails of those you want to invite to join you.

If you want to have login access to the main page live blogging module, let us know ASAP.

As Red County continues its expansion, we are making a concerted effort to reach out to media organizations and make ourselves available for on-air, on-camera, and in print interviews. Towards this end, we will begin regular email communications with media outlets, producers, and journalists. We have also added a tab to the header of the Red County website that handles media inquiries.

If you feel you have a command of a particular set of issues and are comfortable with any or all of the above types of interviews, please let us know (mail@redcounty.com). Obviously, we would appreciate any resulting interviews to be accompanied by a reference to you as a "Red County Editor, (www.redcounty.com)"

If you have been on the Red County home page in the last 12 hours, you have noticed some cosmetic changes. They are the result of user feedback and a suggestion by one of our editors. As I have mentioned a thousand times, feedback for improvements are always welcome.

As common frustration expressed to us was the large amount of seemingly unrelated content on the home page. With more than 25 blogs and lots of new users, there was a randomness for first time visitor to the home page.

To solve that problem, we have taken a traditional approach used by larger blogs and media outlets. The model can be seen on everything from the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, and Yahoo News. The goal is to make sure the home page is logical and intuitive, while also appealing to the broadest possible audience.

This is what we have done:

Above the fold is a module called "Editor's Picks". the first section in this module is called "Spotlight Commentary". This will be used to feature articles and content from guest writers and regulars columnist to this section. It will be updated daily.

Below that is "Featured Posts". These are last four posts that have been checked "FEATURED". Again, we want them to appeal to a slightly broader audience and be slightly more special than a typical post. Use your discretion as you currently do.

The next module is called "Get Local" and displays the last eight posts from across the Red County network. We are currently working on functionality that will allow users to select your blog as their "local" blog. When the user returns, this module will be populated with the most recent eight post from their "local" blog. This is similar to the functionality used by Craig's List.

The next module is called, "One-on-One" and is used to display the last seven posts checked with the "ONE-ONE-ONE" category. This can be used by your and your contributors for interviews with leading opinion makers.

The next module is called, "National: Recent Post". The content is self explanatory. Every editorial contributor can post to the National Politics blog. When writing about National Politics, just use your discretion about whether you want it posted on your local blog or you think it appeals to the broader audience of the National Politics blog.

Finally, the sidebar navigation system was expanded on the home page. The purpose was two-fold. First, we wanted to make the blogs within the network more visible to visitors and hopefully drive more traffic to your sites. We also wanted to demonstrate visually that we are growing. You will notice some of the sub-text under the blog names still say, "Descriptive text goes here". If you have a brief line you want us to put in that space, please email to (mail@redcounty.com).

Our goal is nothing short of becoming the Huffington Post (except more rational and respectful) of the political right.

Feedback welcome...
   

On Friday night, we made some minor modifications to the home page of the Red County website.

Changes include an adjustment to the location of your mugshots. In placing them on the right side of each story box, it allows for greater flexibility of headline length and offers a little bit space for longer story ledes. We also selected a slightly smaller font for headlines.

These changes are an effort to accommodate our growth and feature more content in a clean and professional manner.

Feedback and ideas always welcome.

Scott