From newsletter_admin at netadventist.org  Tue Sep  4 06:54:21 2007
From: newsletter_admin at netadventist.org (NetAdventist Newsletter)
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 06:54:21 -0700
Subject: NetAdventist News & Notes - Volume 2, Issue 36
Message-ID: <dc28d5c20709040654r328c5135s8ed01a38d6d6b12b@mail.gmail.com>

  [image: NetAdventist News And Notes]

      Volume II, Issue 36?Monday, September 3, 2007   [image: WEEKLY POLL]

      Each week a poll is posted on the *net*Adventist website. Respond by
clicking on the poll graphic below?which doesn't necessarily represent the
current poll ?then looking for "Local Poll" in the left-hand menu
bar.Yourfeedback is important to us. We appreciate you taking the time
to
participate in our weekly polls. *This week's poll question is "Do you
always proofread your content before posting it on your Web site?"*

In the results from last week's poll, 43% of respondents said they had used
a RSS feed from e-Gracenotes.org before, while 57% said they had never used
one.
      [image: VIEW POLL AT
http://www.netadventist.org]<http://www.netadventist.org/>


   [image: netTip of the Week]

*Always Proofread Your Web Content*

Spelling errors and other mistakes on your Web site can diminish your
credibility and turn off potential Web visitors. Proofreading everything you
publish ensures an accurate message and maintains a professional Web image.
Listed below are a few tips to keep in mind when proofreading.

   - *Double-check your spell checker*?While spell checking utilities in
   your word processing software are helpful, they still aren't full proof.
   New, foreign, and other unfamiliar words, including jargon, often slip past
   your spell checker. Spell checkers also don't catch the right spelling for
   the wrong word, such as "though" for "thought." You will need to visually
   proofread for incorrect words spelled correctly.
   - *Check for grammar and usage*?Grammar checking utilities, like the
   one in Word, are even less reliable than spell checkers, so be sure to
   proofread for grammatical errors, incorrect word choice, and other writing
   problems.
   - *Create and use a style guide*?Some language problems don't have a
   single correct solution. How will you decide between e-commerce and
   ecommerce, or e-mail and email? It looks silly to spell a word one way in
   one sentence and then another way in the next sentence. Consistency is
   important. One way to keep this from happening is create a style guide (it
   only needs to be a page or two long) addressing these common language
   problems and how you will handle them on your site. Then make sure all your
   Web site staff have a copy. It will help you maintain a professional writing
   style throughout your site. If you are unsure where to start in creating
   your style guide, the Associated Press <http://www.ap.org/> is a good
   resource.

In next week's newsletter, we'll share with you four strategies to help you
in proofreading.

*Feel free to email us <nicoleb at netadventist.org> your netTip ideas. Your
information may be featured in an upcoming newsletter.*

   [image: Resources & Ideas]

*"The Adventist Channel" Launched on the Internet*

The North American Division has launched "The Adventist Channel" on the
Internet, available at sda.biggytv.com. The Channel is a video on-demand
service that will allow viewers to choose from a growing list of top
Adventist programming. Programs will be added weekly so that viewers are not
overwhelmed with too many options initially.

The service allows viewers of longer programs to interrupt their viewing and
come back and start close to where they left off. In addition, viewers can
watch any of the programs whenever they want.

To view the mini-player that will soon be available as a plug-in for your
Web site, visit www.nadadventist.org. We will provide more information about
the mini-player in an upcoming newsletter.

*Feel free to send us <nicoleb at netadventist.org> other resources or articles
you'd like to see.*

   [image: FAQs]

     *I created a new poll, but it isn't displaying on my Web page. What
happened to it?*

 If your new poll isn't displaying it usually means you need to change your
publish or kill dates. If you have an existing poll on your site and it
hasn't expired (i.e. it isn't past its kill date), it will override any
other new polls you try to publish.

First, check the publish date on your new poll to make sure it is for
today's date. Then go back and check the kill date on the last poll you
posted to make sure it has expired.

When you post a new poll, the kill date defaults to two months ahead of
today's date, which can be confusing if you still think you're in the same
month. It is also easy to hit the wrong arrow button?one arrow button is to
toggle back and forth through the months and one is to toggle back and forth
through the years. Be sure you have the correct month and year (for example,
make sure it says September 2007, not September 2008) when setting your
publish and kill dates.

*To submit a question for the FAQs column, email us<nicoleb at netadventist.org>.
Your FAQ may also be added to the FAQ list in our online help
manual<http://help.netadventist.org/>.
*
* *

* *
* *
------------------------------
*
Publisher: TAGnet
Editor: Daniel A. Houghton, Executive Vice President
Managing Editor: Nicole M. Batten, Communications Manager/Content Liaison *

* Contact info
To suggest story ideas or questions, send information about resources to
include in this newsletter, or to submit articles, click
here<nicoleb at netadventist.org>.

For letters to the editor, click here <nicoleb at netadventist.org>.
To submit a change of email address for your own subscription to the
newsletter, click here <newsletter-owner at netadventist.org>. *
* *
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From newsletter_admin at netadventist.org  Mon Sep 10 10:31:30 2007
From: newsletter_admin at netadventist.org (NetAdventist Newsletter)
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 10:31:30 -0700
Subject: NetAdventist News & Notes - Volume 2, Issue 37
Message-ID: <dc28d5c20709101031v72cb4a96o7ff8c39b5eb12d31@mail.gmail.com>

  [image: NetAdventist News And Notes]

      Volume II, Issue 37?Monday, September 10, 2007   [image: WEEKLY POLL]

      Each week a poll is posted on the *net*Adventist website. Respond by
clicking on the poll graphic below?which doesn't necessarily represent the
current poll ?then looking for "Local Poll" in the left-hand menu
bar.Yourfeedback is important to us. We appreciate you taking the time
to
participate in our weekly polls. *This week's poll question is "Are you
planning to put the mini-player for the Adventist Channel on your Web site?"
*

In the results from last week's poll, 75% of respondents said they always
proofread their content before posting it on their Web site, while 25% of
respondents said they don't always proofread.
      [image: VIEW POLL AT
http://www.netadventist.org]<http://www.netadventist.org/>


   [image: netTip of the Week]

*Four Strategies for Proofreading Web Content*

It is important to proofread everything you publish to ensure an accurate
message and to maintain a professional Web image. Listed below are four
proofreading strategies. You'll be surprised at how these different
strategies highlight different trouble spots and help ferret out problems.

   - *View your content the way your audience will view your content* ?
   In the case of Web content that means viewing your content inside a browser.
   Is the text readable? Is it too long to read on a monitor?
   - *Print off a copy* ? Print a hard copy of your content and use a red
   pen to double-check your work. You will catch more errors than just
   proofreading on your computer screen alone.
   - *Read your writing aloud* ? Research has shown that reading a
   written piece out loud is an effective way to catch hidden style errors,
   such as repetitive word use, uneven flow, and confusing sentence structure.
   - *Read the page backwards* ? Start from the last word on the page and
   read backwards. This prevents your proofreading from becoming distracted by
   the content of the sentence.

 *Feel free to email us <nicoleb at netadventist.org> your netTip ideas. Your
information may be featured in an upcoming newsletter.*

   [image: Resources & Ideas]

*How to Put "The Adventist Channel" Mini-Player on Your Web Site*

With the launch of "The Adventist Channel" you can now have live streaming
video on your Web site. To access The Adventist Channel's on-demand service,
you will need to place their mini-player on your site.

To put the mini-player on your site you must first create a new Static
Content page for the mini-player. Click on the Source button in the upper
left-hand corner of your new Static Content page. Copy and paste the code
shown below into the empty Source box and click Okay. Then save your new
Static Content page. Next, go to your Layout Manager tab and select the
Static Content page you've just created from your Plug-in drop-down menu.
The mini-player looks best if you place it on the left-hand side (menu
column) of your Home page.

Copy and paste this code into your Source box:

   <script type="text/javascript">
   <!--
   btv_affiliate = "sdahwt2d8far";btv_format
   = "160x375";
   //--></script>The Adventist Channel<script type="text/javascript"
   src="http://www.biggytv.com/app/js/affiliate.js">
   </script>

 It should look like this on your Home page:


 For more information about The Adventist Channel, visit sda.biggytv.com.

*Feel free to send us <nicoleb at netadventist.org> other resources or articles
you'd like to see.*

   [image: FAQs]

     *I don't see the weekly poll, where is it on your site?*

 When you click on the link for the weekly poll from our newsletter it takes
you to netadventist.org <http://www.netadventist.org/>. The weekly poll is
located on the bottom left-hand side (menu column) of the Home page
underneath all the menu items.

*To submit a question for the FAQs column, email us<nicoleb at netadventist.org>.
Your FAQ may also be added to the FAQ list in our online help
manual<http://help.netadventist.org/>.
*
* *

* *
* *
------------------------------
*
Publisher: TAGnet
Editor: Daniel A. Houghton, Executive Vice President
Managing Editor: Nicole M. Batten, Communications Manager/Content Liaison *

* Contact info
To suggest story ideas or questions, send information about resources to
include in this newsletter, or to submit articles, click
here<nicoleb at netadventist.org>.

For letters to the editor, click here <nicoleb at netadventist.org>.
To submit a change of email address for your own subscription to the
newsletter, click here <newsletter-owner at netadventist.org>. *
* *
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From newsletter_admin at netadventist.org  Mon Sep 17 11:49:50 2007
From: newsletter_admin at netadventist.org (NetAdventist Newsletter)
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:49:50 -0500
Subject: NetAdventist News & Notes - Volume 2, Issue 38
Message-ID: <dc28d5c20709171149y581e10c7gdb983c74c25d608d@mail.gmail.com>

  [image: NetAdventist News And Notes]

    Volume II, Issue 38?Monday, September 17, 2007

  [image: WEEKLY POLL]

      Each week a poll is posted on the *net*Adventist website. Respond by
clicking on the poll graphic below?which doesn't necessarily represent the
current poll ?then looking for "Local Poll" in the left-hand menu
bar.Yourfeedback is important to us. We appreciate you taking the time
to
participate in our weekly polls. *This week's poll question is "What are you
doing that is unique on your Web site?"*

In the results from last week's poll, 88% of respondents said they are
planning to put the mini-player for the Adventist Channel on their Web site,
while 12% said they are not.

  [image: VIEW POLL AT
http://www.netadventist.org]<http://www.netadventist.org/>


   [image: netTip of the Week]

*Resizing Your Meebo Chat Window*

Perhaps you would like to resize Meebo's chat window to fit into the larger
center column of your *net*Adventist Web site (provided you are using the
3-column layout). The instructions on the *net*Adventist Help site currently
show you how to plug-in Meebo, but they are based on placing Meebo into the
narrower side columns.

If you are looking to resize Meebo to fit into the larger center column, you
will need to reopen the Meebo chat page you created under Static Content.
Then click on the Source button in the upper left-hand corner. Scroll down
to the bottom of the code and you should see the following: This is where
you can resize your Meebo chat window. The numbers you see here are in
pixels. Once you have adjusted the numbers to fit your column width, click
OK and then click Save.

For example, a size of 635 pixels wide will fit into the larger center
column of your *net*Adventist layout on a 15" computer screen (at the
standard screen resolution of 1024 x 768) and a size of 1050 pixels wide
will fit on a 19" computer screen.

Be careful though, you can resize your chat window too wide. It will widen
the whole column it's in and push everything to the right ?as in right off
the screen! Don't worry. You can go back into the Source code box and change
the number to something smaller.

*Feel free to email us <nicoleb at netadventist.org> your netTip ideas. Your
information may be featured in an upcoming newsletter.*

  [image: Featured User]

*Periodically we highlight organizations that are using netAdventist to
develop and maintain their Web sites. In this newsletter, we are
highlighting the Web site development of an academy church. Upper Columbia
Academy is a boarding academy for grades 9-12 in northeastern Washington
about 20 miles south of Spokane.*

The UCA Church is currently in the process of launching a Web site. Lorna
Hartman, their Web master, has agreed to share with us the steps they are
taking to develop their site.

Lorna says they started the process by first surveying their church
congregation about its spiritual gifts and mission. It was found that as a
"school church," they felt called to train and minister to youth.

After defining their mission, the UCA Church selected a Web master?Lorna.
She assembled and trained a staff, including several students. Lorna says,
"I keep our mission statement next to me at all times to make sure we are
aligning our new site with our church mission."

Next, Lorna met with the pastor to discuss applying their mission to the Web
site. She is working closely with him in developing Web content. "This part
of the process may differ for other churches, depending on how involved
their pastor wants to be," says Lorna. "After meeting with pastor, I took my
notes and created a site map?listing each page on the site and each item
that would be on that page."

For example:

*Contact Information Page*

   Pastor's contact phone number, and email address

   Church address, phone number, and email

   Link to the church calendar

   Email link to the Web master for technical issues

Then, Lorna made sure that their new custom Web address
(www.ucachurch.org)<http://www.ucachurch.org/>was pointed at
*net*Adventist's nameservers. Not all organizations need to do this
step?skip it if you are planning to keep the *net*Adventist Web site URL
that you were assigned.

Now Lorna is ready to start building her site. She has access to the
Dashboard and is ready to place content. In the next newsletter, Lorna will
share more with us about building her site.

*Feel free to send us <nicoleb at netadventist.org> other resources or articles
you'd like to see.*

  [image: FAQs]

   *How do I add Meebo chat to my site?*

 To add Meebo to your site, you will first need to go to Meebo's Web site at
www.meebome.com and register for an account. They will then provide you with
a source code to place on your Web site.

Just copy and paste the source code they provide into the Source box of a
new Static Content page. Name your Static Content page and Save it. Then
select it as a Plug-in in your Layout Manager and drag to where you want it
displayed on your site. For exact instructions on adding Meebo's chat
window, visit *net*Adventist's Help site by clicking
here<http://help.netadventist.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101&Itemid=30>
.

*To submit a question for the FAQs column, email us<nicoleb at netadventist.org>.
Your FAQ may also be added to the FAQ list in our online help
manual<http://help.netadventist.org/>.


------------------------------

Publisher: TAGnet
Editor: Daniel A. Houghton, Executive Vice President
Managing Editor: Nicole M. Batten, Communications Manager/Content Liaison

Contact info
To suggest story ideas or questions, send information about resources to
include in this newsletter, or to submit articles, click
here<nicoleb at netadventist.org>.

For letters to the editor, click here <nicoleb at netadventist.org>.
To submit a change of email address for your own subscription to the
newsletter, click here <newsletter-owner at netadventist.org>.
*
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From newsletter_admin at netadventist.org  Tue Sep 25 22:31:29 2007
From: newsletter_admin at netadventist.org (NetAdventist Newsletter)
Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:31:29 -0500
Subject: NetAdventist News & Notes - Volume 2, Issue 39
Message-ID: <dc28d5c20709252231v6271ebc6k76832d4f64caeb56@mail.gmail.com>

  [image: NetAdventist News And Notes]

      Volume II, Issue 39?Monday, September 24, 2007   [image: WEEKLY POLL]

      Each week a poll is posted on the *net*Adventist website. Respond by
clicking on the poll graphic below?which doesn't necessarily represent the
current poll ?then looking for "Local Poll" in the left-hand menu
bar.Yourfeedback is important to us. We appreciate you taking the time
to
participate in our weekly polls. *This week's poll question is "Do you allow
visitors to sign-up for an email newsletter on your Web site?"*      [image:
VIEW POLL AT http://www.netadventist.org] <http://www.netadventist.org/>


   [image: netTip of the Week]

*Starting a Church Email Newsletter*

If you haven't considered using an email newsletter to stay connected with
people at your church, maybe it should be one of your New Year's
resolutions! It is a great way to get in front of people more than just on
Sabbath. Here are some ideas to help you if you are thinking about starting
a church e-newsletter:

1. If you start an email newsletter many people may opt out of your church's
snail mail newsletter. This can save you lots of money on printing and
postage. Be sure to ask people if they would prefer to get your church
newsletter by email instead.

2. If you are wondering what to put in your e-newsletter or how often to
send it out, consider this:

   - Your e-newsletter could be a simple note from the pastor once a
   month and include links to new and interesting things on your site. This
   works great if you want to put articles that normally go in your snail mail
   newsletter on your Web site. You can also post member news (such as birth
   announcements) and upcoming church events on your site, then link to them in
   your e-newsletter.
   - Not everybody goes to church every week. That means they're seeing
   the bulletin announcements on an irregular basis. Consider copying all the
   announcements from the bulletin and putting them into your e-newsletter.
   This works great if you want to send out a weekly e-newsletter. Start by
   featuring things happening that weekend and any other timely announcements,
   and then list what is coming during the rest of the month.

3. If you are wondering how to get email addresses, try these ideas:

   - A word of warning?do not send your email newsletter to someone
   unless you get their explicit permission! If you send it without permission,
   you are considered an unethical spammer (not a great reputation for a
   church). Although a one-time email asking if people want to sign up is
   acceptable. Just be sure to tell them it is a one-time mailing.
   - Include an email address line on your typical visitor sheet used in
   your worship service. And add a check box with text like this: Sign me up
   for the church email newsletter.
   - Before you launch your email newsletter, start announcing it at
   church and put a special card on the seats for a few Sabbaths. Ask for their
   name and email address, and put that same check box mentioned previously.
   Also, this may be the place to ask if they want to opt-out of the snail mail
   newsletter.

In next week's newsletter, we'll share some rules of etiquette to remember
when starting an e-newsletter.

*Feel free to email us <nicoleb at netadventist.org> your netTip ideas. Your
information may be featured in an upcoming newsletter.*

   [image: Ideas & Resources]

*It is Written Creates New Streaming Media Lab *

It Is Written has a new streaming media lab at www.itiswritten.com/betterway.
This new media lab will allow for timely responses to current events, as
well as new video Bible study programs. Director/speaker Shawn Boonstra has
already used it to launch an online devotional program that features a three
minute spiritual boost every weekday. You can subscribe to the daily podcast
(video or audio) via iTunes or RSS feed on their Web site.

*Feel free to send us <nicoleb at netadventist.org> other resources or articles
you'd like to see.*

   [image: FAQs]

     *What software should I use to create my ministries' e-newsletter and
maintain my subscription list?*

 There are a number of email newsletter management programs available, and
they range in cost and features. These online programs, such as
mynewsletterbuilder.com <http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/>, usually
feature newsletter templates, subscription forms, and list management. All
of them offer free trials so you can see if they are right for you.

I do offer a word of warning against free programs such as Yahoo Groups.
They put ads into your e-newsletter when you send it, and you don't get to
choose what ads they put in. An advertisement for a gambling site probably
isn't something you want associated with your church's e-newsletter.

Here are two inexpensive e-newsletter management programs we recommend:

*Group-mail.com <http://www.group-mail.com/>*

GroupMail offers three versions of their online e-newsletter software,
including a free version. The free version works great if you don't have a
large subscription list and don't want all the bells and whistles. It is
very easy to use. Get the free version by clicking
here<http://www.group-mail.com/asp/common/editions.asp>
.

*Graphicmail.com <http://www.graphicmail.com/>*

Graphicmail.com gives a special discount to non-profit organizations, and
they give you your first 5,000 emails free if you're a non-profit. You can
pay as you go or get a monthly subscription, depending on your needs. They
also offer a 60-day free trial.

*To submit a question for the FAQs column, email us<nicoleb at netadventist.org>.
Your FAQ may also be added to the FAQ list in our online help
manual<http://help.netadventist.org/>.
*
* *

* *
* *
------------------------------
*
Publisher: TAGnet
Editor: Daniel A. Houghton, Executive Vice President
Managing Editor: Nicole M. Batten, Communications Manager/Content Liaison *

* Contact info
To suggest story ideas or questions, send information about resources to
include in this newsletter, or to submit articles, click
here<nicoleb at netadventist.org>.

For letters to the editor, click here <nicoleb at netadventist.org>.
To submit a change of email address for your own subscription to the
newsletter, click here <newsletter-owner at netadventist.org>. *
* *
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