cuz,

my son is one of them computer gurus... he will be in town on the 21st and I'll ask him how to do it....

I know it must be a html page and not just a doc file.... so I'll pose the question and when you get it ready I'll give you all the ways to screw it up again...

your pal

john

 

Brian_B - your understanding of the question/problem is correct. And I am creating the article in MS Word..... I'm not sure what kind of formats our webmaster can handle tech articles in. I know they can't handle MS Excel.

Randy - I thought you owned a word processing business!? And you can't handle a simple task like that? Hmmm, I guess you are just another pretty face....

O.K., so everybody in here, (even Penn Dick) knows at least one cool fact that they can share with everyone else as a misc FAQ. Only condition is, it must be limited to two sentences maximum. Come on now.........

 

I can help with the html or wsyiwyg as well. I have built several sites. The last one was for our tech school.

To convert from word to html is just a cut and paste, highlight, format, and thats it. Then go add the links. Not hard at all. There again, I am not sure what they are using, but it has to be based on html of some sort. All the online software is at least in the background.

 

Fergie -

I owned a WORD processing company. Not a website html (whatever that is).

And thanks for the compliment...blind guy.

 

Oops. Double post.

 

There is plenty of expertise on HTML and hyperlinks in the group to handle setting it up any way you want. I can handle it directly if you'd like.

The real question that still needs to be answered is how the "powers-that-be" at FTE want to handle tech articles with more content than the typical tech articles that have already been written. My impression of the existing tech articles is that they are difficult for the administrators to maintain and are limited in the types and amount of content (images, tables, etc.) that they can contain. I've already asked FTE (some months ago) for some server space to set up a web page for the articles we are producing this time around. I think that would really do the articles justice better than the traditional tech article format, however; I have yet to hear back from the administrators.

What I'd really like to do (with the group's permission) is to get a near-final draft and put it up on a web hosting service that Clint Wilcox has made available for this type of work (thanks so much Clint). Once it's in place and working, I can then point the administrators to the working copy and say "Looky looky - see how nice this is. Don't you think we should do these tech articles like this since the process is already in place and ready to go?". Hopefully they will bless it and we're in business.

I haven't seen the drafts but I'm hoping you will include some tables and images that we haven't traditionally put in tech articles. For example, you could easily do a pros and cons table for some of the subjects. Maybe you've done this already. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd like to go beyond the pages of just plain text we usually put in a tech article. BTW, I'd be happy to review and edit for syntax and grammar. I won't pretend I can do editing for content.

Soooo, if you'll get me a draft whenever it's ready, I'll set it up as a web page and put in whatever links are required. Just let me know when you are ready. I'll make sure to post the web page URL and a link so everybody can see what it looks like in the web page format. I suspect this will generate some additional feedback which can then be incorporated rather easily.

 

That's a great plan, George!

 

To respond to George’s points -

There is plenty of expertise on HTML and hyperlinks in the group to handle setting it up any way you want. I can handle it directly if you'd like.

The real question that still needs to be answered is how the "powers-that-be" at FTE want to handle tech articles with more content than the typical tech articles that have already been written. My impression of the existing tech articles is that they are difficult for the administrators to maintain and are limited in the types and amount of content (images, tables, etc.) that they can contain.

>>Yah, I was a little disappointed the way they cut the IFS one into about 12 different separate articles…..

>>>I know they can’t handle MS Excel. They convert them to Word or some other test based format..


I've already asked FTE (some months ago) for some server space to set up a web page for the articles we are producing this time around. I think that would really do the articles justice better than the traditional tech article format, however; I have yet to hear back from the administrators.

>>>I don’t know how space they want to devote to tech Articles but I know they use volunteers to format and post them. That’s why, at one point, it was taking 3 to 6 months to see one get posted in the Tech Article section….

What I'd really like to do (with the group's permission) is to get a near-final draft and put it up on a web hosting service that Clint Wilcox has made available for this type of work (thanks so much Clint). Once it's in place and working, I can then point the administrators to the working copy and say "Looky looky - see how nice this is. Don't you think we should do these tech articles like this since the process is already in place and ready to go?". Hopefully they will bless it and we're in business.

I haven't seen the drafts but I'm hoping you will include some tables and images that we haven't traditionally put in tech articles. For example, you could easily do a pros and cons table for some of the subjects. Maybe you've done this already. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd like to go beyond the pages of just plain text we usually put in a tech article. BTW, I'd be happy to review and edit for syntax and grammar. I won't pretend I can do editing for content.

>>> My original plan was text only. No pictures. I hadn’t planned as getting as fancy as WillyB’s website EFI article… There definitely is not a need/value for tables, etc in the FAQ article. I could see tables in the others – the welding one and possibly even the internet links ones, but not the FAQ one. Since you’re pretty much shaming me into it, I suppose I can put some pictures in the FAQ article….( I hope this isn’t simply payback for my smart remarks in the past, though).

>>> Tacson – any chance you would email me the same pictures you have in your gallery of your gas tank install so I can use one or two of them?

>>> If anyone else has a few pictures of an install that they’re mildly proud of – related to adaptations of gas tanks, windshield wiper motors or assemblies, steering columns, heater assys or seats, plse email them to me at the_fergusons @ simpatico.ca with clarification of what year and model the donor piece came from, what year truck it was put in and any special issues related to the installation.

Soooo, if you'll get me a draft whenever it's ready, I'll set it up as a web page and put in whatever links are required. Just let me know when you are ready. I'll make sure to post the web page URL and a link so everybody can see what it looks like in the web page format. I suspect this will generate some additional feedback which can then be incorporated rather easily.

>>> Would I be correct that you’d want the text and pictures at the same time? That it would be more work to put up the text now and then insert pictures later? (I should have all the text done by late this week).

>>>Last item – The idea of starting the FAQ article with a bunch of misc FAQ answers in bullet form (i.e. one or two sentences max.) certainly has merit. One that comes to mind is the years of Toyota steering box that are adaptable using the aftermarket kit…. If anyone has any of these they’d like to throw out here, plse feel free. These misc FAQ pearls would have to be unrelated to the major topics already being covered by the main FAQ article – i.e. gas tanks, windshield wiper motors or assemblies, steering columns, heater assys or seats.

Regards,

RMF
__________________

 

If george (or clint or whoever) can host if for a while, everyone can read and suggest modifications to them and it will be "perfect" when the administration sees it.

I love the 12 step program for IFS, but it needs some pictures and more in depth information. I would like to see each step labelled too. I am probably the only one, but when I want to go read a certain one again, I have to open one, nope, back, open two, nope, back, open three, nope back.......etc. etc.

Once I learned a little more about how the site works, I found the threads that some of the articles came from. Those have more information in them as well as who posted what and I look in their galleries or contact them directly.

The aerostar IFS being the main one for me currently. I do not see that one being done in 20 hours unless its someone who has done it a lot.

 

Brian,

"Once I learned a little more about how the site works, I found the threads that some of the articles came from. Those have more information in them as well as who posted what and I look in their galleries or contact them directly. "

That was exactly our intent. Collect all the information in the dedicated threads and summarize it in the tech article. It was always intended that folks should go back to the original thread for the nitty gritty stuff.

Look at that Jag IFS thread. It's huge. Hopefully someone will write Chapter 13 of the IFS tech article to provide an overview on the Jag, but that thread will always be where the nitty gritty is.

The FAQs will most definitely not be a "how to" type of article. That's not it's purpose....

Regards,

 

However you'd like to handle it. I can pretty easily add photos and charts or whatever afterwards if that is easier for you.

 

Interesting FAQ : Yes that is me in my Avatar.

 

Penn Dick,

I think your avatar is more suited for "Ripley's Believe it or Not" rather than my FAQ article......

George,

So WillyB offered us website space. I assume it's still available to us. Are you (Geo.) going to be able to edit it on *****'s site or will ***** have to?

BTW - Except for pictures and misc FAQs it's ready for polish/ridicule/etc.

I'll wait another day or two and send send it to you. I think i still have your home email.....

Currently sitting at 18 pages.....

Later,

 

For now I'll edit it. ***** has enough to keep track of I think. He (*****) or I can add other folks to the list with editing permission as things require. Let's just get it set up and going and then fine tune the details.

 

George,

Got a couple more hours to do on it and then I'll get it out to you. If your home email hasn't changed since March, 2005 then I have it.

Later,

RMF