How to Add and Edit Documents on this Site
From SPARK
CONTENTS
- Creating your document directly using SPARK formatting
- Selecting the Right Template
- Adding text to ‘Your Page'
- Adding images to ‘Your Page’
- Creating an Organization Page for your article
- Sending your document(s) to the SPARK Content Coordinator
How to edit or format SPARK documents
How to add pages to SPARK
This MediaWiki site enables you to submit your own works. If you prefer, you may have SPARK staff enter it for you. Click here for details.
Creating your document directly using SPARK formatting
You may want to print these instructions so you can follow them step by step while in your page.
| In order to add or edit a document, you must first Log in. Click on log in at the upper right in the toolbar. (If you don't have an account, click on Contact Us in the box at the upper left of your screen.) |
1. In the Search window in the left sidebar, type the Title you wish to use for your page.
| Capitalize according to Rules for Making Titles. Be careful to check grammar and spelling because titles cannot be changed once created. (Good spelling and following capitalization rules can help others find your page.) |
2. Click Go.
If the results page says: “There is no Page entitled ‘Your Page’ and if it does not appear with different capitalization under “Article title matches,” you can create it.
| If a Page entitled ’Your Page’ already exists, you must select a different title for ‘Your Page’. |
3. On the results page, click on create this page. A blank "Edit" page will appear.
Click the SB button at the top of the edit window page in order to insert the sidebar at the right. Choose which template suits your article. See next section.
Selecting the Right Template
You need to decide which Template best suits your Document. Please read "Working with Templates" for proper use of our templates.
Your template choices are:
Case History Page
Case Histories are stories describing how you used media. What communication barriers existed? What did and didn't work? In this way, you can help others who may be interested in trying the same methods of communicating with others. For more information, see Story Page Outline
Impact Story page
Use Impact Stories if you are describing a story that would be useful for encouraging others to get involved. These articles might be used in church bulletins, newsletters, etc., and do not contain all the technical information that a case history might have. For more information, see Story Page Outline
• Product page
"Products" are finished productions ready to use. Examples are Luke Video (high tech) and Storying Scarf (low tech). For more information, see Product Page Outline
• Equipment page
'Equipment' in general includes physical objects used to create or play products, such as microphones. "Audacity is an example of software. For more information, see Equipment Page Outline.
• Organization page
This page would give contact information about your organization. For more information, see Organization Page Outline.
4. Look on the top Format Bar and click the desired Template button for ‘Your Page’. Choose the 'PT' button for Product pages. Choose the 'ST' button for Case Histories and Impact Stories. Choose the 'ET' button for Equipment pages, and the 'OT' button for Organizations pages.
A Template of the desired type will appear.
5. At the bottom of the page, in the Summary box, explain what edits you made during each edit session. When your document is complete, request approval by entering "Ready for approval" in this Summary box.
6. At the bottom of the page, click Save Page.
| Save Page frequently to prevent loss of material. You can click the "Show preview" button at the bottom of the edit page at any time to see what the finished article would look like. Caution: if you leave the page (as when clicking on a link or when automatically logged off due to a time out), your unsaved changes will be lost. |
Adding text to ‘Your Page'
` 1. Go to the Document on your computer which contains the Text you wish to add to SPARK
2. Select that Text.
3. Copy that Text and Paste it into ‘Your Page’.
You will now need to re-format ‘Your Page’ using the SPARK formatting tools found on the Format Bar at the top of the page. See How to Edit or Format SPARK Documents for detailed instructions.
| Remember to record a summary of the changes made during this edit session and to click Save Page |
Adding images to ‘Your Page’
1. Find the Image(s) that you want to add to SPARK on your computer. You may want to copy them to your Desktop. (If a caption is desired it is best to add it at this time.)
| Images must be either .jpg or .png format. Use a photo editor to size them appropriately for the SPARK Page (no wider than 220 pixels if possible). Please contact the Content Coordinator to upload a pdf. |
2. From the toolbox menu on the left side of ‘Your Page’, select Upload file.
- The Upload file page appears.
3. Click Browse
4. Select the Image to upload.
5. Verify the file name and format (.jpg or .png).
6. From the files of type box drop down menu, select Pictures [.jpg].
7. Click Open.
8. Click Upload file.
9. On the Upload file page that appears, click Save file.
- The Successful upload message appears.
10. Return to the edit view of ‘Your Page`
11. In the text block, Image:000.jpg , replace 000.jpg with the file name of the image to be added.
12. Enter a note about what you did in the Summary box.
13. Click Save Page
Creating an Organization Page for your article
If you are in a Product page and are ready to create an Organization page in the How to Obtain section, go to the bottom and save your work before moving from the Product page.
1. Click on the left sidebar on "Organizations."
2. Check and see if the organization is already listed.
3. If it is not listed, go to the search box on the left sidebar and type the name of the organization you want to list. (Match
the way the organization describes itself either on its website or on the product itself. Be careful to follow capitalizations.
For example, TnT Ministries.)
4. Click "go."
5. At the top of the page it will say, there is no page titled "_______." You can create this page. Click on "Create this page."
6. Choose the far right button "OT." This stands for Organization Template.
7. Fill in the appropriate information after each "=" sign. (Check the organization website if you do not have all of the information. To go to the website you'll need to click on "Show Preview." To get back to your organization page, use the 'back arrow,' instead of exiting out of the organization's website.)
8. After adding the information, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Show Preview."
9. Double check your information and test out the link to the website if you have one. Once at the website, use the back button to return to SPARK.
10. Fill in the Summary information at the bottom of the organization page. For example, you could type "Created organization page."
11. Click "Save."
Return to the Product page and put in the link to the new organization by putting the name of the organization, exactly as you typed it, surrounded by [[ ]].
Sending your document(s) to the SPARK Content Coordinator
If you prefer, a SPARK editor can enter and format your article for you. Send a word processing document to the Content Coordinator with a title and one-sentence summary along with any images and attachments.
You may contact us via email or telephone
- 800-314-4227 (free within USA) or
- 704-843-6240
- Fax: 1-704-843-6079
How to Edit or Format SPARK Documents
You must be logged into SPARK to edit documents
| By submitting your document to the site, you are releasing it for editing and publishing (at our discretion) under a Creative Commons License. |
Editing your document
1. Open ‘Your Page’.(Type the title of ‘Your Page’ in the Search box and click Go.)
The Document, ‘Your Page’ appears.
2. Click on Edit.
3. Edit your text
4. Enter a brief comment in Summary box.
5. Click Save Page.
Formatting your document
Adding headers
Header 2
Header 3 – for major sections
Header 4 – for minor sections
Header 5 – for subminor sections
Header 6 – seldom used
1. Type the words you want in your header
2. Select those words
3. Choose the header button from the formatting bar at the top. (H2 is the largest header; H5 is the smallest.)
4. Enter a brief comment in Summary box.
5. Click Save Page.
Adding bold or italics to text (bold is automatically added to headers only)
1. Type the words you want bolded or italicized
2. Select those words
3. From the formatting bar at the top, choose the B button for bold or the I button for italics.
4. Enter a brief comment in Summary box.
5. Click Save Page.
Indenting
1. Insert a colon (:) at the left margin in front of what you want to indent.
2. Type your text.
3. Enter a brief comment in Summary box.
4. Click Save Page.
Adding numbers
1. Add a # and one space before the numbered item
2. The numbering sequence restarts with each new paragraph
3. Use two ## for further indenting a sequence
4. Enter a brief comment in Summary box.
5. Click Save Page.
Adding bullets
1. Add an asterisk (*) and one space before the bulleted item
2. Use two ** for further indenting a bulleted list
3. Enter a brief comment in Summary box.
4. Click Save Page.
Adding mixed numbers and bullets
1. Add a # and one space before the numbered item
2. The numbering sequence restarts with each new paragraph
3. Use two ## for further indenting a sequence
4. If you want to add a bulleted list under one of the numbered items, you need to enter the following sequence: pound sign (#) + colon (:) + asterisk (*) for each bulleted item. The #: sequence keeps the numbered order.
# First item of list. # Second item of list. #:* First bulleted item #:* Second bulleted item # Third item of list
which looks like:
- First item of list.
- Second item of list.
- First bulleted item
- Second bulleted item
- Third item of list
5. Enter a brief comment in Summary box.
6. Click Save Page.
Adding lists
Refer to table below:
| wikitext | rendering |
* Lists are easy to do: ** start every line * with a star ** more stars mean *** deeper levels |
|
*A newline *in a list marks the end of the list. Of course *you can *start again. |
marks the end of the list. Of course
|
# Numbered lists are good ## very organized ## easy to follow |
|
* You can also **break lines **like this |
|
Making links
For how to link internally or externally and other helpful formatting tips, first check out Contributor's FAQs#Adding Links to Documents.
1. Construct your link.
2. Enter a brief comment in Summary box.
3. Click Save Page.
Adding addresses, phone numbers, and dates
This information normally goes on the Organization Page.
Addresses
(Indented and on separate lines - Use colon in front of each line.)
- General Media Services
- Media, Inc.
- PO Box 777
- Anytown, ST 94821
- World
Phone numbers
Country phone number
USA 1-704-843-6563
Australia 43(6274)6331
Dates
Use the following format: Mmm. dd, yyyy
Book Titles
Use <cite>Book Title</cite> to indicate citation.
- <cite>Cat's Cradle</cite> by Vonnegut = Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut
Making constructive comments
About a page
1. Select the “Comments and Suggestions” tab at the top of a page.
2. Enter your name.
3. Enter your comments.
- We reserve the right to edit or remove them. We encourage input that is useful to the site and its users. If you have a personal experience to tell about the use of a product, you may want to create your own "Case History" and link it to that product.
4. Save comments.
About the site in general
To make comments or suggestions about the SPARK site in general, use the comments and suggestions tab on the Main Page. Then follow 2 - 4 above.
