Operating Instructions (ie the FAQ's)

I clicked on something and now the site won't come back up. Did I kill the server?

When this happens, it appears the user has been struck by a cookie problem. So, you will need to leave the site, find the place in your browser to manage cookies, and delete the cookies for www.ip-wars.net. Then come back and you should be able to access the site.

Who's behind this site?

As far as computers go, I am merely a user. However, I can build my own computer and I've maintained at least one web site (often more than one) at any given time since 1996, I've gotten pretty good at hacking around with code (mainly html, php) despite the lack of any formal training. As much as I enjoy working with the code, I really prefer to focus on useability issues - what makes a web site effective. I've been on-line since the late 80's in one form or another.

I started using Linux around the end of 2002, start of 2003. At that point it was mainly out of curiousity. As I started to learn more and then with the start of the SCO v. IBM case, I decided to effectively abandon my XP box at home and start using my Linux box full-time for everything I did. And with more exposure to to Linux, F/OSS and the open source community, it became clear to me that the principles of F/OSS were very closely aligned with my own principles.

So, that is a little bit about me. Not to toot my own horn, but just to help you know who you are dealing with here.

Do you have an RDF feed?

How do I get RDF feeds to work? They don't seem to update.

As presently configured, the RDF feeds have to be updated manually by the site admin (me). I'll try to do it as regularly as possible. The system does have the capability for this to be automated. However, I am currently reviewing several reports that this causes Apache server failures, so I am not implementing that until I feel more comfortable with it.

What terminology do I need to know?

• Logbooks - A logbook may perhaps best be thought of as a mini blog that users can set up. When you post a logbook entry, it stays in your logbook and won't ever move to the Front Page (well, technically an admin might be able to). Comments can still be posted to logbook entries and ratings can count toward your mojo. *If you visit other Scoop based sites, these are usually called "diaries". As described here, Logbooks are currently not functioning.
• Comments - Just what you think, these are short messages or comments on the dispatches or logbooks.
• Sections - these are the main areas that the site is divided up into. You may think of each section as a bucket that articles are poured into. As the site grows, hopefully the sections will as well. Do not get these confused with topics though as each section may have different topics.
• Topics - Are more specific areas that articles may be "assigned" to. The topics have nothing to do with which section an article shows up in.
• Mojo - This is a term used to describe your kung fu powers. Post insightful, useful, entertaining information, and your mojo will rise. Troll and watch it nosedive! See below for more information about mojo.

How do articles get posted on the site?

Alternatively, site admins (which there is only one now) can mark articles for immediate posting to the front page. This process will be used initially to get the site seeded, but will fade away (hopefully quickly).

What are the different kinds of users?

All users are able to rate comments, except their own, on a scale of 1 to 5. These ratings get fed into the mojo for the user that posted the comment. Once a user's mojo rises above a certain threshold (which is not published), they become a "trusted user". Trusted users have additional capabilities on the site, such as rating comments below the normal minimum (e.g. down to 0). Likewise, they are supposed to be able to rate a hidden comment back up to being visible if they think it has been unfairly rated down.

The other type of user created based on mojo are "untrusted users". These are users whose mojo has fallen below a certain threshold. Once achieving this status, all of their comments are posted at the "invisible" or hidden level and it takes a trusted user to rate it up to make it visible to all site visitors.

The final type of user is just a normal user. This is someone who is between the threshold's for trusted and untrusted. They are spared from viewing hidden comments, but they also lack the ability to rate comments down to the point where they can become hidden.

What do the different ratings mean?

But, you might be asking, what do the ratings, 0-5 mean? Well, I suppose that technically they mean whatever you want them to mean since it is your tool to rate comments. But by way of general guidance, I've put together the following (cobbled together from various inspirational sources):

• 0 - (zero), this is the lowest rating a comment can be given and is only available to users who have "trusted user" status. This rating should only be used for comments that are obviously spam (by obviously spam, I mean something like providing nothing but a link to some other site, usually selling something questionable) or porn. Use caution in using this rating - it should only be deployed in cases of obvious abuse of the site.
• 1 - (one), this is the lowest rating that can be assigned by normal users of the site. Probably it's most effective usage would be in rating obvious trolls. If a comment is just way off-topic, is comprised of nothing but ad hominem attacks, so poorly written as to be almost unintelligible, then it may qualify for a 1 rating.
• 2 - (two), the next rating up indicates there is perhaps something of value in the comment. But perhaps the writer included a lot of extra material that really had nothing to do with the topic, or their presentation was pretty bad due to language or gross generalizations, exceedingly faulty logic. Basically, a good try, but keep working on it if you want to earn some respect.
• 3 - (three), this is the average rating for comments on the site. The comment makes a good point or two or contains some good, worthwhile information.
• 4 - (four), is where we start to move up in the range to comments that include good points, provide some good information, something that makes us think, to go "hmmm". Or, at least puts a smile on your face. The writer keeps the post on topic and stays away from cheap techniques like name-calling.
• 5 - (five), the top of the range, this should be reserved for posts that are exceedingly well written. Perhaps they make a point or include information that sticks in your mind even after you leave the site. Perhaps it inspires you to do your own research. But in at least some way, you think it is something that everyone should read.

Yes, rating something high that you absolutely do not agree with is difficult to do. But if the person making the comment has written it up well, rating it high will keep it close to the top in terms of visibility, which in turn keeps all of the rebuttals close to the top.

D'oh - I rated something wrong. What do I do now?

On some views, the button to rate a comment says "Rate All". I only want to rate a single comment.

I want to rate a comment using the "Rate All" button, but there are a lot of comments that I don't want to rate. What do I do?

Can you explain the format and meaning of the data in the comments?

First, we'll start at the subject, the bold text in the first line. Pretty self-explanatory.

Next, you'll see a pair of numbers in parenthesis. The first number is the overall score the comment has received. If you see "none" (as in our example), it means the Scoop system has not yet calculated a rating. The system is currently set to require 3 ratings be submitted before it will calculate a rating. The second number (after the "/") is the number of votes cast. In our example, a single vote has been cast. If you click on it (you'll notice it is a hyperlink) it will take you to a page with just that comment and you can see the votes that have been cast and by whom.

The next number in parenthesis is the comment number for that comment tied to that article. So in this case, the comment was the 49th comment submitted. This may be important since the display of comments can put them out of chronological order is you sort them by highest rated or something. Again, it is a hyperlink and clicking on it will take you to a page with the comment and it's children (if any).

Moving down a line, you'll see a link to an e-mail for the user (if one has been provided). This is a bogus e-mail in that it is formatted to prevent robots, spiders, etc., from harvesting e-mail addresses from the site. You may be able to figure out the real address though from what the user has provided.

Next you see the posting time and date.

Next line, you have a link to User Info so you can learn more about the user.

On our example, there is a link to "Edit User". You won't have this. Ancient secret link of the site admin. :-)

Finally, a URL to a site the user has provided.

Next, the text of the comment itself.

Moving down, links to the parent and to reply to the comment. In the example, you see the rating selection box. This shot was taken using one of the dynamic views for displaying the threads, so there is no "Rate All" button. Once you select a rating in this view, it gets applied immediately to that comment.

Finally, two links that the admin has - delete (yes, the evil delete link!!!!) and toggle. See the Standard Operating Procedures for the site for the policy regarding deletion of comments (basically, if you are trying to crash the site or we are made aware of a copyright violation). The toggle is merely to switch the comment between "editorial" and "topical".

How do I know my user status?

How can you view hidden comments?

OK, once you have your preferences set, just find a thread where it indicates there is a hidden comment(s). Then, in your User menu on the right, you should see a link to "Review Hidden Comments". This will take you to a page where you are presented a list of the comments, can view them and rate them if you haven't already.

Here's the caveat. If you have comments set to yes, then you will always see them and don't really need to use the "Review Hidden Comments" option - just look at 'em in line. If you have it set to "Show until I've rated" (which is the default), you'll be able to access the comment, but once you rate it, if its score is still low enough for it to be "hidden", then you will no longer see it. So it may appear that comments are disappearing when they really are not.

How do I make the yellow box around quoted material?