Who
can use CrawfordVoice.com?
Anyone on the Web can read stories on CrawfordVoice.com. But, if you want to
post a story, you have to register.
Who writes the stories?
Members of CrawfordVoice.com staff will write some stories and gather links to
stories from different places, but mostly community members like you write the
stories and take the photos.
How do I get
started?
Select the community where you live from the dropdown menu at the left part of
the page. In the red dot on the top left of your community's homepage, click
the "register." Enter your name and a few other details, and click
the "submit" button. From there, it’s all yours. If you're already
registered, click on the links at the top left part of the page to start a blog,
post a story or event, and more.
What will you do with my personal information?
Your personal information you provide to us by registering will not be used by
anyone other than CrawfordVoice.com. We need information like your address and
phone number so we can contact you when we decide to put one of your stories or
events in the newspaper section of CrawfordVoice.com. Your birthday is required
to verify that you are at least 14 years of age. Rest assured, your personal
information is safe and will not be sold to any other company.
When and why will you be contacting me?
We may contact you any time your stories or events are added to the newspaper
section of CrawfordVoice.com. Occasionally, CrawfordVoice.com will also e-mail
you about contests or new features on the site.
Who can I contact with questions regarding posting stories
and photos, tech support or advertising?
Contact melisa@CrawfordVoice.com.
Who can I contact about contests that CrawfordVoice.com is
promoting?
For information regarding contests on CrawfordVoice.com, please contact contests@CrawfordVoice.com.
How do I contact you if there is a local listing missing?
If you believe there should be an addition made to one of the local listings,
please contact comments@CrawfordVoice.com.
How do I contribute stories or photos?
This is the place for you to share your stories and photos with your community.
Click on the ‘Share Stories’ link at the top-right part of this page. Then follow
the step-by-step instructions. If you have any trouble along the way, click on
the help icon for more information. Once you’ve added a story, it will be
accessible to all CrawfordVoice.com visitors. They can find it through the
search tools at right.
How do I create a great posting?
Remember the five W’s:
Who: Who is your story about? Your pet? Your kids? Your
business? Don’t forget to include names and other relevant identifying
information. Also, identify yourself, the writer. Include your name, occupation,
title, where you live or work or any other information that would be relevant
considering your topic.
What: What is the central focus of your story? Make sure you
have a sentence or paragraph that really drives your point home.
When: When did this happen? If you’re letting us know about an
upcoming event, don’t forget to tell us when it is – date and time.
Where: Give us specific locations, ideally an address.
Why: Why should someone read your story? What makes it unique
and essential — or simply fun?
Get started. Go to CrawfordVoice.com and register.
It’s free. Next, go to your Neighborhood (Hub) and click on “Stories &
Photos” icon to the right of “Get Published.” Pick a category and then write
your story (or paste it from a text document) and/or attach your photos. Once
you’re done, hit “preview/publish.” Don’t like what you see? Click on “back to
edit.” Have a masterpiece? Click “publish.” Have technical problems? Click here to e-mail
us.
Pick
a category. The categories are entertainment, pets, friends &
family, tips & techniques, faith, travel, education, news, business, sound
off, reviews, sports and milestones. Where does your contribution fit?
Show us. Attach a picture by clicking on the “attach
images” button. You know that old adage: a picture tells a thousand words.
Including a picture with your story adds a visual element and increases
interest for viewers. Plus, it makes for a prettier page in our print edition.
If you post a picture (or four), don’t forget to tell us who is in the picture,
first and last names, where they’re from and about when the picture was taken.
Be concise. To get a story in the paper, you don’t have to
write a novel. Plus, if you keep it short, there’s less of a chance that we’ll
have to make some cuts to fit your story in the print edition.
Photos can tell the story. If you have great photos to share,
but don’t want to write a whole story, just post them! Be sure to include the
five W’s in the captions.
Make it interesting. Who says news has to be serious? If
you’re writing about your child’s lemonade stand, and they said something
hilarious to their first customer, include the quote!
Don’t worry if you’re a “good” writer or not. Just tell your
story.
Get it in on time. If you really want to see your story in the
next week’s print edition, be sure you get it to us a week in advance.
Stay a while. When you’re on CrawfordVoice.com, don’t forget
you can start a blog, post free classifieds and check out other users’ personal
profiles.
How do I take the best
photos for CrawfordVoice.com?
Be there. Always try to get yourself in a prime position
to take pictures at public gatherings — get as close as possible. Show up early
if you can.
Show faces. CrawfordVoice.com is all about the people in the
community, so be sure to show us faces in your pictures.
Get names. We need the names of people in your photos if you
can get them. Any other information is helpful as well, such as location,
dates, and event titles.
Go candid. Posing people is easy but doesn’t always make for
the most exciting shot. Try to capture the action at hand.
Shoot lots. Film is cheap, but digital is cheaper. The
more photos you have, the more likely one of them will be perfect for
CrawfordVoice.com.
Keep it simple. When posting a digital image, use the original
file size. Do not attempt to shrink or otherwise edit your photos — leave the
Photoshop duties to us.
We’re flexible. Digital is the most convenient medium to work
in. Scan images from prints or negatives before posting them.
What size photos should I post to the Web site?
The original. It is best to leave the photo editing to us. There are no
restrictions on the size of a digital photo that you can post to the site. (The
highest we can accept is 2 MB or 5x7 at 300dpi but that’s unnecessary). And we
prefer JPEG files.
How do I share my opinion about people, places or events in
my community?
This is the place for you to share your opinion or reviews. Click on the
"Stories" link at the top left part of this page. Then click on
"Post a Story" below that link and "Sound Off" or
"Reviews" in the category menu. If you have any trouble along the
way, click on the 
for more information. Once you’ve added a
story, it will be accessible to all CrawfordVoice.com visitors.
How do I add an event to
my community’s calendar?
This is the place for you to add events to your community’s calendar. The
events will be shared with all CrawfordVoice.com visitors – so make sure to
give clear instructions about where and when events are held. Click on the
"Events" link at the top left part of this page. Then, follow the
step-by-step instructions. If you have any trouble along the way, click on help
icon for more information. Once you’ve added an event, it will be accessible to
all CrawfordVoice.com visitors. They can find it through the calendar on the
community's homepage.
How do I start a blog?
Click on "Blogs" on that toolbar to the left of your community's
Web site. From there, you can make new entries or go through other stuff you've
blogged. We've got a huge list of categories to help you keep track of what you
wrote, but don't get intimidated. You say you started a jai alai league in your
basement? It might not fit perfectly in our categories, but that's just too
cool a story to throw away. Pick the closest thing that fits. We've tried to
make everything as simple as possible. Just type in your text, submit it, and
you're set. If you're a little more tech savvy, play around with adding images
or with your HTML to get into the guts of your blog.
How do I find the blog, stories or events I created on
CrawfordVoice.com?
You can access all of your content in one place. Click on ‘My Stuff’ at the
top-left part of this page for your entries.
How do I edit my stories, events or blog?
You can make changes to anything you add to CrawfordVoice.com. To edit a
story or event you have posted, click on ‘My Stuff’ at the top-left part of this
page. Clicking on these will bring you to a listing of all stories and events
you have posted. Scroll through your list to find the story or event you would
like to edit and click the edit button to the left of the title. Once you’ve
made your changes, press the update button and your edits will be applied.
What are the site requirements for CrawfordVoice.com?
CrawfordVoice.com was designed for Mac OS X™ and Microsoft Windows™ 2000,
XP Home or XP Professional or later running Microsoft Internet Explorer™ 6.X,
Firefox™ 1.x, Netscape® 7.x and Safari™ 1.2 or later supporting the Macromedia
Flash™ Player 7.
Why is my age required on the registration form?
CrawfordVoice.com requires your date of birth to be entered on the
registration so that we can verify that you are 14 years of age or older.
Remember, if you are under 18 you must receive your parent's permission to
register and post on the site.
How long do online-only ads stay on the site?
All online only ads stay on the site for 60 days.
Could you give me or my organization a demonstration on how
to best use CrawfordVoice.com?
Yes! Each month we meet with people in communities across the area to
demonstrate how to use the site and/or how to make the site work for you. Visit
our staff page and
contact one of the people covering your community about setting up a
presentation.