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Dispatch News
Last Modified: 10/16/2000
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DOCUMENTATION UPDATED
Oct. 2, 2000:
Today we upgraded the Dispatch support area to include information on the new mailing lists, with links to the web browsable versions of the mailing lists. We also added numerous examples to the Dispatch Tag Reference Guide including examples on <dpAuthor>, <dpArray>, <dpUserField>, and <dpQuery>.
MAILING LISTS REVISED
Sept. 26, 2000:
Due to popular demand and to separate breaking Dispatch news from technical talk, we've divided the Dispatch mailing list into two separate lists. The "News & Announcements" list will be a non-interactive, low-volume list. The "Technical Forum" list will be an interactive list for users and developers to discuss tags, templates, queries, macros, user defined fields (UDFs), and more. (more info)
Launch: Getting Started
Last Modified: 9/25/2000
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General Notes
This document should provide you with a solid overview of getting started with Dispatch, in conjunction with the Launch: Task List document here in the support section.
- All correspondence regarding Dispatch should be emailed to support@desert.net, even when intended for an individual DesertNet staff member. This ensures that all matters are handled promptly, as well as providing a tracking mechanism for us internally to ensure that all questions are being addressed.
- Dispatch's documentation is predominantly located online, which includes print friendly versions of all documentation.
- Optimization in Dispatch is largely dependent on standards. That means consistent and unique use of Quark styles, adherence to the file naming guidelines we'll provide, and the use of online documentation and the support email address to gain clarity on any issues causing confusion.
- The timing of your launch will depend on several items. These include: time it takes to get server ordered, setup, and connected at your publication's offices or ISP (local installations only); delivery time of documents, creative, and editorial information requested from your publication; bringing your existing content over to DesertNet servers (hosted sites only); other clients also in the pipeline; and the ability to schedule training. We'll provide revised launch projections as we move along based on progress on both sides.
Getting Started: A Few Questions To Begin
- Who is going to be your main support person? Please provide their full name, staff position, email address, phone number with extension, and general work hours. Also, a general idea of the level of their technical expertise would be helpful. We require that each publication have a primary production and support contact that has been trained for Dispatch. Questions about the process referred to us need to come through this person--additional blocks of support time are available should you want more than your primary support contact to have access to DesertNet support personnel.
- What software and hardware will your production staff be using on their desktop, at least initially? We're looking for information like:
Computer manufacturer, processor speed, and amount of RAM; operating system; web browser; email client; FTP client; Quark version; image editing software, etc. We'll want to review some basic configuration issues with you, especially with regards to setting up your ftp client.
- FTP access information for your current web server. We'll need the following information so that we can begin analyzing your existing site:
- User id
- Password
- Host name/address
- Your publication's web and editorial staff will need to decide on the use of information we call User Defined Fields or UDFs. This information is used to more fully utilize some of Dispatch's advanced features. More information on UDFs can be found here in the documentation. The process of defining these will be one of the last steps we take in your setup, but should be examined and considered by relevant online production and editorial staff throughout the process. The Austin Chronicle (http://www.auschron.com/) is a great example of utilizing these fields, as is Film Vault (http://www.filmvault.com/). Here are a few examples:
- Film - Many publications have decided to utilize film based UDFs such as, Film Genre, Film Director, Film Title, Actors, Rating, Studio
- Music - Artist, Rating, Genre, Article type (interview, live review, album review, etc), Label, Producer
- Politics - Scope (Local, National, State), Type (profile, election coverage, environment, media, growth, etc)
- Books - Author, type (fiction, non-fiction, biography, autobiography, pictorial, etc), Publisher, Format (hardback, softback)
- Arts - Performing Arts, visual arts, style, etc.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss this farther as we understand there are lots of questions and concerns in utilizing this feature.
- What day of the week does your print publication hit the street? What day is the book closed? What day and time does your online version publish?
- Please provide a list of employees and their email addresses for those that will be involved with Dispatch so that they can be added to the Dispatch Announcements mailing list and Dispatch Technical Forum mailing list.
At the least, this will be your primary support person, but it is preferable to have anyone involved in document control, image processing, or template design also subscribed to this mailing list.
- For a full, detailed overview of the launch process, please see the Launch: Task List page here in the Dispatch Support documentation.
Launch: Task List
Last Modified: 4/4/2000
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To get started with Dispatch, you'll need to work through the following list of tasks, which are outlined below, then followed with a bit more detail.
Overview
- Deliver electronic and print copies of three issues.
- Publication will need to provide some general administrative and technical information to being setup.
- Review-DesertNet will compile all information and data and provide some feedback on whether we are ready to move setup forward or whether we need to revisits any of the above.
- The publication's staff should begin reviewing the Dispatch documentation set, available at http://docs.dispatch.net/.
- Primary setup steps will be completed including DesertNet processing in the delivered issues of the publication, creating a template set based on the publication's current web site, and the finalization of any details.
- DesertNet will schedule training with the primary support contact for the publication.
- Launch.
Detailed Overview
- Delivery of at least three issues of the publication to include the following for each:
- QuarkXPress Tag files (please reference the basic and extended file naming conventions in the documentation, as well as the support page covering saving as QuarkXPress tag files.)
- Images in optimized .gif or .jpg format
- Hardcopy (these should be sent ASAP as we can't make use of electronic files until these arrive)
- Ideally, you will provide each issue proceeding these three in these formats, as well, for two reasons. One, the more data we have, the better we can have Dispatch setup for you. Two, it is ideal for you to have concurrent issues in the database leading up to the week you launch with your own production.
- Each issue should be uploaded to a unique folder within the upload folder you'll log into, such as "2000-01-19"
- Provide general administrative information needed for setup.
- We'll need access information to your current web server. This will allow us to build templates, understand current site architecture, and analyze any scripting in use.
- You should provide your 2000 editorial calendar, if available, to help us further analyze any special issue considerations that may arise.
- You'll need to deliver to DesertNet any editorial information, such as the UDFs for us to complete database setup.
- You'll need to deliver to DesertNet any creative decisions prior to our template building.
- DesertNet will review data sent. At this point we may: request files be resent if problems, request clarity on what content will be available via the web, revise UDF information or request additional information, and ask about style usage. When these questions are answered, we'll be delivering a document that outlines the publications sections and columns, file naming guidelines, and notes on Quark style usage. We will most likely discuss style usage at length with your production person at this point, as much of the automated database fielding is contingent on effective style usage within Quark.
- Your production staff needs to begin reviewing the Dispatch documentation, which is online at http://docs.dispatch.net/.
- DesertNet will complete primary setup steps.
- DesertNet will process in the three issues delivered. We will also process in any additional issues you provide to us after the initial three, if approved by launch manager in advance.
- DesertNet will create a template set and architecture from your current site, along with any basic creative information provided in step three above. Major creative changes need to be handled outside of the setup process, as they are not part of the service we provide for launching clients.
- When DesertNet has the database set up and primed and base template set created, we will provide a URL for you to review the current setup and verify that all is on track.
- Revisit UDFs for finalization of fields to be initially set up.
- DesertNet will schedule training for your Dispatch production and/or support staff. This training will include multiple focus areas including: file and data preparation, the Dispatch interface, basic template building, and advanced tag usage. This usually takes place the week of the first issue being produced, since the interface training is the only training necessary to being use of Dispatch.
- You'll be ready to start production
Design Services
Last Modified: 3/27/2000
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In addition to Dispatch Automated Publishing Solutions software, DesertNet also offers site architecture services, site design services and full production services that includes Dispatch software, design services, and all web site production services in one package.
Given Dispatch's power in integrating a publication's entire content, clients often find a value in having DesertNet analyze their content and help determine new methods for tying content together, as well as new page layouts to better present and exploit new design and functionality options. DesertNet can work with your staff to convert a publication's powerful print brand to a web-ready style; or we can start from scratch creating a whole new look and style. In either case, our years of experience can be very handy to a publication looking to upgrade their site's architecture, style and functionality
For publications that are new to the web, or are looking to outsource their technology needs, DesertNet can also provide the day-to-day, week-to-week or month-to-month creation of a publication's web site from their print materials. This solution gives a publication that ability to leverage their editorial staff with no technology overhead. Everything is fully outsourced to DesertNet.
Please contact us if you have questions about any of these services by emailing us at sales@desert.net.
Hosting Services
Last Modified: 3/27/2000
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As part of our standard Dispatch contract, we offer hosting services for a publication's web site. Our basic hosting package includes:
- Web server management and maintenance
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- 100mb of disk space
- Single domain transfer fees and setup, plus DNS services
- FTP access account
- Shell access account
- Log availability
- Full text search engine
Training Services
Last Modified: 3/27/2000
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Initial publication setup includes basic training on the use of the Dispatch interface and file and data preparation. Through our construction of your initial templates, we'll also provide a good overview of Dispatch tag usage.
If you'd like additional training in the use of the software, especially with regards to advanced use of the Dispatch tag language, we offer a few options:
Onsite training - Our staff will come to your facility for two days. Cost: $2,000 plus travel expenses
Training in Tucson - We can provide a two day training course at our offices in Tucson. Cost: $1,500 plus your travel expenses
Please write sales@desert.net to confirm current pricing.
Domain Registration
Last Modified: 4/18/2000
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Email Support
Last Modified: 9/25/2000
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support@desert.net
This address is specifically for mission critical problems with templates, setup-related issues, reporting apparent (non-fatal) bugs in the program, making urgent requests not related to software crashes, and sending "private" communication with the DesertNet staff. We will be striving to deal with issues being sent to this address immediately as they arise, so only messages fitting these criteria will be answered in a timely manner. Even if a question is directed at a specific member of our support team, it should be sent to this address. This address should only be used by your authorized support contact.
dispatch-tech@lists.dispatch.net
The Dispatch Technical Forum was designed for the community of Dispatch users and developers to discuss issues relating to using Dispatch tags, developing templates, building queries, sharing macros, and exploring user defined fields (UDFs). "Community" is the theme here, as we'd like users to share ideas on using Dispatch and show off examples of their work.
You can subscribe and unsubscribe to this mailing list by writing to us at support@desert.net.
Dispatch News Archives
Last Modified: 9/25/2000
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Dispatch Technical Forum
Last Modified: 9/25/2000
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