Many thanks to bubbanomics for cnftt photos!
Greeting, Cranky Users! On this Memorial Day weekend, we have a few topics of interest to explore in our Cranky Netroots for the Troops diary. The first of these is, what is this quarterdecking of which bubbanomics speaks in his caption?? I'm glad you asked! THIS should clear it up for you! Since we at Cranky Users are by no means organized in a military hierarchy (or at all, frankly), we're not so much going to be calling anyone to the quarterdeck and ordering pushups or the like, although we may ask politely.
Please join us on a short, pleasant march below the squiggle for a few Cranky tips! (See? That wasn't so bad!)
First, we have a complaint that looks buggy but is not really about a bug. Lately, you may have noticed that titles of diaries you've read aren't reliably changing color in your stream to indicate that fact. You may also have noted that their URLs have an extra part tacked on, such as ?via=siderec or ?via=stream. These are related. As elfling tells us, developers are collecting some data on how people navigate to diaries. The little "via=" bits are how they can tell which link you clicked to get to a diary. Because you're essentially going to a different link depending on how you go there, the "been there" color change doesn't always work. They expect to remove their "trail of breadcrumbs" when they have a good set of data, ending the problem.
Now, suppose that you are looking at a web page, and you suspect that refreshing the page with the "refresh" button isn't doing anything to give you an up-to-date version? Your computer stores recently-accessed web pages in its "cache", and sometimes, it feels that what it's got in there is perfectly good and it should not have to trudge out to the internetz and get a newer version. Rather than clear your cache, a quick fix is to wait for the page to finish loading entirely, and then press F5. This, according to Edger, bypasses your browser cache and forces the page to load from the server (if you're using Windows), thus ensuring you're looking at the most current page version.
Next, we have some exciting tips from weatherdude about links opening in a new tab. You probably know that you can right-click a link and choose the option to open it in a new tab in your browser, so you don't lose the page you're on. If you are on some versions of Windows, such as Windows 7, and have a mouse with a wheel, clicking on the link with the wheel instead of the left or right mouse button will also bring you to a new tab.
But coming from the other end, you can code your links so they open in a new tab when clicked on normally, sparing your readers frustration if they forget to do one of those fancy things and just click. To do this, you have to code your link in <a> tags rather than the shortcut square brackets, but the link button in diaries and comments works now so it shouldn't be too hard. Type the text you want to show in your diary, highlight it, and click the Link button. Then paste the url in the Link area. This gives you, for instance, this link, which will open in this same tab if you click with your normal mouse button:
<a href="http://xkcd.com/386/">the most famous xkcd </a>
the most famous xkcd
To make the link open in a new tab, add
target="_blank" INSIDE the <a> tag, after the link itself (the part that starts with "href"). It looks like this:
<a href="http://xkcd.com/386/" target="_blank">the most famous xkcd </a>
the most famous xkcd
And last, but certainly not least: We have people in the United States armed forces all over the world, including in very dangerous places such as Afghanistan. They have volunteered to serve, knowing they might have to go to these places. I am cranky that it's necessary for these good people to leave their homes and families and risk their lives on our behalf! Now, on Memorial Day weekend, we have a chance to remember not only those who have passed on, but also those who still serve. Our wonderful Daily Kos community honors our troops serving overseas by pooling some of our resources to buy and send them some items we know they need, to make their service less uncomfortable and less lonely. Below is some information about how, specifically, you can help.
For most of us, what it boils down to is, donate some money. If you can spare only $5, that's fine! It helps! If you just click the donate button, you'll find it's easy, and you don't even need to use a credit card if you'd rather not -- you can donate via electronic funds transfer from your bank account. You can support a team or not, have your name displayed or not. And if neither credit card nor EFT works for you, I bet that if you message an NFTT group admin, such as Onomastic or TexDem, they'd help you donate via a check or money order.
Just give something -- you know you want to! Do it! Do it now! Do it in memory of the vets in your own family, or in honor of those serving now in these long, morale-sapping wars. Do it because troops love pooties!
Before we move on to non-cranky NFTT instructions, let me say you are welcome to use the thread, as has been our custom, to discuss your issues with the site, and ask or answer questions, but today, you're also welcome to tell us about your delightful and most welcome and urgently needed donations to NFTT. Please be nice!
Our goal for Netroots for the TroopsTM 2011 is $100,000.0 (cash or in-kind donations)
NFTT's primary function is the purchasing and assembling of Care Packages at Netroots Nation to be mailed to American Military serving in war zones. However, the needs of our military families and veterans at home are also a NFTT priority. As llbear et al. have shown, far too often veterans and their families end up caught between a need and red tape. As we raise funds this year remember that your donation will be helping on multiple levels. Our deployed sons and daughter will know they have not been forgotten. Military families will know that they are not alone. Veterans at home will receive needed help.
We realize that you would like to donate something tangible to go inside the packages that will be mailed to the troops. Unfortunately, accepting in-kind donations from individuals is not practical in terms of storage and handling of the items. We will only be accepting corporate donations or cash from YOU to purchase items for the care packages this year.
Here’s how YOU can help:
1. Please contact TexDem if you know someone who might be helpful in securing the corporate in-kind donations. Just leave him a message through the dkos message system. To help you think of companies who could donate products, see below for a list of potential items. Put your thinking caps on and let us hear from you. It takes time to get through the corporate processes so we need to hear from you ASAP!
2. We are accepting cash from individuals and -beg- ask that you DONATE HERE to contribute to this worthy cause. Your donation will enable us to purchase the things that we are unable to obtain through corporate donations, and will help to pay the costs of shipping them to our troops.
3. Sign up for a diary! Don’t worry---we’ve made it easy for you. We’ve got a template set up, and all you need to do is add a small introduction. You can tell us why you are donating or share a story of someone you know who has served or is serving. You can post some favorite pootie and woozel photos. Or how about some gardening photos? We love them! Recipes? We're ready to cook. A list of the top ten guitarists of all time? We'll listen. An homage to your favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy writer? (Terry Pratchett is one of mine.) We'll be reading. We want you to have fun while raising money for our troops and their families. Just drop Onomastic/Ono a message through the dkos message system to get the template and on the schedule.
4. Do you know a service member who would like to receive a care package? Email a request to: info@netrootsforthetroops.com before May 31, 2011. Please include all of the following information. Unfortunately we will not be able to process any incomplete requests:
Rank:
Last name:
First name:
APO Address Line 1:
APO Address Line 2:
APO Address Zip:
If you know of a Military Unit that would like to receive care packages please include Unit and contact information by May 15, 2011.
5. Write letters to be included in the packages! If you need some ideas, rbutters wrote an excellent diary with tips on how to write letters to troops and why it’s so important to them.
6. Help us assemble the packages in Minneapolis. It's fun! More information will be forthcoming for those of you who are going to be in Minneapolis and would like to help there.
7. Please consider joining the NFTT FaceBook Group. Invite your FaceBook and non-FaceBook friends.
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The goal for 2011 is 600 Care Packages assembled in Minneapolis, that equates to approximately $100,000.00. Again this was decided upon after seeing we could assemble 300 in 45 minutes in Pittsburgh. Those boxes had a retail value of approximately $210.00. The items we'll be sending will be comparable to what was sent last year. However, that list is subject to modification based on suggestions, request and needs. Btw, check out the NFTT website.
The following list contains some of the things we have included in packages. Please let us know if you know someone who might be helpful in securing these corporate in-kind donations. (Please DO NOT send these items yourself! We have no way to accept them. Instead, your cash donation is the very best way to help make this happen on the ground in Minneapolis.)
- Baby wipes
- Mechanix gloves
- LED flashlights
- Gel shoe insoles
- Goop Cleaning Gel
- Powdered energy drinks
- Gel energy food packets
- DVDs and CDs
- Letters to the soldiers
- More suggestions coming soon
The NFTT diaries are a way for the Daily Kos community to support the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and their families. We send them packages of items they might not otherwise receive through the normal military process but that they find useful. This is a non-political diary. While we understand there are differing views on the wars and the warriors, the site gives plenty of opportunity to express those views elsewhere. Furthermore, we would hope that users do not engage with those that attempt to hijack or otherwise disrupt these diaries.
We appreciate your understanding and support. Thanks!
Netroots For The TroopsTM is a project of Netroots for the Troops, Inc., a Virginia non-profit corporation. Netroots For The TroopsTM raises money for the assembly, mailing and delivery of care packages to American military in war zones, and to provide assistance to military families in the United States. Netroots For The Troops, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.