Seneca Doane asked that I compile a list of my DK4 Dummy diaries in one diary. So I grabbed a little text from my word docs and found some dummy diaries by others too.
One common theme is that DK4 is really just DK3 with increased functionality. The Frontpage of DK4 has brilliant posts by our frontpagers, dynamite kossack diaries on our Recommended List, a new recent list called Recently Recommended, live diary rescue by our glorious rescue rangers (Community Spotlight), a box of Features selected by frontpagers and a new hot list of tags.
DK4's new tools increase functionality of familiar faces: DK3 diary series, sub-communities and group user accounts are now called Groups in DK4 and DK3 has subscription and hotlists that are called "follow" and "stream" in DK4.
You can use DK4 just as you use DK3 and never learn about or use the many tools provided by DK4. But, if you want to expand what you can now do at DK3, you can gradually learn about the new features at your own pace.
DK4 OVERVIEW
- Markos provided a great overview of DK4: Final DK4 update: You don't need to learn new functionality to use DK4. One cool addition is the Feature Box used by frontpagers to headline hot content. The box might have a list of items or it might focus on one hot story, and the box can flash from one feature to the next:
Also look at the Feature box on the top of the right-hand column. We'll be using that to feature hot content, whether it's our latest polling numbers, the latest community live blog, a hot story, or a kickass diary. So just add it up: On DK3, top of the fold, you have two headlines (three, if the top story is REALLY short). Top of the fold on DK4, a lot of headlines.
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- DK4 FAQ by sardonyx: The FAQ has a list of quick links and a table of contents of issues covered to answer your questions.
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- PDNC: DK4 Myths Unplugged: A few key facts:
1. DK4 has a link on top of FP navigation bar for a list of all DIARIES and a new recent list on the FP called Recently Rec'd that includes all diaries recommended by at least one Trusted User.
2. Ever sit there counting words to fit your diary's intro because you keep getting the error message of too many words? In DK4, no more limits that the bulk of diary must be published below the fold.
3. One of my fav stats from jotter is views that tells how many unique visitors for diaries landing on HID list. DK4 now provides the stat of view for each diary on your blog page. (shown in pic below in the far right column)
DK4 GROUPS (DK3 DIARY SERIES, LIVE BLOGS AND BLOGATHONS)
- PDNC: Markos & Meteor Blades Welcome New Users to DK 4 Groups: Discusses creation of group, groups organization, internal group rules, publishing group diaries with publication manager, deletion of diaries, editing of diaries, finding groups and more benefits of groups (e.g., republish diaries, a type of Group diary rescue and collaboration on diaries at the drafting stage).
In DK3 nomenclature, groups are our diary series, projects, sub-communities, blogathons and live blogs. DK4 provides us with groups functionality just like the FP of DK4, which is another group blog.
But Groups are so much more. Groups are an exciting, major innovation in DK4 to make it easier for us to organize and expand our political activism where the limitations will primarily be only our imaginations. We can use groups to organize local political groups, create databases and aggregators that become THE online resource and create resources for kossacks. You think of the idea for groups, and kossacks will help you do it!
- PDNC: Markos Chats on DK4 Groups Rules: Group diaries and individual diaries are subject to the same general community moderation rules. Over the past 5 years, however, diary series have asked for compliance with a norm or request that has sometimes been transformed into a rule after acceptance by the general community. This is really a democratic process: Markos prefers that our "community work out its own rules" where he will "help guide the development of community norms," but he does not want to "mandate" rules.
DK4 TAGS WITH EXPANDED FUNCTIONALITY
PDNC: DK4 Tags for Dummies.
1. The bottom of the FP has Master Tags that cover broad topic areas but are not intended to cover each diary.
2. Tags have new functionality!
A tag can have a picture, a description, and links to the outside relating to the issue or topic. Tags can also be categorized by type - an event, a diary series, a place, a person, an election. With over 200,000 tags in the system, not every tag is going to be categorized or have an encyclopedic article - but over time, the most used and useful tags will end up being indexes for diaries and general information about that subject, not just what someone might have said today.
3. We have alias tag capability to correct our errors and typos:
We can alias one tag to another, eliminating frustrations with spelling variations like "healthcare" and "health care". We can note that CA-Sen is associated with Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and the state of California. It can also help with cases of people with name variations or people with similar names (inviting you to pick which George Bush you really meant).
4. The Master Tags have Related Tags: For the master tag of environment, related tags include global warming, water, wildlife etc.
There are lists for each tag to help us find diaries on issues or find people who share similar interests for creating groups:
5. There is a list of Hot Tags on the FP bottom right sidebar.
6. There are all sorts of ways to find tags, including a search engine for tags on the bottom of the main tag page:
DK4 STREAMS OR OUR INDIVIDUAL RECENT DIARY LIST
- PDNC: DK4: Tips on Networking for Readers, Comments & Rec List: This diary explains following and streams, which is what I have nicknamed our "individual recent diary list" for each user. It is located on your blog user page and includes a list of all the diaries posted by the diarists you have picked by following users, groups or tags.
Another DK4 benefit: Because there is no limit on how many diaries posted each day or minimum diary length, you can post a diary of only a few lines to serve as a promo, which is then picked up in the stream of the kossacks who follow you.
DK4 PEOPLE
- Markos: Are we really launching DK4 this weekend? No! One more week.
The People page is sort of Daily Kos all-star page, allowing you to sort users by most recommended, most prolific, highest mojo, most followed, etc. The cool thing about these pages is that we can add new sorting categories. For example, soon after the launch I want to come up with categories that track the fastest-rising new users, and so on.
Here is a picture of our most recommended hotties:
And a picture of most followed kossacks:
DK4 DIARIES
- Joan McCarter: How to read, write, and comment in Daily Kos 4.0: How to find good diaries with live Diary Rescue (now called Community Spotlight), diary list, recommended diaries and the new recent list called Recently Recommended; and also how to comment and write diaries with our new publication manager.
MORE DK4 DUMMY RESOURCES
- Joan McCarter: What's new and/or improved in Daily Kos 4.0: Discusses our individual user blog page, people page, groups and tags.
- Joan McCarter: Getting started at Daily Kos 4.0 (Lots of images): Discusses logging in at DK4, symbols used, and frontpage.
- Angie in WA State: Visual step-by-step guide to DK4 - Part I provides a visual comparison of our FP in DK3 and DK4.
- Angie in WA State:Visual step-by-step guide to DK4 - Part II: Discusses following and privacy issues.
- Angie in WA State:Visual step-by-step guide to DK4 - Part III: Discusses groups and publishing diaries under groups.
- Angie in WA State:Visual step-by-step guide to DK4 - Part IV: Discusses groups and private messaging.
- Angie in WA State:Visual step-by-step guide to DK4 - Part V discusses tags.
- Dom9000: In defense of DK4 (Warning: Photo heavy): Discusses the new recent diary list, groups, following, your new user page, private messages and tags.
- Markos posts:
DK4 open beta just days away, and why we did it
DK4 reaction, one weeklater
DK4 status update
Daily Kos beta: On trolls and unlimited diaries
DK4 update and responses to more community concerns
The latest from DK4 land
- The one tag page that might be quite popular as we settle into our new digs: DK4.