How to use the Voting Booth
How to Use the Voting Booth --------------------------- This text file is a brief "reference guide" to using the voting booth. For additional information, read options one through three from the main vote menu. To get to the main vote menu, type "Go Vote" from any "Your Choice ==>" prompt. o Reading issues at hand The following is a list of commands that manuever you through the voting booth screen. r = Read the current issue. The current issue is denoted on the screen with an arrow ("=>") in the left margin. t = tally current issue. This command will tell you how many votes were cast for each "position" on the current issue. Additionally, a percentage of the vote for each "position" is displayed as well. n = next issue. This command reads the next issue, as well as making it the "current issue." o Vote on issues v = vote on current issue. The question is re-stated and the user Select the number of the position and press Return (or Enter). Sometimes there are more "positions" then can be displayed on one's screen. If the is the case, one can enter '+'. '+' takes the user down one screen of the "position" list. To move back one screen-full enter '-'. Lastly, if the vote issue is free format (see Types of issues, later in this text file), one can hit 'a' to add and vote for a new position. Upon hittin 'a', the user is asked to type in the new position. Type in the new position and press return (or enter). o Posting an Issue to Vote on c = contribute a new issue. Select this command if you want to create a new issue to vote on. Types of issues: After hitting c, the user is asked to select an issue "type." 1 = Yes/No (Only two choices in this type of poll. Users either vote for an issue (typically yes), or against an issue (typically no).) 2 = Multiple Choice (Has at least two positions or options to choose from. Users vote for one of the positions created by the author of the issue.) 3 = Free Format (Users can choose an option or position already created, or add and vote on a new position generated by that user.) Creating the Vote Script: After selecting the type of vote issue, the user is sent into his or her editor where he or she is to create the script file. Please Note: It's highly recommended that one uses one of the many online editors available on Free-net. It's not required, but a lot easier. Not only can the user fix any mistakes made in the script file easily, but the vote fields are already entered for you when using an editor. All one has to do is fill-in these fields using the editor. Furthermore, there is some documentation already embedded in the file when using an editor. To select an editor type "Go editor" from any "Your Choice ==>" prompt. Below are the vote fields. Fields "$title" and "$text" are mandatory for all types of vote issues. To set a vote field simply enter: $(fieldname): (value or text for that field) Exmaple: $title: The Atari Falcon: Fact or Fiction? $title: This is the title of the vote issue. This field can hold up to 63 characters of text. $text: This field holds the text of the issue. Holds up to 511 characters. $type: Vote type -- 'yesno', 'multichoice', 'freeform'. If you're using one of Free-Net's online text editor, this field will be filled in automatically for you. $tallyaccess: This field tells the vote server who can see tallies during the voting period. Choices are the default value of 'all' (all users can see the tally results), or 'admin' (only the administration can see the results). $voteperiod: voting period value in days. (default = 7 days). This field holds the number of days in which users can vote on this issue. $displayperiod: Display period in days. (default = 14 days). This is the length of time after the voting period has stopped in which the issue remains up. $option: This field is not used for 'yesno' polls, is optional for 'free format' polls, and must have atleast two of these fields for 'multiple choice' polls. Fields that begin with a pound sign '#' are ignored. A sample multiple-choice issue: # Sample multiple-choice issue...4 options # use pound sign fields for comments... $title: Atari SIG Support Areas $text: Which Atari SIG Support Area do you use the most? $type: multichoice $tallyaccess: all $voteperiod: 14 $displayperiod: 31 $option: Atari 16/32 bit Support Area $option: Atari 8 bit Support Area $option: Portfolio Support Area $option: Lynx Support Area o Misc. Commands The user can select the following commands anywhere in the vote server's menu: h = help. This command gives the user a complete list and brief description of available commands. q = quit. Select this command to leave the vote area and return to the voting booth main menu.
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