Help
What does this do?
The goal of this system is to reduce discomfort and rush in entering images on Light & Shadow’s Competition Nights.
The standard procedure on competition nights is to come to the competition with your prints. You then write your print titles and your name on the category sheets and put your prints on the appropriate stack. This sounds simple (and it is) but many other members are trying to do the same thing at the same time. The table available is too low and uncomfortable, and there’s never a pen available when you need one.
If you know what your entries will be the day before the competition (or earlier) this system will allow you to skip writing the titles and your name on the sheets. You’ll still have to put your images on the stacks.
This is completely optional. The traditional entry sheets are still available on competition night if you prefer to enter your prints at that time, or you forgot or didn’t have time. You can also make last-minute changes the old fashioned way (with a pen.)
If you do pre-register your images, they will be pre-printed on the category entry sheets. When you come in, take a quick look to make sure, and put your prints on the appropriate stack. This should be much faster, more comfortable, and you don’t need a pen!
You can also print labels to attach to your prints.
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Registration and Login
Whenever you pre-register prints, you will need to log in. The first time you use the system you will have to register as a user.
Whenever you access the system, if you are not logged in you will be asked to log in or register. Since logging in happens a lot more often than registering, the log in form is at the top. Enter your email and password and click the button.
If you check the “Keep me logged in on this computer” checkbox, the system will try to save your login information as a persistent cookie on your computer for 90 days or until you log out by clicking the logout link. If you access the system at least once every three months you never have to log in again.
First-time User Registration
User registration is a two-part process: 1) Fill in the form and 2) verify your email address.
First, fill in the lower form. Enter your name, email address, and and a new password (make up your own password.) You have to enter the password twice since you can’t see it as you type.
When you register, the system will send a verification email to the email address you entered. The email has a web link on it – click it to confirm your email address.
Once you have confirmed your email address, you will be able to log in with your email address and password.
Email is usually almost instantaneous, but sometimes there are delays. If you think your email was lost, attempt to log in and the system will re-send the verification. If it doesn’t work after several hours, email me, and we will work it out. You only have to do this once.
Email from the system comes from ls@edsphotos.us. If you use any sort of anti-spam system, please make sure to add this address to your list of “friends”.
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Pre-Registering Your Images
If there is only one competition open for pre-registration, the first thing you will see after logging in is the entry form. If there are more than one competition open, you pick one from a list by clicking on it.
The competition entry form shows the name of the competition at the top. Following the name are a series of categories with an input area to type the titles you are entering for that category.
If you have already entered images in this competition, the titles will appear on the form. You can change or erase any title you want.
You do not have to enter all your images at once. You can add/remove/change your entries until pre-registration closes.
Note: Normal pre-registration closing for a competition is the end of the prior day – you can make changes through Monday evening for Tuesday competitions. However, if at all possible pre-registration will stay open until noon on the day of the competition. If a competition is open, it is safe to add or make changes to your entries.
If pre-registration has closed, you will have to make any further changes on the sheet just before the competition.
When you are done entering, changing and erasing titles, click the Submit button. Click the Cancel button if you want to abandon any changes you made.
Pre-Registration Entry Modes
There are two entry modes: Entry-at-a-time and Whole-form. Select the mode you prefer from the two radio buttons at the top of the page.
Entry-at-a-time
You can make new entries, erase existing entries, or change entries by typing in the appropriate input box. When you mouse click away from the input box, or use the tab key to move to the next field, the entry is updated on the server. To indicate this is happening, an ellipsis symbol (…) is displayed to the right of the input box. When the update is complete, the ellipsis is replaced by the completion indicator, which should be “OK”.
Once the browser displays the “OK” status, the entry has been updated in the database. You can make further changes to that entry. You do not have to wait for the server to finish processing one entry before you start working on a different entry.
The “OK” status goes away if you put the input cursor back into the box. This is normal.
If an error occurs during update, error detail is displayed near the top of the form with instructions to refresh the page.
Whole-form
In this mode, you can make entries, erase existing entries, or change entries by typing in the appropriate input box. However, no changes are sent to the server until you click the Submit button.
On clicking the Submit button, the server saves your information and redisplays the entry form with your updated information. At this point you can continue entering information, click one of the menu links, or close the window.
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Navigating the System
There are only three basic pages on the system: Entries, Print Labels, and Help. These and a “logout” function are in a simple menu at the top of each page. Click to go to the entry point of each of these pages.
Logging out is unnecessary – you will be automatically logged out when you close the browser window. Explicitly logging out clears the “keep me logged in” setting and you will have to log in again next time you access the system.
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Printing Labels
You do not have to print labels to pre-register your images – label printing does not actually take any part in the pre-registration process. The system offers this function since it has all the information needed to generate them.
If you pre-register and do not print labels on the system, you will still need to put labels on your prints.
The system currently supports three printing formats: Plain (4 per 8.5 x 11 page), Avery 5164 Labels (2 columns / 3 rows per sheet) and Avery 5163 Labels (2 columns / 5 rows per sheet).
The plain format is meant for easy cutting or tearing of the sheet into four equal sizes by splitting the page once vertically and once horizontally (after printing of course.) Additional formats can be added if there is a call for it.
By default, printing starts from the top left position: row 1 column 1. You can change it if you have partial sheets of labels.
Print order is by rows, filling each row before proceeding to column 1 of the next row – row 1 col 1 followed by row 1 col 2, then row 2 col 1, etc.
When you access the labels page, you will see your list of image entries. Uncheck any labels you do not want and click the “Submit” button. The system will generate an Adobe Acrobat PDF file with your labels. You can click a link to open the PDF in a browser window, or the second link to download the file. In practice it makes little difference which link you choose. If you pick the first link you will still have the opportunity to save a copy.
The PDF should print well on most computer printers. Most of us already have the PDF reader, but if you do not, you can get one for free from Adobe.
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Problems?
Trouble Logging In
This system keeps track of your current session (what state the session is in, whether you are logged in, etc.) To do this it uses a single temporary browser cookie. Most browsers are set to accept such cookies (they exist only until you close the browser window and are not written on your disk.) However, if you cannot log in this is the probable cause. You must set your browser to accept temporary session cookies to use this system.
Trouble Staying Logged In
Login sessions expire if you don’t do anything for twenty minutes or so. You will stay logged in as long as you click something occasionally (a button or menu link.) But if you half-fill a form and then go off to have dinner, by the time you come back the web server will have forgotten all your session information.
Trouble with New User Registration
If you do not receive your New User verification email, the most likely cause is spam filtering. Many people are now subscribing to services that require a new sender to respond to a challenge. This software is not smart enough to respond to such challenges. If you use this kind of anti-spam system, please make sure that you allow ls@edsphotos.us to send you email.
If you think your verification email was lost, attempt to log in and the system will resend the verification email.
Other Problems
This system is new. It’s been tested quite a bit, but it probably still has bugs – and this help page may not be as helpful as it means to be. So, if you have difficulties please don’t hesitate to email me or find me at club.
Suggestions welcome.
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