Tech Alive Support

Frequently Asked Questions About Contribute

1. I have Contribute installed. How do I connect to Tech Alive?
2. I opened Contribute first. How do I connect to Tech Alive?
3. How do I change my Connection Key password?
4. I forgot my Connection Key password.
5. What do I need the key for?
6. I can’t drag-and-drop an image from Photoshop into Contribute.
7. What is the maximum image size I can use?
8. Why can’t I edit my spreadsheet in Contribute?
9. If I can’t edit the spreadsheet from Contribute, how will the users be able to edit it?
10. Why can’t I view my movie in Contribute?
11. When I look in Choose, I see several versions of a file that I linked and uploaded. The versions have different numbers, eg, file.xls, file_000.xls, file_001.xls, file_002.xls, etc. How did those extra files get there?
12. How do I delete a document that I uploaded from my computer?
13. When I hit F12 to preview in a standard browser, nothing happens.
14. I can’t change my login name or email.
15. I think I’m missing a template. They disappear after I use them.
16. It won’t let me edit template properties.
17. I created a new page, but everything looks bad.
18. How did I accidently save my page to a subdirectory?
19. I created a subdirectory and saved a page in it, but everything looks bad.
20. Why can’t there be more flexibility in the directory structure?
21. When I view a new page in Edit mode, I don’t see the background or the right font face.
22. I linked to a file on my computer. When I look in Choose, it’s not in my module directory or in the images or documents subdirectories.
23. What are the various options for saving the web page?
24. What are the various options for previewing the web page?

1. I have Contribute installed. How do I connect to Tech Alive?
   
   Wait until you get your Connection Key, then double-click that.
   
   
2. I opened Contribute first. How do I connect to Tech Alive?
   
   Import your Connection Key.
   
   
3. How do I change my Connection Key password?
   
   Arrange to come to Dow 857. You will be issued a new key after you type in your new password.
   
   
4. I forgot my Connection Key password.
   
   Request a new key.
   
   
5. What do I need the key for?
   
   The key knows where your start page is located and which module folders you have access to. It lets you into Tech Alive with your password.
   
   
6. I can’t drag-and-drop an image from Photoshop into Contribute.
   
   Save your image from Photoshop to your computer. In Contribute, import the image from your computer. Do Image > From My Computer… and browse to your image location.
   
   
7. What is the maximum image size I can use?
   
   It may be unlimited or restricted, depending on the Series policy. If the filesize is more than a few hundred Kb, consider resizing it in photo editor, or creating a thumbnail image to link to the larger image.
   
   
8. Why can’t I edit my spreadsheet in Contribute?
   
   Contribute is not the appropriate editing environment for a spreadsheet. You can view the spreadsheet or delete it, but not edit it.
   
   
9. If I can’t edit the spreadsheet from Contribute, how will the users be able to edit it?
   
   Contribute is for authors only. Users will open Netscape, Internet Explorer, or another standard browser to view your module. When they click on the spreadsheet link, it should activate MS Excel and permit them to edit the spreadsheet. They can only save a copy to their computer, so the original is unchanged.
   
   
10. Why can’t I view my movie in Contribute?
    
    As a browser, Contribute has limited capabilities. Press the F12 key to preview your module in a standard browser and check the functionality of your rich content there.
    
    
11. When I look in Choose, I see several versions of a file that I linked and uploaded. The versions have different numbers, eg, file.xls, file_000.xls, file_001.xls, file_002.xls, etc. How did those extra files get there?
    
    When you link and unlink and relink a text phrase or icon to a file that you retrieved from your computer, Contribute uploads another copy of the file and renames it for safety. You can delete all but one copy of the file, and make sure the link is pointing at that exact file.
    
    
12. How do I delete a document that I uploaded from my computer?
    
    Go into Browser mode and select Choose… Open the documents folder and select the unwanted file and OK. It will preview in Contribute. Do File > Delete Page….
    
    
13. When I hit F12 to preview in a standard browser, nothing happens.
    
    You are probably in Browser mode. First Edit the page that you want to preview.
    
    
14. I can’t change my login name or email.
    
    You have an unpublished draft associated with that login. When that draft is checked out, your name needs to be associated with it and can’t be changed.
    
    
15. I think I’m missing a template. They disappear after I use them.
    
    This is a bug. Refresh templates.
    
    
16. It won’t let me edit template properties.
    
    • Either it does not have optional template regions, or
    • You are working in Offline Mode, or
    • It temporarily won’t permit editing of template properties. This is a connection refresh issue. To get around this, click on Browser in the Pages Panel and create a new page. Refresh templates, then cancel. Return to the draft of the page you were editing and try to edit the template properties again. It should give you the dialogue box this time.
    
    
17. I created a new page, but everything looks bad.
    
    You probably accidently saved it in a subdirectory. Delete the page, and create a new one. Make sure it gets saved in your top-level directory.
    
    
18. How did I accidently save my page to a subdirectory?
    
    • You probably clicked on a linked document to preview it in Contribute, and Contribute then set that document directory as your default directory.
    • Avoid doing that by previewing in a standard browser instead (F12).
    
    
19. I created a subdirectory and saved a page in it, but everything looks bad.
    
    The way the templates are designed, your page is looking for an image directory (“images”) and style sheets (“filename.css”) in the same subdirectory as the web page, but they don’t exist. Save your web pages in your module top-level directory, where your start page is located.
    
    
20. Why can’t there be more flexibility in the directory structure?
    
    Most websites allow image sharing and can utilize templates that are appropriate anywhere on the website. Tech Alive websites do not permit image sharing (for the most part), so as to make modules stand-alone. Furthermore, the templates are only useable for specific series modules, and yet they are not tailored for a particular module. The result is that the templates point strictly at a local image and style sheet set in an analogous manner, not a literal one.
    
    
21. When I view a new page in Edit mode, I don’t see the background or the right font face.
    
    Contribute doesn’t know which style sheet to use yet. As soon as you Publish or Preview the right styles will be applied.
    
    
22. I linked to a file on my computer. When I look in Choose, it’s not in my module directory or in the images or documents subdirectories.
    
    There is a temporary link to the file on your computer. When you Publish, Contribute uploads the image or document and places it into the appropriate subdirectory.
    
    
23. What are the various options for saving the web page?
    
    • Ctrl-S saves a local copy to your computer. It is fast and should be done frequently.
    • Publish commits your changes by uploading everything to the web server, which is the final location.
    • Save for Later saves a local copy to your computer, allowing you to close Contribute work offline later. You can save sets of pages to work on at home or while travelling. Do File > Work Offlline and disconnect from the network. Later do File > Work Offline again to uncheck it and Publish your changes.
    
    
24. What are the various options for previewing the web page?
    
    • Contribute Edit mode gives a rough preview.
    • Contribute Browser mode gives a more refined preview, but it is not appropriate for previewing all types of content.
    • F12 opens a standard browser, whichever one is listed as your default. This should be your preferred preview option.
    • To preview in a non-default standard browser, open that browser. Copy the URL from the Address field in Browser mode in Contribute. Paste it into the Address or Location field of your standard browser.