DPC Welcome email

From DPCanadaWiki

Hello New User,

This is an autogenerated email, containing introductory information about Distributed Proofreaders Canada.

We want to first thank you for registering on our site. That is the first step in helping us proofread books for Project Gutenberg Canada.

To make sure you will be able to access and use our web site properly, please check that your browser settings are as follows:

• javascript enabled
• cookies accepted (at least from us at www.pgdpcanada.net)
• popup windows allowed (at least from us at www.pgdpcanada.net)

Also, please ensure your PC clock is set to the correct date and time.

As a new user, we recommend you read over our main page for an overview of the site, a selection of the works that we are working on, along with the books that have been completed through the site. The Beginning Proofreaders FAQ also provides a nice overview of the site. The Proofreading Guidelines cover most proofreading questions, and it is worth browsing through early on, but don't feel you have to memorize everything in it immediately — it really comes into its own as a detailed reference whenever you are unsure of how to handle something. You may find that the shorter, printable Handy Guide offers a useful introduction to the most common of our standards, and it may be worth keeping a printed copy by the computer (or an online copy open in another window) as you proofread.

Once you understand the work being done through this site, the best thing to do is get started! Here's a step-by-step process once you log in:

• When you log in you are taken to the Activity Hub. Take special note of the navigational bar at the top of the screen. It appears on many pages on site, and towards the right contains many useful links, such as to our FAQs (help), the discussion Forums, your personal Inbox, etc. Next, scroll down and follow the "Proofreading Round 1" link to see a listing of the books currently available in first round. Each book on the site goes through multiple rounds of proofreading. When you first start, you are only shown the books in the first round. Other rounds will be available to you later on.

• Select a book that you would like to read a little bit on.

• Follow the link for the title you want to work on. This will open the Project Comments page for this project (book).

• Among the contents of the Project Comments page may be some special instructions from the Project Manager. Please read these carefully as they supersede the Proofreading Guidelines, for that project.

• Follow the "Start Proofreading" link near the bottom of the page, this will open the proofreading interface.

• Compare the text in the text box to what is in the image, making corrections for differences between the two and any additional items described in the comments. You can pull the comments back up by clicking on the link below the text box.

• Once you are finished with this page, click on either "Save as 'Done'" or "Save as 'Done' & Proof Next"

That is all there is to completing your first page.

Here are some brief answers to common questions:

Q: What books should I start on?

A: You can start on any that look interesting to you. As a new beginner, you might want to consider a book marked BEGINNERS ONLY, as these will be given especially close attention by experienced second round proofreaders who will send you messages containing feedback on your proofreading if you make any serious errors, via our on-site messaging system. (Be sure to check your personal Inbox regularly.) After you've done a few pages of a BEGINNERS ONLY project, you might want to sample one of the several EASY projects usually available. (Don't be afraid to try any project; if you run into a page you decide you'd rather not do, you can always press the "Return Page to Round" button and let someone else tackle it.)

Q: I'm not sure how to use the interface or how I should mark something up.

A: You can get help for the various buttons on the proofreading interface by pressing the ? button near the lower right corner. If there's something in the image you are unsure about, you can mark it with a [**your remark here], which is our special universal signal for the next person working on the page to pay extra attention to a particular spot because there is something unusual there. Remember there will be several other pairs of eyes looking at this page before it gets posted to Project Gutenberg Canada, so don't feel you are carrying the whole thing on your shoulders alone — the system is set up so we can all help each other and back each other up!

If you have specific questions on a book, you can post a message in the forum thread reserved for it by following the link labeled "Discuss this project" that appears on the Project Comments page. Each project has a forum thread of its own; you can post a question or message via the "Reply" button near the bottom of the forum screen. It's often worthwhile reading through the discussion on a project even if you don't have a specific question, just to see what other proofreaders have asked and answered or warned each other about. (There are also several other forums dedicated to various phases of our operation. You can reach them by following the Forums link near the right hand end of the navigation bar at the top of many of the pages on site. The General Forum in particular is a great place to get your feet wet, browse and start to get a sense of the community of proofreaders here, to make suggestions or to ask general questions. You can learn a lot just by following some of the discussions. ***We strongly encourage everyone to participate in the Forums!***)

(By the way, when you register on the main site you are automatically also registered on the site forums, but you will have to log on to them to access them. You do NOT need to register separately for the forums — in fact, if you try to, you will receive a "username already exists" error, since the forums will already have your username recorded from when you registered at the main site!)

Q: How do I know if I'm doing OK?

A: If you select a BEGINNERS ONLY project, you are more likely to receive some feedback. If you are making major errors on any project someone will let you know. If you want to increase your chances of receiving some feedback, you can leave a message to the second round proofreader at the top of the page, in square brackets [ ] and starting with two *, such as

    [** new proofreader, how am I doing?]
 or
    [** feedback welcome!]

It's up to the individual second round proofreader, but many will respond to such a request.

Remember, every page you do helps make these books available to the world, for free, forever, more rapidly. We hope that you will continue to use our site, and that you enjoy your time on our site. We're delighted to have you join us, as each page we proofread is another small step closer to building the greatest library in history!

Thanks,

The Distributed Proofreaders Canada Team

PS — Your user name, in case you forget, is New User. If your password doesn't work, go to the Reset Password page to have it reset.