I used to put together posts like these fairly regularly to make sure everyone in our community was on the same page as far as knowing all of the wonderful things that are available to you guys but haven't done it in a while. With traffic and membership at all-time highs, I think it's time once again to educate those newer members who have just joined us.

Make the jump to learn more about all the inner workings of CSC and the rules and regulations we adhere to. It's a cut and paste job. Also, feel free to ask me any questions you may have. 

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It is time, once again, for another educational PSA from Canal Street Chronicles. If you're relatively new to Da Chronic, you will definitely want to listen. If you're a veteran, you might still learn a thing or two. 

First of all, I never got around to mentioning the fact that Da Chronic is now linked up with CBS Sports and we can now be found on their New Orleans Saints page. Cool! We welcome any new members who found us this way. You're gonna be okay now. 

With a steady stream of readers finding us from all over the net and new members signing up at a steady clip, I think it's time to make sure everyone knows how to use all the great toys that SB Nation lets us play with. You can always find this technical information in our Tour of CSC section found on the left sidebar but for the more lazy readers I have re-posted it for you after the jump. CSC's community guidelines can also be found there. 

I also thought I would get a little deeper with the whole commenting thing since it's not included in the aforementioned tutorial. At the bottom of every comment is a little toolbar of sorts. It contains the name of the member who made the comment as well as the time and date that it was made. Then you'll notice the reply button. If you would like to reply to a specific comment, go ahead and click that. A new text box will appear and allow you to reply to that comment. Next to that is a button that reads "actions". If you click on that it will expand and give you what you see below. 

Am I blowing your mind? If you think a comment is inappropriate you can flag it and I will be alerted. If you really like a comment, rec it. Any comment that receives two rec's will get highlighted. I almost forgot...just above all of that is your signature. You can add or change your signature in your "edit profile" page. 

Now that you know a little bit more about how to comment let's take a quick glance at how to format your comments and make them look good. Below is what you see when typing one of those comments. 

I have circled the comment toolbar that is found on every comment text box. These effects can be applied to any text in the "message" part of your comment. To use any of the first five functions, simply highlight the text you desire and click the effect you'd like to use. You can make your text bold, italicized or strikethrough by clicking one of the first three functions. To quote another member or article, use the "blockquote" function. To have your text link to another webpage, click the picture of the chain link. A new pop-up will appear asking for the web address. Click submit and you are done. That last button (picture of tree) is used for posting a picture. Simply click that button and enter the web address of the photo you'd like to post in the pop-up. Click submit and you're done. Remember, if you are unsure about what your comment is going to look like you can preview your post before you actually submit it. For those members who are really into computers and prefer to format your comments using code, you can click  the "show formatting guide" link next to the "POST" button and type your comment using that method. 

You also want to make sure you don't miss this little educational part of the comment section as well. It teaches you how to navigate through the comments; especially handy for open threads. 

I always like to end these posts by opening it up for questions and comments. I can answer any sort of technical question you might have and I welcome any feedback you would like to offer. 

Canal Street Chronicles wishes everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day. Hug a soldier. 

Make the jump for the rest of the CSC tutorial. 

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This was something I probably should have written a week ago when SB Nation first hooked up with Yahoo! but free agency had to take precedence and this introduction got put on the back burner.  

If you found us through Yahoo! and have just joined us in the last week or so...welcome! You've made it. Everything is going to be alright now. Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "But Dave (that's my name), I've been a Saints fan my entire life and I've been wasting time because I've only now just discovered you." And you'd be right; you have been wasting your time. But it's never too late to save your soul. Your pennance shall be 10 FanShots and 5 FanPosts. We'll get to that later.

If you don't know by now, I'm the guy that runs things around here. I brought CSC back to life about a year ago after it had been defunct and over that time I have covered the team every single day since. That is not an exaggeration. Every...single...day there is a new post on the main page and I try and make sure the breaking news always gets to the front page with quickness. I have been a fan only since around 2002 but I haven't missed a game since. I am a season ticket holder and attend every home game. That includes London in '08. I am originally from NY but I have lived and worked in uptown New Orleans since 1999. Only occassionally do I stand on my soap box and preach my opinion as if it's fact. I am not a journalist. I didn't major in English. I have no idea what my writing style is. If you do, please tell me. And if you think my writing ever starts to suck you just go ahead and let me know and I'll go ahead and tell you to shove it. Kidding. I have no inside sources with the team but I am accepting applications (Rita, call me!?). I am just a loyally devoted fan who tries to act like he knows what he's doing. It's been working so far. For the most part I just try and keep you all informed, make light of the daily Saints happenings and stir up debate among all of us. But trust me on the sunscreen. 

But don't go thinking this is just some blog written by an incredibly handome narcissist because it's not. It is not! Canal Street Chronicles is the most unique Saints website on the internet that you will ever find. Promise. SB Nation has something really special going on here. The simple fact that the genius' over at Yahoo! thought us worthy enough to be a part of their family should say enough. From the bottom of my heart I think we are on the cutting edge. What is so great about us? This website is for everyone. It is interactive. We've got a message board called FanPosts and a constant stream of updated Saints news from around the web, called FanShots. All of which you guys control! This is an entire community here. A lot of us have come to know each other very well, all through our discourse about the Saints. In the last year I have made friends with tons of Saints fans all around the world and I really think some of these guys would put me up at their house if I was ever in town. You will find that CSC members are all well educated when it comes to the team. They come here to vent their frustrations, share their happiness and offer feedback to questions and comment, always while keeping it respectful. No flame wars. No personal attacks. Just friendly, intelligent debate.

To keep things kosher around here we've got some rules and guidelines to follow. We'll get to that after the jump (thats blog lingo). So here is your first lesson; click on the "Continue reading this post" link just below to...continue reading this post. 

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CSC membership has increased since the 2008 season has ended so I wanted to take this time to make sure everyone knows how everything works around here. I apologize in advance to our veteran readers who know most of this stuff already but I think these occasional posts help in making the community stronger. But I ask that you guys stick around and continue reading because there will still be a few new tidbits.

FanPosts

This is the off-season and I'm sure you guys have a lot more stuff you want to talk about other than what I write for the day. The FanPost section is exactly where you can do that. Or maybe there is some breaking news and nobody has mentioned it yet. Throw up a link and quote a quick blurb so CSC is always up to date. Bring up any Saints or football or even New Orleans related topic right here. It can be long or it can be short. It can be well written, well researched and well thought out, or it can be quickly typed up and riddled with spelling errors. It doesn't matter. There is a 75 word minimum but thats really not too hard to reach. If I really like what you've written here, I have the option to put it up on the front page for all to see. In reality, the FanPost section is just a fancy looking message board. Check out what it looks like when you click "All FanPosts." Click on the picture to enlarge.

Cool huh? So if you're really more into the whole message board thing, this is for you. And the best part about it is the fact that each of these threads is auto-refreshing. That means, just like our open game threads, comments update in real time as they're written with no need to hit the refresh button. It also means that as traffic and participation increases, each thread will become more like live chat rooms!! This is where most of the action should be taking place and lots of participation will always keep CSC fresh and make everyone want to keep coming back. 

FanShots

Also a big part of the community atmosphere here at CSC is FanPost's evil twin, FanShot. The FanShot section is where anyone can quickly put up Saints related info from around the internet. Find a video from YouTube you want to share? Paste it as a FanShot. Found an article about the Saints? Share it with all of us. There is power in numbers and if everyone shares what they find then CSC would be a one-stop shop for Saints links. Check this area frequently. That means multiple times a day...at least. I personally use it all day to post stuff I find. Every single FanShot I post is a different link to an article, video or other website. I may present it as a quote or as a link but either way, this is where all of your Saints news comes from. Members  MtnExile, HansDat, Satchmo26 and Stujo4 are all shining role models for how this is supposed to work.

To help get you all better acquainted with this feature I've created a miniature tutorial that everyone should find useful. Below is a screenshot of what you see when you go to put up a FanPost. 

Areas 1, 2 and 3 are where you add all of your tags. Please do this whenever you make a FanShot or FanPost. Whoever or whatever the FanShot/FanPost is about should be added as a tag. So if I am posting a YouTube video of Drew Brees lighting up the Packers on MNF, I am going to add tags for "New Orleans Saints" "Green Bay Packers" "Drew Brees" and I am going to type in Monday Night Football in the "TAGS" section. I am also going to click "Attach Event" (area 4) and choose the actual game from the list provided. This helps link all stories, FanPosts and FanShots and allows SB Nation to provide suggestions of related items not just from Canal Street Chronicles but all other SB Nation blogs that you will probably be interested in. Tag it! Some of you may be confused on how I make my FanShot quotes look like I do. Let me help. First, I put the name of the person in area 5. Then in area 6 (between the two quotation marks) is where I put the URL or website address. Then in area 7 (between the ><) is where I put the actual name of the source. Here is what one of my completed FanShots looks like (not a real quote!).

If you want to post a video directly onto CSC, all you have to do is copy the Embed code from YouTube...

...and paste it right here in the FanShot section.

The rest of the FanShot options I think are self-explanatory. You can always email me or comment in this thread and ask me any questions you may have. 

Rec's

To help maintain a heirarchy of quality, we've got a recommending system here on Da Chronic. Anytime you see a story, FanPost or FanShot that speaks to you, Rec it. If it receives four Rec's, it will get moved to the top for a while so others may see it and keep up with it easier. Let me know how you feel about my posts by rec'ing them. This way I know what to give you more of and what to stop writing all together. Even comments within threads can be rec'd. Two rec's will highlight the comment forever. All of this also makes sure the good stuff gets read. 

Yahoo! Buzz

Often times the stories I write will have little icons at the bottom, the most important of which is the Yahoo! buzz button. Click this!! It takes two seconds out of your day and it helps CSC's Yahoo! rankings, allowing for more visitors and more Saints fans to be able to find us.

If you want to share them on Facebook or Digg you can also do that here. 

CSC on the go!

You will be glad to know that when you access CSC from your iPhone, Blackberry or other PDA you will automatically be redirected to the easy-to-view, PDA friendly mobile version of our site. If you'd rather view the full version you can do that too. Unfortunately, commenting from your mobile device isn't available yet but it's on the way. 

Other notes:

• If you don't have an avatar, I highly recommend installing one. It's a cool way to represent yourself. 
• Remember this is an entire network of blogs. We have a great site for every one of the NFL teams. If you are looking for information on another team, why not look for it right here on SB Nation first. 
• We have a Facebook profile and group. We are on Twitter. 
• If you have a Facebook profile, MySpace page or other website please add our Canal Street Chronicles widget.
  
• You can sign up for any of our feeds over on the left sidebar. 
• I write all my posts in wide format. I recommend reading CSC in wide format.
• Take advantage of the RotoWorld, ESPN and CastTV widgets on the right sidebar. They are all updated regularly and all interactive. 
• This post and others like it can be found whenever in the "Tour of CSC" section on the left sidebar.
  
• If you have any technical problems, email bugreport@sbnation.com and report it. Put the name of the blog and the problem you are experiencing in the subject line.
• Always feel free to email me with any comments, questions, problems or suggestions. This also includes advertising inquiries. We are always looking for people who are interested in advertising. If anyone out there knows someone who might be interested, please contact me. 

This thread is now open for any questions, comments, quotes and quibbles anyone has. 

The fine technical staff over at SB Nation have done it again. They have hooked you guys up yet again. The truth is, I was already planning on putting up one of these "business" posts anyway to let you guys know about some of the different things I have added around here and welcome some of the newer members. Then I got a bunch of emails telling me about all the cool stuff SB Nation has been working on too. Some of it has been around a bit and you may have already noticed it and some of it is brand spanking new. Without further ado, let me show you around some of the new digs.

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I stopped over at Blogging the Boys the other day and noticed my buddy Dave H. had up a post about the new website and giving a little explanation of everything, and thought that would be a great idea for us. Thanks Dave! For loyal CSC members, bear with me if you already know all this. You may learn something too.

At the top left is your navigation area. The welcome guide has the generic SB Nation introduction. You can also edit your profile and settings here. Upload an avatar and show your personality. This is also where you can quickly put up a FanPost or FanShot. Finally, you can set the way you want the blog to read, narrow or wide. FYI: I do all my posts in wide.

The sections area is below that which has separate pages with its own info on it. I can create a section with anything in there, so if you have any ideas, let me know. I have already put all-time stats and Voodoo info up there at a couple readers' requests. This post will go into the Tour of CSC section for easy finding. Interviews will go under that section...you get the point. It makes it easy to find those special posts.

Also on the left sidebar is my email address to contact me and all of our RSS feed info. To get each post in your email every day or get posts on your My Yahoo!, Gmail, My AOL  or whatever feed, just click there to subscribe. It makes it easier for you to get the latest info directly to you.

The entire NFL standings are below that, and yes, they will be updated once we get closer to the season. Clicking on any team will lead you to a page with more info about the team. And below all of that is the current injury report which will be updated within the season.

Underneath all of that is the CSC blogroll. Those links hook you up to other sites about the Saints where you can get more information, including fellow Saints bloggers.

On the right side at the top directly above the ad is the search function. It's easy to miss, but it has just been revamped and it is awesome! When you search for something, you have the option to find results within CSC or within all of SB Nation and on top of that you can search within the main section, FanPosts, FanShots etc.

Below the advertisement is the FanPost section. Old school CSC faithful may remember these as Diaries. New name, same great taste. While it doesn't look like your average message board, thats really all it is, just like your other favorite Saints websites. If you want to start a conversation without waiting for me to start it, this is where you can do it. I know it might not be that great if no one comments, but traffic and membership is growing steadily and with that, the FanPosts will become more relevant. If you like a specific FanPost, recommend it. If it gets 4 recs, it will get put to the top for all to see. Don't forget also that at any point I can take one and put it right on the front page of site like an actual post. So if you get on there and write a rant the length of War and Peace, I can promote to the main page.

Below that I've got stories that I choose to feature, and underneath that is a feature poll. I will change that regularly. Vote often.

FanShots, the sister of the FanPost, are directly below the poll. This is one of the cool new features of 2.0. This is where you guys can quickly put up a picture, video, link or quote from the net. Find an article or a cool site about the Saints? Put it up here so we can all check it out. Got a picture you found, or a personal picture of you at a game, throw it up. Read a funny or pertinent quote, paste it and post it. It really takes two seconds and allows all readers of CSC access to even more information.

The next game and 2008 schedule are below all of that, in which every team is linked to a page with more info about the team.

I hooked the right sidebar up with RotoWorld, ESPN headlines and ESPN Saints widgets that are all updated and interactive.

Finally, the complete roster sits at the very bottom right with each player name linking to a page with player info. I believe player stats will show up on that page as well when the season starts.

When the season starts, we will be able to have open game threads. One of the great new features on the new 2.0 platform are the auto refreshing comments which make the threads like real time conversation. This is one of the things I can't wait to try out!

Don't forget about the other football blogs in SB Nation. Just as CSC gives you the latest news on the Saints, all the other SB Nation sites do the same. There will be more interaction with the other blogs when the season starts. Go ahead and sign up for other blogs and interact with other communities as well.

I want to thank all current CSC readers and encourage you to keep participating and helping make this a great community. The more you continue to participate, the more it will encourage the new readers visiting for the first time everyday to also participate. Comments also encourage more discussion and create brand new topics for discussion.

Feel free to comment to this post with any questions, comments, or concerns.