Reading the Sun
BY: SUN STAFF
Lord Surya
Nov 20, CANADA (SUN) — Over the course of the last year, we have received innumerable comments and questions from our readers regarding various technical aspects of the Sampradaya Sun. Given that we publish the Sun on a daily basis, we're obviously familiar with every little element of the website, and navigating it is second nature. But while the majority of our readers hit the Sun on a daily basis, it's apparent that not everyone picks up on all the technical elements. In fact, a surprising number of our readers are extremely 'low tech', and are unfamiliar with even the most basic functionality here in the Sun. At their request, we now offer this brief overview - everything you've ever wanted to know about navigating the Sun.
Finding Articles
The Sun's front page always holds five days of content. As items roll off the front page, they remain archived in the main Sun sections: Features, News, and Editorials. A surprising number of readers write to ask us how they can find a back article. It's easy! Under the masthead (the large image at the top of the front page) is a row of words: News, Editorials, Features, Sun Blogs, Classifieds, etc. These are links that take you to an index page for each of the Sun's sub-sections.
Once you're on an index page, you can scroll down through more than a year's worth of articles, or (more easily) hit your browser buttons "Edit" and "Find on This Page". A search box will pop-up at the bottom of your browser. Type in the keyword(s) you're searching for and hit 'Enter'.
You'll also notice that on the Editorials index page, at the bottom of each month's section, we've included links to previous segments of Saturday Laffs, Jai & Fry, Changes, and Counterpoints.
The right column 'Headlines' section usually includes links to stories appearing over the last two to four days, after which they permanently roll off the page.
By-lines
Due to continued confusion, we're about to make a change in our Sun bylines. Up until now, the byline (BY: name) indicates either the submitter or author of the article. A few readers have been concerned that we falsely take credit for stories that we have not written, because the byline says "Staff Correspondent" or the dateline says (SUN). In fact, newswire items are always indicated in parenthesis, and many wire stories come to us with a "Staff Correspondent" byline. In some cases the writer is actually a Sun staff writer, but in many cases it is a reporter for another publication. When the byline says "Sun Staff" it means one of two things: either the story was authored and submitted by a Sun staff person, or it was submitted by Sun staff and written by another individual, in which case the writer or source is always referenced in the article. To clear up the confusion, we plan to begin using a two line by-line, identifying both the author of each piece and the individual submitting it.
Transcendental Art
Many Sun readers love our daily transcendental art picture, and we get a lot of requests for additional source information or larger versions of the images. But a surprising number of readers don't realize that every day, they can click on the day's picture and see a larger version of the image. One day in the future, we'll post all the back Sun daily images in our Transcendental Art Gallery, so you can download large versions of the pictures you loved in past editions.
Sound Vibrations
On the left side of the front page masthead, click on Srila Prabhupada (in orange) to launch an MP3 audio of Srila Prabhupada chanting japa. Click the little tilak mark on each second-level index page, and chant Hare Krsna while you read.
Other Linkage
Click on the framed picture of Srila Prabhupada at top left of the front page, and you'll pop a separate browser window to the main homepage for HareKrsna.com.
Just beneath the orange Prabhupada are important links to information about submitting articles, background info on the Sun, and an email link. More links appear at the very bottom of the front page, including information on advertising in the site.
While we could go one for pages about the minutia contained in the site, we trust most readers will figure these things out as they go. Hopefully this information will improve your reading experience. If you have questions please let us know, and we'll provide greater detail on particular technical aspects.
Warm thanks to all our readers and contributors. We're a hair's breadth from crossing the 1.5 million hits per month threshold, and look forward to accelerating our grown in the year ahead. Please let us know how we can improve our daily offering and better serve the world Vaisnava community.
Your servants,
Sun Staff
