Forum: Red Ribbon Pandemic Awareness Campaign 4

last thread is here

Thanks, Dem. The graphics look great!!

Suggestion: if the layouts aren’t completely finalized, swap the “Be Safe” and “Cidrap” lines. The wider space will allow for the URL to be more legible…

These look great! I prefer the one on top in the message:

DemFromCT – at 02:28 (i.e., the one without the too long CIDRAP link)

Directions for making the Red Ribbons:

Use 1/2 inch red ribbon to form single loop. Hold in place with a drop of fabric glue or silk pin. The initials P and A can be added to the tails of the ribbon with mini albhabet stamps by using a very bright gold inkpad. Initials can also be add by using fabric glue for paper or fabric initials. Stick on initals work as well. A gold fabric paint paint pen with a fine point tip also works well. All supplies can be purchased in a craft store.

We also need SIMPLE directions for: How to make buttons and how to download the cards and print out at home or take to someplace to get printed. We have the images here, what do we do with them and how do we do it?

Someone who tries printing and gives success stories?

Wow, Dem, et.al. This is really wonderful what you all are doing here. Lots of options. BB’s sugestion is a good one at 02:43, also you could just use the short link to CIDRAP (cidrap.umn.edu). I do think we should keep the resources associated with the ribbon and ribbon campaign consistent. Later, after PFAW, the media may still pick up the campaign and want to report on it.

Ready.gov is not specific to a pandemic. It only gives a little blurb and then a link to the pandemicflu.gov site, which we already have listed since it is the “official” government site. Better to offer our third resource, CIDRAP, in my view, and that keeps a unified approach across all media (cards, buttons, magnets, etc.) for the campaign.

Thanks all.

Science Teacher, at a craft store and at an art supply store I was told that thick inks will come off or not stick to satin ribbon and thin inks will bleed across the weave. Has anyone done this yet? The gold ink pad sounds good, but I would like hear a success story before buying it.

Hi, Jane- I have stamped many of the ribbons I made up. I use an Archival pigment pad. On the back it says the ink is good for use on Glossy Surfaces. (there are probably many different brands). It does not bleed through or rub off. It does not need to be heat set as you will not be washing it.

I also found very small stick on letters in gold, which are the easiest of all methods to use, in an office supply store.

Just let me know if you have more questions. : )

DemFromCT – at 02:26 Suggestions for the card:

Put a comma after Osterholm and move “Director” after his name, like you have for “Levitt, Secretary.” So it would read:

-Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy University of Minnisota

Also, I would suggest that you delete the reference to “non-profit” on the back of the card. Although fluwikie.com I assume has “non-profit” status, and CIDRAP appears to also have “non-profit” status but is actually an arm of a university, pandemicflu.gov is a governmental agency which, technically, is not a “non-profit” organization. Just to avoid mis-labeling any of the organizations, I’d delete the reference to “non-profit” - I don’t think it is necessary.

Nightowl, Just read your post. I agree with using just “CIDRAP” in place of the Be Ready site which would be a redundency. Actually, I am hoping that whoever is wearing that button also has a few of the printed cards in his/ her pocket to pass out when someone asks about the button or ribbon that they are wearing.

Still looking for someone to give a simple explanation for- non tecnical newbies directed here from the PFAW site to explain some basics for them: How to download the images and copy on home computer. Explain next options (print at home or copy to disk to bring to KINKO’s, etc.

Would a wiki page work for directions and then just periodically provide the link to the page here in the forum? Also a link to the direction page from the PFAW page?

Hi, Nightowl. Did you mean putting the directions on the new Red Ribbon PAW page that Dem created yesterday? and then link it to PFAW and here as well? I’m not sure if this is what you meant? LOL, it gets confusing when there are so many related areas!

Hi, ST. OK, I’m just getting caught up here. Forget the new page. Thanks to Dem, it is already there. Should I just transfer the links over to that page, and the how to info? Collect it all in one place? Then we can link to it from here? We could even copy the info back to the forum if you want to.

At least I could use Dem’s Wiki page as a worksite to collect the info so you could see it and edit or give feedback here, and I’ll drop it in. Then, when it is finished, you can decide where you want it all to go.

Consider the red ribbon page I made the ‘working copy’ page. if we went live tomorrow, that’s what folks see. Make suggestions here or here as to what changes should take place.

Should I just transfer the links over to that page, and the how to info? Collect it all in one place? Then we can link to it from here? We could even copy the info back to the forum if you want to.

Sure! Re the directions as to download and make buttons, magnets, whatever, we can add that to the red ribbon page.

Re the card suggestions (tjclaw1 – at 11:46), that goes to Dude.

Re the button suggestions, i can play with those later tonight.

CIDRAP (cidrap.umn.edu) doesn’t load. Who was contacting Osterholm to tell/ask him about this?

Does anyone want a www.ecdc.eu.int/ as a cidrap alternative? That’s the european CDC. I can make one just to have up.

Dem, yes, please. Or maybe as a Levitt alternative? I mean, Europeans know their governments will fully take care of everything, right? I mean, not like those poor folks in the US. :-/ (Sarcasm.)

Dem, I just sent you an email about the multiple versions of the buttons. Let me know if that will be of help.

Thanks, Dem at 17:27.

I added the directions to the Red Ribbon page (under the images of the card). I also changed the wording in the paragraph to reflect the location for the moment. (can all be changed)

Link to Red Ribbon page

Well, the link did not work, but I can’t look at it to see why. Help please?

Thank you for fixing it, Dem.

Dem,I already sent Dr. Osterholm an email but have not heard back.

Here is a copy of what I sent him:

Dear Dr. Osterholm,

I am contacting you on behalf of a group of citizens who frequent Flu Wiki. We are launching a Pandemic Awareness grassroots campaign and will be distributing ribbons and an information card.

The front of the cards includes a quote from you (The worst thing we can do is not prepare and think it will not happen) and one from Secretary Leavitt (any community that fails to prepare, with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue, will be tragically wrong.) The back of the card lists three resources: CIDRAP, Flu Wiki and the U.S. government.

If you are interested in tracing back the development of our Red Ribbon Campaign, you can read here: http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.RedRibbonPandemicAwarenessCampaign3 The link to our Pandemic Flu Awareness thread is here: http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.PandemicFluAwarenessWeekIII This thread is still in progress.The final version of the card can be viewed here. The designated week begins on October 9th and we will ask other blogs and websites to share the PFAW logo and add their own contributions. We also hope to get some media attention to help spread the word.

You are greatly appreciated on the wiki and we keep up on all of your excellent writings. We thank you for all of your excellent efforts on behalf of the public. Yours is the one voice that has made a difference.

Sincerely, end

I think we should send him a copy of the press release when it is finalized and an image of the card. Sorry, I have not figured out how to send images yet so someone else will have to send this part to him.

I just sent Dude and Dem revised button templates with both cidrap and pandemicflu.gov addresses, and the original Photoshop file with layers that I used to create the JPG images. Once they are on the Muse server you can work with them as needed. I kept the 3D effects, but toned down the background shadows to make it more readable. See if it fits your needs.

Playing with it:

Ok, buttons look great. I am not in favor of the change of the card from CIDRAP to ECDC. It makes no sense to people in the US. They know about UMN. I can talk about CIDRAP, I have nothing to say about ECDC if people ask me. The point I think is to get a conversation going and take off with it.

Hmm do you want the card “ribbon picture” changed to the “Pandemic Awareness” format so the card and button are the same? It would make sense to me.

Dude - since, apparently, we are not going to be consistent across media that use the red ribbon, is it possible to do two versions of the card? A card with just CIDRAP and FLu Wiki (delete gov. site) or a card with a different site substituted for the gov. site. This card would be offered as a second choice card.

Also, I think the request was for a european button, a separate one that substituted ecdc for the U.S. pandemicflu gov site. I may be mistaken.

pandemicflu.gov from a practical sense has to be one of the American listings, since it’s the American gold standard of reference, like it or not.

The ECDC wasn’t a request as much as an offer to our non-American readers. It could substitute for pandemicflu.gov on card or button. As for mixes and matches on a button, we can do whatever people want. I listed some variations for visual effect so people can choose. I like the one at 22:46 best.

we are not going to be consistent across media that use the red ribbon

The idea here is that the card explains the PA but the button/magnet needed more to explain what it was, hence the words spelled out. But if you’re making a ribbon, PA is much easier than spelling it out. As for consistency, and final product, I leave that to the red ribbon product managers.

Whatever folks decide, we need to decide by the end of september/first week in oct, so we have time.

Dude, can we at least put the photoshop template on the ftp?

Dem - I understand offering a European version and any other foreign version to help our non-American readers and completely support that. I do not understand changing the resources on the button and making them different from the card for the American version. After all, some people may want to order buttons and give them out to others. I am only addressing resources associated with the red ribbon printed in context with the info. Obviously, people can supplement with whatever other material they want. Please explain to me why consistency in the resources is not important.

pandemicflu.gov may be the American gold standard of reference for some in the U.S. However, for many of us Flu Wiki is the gold standard. :-)

OK, I guess my work here is done. Time to walk into the sunset / autumnal equinox for the day with my graphics machine in my little “kung fu” pack on my shoulder. And I thought that computer animation degree I got last decade had been a waste.

For the purposes of the red ribbon page and consistency, I’d use the 22:46 pic.

TRay75 – at 23:49

You were/are fantastic!!!

pandemicflu.gov may be the American gold standard of reference for some in the U.S. However, for many of us Flu Wiki is the gold standard. :-)

We’ll both be on it ;-P

I do not understand changing the resources on the button and making them different from the card for the American version.

The one I like at 22:46 has the same resources and is consistent except for “PA” vs “spelled out”. But that which works on a card doesn’t seem to work as well visually on a button (specifically cidrap’s url). I think that’s where the variants started to crop up.

If I had a local hospital url with a panflu website, I’d use that instead.

Dem, I like the one at 22:46 best, too. I also think it should be the only image linked to from the PFAW site or Dude’s site for Downloads ( but that is Dude’s decision, just my opinion.) The exception would be for the European link for our friends who would work on it over there. This file should be clearly labeled as European so it doesn’t get downloaded by mistake. I also hope our folks from other countries will choose the quotes they need to reflect the sources in and out of their countries to go to for more information.

TRay75 may not be aware of the hours many of us have spent on the 4 ribbon threads carefully debating the merits of various sites to link to for this project until we reached concensous. The 3 quotes we decided to use should be the official ones. As nightowl pointed out, if we change horses in the middle of the stream then it should be open to any quotes anyone wants to add. This could turn into a real mess. If everyone wants Dude to post their own file for how they think this should look from their POV it will make a mess. Please let us stick with our original finalized version as the only choice. We need a united view.

Science Teacher – at 00:03 , you are correct, I came in late as to the debate and did not have the background of the discussion. I just gave up 3 hours of sleep to turn the JPG file from Dem to a Photoshop file so it could be modified as you need or decide. These were just meant to be samples. With the Photoshop template on the server you can open it and just change the text in the layer with the URL you want to lock down and save it as a JPG or BMP or TIF to use at a print shop or local printer to make the buttons as desired. You have the tool to work with as you wish. I just tried to give it a more polished look, not hijack or break the consensus. It was just a voluntary effort let you folks get a more professional look for your efforts.

Thanks for all your help Tray and for taking the time to provide us with your expertise and tools. : )

Sorry, but my time was spent tonight reading/lurking on all the threads. I will get things on the server tomorrow. As they say in Oh Brother Where Art Thou, “DAMN, WE ARE IN A TIGHT SPOT!” That is my summary of all I took in tonight. I am going to read about Astronomy and then sleep. Talk to you all later.

Dem, if people can write in their own links on the buttons ,we may see some really strange things on them as people wear them about the streets. I thought you felt that we needed to provide quality control here to protect the wiki’s name. At least that’s what I thought you were referring to earlier in the threads but I may have been wrong in my interpretation.

I did more thinking on the idea of writing whatever text we want on Tray’s button image download and actually this may turn out to be a good idea because it allows for individuality and choice. It will give us the freedom to write whatever links we want that best express our individual views. Good idea, Tray. : )

Thanks. You can have a consistent national image, but locally a link could be changed to the local emergency management and information sites after awareness week. I was thinking along that line. And school kids could even make their own when it comes up for discussion in class as I have heard will occur in the next couple of months. Little steps, but they will count.

Ok,let me see if I understand the button correctly. I can use any three links that I want on the button by changing it myself in the template. Is this correct?

To be precise, I would want Flu Wiki, CIDRAP, and ProMed on the button. So, I can do that, right? If this is the case, then I have a better understanding. Those three resources would be appropriate for the local environment I live in. Thank you, TRay75.

http://psandman.com/col/onevoice.htm ;)

lugon, I have read it several times already. Great link! Peter S. is so astute.

That is why I don’t like the govt. sites very well. They all sing the same song although some sites may recommend more prepartions then others. Here is what the Be Ready link says about preparations:

“Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food”

In my opinion, this is, to be polite, nonesense. Others can judge for themselves.

Heh. Thanks, lugon! Perfect link. And since everyone is right, here’s how I see it: I would like to have the 22:46 image as the ‘official’ one shown on the PFAW and rr pages (I took down the others) from the rr page). It matches the rr campaign that folks have put together.

But I’d like to have the .psd (that’s Photoshop) master on the ftp so that people can download and play with it locally, along with the 22:46. That should be part of the instruction and the understanding.

We have given people a framework. Let them adapt locally. What do we care if all the URLs are removed and the material is handed out as buttons or magnets along with the cards? What do we care if the (I just made it up) Mayo Clinic pandemic site (if there is one) is used instead of fluwikie.com in Minnesota if it’s a good one?

And thank you TRay for making that possible. And Dude for hosting it on the ftp. And the red ribbon project managers, for launching it. And the contributors. You know who you are.

This is awesome… (I’ve been away for a while)…

but in regard to the link to CIDRAP being printed as http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/index.html… the previous should display as a link , try it and then come back…

the “/index.html” is not necessary… webserver are set to display a index.(asp,php,htm,html etc) if it exists in the folder you are pointing your browder to (OK in this case you pointing to “Document Root” on their server)

now try the following link… http://www.cidrap.umn.edu it will take you to the same page…

just my 2¢

Dem and everyone,

You guys are just magnificent! I’ve only just lurked briefly for the past week, and so much more has been done since.

Just my 2c on the links discussion (and it may already have been covered somewhere in which case ignore this). Perhaps you can have the button with the 3 links as at 22:46, but then add that people can and should adapt those to their local needs as they see fit, and then give a list of examples, including ECDC, of links that people might use.

Otherwise, some people might worry about changing it or might be upset if they see someone else changing it. Making it explicit in the same place where the button design is displayed will solve that.

Several people have emailed me the link to this thread. I am glad they did.

So far, this thread is an excellent public role-model for showing the kind of thoughtful pre-decision discussions that all good agencies and organizations have. Respectful disagreement, suggestions (both conventional and novel), debate, resolution, non-defensive revision. Well-intentioned people with a shared goal, but who do not all agree on the means. No need to pretend that there is 100% consensus.

I wish the public could see that the same kind of pre-decision debates often go on inside agencies, which usually do NOT allow the disagreements to show!

While it isn’t as apparent as many outsiders wish, WHO and other agencies have taken this notion on board, and some officials inside these agencies argue for more open sharing of pre-decision discussion, and even for post-decision acknowledgement of disagreement.

Here is an excerpt from Peter Sandman’s and my internal advice to WHO during SARS, which WHO bravely made public at its Global Conference on SARS in June 2003, after being criticized by Canada for how it announced travel advisories:

(From: “WHO’s SARS Communication Strategy,” by Dick Thompson, at: http://tinyurl.com/nle4p)

>”Your stakeholders need to see the dilemmas and agonies the WHO goes through before deciding [about a travel advisory during SARS]. In risk communication terms, letting the public in on expert dilemmas, showing how expert disagreement and debate are a necessary and obligatory prelude to decision-making, is a way of treating the public as adults, rather than patronizing them. So describing the internal process is one way of letting us learn how your world works. This makes you less mysterious, more knowable. Being more knowable, less monolithic in the eyes of the outside world helps build your alliance with the public…It is hard for critics to attack a decision as obviously wrong when you are not claiming that it is obviously right — only that on balance it seems the better course of action.” — from an April 25, 2003 email from Peter M. Sandman and Jody Lanard / Critiques Along the Way / Toronto<

I do not want to divert the work of this remarkable thread into a discussion of how WHO and other agencies are or are not operationalizing this guidance.

I just wanted to give you a warm compliment for how you are modelling this difficult risk communication strategy for all who come across this thread.

With admiration and respect,

Jody Lanard M.D.

What’s interesting, of course, is that citizen participation is supposed to be the Next Big Thing, and it should be. We support that with words, deeds, and links. ;−0

We are ahead of the curve, but look forward to the day that we are not.

Jody Lanard M.D. – at 11:19 Thank you Jody on behalf of this community. DemFromCt is one of the primary reasons that the discussion stay civilized…that and the great job done by all the mods. They are appreciated. They also don’t get any respect if we think they are suggesting something we disagree with. Grin. They are the imperium who must do everything publicly.

So, if we have a concensus, please send me the files and summarize the changes…Let the muse sing. Grin. We have lots of space so for multiple versions, I only need different named files. I tried to download the ISO of the CD and it was so slow as to be worthless. Maybe anyone who has the file can get it for me.

They also don’t get any respect if we think they are suggesting something we disagree with.

Too right, and that’s as it should be. ;-)

I will send the files for uploading. The cards need some tweaking; I’ll send those, too, but my poor cut-and-paste won’t be as good as the master.

Disagreement comes to be when there’s more than one contribution.

Here we focus on contributing (towards the inside of the wiki’s skin, and towards the outside).

So disagreement is … a proof of quality.

Well, it’s proof we’re either not just a party of one, or we’re schizophrenic. ;-P

I added directions to the RR page about the button. Please edit there:

The Red Ribbon Button

The pic may not actually be on the ftp yet… I sent it to Dude.

Jody Lanard, M.D. at 11:19: “Well-intentioned people with a shared goal, but who do not all agree on the means. No need to pretend that there is 100% consensus.”

How very true! Thanks for the reminder. What really works for us in this project is the 100% commitment of posters here to unite in working toward raising pandemic awareness. This is the ‘glue’ that holds us together, I think, and enables us to move forward eventually on whatever path we need to follow in order to reach our group goal.

I just wanted to let you know that I read all of your writings as I find them and the many that you do with Peter. Your contributions in raising public and private awareness have been amazing! : )

A grassroots campaign, by its very nature must have a unifying message to be successful as it is the only thing that binds its citizen members together to act as a movement, a force for change. As such, a grassroots campaign is not a business, an organization, or a government agency. It is a loose collection of people who share a belief in a common idea - the women’s right to vote campaign, for example, had different factions, but they held that common belief and unified message.

The red ribbon campaign’s central message is to “Be Informed and to Be Prepared.” It is a call to action. Information, via cards, buttons, etc., is provided to urge citizens to become informed and by extension to prepare.

Up until recently, I have thought we were boxed in by technology and that our only choice was to reach consensus on what our resources would be on the cards, buttons, etc. because we only had one chance. In effect, that one chance gave more weight to the resources chosen because they had to be selected out of many options. We spent a lot of time debating the resources for the card because many of us thought we were limited to a one-option print run. We all compromised to match that scenario.

However, Tray75′s contribution has shown that we could offer people the ability to individually customize the media (buttons, etc.) as opposed to having to compromise and reach consensus regarding resources. Though I did not understand this at first as I thought we were having to choose resources again for the button, I do now understand and very much support this option.

Further, the ability to customize has opened up the possibility to democratize all of the media we use - cards, magnets, buttons, etc. The card is just a piece of paper, the button a piece of metal. Resources could be changed depending on the audience as Dem and Tray75 have pointed out and as individuals feel comfortable in using. The red ribbon remains the symbol of our unified message to be informed and to be prepared.

Therefore, I believe we should open up the ability to customize the resources on the card as well. This still supports the unified message of the campaign to be informed and to be prepared, and Flu Wiki provides the framework to customize the resources as people see fit. We are no longer boxed in with having to make a one-time choice that requires consensus on either-or options. Plus, those outside the U.S. can customize the cards as well. In other words I see no difference between a paper card and a metal button.

Thank you to all who have contributed here as it has been a wonderful learning experience. A special thank you to Tray75.

Jody Lanard - Thank you, and I hope we see more of your input on our threads at Flu Wiki. Your experience and insight are invaluable.

Jody Lanard and Peter M. Sandman, admiration and respect to you both, and thank you for being on the planet and doing what you do!

Same goes for all the Flu Wiki “workers” - thank you for these cards! (and, all else!)

Re Nightowl, I’d appeal directly to the card maker to send the master in Photoshop to me or Dude, or we could create one (I’m lazy and prefer the already done product, but I could do it).

However, the exercise was useful in the sense that our “example” should be single and consistent for those who won’t or can’t modify.

But it’s a perfect example of the group having better ideas than the individual.

Dem, I am confused by this part of your post and would appreciate it if you ccould explain what it means? “However, the exercise was useful in the sense that our “example” should be single and consistent for those who won’t or can’t modify.”

Which example were you referring to, the card or the button? Are you planning for the card and button to have the ability to have write over text links ? I really am confused by this.

Sometimes individuals can have better ideas ideas then the group. This is called being creative. : ). Sometimes new ideas take time to mull over and ponder. As Jody said, there is no consensous here and that is OK, too.

The way the business cards have been made was to take a microsoft publisher file and turn it into a PDF. Right now no Photoshop file of the business card exists. Right now the only “editable” version of the cards is in a microsoft publisher file, which I’ve had experience with and is difficult at best to transfer between versions. In essence only people with my exact version of publisher would be able to access the file and make edits. I CAN make a photoshop file of the back and front of the card with editable layers, HOWEVER, it would not be able to be printed out on standard avery business card paper. Publisher is very handy in that they provide an already existing template which is then easily converted into a PDF file for multiple per page prints. In Photoshop, I would have to hand measure and create the template from scratch, which frankly is a lot of work.

What I can give you right now is either my original publisher files (and you take your chances of it transfering correctly) or I can create a photoshop version, but it would only print out one card per sheet of paper.

To make everyone’s life simpler, I am willing to make minor changes that the group comes to a consensus on and post another universal PDF file for people to print from. i.e. when someone comes up with another change to make (like in a web address etc.) we can post a PDF file that reflects that change, while still keeping all of the other versions accessable as well.

Just so everyone understands, the PDF file is the only file that is specifically designed to print on the avery 10 card business card paper, all other formats such as jpgs and photoshop files are not set up to do this and would need to be processed in order to print more than a single card per sheet.

Dude’s Designer, I can’t thank you enough for all the hours you have put into getting this project up and running and same for Dude, too! I hope you will stay on at the wiki. : )

Dude’s Designer – at 19:46

Very helpful and thank you for both the offer and the explanation!! I’d say the complexity makes it best to leave the process to you. What we’d ask then, is some minor modifications to the card based on the original model. The Osterholm quote has a comma, and Director moved up similar to the Leavitt quote on the front. On the back, we lose the word non-profit (it doesn’t apply to all the URLS).

It is unreasonable to ask you to do the hand measure and create the template in Photoshop.

In any case, much appreciated!!!

Science Teacher. – at 19:20

My intent was to have everything modifiable, but the card can’t be (see above) for technical reasons and still be an easy print job. What I meant is that there are many/most people who will use the button/card as we post it and not change it, so let’s make the example posted consistent card-to-button. There are a handful who will actually download the Photoshop file, change URLs and use it locally in whatever way they wish (see Nightowl – at 16:46) for buttons or magnets.

The constant is the red ribbon and the desire to communicate pandemic awareness. The flexibility and variable is the URLs, and based on the above post, only in the button/magnet.

Is that more confusing?

Thanks for the explanation, Dem. I “ get it” now. Not confused anymore. I totally agree about the constant being all of the great people on this site that have become involved in wanting to develop Pandemic Awareness in their homes, communities, states and countries. All who participate will have the opportunity to save lives. I can’t think of anything more urgent then this message we all share.

Just got here and not sure this has been covered above but… I took the PDF and inserted it into a Word document; then made seven more copies on the same page, sized them to business card size and arranged them so I can fit 8 cards to a page. Then I did the same for the back and set it up so it would “land” on the same 2×3 space as the front. Took a few practice tries to get the front and back to line up but not too difficult. I did find, however, that much of the print was too small to read so I had to increase each PDF somewhat (which then made each card a little bigger than 2×3).

Once the final cards are posted, I would be happy to set up a “do it yourself” page for both front and back for those of us who only work with the simplicity of Word. I will email it to TRay so he can post it…whenever all the input and changes are done.

All of the energy on this project has been inspiring!!! You guys are wonderful and thank you for all that you do for us!!!

Science Teacher - I want you to know that your idea of the Red Ribbon Pandemic Awareness Campaign and launching it on this thread has been and continues to be so inspiring. Your continued help and insight regarding aspects of the campaign have been critical to turning ideas to action. Though the rest of us may weave in and out providing contributions to the group effort, your overarching humanitarian spirit guides us all. A heartfelt thank you to you, Science Teacher.

As they say in Galaxy Quest, “OK, We’ll do that then!”

As Picard says, “make it so”.

My post (at 21:13) to Science Teacher (at 20:47) got sandwiched between other posts. Hi Ranchgirl - I am one of the people with limited computer capability. Thanks.

Dude and Dem - LOL

Thank you, Nightowl. I do not want the spirit of this campaign ever to get lost in the necessary technical chatter or dissensions. It seems ages ago that I began doing this as one person going to garage sales and other places in my community. It began last spring when I stopped to drop off my basket of ribbons and information sheets with their questions and answers. I did this to help foks become aware of the coming of what may be the largest path of death and devastation that has ever come our way. It was done to help prepare those who may lie in the path of H5N1. I have watched this campaign grow and one candle become many, all beacons of hope. It is not just my campaign anymore; many hands have lightened the burden and carried the hope. A humanitarian message is always worth the weight to carry. We have all worked hard on this project. Let us hope that this message will spread to others as we begin to share it with members of our world. Be Aware. Be prepared.

Fellow wikians, congratulations on a job well done!

Good evening again everyone. Thank you for the kind words and understanding on the button issue. I’m glad I was able to explain the possibilities of using the layered Photoshop files to make local buttons or materials. I admit I was getting pretty testy last evening due to back pain, and I did kind of bail out on the thread today to do a few real life things - like tonight, I watched Episodes 4 and 5 of Star Wars with my son (OK, he fell asleep at about 4 and 1/2 episodes, but I watched it all).

And thank you Dr. Lanard for your insight and commits on the contributions made by the Wiki members.

I wanted to second Ranchgirl – at 21:08 on the options on the card. Using Photoshop to create a master template that it be set for a specific business card size by simply setting the “canvas” size before you start the project, but it also requires working in a resolution to match the printer to be used (usually 150 to 300 pixels per inch for an ink jet). I typically save the file in both a PSD and a BMP or TIF format when complete and then insert it into MS Word to do the front and back layouts because Word uses the Avery standards under Envelopes and Labels. By setting up the Avery standard and putting the image file in the grid Word then sets up it is fast, easy, and cheap. I have done desktop support enough to know cheap and fast are typically the best ways to solve a problem and make an end user happy.

If we need a Word template, let me know and I’ll crank that out tomorrow - after I get the Flu Surge program to behave and give me the presentation I need next week. Keep raising awareness, and I’ll try not to post when I’m hurting again.

Adding to the sci-fi quotes “Do, or do not. There is no try.” - Yoda

Tray75, “If you build it, they will come.”

I have the PAButton1.JPG uploaded to the muse site. As soon as the minor changes are made to the Card it will be posted as the final version (that we do). I will keep you informed. The simple way to get buttons made is to send it to any of the sites on the internet that make buttons. The rest is just money.

BUMP

FYI, on making buttons, I just found this on OfficeMax’s website: White 2–1/2″ Diameter Round Labels Item # 20097636 , Style # AVE05294 300/BX $15.99. Our buttons can be printed as a sticker on this from any inject printer using MS Word.

Thanks TRay75. I’ve made some additional edits to the press release, correcting some typos and trying to condense some of the redundant language. I still want to get my co-worker’s input (she’s gone home for the day) and double check the citations.

I wondered if we might want to call it the “International” Pandemic Flu Awareness Week. Some of the language seemed focused on U.S. citizens, and many Fluwikians are from all over the world.

Also wondered about a reference to CIDRAP?

When I printed out the release it was 4 pages long and my understanding is that it should be 1 to 2 pages.

Hi all, The finished cards are on the FTP site.

Tray75 at 14:47 I think that is a great idea. No wait, print what you need, etc.

“International” Pandemic Flu Awareness Week

We can call it that on the press release, or refer to it as an international effort.

Any shortening of the press release would be good. Aim for 2 pages.

Please edit on the page so we don’t have to move it from here to there.

“International” - THANK YOU!

What a difference a word makes!

tjclaw1 - thanks!

Yes - call it IPFAW

panawareness

Bump cards are ready for download.

Been there done that. ;-) Thank you So Much!

Get cards printed, and get them out and about!

Questions to Ask can we bump this idea; show these questions to reporters, local community access tv producers, journalism classes, after they get a look at some of the pandemic preparedness situation materials/news?

The link at the top took me to the European version of the card (it didn’t have CIDRAP).

fixed.

bump

I had an idea for spreading the Red Ribbon information in a different fashion. If we printed one page of information, with an eye-catching red ribbon at the top, we could print the website addresses at the bottom, in a row of 8 or 9, but rotated 90 degrees, and cut in between them for tear-off pieces so readers could take them home for later research. (People make these notices if they offer piano lessons, or if they lost a pet, or are selling something. They tape the pages to light poles or tack them to cork boards in the library or other places.)

I have to confess to struggling with the card idea, since I don’t have my own printer. I was first thinking of just copying them in black and white, but don’t know how the back side will look with the picture under the print. Also I couldn’t make it go into my email to send to DH’s office. And it’s page one of one and page one of one, so I just don’t know…. :-\ I’m techno-challenged.

any way that works.

new link is here