Sending updates by text
Text your updates to your organization’s Scriblet number, in your own words. Scriblet puts them on the calendar and texts back to say what it recorded.
New to this? Start with Texting START and Your first update.
The basics
Section titled “The basics”- Use your organization’s Scriblet number, the one in your welcome email. Replies come from the same number.
- Text from the phone your administrator has for you. Scriblet doesn’t act on texts from any other phone.
- You need to have texted START once. Until you do, Scriblet doesn’t use your texts.
- Write it as you’d say it. “Karen is greeter this Sabbath.” “Opening hymn is 526.”
Several things at once
Section titled “Several things at once”You can put more than one update in a text, even for different dates:
Opening hymn this week is 526, and Karen is greeter on October 17.
Scriblet’s reply lists everything it recorded, each with its date.
An announcement every week
Section titled “An announcement every week”To put an announcement in the bulletin for several weeks, say how long it should run, and what it should say. This works by email too.
Add an announcement about the campout each week until the end of the month. It should read: Fall campout at Pine Lake, October 24 to 26. Sign up at the welcome desk.
- Say when it ends: “for the next three weeks”, “until the end of the month” or “through November 14”.
- Say the wording, after “it should read”. Scriblet keeps your words, as a clean sentence. Check its reply for the dates it will run.
- It’s one announcement, in each week’s bulletin until its last date. To change or stop it, see Changing or correcting things.
A weekly event, like a prayer meeting, is set up on the Recurring page in the Scriblet console instead. See Repeating events. To put people on a duty for several weeks, send a duty schedule by email.
Swaps and stand-ins
Section titled “Swaps and stand-ins”- A stand-in: “Jackson on platform instead of Peterson.”
- A swap: say both people and both dates. “Bob is deacon this week and is swapping with Joe for next week.”
If part of a swap is missing, Scriblet looks at the calendar first and asks only if it still can’t tell.
Answering Scriblet’s questions
Section titled “Answering Scriblet’s questions”When Scriblet asks you something, just reply with the answer, like “the 17th” or “Kim”. Nothing from your text is recorded until you do.
A question waits 24 hours. After that, send your update again.
Pictures
Section titled “Pictures”Scriblet reads the words in a text, not pictures. To send a flyer or a schedule, email it instead.
When something goes wrong
Section titled “When something goes wrong”“Sorry, we couldn’t process your message just now.” Something went wrong on Scriblet’s side. Send your text again.
“Sorry, I am not following.” Scriblet couldn’t work out what you meant after a couple of tries. Send everything again in one text, with the date.
No reply at all. Check that you’ve texted START, and that you’re texting the right number from the right phone. A text that only says thanks doesn’t get a reply, and that’s normal.
Scriblet said it recorded something, but it isn’t there. Send an issue report: tell Scriblet what went wrong and what you expected. Then send the update again, in a separate text. See When Scriblet gets it wrong.
You texted STOP. Scriblet stops using your texts and stops texting you. Text START to turn texts back on, then send your update again. See Keywords.
Questions
Section titled “Questions”I got a new phone number. Ask your administrator to change it on your organization’s list. Then text START from the new number.
Can I send updates for more than one organization? You can only be on one organization’s list at a time.
Is there a length limit? No, but short texts are easier to get right. Scriblet’s replies are short too.