Quick Start Guide: Using the TOAS Plugin to Build Your Individual Case Timelines

Note that the TOAS app is still in alpha development. If you encounter any bugs, please report them immediately to webmaster.ryr@gmail.com or message the admins of our FB support group.

Basic Concepts

• The name of the plugin or app that we’re using to create our timelines is “TOAS”, short for “Timelines On A Scale”
• The basic unit of data is the event
• There are two types of data:
  1. data point: an event that happens on a single calendar date
  2. data range: an event the occurs over a period of time between two calendar dates
• Groups: a feature that allows you to visualise timelines as tracks so you can organise related data into individual tracks
• Markers: classically a vertical line used to mark a landmark date or the boundary between two important periods. A good use of markers, for example, would be to mark in BAS deadlines for each quarter.

Steps to build a timeline

This app works best on a desktop or a tablet device — a mobile might be a bit too small.

1. Register an account at reclaim-your-rights.com (or sign in if you already have an account)
   • Tip: please use your real name and a real email or registration will fail.
2. Sign in to your new account.
3. Click on the Timelines on a Scale (TOAS) menu item on the left sidebar
4. Click on Timeline Manager
5. Click on Create New Timeline
6. Give your timeline a name and an optional description — it is helpful to mention your business name somewhere, and whether you dealt with Retinue (before 13 Feb 2025) or Squeeze (from 13 Feb 2025), or both
7. Add New Event
   • Give the event and informative, descriptive, long title
   • Set date and time
     • If time is not applicable or not exactly known, then just use 12:00AM as the time
   • Link event to timeline:
     • Each timeline has a unique id number
     • If creating event from the Timeline Editor view, the current timeline will already (automatically) be linked — so you can skip this step — otherwise link your your event to your timeline
   • Save Event
8. Repeat for as many events as you have
9. Add and configure groups under the Groups tab, and assign events to them. Doing so allows you to organise related events to tracks on the timeline
10. If you have any markers (landmark dates) you wish to add, you can do so under the Markers tab

Optional to provide more context: create a private blog post to our group with the timeline as the post centerpiece

For this part, if you are familiar with WordPress blogging, you will find this exercise second nature. If not, it’s quick and easy to learn.

Our website is essentially a repurposed blog, which is mostly privatised (hidden from public view; can only be seen by other registered members) — except for select pages such as the survey pages that are revealed to public on purpose.

All new registered users are automatically assigned the role of “contributor” allowing them to access the TOAS plugin and create (but not publish without admin approval) posts.

For this part you will

1. go to New > Post from the admin bar at the top of the page.
2. Copy the shortcode from your Timeline Editor page that you were just working on above, into the post. It should look something like this:

[toas_timeline id="1" show_controls="true" show_legend="false" fullwidth="true"]

Pro tip: you can create additional timelines using TOAS and add more than one timeline shortcode per post.

The shortcode represents where your timeline will be displayed.

3. Below the shortcode, in the next block of your post, you can type out an accompanying account of your client experience in your own words.
4. When you’re done, you can submit your post for Review. Admins will approve it, and publish it to the private blog, which can only viewed by other registered members (consisting of mostly your client peers, and hopefully later, legal consultants).
5. Peers may comment on your post to provide feedback and ask for clarification, and
6. you may reply to their comments in turn. Note that peers will need to have registered on this website to be able to see published posts (it is a private blog, not viewable to the public).

Advanced users may choose to customise their shortcode on the Shortcode Generator page, but this is optional. Shortcodes are displayed in various places around the TOAS plugin pages for your convenience.

Getting Feedback on your Case Timeline

You can ask a peer from the our FB support group to review your case timeline and provide feedback.

Feedback is most useful when it leads you to improve your timeline and/or accompanying text for clarity and completeness. Spotting weaknesses in your case, curating your case data, and shoring it up with further data, will lead to a stronger case.

Tips

• Save your post draft regularly.
• Use objective language and present facts rather than opinions, for added strength to your case. What happened indisputably — namely objective errors, events — carry more weight in the legal realm than opinion and speculative beliefs.
• In the Edit Post screen, you can click on the View Post icon at the top right hand corner of the edit post page to preview the timeline and see how your post will look like when it is published.
• Timelines allow you to effectively communicate where applicable; alleged:
  • sustained patterns (systemic, recurring behaviour/failings);
  • establish a chronological sequence of events consistent with culpability or possible negligence;
  • show prolific volume of failings.

Need more help?

Have any questions? Email us at webmaster.ryr@gmail.com or message the admins of our FB support group.