Suggestions

Potholepete
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Joined: 11 Aug 2012 22:13

Suggestions

Post by Potholepete »

I thought I would add my thoughts on the issue of why so many people still use facebook for the main MTX coms.

I have looked through the control panel settings on the forum and there does not appear to be an option to allert me to any new post that comes onto Memorum? Given how busy many of us are and my age especially I need that 'annoying' prompt that one gets from FB to remind me to check in with what's happening. Can Memorum be configired to do the same then I am sure many others will visit it more often. I know I will.

Another thing was I could not find out how to start a new post without reading the help guide and realising that I had to go into a topic before the option to post came up. Is is possible to have the option for a new post on the main page? Then get them to select the topic as part of the posting process?

Just a few thoughts.
Jim
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Dave
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Re: Suggestions

Post by Dave »

Hi Jim,

you can subscribe to each forum that you want to be alerted to new posts in by selecting Subscribe Forum from the top page in each forum

I have not looked at how easy your other suggestion would be to implement, but to be honest, I can't really see the value. If you want to post a new topic, it would seem reasonable to select an appropriate forum first, then the NEW TOPIC box is clear enough (to me anyway)

regards
Dave
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1024MAK
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Location: Looking forward to summer, in Somerset, UK

Re: Suggestions

Post by 1024MAK »

In all the forums that run the same software as this one (phpBB), I just just the "View active topics" link available from all forum home/main index pages, and in this forum (and most others) available at the top of all pages. A good link to bookmark :mrgreen:

For the less busy forums, I check once or twice a day. Sometimes more often. I do check the busier forums more often. As the forum keeps a track on which pages/post you have opened (if you read to the bottom of the page every time, this is the same thing), it is easy to work out what is new. So I can dip in and out as and when I get the time.

This is different to Facebook, where I only visit now and again, as I have to allow plenty of time to sift through it working out what I have and have not seen/read. This makes it difficult to dip in and out of as far as I am concerned. Even more so as people add comments to other posts. So due to the nature of my work, I only visit Facebook about once a week, sometimes once every two weeks.

Just my thoughts. I would be delighted to hear what other people think (good or bad).

Mark
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Looking forward to summer in Somerset later in the year :D

Not as many MTXs as Dave! :lol:
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Dave
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Re: Suggestions

Post by Dave »

Forum GOOD

Facebook BAD

Pretty much for the reasons that you describe.

Having to expand the Facebook thread to see unread posts is a real pain and often leads to people duplicating earlier comments.

As we have agreed in the past, Facebook is OK for idle chit-chat, but anything more important or detailed is better here

regards
Dave
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JonB
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Re: Suggestions

Post by JonB »

We had this discussion about FB when the forum was set up.

I'd personally love to retire the FB group as, like Dave here, I think it's BAD (Facebook, not the group). Perhaps we should move it to another less privacy-invading social network.
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Dave
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Re: Suggestions

Post by Dave »

Hi Jon,

you know that I agree with you about Facebook, for the reasons that we have discussed many times before.

I'm not sure about "another social network" though, maybe it's just my age, but I just don't like the idea - in my day, "social networking" meant going to the pub with my mates!
To me, "Facebooking", "Twittering and "Tweeting", "Linking In" and the like are just a waste of bandwidth!

Other micro users seem to manage perfectly well using forums, e.g., Amibay (Amiga) and StarDot(BBC).

At the risk of flagellating an expired equine, I think we should keep pushing for more use of the forum.

The Facebook group had (and perhaps still has) a place in providing a place for MTXers to meet, but that was before the forum existed - now we just need to wean people off Facebook and get them to use the group. A number of us have tried this before, but we to need adopt a common approach and have the discipline to stick to it.

So, in another attempt to push this, I suggest the following.

We retain the Facebook Group as nothing more than a placeholder for "first contact".
New members are welcomed to the Group, then directed to the Forum
New (and old) members are advised to go to the forum to post new messages

And, potentially, this might be controversial, ALL OF US refrain from responding to posts, particularly of a technical nature, on Facebook.
Idle gossip is fine, but for anything really MTX related, any answers should ONLY be to point people to the Forum and NO attempt should be made to answer on Facebook. Draconian ? - maybe, but I think that it's the only way that we can get people to use the Forum properly - for the benefit of us all.

That would need support though, so perhaps a poll is in order ?

regards
Dave
Potholepete
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Joined: 11 Aug 2012 22:13

Re: Suggestions

Post by Potholepete »

I think that to really make a difference for those of us who are less active and motivated to pop in and check on what is new there really needs to be a quick and easy way so that ALL new posts on the forum get notified to us via email whether or not we have subscribed (I do not need to do this in facebook and being lazy/busy usually forget)

An example of making it simple; I posted this on the forum yet I had no notification that anyone had replied, facebook does it automatically so it prompts me to look, can we not get Memorum to do the same? I for one would use it much more often and follow whats been going on if I get notified of any new posts or if I have replied to any post.

Perhaps I am just lazy but despite my not liking facebook it has its uses when it comes to reminding me of how many 'notifications' I have or may have missed?

Just a thought. Jim
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Dave
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Re: Suggestions

Post by Dave »

Have you subscribed to the General Discussions Forum?
Martin A
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Re: Suggestions

Post by Martin A »

Lets see if the Magrom special version screenshot can generate any traffic here .....
Potholepete
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Joined: 11 Aug 2012 22:13

Re: Suggestions

Post by Potholepete »

Dave, the point is to make it quick easy for new members to be included from the start in all new posts and those that we have joined in with. Can it not be the case that we are automatically emailed as in facebook on all new posts and the posts we have replied to without having to go into the settings area and do it manually? As I mentioned before the facebook prompts remind me to look in and see what is happening. Getting Memorum to do this in the same simple way will be a posiive move for those of us less inclined to go through the forums various settings to ensure we are included in all the discussions taking place.

As mentioned I guess it boils down to laziness and lack of time on my part, make it easier and I will not even bother with FB for most of the time which suits me fine.

Jim
PS Is your skype always on as I cannot seem to get a reply when I have tried to contact you lately?
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