Wishlist Cont. (Page 8 of 9)

I'm wondering if the best way to handle this would be to have a "global" page of all topics/threads, grouped by group name. In other words, one place to go to see all threads in the system, grouped by Sci-fi, Fantasy, Premium, Writing Tips, etc. The content for the global page would be the topics/threads from those actual groups, simply presented as a global page. Posting a new topic on the global page under a certain group would automatically place the new topic in the appropriate group's forum, as well as show it on the global page. This would be a nice way to show all threads for the whole site in a single place where we could quickly scan/scroll through the lists of topics. in one place. Obviously, it would need search and filter capabilities to narrow the result set.

The global page would have to have a function that allows a user to join "open" groups immediately, without leaving the global page. Groups with restricted membership would probably need limits on what can done from the global view (read-only, read-write, or completely unavailable to others outside the group).

This approach could also eliminate the need for resurrecting the old forums, since all posts would remain attached to a group, but shown in a way that the old site's users are used to. It's just a different view of the same database.

Dirk

Minor request. Can we have Reading List as one of the options on the READ menu on the home page. I know it's on the main menu on the right, but I frequently look for it under the READ menu. Not a big deal. Just a nice to have, especially for people still getting used to the site.

Thanks
Dirk

Groups are whatever you want them to be. There is no single purpose to a group. Make of them whatever you want. I have shown a few examples of what they can be: a workshop, a class, a discussion group, but I'm sure there are other great applications. Go for it.

Sol

We have no plans to increase the limit beyond 10.

I agree.  I'd like to follow some of the authors I've read so it would be great to make this an easier option.

I noticed that when I receive an email notification that someone has replied to a topic to which I'm subscribed, clicking the link in the email takes me to the bottom of the last page of the topic, which is where I want to be. However, the links down the right hand side of the home page take me to the start of the first page of the topic, requiring us to click to the last page of the topic, then scroll down to the bottom. Would it be possible to change it so that it always goes to the end?

EDIT: Thanks! :-)

Kenny showed me a very useful feature the other day that completely slipped my notice all this time. If there are unread replies to one of the posts in the forum, a link appears under the post's subject line that says New Posts that takes you directly to the new replies.

That link should be made *very* obvious. Maybe a bold, bright green. It's incredibly useful to have that. A quick glance at a forum page looking for bright green New Posts links would tell me if there's something I haven't read. (Technically, it should say New Replies not New Posts.)

Thanks.
Dirk

On the home page, if would be very handy to have a checkmark to the left of each work (chapters, shorts, essays, etc.) showing which ones I've reviewed. That way, when I see something in the list of books or my connections, I'll know at a glance whether or not I've already reviewed it. This would probably be most useful for books, where we see that someone has posted a chapter (e.g., 17) but don't readily know if that's the latest of their chapters that we've already reviewed vs. a new one to be read.

Thanks.
Dirk

Mike--I just pull up a new tab on the browser and go on site to my portfolio, then pull up the content I want to edit, so I can read the review on one tab, and make corrections on the other. That way, I can flip back and forth between tabs instead on backing up page by page from review to edit. The only thing you have to remember is to save your changes at the bottom of the edit page when you're done, or they don't take and all your changes are undone. You lose your work if you leave the edit page without saving. I know, STST (same thing, said twice) but I forget from time to time and have to start over. That hurts if you've gone though more than one review. 

I don't know if there's a more efficient way to do this. Maybe someone else does.  JP

I've asked that either reviews, works/chapters, or subscribers be given something like a forum space.  Here's a situation that shows why: I've been reviewing a story by Randall Krzak.  Our discusion in reviews has been carried out by adding additional reviews.  Normally I suggest that an author open a forum for his work in a group he and I share.  But Randall and I share only the Premium group--that is, the Everything/Everybody group.  This doesn't seem to be the best place to open a discussion centered on one author or one work.

Why not join one R. Krzak's groups?  Well, I began to review his story not out of shared topic interest but because he has an interesting story and he seems to be working on skills that I'm still working on, so I hope to help and learn at the same time.  This seems a sound basis for reviewing, and for having a forum.

You don't get alerts on subsequent updates, and if you did, other reviewers would not see the alert.  Reviews differ from forums in this way.

And yes, I'm carrying grains of sand in the hope that others will build a sandpile of evidence to convince Sol and his team that something is called for.

Yes, I understand  you wouldn't get alerts, but if all the reviewers were notified then they would simply have to check. I for one don't rely on alerts to visit the forums, simply look for any action. The same could be true in your simulated forum if folks were interested enough to participate. As stated, it is not ideal, but then what world is. Take care. Vern