Can we improve the list of posted threads on the home page? (Page 1 of 2)

I'd be willing to do without seeing the shelved items on my home page, in favor of the most recent forum posts, if it's space that's needed.

We need to be able to see recent posts and respond. I don't know how the forums highlighted are selected, but consider this: if we can't see a group's forum because it's inactive, we won't post on that forum and it will remain inactive, so we won't be able to see it, so it will remain inactive, etc., etc., etc.

Shelved items aren't things that need our response, and there are other routes to access them. We can make better use of the space.

Having the most recent comments be where the link to the thread takes us would be greatly appreciated. Especially for some of those topics that go on for multiple pages. If the whole thread could be collapsed by commenter that would help as well, similar to how how Google groups or Yahoo groups can collapse a thread to show each individual as a line line, allowing the individual to collapse or expand.

I agree wholeheartedly as a stop gap measure to improve the current forum. BUT I'm still championing having a single central forum with sticky headers.

I know from talking to Sol about this in the past, he isn't fond of that type of central forum because people tend to congregate and 'issues' break out. However, for each 'issue' that ever arose, there were hundreds of posts that were helpful, meaningful, productive, and entertaining. It gave us a solid sense of community that we no longer have, and now after many months on this new site it's clear that it is the #1 thing most members are still missing/wanting.

I love your wish list, njc. Hopefully, those ideas can be incorporated into whatever forum solution Sol is considering.

I tried to behave myself for once, limiting the request to something that "seems" like a relatively small change compared to the resurrected forums. This idea is not meant to replace those, just to make it easier to see and navigate quickly to new/updated threads from the home page. It ought to result in a lot more sharing/posting within groups, though probably not across groups.

I think a single COMMUNITY FORUM would work best.

Links to GROUP FORUMS could be on this page or there could be most recent posts to these forums, but these should be at the bottom of page.

The way the home page is set up now is fine, but it should show the COMMUNITY FORUM posts first. As it is now I only see forum posts if I am a member of that group

As to to a moderator: A vote system is easy to code and with 5 negative votes, then the posters is kaput.

A long stretch of my two cents on a few of things discussed in this thread:

Most active vs most recent posts: For starters, “most active” can be a bit of a misnomer. Assuming you define “most active” as the threads with the most responses, then you could have old threads with many responses in the past which are not really “active” in the present. Yet, they would stay at the top of the list indefinitely if threads were arranged in order of activity. That makes no sense to me.

As is, posts are listed as the most recent (other than the few stickies). This makes sense since most of the time that is what we are looking for, not something that was active last week or last month or whenever. If a thread continues to receive responses even every few days or so, it will still remain near the top of the list of threads.

Link to start of thread or last post: I suppose it would be nice to be able to choose where you wanted to go, beginning or end, but … wait, you can do that fairly simply as it stands for those listed on the front page or not. If you click on the individual threads listed under a group, then that will take you to the start of that thread. But if you would rather go directly to the last post of that thread, then you’ve got one additional click, but lots more options from there. Instead of the individual thread, click on NEW FORUM POST under the Premium group or GROUP FORUM under other groups. From there you get a list of all the threads under that group and you can choose if you want to start at the beginning or end of the thread. If you wish to start at the beginning, then click on the title of the thread. If you wish to start with the last post of the thread then click on “Last Post” to the far right which surprisingly will take you to, ta da, the last post of that thread.

Show Your Posts: One thing to keep in mind regardless of how posts are listed now or may be in the future is that you can click on Show Your Posts to quickly see threads in which you have participated and may want to browse again. I use it quite often, but from comments, it doesn’t seem to be effectively utilized in the search for older threads.

Shelves:  I would agree that shelving the shelves would be an easy fix to free up more space for more forum links on the front page. And since they are ones listed by our connections, they could easily just be attached to our connections pages should we be interested to take a look. But I’m not sure why we actually need to free up more space for forum links and if we do need more space, why not simply have one link to a group forum rather than list that group’s individual most recent posts. More times than not there is not any activity even listed under the forum groups other than Premium. There are four other groups listed on my front page and no new threads have been listed in any of them for at least two days and some lots longer. That is a major waste of space if that is a concern. Still, it is not in itself a big deal imo.

Central Forum Issues: I agree wholeheartedly with Linda Lee that the most meaningful and entertaining forum is something like the old site central meeting place. Although I am well aware of the possibility, yea, probability, that “issues” will/do develop, the pros greatly outnumber the cons in this scenario. Of course differences of opinion are going to arise and words sometimes exchanged in the heat of the moment, but very rarely does it come to the point where the entire thread needs to be shut down. Most folks remain at least tolerable while defending a position. And if the “enter at your own risk” (so to speak) experiment in the latter days of the old site doesn’t always work, then a last resort solution to curb overzealous remarks could be imposed on a case by case basis with whatever moderator option is deemed necessary. A bad apple here or there shouldn’t spoil our appetite for the other delicious fruits of our labor. As far as changes to the number of links to forums on the front page (or other suggestions within this thread), if it is a simple/economical fix for Sol, and it is a priority for a lot of folks, then I would say do it. For me personally though, the greatest and bestest fix would be the Central Forum discussed.

Just my opinion as always. Take care. Vern

There is something similar to what you are all requesting that is already in place. Ex: if I want to see what is new and yet to be viewed on my current group list, I will go to Medieval Magic and Fantasy, and then about five selections pop up to organize the listed posts. If I click 'Forum' then the new posts appear with a dark blue box next to the left of them. Once viewed, the box will disappear, indicating that they have been reviewed by me.

This system isn't perfect. It only keeps track for about 12 to 24 hours. Then I have to go back and scroll through each to see if there is new material. However, since these are organized by the most recent, I can guess which ones are new. 

The only thing I would find helpful is to have the most recent commenter listed after each topic. We used to have that on the old site, so it might not be a big deal to change. That way, if it isn't my name, I know to check out the post.

So, you want a site forum where you can talk about whatever you want to whomever you want, including incendiary topics like religion and politics. You want the site and its members to have to deal with all of the resulting arguments and conflicts that break out because of this.  You hold another site out as an example, say you don't like it, and then say this site should become like it. That doesn't compute.

The thread started constructively but has degenerated into the campaign of some to make this into a forum site. Is the forum all we can talk about as a community? I find it tiring and if so I'm leaving this group. I mean, aren't there a million other things more important? The last four chapters I have posted don't have a single review and all we can talk about is the forums?

I think reviewing and the forums are two separate issues. By wanting improvements to the forums does not mean, in my opinion, that we are not also passionate or concerned about reviewing or want to change the site into a forum site only and fixing the forums are all that we think is important. By all means, nothing prevents anyone from starting a thread on how to kick-start reviews again or on writing. The problem we have is that it's hard to do that with how the forum/groups are structured at present.

One can also probably make the argument that there is some overlap however. I know I have found, and by no means due to anything I have done, great reciprocal relationships on the old site because someone mentioned my name in a forum that made that person's "connections" on the forum look at my writing. I have been part of that group since that day and have received so much support, guidance and help, it's hard to believe sometimes. So IMO, forums are not all talking and no action around what we're here for in the first place - to write.

To me, having an effective forum and therefore an involved community have massive advantages and could even resolve some of the issues you have mentioned, such in getting reviewed and talking about writing. It can also have disadvantages of course. But I don't think anyone needs to leave any group because forums exist and talk about things they don't think is important or don't want to talk about. Even on the old site there were members that only read and reviewed and never visited or interacted on the forums. But by having an appropriately structured forum again, it would also meet the needs of those that were more involved in the forums and miss that component.

Just my 2 cents.

As to religion & politics in a writing site's forum as header sub topics-

RELIGION EXAMPLE:

Hugh of Saint Victor (c. 1096 – 1141): Influential mystic and philosopher who embraced science as a tool for approaching God. He was master of the monastic school of Saint Victor. His work presents knowledge of reality as redemptive of fallen man; and technology as source of physical relief and able to help reunite man with divine wisdom. "Learn everything," he urged; "later you will see that nothing is superfluous.

And then any discussion about John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' could yield vast perspectives to all writing, no matter what genre. And then there is Voltaire, what would the world of politics and writing be without him and Candide? And what about Mary Wollstonecraft and her politics? Without her Frankenstein might not have come into being and non-being(lol). These were angry people at the root and through political, fiction and essay writing they changed the world.

The end product of all written communication is to inform and institute change. Otherwise, we are all just fiddling on our solitary violins to hear our selves play. I like to hear angry, but intelligent voices that help me understand the world dynamic from many aspects.

Love, family, money, religion (religion is now the Internet) and politics, to me, is what written communication is all about. If I can see these topic in one place, without time-consuming searching, I feel that I am then getting my money's worth.

Without a single sit down coffee house, a place to present ideas en mass, on one page so to speak, the improvisational music of Bach would have suffered, Voltaire might never have gone to jail and Shakespeare would probably not have met his male lover and the Sonnets would not exist.

And of course, a conscious choice is made to view a sub-topic in a forum about religion & politics. We did have a sub-topic about these subjects in the old forum and after it was initiated the subjects and the hot-heads cooled down and became more focused and interesting.

We all should be angry considering that in America we are all living with a banking bubble that is like walking a razor's towards a very unpredictable future. (Devious me, had to sneak in a political imbroglio that perhaps only Janet Yellen can fix. Or perhaps we should burn her at the metaphorical stake if she capitulates furthers to the agendas of big money banking ?)

However, by mentioning big banking then perhaps some aspiring writer will see that an Economic Fiction or Science Fiction can be cranked out using the present dire financial instability of America to instigate the necessary change to stimulate personal responsibility, personal savings , i.e.,  to create a more stable economy in the future.  To get the fires of thought and action burning, say to 451 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just sayin' and just blathering on... But in this thread we have created a topic that interests many members, a forum on one page, and that is what I think a single community forum could and should be.... Damn it! LOL

I would love to have the most active posts in my subscribed groups always listed. I feel that would make people visit the groups more often. When the groups look dormant people aren't going to gravitate to them. But with the top five topics always visible it will get people to be more active to see any new information added to the topic.