Forum Activity for @strumelia

latest discussions in ning skin

Ning To Jamroom

Yes a main page Forum Discussions box with a short excerpt under each entry is great. No need for TWO Blog boxes both showing latest blog posts. I do need my main Latest Activities to be in a wide column, but that's where drap/drop comes in with the site builder.
Thanks!
updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

latest discussions in ning skin

Ning To Jamroom

Yes that seamless would be cool. My members would find it odd and annoying to have to go to 3 different areas to see or look for certain videos.
I'd also love the main top link for "Videos" to go to a general page that shows vids from all the 3 sources somehow? Same for Audio- to show both Soundcloud and uploaded audio clips rahter than going to separate places in the site.

SE I do not have n arrow or a next page thing at all for my activity feed (Ningja skin)- there is nothing there to be able to see older activities- that's why I was asking for something like a more button- I have nothing right now on it.

Dragging modules into different columns (wide, narrow, up higher, down lower)- well that would solve so much and if it were like that in the Site Builder then awesome.
updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

Events Listing problem

Design and Skin Customization

I love how the JR team goes in every time to look for any possible problem from their end and fixes it right away. A refreshing change from NingWorld, for sure.

latest discussions in ning skin

Ning To Jamroom

Yes I strongly agree- right now we have two main page modules for Groups, and two for Blogs... but none for Forum discussions. And currently the "Latest Discussions" really means latest group discussions- this is a holdover from before you added the stand alone forum discussions module- maybe when you guys thought all discussions were within groups? To most of us, "latest discussions" would mean latest forum discussions, not group discussions.

Here is the way I am wishing I could organize mine:
The main navigation bar along top could have for example links to the main areas that each have modules, like: Forums, Groups, Videos, Music, Profiles, Blogs, Galleries, Events. And of course the member's personal profile page with their name as a link. (I have already added top menu links myself for Events and Blogs to my own site, but they should really be there by default- basically links to any feature that has its own content JRmodule)

Then the main page could have a module each of the MOST RECENTLY updated or added: Discussions(forum, that is), Groups, Videos, Music, Profiles/members, Blogposts, Gallery/images, ComingEvents. Within each of these we should be able to set the number of items that show in the main page module, plus we should be able to drag each module to either a wide/large column or to a narrow side column, to give it more or less importance customized to our own sites.

For example, right now on my main page Blogs are taking up WAY too much spotlight, with two modules basically both showing the SAME thing: most recent blog posts. And one of those is in a giant wide column. I only need ONE main page 'latest blog posts' module. My latest activity, latest forum discussions, and latest videos are at least as important as member blogs on my site, if not more important.

And since we already do have a top menu link to (all) GROUPS, I'd be cool with simply having as soaring suggested, only ONE main page module for Groups, that shows various latest group activities (comments, and discussion posts within groups)- but it needs to be labeled Latest Group Activities, or Latest Groups...not "latest discussions' which implies the main forum, not groups.

Then as Soaring hinted at, the main page Latest Activities could include an overview of all latest posted content and activities- from most all areas: new members joining, new discussions, new group activities, new songs, new videos, new blog posts....etc. It might be too much to ask, but our Ning sites had a "More" button on the main latest activity column, enabling people to continue to see stuff they might have missed if they went away for a couple days. Right now there isn't much room for more than 7 entries or so, with the avatars showing so big on the Latest Activity list- too much white blank space. 7 entries would sink out of sight in a couple of hours on my site, and people would be tearing their hair out trying to keep up with what happened that day on my site.

Basically, what Im suggesting is that the top navigation strip LINKS be to the main content areas that show "all" of each type of content (videos, blogs, profiles, etc) and the main page MODULES should be showing the 'latest activity' occurring within each of those sections- latest blog posts, latest members joining, latest group activities, latest videos posted, etc.

I also have an issue with the main page modules only showing UPLOADED videos (no youtubes or vimeos) and only UPLOADED music (no soundlcloud clips). This arrangement will encourage people to load all their videos and MP3s right onto my site instead of embedding them through YT and SC, and over years that will lead to a huge amount of content on my server. I am willing to bet that 90% of all ning network videos are youtube embedded. Also, I envision every week people asking me "I posted a youtube video yesterday but I don't see it in the video section..where'd it go?" This issue however is really a separate discussion that I intend to raise later, in a SEPARATE thread. (sorry!)

Hopefully we will be able to drag these modules around on the main page to switch between narrow or big columns with the coming Site Builder, I assume? That way we can all adjust how prominent they appear on our various sites.

I'm just throwing out some things that have been a bit frustrating or illogical for me that are the same issues or related to what Soaring brought up here. These kinds of layout/function changes may greatly smooth the experience for those who follow us. I deeply appreciate all that you guys are doing and am amazed at your efficiency. Thanks!
updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

Approve Users on Sign up

Ning To Jamroom

Would this same method also work to make applicant 'quiz questions' which could help us detect a spammer trying to join before we approve them?

Such as instead of "Hometown: Chicago" we could use a longer query like:
"What style of music is your favorite?:" and they could anmswer "Bluegrass" or "I would like to play classical music" etc.. but if they answered "make friends" then it would usefully send up a red flag as a possible spammer.... ?

Or is there a more logical place to use such type spammer-exposing questions to pending member applicants? Or are such precautions not even needed on JR? They always have been on Ning, in my experience.
updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

delete and create members deletes my profile too

Ning To Jamroom

Could it be that if the importer is set to create/replace, that it functions similarly to a computer's incremental backup?- whereas the stuff being moved (fresh ning archive, stuff A) is being copied over onto the B (JR) location, and if there is a member on the B location that's not in the A folder, it gets deleted because it's not part of the 'newer' A version? That might account for any "forum" JR sub profile we may have created under our own membership getting deleted when we import again..? Just a thought.
updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

Missing Events

Using Jamroom

"I don't think the Ningja skin shows anything but upcoming events, which is obviously about to be changed"

Great, thanks guys.

Missing Events

Using Jamroom

double cool.

Problems importing members

Ning To Jamroom

and here....

updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

Problems importing members

Ning To Jamroom


It's nice to have options. Here are screenshots to show what our ning 2.0 options are concerning network privacy and invitations:

updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM