So about these forums

[Angela Korra'ti]

All,

Folks, I'm seeing people regularly have to cross-post to this mailing list when they put stuff onto the forums, on the grounds that the forums have continued to be unreliable for various and sundry reasons.

And additionally, given that the forums are currently set to email people whenever a topic goes up OR gets replied to, I'm essentially getting double email for any given topic. And while I do find the NIWA discussions valuable, I don't want to get emailed about them twice. :(

And honestly, if I'm going to be getting emailed every time some form of activity happens on the forums regardless--then why are we bothering to have the forums in the first place? This has never been made clear to me. It just adds extra steps to the process of answering any given topic.

If I'm just answering an email on this list, all I have to do is hit Reply, type my answer, hit Send, boom, done. If I am expected to answer a topic on the forum, however, I have to click on the link in the forum mail, wait for the tab to load on my web browser, probably log in if my last login cookie has expired, and THEN I get to finally actually post the reply. Assuming that the forum is in fact behaving, and lets my reply go through.

It just seems like an unnecessarily complex process, is what I'm saying.

At minimum, can we _please_ add functionality to the forums to let us configure how often it emails us? Because I really, _really_, REALLY do not want that thing emailing me every time something happens on the forum.

Tiredly,

Anna

[Publisher The Written Wyrd]

I know this might sound nit-picky, but another problem with the web site forum is that to use it, one has dig up the access codes and sign in, whereas these forums are not only better structured, but always accessible too.   It looks to me like the thing to do is drop the web forum and go back to using this one.

Bob

[Andy Bunch]

I'm change resistant so I just never pay attention to the new forum. For which I feel guilty because I was a big promoter of us finding a better solution and some brave volunteers have thrown time behind making it work. So...I don't know where that leaves me...I don't like the new forum and I feel quite bad about it. Grr!

On Thu, Oct 30, 2014 at 2:05 PM, Publisher The Written Wyrd <the-writte...@pages.plusgoogle.com> wrote:

I know this might sound nit-picky, but another problem with the web site forum is that to use it, one has dig up the access codes and sign in, whereas these forums are not only better structured, but always accessible too.   It looks to me like the thing to do is drop the web forum and go back to using this one.

Bob

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Northwest Independent Writers Association" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to niwahome+u...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to niwa...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/niwahome.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

--

Writing Solutions by Adventure Writer--Andy R. Bunch

Ghost Biographies --http://www.facebook.com/TaleScribe

FaceBook --https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAndyBunch?ref=hl

Author Central --amazon.com/author/andybunch

Fantasy Novel --http://www.facebook.com/SufferingRancor

Smashwords -- http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/71489

[Angela Korra'ti]

I do appreciate that work has gone into this and I respect the time spent, I want to make that clear!

But it seems like to me that the tool selected is not solving the problem, so I'm just confused overall as to why we're continuing to use it, as opposed to finding a better tool.

Are the forums currently in place on the site alterable? Or is that something dictated by the site's ISP?

Anna

[James McCracken]

I agree with Bob.  I've tried to use the new Forum and it is just too cumbersome.  The link from the email doesn't work for me.  I always get a "link not found" response and have to go to the home page, log in, then go back to the forum page.  It's a royal pain.  That is just one of my issues with the new website - so I don't use it or look at it regularly.  Google Groups is simple and works great in comparison.  I opt to go back to that.

In my humble opinion, I think the webpage is a poor reflection on NIWA.  Unless I'm mistaken, NIWA's mission is "to serve writers looking to achieve professional standards in independent writing, publishing and  marketing."  The website, I feel, is lacking in those areas.  The website is too complicated and slow and has too many incomplete pages.  The Home page lacks interest.  There is nothing there that grabs the surfer and makes them want to check out the other links.  It's just an ad for membership.  Where's the mission statement?  Where's the fun?  Put the ad for new members under the membership tab and tell me about NIWA on the Home page.  Lead off the About tab with the History of NIWA and then your Board of Directors etc.  There's just too much "stuff" for the average person.  I won't even address the Book Catalog pages.  I realize it takes time to set up the webpages but my suggestion would be not to put out an incomplete page - wait until is is complete before making it visible to the public.

I'll step off my soapbox. 

James M. McCracken

Author
Secrets
Charlie MacCready series
The Millionth Year
Running
www.jamesmmccracken.com

---

From: Andy Bunch <sirb...@gmail.com>
To: NIWA Group <niwa...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2014 2:35 PM
Subject: Re: So about these forums

[Jamie]

[Publisher The Written Wyrd]

Jamie made another good point about the layout and content.   I suspect some of the problem came from trying to be too clever with Java, PHP, etc.   These things are needlessly complex and need people who understand them to get results while fine results can be had with simple HTML.   If you look at my web site, it is done with HTML and a few SSI inserts.   No special software and only some basic skill needed to get decent results.

It's sad to say, but maybe the best thing to do is start over.

Bob

[Michele]

It's gotten too complicated for me being so busy with work and driving to and from work that I don't bother posting anymore. It's too complicated. I have five books published and I'm working on two more. I agree with you, this doesn't work.

Michele

Michele Makinson

amazon.com/author/michelemakinson

Kanani's Golden Caves, Sophia and the Stradivarius, Sophia and the Dragon, The Russian Spy, Casey Lane and Jackie Lee the GSD Detective Agency

Sent from my iPad

--

[Pat Timm]

Funny I only get one email with the content not two. I do agree, the Web site although a good start needs revising.  I can't log in half the time and it is very slow and some windows don't open properly so I can't see everything. I rarely use it because of this.

Author of a new novel Whispers in the Wind-The Calling. Available at  Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and others.

Please excuse any typos or errors as this was sent from a handheld device.

--