My group view

Deb, Go to the orange block on the top right. There you will find a listing)My groups) this should bring up all your groups.

Michael

Deb,

As Michael says, go to My Groups and you will see a list of your groups and a note that there is a new comment.  We are working with the developers to make the "new" clickable.

Meanwhile. check here for details on how groups and forums work.  All comments are inside the lead thread/comment.  At the bottom is a way to tell if there are comments which is in the earlier referenced post.

You can also click  on Groups & Forums in the top bar and you will find a clickable list of the most recent comments for all groups and forums.  Those links are clickable and enable you to go directly to the new comment posted.

Hope that helps. I am working on help topics now.  Got a couple hours, I could use a little help.

Claudia

Came back to go thru threads again and see how I could read thru groups.  I REALLY miss the simple subject line within each group that identified the thread content.  If you wanted to read it you opened it and got on with learning and photos.  NOW, you have to page down thru all the threads with their first comment and pictures.  Does some type of summary page exist of the threads within a group?  I am not asking for something new to be created.  I am asking if the functionality currently exists.  Current format as I understand it makes it difficult to quickly scan a group and look for a particular subject within a group.  I will be glad to clarify.  As an example go to the Scarf Finishes group.  You used to be able to read the subject line to look at the different finishes discussed and click on it for photos and comments.  Now, when you go to that group you see the subject line, photos and parsing of the first comment.  It makes it tough to scan down and find the finish you are interested in.  regards  Deb Mc

Deb and Franco,

To get directly to the new comment in any Forum or Group go to the black bar at the top of the page and click on where is says "Groups & forums" in  white letters.  You then see this page

When you click on the word "new" which is in red when there is a new comment, it takes you directly to that comment.  It doesn't matter if that comment is inside a thread or not.  Once you click there, you go directly to it.  Just like you want.

Give it a try and get back to me.Thanks,

Claudia 

Claudia, I tried it via your instructions and it just takes me to the top of the thread, as a matter of fact I tried it in a couple of groups and still takes me to just the top.  The red # of comments does not reset either, when I click on it and go to the messages and then hit the back arrow via my browser it goes back to the list and the messages still show as unread.  In addition, I still have this question open below.....

I REALLY miss the simple subject line within each group that identified the thread content.  If you wanted to read it you opened it and got on with learning and photos.  NOW, you have to page down thru all the threads with their first comment and pictures.  Does some type of summary page exist of the threads within a group?  I am not asking for something new to be created.  I am asking if the functionality currently exists.  Current format as I understand it makes it difficult to quickly scan a group and look for a particular subject within a group.  I will be glad to clarify.  As an example go to the Scarf Finishes group.  You used to be able to read the subject line to look at the different finishes discussed and click on it for photos and comments.  Now, when you go to that group you see the subject line, photos and parsing of the first comment.  It makes it tough to scan down and find the finish you are interested in.  regards  Deb Mc

Nope, click NEW and it only goes to the top of the topic.

Have a good day!

Hi Deb,

I put a more detailed description with a screen shot on the home page under the top most photo.

When you hit the back button, you are going back to the same page.  If you refresh that page after you read the new comments, the red "new" goes away. I thought the same thing and then realized hitting back takes you back to EXACTLY where you were (not shouting, just for emphasis).  If you refresh the page, after you have looked at the "new" comment, you will see it's gone.  I made the exact same mistake and then realized how literal computers are.  The back button is your friend if you do what I sometimes do and go to another page by mistake before I finish posting something.  It takes to to exactly where you were, not a new page.

As for the chronology, it's there.  It's in the indentation.  

I do not disagree with either you or Franco, this seems as though we have taken a step backwards but it is not.  The site moves much faster, we can fix things more easily, we can make faster changes and additions.  When the previous people created some of the things we had before, they went into the core Drupal code and broke it.  They killed the foundation of the site.  Five developers turned us down to make repairs and additions to the old site because the core code was broken in several places.

The way Groups and Forums are here is standard Drupal. Lots of websites use it just like this and most don't have avatars on the comments.  I will get you some examples.  It may take a little time but if you use the list under the tab in the black bar for Groups and Forums all the new comments are there.  

Claudia

Ok, let me put my question in a different way.....the pictures are wonderful, the nested comments are not, it is visually difficult to read thru groups now compared to the text way we could approach it in other groups. Is there a way to compress the visuals in an overview list? For instance, if you look at the Scarf Finish group we used the subject line to keep topics separate since not all folks use tags consistently. Below is a compressed list of that group as it exists now. See how quick you can scan the subject line and select what you really want to see? You THEN should be able to click on the subject and see the wonderful pictures.

Scarf borders & finishes

link to finishes on Marla Mallett's web page
Triple cross knit looping
Beaded hem scarf
Wash before or after fringe?
Double Weave Idea, bought at market
Another Fringe Arrangement
Fringe Twisting Tools and Hints
That Extra Little Twist
Fringe on Rayon Chenille Scarves
3 Pair Pass Leno
A Different Way to Do Fringe
Cobra Head From Peter Collingwood's Book
4 strand Braid from Backstrap Group
Fringe on the Loom
Hem a Scarf
Basketweave Selvedge Draft
Hemstitching with your computer Loom
Scallop Leno Edge
Book Resources for Border Planning
Book Resources for Warp Finishes

Personally, I know that you guys like Drupal but I fail to see the charm, I am willing to learn but it is counterintutive to how I think...sorrrrry but I am not feeling the Drupal love right now

The choice to use Drupal was made by others who no longer work on Weavolution. In order to preserve all the data entered in the original site, we had to continue using Drupal.

I like your ideas and understand your point. At this time, we are not in a financial position to have custom code written to change the format of Groups. We can investigate the cost and the options for a future time.

Claudia

So we are back to nested message comments that are not in chronological order?

Have a good day!

Just to clarify, I am not asking for custom coding.  I am asking if there is a compressed view that the programmers know about that we don't.  Sometimes a small narrow black box exists at the very top of my page above the Weavolution that shows programming choices.  Some of those choices involve some view settings.  When that black box appears I have tried to select some of the options.  Of course, I am told I don't have permission for that - no problem.

So to repeat....does some type of menu choice currently exist that allows us to scan message topics without all the graphic and message excerpts that currently exist.  That is the question.

Test reply to message posted 7/25/10
Have a good day!

let's compare some screenshots.  When I click on Forums in the orange box, I get the 6 "groups" that everyone belongs to.

(Hard to read but trying to keep things smaller here.)

I can click on Weaving, and I get a list of the topics in the Weaving group

I then click on the topic I want to read and I see all posts in that topic.  This is good. It's what almost everyone is used to.

Now, I click on Groups in the orange box. I see My Groups. This is not formatted the same as the Forums as seen above

There are no envelopes, but there is red text for New.  Clicking on New does nothing.

Then I click on the Group itself.  Using the group AVL as an example, I get the groups description at the top, then I get the whole first post of each topic.  I don't get a list like I do in Forums.  This is inconsistent and causes a lot of confusion.

Now if I go to any new group I have joined since the upgrade, I have admin rights

So in answer to Deb's question "does some type of menu choice currently exist that allows us to scan message topics without all the graphic and message excerpts that
currently exist", the answer is Yes it does.  We know it does because we can see it when we go to Forums.  It's not asking for custom code, it's asking to for Groups to use the same code as Forums does.  If they were consistent, like they were before, people wouldn't be having so much trouble.  Only my opinion though.  (I'm not trying to be an ass, I'm sorry if it comes across that way.)

You're right. The BACK key would take me back to that screen.

But I'm using Groups&Forums/greybar and the Groups/orangebar and Forums/orangebar to navigate.

The New Message thing is not updating.

The new message thing is not taking me to the new messages.

As for claiming "As for the chronology, it's there. It's in the indentation" that is the complaint. That is a step backward to where we were before. Nested comments are not chronological sequence that we are talking about.

We had this discussion before the last big update. We applauded greatly when the forums went to chronological sequence.

Have a good day!
Franco Rios

Restless Knitter, you nailed it! I admire your clarity, I hope your effort to post these pictures helps define the solution. Thank you! Deb

BTW, when I clicked NEW from the Hot Threads list on the home page it took me right to the new message by Deb posted Mon, 07/26/2010 - 5:27pm.

Have a good day!

Yes, it does do it from the Hot Threads topic.  It doesn't do it when you go to Groups, which is what I was talking about above.  Again, confusing when it doesn't behave the same way as it does on other pages.

Dear Deb, Restless and Franco,

I do understand perfectly what you want and I appreciate the time you have taken to explain in great detail how you would like it to look.  I will ask the developers what the cost  is to do what you ask.  Yes, there are menus for working on the website that the admin team can use.  That does not mean that we are able to create what you want because it does not exist in the programming as it is now.

Drupal core is programmed so that Groups and Forums are apples and oranges.  They have been written into the core code of the Drupal software as you see them.  Two different modules that behave in different ways.

I, too, liked our previous arrangement.  Everyone agrees it looked better in all but one, vital way.  The previous developers hacked into, broke the core code to create that and several other pages.  Breaking the core code destabilized the entire website.  Weavolution was days from total disaster.  We were about to crash unless the data could be safely migrated into a clean site with proper code.  That is what we have here.  If we want to change Groups to look like Forums a developer who knows Drupal core code must create a program that works with existing Drupal code and redirects the data in the Groups to line up like Forums.  It is referred to as Custom Code and it is very costly to have someone write, test and produce it.  Developers earn from $110-250/hour to write css code and test that it works and then we would have to try it on a test site that looked just liked Weavolution and, if all that went well, we could bring it here.  We are looking at a lot of money to have Groups look like Forums.

If it could be done using the menus you were seeing by mistake, it would have been done but it cannot.  We asked and asked and asked again.  We were given the explanation I have written above.  

We hope to begin fund raising soon.  A couple very kind people have heard me and have used the Donate button to help out.  We will put together a list of the changes people have asked for and present them to the Weavolution community before we ask the developers.

This current upgrade was not just for appearances.  We were days from losing everything, and would have been unable to retrieve all the data we did.  I don't know what else to say.  I hope this covers the question and can lay this to rest until we can raise sufficient funds to add improvements to this clean, stable, functional site.

Claudia Segal,Weavolution co-founder and Managing Partner 

Good morning Claudia,

Thank you for being honest with us.

Have a good day!

Hi Claudia from your explanation I understand the weavolution-website was well on it way to crash. So lets all be gratefull we are save now and that time is on our side to make things better. So let us all see if we can  donate a small amount of money so that the developers can make some changes .thank you Claudia for all the time and patience and devotion to Weavolution . 

I'm glad this is out for us to discuss.  All donations are gratefully accepted and are used for development.  Everyone on Weavolution is a volunteer, no one receives any compensation for the work they do.

Thank you all for your kind notes.

Claudia

ah, good luck with the fundraising, I've given in the past, hope others step up to giving

maybe we should consider using forums for groups and use groups for general/system communication if fundraising doesn't reach needed level

thanks for finally letting me know you understand my original question

THANK-YOU-KINDLY FOR ALL THE WORK TO PROVIDE THIS GREAT PLACE TO SHARE OUR INDIVIDUAL TALENTS. THERE IS LOTS TO ENJOY AND STUDY, SO LET'S BE ABOUT IT AND OFFERING UNDERSTANDING WITH HELP FROM WANTEVER OUR TALENTS MIGHT PROVIDE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I share the frustrations here plus several others (the huge spacing and large type in the messages drives me nuts). Perhaps there are shortcuts I am missing. Perhaps my favorite projects will return. Perhaps I can find a way to get messages to display in more compact form, have the new marker work, etc. I appreciate the time and effort involved in the changeover, but at this point this version is too cumbersome for me. I am waiting to see how things shake out, but as is, it turns me away.

Laurie Autio

Hi Laurie,

Thank you for the specific concerns you have.  I want to be certain I understand.

1. type face in messages too large.  Have you tried the other choices in the dropdown menu above.  I just changed to "container 12" to see what happens.  I think we can reset this is other are bothered by it.  We'd like to get consensus before we make changes.

We are waiting to have consensus before we make changes, these things are costly because they are not just "flip the switch" type changes but some may be.  We are learning how to work in the background of the website with Admin privileges.  

3. Can you tell me what you mean by "have the new marker work"?  If you click on Groups & Forums in the black bar at the top of the page, you get a list of all current threads in both that have new comments.  If you have not previously visited those comments you can click on the red "new" and it takes you directly to the comment whether it is inside a thread in groups or forums.  If you hit your back button the red "new" will still be there because you have asked your computer to go back to the page exactly as you left it. If you wait a moment or two and give the site to recycle the change, hit your refresh button the red "new" is usually gone.  We are still working on getting used to this and trying to determine if it's a bug or something we need to work on.

Going to the Dashboard from the orang box at the top of every page, takes you to a view of every new entry, comment and post.  Again, those that are new to you will have the red "new" and are clickable.  Back button does the same thing, waiting a moment or two and clicking on refresh works nicely.

I will look into the message size.  I'm sure it's too big for most people. We do have a few of us on the website who are legally blind and I didn't really notice it was in 16pt.  I was just happy to read everything without having to enlarge my browser page further.  

Thanks for being specific.  It helps us determine where we still have work to do.  Any other comments, please either leave them here or feel free to email me at claudia@weavolution.com

Claudia