ok, so i do as adviced: use groups (in this case, "coffee shop") what is the meaning of all the new groups? examples: - what loom is this? - wool carpet warp - seeking clement loom (i guess you get it... there are more examples) i admit to being a dinosaur, but i would not even know how to start a new group if i just wanted advice on (say) wool carpet warp question: how do you want us to do? are we meant to start a new group for most new questions? and where do they go, the groups i am fairly sure i have seen (still w names like "where do i find nice green yarn?") which are no longer there? how come "blog" seems to be the new sale/trade place? (note: i suppose the "houses" are a test thingie -)

Comments

Thu, 03/30/2017 - 23:33

Queezle

How should one use this new system? The system was already confusing, and now another layer? It seems to me that time would be better spent fixing the broken stuff rather than making the existing lines for posting more confusing.
Fri, 03/31/2017 - 08:47

Erica J

Kerstin,

Thanks for the question. The short answer is you have done the right thing by posting your question here in the Coffee Talk group. The examples you have listed are things that new users have done, because they are unfamiliar with online forums.

The reason we did away with the separate forum section was the fact that Forums were more limiting than groups and all the posts in groups are technically forums. Groups are more robust in that they can contain both forums/discussion threads and any other content (projects, drafts, etc.).

The new "Houses" I creates yesterday will serve as a place where experienced users can welcome new members. They can also be used as a place to seek general advice.  I admit I did not mean for them to be seen yet, as I am still working out the "sorting" process. 

IF you see groups creates which are really questions, please feel free to contact us so we can move them to more appropriate places.

Thank you,

Erica 

Fri, 03/31/2017 - 15:19

kerstinfroberg

Recent groups looking like "question groups" (from the first page of groups  start page):

- what loom is this? (closed gr)

- electric bobbin winders...

- wool carpet warp (closed gr)

- seeking Clement loom (closed gr)

- warp weighted... seeking video (was forum, shows as new closed gr)

- the third loom (closed gr)

- sold: AVL... (was forum, shows up as new grp, closed)

Then we have the "secret" ones - like https://weavolution.com/group/toika-jaana-loom-worth-considering-33554#new Can't find it in the group listing. (I'm sure I have seen at least one more, can't find it as I don't remember what it was about.) The "secret groups" have breadcrumbs like this: Home » Toika Jaana loom - worth considering?

Then we have the "group-less questions":

example from above: what loom is this? There are several specialized loom groups (glimåkra, macomber, lervad, arawak...) - but where to post a q abt an unknown one? One obvious answer is to create a group called "unknown looms" or somesuch... but wouldn't that soon lead to a hopeless abundance of groups? (as it is, if all pages have 30 entries, there are already nearly 300 groups) Who will find "the correct group" to ask a specific q, like the "what loom is this"?

or... say "whipcord": suppose I want to discuss aspects of whipcord (the weave structure). Yes, of course I can start a specialized group... who will find it, among the other (soon to become) >300 groups? "Weaving" was such a nice (including, if you will) place to post even specific weaving/drafting questions. IMO, of course.

- just looked at all threads in coffee shop: and I see *this* group is the one for those qs...: crackle, shaft convefrsion, q on heddles, texsolv...

I'm not sure I understand how this is streamlining

Kerstin

Sat, 04/01/2017 - 03:42

Queezle

We need fewer clearer choices for where to post, not more. The statement

The examples you have listed are things that new users have done, because they are unfamiliar with online forums 

is unfair - a functional site should have a transparent logic.  Over time, that seems (to me) to have eroded.  New users migh be unfamiliar with online forums, but maybe not.  Regardless, the path to correct placement of posts needs to be easy to find, and it should not require sifting through more than 300 groups. 

The reason people such as Kerstin and I take the time to post these thoughts is that we like weavolution, and for me, I'd like to see it back to the high-traffic and interesting site it was 3 or 4 years ago.  We are trying to help.

Sat, 04/01/2017 - 10:11

kerstinfroberg

ok, so now I know one possibility to add a post with thr breadcrumbs like this: Home » test to add group-less post you can read it at https://weavolution.com/group/test-add-group-less-post-34151 However. I just tried it again: clicked on add stuff, then on group post. This time i noticed that the screen where the input is done changes - when I got the "create input" screen there were different things seen below the "body": there was a kind of drop-down containing existig group names. (did not open it, so don't know if *all* groups were there) Got to the top of screen - when i later looked below the msg box, the dropdown had gone. I might have posted a screenshot, had not all icons (links, pictures, bold etc) gone away. (Have read abt this phenomenon, but not seen it for myself until now)
Sat, 04/01/2017 - 15:54

rubyyarn

I must agree with you and others about the usability of this site. It is hard enough learning this weaving craft without the go-to Web site being incomprehensible. I know there is information in here, but it is like pulling teeth to find it! I joined the Harrisville group, but right now there is only one thread there. I thought there were more, but I can't find them now. Other sites use the Forum model with no trouble. Apparently Weavolution also used that model at one time but decided to change. Could there be more detailed instructions about using this site? The short intro currently available is not helpful to a raw newbie like me.
Sat, 04/01/2017 - 16:07

Weaver

Is it fair to say that group is synonomous with a forum and a topic is the equivalent of a thread?

I've been away for a while and am bewildered by some of the changes. It doesn't take much ;-)