How I see NazNet Community changing NazNet

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

For several years now I have struggled with how short the attention span is on NazNet. The Wesley forum, and to some extent, the Breese forum moves so quickly that it is difficult for people to stay focused on any one discussion.

A person might start a thread and, on that day, have several responses and some discussion take place. However, the thread is constantly receding down the forum and new topics are catching people's attention. It is rare for a discussion to last over 2 days on Wesley and over 3 days on Breese. There have been exceptions, but not many.

Some folks have tried to keep a discussion going by starting a new thread at the top -- but that fragments the exchange and is frustrating to people who have already contributed to the discussion. Beyond that "taking it to the top" lasts half a day at best, and then, once again, new posts have been made and the "to the top" thread is once again receding down the forum.

I just picked a thread here on NazNet Community that has had a lot of interest just this morning. It was started on October 13, and as I post here, it is October 17.

I then went to Wesley forum and scrolled down to threads that were started on October 13. Not a single post has been added to those threads for at least 2 days. In other words, those Wesley forum threads are dead -- and will soon fall off the board and be lost for good.

Meanwhile, some folks are just discovering the above mentioned thread that started October 13 and, in some ways, the discussion is just getting underway there.

This, to me, is a giant step forward for this community.

I think that the big change here is not all the bells and whistles, it is the capability to really discuss -- to keep the conversation alive beyond a day or two -- even the chance that a thread that doesn't take hold immediately will be found by someone a month from now and suddenly come to life.

The "extras" are fun to have -- but they are also frustrating to the novice user. They really aren't that big a plus. But the possibility of having on going, thoughtful discussions -- well that it what excites me about this software and the future of NazNet.

[Terri Knoll]

I agree! I consider myself pretty puter savvy but this software frustrates me! lol
however, I do like that I can come back in a week and get into a conversation that is still here! love that aspect!

[Marsha Lynn]

OK. I'm ready to say it. You were right. I was wrong. There's a new thing springing up and it does appear to be better than the old.

One other comment. I keep getting e-mail from you. My heart is warmed to think that you would write to me personally. But then I am disappointed to discover that it's simply an automated message from vBulletin. Is there a way to give those messages a more generic sender line, such as NazNetComm or some such thing?

It's not a biggie. Eventually I'll learn to simply ignore e-mail from you other than to be reminded to go check out what's happening on the board.

:basic02

Marsha

[Edith K. Thurmond]

I think that the big change here is not all the bells and whistles, it is the capability to really discuss -- to keep the conversation alive beyond a day or two -- even the chance that a thread that doesn't take hold immediately will be found by someone a month from now and suddenly come to life.

The "extras" are fun to have -- but they are also frustrating to the novice user. They really aren't that big a plus. But the possibility of having on going, thoughtful discussions -- well that it what excites me about this software and the future of NazNet.

The new software is greatly liked and appreciated by this NN participant!

The 'old' software is somewhat akin to opening a large, dimly-lit closet with everything rather jumbled insided. One scrambles around trying to find what was worn several days ago - trying to retrieve it from the giant cavern that is before them. The new software is similar to having had the California Closets company custom design a closet for maximum useage. There are compartments for everything while being visible at the same time. One can arrange the clothes by color, by type of garments, by season, and other configurations. All accessories are easily visible and ever "at the ready."

Oh, yes, I do really like this new NazNet California Closet! Thanks to all for making it possible.
Sincerely,

[Gregory L. Edwards]

Hi,

And how much easier is it to add and remove forums, without having to close another one because there was not a license for it.

I agree that on the old forum, I rarely wen past the new posts since my last visit. I found it too hard to find a post that I had some interest in, but went flying down the board. I have a short memory span as well as attention span, so didn't aways remember what post I wanted to look for.

Laters,
Gregory L. Edwards

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

OK. I'm ready to say it. You were right. I was wrong. There's a new thing springing up and it does appear to be better than the old.

Thanks -- I appreciate your "confession" -- but it really isn't necessary. I have been using this software (from the users point of view) for a couple of years on another website and at the beginning I felt the same way you did. In fact, it is only as I see the potential here that I feel realy positive about it.

One other comment. I keep getting e-mail from you. My heart is warmed to think that you would write to me personally. But then I am disappointed to discover that it's simply an automated message from vBulletin. Is there a way to give those messages a more generic sender line, such as NazNetComm or some such thing?


I didn't realize that! There are literally a 1000+ settings for this software. I sat it up while getting ready to leave town for my trip, so I basically "flew by the seat of my pants" and did it the manly way -- that is, I didn't read any instructions!

I just went in and found where I had put my address as the sending one and changed it to community@naznet.com -- see if that becomes the return address for this, and future emails.

:)

[Marsha Lynn]

I just went in and found where I had put my address as the sending one and changed it to community@naznet.com -- see if that becomes the return address for this, and future emails.

:)

Yep. That did it. Thanks!

[Steve Reece]

It has actually been several days since I even browsed over to the other board. What you mention about a thread dying after a day is all too true. This board is much better extended converstaions.

[David Lyons]

Scott,

Well, if there is one thing that would make me be willing to switch to this format over the old, it is exactly what you have mentioned. If discussions can live out a good life without being relegated to the basement so quickly, then that is a very good thing.

The options are kind of fun, so maybe I will like this after all. Hmmmmm.....

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

Scott,

Well, if there is one thing that would make me be willing to switch to this format over the old, it is exactly what you have mentioned. If discussions can live out a good life without being relegated to the basement so quickly, then that is a very good thing.

The options are kind of fun, so maybe I will like this after all. Hmmmmm.....

Yep, that pretty much fits your profile David! I have noted in the past that you have tried to keep conversations going way down the forum and have appreciated that. I think you will find this to be more to your liking!

[Mark Metcalfe]

I just wanted to bring this thread to the top.

:fav06 :fun04

[Hans Deventer]

I just wanted to bring this thread to the top.

:fav06 :fun04

Shall I de-feat/lete that evil purpose? :p :basic05

[Mark Metcalfe]

Shall I de-feat/lete that evil purpose? :p :basic05

Only if you want to. It doesn't matter to me.
I'm just being impish.

I thought the base note was contemporaneously concise.

[Gina Stevenson]

... of how something can be resurrected -- does that mean this is a "religious" board, "resurrection" being possible? -- that had appeared "deader than a {proverbial} door nail."

So, perhaps it's all right if it remains, eh? ;)

[Mark Metcalfe]

... of how something can be resurrected -- does that mean this is a "religious" board, "resurrection" being possible? -- that had appeared "deader than a {proverbial} door nail."

So, perhaps it's all right if it remains, eh? ;)

Shhh! I'm lurking to be the 100th post to the Christmas Sunday topic!

:fun10

[Gina Stevenson]

MARK:

"Shhh! I'm lurking to be the 100th post to the Christmas Sunday topic!"


well, Mark ... got me a tab open to the Christmas thread, too ... you said you were being "impish" ... that sort of sucked me right into this "contest." ;)

perhaps it's more than an "impish" likeness ... maybe it's also being writers who were born the day before their dad's birthday ... I was, too, you see. :p

[Mark Metcalfe]

MARK:

"Shhh! I'm lurking to be the 100th post to the Christmas Sunday topic!"


well, Mark ... got me a tab open to the Christmas thread, too ... you said you were being "impish" ... that sort of sucked me right into this "contest." ;)

perhaps it's more than an "impish" likeness ... maybe it's also writers who are born the day before their dad's birthday ... I was, too, you see. :p

Looks like I'll miss 100; the Pizza is here and Wednesday night is beginning.

Mark

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

Hey Mark -- interesting that you would resurrect this thread at the very same time that the Sunday Christmas thread would reach the 100 reply milestone! It pretty much illustrates what my original post was about.

[Mark Metcalfe]

Hey Mark -- interesting that you would resurrect this thread at the very same time that the Sunday Christmas thread would reach the 100 reply milestone! It pretty much illustrates what my original post was about.

Yes, and not coincidentally, either. :basic03

[G R 'Scott' Cundiff]

I was just reading Hans' latest update on Hannie and thought of this thread. We have, in one thread the whole story of Hannie's sudden illness, the support of NazNet, her surgery and recovery - all in one place, with over 150 posts to date.

I think this software has deepened NazNet by helping us function more as a community. This is a very good thing!

[Kevin Rector]

I think this software has deepened NazNet by helping us function more as a community.

Yup, this software is orders of magnitude better than the old. I came by occasionally with the old software, but I couldn't stand it. In fact I even e-mailed the suggestion to change to this type of forum software.

When I can back and saw the new software I realized I might actually stick around a bit this time.

[Hans Deventer]

I was just reading Hans' latest update on Hannie and thought of this thread. We have, in one thread the whole story of Hannie's sudden illness, the support of NazNet, her surgery and recovery - all in one place, with over 150 posts to date.

I think this software has deepened NazNet by helping us function more as a community. This is a very good thing!

Yes indeed, Scott. Now the message don't get scattered all over the place. But you can read it all in one thread. I just intend to start a new one when she's coming home, out of sheer joy, because the header would not fit anymore. But other than that, I like it.