Forum Activity for @researchcooperative

Can we create search fields for groups within a specific quota and a specific profile?

Suggestions

The network I work with has many different groups located in different quotas and profiles within those quotas. These are mostly non-signup quotas. A very small number of groups have also been created by users with accounts and profiles in a sign-up quota.

In my network, one quota may have very few profiles, and very few groups within those profiles. Another quota may have many profiles, and large numbers of groups within each profile. My network has both kinds of quota.

Currently, the "off the shelf" jr search system provides a single global search field that looks at an index for all groups, regardless of quota or profile or signup configuration.

The following comments are divided into two sections, A & B....

A. Global search fields at different levels.

For some purposes, it may be useful to have a search field that is displayed when someone is looking for groups within a particular profile, or within a particular quota.

For my network, it would be useful, I think, if users could search at all three levels:

(i) Across all groups in all quotas and profiles -- sign up and not signup (as currently provided),
(ii) Across all groups within a particular quota.
(iii) Across all groups within a particular profile.
(iv) Across all groups in any combination of quotas and profiles.

I suppose (ii - iv) can be hand-crafted for a single jr site, but would such options be useful for many jr sites, not just mine?


B. Other search or browsing styles.

Having options for a 'global' search field, at any level (i-iv above) would be useful, but so might be other search or browsing styles.... alphabetical listing, newest, and most recent.

I have had these other search styles set up for the searching of profiles within my signup quota, and wonder if they can be:

(i) set up for the searching of groups, and

(ii) made standard, as 'off the shelf' options for configuration in the jr system used by everyone?

All thoughts on these matters are welcome. Thanks.
updated by @researchcooperative: 02/03/18 06:59:50PM

How to set up and use the Timeline module effectively?

Using Jamroom

I know what RSS is supposed to do, I think, but the mechanics of it elude me.

When we push an RSS button, are we meant to use the URL for whatever page immediately appears on screen? And then what are we supposed to do with that URL so that it is not just a link in page? If I paste it to a text editor, it is just like any other URL and becomes a page link. What is the name of the thing or place that an RSS URL is supposed to put into? .... mmm, now looking at the Wikipedia page on all this. It's called an RSS reader.

My aim is to have a sub tab in the main menu labelled "Activities", and then to choose and display activities from across the site on a page called "Activities".

Another possible place for this would be in a section of the top page (home page).

I think in Ning we learned that users like to see that a site is alive, with changing content, so that it is good to highlight an active area of the site, or to highlight areas that we want to be active.

Update.... jr documentation for RSS is here

/the-jamroom-network/documentation/modules/277/rss-feed-and-reader

So it is a multistep process, not just copy and paste....

"New RSS Feeds can be created in the Feed Reader Module".... Go to the module, and then it gets complicated because it seems we have to work through template codes and changing our skin before we can use the RSS widget system in site builder to show a RSS feed on a page of choice.
updated by @researchcooperative: 11/01/17 07:55:10AM

How to set up and use the Timeline module effectively?

Using Jamroom

Thanks... OK, I understand (1) now (though I don't use Twitter so the analogy doesn't help me).

But I need to study RSS more because I don't understand that well at all.

How to set up and use the Timeline module effectively?

Using Jamroom

I think this is what the Timeline module basically does when activated for a members signup quota.

1. All the member profiles get an activity feed that shows (a) their own activities on their own public profile page, and (b) the activities of any other members they are following.

Does this work the same for the Admin profile page as for ordinary member pages? i.e. As Admin, I have to deliberately "follow" members for their activities to show on my public profile page?

2. The status update entry field is only visible on a profile when the Timeline is seen in "full view" mode. Ok that is something we can learn. And there is a little RSS feed button there too.

3. How can I use this RSS feed button? It gives me a URL like this:

https://yoursite/feed/timeline/chief-admin

Can I use this to make my personal profile timeline show inside a widget on a sitebuilder page somewhere? How? Should I paste in the whole URL as a link inside the RSS widget box?

And generally speaking, what is the best way to display a timeline that somehow captures most activity or all activity on the site for new visitors to see?

If the RSS thingy can be used for this, it should be a powerful way of highlighting the activities of certain active members, in places other than the particular profile page that is the source of the activities.

4. A timeline for the whole site is here:

https://yoursite/timeline

When I paste this as a link into a widget on a sitebuilder page, it just stays displayed as a link. Is there some way to make timeline contents display directly in a widget panel so that people don't have to click on a link to see the contents?

5. Documentation does not seem to give any overview of different ways to implement or display Timeline across a site. It is merely introduced as a module for Timelines that display on individual profile pages. Its real power may be as a tool that can (a) provide a window to the whole network, or (b) be used to highlight activities of certain groups or people in a network.
updated by @researchcooperative: 02/10/18 02:21:01PM

Timeline checkbox appears in signup form. People joining network may be puzzled

Using Jamroom

Sorry - did not reply previously. The Timeline config help note syas:

"If this option is checked, an "Add To Timeline" checkbox will appear in create/update forms that will allow the user to decide if they want their action added to their timeline. If this is unchecked, then all actions will be recorded to the Timeline.
Default: on "

The user/signup form is the Create twin of the user/account (update aka settings) form in my understanding. So the instruction suggests that the default on setting will put a checkbox in all "create" forms including a signup form, which is where I apparently saw this. I now have it set to off, and have not tried to reproduce what I reported. Sorry.

General vs specific help buttons - in forms

Suggestions

As a JR site administrator, I try to make filling out forms as easy as possible for my visitors and new members.

Fields in the Profile and Account forms are automatically provided with a ? help icon, and I can provide advice on how to fill out specific fields in each form.

At the top of the form, next to the form title, it would be useful to have a help button so that a general help statement can be provided.

I would like to answer questions such as: "Why do I need to fill out this form?" and "Do I need to fill out this form now?" "When do I need to update this form?"

Of course, answers to such questions could all be part of a general site FAQ or in Documentation, but that is not so useful as providing the information exactly where it is needed, at the time it is needed.

I wonder if it would be generally useful in the JR system to provide help buttons alongside the title of each form, as well as for each field in a form.

What do others think?
updated by @researchcooperative: 01/10/18 10:01:12AM

Search reset button vs going back to an earlier page or screen

Suggestions

Thanks,

JR forum search works as you describe (though how to use it is not exactly well signposted for users).

While cross checking with my own site, found a different problem which will need a private support ticket: I can add a term to refine the forum search, and press my return key on the keyboard, and it works fine.

If I add a term and click on the search button, nothing happens. On the JR site, both the return key and click on the search button achieve the same result.

(ps I have a custom-designed page where a search form has been added with a reset button, and this works a little differently from the standard system: the user may more easily realize what to do in order to start a new search when there is a visible reset button - a user-friendly signpost).

Search reset button vs going back to an earlier page or screen

Suggestions

It starts with a new search, but then the user may want to refine terms, or begin a new search again.

Both are equally probable directions for a search effort: forwards or backwards (refine search, reset search).

Search reset button vs going back to an earlier page or screen

Suggestions

With the standard forum module search field, we can get good results, but then the search field assumes that our next step will be to search within the search results. Just as often, users are likely to want to start a new search. In the case of my forum search field, it seems I need to go to the top of the page for the back arrow, and go back to the page where the search started.

I know that reset buttons can be set up, and I wonder if the two options, e.g. for "new search" or "search within results" could be given equal status, in an obvious side by side position, and consistently throughout the JR search system, at every level; i.e. "new search" should not take a person to the all site search unless that is where the particular search session started. If the search started at the level of all forums listed in the forum module datastore, then "new search" should go back to that level.

This is what I currently see as advice after starting a search across all forums in the forum module datastore:

Search Results For: "translating"
All Search Results for "translating"

[followed by the search results)
updated by @researchcooperative: 12/03/17 02:42:27AM

Timeline checkbox appears in signup form. People joining network may be puzzled

Using Jamroom

Hi, I did see it, but then realized that I could go to the Timeline module and turn off "Add to Timeline Option" for the signup quota, so that new users would not see this.

This means that my members will also not have this option when they complete their profile forms, but for the network I run, I think this will be OK.

The key question (I imagine) is whether or not the current default setting is the best setting for most quotas for most networks.

Thanks, Peter