latest discussions in ning skin

can the latest discussions (on front page and in profiles) be lists of forum discussions (wether main forum or other profile forums) instead of group discussions and if anything have a latest group activity that includes comments and discussions etc in groups
but that latest discussions really needs to be the forums or its just confusing and misleading


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soaringeagle
head dreadhead at dreadlocks site
glider pilot student and member/volunteer coordinator with freedoms wings international soaring for people with disabilities
updated by @soaringeagle: 07/09/16 09:21:02AM

Yes I strongly agree- right now we have two main page modules for Groups, and two for Blogs... but none for Forum discussions. And currently the "Latest Discussions" really means latest group discussions- this is a holdover from before you added the stand alone forum discussions module- maybe when you guys thought all discussions were within groups? To most of us, "latest discussions" would mean latest forum discussions, not group discussions.

Here is the way I am wishing I could organize mine:
The main navigation bar along top could have for example links to the main areas that each have modules, like: Forums, Groups, Videos, Music, Profiles, Blogs, Galleries, Events. And of course the member's personal profile page with their name as a link. (I have already added top menu links myself for Events and Blogs to my own site, but they should really be there by default- basically links to any feature that has its own content JRmodule)

Then the main page could have a module each of the MOST RECENTLY updated or added: Discussions(forum, that is), Groups, Videos, Music, Profiles/members, Blogposts, Gallery/images, ComingEvents. Within each of these we should be able to set the number of items that show in the main page module, plus we should be able to drag each module to either a wide/large column or to a narrow side column, to give it more or less importance customized to our own sites.

For example, right now on my main page Blogs are taking up WAY too much spotlight, with two modules basically both showing the SAME thing: most recent blog posts. And one of those is in a giant wide column. I only need ONE main page 'latest blog posts' module. My latest activity, latest forum discussions, and latest videos are at least as important as member blogs on my site, if not more important.

And since we already do have a top menu link to (all) GROUPS, I'd be cool with simply having as soaring suggested, only ONE main page module for Groups, that shows various latest group activities (comments, and discussion posts within groups)- but it needs to be labeled Latest Group Activities, or Latest Groups...not "latest discussions' which implies the main forum, not groups.

Then as Soaring hinted at, the main page Latest Activities could include an overview of all latest posted content and activities- from most all areas: new members joining, new discussions, new group activities, new songs, new videos, new blog posts....etc. It might be too much to ask, but our Ning sites had a "More" button on the main latest activity column, enabling people to continue to see stuff they might have missed if they went away for a couple days. Right now there isn't much room for more than 7 entries or so, with the avatars showing so big on the Latest Activity list- too much white blank space. 7 entries would sink out of sight in a couple of hours on my site, and people would be tearing their hair out trying to keep up with what happened that day on my site.

Basically, what Im suggesting is that the top navigation strip LINKS be to the main content areas that show "all" of each type of content (videos, blogs, profiles, etc) and the main page MODULES should be showing the 'latest activity' occurring within each of those sections- latest blog posts, latest members joining, latest group activities, latest videos posted, etc.

I also have an issue with the main page modules only showing UPLOADED videos (no youtubes or vimeos) and only UPLOADED music (no soundlcloud clips). This arrangement will encourage people to load all their videos and MP3s right onto my site instead of embedding them through YT and SC, and over years that will lead to a huge amount of content on my server. I am willing to bet that 90% of all ning network videos are youtube embedded. Also, I envision every week people asking me "I posted a youtube video yesterday but I don't see it in the video section..where'd it go?" This issue however is really a separate discussion that I intend to raise later, in a SEPARATE thread. (sorry!)

Hopefully we will be able to drag these modules around on the main page to switch between narrow or big columns with the coming Site Builder, I assume? That way we can all adjust how prominent they appear on our various sites.

I'm just throwing out some things that have been a bit frustrating or illogical for me that are the same issues or related to what Soaring brought up here. These kinds of layout/function changes may greatly smooth the experience for those who follow us. I deeply appreciate all that you guys are doing and am amazed at your efficiency. Thanks!


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015
updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

i agree on some of those points but have some other suggestions and hope i can make mine in fewer words

um and forgive me if im wrong but i think if you add the class "dragable" to the modules container div (would take testing to see wich) that will make them dragable?

but for organization 1st off strumelia the activity feed doesnt have a more button it has a next page button its the same basic functionality

but id like to see where the activity is now that be the main forums display in the big space ..with an excerpt under the titles
the activity feed id move to the narrow column next to that same height

douglass... would you like backend access to my ning 2 and 3 sites so you can get an idea of the admin interface like the 'features layout" that lets you arange the main page features and set options for each like how many etc

below the discussions/activity id put the photos below that groups (1 module) events i dont have a problem with the blog setup myself but could do with her suggestion as well

i dont know if the front page needs to be dragable if thats not too easy but if there was a front page editor with commented sections that let you cut n paste items where you want them like a shorthand code that calls the modules into place


1 thing i disagree on to a point is the vids i agree that when you add a vimeo yt or on site vid it should show in the activity ..but i on the other hand want to encourage more use of the on server vids that way they have to come to my site to view it and cant simply go onto youtube to see the same exact thing

as you will find no 2 ning users will ever agree on exactly what they want 100% of the time haha you'll never please us all as an out of the box thing however you offer the power for us to please ourselves
so once you have something that gives that initail very usable impression and atracts some of the more gifted coders to come over and start posting tips and tweaks and custom modules ..then you'll have a 1 site pleases all situation

your close
and i think attention to the activity feed and the front page layout customization options will get ya there

ning took 56 months to a year to get a decent activity feed rolled out so no pressure to perfect it right away just giving ya long term ideas

but short term i think a few tweaks with the discussions and maybe adding all content sources to the activity will be a big head start

strum in the jractive module there should be an image with the lil arrow thingy replace that with your own "more" button image and that should do the trick..but instead of extending outwards it flips a page


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soaringeagle
head dreadhead at dreadlocks site
glider pilot student and member/volunteer coordinator with freedoms wings international soaring for people with disabilities
updated by @soaringeagle: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

The site builder system will take care of the drag-n-drop functionality.

the jrSeamless module is the one that combines lists, like the youtube,videos,vimeo. I haven't done much testing with seamless and the site builder system, so will go take a look at that now.

Then I'll keep reading.....
updated by @michael: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

yea i know thats what seemless does i just havent been able to figure out how to do it lol

i think i need to create something in seemless that combines the 3 vid modules then use a code to replace the vid code in the acctivity or maybe in jr action ..
i looked at it abit but i know if i cant figure it out then strumelias going to need very detailed easy to follow step by step instructions

(and strum if u need hands on help let me know and ill show u exactly what i am doing in fact if u want we could do a screen share thing so u can watch how its done)


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soaringeagle
head dreadhead at dreadlocks site
glider pilot student and member/volunteer coordinator with freedoms wings international soaring for people with disabilities
updated by @soaringeagle: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

I've got an interface built for the Site builder system to construct Seamless queries now. You fill out the form, it builds the code.

After building the interface and doing a bit of testing, it surprised me. I've always thought, "Yeah, its for combining all the audio stuff together and all the video stuff together." but it can combine anything you want that has a datastore.

Here's the docs:

"Seamless"
https://www.jamroom.net/the-jamroom-network/documentation/modules/289/seamless

Here's the example code to start playing with it:

That reads in english: "Get me a list of the latest 3 items from either Youtube or Vimeo."

but you can just as easily ask for "Get me a list of the latest 3 items from Audio or Events or Blogs." and you'll still get the latest 3 of whatever is newer. Its cool.
updated by @michael: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

Yes that seamless would be cool. My members would find it odd and annoying to have to go to 3 different areas to see or look for certain videos.
I'd also love the main top link for "Videos" to go to a general page that shows vids from all the 3 sources somehow? Same for Audio- to show both Soundcloud and uploaded audio clips rahter than going to separate places in the site.

SE I do not have n arrow or a next page thing at all for my activity feed (Ningja skin)- there is nothing there to be able to see older activities- that's why I was asking for something like a more button- I have nothing right now on it.

Dragging modules into different columns (wide, narrow, up higher, down lower)- well that would solve so much and if it were like that in the Site Builder then awesome.


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015
updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

Yes a main page Forum Discussions box with a short excerpt under each entry is great. No need for TWO Blog boxes both showing latest blog posts. I do need my main Latest Activities to be in a wide column, but that's where drap/drop comes in with the site builder.
Thanks!


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...just another satisfied Jamroom customer.
Migrated from Ning to Jamroom June 2015
updated by @strumelia: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

i might have to play with site builder again
but i think i can just as easiloy edit the templates with the seamless codes

i wish there was a way to work on a skin like in sitebuilder when its not active but you can still see the stuff your doing like ning 2 had a test network never really worked perfectly but was like an isolated environment u could trry out things in then import it into the live network
if there was a way to work on the sitebuilder in an 'offline' mode or something that wasnt visible to users till it was activated but admins could switch into it for development ...maybe an addition to the development tools that put a skin into a temporary test folder where you can work on it by just going to yoursite.com/test..developing the whiole sites look and function then click activate and it goes live


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soaringeagle
head dreadhead at dreadlocks site
glider pilot student and member/volunteer coordinator with freedoms wings international soaring for people with disabilities
updated by @soaringeagle: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

I do this sort of thing on a localhost installation and then upload the finished skin or module. It's a pretty good way of working.

There's a guide here:
https://www.jamroom.net/ultrajam/documentation/guides/2146/installing-ampps-locally-on-mac-os-x

If you try that on windows it should be very similar, but please let me know if there are any different steps.


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¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Education, learning resources, TEL, AR/VR/MR, CC licensed content, panoramas, interactive narrative, sectional modules (like jrDocs), lunch at Uni of Bristol. Get in touch if you share my current interests or can suggest better :)
updated by @ultrajam: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

awesome thnx


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soaringeagle
head dreadhead at dreadlocks site
glider pilot student and member/volunteer coordinator with freedoms wings international soaring for people with disabilities
updated by @soaringeagle: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

Sounds like you want a way to rename locations.

You can work on it in 'new_homepage' then when its ready, rename it to 'index' to have it appear as the homepage.

I'll add that in.
updated by @michael: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM

well in a way but what i mean is like working on a seperate skin like now if i want to work on slate i have to activate slate and work onit and its visible to the users
i think the on my pc test servers a great option the thing is i dont see a windows version
what ning had was a test network wich was a copy of your site but with a diferent url wich could be a subdomain like test.yoursite.com and its kinda a mirrored site and u can work on it then apply the settings from test to the live site


its alot to ask...and certainly not a priority
is there a windows way to run a jamroom test server in my pc like he suggested?


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soaringeagle
head dreadhead at dreadlocks site
glider pilot student and member/volunteer coordinator with freedoms wings international soaring for people with disabilities
updated by @soaringeagle: 12/29/14 09:23:54AM