Preliminary discussion on a GALLERY INDEX - Need your input!

[shopnut]

I think that effective use of thread tags could be implemented, especially if moderators can edit thread tags

That was brought up earlier by others, but we didn't get much feedback on how to implement it. I don't know much about them.

 

[luvit]

Somewhere in the form is probably a good place to remind them about bookmarking that Edit link for correcting mistakes.

The first night I determined I couldn't formulate a new link I added the warning to the confirmation screen as "this is your only chance"... close to the link.

 

[NASMAN]

That was brought up earlier by others, but we didn't get much feedback on how to implement it. I don't know much about them.

It amazes us that the search option and tags are not already being used to their potential. The needed info to find anything one could seek, is already there for your use.
I just added a tag to this thread. The tag is "index". Now if one was to do a search, all one has to do is click on search in the upper right hand of any main forum page and click on the advanced search option.
In the search option box, where it says "tags" ,type in the word index. Select all forums or garage gallery, from the drop down list and than click on search now. As of now, you will get this thread only listed, because no one else has the tag "index".
To add tags to your thread or anyone else's thread, go to the last page of the thread and scroll down to the last entry, just under the last entry to the right it will say "edit tags" click on it. You can add two tags to any thread, you can add five tags to a thread that you have started. You cannot edit a tag that someone else has put on your thread, but that person can. You can edit your own tags as often as you want.

Please don't feel that we are opposed to your doing an index, it is only our opinion that members have the tools required and they are not using the potential they have at hand. Whatever the reason may be.

 

[shopnut]

Thanks NASMAN for your continued support of this effort.

Just some thoughts on tags...
Lets say we start by asking members to add five tags to their threads. What should the 5 be? We would have to clearly define the list of tags to choose from so searches would be productive. Mispellings will be ignored in a search, so it's up to the member to get it correct. We could define one of them as the size, "1-car", "2-car" and so on since square footage would be all over the place and really not searchable.

Any more thoughts?

 

[NASMAN]

Thanks NASMAN for your continued support of this effort.

Just some thoughts on tags...
Lets say we start by asking members to add five tags to their threads. What should the 5 be? We would have to clearly define the list of tags to choose from so searches would be productive. Mispellings will be ignored in a search, so it's up to the member to get it correct. We could define one of them as the size, "1-car", "2-car" and so on since square footage would be all over the place and really not searchable.

Any more thoughts?

What should the 5 be?
An example would be to check the bottom of our thread and read the tags that are on ours.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51837&page=21

The first one, amazing, is a tag that someone else put on there. The other five are ones that we chose to add as tags. We felt that these would be the most helpful to anyone that might be interested in what is on our thread.
If members are not interested in adding info so that their thread can be more easily found, than they probably will also not take the time to fill out all the info needed to be on the index. If they can't spell their tags right, then they most likely will not spell the info in the form right either.

Also, if a member reading a thread would like to insure that he/she, will be able to find that thread easy at a later date, they have options to do this. One is to subscribe to the thread. Another way to do it is to add a tag to that thread, that they , the reader, can easily run a query on. This tag could be any word or set of numbers that they chose. Example, nicebarn99.

Also not sure that members should be asked to add anything, or have to do anything, to insure that their participation is added to a list or any other non forum based form. What a member wishes to do should be their own choice and of their own doing.

 

[KPSquared]

Just make the info mandatory for posting a build thread. If you don't like it, don't post. . .kind like when you fill out the online forms and you forget one of the red stars and they won't accept it until you provide the required info.

 

[shopnut]

Also not sure that members should be asked to add anything, or have to do anything, to insure that their participation is added to a list or any other non forum based form. What a member wishes to do should be their own choice and of their own doing.

Just make the info mandatory for posting a build thread. If you don't like it, don't post. . .kind like when you fill out the online forms and you forget one of the red stars and they won't accept it until you provide the required info.

Well, there's both ends of the spectrum!

Thanks for your input.

 

[luvit]

mm k.
here is the final product this data. (from this form)
First, I went for function and logic - limited to zero instructions are needed.
Second, I went for scalable format. The questions & columns can now be reordered & added-on to.
Third, I went for aesthetics.. simply an Atomic Industry color theme and format.

The dashboard may not be what I originally visioned, but it's sustainable for all the reasons i just mentioned, above.
Let me know what you think. It's not really practical to stray too far from this base-design.

Owner names are alphabetized by default.
I incorporated filters instead of "A to Z" sorting. It saved a lot of work and is awesome because each person get's their own view instead of sharing the view & controls.
I think the limit is 50 concurrent viewers. lol.
.

 

[shopnut]

Looks like you're making great progress luvit.

Here are some suggestions/comments for you:
1. Can you freeze the first 3 columns (Thread Link, Image, Owner), for those with small monitors? You had it that way at some earlier point and it really worked great, I thought.

2. I can’t get the filters to work. I see the pull-down menu for each column and it looks like the column heading text would execute the sort, but it doesn’t. What am I doing wrong? Also, the filters should be fine for the multiple choice fields, but what about the Sq Ft column? - it would be nice to include a number sort on that one if possible.

3. On the form, I think the members should be instructed to enter data, save the Edit link once submitted, and come back in ** (i.e one hour, one day, whatever timeframe it takes for data to update) to check their entry in the database for errors. I can see people entering threads several times and getting frustrated because they don’t see something happening.

 

[luvit]

Looks like you're making great progress luvit.

Here are some suggestions/comments for you:
1. Can you freeze the first 3 columns (Thread Link, Image, Owner), for those with small monitors? You had it that way at some earlier point and it really worked great, I thought.

2. I can’t get the filters to work. I see the pull-down menu for each column and it looks like the column heading text would execute the sort, but it doesn’t. What am I doing wrong? Also, the filters should be fine for the multiple choice fields, but what about the Sq Ft column? - it would be nice to include a number sort on that one if possible.

3. On the form, I think the members should be instructed to enter data, save the Edit link once submitted, and come back in ** (i.e one hour, one day, whatever timeframe it takes for data to update) to check their entry in the database for errors. I can see people entering threads several times and getting frustrated because they don’t see something happening.

1) i can;t frame freeze and still offer sorting or filters.
i was also felt the freeze made small monitors even smaller as you couldn't really tell how far you scrolled and fewer columns of data were visible..
Even on my high-res screen, i felt i best knew where the data was when the whole screen moved.

2) check it out now.. from the proper link (initial view)

3) data sweeping is gone, you may not have been viewing the new data from the supplied link.

At this moment, all I feel I have to do is review my work for large scale growth.
No data will become lost due to growth, it's just that it may not display correctly until identified or corrected.

This thing is fully automated now. -- data
Sort and Filtering is complete.
The Map is improved and interactive.
Charts are improved.. I plan to add a few more, though.

 

[shopnut]

Consider this thread closed. Thanks for your input.

The new INDEX thread is up and running. Check it out here: Garage Gallery INDEX

Please make any new comments/suggestions in the new thread. Thanks.