Category: Zone BBS Suggestions and Feedback
I'm not really sure if this is the right place for this, but as we don't often know what happens when we email the admin, I felt the following was worth a discussion.
In the past when the admins make changes, improvements and new features, they have posted to the news file, which would pop up the next time we log into the zone. Recently however this hasn't been happening, and I at least am finding it quite frustrating.
I'm sure we're all very greatful for the work that both Chris and J put into the site, and the improvements that are made, but with them not posting the updates, it has meant a lot more questions in public quick notes. In the past we could bitch at people for not reading the news file, and get on with what we are doing. At the moment we go through a period of a question, and varied answers from people with different bits of information, some up to date, and others not.
The latest situation for example has been the change in phone numbers for zone by phone. New numbers have been posted to our account page, but how many of us actually visit that page unless we are trying to change something? These changes have meant that people come on, ask what is wrong with the number for the feature, and they either get told that they need to check their account page, or get told that the number is down and not functioning right now. So mixed messages.
So in brief, please don't feel I'm ungreatful for anything you are doing for us, just that I feel you put in place a system by which you could keep us up to date with it all, and I guess due to the fact you are busy, it isn't being used. All I ask is that you try to use this again, and so things can get back to normal.
i agree the news file was how i used to check for site updates.
yes, same here!
I think sometimes we post to the news board and forget about the file. We'll work on this.
I think it would be good if we followed the example of www.audiogames.net.
They gave permition to 4 of their users to be able to post news files on the site. So something simmilar could happen here. Admins and cls could choose some users who they thing are responsible and reliable and they could post news. Or even an application form simmilar to comunity leaders would be good so users can write why they would be good for the job.
But i agree the news file should get updated more often.
Yes, more consistency in keeping the news and announcements files up to date would be good. I often direct new people and old users who have taken quite a bit of time away from the zone to check the news files, but if they are not being kept up to date, checking these files is not going to be a lot of help. And for those of us who don't often have public quicknotes turned on, even quicknote discussions aren't going to do us any good. So again, keeping news files up to date would be appreciated.
I agree. When I came on here, I could count on being advised about changes to the zone when I logged on.
Sometimes now, I find, instead, a post in this board, or just run into a change and think I'm going crazy. Well, maybe I am.
However, the announcement about the new phone numbers was an excellent example.
BTW: thanks for a job well done, just advertise your work better, please.
Bob
what about if when there was a new topic posted to the news board, you'd be notified on log on as well? Maybe since we have 2 separate avenues going for news, that's bad, but I think we can make them work together.
I like j's idea. And also an RSS link for the news board in the main page would be good. So users would have a variaty of ways to get updated.
I mean the link already exists but in the main page it would be easier to be detected.
For people who might be interested the link for the announsment board is: http://www.zonebbs.com/rss/board36.xml
cood you just make them automaticly update when the other is posted on.
Or, J, you could just simply copy and paste whatever you write in the announcements board, into the news file? With the few HTML tags that you need to add in (either 2 or 3) it'd only take an extra minute or 2?
Actually, most of the time, just 2 tages, since most updates are only 1 paragraph long. I agree, we need to keep things more in sync around here, and the news file should remain the central feeding point of new developments.
I added a few more newer items from the zoneBBS announcements board, so hopefully things are more up-to-date there now.
GOod thoughts. What used to happen is a short post on the news file with more details on the board. We'll try to resume this.