The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

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LittleAtari
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The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by LittleAtari » Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:03 pm

What do you guys think of journals as a form of social interaction on the Org? Do you like them? Hate them? Do you think the idea is nice but they're just a little off in some way?


I personally like the concept of journals. A lot of communities have things like blogs and such on their site, but I do have a few things that are just =/ about them.

First, I dont like that because people can't comment on a journal post, they make another new journal post to respond to that journal post and anyone who checks a journal post mid convo, is lost because you dont know what they're talking about or who's in on this conversation. Moreover, if more than 10 people make a post, you cant go back and check on the rest of that convo to even try to find your place. I think that this can be remedied by allowing people to comment on a specific journal post.

Second, am I the only person that thinks it's weird that something so random is on the main page and easy to find? I mean it's easier to find the journals than is it to find the search options or forums.

Third, the Journal system revolves around WHO makes the journal post, which, theoretically speaking, is the point of the journal, but if it's on the main page, what is going to motivate me to check out someone's journal post if I dont know who they are? Personally, I think journal posts should only be featured on a person's profile page. If it's going to be featured elsewhere then it should say the title of their post rather than their name or include that in addition to it.

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Arigatomina
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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by Arigatomina » Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:35 pm

LittleAtari wrote:Second, am I the only person that thinks it's weird that something so random is on the main page and easy to find? I mean it's easier to find the journals than is it to find the search options or forums.
A lot of the people who like the journals being where they are, are people who already know all about the forum and where all the links for searching and such are. They're journal regulars. And with them on the front page, and watching the front page, they're in a position to notice when non-regulars post there. This is a good thing, in my opinion.

I like that it tells the name of the people who've posted recently. I don't want to read about every bowel movement a person has, or their twitter-like daily posts in their journals, so I don't want to subscribe to them. But if I see a familiar name on the front page, I check it out. I often use the frontpage journal entries to see if there's anything brewing in the forum, since thick topics in here draw familiar names to post out there. I would not want to see the journals hidden away on the people's profiles because then I'd only see the journals I subscribe to, and I don't want to subscribe to every familiar name I know on the off chance they'll post something I'm interested in someday. I'd also miss all the unfamiliar names that pop up on the front page. I saw a new girl post in her journal this afternoon, talking about how she'd just posted her very first vid. I went and looked at her vid and will probably op it for her since I like getting first dibs on new vids by new editors. I'd never have seen her vid or even been aware of her sudden existence if not for her unusual name being on the front page amid all those familiar people. This is useful to me. I don't take it for granted. I don't want to lose it.

Put another way, Journals are our off-topic section. Yeah, donators can post in the OT section of the forum, but there aren't many topics being discussed down there. Usually it's the same ten or so threads and the same fifteen or so donators. With journals you get everything any member of this site feels like writing about. And while you can't currently respond to them very well (outside PMs), it's still a way to get to know people's views about topics they might never post about here in the forum, even if they were allowed to post about them here. And a few years ago the journals were a subsitute 'introduction' section as well. I think the journal buddies have officially disbanded or toned down a lot, but we still have a lot of familiar names who stay on the front page pretty often - right where they can (if they choose to) see and greet first-time journal posters. All of this will be gone if the only journals anyone knows about are the ones they've already subscribed to directly from the member's profile.

So, I'm for keeping the journal on the main page right where it is. No minimizing or hiding it, unless it's shown by default and people are given the option to hide it if they never use it. New members see it, that's why they post in their own journals, often making their first journal entry the same day they join the org. If it were hidden by default then a lot of them would never know it exists.

I like the idea of comments. The last time I checked, having conversations in your journals was against the rules. We'd have to officially change that rule before we can even discuss making it possible to comment on journals. Personally, I use my livejournal more than my org one. If I want people to comment, I can just make the post in livejournal, copy&paste it into my org journal, and link them back to the original livejournal post if they want to respond. Heck, I don't even have to copy and paste the entire entry into the org journal, just a quick summary and a "come here to read and comment" link would do the trick. Since a lot of people have journals and blogs outside the org, we don't *really* need comments to be available on the org journal. But...if they were available...people might post in their org journals more often. They certainly would have less reason to direct org members off-site in order to communicate with them.

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CodeZTM
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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by CodeZTM » Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:55 pm

I honestly think journals are the one thing that the org really doesn't need to change. It's sufficient as-is, but could be improved upon. Comments and basic codes to insert images or what-not would be a nice addition.

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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by dokidoki » Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:10 pm

LittleAtari wrote:If it's going to be featured elsewhere then it should say the title of their post rather than their name or include that in addition to it.
Title can now be seen when hovering over user's name on main page.
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LittleAtari
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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by LittleAtari » Mon Nov 08, 2010 9:26 pm

dokidoki wrote:
LittleAtari wrote:If it's going to be featured elsewhere then it should say the title of their post rather than their name or include that in addition to it.
Title can now be seen when hovering over user's name on main page.
well nice :shock:
Thanks Doki

EDIT:
CodeZTM wrote:I honestly think journals are the one thing that the org really doesn't need to change. It's sufficient as-is, but could be improved upon. Comments and basic codes to insert images or what-not would be a nice addition.
Yea, definitely agree with those. Also, i would like to be able to turn text into links in them.

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Castor Troy
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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by Castor Troy » Mon Nov 08, 2010 11:00 pm

After being on livejournal for a long time, the .org journals can and will benefit with a comment system.
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Otohiko
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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by Otohiko » Tue Nov 09, 2010 2:30 am

Castor Troy wrote:After being on livejournal for a long time, the .org journals can and will benefit with a comment system.
Agreed. Although part of me also wants to suggest that to some extent, Journals partially fill the gap caused by a lack of proper OT forums, and it's my sneaking suspicion that comments will turn the journals into an .org OT forum in all but name only.

Still, while it might seem that the journals are somewhat redundant, it seems like a community's grown around those, and I'd rather not disturb it. Better to give it a couple of handy tools, like said comments and links.
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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by BasharOfTheAges » Tue Nov 09, 2010 8:09 am

Give them whatever they want, but set the priority to the bottom. Key site functionality is and will remain far more important - it really should be completed first.
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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by dreamawake » Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:26 pm

Otohiko wrote:
Castor Troy wrote:After being on livejournal for a long time, the .org journals can and will benefit with a comment system.
Agreed. Although part of me also wants to suggest that to some extent, Journals partially fill the gap caused by a lack of proper OT forums, and it's my sneaking suspicion that comments will turn the journals into an .org OT forum in all but name only.

Still, while it might seem that the journals are somewhat redundant, it seems like a community's grown around those, and I'd rather not disturb it. Better to give it a couple of handy tools, like said comments and links.
This would be great. :up:
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Re: The Org Redesign - Social Features - Journals

Post by Knowname » Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:56 pm

Journal talk is baaaaaad mmmk? I know I keep pointing to how things are 'supposed to be', but. Just FYI (IMHO) Journals are SUPPOSED to be used just to express your opinion. Rant in such a way. It needs no reply, in fact it SHOULD NOT have a reply! that's how you get into arguments! If you want a fight come onto the forum, we'd be happy to give you a jab or two :).

Journaling is the MOST welcoming aspect, and really the ONLY welcoming aspect of the org, let's not change that please :) (this is why I think an intro forum would just be redundant... just put it in a journal!)
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