Create a sub-forum for blogs

[Onthepath]

Create a sub-forum for blogs. Perhaps call it “Your KSMO Journey”, “Your Progress”, or something to that effect.

I know that the OrgasmWiki has a blog type feature with the user talk, but it’s difficult for a newbie (or anyone else) to see all of the content that's been entered. It certainly doesn’t encourage you to browse around. I'll admit I'm a wiki novice so perhaps there's some link or feature that I'm not aware of.

Using the forum for blog entries keeps everything in one place. Here are some advantages:

1. Users can create entries that are already time stamped and in date order.
2. Other users can reply to specific entries if they want to offer encouragement, advice, or a pat on the back. This can be done while still allowing the blogger to add new replies to the main thread.
3. The subject of a new entry/reply can be edited so you can quickly jump to that entry. I haven't tried this but the subject field is editable for new replies.
4. Other users can subscribe to a user's blog.
5. The blog entries will be included in the search results. This may be a good thing, maybe not.
6. A forum/blog entry is protected from being edited by other users. I doubt that this has ever been or will be an issue, but it may cause some people to think twice before posting.

One disadvantage to not using the wiki is that the forum doesn't have that cool table of contents feature that is automatically generated when using headers. It is also much easier to go to your blog with the "my talk" link. You would have to expend a little more effort if you used the forum. There may be other advantages to using the wiki, but I can't think of any right now.

I know that anyone can create a blog right now in the main chat sub-forum, but perhaps having a dedicated sub-forum would keep those types of posts from getting intermingled with regular problem/question type posts.

I don’t have that many blog entries in the wiki, but I wouldn't mind moving them to the forum. For other users who have already created a blog of sorts in the forum, it may be a simple matter of moving those threads into the new sub-forum. Other users who have already spent a lot of time putting their entries in the wiki and like using it may prefer to keep their entries over there. That's certainly their choice.

What do you think? Would this be a good idea?

Onthepath

[Jack]

Onthepath, your suggestions are spot on!

Jelsoft, the developers of vBulletin have an integrated blog system in development as we speak.

Just click that link to track updates on the status of this add-on product.

Meanwhile, as you described, there are ways that a sort-of blog may be rigged using the current Forum capabilities.

If you'd like to take this interim project on, contact me directly and I will create a sub-forum space and make you a moderator with enough rights to configure it and manage it.

Meanwhile...

Originally Posted by Onthepath

Create a sub-forum for blogs. Perhaps call it “Your KSMO Journey”, “Your Progress”, or something to that effect.

I'd vote for something like "My Multiple Orgasm Trigger Adventure". It gets Search Engine - meaningful key phrase indexed and imho journey may seem like a bit of a trudge, whereas adventure it seems to me has more zing. What do you think?

I know that the OrgasmWiki has a blog type feature with the user talk, but it’s difficult for a newbie (or anyone else) to see all of the content that's been entered.

??? I don't understand what you mean by this. What's difficult about it? Please give a link reference and details about where and why you get stuck.

That way you and I and others can add some tips for making it easier. Remember, the purpose of a wiki is to be a collaborative effort, and of course that includes writing the help articles to make the wiki content more easily accessible. - Thanks!

It certainly doesn’t encourage you to browse around.

Could you please clarify this comment as I'm having trouble visualizing what kind of browsing you're wanting to do. We may be able to tweak the wiki to make that easier as well. Thanks!

I'll admit I'm a wiki novice so perhaps there's some link or feature that I'm not aware of.

I'm sure there are many others in the same position, and I am one of them... I'm the discoverer and a global expert on teaching the Multiple Orgasm Trigger Protocol, but that does not extend to either vBulletin or wiki software. I'm essentially in the same boat as you! Let's help each other!

1. Users can create entries that are already time stamped and in date order.

Yes that's generally an advantage but it can become cumbersome if for some reason you want to change that order. Overall, I agree that the time-stamping is a benefit.

NOTE: Individual users may use the User CP (i.e., the User Control Panel) to set their own preferences for viewing a thread in descending or ascending order by date.

2. Other users can reply to specific entries if they want to offer encouragement, advice, or a pat on the back. This can be done while still allowing the blogger to add new replies to the main thread.

As a wiki novice, I may be overlooking something here too, but it seems to me that on this issue, the vBulletin Forum structure offers a distinct advantage.

3. The subject of a new entry/reply can be edited so you can quickly jump to that entry. I haven't tried this but the subject field is editable for new replies.

That is correct, and you may also go back later and edit the subject title of your posts (or a thread moderator may have rights to edit same for all posts in a thread) using the Thread Tools option for editing a thread.

4. Other users can subscribe to a user's blog.

Quite right!

5. The blog entries will be included in the search results. This may be a good thing, maybe not.

Not sure when it would not be a good idea since this is a public Knowledge Base. If it's not a good idea for something posted to be public, then it probably should be posted by the user at some other website's blog.

Although vB software does provide private forum option, it's not within the defined purpose of our particular application.

6. A forum/blog entry is protected from being edited by other users. I doubt that this has ever been or will be an issue, but it may cause some people to think twice before posting.

Except of course by moderators or administrators having editing rights.

In general, wiki's are open-edit systems, but ours is limited only to same by registered users and users do have the option on request to admin to lock content.

One very BIG advantage of the wiki is that it has version control. That is, it keeps a copy of all past versions so if somebody inadvertently or intentionally edited a wiki article (what wiki posts are called, actually) in a manner not acceptable by administrators or the author, the post could be reverted.

vB does have some ability (I think!) but so far it's not as obvious to me how to use it.

Of course in either venue, vandalism will not be tolerated (again only registered users would have that kind of access) and would result in a loss of registered user rights and even IP blocking.

One disadvantage to not using the wiki is that the forum doesn't have that cool table of contents feature that is automatically generated when using headers. It is also much easier to go to your blog with the "my talk" link. You would have to expend a little more effort if you used the forum. There may be other advantages to using the wiki, but I can't think of any right now.

If you are posting in both places, it's a good idea to post links in each, pointing to related posts in the other venue - i.e. from forum to wiki and vice versa.

BTW, this is also why I went to the considerable effort and expense to install and support both state of the art wiki and state of the art forum installations.

I know that anyone can create a blog right now in the main chat sub-forum, but perhaps having a dedicated sub-forum would keep those types of posts from getting intermingled with regular problem/question type posts.

Most definitely! This was a particular challenge in the old klunky Akiva WebBoard forum software as moving posts and threads was a real nightmare, and basically impractical.

Since all of that content DID successfully migrate into the way cool vBulletin software we're now running, vB provides VERY easy to use ability to move and merge posts and threads. It still requires some effort though on the part of a volunterr moderator/editor to get it done though.

BTW I WELCOME volunteers to help with that kind of maintenance and fine-tuning of the Knowledge Base content. After all, I am just one guy and I have no paid staff.

This online community is ideally a truly collaborative effort so volunteer assistance is very welcome! And thanks to those who are already doing this kind work in giving something back to this community which hopefully is giving a lot to you!

I don’t have that many blog entries in the wiki, but I wouldn't mind moving them to the forum.

Rather than stripping the wiki of content, I'd prefer that wherever in the Forum you wind up blogging, that you post a referral link to the content already posted in the wiki. That's not a total law though. If there's not much you could just post a copy of your wiki content to your new blog in the Forum.

For other users who have already created a blog of sorts in the forum, it may be a simple matter of moving those threads into the new sub-forum.

I wouldn't necessarily call it simple but it's a heck of a lot easier than danged-nigh impossible as it was in Akiva WebBoard!

It's still a job for an editor and ahem ahem as I mentioned, I welcome volunteer editors to help with this.

vB's system is actually VERY cool as it also automatically builds in an invisible redirect link from the old location to the new location in the Forum. Now THAT is SWEET!

Other users who have already spent a lot of time putting their entries in the wiki and like using it may prefer to keep their entries over there. That's certainly their choice.

Absolutely! And please remember to include links in a given post that point to the posts in the other area - from Orgasmwiki to Forum and vice versa!!!

Thanks for giving this issue so much carefully articulated thought, Onthepath!

Any registered user: please contact me directly if you are willing to volunteer some time and effort to help with the content maintenance of the Forum... Thanks!

Best regards,
Jack

[Onthepath]

Jelsoft, the developers of vBulletin have an integrated blog system in development as we speak.

That's good to know. It's probably best then to wait until that has been released rather than expending the effort to try and create a pseudo blog.

I'd vote for something like "My Multiple Orgasm Trigger Adventure". It gets Search Engine - meaningful key phrase indexed and imho journey may seem like a bit of a trudge, whereas adventure it seems to me has more zing. What do you think?

The word Adventure, to me, implies something that is exciting, fast paced, high energy, and full of danger. Perhaps I've seen too many action-adventure movies! I also don't think it's a term that is commmonly used by other members when describing their progress with the protocol. I may be wrong though, you would be a better judge of that. Yes, Adventure certainly sounds more exciting, but it may be interpreted as a form of hype. For me, my KSMO progress is slow, but I'm still experiencing new and exciting things from time to time. So, to me, this is a journey.

??? I don't understand what you mean by this. What's difficult about it? Please give a link reference and details about where and why you get stuck.

The link I would provide is just to the main page of the wiki, so that won't help much. When you go to the main page of the Wiki, how can you view all of the content that has been entered? There is a link to a page about what's been written so far, but the links to other user's blogs in that document are hardcoded. As entries are added by new users, this page must be manually updated. The Recent Changes link can be used but if there hasn't been any posts for a while, nothing displays.

In the forum, everything is exposed: you see the sub-forums, you see new and old threads. It's easy to browse around. The Wiki is not a forum by design, it's used to manage and link documents. When using Wikipedia after a Google search, it shows me the document that I'm looking for, but I don't see an A-Z pane or some other sort of navigation where I can quickly jump to any of the other topics, related or not, that it contains. All I see are related links to other documents.

Since all of that content DID successfully migrate into the way cool vBulletin software we're now running, vB provides VERY easy to use ability to move and merge posts and threads. It still requires some effort though on the part of a volunterr moderator/editor to get it done though.

I wouldn't necessarily call it simple but it's a heck of a lot easier than danged-nigh impossible as it was in Akiva WebBoard!

Yes, moving a thread is probably very easy. Finding it is another story! To save on the effort involved an existing user could probably make a request providing the forum links involved.

Hope this helps!

Onthepath

[Jack]

Onthepath,
Until the new Blogs section becomes available in a subsequent release of vBulletin, I could create a new Forum with a title that includes the word Blogs and then anybody who'd like to create a blog could just let me know.

I can then create a sub-forum for each person wanting a blogspace, and give the blog author rights to that sub-forum to both create new threads and posts, while giving all other members rights to reply but not create a new thread.

If you like that idea, I'll investigate its feasibility further...

Ok, here's the latest dialogue between me and the lead dog from vBulletin Support, Steve Machol:

Until the new Blogs section becomes available in a subsequent release of vBulletin, could I create a new Forum with a title that includes the word Blogs and then anybody who'd like to create a blog could just let me know?

Then for each person wanting a blogspace can I create a sub-forum, and give the blog author rights to that sub-forum to both create new threads and posts, while giving all other members rights to reply but not create a new thread?

Is that possible, using the current release of the software, by tweaking the rights to a specific sub-forum?

If so, how is it done?

Not asking for a Mod here, just if it's feasible with the current software, given the ways that rights to specific sub-forums can be handled.

Thanks!
Jack

Steve Machol
Jul 19th '07 10:49pm

That has nothing to do with the Blog and of course that will not import into the Blog when it is ready.

You can, of course, create any forums you want and assign the appropriate Forum and Usergroup permissions. However doing what you want would require creating a separate usergroup for each member that you want to have their own forum.

Best regards,
Steve Machol
Customer Support Manager, vBulletin

John L. Johnston
Jul 20th '07 12:51am

Thanks. Is there a limit to the number of usergroups one can create?

How about making such a set up importable to the new blog software when it's ready?

Or is that a job for vB.org?

Best,
Jack
Steve Machol
Jul 20th '07 10:36am

There is no theoretical limit to the number of usergroups you can create but obviously the more you have the more difficult it will be to manage your forums. Personally I would wait until the vB Blog is released, but that's just me.

There will be importers from some of the major blog systens, but I do not have a list available nore do I know the timing on how soon those importers will be available after the release of vB Blog. Sorry I can't be more specific.

Best regards,
Steve Machol
Customer Support Manager, vBulletin


From John Johnston:

Thanks Steve. Any **ballpark GUESStimate** of timeframe on the vB Blog?

I'll update this thread when I hear back from him.

Onthepath, will you be creating a blog if/when I set this up?

I'd also like to know who else in our community would use such a system if I set it up...

OR should we wait until the official vB Blog system is available?

I'm waiting to hear from Steve Machol *approximately* when that will be.

Onthepath, thanks for asking!

All the best,
Jack

[Jack]

Ok, here's Steve's reply re: timeframe as of 20070720:

It is in private beta now. The private beta for Project Tools tooks about 2 months. I'm not saying that this is a valid estimate but it's the only thing I have to compare this to.

Best regards,
Steve Machol

Onthepath, please let me know what you'd like me to do.
Jack

[Onthepath]

Hi Jack,

I don't have any problem waiting until the new Blog tool is released. Creating a sub-forum per user sounds like a lot of work for you and it's only going to be another few months or so (we hope) until it's released. In the meantime, a user can just as easily create a thread and reply to it themselves as I think some have already done, or use the wiki.

Onthepath