wrong forum

[RayFarmer]

To All Users,

To try to reduce the number of messages posted to the wrong forum, I recommended that the User recheck the Select Board control is set to the intended forum either before starting typing message or before Submitting Post.

This is particular to the Most Active Boards, as this forces the user to do a search before posting new post.

It would be useful if this could be added to the Announcements for a while to bring to the attention of everyone one.

Regards

Ray Farmer

Message Edited by Ray Farmer on 04-24-2008 01:26 PM

[Darren]

Another idea would be to have the default be "LabVIEW", since it has more traffic than all the other forums combined, and is most likely what the user wanted to choose.

-D

[j_dodek]

Hi D,

Thats your opinion.

I totally agree Ray's suggestion or should i search my TS-stuff in LV in future?

Greetings from another TestStand-Guy

juergen

[Darren]

Alternatively, we could make the board a required input, i.e. it defaults to [Select One], and you can't submit the search/post until you've selected something.  I've seen other websites do that.

-D

[RayFarmer]

Darren,

I have tried a few experiments. What I have noticed is this:

If you do a search from NI Discussion Forum or One of the Most Active Boards such as the Most Active Software Boards where you have to Search before you can Post.

Then Posting a New Post, the Select Control is set to the last forum visited or maybe it the last active forum posted from.

eg. I am currently in the Feedback forums answering this post.

I started a new window and selected Most Active Software Boards. In the Search control I typed Help and pressed the GO button. 

A list of posts are displayed. I select one in the Instrument Control forum. I decide its not suitable so I go back to the search list and press the Post This Question button.

I'm not sure where I think I am in but the Select Control is set to Feedback on the NI Discussion Forum. I want the Instrument Control forum, but if I dont change the Select Control setting and continue with entering my post then Submit. Its going to end up in the Feedback forum.

So maybe that its not such a bad idea to have a default setting of [Select One]. Then if you dont change it and Submit Post maybe a new page is displayed to allow the User to make a selection on the Change Select before the message is finally sent. Or Maybe the Submit button is not enabled until a selection is made.

Regards

Ray

[Laura F.]

Hi Everyone,

I think the "Select One" idea for the select board control is a good idea.  Unfortunately, our current implementation won't allow this.  Of course, we are always looking for ideas as we look for ways to improve our website. 

One piece of advice I have is that a user can always repost their question to the correct board.  I do not mind deleting the post in the incorrect board and have done this in the past when users have notified me.

Thanks,
Laura
Web Support & Operations
National Instruments

[Ray.R]

Thanks RayF for bringing it up. 

I made a couple of posts in the wrong forum as you described. 

I like the idea of selecting which board it should go into.  However, the older forum didn't have that behavior.. At least not that I saw in the past.

RayR