What might work is to put the new articles on the Forum page, keep the Creative Arts Group there so that the Comment Wall is available for things like the general discussion of techniques, and put a link on the group header to take those interested in the newer articles to the forum. That would seem to give us the best of both worlds.
What might work is to put the new articles on the Forum page, keep the Creative Arts Group there so that the Comment Wall is available for things like the general discussion of techniques, and put a link on the group header to take those interested in the newer articles to the forum. That would seem to give us the best of both worlds.
I'm not sure comments made in Group articles make it to the Comment Wall … can you give me more on this?
I'm not sure comments made in Group articles make it to the Comment Wall
They don't. They would have to be made on the Comment Wall itself in order to appear there.
What I'm thinking is that both the CAG and the Forum have features that are useful in their own ways.
The Group has both the Comment Wall for group members to use and the ability to create articles. I would envision those articles as having a teaching/learning content (both in the artistic and the technical sense), while the Comment Wall allows members to post some of their favorite work without having to create a separate article and to ask technical and artistic questions
Putting articles, particularly regular articles like the Thursday/Friday article, on the Forum obviously gives them much greater exposure and that is likely to lead to greater participation. I think that the main reason that the Thursday/Friday article doesn't get much response is because too few people even know that it's there.
I would hate to see either one of these venues go away (particularly the group), since each serves a useful purpose. I think that they can be combined in such a way that they compliment each other.
As I see it, although the CAG has more than 100 members, most are members in name only, and if even only 10% of them had any genuine interest, they would check the group every few days at least to see what's there, provide a comment now and then, and maybe contirbute an article once a month each. The problem here is the lack of genune interest except for a very few of us.
As for the P&A forum, the home (front) page will show noitice of an article, if lucky, for only a few hours at most during the hours when most members are awake. Although the columnist column (which I notice Perrie calls "the board") will show notice of an article for a longer time, how many members even bother to look at it?
Because of the dearth of comments posted on the two groups I administer I have become quite discouraged, although I have always been willing to weather the storm and will still do so. One problem with this site is that it does not indicate the number of viewings, so we don't know if there is any interest among the membership in what is being posted.
As for the P&A forum, the home (front) page will show noitice of an article, if lucky, for only a few hours at most during the hours when most members are awake.
We can expand that window by those of us having the strongest interest, leaving more comments.
"As for the P&A forum, the home (front) page will show noitice of an article, if lucky, for only a few hours at most during the hours when most members are awake."
My biggest problem with that is that my waking hours are your sleeping hours and vice versa.
Putting articles, particularly regular articles like the Thursday/Friday article, on the Forum obviously gives them much greater exposure and that is likely to lead to greater participation. I think that the main reason that the Thursday/Friday article doesn't get much response is because too few people even know that it's there.
I would hate to see either one of these venues go away (particularly the group), since each serves a useful purpose. I think that they can be combined in such a way that they compliment each other.
I have been posting an alert in the Photography & Art Forum containing a link to the CREATIVE ARTS THURSDAY/FRIDAY feature every week it appears.
It does get the attention of some members who will follow the link and either leave a comment, an image, or both. But the reality is, very few members have interest in art-related discussions … or, for that matter, much else beyond the political/news discussions.
I'd be willing to post tutorial type articles on photography, Photoshop, poster print creation … or whatever, but I'm not sure they'd draw any members other than those already among the "regulars".
Ultimately, whether discussions are posted in a Forum or a Group, it's member-interest or lack thereof that determines the bottom line.
True. More people go to the front page than to their groups. Archiving articles is just as easy in a forum as in a group and the forum is likely to get much more participation.
Either way, GROUP or FORUM, the objective is to share and display CREATIVITY; unfortunately, the logistics of getting the attention, and hopefully, the participation of members, is impeded by the absence of FP visibility of posted discussions.
I agree the old format of the front page had a better layout before moving to this platform. All the action is condensed to a tiny space in the middle of the FP that rest of it is mostly wasted space.
I suggest people use the "newest comments" tab on the forums page if they want to see links to posts about this. 10 of the 25 comments listed on the page currently are to this article or the the other one.
Well, it is hard for me to contribute these days. I'm not really doing anything creative that I could share. I do try to check the articles, but of late, I'm just not here that much. Keeping my blood pressure down and all that. Plus, it is hard for me to see, much of the time. I can't do Chatrooms at all, because I can't read the messages... Tried to make it larger, and I'm probably not well versed on how to do that, either.
I enjoy this group, and hope that someone keeps it going. I've about abandoned the Moderate and Balanced group, just because it needs unrelenting enthusiasm, and I have none, right now. Still pretty depressed and trying to adjust to my eye being bad. (Bad eye! Bad eye!)
It's about all I can do to keep body and soul together, right now...
It has to, dear A. Mac. I want to get out and do stuff, etc., but I'm afraid to try to park the car... I was invited to a retiree luncheon today, but it was at a place where the parking is really tight, and I was afraid that I'd hit something. Next time, someone will meet me at the front door and park my car for me... At least until I'm a bit more confident.
When it gets warmer, I'll make more of an effort. It's so cold outside, that it hurts to breathe! Take care and I love you, very much!
You know what.. it is going on everywhere. I check NV and it's a problem there too. If you miss your friends, tell them where you are and what you are doing. There are lots of nice groups here and a category like this should patrol itself. I am around most of the time and a problem can be quickly remedied.
And there is a thing called a self fulfilling prophecy and every time I read a group of comments like those above, I find it totally a bummer.
I don't want to fight with you, but you seem to have missed my point. People are either part of the problem or part of the solution. It is better to be a positive force than to bemoan what has been. If you have a friend who has left, talk to them and tell them where they can go and find the really good stuff here.
I know I am just one person and one voice and never participate in the heated discussions. In fact, I have been absent for the best part of two years and coming in only to our tree hole for the strength it represents. Raven, my dear sister, I have felt your frustrations even in those brief visits and know how if feels when you face the sort of things that are distasteful and outrageous. I do not wish to deliver a sermon or a lecture here. I just know that it is very difficult for anyone to be fully in control of what happens on a free platform. I just think we can create something better for those of us who seek the positive and the creative. We choose where we want to be and to participate. We cannot make the world perfect and we cannot make NT perfect. We can only make it better - all of us, not just Perrie.
I will be starting a new feature on NT … whether or not it will be part of the FORUM, or, a GROUP open to all, has yet to be decided.
More on this very soon.
Mac,
What might work is to put the new articles on the Forum page, keep the Creative Arts Group there so that the Comment Wall is available for things like the general discussion of techniques, and put a link on the group header to take those interested in the newer articles to the forum. That would seem to give us the best of both worlds.
What might work is to put the new articles on the Forum page, keep the Creative Arts Group there so that the Comment Wall is available for things like the general discussion of techniques, and put a link on the group header to take those interested in the newer articles to the forum. That would seem to give us the best of both worlds.
I'm not sure comments made in Group articles make it to the Comment Wall … can you give me more on this?
I'm not sure comments made in Group articles make it to the Comment Wall
They don't. They would have to be made on the Comment Wall itself in order to appear there.
What I'm thinking is that both the CAG and the Forum have features that are useful in their own ways.
The Group has both the Comment Wall for group members to use and the ability to create articles. I would envision those articles as having a teaching/learning content (both in the artistic and the technical sense), while the Comment Wall allows members to post some of their favorite work without having to create a separate article and to ask technical and artistic questions
Putting articles, particularly regular articles like the Thursday/Friday article, on the Forum obviously gives them much greater exposure and that is likely to lead to greater participation. I think that the main reason that the Thursday/Friday article doesn't get much response is because too few people even know that it's there.
I would hate to see either one of these venues go away (particularly the group), since each serves a useful purpose. I think that they can be combined in such a way that they compliment each other.
As I see it, although the CAG has more than 100 members, most are members in name only, and if even only 10% of them had any genuine interest, they would check the group every few days at least to see what's there, provide a comment now and then, and maybe contirbute an article once a month each. The problem here is the lack of genune interest except for a very few of us.
As for the P&A forum, the home (front) page will show noitice of an article, if lucky, for only a few hours at most during the hours when most members are awake. Although the columnist column (which I notice Perrie calls "the board") will show notice of an article for a longer time, how many members even bother to look at it?
Because of the dearth of comments posted on the two groups I administer I have become quite discouraged, although I have always been willing to weather the storm and will still do so. One problem with this site is that it does not indicate the number of viewings, so we don't know if there is any interest among the membership in what is being posted.
As for the P&A forum, the home (front) page will show noitice of an article, if lucky, for only a few hours at most during the hours when most members are awake.
We can expand that window by those of us having the strongest interest, leaving more comments.
"As for the P&A forum, the home (front) page will show noitice of an article, if lucky, for only a few hours at most during the hours when most members are awake."
My biggest problem with that is that my waking hours are your sleeping hours and vice versa.
Putting articles, particularly regular articles like the Thursday/Friday article, on the Forum obviously gives them much greater exposure and that is likely to lead to greater participation. I think that the main reason that the Thursday/Friday article doesn't get much response is because too few people even know that it's there.
I would hate to see either one of these venues go away (particularly the group), since each serves a useful purpose. I think that they can be combined in such a way that they compliment each other.
I have been posting an alert in the Photography & Art Forum containing a link to the CREATIVE ARTS THURSDAY/FRIDAY feature every week it appears.
It does get the attention of some members who will follow the link and either leave a comment, an image, or both. But the reality is, very few members have interest in art-related discussions … or, for that matter, much else beyond the political/news discussions.
I'd be willing to post tutorial type articles on photography, Photoshop, poster print creation … or whatever, but I'm not sure they'd draw any members other than those already among the "regulars".
Ultimately, whether discussions are posted in a Forum or a Group, it's member-interest or lack thereof that determines the bottom line.
I'm open to ideas.
Hmmmmmm …
Anyone around?
I just saw this on the board, Mac. Will come back later to check for updates.
Just posted IMO a pretty good photo.
I'll get this up on the board now Mac, so that people won't lose track of it.
True. More people go to the front page than to their groups. Archiving articles is just as easy in a forum as in a group and the forum is likely to get much more participation.
Either way, GROUP or FORUM, the objective is to share and display CREATIVITY; unfortunately, the logistics of getting the attention, and hopefully, the participation of members, is impeded by the absence of FP visibility of posted discussions.
I agree the old format of the front page had a better layout before moving to this platform. All the action is condensed to a tiny space in the middle of the FP that rest of it is mostly wasted space.
I agree the old format of the front page had a better layout
The formatting is likely limited to certain coding logistics.
dean, use the tabs on the "forums" page
instead of the small boxes on the front page
I don't even use the front page
I suggest people use the "newest comments" tab on the forums page if they want to see links to posts about this. 10 of the 25 comments listed on the page currently are to this article or the the other one.
I wouldn't participate by posting, but i'd love to see/read more photos/pictures/poems/essays.......
I wouldn't participate by posting, but i'd love to see/read more photos/pictures/poems/essays.......
Hopefully you'll reconsider … in the meantime, I think there will be more.
Well, it is hard for me to contribute these days. I'm not really doing anything creative that I could share. I do try to check the articles, but of late, I'm just not here that much. Keeping my blood pressure down and all that. Plus, it is hard for me to see, much of the time. I can't do Chatrooms at all, because I can't read the messages... Tried to make it larger, and I'm probably not well versed on how to do that, either.
I enjoy this group, and hope that someone keeps it going. I've about abandoned the Moderate and Balanced group, just because it needs unrelenting enthusiasm, and I have none, right now. Still pretty depressed and trying to adjust to my eye being bad. (Bad eye! Bad eye!)
It's about all I can do to keep body and soul together, right now...
It's about all I can do to keep body and soul together, right now...
Health takes priority, Dowser.
It has to, dear A. Mac. I want to get out and do stuff, etc., but I'm afraid to try to park the car... I was invited to a retiree luncheon today, but it was at a place where the parking is really tight, and I was afraid that I'd hit something. Next time, someone will meet me at the front door and park my car for me... At least until I'm a bit more confident.
When it gets warmer, I'll make more of an effort. It's so cold outside, that it hurts to breathe! Take care and I love you, very much!
You know what.. it is going on everywhere. I check NV and it's a problem there too. If you miss your friends, tell them where you are and what you are doing. There are lots of nice groups here and a category like this should patrol itself. I am around most of the time and a problem can be quickly remedied.
And there is a thing called a self fulfilling prophecy and every time I read a group of comments like those above, I find it totally a bummer.
Raven,
I don't want to fight with you, but you seem to have missed my point. People are either part of the problem or part of the solution. It is better to be a positive force than to bemoan what has been. If you have a friend who has left, talk to them and tell them where they can go and find the really good stuff here.
Or as the "military" sez - "If you're not part of the solution - you're the problem."
Consider this; the dialogue we're having serves at least two purposes …
1) The OBVIOUS ONE -- expressing feelings and frustrations and hoping to find some solutions or mitigating ideas
2) We're getting a lot of FP time! For once.
I know I am just one person and one voice and never participate in the heated discussions. In fact, I have been absent for the best part of two years and coming in only to our tree hole for the strength it represents. Raven, my dear sister, I have felt your frustrations even in those brief visits and know how if feels when you face the sort of things that are distasteful and outrageous. I do not wish to deliver a sermon or a lecture here. I just know that it is very difficult for anyone to be fully in control of what happens on a free platform. I just think we can create something better for those of us who seek the positive and the creative. We choose where we want to be and to participate. We cannot make the world perfect and we cannot make NT perfect. We can only make it better - all of us, not just Perrie.
Dearest Raven, I am sure we can all help Perrie steer the boat. She can't do it alone. We fight the bad cells with the good cells!
The site has an art section. All other collaborative art projects should be in a group.
.....create a group and maintain it!
Collaborations represent a specific category of artwork whereas the Creative Arts Group is open to all forms of creative endeavor.
Having both is a way of addressing the logistical impediments that seem to prevent or delay some members from finding the Group (or possibly both).