PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

I am sure all the new areas on the network as well as the forum board can feel like information overload.  But hopefully the new features out weigh the learning process. 

So what are some of the new feature?

1) When you post you have more formatting options.   Posting a link is much easier,  you can change fonts and play with the text if you wish.  I have to admit I do like the old smileys better.  I will look into seeing if he can add more smiley options.

2) Recent Topics - You can see all new topics in one location.  Where as Updated Topics are all the topics that have activity on them.  Nothing special but a nice add on.

3) Then there is My Posts.   It has everything you have posted on.  Great if you want to go back and see what you said on any given post.

5) My Stats.   Kinda a cool little feature.  It shows your stats on where you have post, how long you have been on, etc.

6)  The Search.  I don't know if you used the search on the past board, but this one is MUCH better.  The old version I would loose the search after I clicked into one post.   Now I don't loose the search.

7)  Polls.  We have polls on email, in the new networking areas.  Polls polls and more polls! (but they can be fun)

8) Timing out should be longer!   No more typing a bunch of text then loosing it all!

9) Integrated with the new Networking Area.  You can look at your profile and see your posts as well as connect and make friends, see if they have a Twitter, or a Blog, photo albums, contributed articles, send messages.  (Remember that is an internal messaging system for the email and network.  It is the same as the private messages, not connected with the external email which is still accessible from the main home page.


Off hand those are the options.   Let me know if you have any questions. 

Ohhhh ...... whereas I do like DD's new site, I am not to sure about the forum.

It was nice to see at a glance whether there were any unread messages. Also, I do not know whether it happens to anyone else, but this forum takes rather a long time to load; it seems to get "stuck".

Any how, I suppose its just a case of getting used to it.  ;)

PS: I like the formatting options  ;D

I've been browsing around and sorry but the forum is definitely extremely slow in loading (approx 45 secs per page); its really irritating.

The board loads instant for me, not even a full second.   Let me know if it continues, it could be the internet any any given time.

On the new posts I will see if adding red numbers can be an option.  I know if there are new posts the first graphic is darker, but the red numerals made it easy to see and once you "read posts" it says new but  I will look into seeing if we can get numbers.

Another cool option I just found out.   When I went to hit "send" it informed me a post was posted while I was composing this post.   That is pretty cool.

I only found DeskDemon 4 weeks ago, and this is my first post.   I can't really comment on how the forum was other than reading the forum board posts.  Look wise, I like this better.  I am really just posting to let duque know that it is instant for me as well.  Maybe rebooting or resetting your modem will help.   If I had to wait 45 seconds for a page to load, I too would be irritated.

I look foward to being a part of your community. 

Welcome Nottingham  :D

I have not explained myself properly. The pages load instantly but then get stuck, so if I need to scroll down to read replies or answer a post it is then when I have to wait and wait.

I have never had any problem like this before with neither this page or any other. In fact, I have just gone through other forums with no problem at all.

Mysteries of the ciberworld.

Love the new forum  :).  Must admit out of all the forums I use ( and that is quite a few) the old DD was way behind the times.

Coz

Eek!  Not sure I like the new site but I'm sure I'll get used to it.  Definitely don't like the new Forum layout.  Not as clear as it used to be.

What is it with the status?  Some members are listed as newbies (like me, but I've been a member since 2004) others as Senior Members or Junior Members ...

Okay - now my member status has just changed ... this is weird!

I think it will take some getting used to, but as someone else said, this format is more moving with the times.  The old format was, well, old.

Sorry all but I totally hate this new look.  Been away for the weekend and just logging on for the first time since the revamp.

It would have been better to improve this site/forum gradually not all at once.  Hard to read, way too busy and not sure I will be bothered trying to trawl through this as much as I used to.

Disappointed.

Not one to complain usually - I pretty much "go with the flow".  Gotta say, though, that I'm having a really tough time figuring things out on this forum.  The other one may have been old but at least it was clear-cut and easily understood.  

Every thread is marked "new".  I'm having a devil of a time figuring out if I've read that post or not.  I tried going under recent topics and updated topics but they only seemed to lead me down the garden path but not necessarily where I wanted to go.  

I guess I'll get used to it in time.

I'm labeled as a "rookie" - thought I'd been around long enough that I didn't qualify as a rookie any more.  Although, come to think of it, I am definitely a rookie with this new format ;D, so maybe that title is appropriate!!

AND I have to agree that things are WAY slower than they used to be.  Although I'll be very happy if the time out is truly fixed.  That used to annoy the heck out of me when I typed a really long response and then had it get lost before it posted.

Oh, well, now that I posted it listed me as "hero member".  Maybe it should just call me "confused".

I would suggest that you go by the dates on the right hand side for posts that have been updated. Go into each forum, when you have read those new ones, then click Mark Read at the top of each forum. That will reset the posts to all being read, which should be easier to follow.

I am inclined to agree that it is a little busier, however, it is also pretty much the same as what we had before as far as functionality. I'll withhold judgment until I am more used to it and also have a chance to see what can be changed or not changed in preferences.

Give it a bit of a chance. Don't judge it by your first glance, simply because it is different than what you are used to. Sometimes we need to step outside our comfort zone a little bit. If you still hate it in a month, then you should be ready to provide suggestions for what should be done differently.

Actually if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to post them.   We will see what can be done.   Are the colors too dark are the fonts too small?  Need more features or smilies?  Let us know and we will look into any suggestions.

As for the ranks, I have to look into what they are and what we would want them to be.  As I posted in Admins 4 Admins, I would love to come up with some creative fun titles.   By the way, the status is based on how many posts you have on the board.   My rank is Newbie!  (I would bet susans is a bit higher, but wanted to drop the s)

Hiya, The forum itself is ok. I am used to this format as I participate in several other forums, so from my side, no need for improvement.

But sorry, it is still too slow in loading. Heavens knows why, but it is. This doesn't happen to me at any other sites, so I do not think it is a question of my pc.

Good morning

I don't have any problems with speed of loading and now I have been on a few times and am getting used to the forum style it is fine.  Overall I do like this more than the old version, I love the new features in the Networking and Home section and I find it more friendly as well as being in keeping with professional networking sites.

I think you have done a great job bringing this over Susan, thank you.

Cathy

Thanks for the kind remarks Cathy. Behind the scenes everyone at DeskDemon worked very hard to get this done.  It was a pretty big and complicated project.  Now the hard part is getting people to actively participate in the new areas, but that is another post in itself! 

Time for this west coast editor to get some sleep!

Half of me likes this and the other half doesn't. :-\  It's more in line with other forums (which I like) and i really like the topic summary shown at the bottom when you are replying as sometimes you could forget what other posters had said.  It's growing on me. Not sure how this will turn out on the forum as the preview facility doesn't seem to be working, teething problems I expect.

Hi Val

The preview works for me - but it isn't where you might expect though it shows above the editing pane ...

Cathy

Thanks, Marie.   Your suggestion to use the Mark Read function worked great.  I took the time (and it was a lot of time!) to do that this morning.  This afternoon, it showed which forums had new posts since the last log-on.

The font is so small I am squinting to read it.  I probably wouldn't care about the colors as long as the font size was readable.  But then again, that is usually my complaint with computer programmers - everything is so tiny it gives me a headache to read it.  Have the same problem here at work. 

One other thing I've noticed is that in the old DD forum when you clicked on a thread, it would take you right to the newest posts that you had not read.  Now it takes you to the top of the forum and you have to scroll down to the bottom to find the ones you haven't read. 

Like I said, I usually just go with the flow.  Had no problems or complaints when the website was updated.  But the change in the forums was pretty drastic and did cause a lot of time-consuming searching.

I have to say too that the reason I come to DD is for help and suggestions on work-related issues.  It almost seems to me that this focus is being lost along the way.  I hope I am very wrong.  I realize that I will only use the features I want to use, and that is fine.  I just hope the main purpose of the board isn't being diluted.

I agree slow to load pages - and I'm having patience issues the older I get.
I would also like to see a button to clear all the selections that are checked in the profile settings.
What a long list of items!

Spitfire, what in your opinion is diluting the board?  Besides look, which has nothing to do with the content nothing has changed at all.  As for the post on "friends" it is your choice to create friendships or not.  It is a business networking choice.  Some will take to it, others wont.  I personally will invite people and use that network to find cover stories, just ask opinions on topics and maybe bounce ideas back on those who do want to be "friends."   If someone I invite, turns me down, I respect their privacy.  

I too I think the font is a bit small, and will see if they can raise it at least one font size. I can't help but wonder if the background wasn't so dark gray would the whole board look cleaner.  I will ask them to test that, but we are still working on a few projects that have priority over tweaking the board.    

To answer your issue on getting to the latest post, on the right side there is a icon that looks like a document.   It will take you directly to the last post.

Atlantaz3, I ask about that, they maybe able to program that in.

Hopefully a few of these answers will make it a life a bit easier for now.

When you are posting, you can go up to the above icons to find font size and change it.  I'm not sure if they will change the font to a more eye appealing font, on a permanent basis but you can change it.

There are all kinds of function keys at the top of your posting area.  Along with icons, etc for facial expressions.  I don't like the white and grey coloring of the forums, so if you can change that to something else, it would be easier yet on the eyes to read.

Otherwise, there are more otpions than what we had before and that is a good thing.

From the forum thread listing, there are three ways (at least) to enter the thread.

1) You can click on the name of the thread. That will take you to the first post.

2) You can click the NEW icon immediately after the thread title. That will take you to the first new post since your last visit.

3) As Susan suggested, you can click the small document icon in the right hand column, which will take you to the last post in the thread.

Marie

I know I'm probably repeating myself but rather than reply to individual queries DD, wouldn't it be easier to produce a user guide?

I've done it before in a previous job and it's so much more helpful and useful than itty bitty bits n pieces on a message board.

Please consider it for existing and future users on this revamped site.

It is more a matter of time it takes to create a user guide.  We do have some instructions on the Content part of the Dnet  http://www.deskdemon.com/dnet/browse_pages.php?s=&type=11 (http://www.deskdemon.com/dnet/browse_pages.php?s=&type=11)  and will be adding more soon.  I created a video with audio, but my microphone was horrible and the file way to big.   BUT.. we are working on a few ideas, give us a bit of time...

Susan,

Glad to see the font size has been changed - soooo much better.  I hope you can do something though with the background colour - very pasty and empty looking - perhaps even colour code the tabs above so it's a bit less stark.

Here's my two cents - this just isn't working.  I liked desk demon before.  This new format just does not work for me.  Before I was able to zip in for a quick two minutes and read or post questions.  At work it takes too long for the pages to load - here at home is faster but still to slow.  My login doesn't always transfer when I click to another page, so even if I want to answer a post go to login in again go back and find the post - see where I'm going?  I don't think I was a heavy poster before - but don't expect to see me around much anymore, and I will really miss some of the software challenges - I learned a few new tricks from the posts.  Good luck with the new forum

Atlanta, I would rather get the issue fixed and see you post when you can.  I have forwarded the problems you are seeing to our tech guys and hopefully they can fix them in the next few days.

I do hope you do find a solution to the speed the pages load at. I am sure it is something to do with the forum itself as I do not have this problem with any other forum.

For those who are having issues with the forum board being slow... we need to know a few things.

1) HOW is it being slow... is it locking up half way through, graphics slows,  how long does it take a thread to show up.  Any details on what the problem is would help.

2) What browser are you using and the version.   We are optimized to the latest versions, so it "may" be older versions having a problem?  We don't know, but will figure it out.

Thanks for your help.

Susan,

For me I have to log in twice...once at the top of the page, then a new page appears and a log in appears again in the middle of the page.

Once I type in the log in information, the page goes blank.  When there are about 20 items still to load the page begins to populate but still takes a while to fully load.

If I want to reply to a posting, the page goes blank again until it is fully loaded.

All of the above can take some time and is slow whether I am in work or at home.  I did mention all of this weeks ago when the new DD site changed.  I find it too busy and way too many graphics and effects for a forum of this kind.

Obviously I am not the only one who is experiencing this as others have posted similar.

Bring back the old DD.  It was so much quicker to scoot in, check the new postings in red, and scoot back out.

Why have we got so many features on the site when we don't use them.  What is the Messages service for?   Why have a link to Twitter?  What are the Albums and Video links for?

Not a lot of us have the time to view all that info.  All we want is to keep in touch with a forum where we can share info, get quick answers and perhaps learn new tips about MS Office.

I know I haven't been around for a while, but today I happened to pop in and just now realized that the new look for the Hub was REALLY new.  It took me a moment or 2 to find some of the functions I was looking for, and I forced myself to pop in and out a couple of times today just to get a chance to use it and get a bit more used to it.  My verdict is that it's new, different, but not bad.

My screens load fast, without delays.  I only had to log-in once, on the homepage, and can post or view in any forum I could previously.  I like the information to the right of the main chat-areas, as it lets you know when and by whom the last post was... helped me zip in and out at lunch because I could tell at a glance I was still the last poster, so nothing new had come in.  (the date and time helps too, in case you just read and don't post)  I like some of the new features on the posting, but do miss some of the smileys (like the clown or the rolling).  As for the messaging and such... I don't expect to be using that, but I think it's a great idea for those who want to network with friends on here, and perhaps get a more personal response to issues than they can in the open forums.

The one thing I think that was good about the old DD... and correct me if I'm wrong... but we were able to do a bit of editing of the look on our own.  In other words, we could set the size of the text, the background colors, and a few other options, so that it was easier on each individual.  For me, the text size and colors are fine, but for some they may want darker or lighter backgrounds in order to make the text more legible.  Is there any way to allow for some options in the individual's view of the forums?  Perhaps a selection that they can choose from?  Don't know a whole lot about the background working of the site, but it's a thought.

I'm not making a final verdict one way or the other... but for now, I'm saying that the new forum is fine.  Could be better (with personalization), but since you can't please everyone, you go for the majority.  Get a good font size/color combination for the majority and run with it.  I think it'll grow on me, like the old "new look" of DD did.  Remember, I've been around since DD first became, and have seen it through all it's renovations.  Each time something has changed, folks have balked at those changes.  The last time was no different... lots of you who've been around a while remember all the grumbles that the look everyone wants back now first brought about.  I think as we get used to the functions and features, this will be ok.

What browser do you use and it's version?


As for going back, sorry, it is just not an option.

As for the features you aren't using, the point is .. to try them out and find if you do have a use for them.   Some people enjoy blogging and networking or joining different groups, others wont.   

Do you have a group of  PAs in your company that get together, or maybe don't get together but want a way to communicate.    You can create a private group where you can communicate events in your company, brainstorm ideas, streamline company processes just for your organization.    Groups are also popular for specialized topics.  Groups have private message boards, a place for sharing files, photos, videos (files can be common company forms). 

Message system is for those who do build personal peer networks, you can communicate with those you guild friendships with.  (we aren't saying go be best friends!) but if you may want to private message someone with a question or you can have a real time conversation about any topic.

Twitter is for those who do Twitter.  It is gaining in popularity and more and more people are twittering everyday.

Albums came with the network, but it is a nice place you can share photos.   So far most of the pictures are personal but you can post company picnic or the holiday party pictures to share with everyone.

As for the videos, most are training videos, I know you are advanced in MS office, but there are many training videos for solving MS office issues.   We also have soft skills as well.   

It is up to you if you do wan to use the new area.   More and more people are logging on adding to the new area.  It is for user generated content.   

If you want to just pop on the message board and log off fast, that is ok as well.  It is up to each person to decide what they want to take out of DeskDemon.

I will ask about the double log on. 

Susan

Hi Susan,

We use Internet Explorer version 6.

In my case, the pages just get "stuck" when loading. Sorry to be a nuisance and thanks for your interest  ;)

Susan,

Not sure if your reply was in response to my previous posting as you didn't say, but I am assuming so....

I am using IE6 in work and 7 at home.  The old forum was not as slow as this one and it was much simpler to use.  I think perhaps with all the new features, the site has become a lot slower and it does take a while to login and reply to postings as most of us have pointed out.

I think some features and links should be kept off the site eg.  Twitter.  I am sure anyone that uses this social networking site has already bookmarked it as you would other sites, so I don't really see the point of it on here.  I mean why not have links to all the others, or are DD just promoting that one?!

As for other message boards and group discussions...for a lot of us, this is a site we use during the day at work and so it's not our main email or networking site.  I for one only started to use DD because of the forum and advice that was being shared as regards MS Office etc. 

In my company the PA's are very clicky so networking on a site like this not an option - they hardly speak as it is!

Again I know I am repeating myself but a user guide would have been ideal in getting to know the features quickly.

I use Firefox on my laptop and have no problem with the speed of loading the pages at all.

I also log on using my iPhone and with wireless it is just as fast as the laptop - out of range of a wireless link yes it is slow, but that doesn't surprise me.

Might be worth trying Firefox for those who are experiencing slowness with other browsers.

Cathy

I use IE8 in the office and mainly Firefox at home and have no problems at all with the forum loading

I'll give firefox a go at home, but I cannot download it at work.

Ahh another clash with postings...  >:(

What I wanted to say was, I have no control over what software is installed on my pc at work - everything is locked down by IT, so changes are not permitted.

We want all it to work on all browsers (well current versions).  It is just hard to pin point problems, when we can't experience them.   Gee the log on issue is different and will get back to you on that.   2 am.. will respond to more later!

IE6 at work firefox at home (mac)  I get about 30 seconds of white screen, then the banners pop in and the rest of page fills in.  For this post as I started typing in the message box moved to the right in little jumps for about 20 seconds.  If I login from the home page, then go to forum I have to re login.

Well, this is a mistery. Posting at home with Firefox and working fine.  ???

Actually it looks like we need to look at some thing in IE.. what is the next step :-P!

Real slow pages loads here as well (IE). Also, home page and the rest don't layout properly for my laptop. I get mostly white space and must scroll down "below the fold" as they say, to find most content.

I was also seeing white spaces, but at work, not at home.  I don't use IE at home, but we do at work.

However, we've now upgraded to the latest version of IE at work and the white spaces have gone, so try doing that as a first step.

The rest of it is being worked on behind the scenes by the DD tech team.

Can someone tell me how to "pm" an individual which we used to be able to do on the old version of DD?!

Still need a user guide!

Either go to Networking & Community and then to messages, compose new message

or

click on the speach bubble under their name on a thread where they have posted

HTH

And where is the address book?  What do you type for the name?  User name?  Other?

Not very clear at all.  :-\

I don't think there is an address book that is what the 'Friends' facility is for.


It does actually say in the compose new message box

"Create your new message with the form below.
You can specify multiple recipients (up to 10) - you can either select a friend from the autosuggestion area or simply type a user's name and press Enter. "

If you are clicking on the speech bubble the name is already in the message box when it opens.



 

I believe there are some issues with the messaging feature. They are working on it as we speak.

The message box does not allow me to enter a name.  When I type it in, the name disappears.

The other thing is you would have to copy the name first of all, go to the Message feature and then paste the name.

I think using the bubble feature sounds like a better idea.

Again, it would be useful to know these things.

It was set up to only message friends.  We have changed that and you should be able to message anyone now.