Forum Discussion
The New Forum Sucks
I would start with this list of topics, which, paradoxically, doesn't cover ALL of the topics, including Accessibility, Javascript, Exchange Best Practices, Announcements, and Localization, among others:
Oops, no, wait, "Localization" IS in this list, as well as in the list of Discussion Groups
If your Venn diagram of any 2 topics (e.g., General E-Learning and E-Learning Development) is greater than 51% overlap, you have one topic too many.
If people are tagging their posts to as many discussion topics as possible, hoping for the widest-possible audience, then you haven't done a good job identifying what belongs where.
"Advice?" "Community?" "Other?" "Catch-all" by any other name, where questions go to die.
This conversation is a shining example of uncertainty where it should be housed. Is it confined to Storyline 360? No, it applies to the entire forum. But where is that topic?
I'd say this discussion belongs in "Community," because I think that tag refers to this site. And there is an "Accessibility" tag.
From what I've seen, many folks do add a lot of tags to their post. Yeah, they probably think that'll help it get noticed. Unfortunately, there's no way to force users to select appropriate tags. Perhaps limit the number of tags per post? (Don't know if that's possible or not.)
Others use sub-optimal tags, like "Articulate 360" for a question about Rise 360. Again, that isn't controlled by Articulate.
Some tags, like "General E-Learning" were added when the new site was launched—and there was no "Exchange Best Practices" section. I agree that those more generic tags aren't helpful, especially now that this section is supposed to be focused on product-related questions.
As I said before, for me, filtering isn't worth the effort. I just scroll through the list when I'm here to answer questions. Sometimes, I click the "No Replies Yet" tab if I'm looking for folks who haven't gotten help yet, since that's one filter method that actually works.
When searching for help (or when looking for a post I vaguely recall), I start by entering search terms. I might filter the results list. To me, the biggest opportunity for improvement is the search function.
I know that Noele_Flowers is open to suggestions and even chatting with folks about ways to improve the site. (She & I had a chat not too long after she started with Articulate.) There are some limits based on what the third-party vendor can provide. And, of course, it's impossible to please everyone. For example, I preferred the initial launch with only one Discussion area, because folks don't always pay attention to where they should post their question (as evidenced by previous site and by the number of Storyline & Rise questions in "Exchange Best Practices."). But I remember Noelle telling me that some folks asked to divide posts into sections, hoping they'd have an easier time finding stuff.
You're absolutely right JudyNollet I am always very open to chatting with folks who have ideas for improvement. I love a virtual coffee, and I enjoyed ours :)
