As you probably know by now, we are updating the forum software to make it easier for all members to use and introducing some useful features.
After receiving some great feedback during our testing phase last year, we are pleased to announce that we’ll be rolling out the new forum next week. As such, you will not be able to access the forum from 10am on Monday 8th January 2018 until around midday on Tuesday 9th January.
Although the forum will be down during this time, the Parkinson’s helpline will be operating as normal so do feel free to call our helpline on 0808 800 0303 if you have any queries. You can also engage with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Please be rest assured that this will not affect your forum account.
Thanks in advance for your co-operation and we look forward to seeing you all on the new forum.
Hi. I can’t work out how to use the forum any more. Have been absent for a while not being able to cope with anything. Though the I would catch up but can’t work out how.
I find it very difficult now. Why do I have to scroll through lots of posts to get to the latest one?
Where is the post button to press after I’ve typed a comment?
Where is the edit button when I’ve posted but want to make a change?
The change makes it harder rather than easier…why did you change it?
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been having difficulties with the new forum. I have provided answers to your questions below.
Where is the post button to press after I’ve typed a comment? When you are replying to comment, there should be a ‘Reply’ button at the low left hand side of your screen which you need to click in order to publish your comment.
Where is the edit button when I’ve posted but want to make a change? If you click on the 3 dots at the bottom of your comment, you will see a pencil icon - click on this to make edits to any comments that you have published.
The change makes it harder rather than easier…why did you change it? We changed the forum software to improve security, accessibility and design. However, as the forum is still new, we definitely take you feedback on board and I hope that the answers above will give you more confidence to continue using the forum.
I have also attached some images in relation to your questions for further assistance.
The forum set up is now a complete mystery there are no clues how it works to open or find anything… we should be able to use it intuitively with a clear/ good index style guidance front page showing what we can find on it and how we can access/reply to it, etc…with bright interesting, meaningful prompts, etc… it looks very uninviting and is utterly unclear how it works and what’s available to read.
Have you considered the average age of users and their lifetime experience of accessing information and possible sensory/movement problems etc?? We can read and write, bur not necessarily interpret computer symbols and signs and tend not to click randomly on anything expecting something to happen.
I agree with Tilly…can’t work any of it out except the most basic posting.
Why is the edit button now three little dots!
And WHY does the oldest post appear first so I have to scroll through loads to get to the new one?
Anne why has post changed to reply?
For oldies like me this is all too fiddly, incomprehensible and …why is there a copy of what I’m writing next to me whilst I’m writing…with no explanation?
Is there a key somewhere for rhe symbols e.g. The Xmas cracker?
Pretty fed-up.
GG
I would like to see an overview of all that is on the Forum under sensible meaningful categories with info re whether active stream or not and dates and number of contributors for example.
I would like to know how to add autobiographical data to my profile - this should be easy and obvious
I have no interest in being given brownie points or similar -why waste space with these?
4.I would like to be able to add a reply to a stream of correspondence and not lose sight of it while doing so,
all I have said already in previous email, etc, etc…
perhaps you could pose options for me instead of making me do so much work?
Very glad you took up this fundamental issue too, goldengirl, and keen to ensure you are not a lone voice… especially when its looking like a thankless task! Yes, I have no idea what the cracker is for and had no idea what the 3 dots were about and still not much clearer and is the heart really meaningful?? also if we try to look at the forum to check all the things that confuse us while writing will we lose this message and have to start again??? Looks like we need to give up on Parks UK and find a better forum. What a shame.
Oh what fun! Designed to make us giggle then - wondered what its all for… if you click on your badge next to your name at the right hand top of the page you get a list of brownie points you’ve earned - I’ve got one for liking and another for reading the rules - hee hee - apparently only 66 people have got this brownie point! Now perhaps I can get another for liking reading the rules! Have we lost the plot I wonder or perhaps we are being led up a garden path - to find a washing line to hang out our knickers do you think?
Hi goldengirl - now I’m curious why the ‘knickers’ turn blue. do you think it could be one (clean) pair for every day of the week!
This forum does take a while to sort out, and I think I’m getting the gist of it but not totally there yet, and it is not easy to try and explain what the problems that we are having…
Sheila
Just found out how to edit the post = press the symbol that looks like a pencil!
Still wondering why I have to scroll through lots of posts to get to the new one…
And still not sure what the knickers symbol is for…and why it turns blue when you click on it?
Puzzled
GG
I’ve noticed that you there is still some confusion with the new forum and I wondered if either of you have tried using the forum tutorial tool via our discobot? Discobot is a bot that can teach you about the forum and help you with many of the queries raised in your recent posts on this thread.
If you private message discobot with “display help” in the body of the message and follow the step by step instructions, I think you’ll find the forum a lot easier to use.
As you will see, the design has been causing amusement and mirth, but seriously … it shouldn’t need a tutorial to chat to people on line, choose conversations to join and see what people are talking about … and I don’t think we really need to get rewards (its very patronising) and certainly don’t need our profiles cluttered up with them as if they are very important. … and we don’t want knickers, dots, hearts, crackers and flags!!
I think it’s fair to say those of us pointing out the difficulties we are having with the site are all thinking of everyone else as well as ourselves and not surprised that of the many thousands of people with PD (and carers) in the UK so few of us are using the forum and feel changes are needed to remedy this.
I did send you some questions when you asked me to be specific, before running out of steam and feeling exasperated the more I thought about it… but don’t think you replied specifically?
As you are in a better position than us to change things, perhaps you would be good enough to take up the issues we are raising with the powers that be!..
Apologies for my delayed response, I thought I had already responded to your post. Please see the answers to your questions below:
You can see an overview of the forum when you first log in. You can see a list of all the categories on the forum on the left hand side of your screen and another list of the latest threads on the right hand side of your screen. Please see the image below:
Can you elaborate what you mean by “autobiographical data” to your profile? I’d love to provide more help on this particular question but I’m a little confused by it.
We’ve included the badges as an engagement tool, however we will definitely look into its effectiveness on the forum.
You can add a reply to any thread by clicking on the ‘reply’ tab at the end of a comment which will enable to correspond without loosing track of where you are.
Lastly, in regards to your most recent message about the use of the bot, the tutorial is an option that is given to new members of the forum to teach them how to use the site. In light of some of the questions I received, I suggested this as an option because I thought it would be helpful to you especially as I’ve seen how this has helped other members before. The bot is purely here to help members with the forum if they choose to use it.
However, we appreciate your feedback, if you have any further feedback about the new forum, please feel free to send an email to [email protected].
