If I was a new member that had just signed up today, I would probably be sitting in front of my computer right now thinking "Ok, what next?" After four hours of clicking around, probing, reading, trying this button or that button, I would probably still be sitting at my computer thinking "Ok, what next?" (only now I would have glassy eyes and a few empty cans of Jolt soda next to me)
So with this in mind, I am going to be spearheading the 'support' area of our site. I say spearheading because you are going to help me. You, as in the person sitting there right now thinking "how do I do x, y, and z". You, as in the person who thought that last year and wrote a post explaining x, y, and z.
There are some great posts on ActiveRain about how to do this, that, and the other thing. I desperately need your help in identifying these posts. The easiest way I can think of for this to happen is for anyone who has written a help piece to go in and edit the tags on any help posts you have written. The tag I would like you to use is
activerain community support
Anyone who is willing to do this for me will be awarded 100 points for any posts they re-tag, or new posts that are how-to posts. In addition, the posts we select to use for our community support area will get the author a 1000 point bonus. It will also be linked to from our community support area.
Over the next few weeks we will be compiling this support area with FAQ's from the community. This is where the person sitting there right now thinking "how do I do x, y and z" comes in. Send me your questions, or post them here. We want to end up with a stellar place that people can go to get their questions answered.
We will be building a 'support' or 'help' area that will have the answers to almost any question someone could need answered. Our members are so helpful to each other, now we need to give them a long overdue area to compile this great help.
Please, if you know of someone that has written one of these posts, ask them to lend a helping hand and go in to edit their tags. If you have written one of these posts, edit your tags :)
The posts will be compiled on this page. We will then work from that page to start building the community support area of the site.
Friends, followers, and connections are the way of the future.
Make sure you check out some of our Facebook Fan Pages Too!
Find Foreclosures in Wallingford Seattle
Home in Green Lake with a basement
Bob. You need to add a Gold Star and Feature this post. Otherwise, it will be gone in 13 seconds and no one will read it.
Quickly.
Do you want posts about Copyright infringement. I've got some doozies.
Head them off at the pass.
This is an brilliant idea, Bob ! I'll go right now and enter this tag on the post I wrote for newbies awhile back...
You're doing a great job and I'm so glad you're with us at Active Rain...I really admire you.
((-:
Jo
Bob...
Do you have any idea what this is going to do to my email? Any? :)
Okay...I'll go change a few...What the heck...I haven't been blogging much so I'll take the points :)
TLW...ROAR!
As a relative newbie, I would like to know more about getting my posts read. Seems like once my blog post goes off the first page, no one sees it anymore. Also, how do I find certain content? For example, if I am looking for blog posts about getting up to date info on market stats in my area, where will I find a post with those suggestions? How do I find those posts?
Give me a day or two to play around on AR, I'll think of LOTS more questions! :)
Thanks,
Marlene Scheffer, Realty Station, Bremerton, Kitsap, WA
Bob, this is good but don't we already have well written collections.
Here's one we in the Newbies are always pointing people to.
ActiveRain Owner's Manual | Book 2
or how about the complete sidebar in the newbies?
Blanca Cholewczynski: Welcome Wagon
Brad Andersohn: Paying it Forward
Colleen Kulikowski: Active Rain Manual
Jeff Turner: Active Rain Video Tutorials
And here is a place to practice...
The Practice Here! group
Just thinking out loud...
Great Job guys. You techies really know how to come up with the ideas...
Bookmarked because I know I'll forget :-)
Bob, this is an awesome idea! Now I'm very curious to watch as it grows and helps everyone, not just newbies. Even though I've been here 3 months I still feel "new" and know there is so much to learn.
BOB: You have taken AR to new heights with your dedicated efforts to make this place as good as it can possibly be. I have re-tagged the following posts:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/213452/Unexpected-Error-Overcoming-Active
http://activerain.com/blogsview/195587/Using-Draft-Mode-To
http://activerain.com/blogsview/191199/Creating-A-Subscribe-To
http://activerain.com/blogsview/189567/The-Art-Of-Using
http://activerain.com/blogsview/186078/How-To-Catalog-Your
http://activerain.com/blogsview/178049/Helpful-Tips-For-Blogging
As I write anything that I think will be helpful for people, I will tag them appropriately. Thanks for spearheading this very important project. This should make life much easier for the many, many newcomers that are joining daily.
Keep up the great work Bob!
"...activerain community support..."
That about says it all.
There is so much support here!
Mike Mueller,
You are correct Sir, that is a fabulous Post. Colleen is so diligent that she probably got most of the best stuff. The newbies area also has lots of great stuff. Now we, ActiveRain, have got to pull it all together and create a support area that allows people to easily get questions answered. At least have a place to feel comfortable clicking to get questions answered. Someone brand new may have a heck of a time even finding the newbies group, let alone figuring out how to join.
Many members have done some awesome collective posts about getting started, we need to sort them all, find the best ones, and make them readily available now.
Bob - with a newborn, a new job, don't you already have plenty to do?
Oh, and I really hate to tell you this but you just were tagged for a Meme too!
MeMe: It's not Who We Are... but it is a few odd and fun things we've done.
Not my fault. Richard and Gary's fault.
That's what you get for being popular!
Bob -- thanks!
Hey...what an idea! This'll be great for the ones that repeat the same stuff too....huh?
On it....No need the points for me...just want my stuff to have a "home".
Lenn,
haha, I think that comment was somewhat tongue in cheek, but thanks, I got it starred.
Brian,
I agree. I can imagine that quite often new people come and leave without ever knowing what the heck to do
Deborah,
It will start out as the posts being indexed in one spot. The next phase will be to have a community support or help button prevalent on the site. In there you will have FAQ's broken down by category. The FAQ will then link off to a post written by a member (or in some cases AR itself)
Lenn,
I would LOVE copyright infringement posts. There will be a whole section dedicated to guidelines and do's and don'ts
Jo-Anne,
Admiration? Well I certainly appreciate that...........although I must confess, deep in my heart the only person's admiration I long for is my Son's (but yours is certainly appreciated)
Desiree,
I bet you have lots of knowledge worth sharing. You aren't the only one that felt that way, I can assure you.
Brian,
You seem to be doing fine now. You made the effort to educate yourself and there is certainly something to be said for that. We just want to make that process easier. Thanks for the how-tos you have written.
TLW,
you points monger you!!! hahahaha. I didn't consider the fact that blog update emails would go out to everyone. I'm sure Ben isn't very happy with me :)
Marlene,
Keep the good questions coming!!
Jessica,
We are glad that you associate those words with AR. We got very lucky in that many of our early members were SOO supportive of us and of the rest of the community. It has built on itself............we need to keep it going strong!
Kris,
I've said before that there are many nuances and things change every now and then. This has been long overdue from ActiveRain
Colleen,
Even though the comment wasn't directed at me, thanks for a well written, highly researched and time consuming effort!!
Adam,
Thank you. I think you are right, making life easier for newcomers is certainly the goal. I think there are some people (like Kris said) that will benefit from it as well, even if they aren't new.
Mike,
Our members do a fabulous job of supporting each other, now it's our turn to step up and make the process easier.
Hi Bob~ I agree, Colleen is great with her posts!
I have one post on how to install a widget in your sidebar:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/113988/Create-A-Widget-For
and one on Becoming an Active Rain Blogger, Not a Lurker!
http://activerain.com/blogsview/55177/So-You-re-aRetagged, hope you can use them!
Mike Mueller,
Tanks for nuttin Danny (bonus points for who can name the movie). Now I have to write about how boring my life has been, haha.............maybe I can come up with something for the MeMe (I may need a little time, in fact I already owe Rich Jacobson one)
Sally,
points aren't optional.........you'll take them and you will like it :)
Laura,
Thanks!!
Bob, This is a great idea. Do any of these posts help?
Buttons anybody?!!!
Formatting a Table in Your Blog Post
Members Look at What I Found!!! More Images and Sign Generators For You!!
LOL...
Careful "Code Monkey" is going to mess up your codes on purpose :)
Here...I took care of something for you...
"How To Get Member's To Read Your Active Rain Blog"
My part is done. For now :)
P.S. Do you think Kelan would be interested in helping purge emails? :)
TLW...ROAR!
Well, I don't consider myself too much of a "how to" guy, but here's my contribution...
How to Write A Bio - Newbies should never sign up without filling out their bio section.
Mana,
Throw them in there.............I'll sort through everything and find the best stuff.
TLW,
Kelan is busy trying to tip over his bumbo baby seat to see if he can hurt himself. Of course, since we only place it on the floor and not the table, he is having little luck. So I don't think he will be on the computer much more today. (Can anyone believe that the government has to do a recall on a product because people can't use them right..............this seems crazy to me)
Sharon,
I'm trying to be gentle with 'my mark' :) But this is something that we have been sorely lacking for way too long!!
Thank you Ricardo!!!
I agree..............and actually...........I have nothing in my bio area.............I should be ashamed!!!!!
Bob - forget the gentle, ActiveRainers charge ahead!
I've added "activerain community support" tags to the following:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/36792/Groups-vs-Affiliates
http://activerain.com/blogsview/103443/Active-Rain-Keyboard-Shortcuts
http://activerain.com/blogsview/81099/Getting-Symbols-into-our
http://activerain.com/blogsview/36794/Using-Symbols
http://activerain.com/blogsview/204624/Wrapping-Text-Around-Your
Sharon,
Ok, full speed ahead it is then! :)
Thank you for adding those. There were about 50 posts added so far in the first couple of hours............not a bad start. I'll probably refeature this a few times over the next few days to get as much exposure to as many helpful rainers as possible.
Some of our helpful members are dealing with some tough stuff on the west coast............my heart goes out to them..............
Bob this is ingenious! I'll check mine but not sure if I have any. There's so many good ones out there and this will bring them all together. Awesome. Dang, that Kelan has a smart Daddy.
The movie was Caddyshack. Pay up the points Mister!
Hi Bob,
George Tallabas and Brad Andersohn both have some great posts that should be included in your Community Support stuff. Mariana Wagner is another member who has written some good posts as well. And two others with some awesome posts are Mark Flanders and Laurie Manny.
All of those members have a number of posts that could/should be included. Hopefully they'll see this and send you their posts. I have a number of each of their posts bookmarked because they're so good and helpful with blogging here on AR.
I'm sure there will be some terrific posts to add to the collection already started, that includes many posts by Colleen Kulikowski, and those in the AR Newbie Group!
Ann
Wow....you're gonna have a To Do conglomeration sooner than you think....
Hey Bob - here's just a few of my humble contributions to rummage through if they're worthy of the group. :-)
Bob, and don't forget Jeff Turners video tutorials.
Actually as Mike Mueller mentions, the side bar on the newbie group has links to many instructional posts.
Angies Active Rain posting instructions is a compilation of quite a lot of How tos.
Hi Bob-
I'm going through them right now - I checked out the list - they're already there!
Oh well, back to work - I'll tag a few more later in the afternoon.
Which brings up my question - how do you do a tag??? or how do you tag an article???
Karen
Hi, Bob! I haven't posted many, but I hope this qualifies. It's about how to post, how to put signatures in your blog, and how to post to localism. Thanks for the opportunity!
http://activerain.com/blogs/wagnerprofessionalgroup/tags/activerain%20community%20support
There is a link to all the posts that I have retagged for this project. Very cool!
Bob, am working on one for you here. Will you see it if I post it over the weekend?
Also, you commented on a post about 10 days ago asking for stories about how we may have used an AR post with a client. You asked to be reminded about it, as I believe the cut off date for that was today. So here's at least one reminder.
Have the best of weekends...
Cool idea... now if only the statistics area weren't randomly organized so I could see where my old stuff is...
;^ )
Seriously, I will have to go looking through my junk, now.
Doh!. I'm an idiot, you guys fixed it while I wasn't looking...
First of all, I look forward to your continued contribution to our community. Secondly, a community support corner is a great idea, long overdue.
Hey, Bob. I ended up tagging one of my blogs with that phrase. Not sure if you think it'll be helpful, but I've actually gone back to my own post every time I want to wrap images in my HTML blogs. I just retagged it...
http://activerain.com/blogsview/286222/Wrapping-text-around-photos