[Site Feedback] Changes to Course Forums - email from Olivia Zavala

Community-Created Courses Course Creator's Corner
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@Onesmy (or anyone reading this) ~ I think what we are seeing with this issue (and a few others of late) is people wanting and hoping to make the Memrise experience the best it can be (at least in the areas where they have input or control). Some are a little more passionate in their postings than others; but bottom-line, I think we all want this product to survive and thrive.

We are all in this together, and that seems to be the common thread. We may not always understand the ground rules (especially when they change), but even if we collectively falter or take a misstep or two, we all want to go forward. If we didn’t care, none of us would spend the time and efforts in this forum like we do. I don’t know how all of this will play out in the short or long term, but like all things Memrise, I guess we will basically just have to wait and see.

Personally, when it comes to software, forums, or even life in general - I am a minimalist. The less clutter, the less confusion, the happier I am. That may or may not always be the Memrise way, and so it seems that no matter which route Memrise takes, someone is not going to be happy. Time will tell whether this new forum concept (and anything else coming down the pike that we aren’t aware of yet) will prove to be a boom or a bust.

For now, I think it is best to just let the dust settle and focus on learning (either for ourselves, or for those who are taking the courses we have created). After all, learning is supposed to be what Memrise is all about ? So lets try not to get too side-tracked on in-house debates about what is or isn’t good; efficient or inefficient, etc. It’s too early in the game for speculation.

Bear in mind that in the grand scheme of things in life, this is just a software program that we have in common. It is not the end all, and it doesn’t define who we are or what we strive to become. Let’s just make the Memrise experience the best we can, and be happy for that. At least that’s always been my approach. I hope this makes sense.

I’ll step off my soap box now…

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Yes @alanh is correct:

I think that @DW7 chose to reproduce Olivia’s email in this category because it requests course creators to take the action described if they want to continue receiving user reports and feedback on their courses.

Basically only creators have been informed at this stage (I guess) and need contemplate the implications and take action. Also as we’ve said, not all users use the Course Forums.

However I do agree that nearer the 1st July we may need to create a new thread for users, giving clear instruction on what action they should take.

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Thank you all for your contributions to this Forum thread.

I am slowly understanding the issues and what creators think is the best course of action.

I think I will need to study @OliviaZavala’s email again, but I really could do with some help and guidance.

  1. When will we get an extra course descriptive allowance?

  2. Consensus favours Forum threads for Course issues with “[Course Forum]” at the start of the thread.

  3. Is there or is there going to be a top level category called “Course issues” or something similar?

  4. Is someone going to create sub-categories as mentioned (eg Language then a sub category for each language AND similar things for the other categories of courses?) to keep it all tidy?

  5. What should we do if several courses have the same course title? (I do realise that the creator’s ID will help it - but what about the famous “deleted” member?)

  6. I assume if the course creator creates the Forum thread then s/he will be informed of a question raised, but a) how will contributor’s be informed of a posting? b) what if the creator is no longer active or not into this forum?

  7. What happens if the course title changes (I guess we edit the thread title)? That’s why I suggested the shorter 5 or 6 digit number might be a better solution.

  8. I have often said that an overhaul of categories would be beneficial because if you’ve ever studied something with a Geography or Astronomy theme, you will find them in completely different categories including Trivia (for GCSE courses!)

So yes, I am prepared to have a go, but please can someone tell me when to start and where to create those threads?

Must get on with what MemRise is all about - learning! (Don’t want to end my streaks!)

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I like this idea. Not everyone needs to create a forum entry for their course. In addition, courses that actually span multiple course like I’ve been making can be under one forum post. For example, I’m creating an SGJL (suggested guide for Japanese literacy) course which will be 30 courses plus additional course for Japanese dramas. I’ll just create an SGJL post and have all the course links in the top post and there’s a one stop shop for people to discuss any and all courses instead of it being spread out among 30 different forum posts.

Hopefully later there’s be a “Course Forum” sub-forum that way general language discussion can happen in the main thread for that language.

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@Charles_Applin35 ~ If I am reading your post correctly, I am anxious to see how and when you do this, as I was hoping to do the same for my courses (since they are basically linked in a couple of series as well). Thanks !

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I just did it for my Hiragana and Katakana course here. I’ll also do it like that for the 2k1KO/RTK Kanji, Core 2k/6k vocabulary and Tae Kim grammar courses. Then just have one overall course forum post.

Since I don’t have a large following, I doubt there’ll be a lot of traffic or posts to those forum posts. However, they’ll be there out of sight until they’re needed for someone interested in that specific method. I really, really hope most of the posts are not about bugs and errors. :slight_smile:

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Excellent ! Just what I was hoping to see. You gave me an idea of how to do my forum post (since I basically have 3 sets of 4 courses each). I think one post should do it, rather than 12. Thank you for the novel approach ! :smiley:

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@eunoia’s courses are orphaned, although they have a bunch of contributors - me included. To be very honest, did is a case where I doubt I’ll post a link… I’ve have made thousands of corrections in those courses, and I don’t have the amount of them to curate them alone…

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I’ve just stepped out of this thread into the top level and see that @Lien has already created those top level categories for us here

and @Risenfall has already posted an example following the suggestions above, here.

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I’ve changed the topic titles and added the tag course-forum for all the topics now. Adding the tag I think might be useful because then you can get an overview of these [Course Forum] topics here: http://community.memrise.com/tags/course-forum

I hope any moderators and leaders and regulars will also change the names of these topics and add the tag when they come upon them. I don’t want to be the sole Don Quijote doing that.

To make sure any contributors get notified when someone posts in the topic, I would just ask anyone who posts a report in the topic to copy something like this, which I would put in the top post:

To make sure your post gets seen by the course creators and contributors, paste the following into your post:

You’re my only hope @DW7, @pdao, @Lien, @Onesmy!

Edit: did you get a notice from this quote pdao and Onesmy?

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Another example of why it is usually best to step back and let the dust settle before tackling something new. Waiting generally pays off… :sunglasses:

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@Arete_Hime ~ notice received !

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Hi @Arete_Hime, re:

I’ve changed the topic titles and added the tag course-forum for all the topics now. Adding the tag I think might be useful because then you can get an overview of these topics :

Having not tried it, forgive the question but, where does one add tags? I tried to access the area for this thread for instance and can’t find it.

FOUND IT - It’s under the title edit!

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@Arete_Hime Great to have this dedicated thread course-forum. Bravo !

But really asking users to add tags to their post just so that the course creator gets notified… arghhh.

When you think that in the past it was one click and go for the users…?

This is going to be interesting to say the least.

Wait and see…

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It’s asking course creators to add tags to the topics, and moderators, leaders, and regulars to do that for them if they didn’t. And asking users to copy a line in their post: you’re my only hope @flamantrose! if they post in that topic. I agree it’s not anything resembling a convenient solution. But then again, the original solution wasn’t all that pretty either.

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Thanks @Arete_Hime for explaining. I need a Memrise course on how to use the new Forum :wink:

I thought the tags were key words added to a post, thinking that people add keywords (tags) to posts. But one only adds keywords upon creating a new discussion thread, which is entirely different.

So for the course creator, in the title of the new discussion thread put [Course Forum] at the beginning. Then maybe also the keyword course-forum to the course forum discussion thread.

To get notified or to notify someone people should put mentions @coursecreator in their posts.

Simple two step process, it is better.

Thank you !

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I’ve posted my general forum link (for all my courses) in my courses descriptions - at least, in a part of them. The team should the gentleness to allow the links in course descriptions to appear as links - in blue, and to be clickable and to open in a new tab, so the user has a direct link to the forum

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For the benefit of readers of this thread, I am attaching a synopsis of the discussion we had:

By @DW7

Thank you for having a go @Hydroptere and giving us the opportunity to have a look.
I agree with you that the link will need to be an active one and that people
posting in a “Course Forum” (when more than one course) will definitely need to specify which course (and level hopefully) they are reporting on or you could spend ages looking for an entry.

I went to your course to see how you’ve set it up. I did see the
link which I had to copy and paste into a new tab, BUT I only knew what
to do because of this forum.

The example of the link is in “La Mer” course and it had no introduction/ instructions. Ie it wasn’t clear what the the link was for and I think we are going to have to rely on MemRise publicising the new way of posting comments.

Reply by @alanh

Another way to move between the course page and the forum is to
highlight the text of the url in the course description area [it’s not a true link - as @Hydroptere rightly pointed out in another thread] and then right click on it, then “go to…”.

The example I looked at clearly says “Post issues under…” in the
course description area. I did something similar with mine, and added a
new thread in the existing Course Forum for good measure.

By @DW7

But to come back to a comment I made earlier in the other thread (ie this thread now), I think the response rate when it was given as an easy link when one got an answer “wrong” was not used that much, so I don’t know how many normal users will know what to do and report issues under the new system.

Perhaps MemRise will be emailing all users on the 1st July to inform them.

This is a request to @OliviaZavala

By @Hydroptere

A. thanks @alanh

B. @DW7:
1 the “course description” is for describing the course. In fact,
only with great displeasure I’ve posted the link there: it’s eating up
characters, posting “for this and that” would have taken the whole space
provided

2 the link is long and ugly; however, it is clear that is link to a
forum, if one can read: course forum hydroptere’s courses… I expect
the user to read the title of the link and to figure out by
herself/himself. I don’t think figuring out is that difficult

3 this is the max I can do, given the way memrise handles this issue.
Yes, memrise should make clear to the user how s/he can post issues…
at least they can allow clickable links in the course description.
Hallo, @Joshua, hi!

How do you do that thing with tiny.url? maybe I can change the whole
long sausage (the link to my forum I mean) into a tiny tidy something.
well, I’ve shortened the huge link by myself, first but it is too short
a shortening.

By DW7

Hi @Hydroptere, I hope you understood my post, and I agree 100% with you.

You may remember I requested a dedicated field for our links with appropriate wording by MemRise, which has not been granted but we have been promised more space, which should help.

All my descriptions have used up all my allotted space so I can’t do anything until my allowance has been increased.

I have also requested that MemRise re-educates the users to look for a link in our description.

And your idea of live ‘click-able’ links opening to a new tab is vital.

I too could do with help with writing tiny.urls BUT :warning: I resist clicking them as I don’t know where I am going and it could be a virus! :radioactive:
(Normally this could be the case outside of MemRise, but one doesn’t know who might be able to get in or even write a course.)

I think you are doing a wonderful job - trail blazing - but I can’t
help thinking this is such a backward step and so messy - as well as
unlikely to be used as it’s not easy and in the appropriate place (ie
when we get an answer ‘wrong’ or spots a problem).

Please could MemRise note this thread.

Reply by @Hydroptere

Yes I did understand what you were saying, thanks, I’m upset with this strategy of memrise of first throwing the child into the fountain then watching the users saving it - again and again.

The above conversation took place in one of @Hydroptere’s courses but it has been moved here for all to see at her (sensible) suggestion.

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If it helps, here’s how to make a link with a short-form clickable description that appears in blue. (Sorry this comment is so long!! It’s in 2 parts: How-to, and example illustration)

  1. The basic little formula is: [ url][/url]
    BUT with no space after that first bracket - If I don’t put a space in there you would just see a blank after my " : "
    I have to “break” the formula with a space to make the magic symbols visible here :smiley: The first bit should really look like this: [url]

  2. Inside that first set of brackets, after ‘url’, type in an “equals” sign: =
    So it looks like this: [url=]

  3. Paste your link right after the “equals” sign, before the closing bracket: [url=PASTELINKHERE]

  4. Type your short-form description in between the two bracketed halves of the formula: [ url=PASTELINKHERE]Description[/url]

(Again, don’t leave any spaces anywhere - I put one in after the first bracket just so the formula is visible. Otherwise you would only see my example word, “Description”, in blue with nothing around it :smile:)

To illustrate this using the link to your Course Forum:

  • Your link is: [Courses Fora] Hydroptère's courses

  • Pasted into the first half, " [url] ", after typing in the “=”, it looks like this: [url=http://community.memrise.com/t/course-forum-hydropteres-courses/895]

  • Using “Course Forum: Hydroptère’s Courses” as the description, and with the second half, the whole string looks like this (but with no space after the first bracket): [ url=http://community.memrise.com/t/course-forum-hydropteres-courses/895]Course Forum: Hydroptère’s Courses[/url]

    (Again, I put in a space after the first bracket to break it and make everything visible)

  • The final result looks like this and links to the forum (the only change from above is removing the space after the first bracket) :

    Course Forum: Hydroptère’s Courses

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Brilliant, many thanks @Parrac.

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