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Forum - Long Titles

Question asked by Glenn Schroeder on Sep 9, 2014
Latest reply on Dec 12, 2017 by Dennis Dohogne

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I noticed we've been getting a fairly large number of Discussions with exceedingly long titles. I believe that's the result of the new setup for asking a question from the Home page. Where it says "Type your question" people seem to think they should type the question, which makes perfect sense, but that's actually the space for the Discussion title. Then clicking on "Ask it" takes you to the actual dialog box where you enter the body of the Discussion, insert screenshots, etc. I really don't think this was set up very well.

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Greg Jankowski Oct 13, 2014 5:51 PM
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Great comment. This was out of the box functionality.
We are looking at ways to improve this ourselves and tie it back to MySolidWorks.
We will post some information and get feedback before we undertake this.
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Greg Jankowski Dec 2, 2014 12:00 PM
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I did a investigation of all titles from the start of our community to present.

It seems like titles have gotten longer and the % of "bad" titles has grow, but I'm not clear it jumped significantly since the update.

But, we need to insure that titles are better and more effective for other to find and comment on.

Partial education and will look into ideas with search and the ask a question widget.
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- Glenn Schroeder @ Greg Jankowski on Feb 16, 2015 8:26 AM
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  I think this might show what I meant: i need to make a pencil looking thing....cone tip, on top of hex rod, then finishes off as circular rod. I figures drawing the profile of the cone tip, then revolve, then place a plane on bottom of come to extrude the hex from there, then another plane t . I don't remember this kind of thing before the Forum overhaul.
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- Peter De Vlieger @ Greg Jankowski on Feb 25, 2015 10:41 AM
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  E.G.:
  
  when making a model to then be CNC machined, do i need to draw the internal threads where the screws will go? or can i just mark in the 2D drawing something like M4x8?
  I just installed 2015 and I can not drag and drop components from toolbox, it gives me this message: "Unable to open read-only file'C:\SOLIDWOKS Data (2)\browserAnsi\inch\bolts and screws\hex head\hex bolt_ai" does anybody know how to fix this?
  I am attempting to create a file template that will read an environment variable and assign that to a template variable to be used as a file name. When running the template, I receive the error msg: The template uses the undefined environment variable 'Ne
  
  All just from the last week or so. Clear indication that the present lay out is confusing when you see long questions in the title and the body of the post being near indentical to the so called title.
  
  If you think you need to educate your users in using your UI, which should be straight forward, then chances are that the UI should be tweaked or at least the wording of some aspects of it.
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  - Greg Jankowski @ Peter De Vlieger on Mar 2, 2015 9:36 AM
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    Agreed. And we are trying to find a way to do this in a maintainable manner.
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    - Chris Michalski @ Greg Jankowski on Mar 2, 2015 9:47 AM
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      The simplest solution would likely be that when someone creates a question from that box, to move their text to the main text box for them to complete (instead of the current method of putting their question in the headline). Then remind them to enter a headline when they hit submit. This way the new users will automatically be steered towards the preferred way to present their question.
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      - Glenn Schroeder @ Chris Michalski on Mar 2, 2015 10:33 AM
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        Chris Michalski wrote:
        
        The simplest solution would likely be that when someone creates a question from that box, to move their text to the main text box for them to complete (instead of the current method of putting their question in the headline). Then remind them to enter a headline when they hit submit. This way the new users will automatically be steered towards the preferred way to present their question.
        
        I would suggest making the "HAVE A SOLIDWORKS QUESTION?" text the link instead of the "Ask it" button, and completely removing the "Type your question" box and the "Ask it" link.
        
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    - Mark Kaiser @ Greg Jankowski on Mar 2, 2015 10:53 AM
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      This thread is six months old.
      
      Could the solution be as simple as limiting the number of allowed characters in whatever box creates the title? Then the user might think twice about what they are entering and how.
      
      Or big flashy messages for those that just don't get it.
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      - John Stoltzfus @ Mark Kaiser on Mar 2, 2015 11:08 AM
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        Even with a shocking mouse - they just won't get it
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        Mark Kaiser @ John Stoltzfus on Mar 2, 2015 11:29 AM
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        What's the saying, 'life is like a box of chocolates...', or 'you just can't fix...', think you were headed for the latter, but the first sort of applies also.
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        Erik Bilello @ John Stoltzfus on Mar 2, 2015 2:58 PM
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        A shocking mouse? Just where can I get one of those? Or maybe two, the company is growing.
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      - Kelvin Lamport @ Mark Kaiser on Mar 2, 2015 11:13 AM
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        That would be way too simple for the Jive platform, Mark.
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        Mark Kaiser @ Kelvin Lamport on Mar 2, 2015 11:30 AM
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        Well, there's some code somewhere that must say how many characters you can stick in that box, or at least that's what I was thinking. So the Jive platform sounds a bit bloated.
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Glenn Schroeder Jun 1, 2015 8:37 AM
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Still no better.
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- Deepak Gupta @ Glenn Schroeder on Jun 1, 2015 12:55 PM
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  Glenn I believe it more of educating people rather than blaming forum team. People needs to understand the difference between a post title and its body.
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  - Jamil Snead @ Deepak Gupta on Jun 1, 2015 1:12 PM
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    I think the problem is that there is a box on the homepage for starting a discussion and it instructs you to "Type your question" into the box. So people will type out a long question, then click the "Ask it" button. But then whatever you typed into that box automatically gets entered as the title of your new discussion. I believe that instead the text should probably get entered into the question area and the user should be required to create a new title.
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  - Dwight Livingston @ Deepak Gupta on Jun 1, 2015 1:17 PM
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    Deepak
    
    It's my opinion that the long titles are driven by the forum software. If the "ask a question" feature were a button, the questioner might then be helped by seeing in a new page a place in which to put a title, another box for the body, etc. As it is, the questioner sees only one box in which to type, and type they do. I wouldn't blame the newcomer when they are misdirected.
    
    Dwight
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    - Deepak Gupta @ Dwight Livingston on Jun 1, 2015 1:34 PM
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      I would agree somehow with you but still won't blame the software completely. For e.g. people would use funny fonts, all caps and similar things.
      
      "Ask a question" feature has a button which needs to clicked once they type in. And than that takes you through the category selection and finally to a page where one can easy see the details as where is title and where is body. So then they can easily change it.
      
      I only wish some how new people should read these threes post before starting a discussions: Frequently Asked Forum Questions, How to ask a good question in the API forum and Forum Posting
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      - Chris Michalski @ Deepak Gupta on Jun 1, 2015 1:44 PM
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        I would suggest trying to get stickies added like other forums, but 1) a lot of forums end up with so many stickies that noone reads them and 2) based on some of the questions asked recently some new posters haven't even read the SW help file so chances of them reading a sticky before posting aren't that good.
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        Deepak Gupta @ Chris Michalski on Jun 1, 2015 1:54 PM
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        I would say that this could be made a part of registration to go through some introductory posts on search, profile, how to ask questions, what information to include, etc.
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        John Stoltzfus @ Deepak Gupta on Jun 1, 2015 3:39 PM
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        Deepak, if most of us can't read the help files when we get the software......., surely we're not going to pass on our registration test will we??
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  - Glenn Schroeder @ Deepak Gupta on Jun 1, 2015 1:36 PM
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    Deepak Gupta wrote:
    
    Glenn I believe it more of educating people rather than blaming forum team. People needs to understand the difference between a post title and its body.
    
    Deepak,
    
    I'm afraid I'll have to respectfully disagree with you. As Jamil and Dwight said, the layout to start a Discussion from the Home page is very confusing. The members can be educated, as many of us have been, but it shouldn't be necessary.
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    - Peter De Vlieger @ Glenn Schroeder on Jun 2, 2015 3:21 AM
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      I have to agree with Glenn on this.
      
      If you have a product and a basic feature of it isn't been used correctly by the customer then changes are that the fault is with the product and not the customer. Because if it's a basic feature it shouldn't need the customer to be educated but it should be straightforward. Especially if one considers that the vast majority of people that use it are very technical people with a decent education, so if they tend not to use it as expected then I for one find it rich to blame the users.
      
      Too much these days the finger points at the customer for what are actual design flaws.
      
      It isn't about blaming people it's about questioning the design.
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      - Sarah Dwight @ Peter De Vlieger on Sep 22, 2015 11:57 AM
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        I am a new user (joined the forums in late June 2015) and this was frustrating and confusing and took me a while to figure out. I didn't want to jump in and ask my own questions until I had searched the forum to see if someone else had already asked it. No sense reinventing the wheel.
        
        From the homepage it looks like you can do that with the "have a question? type your question" box, but when you type your question and hit enter it brings up a popup to "choose a place". My initial response was "A place for what?" I went through the motions until I realized it wasn't the search function. Then I had to go back until I found the search button. I never even knew the "search all results' was an option because I would type my question and hit enter giving the page no time to reload the preview below it (which is a cool function, but not really useful unless you can read full titles).
        
        But it really does depend upon the type of forum user. Do they search the forum before asking their own questions? or Do they just ask anything and everything, not caring or understanding how that affects other community members and themselves for future visits? Do they just type a novel and leave the whole thing as the title?
        
        I would prefer language that states "Search the Forum" box on the homepage, then an option to "Start a Discussion" when you can't find for what you were looking.
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        John Stoltzfus @ Sarah Dwight on Sep 22, 2015 12:05 PM
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        Which is exactly why these two posts should be on the top page of the forum outlined in red and highlighted in yellow ----
        
        Forum Posting
        
        Frequently Asked Forum Questions
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        Richard Wehmeyer @ Sarah Dwight on Sep 22, 2015 2:27 PM
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        Thank you, Sarah! I have been posting here for a while, took a hiatus and lately find it difficult to search the forum. I don't know when it changed but it has been driving me nuts.
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        Dennis Dohogne @ Sarah Dwight on Dec 12, 2017 11:30 AM
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        Sarah Dwight wrote:
        
        I am a new user (joined the forums in late June 2015) and this was frustrating and confusing and took me a while to figure out. I didn't want to jump in and ask my own questions until I had searched the forum to see if someone else had already asked it. No sense reinventing the wheel.
        
        From the homepage it looks like you can do that with the "have a question? type your question" box, but when you type your question and hit enter it brings up a popup to "choose a place". My initial response was "A place for what?" I went through the motions until I realized it wasn't the search function. Then I had to go back until I found the search button. I never even knew the "search all results' was an option because I would type my question and hit enter giving the page no time to reload the preview below it (which is a cool function, but not really useful unless you can read full titles).
        
        But it really does depend upon the type of forum user. Do they search the forum before asking their own questions? or Do they just ask anything and everything, not caring or understanding how that affects other community members and themselves for future visits? Do they just type a novel and leave the whole thing as the title?
        
        I would prefer language that states "Search the Forum" box on the homepage, then an option to "Start a Discussion" when you can't find for what you were looking.
        It would be nice if under Actions => Start a discussion, the system encouraged the user to FIRST search the forum for hits against words in the proposed title before allowing the option to post. Better yet would be if it automatically did this search and showed the results asking something along the lines of "Is this what you are interested in?" and if the answer is No then taking the user to the next dialogue box to enter the supporting comments to the the title of their post.
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John Stoltzfus Jun 3, 2015 6:23 AM
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Keeps on going .....
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Kenneth Barrentine Sep 22, 2015 2:02 PM
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Here's my take on it.
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- Have A Question.png16.0 KB
- Ask Question Dialog Box.png34.7 KB
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Tom dunn Sep 22, 2015 2:16 PM
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Oh come on guys and gals! You/we were all knew at one point and time to the forum. New/old people make mistakes, that is how we all learn. I am sure after the new person types out there first post and sees what was posted they make a change the second time.

Tom
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- Richard Wehmeyer @ Tom dunn on Sep 22, 2015 2:35 PM
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  True, but it is awkward and confusing therefore we are here making our pitch to the developers to make a change for us and newcomers alike. I, for one, would like to see the discussion creation process changed a bit.
  
  Yes, new users will eventually figure it out, I will eventually get the hang of searching the forum, but if they want to make it better here are our suggestions.
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- Peter De Vlieger @ Tom dunn on Sep 23, 2015 3:04 AM
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  True, we all make mistakes.
  
  The point is however that the design as it stands leads to mistakes because of how it is worded and generally designed.
  
  If something is designed in such a manner that the correct way to use it is not self evident then it is bad design.
  
  Look at the post by Sarah Dwight
  ...I went through the motions until I realized it wasn't the search function. Then I had to go back until I found the search button....
  There is no valid reason to make anything more complicated then it needs to be nor should a tool used to help come with a manual, or a learning curve, to learn to use it's most basic functionality. Again, bad design.
  
  The question then remains why did anyone think this would pass muster and why can a piping designer like myself, who's native language isn't even English, see that and those that are in charge of it not?
  
  When the switch over to this 'new improved' forum was made one of the reasons for it was given that it would be easier to make changes to by those that maintain it. It's been a year since the original question and still nothing has changed.
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