WP.com First Impressions
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I am a newbie to WP, but an online publishing vet who can usually figure things out. After 3 days of spending a lot of time here, hoping to find this platform would work for a lot of future blogging, I have some first impressions to share, FYI.
First, the good parts. I love the clean looks, the nice templates, the general ease of use, and the community of savvy participants. It’s not that I can’t learn or do the more complex tricks; it’s that I loathe taking the time away from developing content. So when someone has done some pre-thinking that works for me, I am grateful.
The pre-thinking in this case, for me, only works partially. Examples:
– The fact of these forums is a great selling point, but finding them is not obvious. There is not a link on the dashboard (is there?) and I have to surf around to get back here again.
– The tag cloud format is antoher selling point for me; I love them as a quick visual guide. But as I put in another support query, it’s not obvious how to see a wide range of tags already in use by others so you reinforce an exising theme instead of starting a new one.
– On the tag topic, it’s not clear why one would use both tags and categories. Is there any functional difference in the WP.com paradigm?
– Some responders are a bit brusque when dealing with not-obvious queries. I agree with the poster who said that it would be helpful if/when a mod knows the answer exists, they also post a link to it. (That said I also know how often the posters do not check at all first.)
– The documentation does not seem to be written for WP.com specifically, or if it is included, it’s not very well distinguished from the instructions for WP.org style blogs.
– When I post a support query, it would be nice if there were the minimal features you find on most any forum these days, i.e. a preview and edit function, and an option to get an email if somebody posts a reply. (If it’s just me being clueless, apologies, but I didn’t see such options at all)
– Last, but largest, I am tempted to loathe the online editor, which is not very WYSYWIG since things like paragraph breaks don’t post as you wrote them, and small tweaks to code (like adding <br>) appear to work, but then don’t stick. But the most annoying thing about the editor is that it has fewer text styling options than even my Yahoo mail interface. I can’t (in any obvious way) upsize, say, a subhead, or remove the quotemark art from a section that is really just an indent, much less change the font at will, apparently, unless I want to learn a lot more than I want to know about the details of CSS (and how much CSS control you get with a template is also ambiguous).
– The size of the composing window is driving me batty too, but my request in the Dashboard to make it longer did not seem to stick.
Thanks for listening. All thoughts welcome.
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(1) No forum link on the dashboard
Please scroll down and look at the left hand corner of the bottom of the page.
Need help?
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
Give and receive help in our WordPress.com Forums.
Read WordPress Documentation.
Use the feedback link in the upper right corner.(2) … it’s not obvious how to see a wide range of tags already in use by others so you reinforce an exising theme instead of starting a new one
On your dashboard click “Features” the 3rd entry down is: Categorize and Tag Your Posts and it contains a link to a page that describes the tag pages and how to use them. http://wordpress.com/features/post-tags/
(3) Some responders are a bit brusque when dealing with not-obvious queries. I agree with the poster who said that it would be helpful if/when a mod knows the answer exists, they also post a link to it. (That said I also know how often the posters do not check at all first.)
All of the bloggers answering questions on the forum, including the Moderators are unpaid Volunteers. We have a wide variety of skills and a wide range of experience. We answer forum questions while we are at work elsewhere.
Some, like myself, can immediately provide links and do. I do not work on a locked down terminal with the ability to open only one window for example. Others do not provide links and have limitations with respect to equipment and time.
You get what you pay for. Unless and until wordpress.com actually hires more forum staff, aside from Mark, neither wordpress.com nor the bloggers asking questions are in a position to complain about the service they get.
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(3) The documentation does not seem to be written for WP.com specifically, or if it is included, it’s not very well distinguished from the instructions for WP.org style blogs
The only documentation we have is found in the FAQs. It’s my observation that many bloggers do not read the sticky posts, the FAQs or use the forum search box before posting to the forum. When this is obvious then the Volunteers answering questions do not provide links.
In my free time (giggle) I have created some documentation on the blog linked to my username and I usually provide this Beginner’s Guide link to newcomers https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic.php?id=11280
(4) minimal features you find on most any forum these days, i.e. a preview and edit function, and an option to get an email if somebody posts a reply
I use a firefox 2.0.0.4 browser and I am able to edit my forum posts for up to ten minutes after I post them. I believe that some using IE6 cannot do so. And as far as email addresses go it would indeed be unrealistic to expect Volunteers to email answers to posts made on the forum. In fact, I would categorically refuse to do so. Alternatively I suppose an automated system could be used to clutter up cyberspace with unnecessary communications (unnecessary in the sense that it’s up to those posting to assume their responsibility to return and look for replies). Also note that an auto response would eliminate the opportunity for the OP to check the current forum threads and find answers for their questions in them.
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(4) con’td
This bb press software being used here is also an Automattic/wordpress product so I doubt that the construct of the forum will change any time soon, if at all.(5) I am tempted to loathe the online editor … The text rich editor is Tiny MCE, a platform independent web based Javascript HTML WYSIWYG editor control released as Open Source under LGPL by Moxiecode Systems AB. More information about it can be found here http://tinymce.moxiecode.com/
I’m not a fan of this editor either but we have two editors. I alternate between use of the two editors when writing a post and am therefore able to adjust what I need to adjust.
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(6) The size of the composing window is driving me batty too, but my request in the Dashboard to make it longer did not seem to stick.
-> Dashboard -> Options -> Writing
Writing Options
Size of the post box:___lines
Once you have filled in the blank with your preference be sure to click “Update Options” or your changes will not “stick”. -
(7) Lastly, staff have requested that all “ideas” be sent to them by way of a feedback. Please copy and paste your post above into a feedback. The feedback button is on the top right hand corner of any admin side blog page. Click it and a pane will open so you can enter your text.
I hope this clarifies some things for you. IMO we are getting one hell of a good free web hosting deal from wordpress.com but you have the right to disagree with me if you so choose.
Best wishes and happy blogging. :)
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Thanks again for your time, TT. I see that it was partially about what I missed (forum link) or what I didn’t know (the dynamics of what happens behind the scenes, which all have a familiar ring after years backstage on CompuServe).
I handle frustration better when I know the background (e.g. all volunteer), so thanks for clueing me in. You also put your finger on why I couldn’t edit (IE 6.x).
As for the composing questions, it sounds as if this is one of those things where you “get what you get” and that’s it? I was hoping perhaps it was just me missing some clues. But if it’s been decided by the PTB that this is just how it needs to be for editing, I will have to do some added thinking of my own about whether to put up with the constraints, switch to WP.org or use another web- based platform.
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@hyperthought
As we do not know what the PTB may have in store for us (Volunteers and Moderators get no prior notice of server maintenance, changes being made to existing features, or which new features are going to be introduced) I would urge you to submit a feedback and outline the constraints you are finding difficult to cope with.There’s nothing to be lost by trying and nothing to be gained by not asking. :)
P.S. I feel like copying and pasting this into a blog post and getting some “hits” for the time I spent on it … lol :D
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>> P.S. I feel like copying and pasting this into a blog post and getting some “hits” for the time I spent on it … lol :D <<
LOL back and I hear you — and thank you, again.
BTW, I did paste the whole exchange [with link] into a Feedback note, in case it proves useful.
cb
(who now thinks some of the other things that didn’t ‘stick’ might also be about IE6) -
If you had checked the forum searchbox you would have found that IE6 has issues with the software used here. https://en.forums.wordpress.com/search.php?q=IE6
Now go away and get some blogging done, okay … lol … :D Just joking. If you need help then post again but please check out the Beginner’s Guide links to resources first. https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic.php?id=11280
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>> If you had checked the forum searchbox you would have found that IE6 has issues with the software <<
Yabbut, I had no way of knowing it _could_ be an issue until we had this exchange, and thus no reason to do so until you raised it.
<grin, duck, and run back to my blogging with a wave good bye>
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@ hyperthought you might find that the text editing arrangements at WP Org are similar. In fact as a general rule new functionality is introduced at Com first. It is fair to say that many aspects of the editors are not universally popular.
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On the tag topic, it’s not clear why one would use both tags and categories.
Much asked by me as well. Some folks do though. That’s probably why we usually explain how the categories act as tags here at wp.com.
I agree with the poster who said that it would be helpful if/when a mod knows the answer exists, they also post a link to it.
Just for reference, the former moderator usually did post a link to where an answer could be found and sometimes even how I found it if I thought it would do some good. No ofference but it’s kind of ironic that you don’t post a link to the thread that you mention so i really can’t follow up on this point. If the post was dated yesterday, July 4th, I was using a very locked down shopping center mall terminal with a keypad the size of a ATM 10 key key pad that’s normally used to take local cable television payments and could do little on it.
The documentation does not seem to be written for WP.com specifically
You’re right it’s not. To be honest, I think the wp.org codex is done very poorly and is not for a beginning. You may note that I rarely would send folks over there because I knew it wouldn’t help them.
May I suggest stepping up and writing some documentation of your own? Gotta admit that complaining about an issue is one thing. Actually doing something about an issue to solve it is another. Goodness knows staff has had nearly two years to do it on their own. I don’t think we’ll ever see anything more out of them except for the faq blog.
Which by the way, frequently gets ignored so that may be why.
By the way, feel free to submit your suggestions in via feedback. It’s commonly known that staff does not frequent the forums here even though they say otherwise.
No offense meant on any of this. Just my opinions.
-drmike -
Thanks for the tip about increasing the size of the composing window…its has been irritating me since I started using WordPress!
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