2019 Forum Developments

RE: 2019 Forum Developments

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 13:09:46 GMT

Another update. This has all taken so much longer than expected. I thought we were two weeks off back in December, but then we hit all sorts of obstacles and software glitches, which I have been working though on VetSurgeon. But I think we have pretty much finished fixing them now. Just a couple more to do. I'm just starting work on officially re-launching VetSurgeon now. And once that is done, and I am confident everything works as it should for the rollout here, then we'll be off to the races. I now think that will be inside the next 4 weeks.

RE: 2019 Forum Developments

Samantha Flavell — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 15:13:25 GMT

Thank you Arlo. I'm really looking forward to the new upgrades

RE: 2019 Forum Developments

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 14:38:07 GMT

An update ...

Behind the scenes, we've broken the back of the upgrade work, but I expect still a week or two to go.

But as the work has progressed and I've done more research and had more ideas ...

First, the background is that a lot of people have moved over to Facebook, largely because, well, everyone else has!

I can't compete with Facebook for general chat. It has the advantage that so many people are on it.

BUT, it is deeply flawed as a platform for professionals sharing information because even in closed groups, you don't know who you are talking to, what their vested interests are, how well qualified they are, or whether they actually know what they are talking about.

Facebook info is really badly curated too. And it is very hard to refer back to.

The new Expert Help forums will address all these issues, and introduce a fun element to information-sharing.

1. Anyone will be able to post a question in the Expert Help Forums.

2. Only verified Experts will be able to answer. Those experts must display their real name, their place and date of qualification, and a reasonably full profile.

3. Whenever someone marks an expert's answer as THE answer to their question, it is changed to green and will then carry the expert's branding / logo (so for example, if they are a teacher at a nursing school, or work at a referral practice, it will publicise the business they work for).

4. All questions will go into a knowledgebank .. ie when you come to ask a question, it will suggest other similar ones that have been asked before, so less repetition.

5. Finally, I'm going to introduce a rewards scheme for the best questions and the most helpful experts.

Hope everyone likes the sound of all this. A lot of thought and work has gone into it, and I hope very much that it will offer the nursing profession a really valuable tool, and a far more professional one than Facebook!

If you are interested in being an expert nurse, visit: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/nonclinical/f/16/t/31838.aspx and stick your hand up!

RE: 2019 Forum Developments

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 10:49:53 GMT

[quote user="Paws"]Better mobile phone usability will be good! I’ve not posted much, but my phone loses the plot at present when I try to post (it’s an iPhone, if that makes any difference!) [/quote]

It's the absolute priority for me ... as in I'm testing the site first on mobile, then on desktop (which is a completely different way of doing things than I have in the past!)

[quote user="Paws"]A ‘Help!’ forum for questions that will be addressed by responders with relevant knowledge, experience, and, perhaps, qualifications, will also be a great resource. Expect it could boost activity on the site, too, and so bring in more members and a broader range of knowledge .[/quote]

Thanks ... I guess what I want to achieve most with it is a higher standard of information than is currently shared on other social networks which suffer from the fact that half the time you don't know anything about who you are talking to (or whether they know what they are talking about).

RE: 2019 Forum Developments

Paws — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 21:18:37 GMT

Better mobile phone usability will be good! I’ve not posted much, but my phone loses the plot at present when I try to post (it’s an iPhone, if that makes any difference!)

A ‘Help!’ forum for questions that will be addressed by responders with relevant knowledge, experience, and, perhaps, qualifications, will also be a great resource. Expect it could boost activity on the site, too, and so bring in more members and a broader range of knowledge .

Katy

RE: 2019 Forum Developments

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 19:49:54 GMT

Like it. Not complicated is good.

RE: 2019 Forum Developments

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 15:33:06 GMT

Anyone?!

Also, the question has been raised as to what we are going to call these new forums. A suggestion from over on VetSurgeon which I rather like for its simplicity and the way it does what it says on the tin:

Help!

Anaesthesia > Help!
Enter your question here, and it'll be submitted to our hand-selected bank of knowledgeable, helpful and kind members, which include both teachers and seasoned RVNs.

Thoughts everyone? Like it? Or not?