Stub Content: Looking for feedback / ideas

Unknown
Unknown
in Product

Hey all,

As you probably know, the idea of pre-populating new forum instances with some useful, informative base content has been around since Moses. I've asked Luc for the content itself so that we can all discuss it and settle on the final copy. I'd also like to hear of any ideas for new content not listed here, such as same conversations perhaps.

I'll post each item as a comment, and you guys can let me know what you think, and suggest edits.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown

    Discussion Title: Please Read Before Posting

    This community has been created so that you can exchange ideas, converse and meet like others who share a common interest.

    Here are some guidelines to consider:

    • Keep your posts relevant to the forum category.
    • Please be respectful of others and don’t sweat the small stuff.
    • Please do not post any personal information or photos that you wouldn’t want to be seen by the public.
    • Do not post hateful or illegal content. Do not post copyrighted material without proper attribution.
    • SPAM will not be tolerated.
    • Use private messages to chat with moderators or other members in private.

    In summary, be nice, enjoy yourself and help us build a great community.

  • Unknown
    Unknown

    Discussion Title: Getting the Most Out of this Forum

    Here are some tips and tricks on using this forum:

    • Use the reactions to share how you feel about other’s comments. The most liked content shows up on the Best of page.
    • Mention others. put the @ symbol before the username to mention someone. They’ll get notified when you do.
    • Update your notification preferences. You’ll receive a notification if someone mentions you or posts to a discussion that you’ve bookmarked. You can set notifications from the Edit Profile page.
    • Post a comment to someone’s Activity Feed on their profile page. Remember, these are comments can be seen by everyone. You can private message members too by going to your inbox.
    • Don’t want to see everyone’s signature? You can hide signatures by going to Edit Profile > Signature Settings.
    • Check out the forum from your mobile phone. Just go to the forum URL in your browser - no need to download an app.
    • Want to embed a YouTube video, a Pinterest Pin or a Tweet? Just paste in the link.
    • Check out what’s going on with other community members on the Activity page.

    Have fun!

  • Unknown
    Unknown

    Discussion Title: How to Start a Great Discussion

    Thank you for starting new discussions and asking questions. The more you contribute, the better this forum becomes.

    Here are a few tips on creating great discussions:

    1. Make the discussion title or question as descriptive as possible. A good discussion title is a short preview of your post and is what gets people to click and read. A well written title is also going to help search engines better index your post which will bring more people into the discussion. For example, instead of ‘Won’t Connect’, try ‘Help, I’m having problems getting my Acme modem into bridge mode.’

    2. Proof read. Spelling mistakes, typos, and bad grammar will distract readers from the point you’re trying to make. Vanilla automatically saves drafts as you type. If you’re writing a long post, save it as a draft and come back to it after a few minutes or as long as it takes your brain to forget what you had written.

    3. Use minimal formatting. Overly formatted posts can also distract from the message and it encourages others to do likewise and you end up with a hard to read thread.

    4. Put your post in the right category. The right category can be the one that has a relevant category name or it can be a category where this kind of post is often made.

    5. Use tags. Tags are helpful for others to find keyword related posts. It also helps the site admins get a sense for what topics are popular.

    6. If you want responses, ask for them. In marketing this is called a ‘call to action’. If you want others to comment, you can encourage them by asking them to do so. If your post is just an FYI then don’t.

    7. Go easy on the insider jargon. Inside jokes and inside references can be fun and make the community unique but too much of it can turn off new members.

    8. Add an image. Images add visual interest and make your post look great when shared to social networks. You can embed an image using the button bar or you can upload one from your desktop or phone.

    9. Mention others. Credit other members if you are building off their previous comments or if you want to draw them into the discussion. Put the @ before a username to mention someone.

    10. Take ownership. Most important of all, take ownership of the discussions that you have created. Respond to comments promptly and thoughtfully. Thank others for commenting on your discussion and help with moderation if things get heated.

    Thanks for posting! Have fun!

  • Vanilla Forums
    Vanilla Forums

    We could use one on managing notifications.

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited March 2017

    From a theming perspective, it would be nice to have an example of all the types of content a user can post. All the different html elements, embedded video, images, different alignments, etc. This could be used to QA sites to make sure the theming hasn't broken any of it and for the client to validate the forum styling.

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