Hi there
Can someone please tell me what to log into in order to discover how things work? How many forums are there? Where do I find them (apart from the one I used regarding the non-arrival of the swallows in central France) and exactly what is a group? Also have no idea what RSS feed is. And there's this "Add group to favourites" - presumably this means add to my favourites? And "tags" - how do they work?
Sorry about all this but I trust that someone who has once been equally puzzled and is now familiar with the system, will help me out. Balepy
Balepy
Try downloading the forum map from this link.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/about/f/1251/t/60411.aspx
It's a PDF file which will open with Adobe Reader if you have it on your computer (most do).
It not only gives you a visual map of the forum but you can also use it to go to any of the forums because all the links are active.
I produced it for the very reason you have stated - many people have trouble with navigation. Hope it works for you.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Hi Balepy and welcome to the forums from me in Lancashire.
TJ and Doggie have answered your questions. My advice is to use the forum map to find the most appropriate forum should you want to start a thread, and to use the main community front page where the latest posts are listed to join in any discussions you find interesting. Other than that, just keep pressing buttons and links and see what happens!
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
TeeJay and Alan have explained the forum as best anyone can. It's a mess and difficult for anyone to find their way around. If it wasn't for the fantastic friendly and helpful people here I would have given up and left long ago. There are still times when I think "OMG , is it worth all this hassle ?"
One tip I will add . . if you have trouble finding posts you have taken part in , click on your own name and you'll find a list of all your activity.
My gallery here
Checkout the forums' Community HOMEPAGE for lots of interesting posts from other members.
I agree with Alan. If I see something in a group that is worthy of a comment I don't hesitate to join. You can always leave again if you should want to.
I also agree with Doggie. I join lots of groups simply because I want to make a comment. It costs nothing, you can always leave again, but make sure you disable emails from that group or you will be inundated with emails of all the new threads that you may not be interested in.
If I see a post from a Group that I want to contribute to I just join. It costs nothing.
I think in some way people who only go to their groups are the losers because they only see those posts. Those of us on the main forum see everything.
In the past I've joined a group to make a comment then left it again just like Galatas. See nothing wrong with that. The whole site arrangement is not tailored to members - they could have done that by doing a trial launch but that was too easy. I also get the impression the RSPB is tied to certain technical specifications which means they can't always alter it to get what they want (without spending another load of money).
But in the end, I just use certain bits in my own way and nothing else bothers me. I'm just glad it's still here.
:-)
Seriously thinking about trying harder!
Patricia M said:The whole site arrangement is not tailored to members. . . . . . . .
Whilst we're on the subject , I notice the number of Stickies has been allowed to grow again leaving less room for new posts and undoing the improvements that were recently made.
When I open page one of the forums I can't see any new posts at all until I scroll down the page. I'm sure it's worse for widescreen laptop users.
Thanks so much to all who have replied with helpful and some very amusing comments, loved the one about clicking all the buttons and see what happens - I will download the map and try to navigate my way from there (but don't have GPS!)
I live in the country in the Loire valley region beside a large pond with a fascinating array of water birds and a resident coypu family. It is a man-made pond fed by run-off from the surrounding fields so it dries up in the summer and my family of birds disappear just before this occurs, and reappear after the rains. I want to know how they know the pond is filling up again?
The permanent residents are two pairs of mallards, two bossy coot families (with cootlings) little grebes, a pair of twitchy moor hens, a solitary stork who isn't always there and a million trillion chortling frogs. They survive the dry months somehow beneath the dried and cracking mud and as soon as it is spring and warm the orchestra commences. Wonderful!
Thanks again for your prompt replies - I don't feel quite so stupid now I know there are others who've had the same problems.
P.S. No sign of my swallows - sob sob. I am sure it is too late now isn't it? Balepy.
Hi Balepy,
What you could (should) have done, was to post the above on your original thread by pressing any one of the reply buttons. Then it would all follow on and make more sense to those who didn't see your original thread. Not to worry, you aren't the first and won't be the last!
It sounds idyllic where you live. Any photos?