Google Help forum, anyone go there as well ?

dale

@dale said:

Here is something that you may find interesting.
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgbvsn79_7dhsg6ndm

Where did you find that? That was very interesting read.
( @ Chris' rants about Google Groups)

It was posted by Kevin (Swank-E) over at pushpullbar. It was interesting.

Gaieus

They actually interviewed us all (in fact, more people than answered). This Justin was hired for this job and seems to know about comparing forums more than I do (AFAIK he doesn't use SU though).

Interestimng results like "there are longer topics on PPB" and new members post new topics less often. ASAIK you cannot even post a new topic there if you are a newcomer. Now that's not a "trend" in a forum but rather an administrative permission thing. Like if I said that "the North Koreans tend to found new political parties less often than the rest of the world".

dale

I hit google groups every so often, and certainly pushpullbar, but I hadn't even heard of sketchupsages.
But for pure sketchup knowledge base,contributions, and help this forum can't be topped.

Rich O Brien

I frequent the Sage site before posting a 'dumb' query here as I find that the examples over there are well written and clear.

Googles groups overall is a maze that is easy to get lost in but every now and then I find a gem amongst pebbles.

As for SCF, the help I get here is immeasurable I just wish the tutorial section was updated more often. It cries out for more attention.

Did I hear someone shout 'GET OFF THE FENCE!!'?

Chris Fullmer

HEhe, that doc is funny. And yes, I really truly deeply hate the groups.

But I agree, the info on pushpullbar is rather incorrect I think. I think he took stats from the entire board, and not just the SketchUp forums. I think if he would have done that, his info would have come out different.

And the sages site is something that Catamountain and a few other great SU users have been maintaining. All of the SuWiki info was imported to the sages site also if anyone is ever looking for the wiki info.

Chris

Gaieus

Yes, indeed, "Catamountain" is making a great site over there. And though it is called "Sages", it is basically rather her than any of the other contributors (people listed as "sages").

Todd Burch, last summer told me he met her (3DBC). If only I had done as well...

Al Hart

@gaieus said:

Yes, indeed, "Catamountain" is making a great site over there. And though it is called "Sages", it is basically rather her than any of the other contributors (people listed as "sages").

Catamountain was able to import all the work Chris F. and others did on the SuWiki. When I look at the changes made to the site, I see that Catamountain does most of the work, but I also see changes made by NuclearMoose, Colin Holgate, George Knowles, and others.

Al Hart

Did you notice that searches on the Google Help Forum now automatically include searches for articles in the SketchUcation forum?

Gaieus

They used to include search results from SCF in the general search on the SketchUp site before, too. What category are you setting to get the results from SCF there? I would guess that the Help Forum results would be logical (I will have to experiment with it, too).

Alan Fraser

I made an effort to get involved in Google Groups after the @Last forum closed its doors, but just gave up after a while. I don't have the time to be monitoring both forum; and being a fairly visual person, I find GG about as visually appealing as a tax form.

thomthom

@alan fraser said:

I find GG about as visually appealing as a tax form.

Gaieus

Since then, Alan, they have already merged the two Help Groups and recently the whole thing has moved to a totally new software - have a look here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/sketchup?hl=en

Now I have to say that this forum software is much better in certain aspects than the groups but the lack of any kind of attachment spoils the point of a help forum for a very visual "product" like SU.

Alan Fraser

OK, it doesn't look like a tax form any more....more like the the troubleshooting list at the back of my wife's vaccuum cleaner handbook. Heck, even the ESTA form I have to fill in every time I go transatlantic has more visual appeal.

Al Hart

@gaieus said:

They used to include search results from SCF in the general search on the SketchUp site before, too. What category are you setting to get the results from SCF there? I would guess that the Help Forum results would be logical (I will have to experiment with it, too).

I went to this link:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/sketchup.
(the main link for SketchUp help I believe), and searched for: google help forum anyone

The first of several results returned was a link to this thread:

google help forum.jpg

I assumed this was a new feature, because I didn't remember having seen it before. (But I don't search the Google Help Forum all that much). Still, it is nice to have a search which searches SketchUcation, the Google Help Forum, the SketchUp Sage site, and the old Google Groups forums at the same time.

Jean Lemire

Hi folks.

I also frequent the Google Help Groups dedicated to SU.

My two concerns are the lack of an upload capability and an easy way to edit my posts.

I agree that the look of these forums is not extraordinary but I can live with it.

Like I wrote in one of these forums, before they actually made the move:

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

This also applies to a software release. A buggy release is the best way to loose users.

I also frequent the abvent french forum dedicated to SU but, even if this forum allows for upload, its look is quite similar to Google's one and it is not very active.

I am patient and persistent and will keep posting in all SU forums, provided that they are worth it.

Just ideas.

Anssi

I confess, too

I agree with Jean on the main irritations (attachments, post editing). A simple interface is rather a plus with me - I quite liked the original @Last forum with no eye candy at all.

Anssi

dylan

@anssi said:

A simple interface is rather a plus with me - I quite liked the original @Last forum with no eye candy at all.
Anssi

I think everyone liked the old @Last site. It was so simple and it worked.

frv

Everybody liked @Last really. Come to think of it, @Last was big, in vision and manpower compared to Google.

Frederik

@anssi said:

I quite liked the original @Last forum with no eye candy at all.

We all did - and I remember very well all the discussions we had, when Google decided to move to Google Groups... (which nolonger seem to exist in the form it had when they moved all the content...)

The @Last forum was using the commercial vBulletin forum software, while the SCF is using the free Open Source phpBB forum solution...