Google Help forum, anyone go there as well ?

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...