David is the 100 word rule applying in flash fiction? I'm aware it won't be popular with people who like to give comments like 'great story',but I'm assuming the rule was introduced to discourage that type of comment in the first place. It's a good idea in my opinion,so please don't abandon it.

Nick

I'm getting message notifications for forums but when I clink on the link the message isn't there. I have tried refreshing the page but it still isn't showing. I know from the notification who sent the message so am sure this just isn't working yet?!

New paragraphs and sometimes sentences don't always begin automatically with a capital letter - I'm fairly sure they used to.

i know new websites are a nightmare to set up, so dare I say it's gone live too soon? It may have been better to test it on a few people who are very familiar with WW first. OK, OK hind-sight is brilliant! I'm sure it will all be sorted soon. Says she with fingers crossed.

i had to edit my message in the flash poetry forum three times because the link to my poem didn't work (i.e. Refused to become live) and a notification was sent out for each edit, which must have sent my fellow FP members crazy. Please help!
Jo

Just spent five minutes trying to post a comment in a Group topic but had message saying there was no message to post.  In the end I copied it, refreshed the page and posted and it went through ok but I wonder if the page is timing out too quickly while you're still composing the message.  

I have had that happen too and I know that 'paste' is not working for some people too.

Thank goodness for editing rights. Stopped me from looking a right wally.
Edited by Sharley at 17:16:00 on 11 January 2014

I'm afraid I'm very late joining in this thread, and haven't yet read through all the posts. Website changes, to other sites as well as WW, tend to wash over me, unless something that used to be accessible seems to have gone. A site tends to be just different - you click different things to get the same results - but it can be hard to see where the major improvements are.

There are two things I'd mention, though. 1. When I go to the Group page I want to see 'All work' immediately on view. Not the first three and then a 'Show all work' button. Whenever I revisit the Poetry Group I look at one poem thread first to see if there are new comments, then go back to the Group top page, then look at another poem thread, etc etc. It shouldn't be necessary to click 'Show all work' every time, especially if my computer is slow as it sometimes is.

Even better would be to have titles and authors of all work in view and below each work links to the 2 or 3 latest comments.

Do other group hosts agree?

2. I feel strongly about setting minimum word-lengths for comments. I can't speak for all groups, but in the Poetry Group members often pick up briefly on a single point raised in a previous comment - adding to it, suggesting an alternative phrase, etc. A brief comment like this is often helpful, but doesn't require 100 words. There can be all sorts of other brief posts: for example, I sometimes post under a new work a message that I'm inviting members to comment first, before I do. This is meant to help keep the group active and also avoid the 'Site Expert' monopolising the business of critiquing. So please, NO rules about length in the Poetry Group. Again, do other group hosts agree?

James.

Agreed, I also like to see all work listed when I visit a group.
As for this 100 word minimum I'm a bit dubious. Nothing to stop people just copying and pasting sections of the work being critiqued and saying 'I especially liked this bit'. It shows you've read it and people always like a bit of praise. 
 

1. When I go to the Group page I want to see 'All work' immediately on view. 

 

Yes, I agree, and only showing the most recent is, IMO, rather puzzling. I can't see a reason for it.

 2. I feel strongly about setting minimum word-lengths for comments.

I think the minimum should be advisory only, in the same way postings are 'limited' to 2500 words, unless you resubmit.
Personally, I don't care at all for lukewarm comments such as: "I agree with xxxx" whether or not it's the case. But, if it's a choice between that and nothing, I'll take it.
 100 words are better than 4.
 4 words are better than none.
Yes, it should be up to the person giving the comment. But WW should advise.

I think the minimum should be advisory only

While I agree with the comments about seeing all work, I do think that each group should be able to decide whether they apply the minimum. Poetry wouldn't but IC would. Then someone who says, 'I agree' doesn't get the points. 

If someone is new and finding critiquing difficult, they could be signposted to 'Finding your Feet' where, it is possible, the minimum comment count wouldn't apply. That way they can build confidence to move onto the reciprocal critiquing groups. 

But I do think the minimum would be useful for some groups. It is not stopping people from saying 'I agree', it is just not counting towards their points required to post and receive a critique.

Even better would be to have titles and authors of all work in view and below each work links to the 2 or 3 latest comments.

Totally agree. I have now got over my surprise at how the format of the groups changed and I do understand it, but I don't like it - even worse than it was before, in my opinion. A list of all work with links to latest comments underneath each title would be ideal.

Even better would be to have titles and authors of all work in view and below each work links to the 2 or 3 latest comments.

I agree, it sounds a good idea. At present the work/author and comments are too spread out, especially if you want to see all work, which I often do when posting the weekly IC update. 

Nothing to stop people just copying and pasting sections of the work being critiqued and saying 'I especially liked this bit'.

That's a fair point, and having thought it through some more can't help but think that I'm not sure if I want comments that people feel 'coerced' into giving.  Perhaps we just need to trust that people will endeavour to give fair  comments, accepting that some won't.

However, if the rule is in place I would not want Flash to be treated differently to other non-poetry groups.  We write some good profound stuff in that group that deserves to be treated as seriously as other fiction groups.

I like most of the new layout of WW, especially seeing the latest/comments and posts on the home page.

However, I agree about the groups in terms of only the top three pieces being shown and then comments listed below (out of sight).

If all the work submitted in a group was shown and the size of the 'work' boxes reduced, this would allow for the latest comments to be shown alongside - a bit like we used to be able to see at a glance.

I do like the top - title/pic/comment - and I like 'seeing' the members too.

Plan for group pages
 
Group title, description and image - as they are now
 
Group forum - as it is now
 
‘All current work’ - all work presently posted in the group, listed in date order of latest activity. Each item in the list to include title of work, author (+ link to profile), date of latest activity, and  links to the 2 or 3 latest comments.
 
It isn’t necessary to include the author’s summary of the work. And, to keep it really simple, there’s no need for the word count or the number of comments link.
 
‘Latest activity’ - as it is now. Could be useful.
 
‘Group members’ - delete all of this as members will be listed under ‘All current work’.
 
OK?
 
James.
 

Is this an order, James? 

Also, all members won't be listed under current work, as not all members have work up at one time.
Edited by Sharley at 15:33:00 on 12 January 2014