Revision as of 01:14, 28 June 2007

Features Still Pending

Forums

Private Fora Hidden

Currently any Forum not available to a given user is shown as empty. Feature request is to have it not show at all. Confusing and cluttered for newbies.

Importance: Medium.

Status: Dreams and research.

Likelihood: Medium, depending on results of research.

Comment Subject Autofill

If subject line is automatically filled with the thread's subject, it will be much easier to track multiple threads in a Topic. Currently the core Forums only track via indentation.

Importance:

Status: Dreams and research.

Likelihood:

Topic/Thread View

Many web forums enable users to browse by Topic or Thread, so that a particular dialog can be followed without reading the entire Forum or Topic.

Importance:

Status: Dreams and research.

Likelihood:

Clarification of Topic/Comment Interface

Currently the core Forums are confusing for users in distinguishing between posting a Topic or a Comment, and in reading them.

Importance:

Status: Dreams and research.

Likelihood:

Reduction of Clutter

Currently the core Forums have far more details and options than are readily understood or likely to be used by newbies.

Importance:

Status: Dreams and research.

Likelihood:

Email Interaction

The ability to participate in Forums via email, rather than only via website. Very useful for some users, especially low-bandwidth users. Preferred by many users, since their main medium for online interaction is email.

Importance: High.

Status: Dreams and research, possibly seeking bids.

Likelihood: Low, since it probably requires lots of custom code.

Thread Notification

Ability to check a box for notification if someone posts a followup to a thread or topic.

Importance:

Status: Dreams and research.

Likelihood:

Find

Map Interface

Currently near completion on Google solution. Something not requiring JavaScript or other client-side processing preferred. Very helpful to have a visual method of finding trainers and trainings.

Importance: High.

Status: Close to initial client-side implementation.

Likelihood: High, barring unforeseen complications. Lower for initial server-side solution.

Pull-down Menus

Some problems with dependent pull-downs, and user interface simplicity. Close to at least an initial implementation. This may be the most important feature on the new site, since old site was meeting all Find needs.

Importance: High.

Status: Close to initial implementation.

Likelihood: High, possibly with further enhancements soon after site release.

From Original List

Email Interface

Individual and group listserves (by topic, by person, by permissions) meaning that a trainer, Circle or other affiliation group can have his/her/their own listserve that people can sign up for, and there will also be group listserves, such as Friends of NVC, and the Trainers’ Newsletter.

Note: Friends of NVC and the Trainers’ Newsletter are currently Yahoo Groups; some thought needs to be given to whether or not we want to bring them in-house considering current email issues and the occasional inability to get a cnvc.org email to the recipient

Email publishing option for discussion groups and forums, including Digest function for the convenience of users who prefer that medium

Email interface to blogs for those who prefer that medium.

Emailing segments of users, possibly defined by their permissions and preferences

Email digest daily, by discussion volume or weekly.

User-selected optional automatic trimming of quoted prior emails to a pre-set number of first and last lines.

Online and offline mass mailing tools, with restricted access and first-use click agreement on usage guidelines to prevent spamming our contact lists.

Archive option for email interface?

Forums/chat rooms

want for varied topics. For example, empathy rooms (to give/receive empathy), discussion topics; empathy may have a donation associated with it

Online meeting/conference rooms and scheduling them

creation and moderation of discussion groups and forums

Email Interface

Feature: Include complete post in email notification

In each email notification about a new post/comment/reply, include the complete post/comment/reply (not just the first few lines of the post/comment/reply). (added by Jake)

Feature: Full email interface for group discussion

One thing that makes Google Groups (as well as Yahoo Groups) especially appealing to me, and I'm guessing to others in the NVC community as well, is that it has a full e-mail interface for participating in group discussion - meaning that I can read, post, and reply to messages from the group from my email client by simply sending and replying to emails, without ever having to open a web browser or log in to a web site. For me this is a real time saver, especially considering the amount of group communication I do electronically. I'm hoping this is a feature our web site will have eventually. (added by Jake)