Community
What does a champion icon mean, and how is it acquired? Do you think you could put up a legend somewhere with explanations? I think that would be helpful, and would offer a little more clarification to what one is seeing here on the site. I mean if we aren't supposed to know what they mean...then why have them here at all?
Thanks, Pops with 331 DOF!
I think if you deserve one, ya' kinda' KNOW it?!
(so - what does that say about US?)
:-)
Exactly!!! I'm so glad you understand my insanity.....
Celebrations and Events Stickers explains it. The word "Champion" can't be changed. It is just a pop-up label that is affixed when we added the role stickers to the respective profiles. Perhaps in the future I'll be able to give them labels that relate to the roles. We had one for the baristas but didn't launch that one since the EX Cafe closed down yesterday.
Mark
EX Community Manager
Thanks, I will give the link a test drive after work this evening...thanks (I think)
SEEEE! There IS a reason for your "insanity" and you have earned the title "Champion"...my God, man, look at all you DO! Pops.
@ Mark on Apr 20, 2017 3:09 PMAdded the stickers to Icons on BecomeAnEX as well.
Mark
EX Community Manager
@ Pops on Apr 20, 2017 3:54 PMIf the Cafe comes back, which I hope it does... The barista stickers are ready and will be applied.
For those who wear a couple hats, there is a limit to one role sticker per user.
Mark
EX Community Manager
LOL - I love you, Pops!
You always have a role to play here, Pops! Who else but you can be YOU?! You remind me why it's worth it!
Thanks, I guess I had better clear up a point here....I am okay, I'm just being a stinker with my minions & such....
My job here in EX is to "comfort the disturbed".... & "disturb the comfortable!" lol
hahaha
Exactly.....
I have now read this blog and all the comments three times
I have gone to celebrations and events stickers
I see that youngatheart has a train
But I do not see a "champion icon" nor can I figure out what you all are talking about.
Feeling dumb........but WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT????
Sootie Put your mouse over the Train/Fire/Megafone sticker and you'll see the word Champion appear. If you put it over the ex logo on my profile you will see Employee in place of Champion.
Mark
EX Community Manager
Thanks Mark!!!!!
Do we get a badge if we leave?
Do we ever get better functions ways to help people quit smoking or have we reached the limits of functionality and the answer is always "if jive ever changes"?
I feel the same way as you Dale, I really hope that we haven't reached the limits of functionality with this platform and that these tech's can figure out ways to make things easier for us to help new & struggling quitters! @Jones carpet:)
I'm about tired of talking about it. We've lost 2/3 of our power to help people
Wow, I knew it was a lot but wow this is awful! It's pretty hard to try to help people when we don't have the means to do it! I thought I was the only one that's still frustrated about this!
Dale,
I know it's frustrating....heck look what I just went through? The absence of the old ways in some ways has been simply close to impossible to accept. However, I still feel that their exists a need for us here, as well as the great feeling of camaraderie that I receive from my cyber friends that have stuck with me (you are certainly included in that group) through my hard times, as well as the good times....Where am I going to go to get that level of warmth and friendship, and sense of purpose? In less than 48 hours after I de-activated my account...I was such a wreck, that my original anger towards the platform paled in comparison to the angst that I was going through not being able to interact with my lifeline.
Dale, I know this might be a tough pill to swallow...however, I still believe that it is better to "dance with the devil you know....than the one you don't." I not only do not know if I could accept being without these connections....I do NOT want to even try. I don't have to.
As for the site....well perhaps these monkeys will see that there is a "real need" for change after they have slipped on enough of their own banana peels...I can always stick around to laugh at them when they are going through the pains of their learning curve....;-) just my humble opinion....
Pops 332 DOF!
It isn't about people. There is no way to initiate helping anyone.
We have the most kind hearted caring people that I'm privileged to call my friends, family and fellow Exers, you've been here for yrs Dale along with Giulia, Mikecity, Nancy, Thomas and so many others that's stuck around through thick and thin to help give people the tools to quit smoking and how to stay quit, I'm one of those people that you've all helped through the rough patches because I really don't know if I would've made it through a few of them without the help of you the people which makes this site the ex community without the people there wouldn't be an ex and we absolutely need ways to reach out and help, come on jive! Get these techies to figure out a way that we the people can reach out to help people quit while they're still vertical, we are here for only one reason to help people to quit smoking, thanks my rant is done. JonesCarpeDiem
I used to be on this site 10 hours every day but that was because I could actively help people.
I've spent perhaps an hour a day here these past two weeks and I believe sitting on my butt and waiting for someone to write something is the reason. That doesn't work for me.
I feel your frustration Dale....I actually have begun to exchange phone #s with a couple of friends here to have in case of those times when I absolutely "need" to talk with someone, as I do not trust the structure with my well being as far as the ladder type of notifications that exist here now. Before, I always felt secure in knowing that somebody would be on this site monitoring pretty much 24/7. I no longer have that sense of confidence.
Pops
Also, it seems that it would be a travesty if a newbie felt no connection and simply continued to smoke without having anyone here to talk to about first....I'm not saying that it would always be successful, however, it would have a far greater chance of a successful aid to a newbie if we had a more realtime setting to be present for the newbies....
imho
It just fascinates me to no end that none of this was considered. I remember asking about the message board and seeing if people were online long before we ever changed platforms. Oh it's going to be so much better we were told. Perhaps it's just me. I'm an all in kind of guy. I make things work. If people saddle me with a big rock, what are my options?
Well my friend, I think it has come to this...they have made their decision, and to continually ask why and only get the same answer each time....it is a done deal. We will have to be at peace with what we have. This is the new site. This is the way it is, now it is up to us to incorporate innovative ideas that work within the scope of these new parameters...and go from there. "They are not going to change...period. That ship has sailed, and is no longer in the harbor....I am not holding out hope that it will be coming back to the way it was either. Reality is a bi*#h, but it is reality...nonetheless. It's time to move forward without anger or discourse, as that is not going to serve you, or I, or anyone else here any valuable purpose...
Your friend for life....
Pops
I'm not angry and I would not leave in anger but if something isn't working and I can't fix it I am just spinning my wheels.
I hear you Dale, I'm an all in kind of girl, I make things work if at all possible but it's pretty hard to make things work here because we just don't have the means to do so, I used to be on site alot more with the old format and felt connected but not anymore and I know that I'm not seeing all of the blogs, conversations and or comments which makes me frustrated! JonesCarpeDiem
Pops. JonesCarpeDiem, MarilynH I struggle a LOT with the new platform. I feel disconnected from some people I used to connect with regularly. When I write a blog, I don't get notified if someone comments on it...if they include the @mention, I might find it but if not and if I don't specifically look for the title of my blog, I don't get back to people because I don't even know they commented. It I don't use the @mention I have no idea if the person I am responding to who commented on someone ELSE'S blog even saw the comment and the amount of time I spend on here has increased not decreased, the problem is that I do not feel like I am really accomplishing what I did in less time before. It's somewhat exhausting but I feel like I can't leave, I feel like if I don't come here I might let someone down, someone who I was talking to. Sometimes it's seriously a chore but I have apparently got an enormous ego and I feel like if I am not here, someone might stumble...not like they don't stumble ANYWAYS. It has gotten to be WORK and I never felt that way before, I understand that ship has sailed, I just am not sure if I can continue at this level, seriously spending HOURS on line and still missing a great deal.
hugs Ellen, hopefully administration will be able to get the tech team to take our concerns and figure out ways to make it easier to help the new folks and those struggling with their quits! elvan
elvan Are you saying that you do not know how to go back to your blog and read comments unless you have a notification?
Jennifer-Quit I know how to go back to my blog but it is always mixed in with all of the other things in my inbox and if I don't look for the title, it would be really easy to miss. I like to acknowledge comments because I feel like people took the time and effort to make them.
Ellen
you can go back to your blogs without going to your inbox. click on the dropdown arrow by your avatar and select "my content". It shows everything there except status updates that you have authored. It defaults to latest activity first - so if someone has commented on an old blog of yours, it will show up first. You can sort it by "date created-newest first" to bring up your most recent blogs. Hope this will help. elvan
Thanks Jennifer-Quit I feel like a dunce...I am really slow at learning this program and I find it incredibly frustrating but I am dealing with an enormous amount of physical pain right now and it makes concentrating next to impossible. I am going to take your advice and put it with Mark's and Giulia's and make a little cheat sheet to see if I can somehow get this working without feeling so overwhelmed.
Thank you for all that you do..
Ellen
I feel like I am offending everyone tonight. I certainly did not intend to make you feel like a dunce. Only good intentions here. Me apologies if I have offended you.
Jennifer-Quit Dear Jennifer, I am SO SORRY if I gave you the impression that you offended me, you did not offend me in any way, you offered me support and you, as well as Mark and Giulia were very patient with this crabby old lady. I really am trying my best and I don't feel offended at all! I feel seriously challenged by my own abilities...it is very clear that I drank way too much Diet Coke in the past. I am a statistic!
Love and thanks,
Ellen
I think I was overly tired last night. Just didn't want you to think I was talking down to you. Thanks for letting me know and have a good day Ellen!
Jennifer-Quit Me??? You seriously NEVER have to worry about me thinking you are talking down to me. You have no idea how much I appreciate the help. It would take an awful lot to insult me, LOL. I have had uncontrollable pain for 2 1/2 weeks and I am incapable of staying focused on anything right now. I worked today because I would work unless I was on a stretcher. I left early and did not do the cleanup that I always do...I have just about had it with my body...not even sure they are going to WANT me to donate it.
Please don't ever worry about talking down to me, you sure did make me smile.
Hugs,
Ellen
elvan wrote:
When I write a blog, I don't get notified if someone comments on it
What??? We have to fix that. You should be receiving the notification in the bell. If they mention you, you will get a second notification. It's not necessary they mention you but it gives you a better idea when someone is addressing you directly. I assume you turned off your email copy in preferences.
elvan wrote:
if they include the @mention, I might find it but if not and if I don't specifically look for the title of my blog, I don't get back to people because I don't even know they commented.
You should find mentions here: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/inbox/?filter=mentions. Shouldn't have to go back to the community unless you get an inbox notification... Just watch the bell in the upper right.
elvan wrote:
If I don't use the @mention I have no idea if the person I am responding to who commented on someone ELSE'S blog even saw the comment
It isn't guaranteed they will even if you mention them as they have to login if they have turned off the email copies or they have to open the email and either reply from email or login to the site and respond. It's a risk with all communities. For support sites where it is more about questions and answers it's quite common for the person to not respond and even smaller chance of getting your answer marked as correct. This is especially true when email is turned on and the email includes a copy of the answer. The person might read the answer in email and never return to the email. Sad but true! The light is that even if you respond and the original author doesn't respond. SOMEONE ELSE probably benefited from your response now or will in the future.
elvan wrote:
the amount of time I spend on here has increased not decreased, the problem is that I do not feel like I am really accomplishing what I did in less time before. It's somewhat exhausting but I feel like I can't leave, I feel like if I don't come here I might let someone down, someone who I was talking to. Sometimes it's seriously a chore but I have apparently got an enormous ego and I feel like if I am not here, someone might stumble...not like they don't stumble ANYWAYS. It has gotten to be WORK and I never felt that way before, I understand that ship has sailed, I just am not sure if I can continue at this level, seriously spending HOURS on line and still missing a great deal.
Sorry you feel the time you are spending here now has increased. I actually feel that I have been able to help and see more of what is going on now. Especially in the groups. Previously I knew there were things going on in the groups but I had no idea what was going on unless I went in them. I had to go in each of the groups in order to see what was happening. Now I can just go to https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/content and see pretty much anything across the whole site.
Having become familiar with the old community I can definitely see how the change has been disruptive to what you are accustom to. Change is hard. There are a very few small things that I miss but mostly I'm glad that we're now in a community that will allow us to reach new people and grow bigger without the worry that the site will come to a halt. This community can scale to our growing member list. I remember when I first saw BecomeAnEX and I ended up in the forums or groups and immediately people were writing to tell people to go to the "blogs". I was so confused. I didn't know where I was on the site. Finally I got to know where things were. It was simple but there were other things that I had to constantly remind myself about. Things that just made sense on other communities I used that weren't that way on Elgg.
I'm here and would be glad to "sit" with you and walk through the sticking points. It shouldn't be as challenging as you feel it is. You should be able to have fun with it.
With the spam that we encountered last week I definitely feel like I am letting people down if a post accidentally goes into moderation that isn't spam and I don't get it cleared fast enough. I know we'll get things worked out so that's not happening very often but I still can't shake that feeling when it does happen. You've all become part of me.
Mark
EX Community Manager
Mark Thanks for clarifying some things...you are absolutely right that there is no way to know even if I use the @mention feature that the person I directed the comment to actually saw it unless they @mention me back and I see that. I think I am overwhelmed because I spend HOURS on here every day except the days when I work. I need to let go a little bit and accept the fact that I cannot reach everyone nor am I expected to. I do not have my email notifications turned on, I turned them off when the site launched after I got home from vacation and there were over 750 emails in my yahoo inbox. If I wasn't so OCD, I would probably be fine, I am going to print out the instructions you have just given me and I am going to try to answer any questions you may have asked that I didn't address or that were confusing. I am going to attempt to empty my inbox for now and then get ready for work tomorrow. I may or may not come back tonight. If I don't, I will have 50+ notifications in the bell so I might need to adjust something there. I KNOW I am missing blogs and my feeling of being less personally connected to members makes it difficult.
Ellen
To me it comes down to a choice. We work with what we have or we split the scene. We have three choices in life - accept it, change it, or get rid of it. We've done our best to change it and I believe the ex team has done their best (given their choice of platform and it's unlimited choices, yet specific limitations pertaining to our needs,) to listen to our suggestions and tweak it as they can. At the moment I believe I can still help people stop smoking through this site. Though a great deal of my time has been given to helping people navigate the place and I feel like I've spent far too much time in social chit chat than I used to on the old platform. But part of that is because I know there are others here now who have taken up the mantle of support and are quite capable of such.
So, let me understand you, JonesCarpeDiem You're saying that because you can't get to newbie's non existent message boards to leave comments, you feel like you're twiddling your thumbs here? Is that correct? Or did you simply leave them messages when you noticed they were here? Or are fewer newbies posting? Or it is both? I see people returning to the site to give updates, as they did in the past. I see newbies posting, asking questions (though perhaps not as many as before). You say there's no way to initiate helping someone. You could could always go to newbies pages and leave them direct messages. Or put up a daily blog/discussion "NEWBIES ENTER HERE 4/21/17!" The newbies group obviously isn't attracting newbies.
It seems to me that there are a LOT more blogs and discussions and questions posted on this site than ever were on ELGG. (Of course most of the questions have nothing to do with quitting.) The question I would ask of the theexteam: Are more members coming to the community and reading the posts here than in the past? And if so, are they sticking around to continue to read? Or do they come and then just leave? Are there more or fewer new members posting than in the past? Is the default to have notifications set to ON proving to be helpful, or harmful? (I believe it's set to ON.) Obviously many of us have stopped following and changed our notifications because our inboxes on the site and in our email have been bombarded. If a greater number of new members are NOT posting within the community, yet a greater number of new members are JOINING the site, that would indicate a negative flow so to speak. That would mean something has changed and not for the good as far as the support community is concerned. Granted that there are far more lurkers than posters on internet sites, but a support community's fodder is new people. If there's no fresh food, we end up talking to each other and that's all well and good, but our PURPOSE dwindles. Support IS, after all, a two-way street.
MarilynH You CAN see all the blogs and conversations and comments, but because they are in so many different places now, you have to go to the home page, then click on ALL, then click on ALL Content then filter it according to your desires.... it's a pain in the butt.
As far as "real-time" setting - I don't know, we can jump on blogs and conversations and it's real time to me. If you're sitting on the site and you see a new blog go up and respond to it - what's not real time about that? No, it's not "chat," but I don't see how that's any different than on Elgg when people put up a blog and we all chimed in one right after another. We had to refresh the page to see the next comment, just as we do here. The latest time stamps change with each new comment on the Home Page when you refresh it. It's too bad the pages can't refresh themselves. Or show name of the latest poster (rather than author).
I have to respectfully disagree . The site works fine for me. It's different, true. But it is certainly just as interesting and, I am sorry but I think we can still reach out to people very well.
You can go to the home page and find all of the posts of the day (regardless of what you call them...conversations, blogs whatever) there they all are in a line just like they used to be in blogsI can see if Giulia or JonesCarpeDiem or elvan or MarilynH posted on my blog or posted on anyone's blog through the "bell".
The new members are easy to find. Yes, there are many who just search and never become active.......that was the same on the old EX too (and will ALWAYS be the same on any internet site). and there seem to be more new members all the time.....on old EX, we were lucky to get one or two a month.
I can message you all on a private message......yes, it's not a message board but so what? What difference does it make as long as I can send you a message.
I love the @ person feature because then I know Giulia or Jennifer or whoever is being notified that I commented on her blog.
As far as social chit chat.......sorry, but that existed on old EX too......AND I AM GLAD IT DID! I don't want to come onto a research site every night with no side talk allowed. I have friends here and I intend to talk to them. I don't think anyone is being deterred from quitting by our banter. ON THE CONTRARY......I think it is what attracts them to this community. shows them we are not going to dive into a smoking lecture, or question their motives. We are here for support....just like "friends".,.......and they will make friends here. AGAIN----this was what attracted me to the old EX....I saw all of you commenting on blogs but I could tell from some of the comments that you were all friends.
Some of you don't like Mark's managing......but you didn't like it when we had absolutely no one helping us on old EX. I imagine Mark is just doing the job he was hired to do. I know that when I do the job I was hired to do....many people don't like it. But, I can't help that..........it's a responsibility I agreed to.......same as mark I presume.
Sorry-----once again-----Sootie is the dissenting vote (what a pain in the ass I am!). But this is my honest opinion. I'm loving new EX. If I could just see if you guys were online....it would be perfect. But, I'll live.
Hope you still love me even though I disagree..........WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T LOVE ME TO BEGIN WITH??????
I am on your side Sootie - this site works for me!
Thanks Jennifer....no sides here....just different opinions.
Well let me rephrase that then - Can I agree with your opinion? Is that acceptable? Or am I going to offend someone else?
No no---no offense Jennifer! Certainly glad someone sees the site as I do!!! Sorry if that seemed to be correcting you.....was not my intent.
You're not the only dissenting voice, Sootie. Obviously I have mixed opinions about it.
Thanks for the tune and the love Pops!!!!!
Sootie wrote:
Some of you don't like Mark's managing......but you didn't like it when we had absolutely no one helping us on old EX. I imagine Mark is just doing the job he was hired to do. I know that when I do the job I was hired to do....many people don't like it. But, I can't help that..........it's a responsibility I agreed to.......same as mark I presume.
You mean this is a job ???????
I knew when I started it wouldn't be easy. I knew I was helping a community that was largely on it's own for quite a while. That it was a community using a dated platform that I was surprised was even still functioning. I could see there were so many hidden nuggets of information that were hand cataloged by members of the community because they were so difficult to find by search. There were so many things that were figured out by members of the community because they adapted and were committed to their quit. It was amazing.
I wasn't expecting to be popular or liked, in fact, I expected that I wouldn't be. I hoped to grow on you. I knew I had something to give and something to offer, because I care. I believed in the future of EX and knew that new people would join and new people would quit.
Truthfully, I don't know about quitting, though I've scratched the iceberg and have learned a lot from you all here in this wealth of information. Yes, it is a job but my love for managing a communities goes on far beyond that. EX is an amazing place to be. I'm inspired every day by my late Uncle who died after smoking a pipe much of his life and by all that you contribute to the site.
I've seen communities fall apart because of the lack of management, drama and in some cases, pure chaos. Members leave when there is a lack of order and an abundance of drama and chaos. It's happened in the past far too often. The members of the community are so valuable. I'm here to protect that. To get rid of spam when there is a problem. To improve the community whenever possible. To identify issues and assist in solving them. To educate members of the community on how to use the community. I'm going to do the best I can. I'm your ambassador back to the sponsors of EX. In a way, I really kinda think of you all like family.
Mark
EX Community Manager
Bet you didn't realize just how "spirited" a bunch of Ex-smokers could be. We are that way because it really is a matter of life and death. Thank you (and everyone else responsible) for keeping this place in the 21st century!
Thank you Mark , I have no problems with you whatsoever you are doing the best you can and I really appreciate it and I appreciate you but I get frustrated sometimes because I don't feel the closeness anymore but possibly that's just me and I find there's so much more going on and I find it hard to take everything in . I may grumble about things but I'm here and I plan on staying for the unforseen future, and hopefully they'll be easier ways to connect with each other in the near future especially with the new and struggling quitters.
Thank you Mark....you are a member of this family. Just like a family...we argue and disagree but we also celebrate together and help one another. We all appreciate all you do (in our own different ways).
Ouch, I think I think I'll go back to keeping my opinion to myself, I have nothing against our administrator Mark he's doing the best he can but at times I do get frustrated because everything seems to take twice as long to check out blogs, conversations and comments but that's just how it seems to me........
Don't you DARE keep your opinion to yourself. That's what makes this site ALIVE - differences of opinions!
Alright, thanks Giulia....
No keeping opinions to yourself Marilyn. I voiced mine and you are always entitled to yours. As most know....Tommy and I are the GREATEST of friends and don't agree on much except that....WE ARE THE GREATEST OF FRIENDS!!!!
I too love that there are a variety of opinions here on EX. How boring it would be if everyone agreed with everyone else. It's great to see that you and Tommy are friends even with differing opinions. That goes to show you have a lot of respect for each other.
Mark
EX Community Manager
Ok. I challenge anyone to spend 10 hours a day here for a week with only the posts to respond to.
It's just too slow for me with no other way to help people. With no ways to investigate how people are doing.
So, I'll just stop in like everyone else.
I'll become the rolling stone instead of the rock.
Nooooooooo Dale, you're the rock, not a rolling Stone!!!! JonesCarpeDiem surely if there's a will then there's a way to make things easier to help the new and struggling quitters without jumping hoops to get to them! I spoke my opinion Giulia
If I could've edited my mistake I would've, that's supposed to be jumping through hoops! Above me.
Well Dale, you are correct. I can't accept your challenge because I do not spend 10 hours on this site, nor did I spend it on old EX or any other internet site. If that makes me a rolling stone instead of a rock....so be it. But, I think we all help people in whatever capacity we interact with EX. I have kept tabs on a number of newbies reaching out to many through private messages...just to say hello, how are you doing, saw you once and then not again, everything alright? It works.
Pops You are correct Pops------this turned into a great discussion!!
Wow! I never would have thought that my question about an icon would have generated such a lively blog string....whew! It's great though...look @ how much information is being transferred between us. This is a great interaction, and I am really glad that I kicked it off. At first, I was somewhat alarmed and thought that maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut, or messaged Mark directly with the question, but...I thought that maybe if others were wondering what the icons were, then they would benefit from the answer as well....
Thanks everyone for such a lively melting pot of ideas and perceptions...this is what makes us strong. Thank you Mark for getting back to us with the answers as well. Plus, I am sure you can see from this string, that there are still quite a few points that people still do not understand yet, and you may have thought that they had already been discussed enough. Just goes to show, that this site "is" going to take a long time before we are feeling confident with it.
Once again, thank you all.....
Pops with 332 days of freedom....woo hoo!!!!!! (your EX barista!)
Celebrations and Events Stickers explains it. The word "Champion" can't be changed. It is just a pop-up label that is affixed when we added the role stickers to the respective profiles. Perhaps in the future I'll be able to give them labels that relate to the roles. We had one for the baristas but didn't launch that one since the EX Cafe closed down yesterday.
Mark
EX Community Manager