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Community Manager
Community Manager

Online Community Refresh

Hello Community Members!

 

Online Community has updated the site design in our discussions area to make it easier to connect, follow a conversation and access resources.

 

The new look and feel will be rolled out in multiple phases starting with these initial improvements in the conversations and replies levels.

 

Overall, this redesign provides a cleaner, more user-friendly experience. We appreciate that any change can be hard, but hopefully, in short order you’ll not only find your way around, but will find new ways to participate and engage in our Online Community.

 

The enhancements that we have immediately rolled out consist of the following.

 

To aid legibility and ease of use, we:

 

  • Updated formatting for lettering, color schemes and discussion threading
  • Removed duplicative navigation links that caused confusion
  • Removed design elements that cluttered the page and discussion
  • Implemented the industry standard for post length and height and offer Read More… option when post is truncated

 

To follow discussions and replies within a discussion, we:

 

  • Moved date and time to the left of the message number, all on one row
  • Kept the first post at the top of the conversation with replies following
  • Used indentation to associate replies to specific posts

 

To facilitate interaction, we implemented the following:

 

  • Kudos are now represented by the universally used thumbs-up
  • Moved action links to one place
  • Enhanced the Social Share option

 

To provide better access to key announcements and resources within your community, we cleaned up the right side part of the discussion pages to include:

 

  • Search, Announcements Feature, Two new Custom Component Features (allowing for HTML) ACE’s and Experts
  • Top Tags and Top Authors components have been removed

 

For those of you who used the Quick Reply option, you will now need to use the ‘Reply’ button.

 

  • Removed the Quick Reply option

 

Here are some "How To's" links to help you demonstrate, execute and properly navigate your experience:

 

How To Start a Topic

How To Reply to a Post

How to Expand the Editor Box When Replying

How To Use the Icons

How To Set My Viewing Preferences

How To Display Discussions in Chronological Order

 

 

Thank you for being part of our Online Community. Let us know what you think of the updates by clicking on the red ‘Feedback’ tab on the right of the page.

 

AARP Online Community

Always there for you.

Experts. Tips. Connection.

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Trusted Social Butterfly

Why are some sticky posts listed twice thereby wasting vertical space?  How does a non-administrator get their thread stuck to the top of the list and listed twice like this?:

 

StuckPost.png

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Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @aruzinsky,

 

Administrators of given areas pin posts to the top of the forum page as the deem necessary 

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Trusted Social Butterfly

But, why do they appear twice?  Is it a software flaw?

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Community Manager
Community Manager

Unfortunately, that is not something that can be changed at this time.  

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Honored Social Butterfly

I have an issue concerning the Rock N’ Roll Forum. Ever since the rollout of the “Community Refresh” in October-November, when I reply to a post, my reply box no longer displays an ellipsis (...) making it impossible to expand the toolbox. I use an IPhone 8 (iOS14) and an iPad mini (iPadOS 14). 

 

Interestingly, there is an ellipsis in my reply box when I use my Mac Book Pro, which has a different operating system.

 

Can you suggest a solution?

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Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @1968Hoya46 currently the expanded toolbar options are not available via mobile. They should be a available via desktop. We are looking to get this fixed. 

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Trusted Social Butterfly

I just discovered that we can now delete a whole post...LOVE IT...THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! 👍 👍  👍  Yep THAT made my whole month, maybe more. big-thumbs-up-smiley-emoticon.gif

 

Never Look Down on Anybody...Unless You Are Helping Them Up. 🙂
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Honored Social Butterfly

@sunluvngal 

Yea, right - we just can't delete others - i.e. the ones that go immediately off-topic.  🤔

It's Always Something . . . . Roseanna Roseannadanna
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Trusted Social Butterfly


@GailL1 wrote:

@sunluvngal 

Yea, right - we just can't delete others - i.e. the ones that go immediately off-topic.  🤔


lol  Yeah I know what you mean Gail.  I'm probably guilty of that myself, on occasion.  I try not to BUT...

Ahhhh in a perfect world...*smiles*

Never Look Down on Anybody...Unless You Are Helping Them Up. 🙂
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Honored Social Butterfly

please advise, all the KUDOS icons have disappeared from all my posts why is that happening

no name
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Honored Social Butterfly


@Roxanna35 wrote:

please advise, all the KUDOS icons have disappeared from all my posts why is that happening


What is giveth can be taken away - maybe that's the reason.

I just gave you one too - see here, you have (2) one from me and one from @AARPMichaelP 

 

Screenshot_2020-11-10 Re Online Community Refresh.png

                               

NOW I WILL TAKE MINE AWAY:  See Here

 

Screenshot_2020-11-10 Re Online Community Refresh(1).png

                                    

 

It's Always Something . . . . Roseanna Roseannadanna
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Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @Roxanna35, I am not seeing that on our end. In fact, I just gave you kudos on your reply. 

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Trusted Social Butterfly

Why does it say to "correct the highlighted areas" but there are no highlighted areas? And no matter what i do, i still cannot post what i'm trying to post. Are ya'll still working out the kinks in this new system?!

Never Look Down on Anybody...Unless You Are Helping Them Up. 🙂
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Honored Social Butterfly

@sunluvngal 

Was there a link in the post you were trying to make?

What about a bold or colored word?

Go to your Profile page, check under DRAFTS and you will see your post there - clear the colder ones and retain the newest.  When all are cleared, click on the remaining one and it will post from there - or rather it will open the exit box with the message and you should just be able to hit REPLY or POST depending upon what you are trying to do - REPLY or POST

It's Always Something . . . . Roseanna Roseannadanna
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Trusted Social Butterfly


@GailL1 wrote:

@sunluvngal 

Was there a link in the post you were trying to make?

What about a bold or colored word?

Go to your Profile page, check under DRAFTS and you will see your post there - clear the colder ones and retain the newest.  When all are cleared, click on the remaining one and it will post from there - or rather it will open the exit box with the message and you should just be able to hit REPLY or POST depending upon what you are trying to do - REPLY or POST


Thanks!👍  Yeah and i've also learned that if i refresh the page it works sometimes, as well.  Still running into problems, but so far have been able to get my posts posted. 

Never Look Down on Anybody...Unless You Are Helping Them Up. 🙂
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Community Manager
Community Manager

Check out our latest "How To," which walks you through How To Display Discussions in Chronological Order.

 

For a list of all of our How To's to date you can find them at the bottom of the anchor post on the top of the page or pinned to the top of the "About Our Community" forum. 

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Honored Social Butterfly

In the reply sectin I cannot see now the ability to change the size of fonts and the color have they been removed?

no name
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Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @Roxanna35, this link might help you out: How To Reply to a Post

 

Under the "replying to a post" section check out #3. 

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Honored Social Butterfly

many posters in my forum are not able to change fonts or colors in their reply screen there are no three dots to expand I am thinking that we are seeing a compatibility issue in browsers. also my linear set that I have for chronological posts is not working either

no name
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Community Manager
Community Manager

@Roxanna35, the three dots are not showing on mobile versions - that is a known issue that we are working on. The three dots should be showing up via desktop as long as your browser is less than 150% zoomed. We are hoping to get that ironed out as well. Not sure why the linear display function wouldn't be working after changing your settings. I assume you followed the steps here via the following link? How To Display Discussions in Chronological Order

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Honored Social Butterfly

  • Updated formatting for lettering, color schemes and discussion threading
  • Removed duplicative navigation links that caused confusion
  • Removed design elements that cluttered the page and discussion
  • Implemented the industry standard for post length and height and offer Read More… option when post is truncated

 

You think that you could clarify all of this better?  perhaps examples would apply

no name
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Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @Roxanna35, unfortunately we can't pull up what our community used to look like and function compared to now, but these How To posts might help:

 

How To Start a Topic

How To Reply to a Post

How To Use the Icons

How To Set My Viewing Preferences

How To Display Discussions in Chronological Order

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Honored Social Butterfly

Thank you for your response but can you explain Remove design elements what does that mean?

no name
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Community Manager
Community Manager

@Roxanna35, the mention of "removing design elements" included the removal of the boxes that were placed around many of the page elements like pagination, removing the discussion heading from the top of the page and only including in the breadcrumb trail, removing the "RE: Title of Conversation" reference that would show up in the subject line, removing duplicate information on individual posts such as Views, removing the "message x of x" reference, and removing the top tag and top authors at the individual conversation level.  This will return as we update the forum and category level layouts.

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Community Manager
Community Manager

As you may or may not have noticed there are four different "How To" topics posted in the "About Our Community" forum and pinned to the top of the page of topics. I also have included them towards the bottom of my initial post. 

 

These may help on certain questions you have had. I will also leave them right here: 

 

How To Start a Topic

How To Reply to a Post

How To Use the Icons

How To Set My Viewing Preferences

How To Display Discussions in Chronological Order

 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Honored Social Butterfly

Do you mind very much if I copy and pasted your response in our Forum? We really need the help? please confirm

no name
 
Not answering my post is not the way or manner to cop our from a request. If you don't want me to copy your response please say so. but not  Ianswering is not a very smart way of trying to say that you are helping. I have no idea what nepahrious motives you assume that I may have in wanting to copy your response. I can tell you that it has  been quite an ordeal to deal with the changes that you all have provided all.
no name
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Honored Social Butterfly

Thank you @AARPMichaelP for posting

those helpful links. I must say as much

as I stressed about it, I’m doing much

better than I thought I would!

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Community Manager
Community Manager

We knew you guys could use some more guidance and rightfully so. I am glad you are getting the hang of things! @BeatleloverKT 

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Retired Moderator

Post moved to another location, please click on link to view

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