Online Community Refresh

[AARPMichaelP]

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.

[aruzinsky]

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?:

[AARPMichaelP]

Hi @aruzinsky,

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

[aruzinsky]

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

[AARPMichaelP]

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

[1968Hoya46]

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?

[AARPMichaelP]

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. 

[sunluvngal]

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. 

[GailL1]

@sunluvngal 

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

[sunluvngal]

---

@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*

[Roxanna35]

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

[GailL1]

---

@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 

                                ⏫

NOW I WILL TAKE MINE AWAY:  See Here

                                     ⏫

[AARPMichaelP]

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

[sunluvngal]

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?!

[GailL1]

@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

[sunluvngal]

---

@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. 

[AARPMichaelP]

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. 

[Roxanna35]

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

[AARPMichaelP]

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

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

[Roxanna35]

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

[AARPMichaelP]

@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

[Roxanna35]

• 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

[AARPMichaelP]

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

[Roxanna35]

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

[sandy]

@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.

[AARPMichaelP]

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!

[Roxanna35]

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

[BeatleloverKT]

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!

[AARPMichaelP]

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