Posting an Event now created a forum post

[James]

Hi guys, creating a new event using the form here, now automatically creates a new post in the workshops and lessons forum.

I would like to make the form, the only way to post in that forum... you can reply to threads that are there, but new threads will have to be made through the form.

I want to do this because I will be able to do more with events, when they are held in a seperate events section.

Any thoughts, objections or suggestions?

[bubudi]

i think first you have to make the events feature as powerful and intuitive as possible, otherwise people won't want to use it. i know you have been doing a lot of work on this, and saw the improvements, but there are still some issues to consider...

if you do not let people announce an event in any other way but through the events feature, we could well end up with a lot less event postings, and that would be a real shame. many event postings in the past have not come from the actual event organisers, but from members who are just trying to spread the word (and hopefully get to meet some members from this board at the event). the events feature and the events forum being complementary to each other. it would be nice for the events feature to be the main way to announce events, but to continue to allow people to do so through the forum.

also if the event is in a country where english is not spoken, the person considering posting the event may find it hard to use the events feature and enter all the details in english. some of these members might just want to post a link to an ad or post up a flyer. if the events section can work together with the translate feature, then they would just need the help of google translate to get their answers into something semi-comprehensible.

it would be helpful to suggest some details for people to add in the 'other details' box when using the events feature. brevity should be emphasised. it's helpful to post the cost, name of teacher(s), venue, times, and in the case of a camp or multi-day course/workshop, dates. anything else can be discussed in the thread that the event generates.

have you looked into making a specific place in the events form to enter the venue (only city/country is asked), time(s), more than one date, and name of teacher(s)?

[bubudi]

i also think it would be helpful to allow the creator of an event to upload a picture to go with it, and possibly allow a 'feature extract' (not sure what this is called in editorial terms, but it's used a lot in newspapers/magazines to make you want to read more by taking one interesting salient point from the article and putting it in bigger, bolder print. you would let the creator of the post select a sentence to feature (this could be optional). this would make up for lack of formatting in the event feature.

[michi]

Rather than forcing everything to go via the event mechanism and adding lots of features to that, why not simply add a field that allows people to add a link to a forum post or the event's website? That way, the event mechanism can remain simply, and people can post all the details they want in a separate forum article.

Cheers,

Michi.

[bubudi]

indeed, that's a good suggestion, michi. hope you're having a blast in singapore. great place to get the latest portable recording gadget!

[bubudi]

at the very least though, the country list should be expanded on the event form. for example, it would not have been possible to post mamady's mini-guinea in singapore because singapore is not on the list.

[michi]

indeed, that's a good suggestion, michi. hope you're having a blast in singapore. great place to get the latest portable recording gadget!

Thanks, I'm indeed having a blast

No need for portable recording gadgets. I'm still extremly happy with my Sony PCM M-10

In fact, with the way trade barriers have been reduced, there is almost no point in buying electronics over here. The prices aren't much different from what I would pay in Australia.

Having a blast with the food here too... Made a pact with myself to eat something I've never eaten before every day. So far, that's been very easy to do. Actually, I end up typically eating two or three things I've never eaten before every day. Absolutely awesome food: interesting, delicioous, exotic, and cheap

Cheers,

Michi.

[bubudi]

james, can you put some more obligatory fields in the event form? check out this event post. there is no info in it except for a phone number.

also, can you make it so performance events get a post in the performance forum? it seems that currently all events get posted in the workshops forum regardless of whether they are workshops or performances.

[James]

Sorry, I haven't had a chance to respond to any of this... been flat out...

I will do so asap

[James]

if you do not let people announce an event in any other way but through the events feature, we could well end up with a lot less event postings, and that would be a real shame. many event postings in the past have not come from the actual event organisers, but from members who are just trying to spread the word (and hopefully get to meet some members from this board at the event). the events feature and the events forum being complementary to each other. it would be nice for the events feature to be the main way to announce events, but to continue to allow people to do so through the forum.

Not sure I agree. I see no reason why it should result in less event postings? Unless people think its more difficult to do so, which is something that can be addressed. I can even make that person be the name that posts the event in the forum if that's important?

also if the event is in a country where english is not spoken, the person considering posting the event may find it hard to use the events feature and enter all the details in english. some of these members might just want to post a link to an ad or post up a flyer. if the events section can work together with the translate feature, then they would just need the help of google translate to get their answers into something semi-comprehensible.

I'm not concerned about this, and I feel that it wouldn't be a good enough reason to stop forcing using the form. In fact I would prefer to create a seperate form in other languages if it came down to it.

it would be helpful to suggest some details for people to add in the 'other details' box when using the events feature. brevity should be emphasised. it's helpful to post the cost, name of teacher(s), venue, times, and in the case of a camp or multi-day course/workshop, dates. anything else can be discussed in the thread that the event generates.

have you looked into making a specific place in the events form to enter the venue (only city/country is asked), time(s), more than one date, and name of teacher(s)?

When I created the first version of this form (a long time ago) I had loads of different fields and for every details. I soon realised that people didn't want to fill all that stuff in. So my latest approach has been to collect the bare minimum, like date and country and provide a big box for them to paste the details that they've been emailing and putting on their own websites...

That way it's the fastest way to get capture all the information.

i also think it would be helpful to allow the creator of an event to upload a picture to go with it, and possibly allow a 'feature extract' (not sure what this is called in editorial terms, but it's used a lot in newspapers/magazines to make you want to read more by taking one interesting salient point from the article and putting it in bigger, bolder print. you would let the creator of the post select a sentence to feature (this could be optional). this would make up for lack of formatting in the event feature.

Good ideas. The picture is top of my priority list, I wanted to avoid it until I was satisfied that people were going to use the event feature this time as I've been working on it pretty much non-stop from day 0...

The extract is a nice idea!

Rather than forcing everything to go via the event mechanism and adding lots of features to that, why not simply add a field that allows people to add a link to a forum post or the event's website? That way, the event mechanism can remain simply, and people can post all the details they want in a separate forum article.

Simplicity! Gotta love it... I'm not convinced that it would increase the number of postings and we would lose all the advantages of having the events in a database such as:
- showing relavent events on each persons home page (http://djembefola.com/) when they're logged in
- listing events on relevant country pages
- more to come...

at the very least though, the country list should be expanded on the event form. for example, it would not have been possible to post mamady's mini-guinea in singapore because singapore is not on the list.

Agreed... Need to find the time to do it.

james, can you put some more obligatory fields in the event form? check out this event post. there is no info in it except for a phone number.

This event was added when there was a bug in the form. It wiped the comments completely... This is now fixed.

also, can you make it so performance events get a post in the performance forum? it seems that currently all events get posted in the workshops forum regardless of whether they are workshops or performances.

Yes, I need to re-work this...

[bubudi]

one other suggestion - it would be helpful if the country was in the heading of each post. i don't think you would want to open a message saying 'drumming course' only to find out it was in croatia (unless you were heading that way!). the date should also be in the post. maybe you can have the script automatically insert month/year followed by country, then the name of event. i.e:
12/2010 france: drum workshop with koungbana

[Paul]

I think the country should be the first thing that comes up e.g. IRELAND, Djembe course, date, location..