You've probably seen the noise Ed Street is making over the polls being visible on ForumRunner. I can exclude the contest forums from being visible on FR if that would help solve the problem.
Polls
- Thread starter jeff
- Start date
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
Personally, I don't have any appliances that use forum runner, but when we asked how many used it, the answer was relatively small. I would say they have other avenues, as well, so I think that would be a good idea.
You can always change it back, if a real reason is found.
You can always change it back, if a real reason is found.
Any other contest managers want to weigh in?
I think we need to provide some notice in the individual contest forums that they are not able to vote from FR.
I think we need to provide some notice in the individual contest forums that they are not able to vote from FR.
Is it being abused, or is it necessary to change it now that Ed's drawn attention to it?
mbroberg
IAP Activities Manager, Emeritus
There is probably no way to tell. The only hesitation I have about shutting the contest forums down is it might hurt members who are not at home yet want to bid on auctions, guess trivia, do puzzles (once we get puzzles), etc. Other than that I'd say shut it down.
ed4copies
Local Chapter Manager
I want to be clear that I do NOT understand Forum Runner.
Dawn has an Iphone, she cannot see the results---but she CAN see the IAP.
So, who NEEDS forum runner?
BTW, if this is complicated, I will accept any of you telling me there is a reason and I should take it on faith----but I WILL google the heck out of it then!!
Ed
Dawn has an Iphone, she cannot see the results---but she CAN see the IAP.
So, who NEEDS forum runner?
BTW, if this is complicated, I will accept any of you telling me there is a reason and I should take it on faith----but I WILL google the heck out of it then!!
Ed
mbroberg
IAP Activities Manager, Emeritus
Have Dawn go to one of the polls then scroll up. She should see a link that says View Poll.
toddlajoie
Member
What about creating a new forum specifically for the poll threads, and excluding only that forum from forumrunner? That would allow people on forum runner to keep up on the auctions and other threads and stuff. If they want to vote in the polls all they have to do is go thought their tablet or smartphone's web browser instead of forumrunner, so they are not excluded in any way, it might just be a little less convenient.
I don't know ANYTHING about the setup of this stuff, so it could be entirely possible that this is not an option, it just sounds like it should work...
Personally, I found forumrunner more difficult to deal with than the web browser on my IPod and IPad. Maybe I didn't give it a fair shake, and maybe I just don't get the advantages, but I'm really surprised people use it...
MesquiteMan
Retired Head Moderator
My vote is to disable forumrunner, either for the entire site or for the forums mentioned. Folks can always get to the forum through their browser on their phone. Forumrunner was installed to make it easier for folks to visit IAP. So what if they can't use it for the next three weeks. If it is important to have the poll results hidden, then it should be hidden for all, even if that makes it SLIGHTLY inconvenient for a few. What would they do if we did not have forumrunner installed at all? Oh yeah, they would use their phone browser. I would say to stop babysitting and do what is best for the contests and IAP.
Buzzzz4
Member
Personally, I use Forum Runner all the time and there are others like me. I would not be on the IAP near as much (of course I might be more productive then). It is more inconvenient to use a browser. Also, most who use Forum Runner have paid for the service to access IAP. I personally wouldn't like it shut down, but I will not raise a stink about it. Others will though.
Brooks803
Member
Ed was posting screenshots of poll results on Facebook a couple days ago. So it is/was being abused some.
Personally I don't think it'll change anything as far as how the voting goes. I use my phone browser so I wouldn't miss FR in the least.
mbroberg
IAP Activities Manager, Emeritus
We could always just blame it on Ed Street :biggrin:
Buzzzz4
Member
Is that at all a violation of TOS? Seems ridiculous. He needs another hobby IMHO.
Last edited:
Displaced Canadian
Member
I use forum runner quite a lot. My days can be a lot of hurry up and wait. Also my shop isn't close to the house so no computer access out there. Two or 3 years ago it was known that polls could be seen on it and it really hasn't been an issue. Ed has brought it up so we are talking about it. I for the most part don't see a reason to change things because one member is expecting us to jump every time he says something. Truth be told the polls hardly even need to be kept hidden.
The only thing I was proposing to shut down were the contest forums where polls are running. The only goal being to thwart people seeing polls.
A cleaner solution would be for me to create forum in the bash area called "voting" where in we put all the polls. Then I could hide that single forum from FR. I could do that in a few minutes.
A cleaner solution would be for me to create forum in the bash area called "voting" where in we put all the polls. Then I could hide that single forum from FR. I could do that in a few minutes.
MesquiteMan
Retired Head Moderator
Jeff, I think that is a good idea. It would also get all the voting in one area and may help get more people to vote. That way they don't have to wade through all the different contest forums to get to the poll areas.
Buzzzz4
Member
Is it like any other poll we set up that we can see it as the creator of the poll?
Last edited:
mbroberg
IAP Activities Manager, Emeritus
The separate Voting Forum is a great idea. Wish we had thought of that several years ago when this issue first surfaced.
PR_Princess
Member
I too like the idea of a separate voting forum. And I agree with Curtis that it might get more folks to vote in different contests once they are there.
Last edited:
PR_Princess
Member
Also as a bit of a clarification..Mike I can see the polls on FR. But my personal preference is to use the browser when accessing the forum via the phone. Just not that fond of FR.
Like Jonathon, I saw Ed's FB post about the polls. Seamus and I both expressed concerns to Ed S privately and he voluntarily took the pics down almost immediately. I have to say that I was a bit surprised when I saw his post here a few days later.
Like Jonathon, I saw Ed's FB post about the polls. Seamus and I both expressed concerns to Ed S privately and he voluntarily took the pics down almost immediately. I have to say that I was a bit surprised when I saw his post here a few days later.
Last edited:
I have done a little testing with hiding a forum from ForumRunner and it works are designed. The idea being that we could create a forum just for polling, move all the polls into it, then hide that forum from FR. People would not be able to see that forum from FR, thus nearly eliminating the risk of FR users seeing the poll results.
I say "nearly" because there is one catch. I can hide the forum containing the polls, which prevents people from going there and seeing a list. However, it does not prevent them from seeing the poll if they can get to it from another link. So, we would have to make sure that we did not make posts in forums visible in FR which said anything like "go here to vote in the poll" with a link to the voting forum.
Now the advantage of that "catch" is that we could have a thread in this restricted forum which would contain links to the polls, so you contest managers could go first to this forum via FR to get to the link, then click over to the poll in the hidden forum. This addresses Eric's comment above about the poll owners being able to see the polls via FR even if the forum is hidden from FR.
Hope that's a little clearer than it sounds!
I'll wait for direction from Mike before I create the forum.
I say "nearly" because there is one catch. I can hide the forum containing the polls, which prevents people from going there and seeing a list. However, it does not prevent them from seeing the poll if they can get to it from another link. So, we would have to make sure that we did not make posts in forums visible in FR which said anything like "go here to vote in the poll" with a link to the voting forum.
Now the advantage of that "catch" is that we could have a thread in this restricted forum which would contain links to the polls, so you contest managers could go first to this forum via FR to get to the link, then click over to the poll in the hidden forum. This addresses Eric's comment above about the poll owners being able to see the polls via FR even if the forum is hidden from FR.
Hope that's a little clearer than it sounds!
I'll wait for direction from Mike before I create the forum.
mbroberg
IAP Activities Manager, Emeritus
I think I understand that...... Please do it.
toddlajoie
Member
I think that sounds like the best option for what is at hand at the moment. If I understand correctly in that case, we should not post direct links in any other threads or forum areas on IAP that directly link to any of the poll threads. Is that correct, as that would provide a link in FR to the poll thread?
So we would instead need to explain how to NAVIGATE TO the poll threads as in:
instead of just providing a link to it in the original contest thread
So we would instead need to explain how to NAVIGATE TO the poll threads as in:
instead of just providing a link to it in the original contest thread
OK, I will do it this evening!
Ok the voting forum is created. You should be able to see it from a browser but not from FR. Works as intended for me, but can someone else check via FR?
I can move the polls there at the appointed time.
We need to not post any links to that forum or threads in it or forum runner users will be able to click to it from one of those links. This just prevents FR from getting the forum in its feed, not from allowing the user to access it with the link.
In the interest of making a "bug report", I expect Ed Street to try and discover the correct URL by trial and error. Wouldn't be too hard. He'd just have to make an assumption of what the forum index number is, and looking at the recently created bash forums, that would be trivial. Anyone who communicates with Ed might do him and me the favor of advising against that. I don't want to ban him, I really don't.
I can move the polls there at the appointed time.
We need to not post any links to that forum or threads in it or forum runner users will be able to click to it from one of those links. This just prevents FR from getting the forum in its feed, not from allowing the user to access it with the link.
In the interest of making a "bug report", I expect Ed Street to try and discover the correct URL by trial and error. Wouldn't be too hard. He'd just have to make an assumption of what the forum index number is, and looking at the recently created bash forums, that would be trivial. Anyone who communicates with Ed might do him and me the favor of advising against that. I don't want to ban him, I really don't.
mbroberg
IAP Activities Manager, Emeritus
Jeff,
I can see it in my browser, not in Forum Runner.
Once a member navigates to the Voting Forum wouldn't it be possible for him to copy the link and then post it in another forum, or even on another website (Facebook) which would make it readily accessible?
How about that we include in the instructions we provide members to navigate the link some standard text such as.
The purpose of this move is to keep hidden polls hidden. Anyone who finds AND POSTS an alternative means of navigation to the polls that compromises that purpose will be immediately banned from the IAP for the duration of the Birthday Bash or longer.
I can see it in my browser, not in Forum Runner.
Once a member navigates to the Voting Forum wouldn't it be possible for him to copy the link and then post it in another forum, or even on another website (Facebook) which would make it readily accessible?
How about that we include in the instructions we provide members to navigate the link some standard text such as.
The purpose of this move is to keep hidden polls hidden. Anyone who finds AND POSTS an alternative means of navigation to the polls that compromises that purpose will be immediately banned from the IAP for the duration of the Birthday Bash or longer.
toddlajoie
Member
I just went on forumrunner for the first time in months, so I'm kinda fumbling around in the dark, but I'm wondering if someone posting a comment in the poll thread would make it show up in the list of current conversations (that is how I generally browse things anyway...)
Can we play with this a bit, or is it to open to the public to have test postings?
Can we play with this a bit, or is it to open to the public to have test postings?
Sure you can test it. New threads in there don't seem to show up in the FR "current" posts feed. The only issue would be if someone posts a direct link to the forum or a thread therein.
Buzzzz4
Member
Would placing a link on the front page to the polls make it viewable on FR? I'm afraid people are going to have a hard time finding where to vote all in an effort to make one individual happy.
Buzzzz4
Member
Logged into FR after responding in some polls. They show up in my subscribed threads. Didn't know if you knew that would occur.
Seems like this is only going to limit member participation and reduce votes...
I'd say post links, and if people are abusing the polls, deal with that as needed...
I'd say post links, and if people are abusing the polls, deal with that as needed...
There is a link on the front page now. FR does not see the front page.