[Roland]

Hi,

I agree that Connections is the best directory available. (no doubt about that), I just don’t think I have got it set up correctly.

I was wondering if there is a ‘Consultant’ available who can help me tweak what I already have configured. – if you are interested please have a look at http://www.glasshousecountry.com

Here are I couple of things I think we can improve on

1) We we get a new submission, it should put a bit of info in the email about what was submitted. At the moment it only says something like – You have new directory submission.

2) The input form confuses some people and I get a lot of part submissions (or retries, 2 or sometimes 3 submissions for the same thing)

Logo and Image is confusing, I get a image uploaded but it only displays in part of the theme I am using so I need to save it and then move it over to the right place

I am looking for someone who can come and have a look at http://www.glasshousecountry.com and see what I have done and advise me what to do or login to my website themselves and make the changes themselves based on ‘best practice”

I am willing to learn but after 2 years of using it I don’t think it is as easy to set up and use as it should be, – If I am missing something please let me know, because I am happy to learn.

( I have purchased the full software and extras, )

Another way I might learn is from someone who has set it up all correctly but I feel that there are very few LIVE Examples, (or even demos) forgive me for moaning about this, but its a good product but not easy to copy

my Favorite Maxim is ‘Monkey see, Monkey Do’ :)

Help !!

kind regards
Roland

[Steven Zahm]

@ Roland

re: We we get a new submission, it should put a bit of info in the email about what was submitted. At the moment it only says something like – You have new directory submission.

This message is configurable. Go to the Connections : Settings admin page and click the Form tab. Scroll down to the Submission Notice Message.

Currently there is not a supported method to include the data that was submitted. If you want to live on the edge, add this to the message area:

Name: [cn_entry part=name format='%last%, %first% %middle%'/]
Title: [cn_entry part=title/]
Department: [cn_entry part=department/]
Organization: [cn_entry part=organization/]
Contact: [cn_entry part=contact/]

[cn_entry part=addresses]
[cn_address]
  %type% Address:
    Line One: %line_1%
    Line Two: %line_2%
    Line Three: %line_3%
    City: %locality%
    State: %region%
    Zip: %postal-code%
    Latitude: %latitude%
    Longitude: %longitude%
[/cn_address]
[/cn_entry]

[cn_entry part=phone_numbers]
[cn_phone]
  %type% Phone:
    Number: %number%
[/cn_phone]
[/cn_entry]

[cn_entry part=email]
[cn_email]
  %type%:
    Address: %address%
[/cn_email]
[/cn_entry]

[cn_entry part=im]
[cn_im]
  %type%:
    User ID: %id%
[/cn_im]
[/cn_entry]

[cn_entry part=social_networks]
[cn_social_network]
  %type%: %url%
[/cn_social_network]
[/cn_entry]

[cn_entry part=links]
[cn_link]
  <a href="%url%" title="%title%">%title%</>
[/cn_link]
[/cn_entry]

[cn_entry part=dates]
[cn_date]
  %type%: %date%
[/cn_date]
[/cn_entry]

[cn_entry part=bio/]

[cn_entry part=notes/]

Now when you receive the submission notice email, it contain a lot of the details that the user submitted.

re: The input form confuses some people and I get a lot of part submissions (or retries, 2 or sometimes 3 submissions for the same thing)

Not sure how to solve that… the form disappears and they get a message thanking them for their submission. So to get multiple submissions they have go back to the directory and click the submit link again. Only two options I can think of…

1. There is a setting to redirect to a page after the form submission. You could create a page to redirect to thanking them for their submission and change the settings to redirect to that page. Really though, I don’t see how that would be any better than the current removing the for and displaying the thank you message.
2. A more brute force method would be make a user first register to become a user of your site, then setup Form to only take submissions from logged in users. You could further enhance this by using the Link extension so their submission is linked to their user account so they can also maintain their entry. Connections does not do user registrations… they are, many, many other plugins out there that handle that quite well.

re: Logo and Image is confusing, I get a image uploaded but it only displays in part of the theme I am using so I need to save it and then move it over to the right place

I see on your submission form you have the Image showing… since you need the logo what you should do is go to the settings and disable the Image and enable the Logo.

re: I am willing to learn but after 2 years of using it I don’t think it is as easy to set up and use as it should be

Over the course of the last two years I’ve made just about all the settings point and click in the admin. Even the template are getting an interactive point and click settings in the next release… not sure how I can make that easier. Several extension even have no settings at all, just activate.

I do use a lot of plugins most far more complex than Connections. I am constantly looking at what they do to present users with options and it seems I am doing the same things, if not more. So I am always quite lost when I get this feedback.

Please, if you have moment, I would love to hear your thoughts on what would make it easier. Thanks!

[Roland]

Hello Steven

(and I am happy for you to make my response private)

I am well aware that Connections Pro is going to be my best shot at getting a useful directory service going however ‘I feel’, it remains quite confusing for a new user for example I purchased a number of products and packs but I can not not find the Widget for the Limited Directory Listing anywhere?

I checked my License and noticed that many of them had not been activated? How can I use a product for 2 years and then discover that some of them remain unactivated?

If there had been a “Get Started With Connections” Guide this might not have happened, one has to discover things as you travel along, and I readily admit that you excellent have documentation available, but it’s all in bits and pieces, and one has to search to find them there is no ‘Single Guide’ to the different options available.

Surely there should be 20 step guide,

1) Install …
1a) Licensing .. you activate here ( and if you go to the website you can see which are not activated).

2) Select a Template

cMap will give you .. (and has two images, only one is displayed)
Default will give you …

3) hey you don’t need the image you can use Siteshot and get a snapshot

Site shot has the following options …

here is an example using [shortcode]

<picture>

4) Some People like to see the listings to appear in your page or post … this is how you do that,

… here is a demo site …

here is an example using [shortcode]

<picture>

5) Some people like to see the listing appear in the sidebar … this is how you do that.

… here is a demo site…

here is an example using [shortcode]

<picture>

6) .
7) .
8) ..

…. by now the reader/ buyer would have understood all the amazing features and potential and would be well on their way to a decent directory installation and configuration.

I feel that a ‘Get Started Guide’ would go a very long way to reducing the number or support requests put forward.

I do respect that the level of support you provide is excellent, (and I am happy for you to make my response private) – I feel frustrated by how difficult it is to configure due to needing trawl through loads of help information before finding the gems.

kind regards
Roly

[Roland]

I would be perfectly happy if you deleted my previous post in this thread. I was annoyed at the time I wrote that, and I have looked through the documentation and it is more than adequate, and if it does fail, Steven seems make up for in good communication.- kind regards Roland

[Steven Zahm]

@ Roland

re: I checked my License and noticed that many of them had not been activated? How can I use a product for 2 years and then discover that some of them remain unactivated?

It is up to you to activate the license. This is not something I can do because they must be activated on the site that they are being used on.

re: “Get Started With Connections” Guide

I do have the QuickStart. But that is all it is… a very basic quick start, does not go into depth.

re: I readily admit that you excellent have documentation available, but it’s all in bits and pieces, and one has to search to find them

Yeah, that is true. The docs for each item are on its own page. I do have the doc pages linked on the product item page. Example, if you go to the cMap template product page, there’s a link to all the docs for cMap. It’s the best way I could think of doing this. Looking at other sites many do this too or they have a separate support site but the structure is pretty much the same… go to the item and the docs are under the item.

Admittedly this is not great because all the pieces of Connections integrate into the whole so that does mean a lot of clicking around. This is something I am working at to improve. If you look, as an example, on the cmap doc page, you’ll notice direct links to the other doc pages for other items. As I revamp the docs for each item, those links will show up there automatically.

re: Surely there should be 20 step guide

You know, I like this idea… The QuickStart could be my equivalent of the WordPress 5 minute install. I could add a much longer version like this which also give me an opportunity to highlight many of the extensions.

re: I would be perfectly happy if you deleted my previous post in this thread.

I’m going to keep it… great critical advance is always welcomed!

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