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Some questions about the New Improved TPM
I am pleased with many of the changes here, and I realize that the things that aren't working for me are likely things I haven't figured out yet.
1. How do you track your comments to see if you have had a response? (It used to be under Your Blog, but now I can't find it, and trust me, I surely can't remember every post I wrote, or which blog it was posted under.
2. Is there any way to make a personal comment to someone?
3. Why is it only the official posters that have the list of TPM ad hoc posters appear next to a blog once you have clicked on the "comments" option? It is cumbersome to go back and forth.
4. Bravo for the changes; I can see you guys are working at it. A few tweaks will help, or maybe they are already in place and I haven't figured them out yet.
Any other questions or ideas? Come on folks, this is a chance to be heard!
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I've only been back here seriously for a few days, so this may be in error. I'll let you in on any new tricks, if discovered.
1) As far as I can tell, there is no easy way to do this. It requires extra effort on the part of the person who wants to watch for responses. Create a TPM folder in your "Favorites" if you use IE, or "Bookmarks", if you use Firefox. Then bookmark any post you are following. You can drill down on the specificity, using the "Permalink" link following every comment. Click on that link, and bookmark it. It will return you to that very comment.
2) From what I discovered so far, there is no method for private messaging at TPM Cafe presently.
3) I do not really understand your question here. If you use Firefox or IE7, get used to using the tab function. That way, switching back and forth anywhere on the web becomes less of a hassle.
4) Yes, TPM Cafe is much better than it was a few months back, and there may be hidden functionality I'm unaware of, as well as further functionality worked into the platform.
Also, what browser do you use (version number too: Help-->About), and are you comfortable using RSS feeds? There are ways to exploit the RSS Feeds functionality, but I'm still contemplating the best way to easily implement this. It will require mutliple tabs no matter how it is worked out though.
October 23, 2008 11:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I check for comments on my posts just by clicking on my name after I'm on the site and then I click on the Posts tab. That takes me to my post and I can read and respond to comments.
October 23, 2008 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know if it is the most efficient way to track, but I go to your blog under comments, find my comment, click on the post name and it puts you right on that comment so you can see if anyone commented on it. I comment quite a bit (big mouth) and try to keep conversations going and it doesn't feel too cumbersome.
I wish we could make direct comments, too, but haven't seen anything that says we can...
October 24, 2008 12:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
I do not recall your pseudo from the previous incarnation of TPM Cafe, before it got melded into talkingpointsmemo dot com, so maybe you are unaware of how easy it was to track comments on that site. It was simplicity in action, requiring only one tab click to see recent comments, and if they had been responded to. It was this functionality which allowed for conversations within one thread to continue. This is what many regulars of the former TPM Cafe site are nostalgic for.
It's not so bad for me, because I am a bit of a web geek, and am able to drift along with the constant streaming. I can Twitter and Tweet along with the best and brightest of the young 'uns. Still there need be methods which allow discourse in static quietude, or it is naught but chaos in the end.
October 24, 2008 1:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you go to your "Dashboard" it will track comments or rec'ds by anyone you are following. Of course it only gives recent ones, but that's one way to do it. Otherwise, on the dashboard, the avatars of the people you're following will show up. You can then click on the photo and that will take you immediately to their blog, I think.
Also, for some hints on using the new system, click my name and look for the helpful hints blog.
Good to see you!
October 28, 2008 9:19 PM | Reply | Permalink