InVision Joining Process - Input Needed!

[Gary Lewis]

Oops!  Wasn't done.

Chris/ckuske has been slaving away on working through our to-be joining process on InVision, which is a good thing as it looks like we are moving two weeks from today, the 15th.  And Jeff and I've been testing.  Thanks, guys!

Remember that we said that we want the newbies to have to create an introduction in the New Members Start Here folder?  Well, that isn't as easily done as typed, but Chris got it done.  Now we need to think about whether or not we really want it to work that way.

I say that because it takes quite a few steps to make it happen:

1 - Signup: They get a screen, shown below, to fill out with their screen name, email address, etc.  And they are shown the guidelines and are required to agree to them.

2 - Validate Email: Then they get a screen that tells them they have an email with a link they must click to confirm it is theirs.

3 - Complete Your Profile: . Once they've validated their email they are shown the screen Complete Your Profile where they are to create their signature.  A page like this is required in order for the next step to happen, and they can put anything in and it becomes their signature.

4 - NMSH: Once they click Next on the signature page they are taken to the New Members Start Here folder where the instructions tell them they are going to have to create an introduction before they can do anything else so they need to click Start New Topic.

5 - Introduction: As soon as they click Start New Topic they are on the screen where they need to create their introduction.

Screen shots of those steps are below, but we need to decide if this is what we want.  If we don't really care that they introduce themselves then we could take the signature and introduction steps out and they'd just have to fill out the signup form wherein they agree to the guidelines and then confirm their email and they are in.  That probably means we'll get more people who just want to ask one question, but we need to weigh that vs the potential of running people off with all the requirements.

COMMENTS, PLEASE!  

[Nothing Special]

Gary Lewis wrote

....  If we don't really care that they introduce themselves then we could take the signature and introduction steps out and they'd just have to fill out the signup form wherein they agree to the guidelines and then confirm their email and they are in.  That probably means we'll get more people who just want to ask one question, but we need to weigh that vs the potential of running people off with all the requirements....

I don't have a strong feeling, but I lean toward this approach.  Personally I don't care if someone joins just to ask on question.  It doesn't hurt me at all, and if we can help someone just that little amount, why not?

My only concern would be if a lot of "people" got on who were really just phishing.  One board I was on a long time ago had to ban several new members each week who were just advertising for male enhancement products.  And of course quite a few others that were there for other less obnoxious but no less valid reasons.

[85lebaront2]

Gary, it's really not much worse than some I have been a member of.

[viven44]

Yes I agree with that. I'm of the opinion that the easier it is to join (But not too easy to keep out spammers) the more people we will find asking questions, even if its just small help for that person... but the solutions that will linger forever on cyberspace will help many others.

[Whisler]

Please remember many people who enjoy these old Fords are older themselves (like me) and not too computer savvy (like me). Make it too complicated and they may just move on. Keep it as simple as fulfills your requirements.

[Ifitaintbroke]

My $0.02. The easier the better. Yes we will have people coming on to ask a question or two, but those threads, short though they may be, might very well end up leading others to the forum via search engines like Google. Many times I've clicked on a thread that popped up on Google, only to find it had no replies. But guess what? It got me to that forum. And, to address the "lack of community" concern, those of us who make up the community here will stay, and continue posting. Whether or not others will join, time will tell. We live in a rapidly changing age. I mention the forum to most customer I help with bullnoses, and I've yet to see one join. Usually they don't display much interest. Guess this kind of thing is only for us weirdos. 🤷

[Ifitaintbroke]

Another thing. The more registered members a forum has, the more likely it will be to turn up in a search. That's why "the forum that shall not be named" usually comes up before us.

[Gary Lewis]

I forgot to say that this doesn't have to be a permanent decision.  We might try it "easy" and see if we like it and tighten it up later if we don't.  But Chris has worked out what it takes so we are ready.

Keep those cards and letters coming in, please.  

[ArdWrknTrk]

I always considered that the NMSH requirement was in place to assure that new members read and agreed to the TOU/guidelines, but I was here long before the joining process got borked....

I 100% agree that it shouldn't be technically complicated to join, but don't think that asking "tell us a little about yourself, your truck and where (about) you're from" is onerous.
People in the desert are going to have different problems than those in Maine or Wisconsin or someone from the Gulf Coast.

I know I'm always informed by and have different considerations when answering someone depending on climate/altitude/whatever...

[derek]

I'm kinda surprised to say it, but I stand in favor of keeping the introduce yourself first policy.

The more I've thought about it, I believe that may be why this site seems (to me) to have higher quality posts and conversations than others I've visited.

While I don't have any issue with people jumping in to ask a question and leave, my worry is more about people jumping in to ANSWER question and then leave.  

This site has been invaluable to us in working on our truck, and while some of that is the great documentation, it has been just as much finding people's past threads about their trucks, and the shared knowledge of you guys.

I have come to realize that I trust the consensus we get here more than any other sites, because the users here are invested, and it's not overrun with bad answers.  

I do think having a minor hoop to jump through to show that you are serious before posting to the main forums is a good thing because it makes you stop and consider whether you actually want to be a part of the community or if you're just throwing your two cents in on some random forum.

[BigBrother-84]

Here is my humble opinion:

How many times do we strongly suggest to new members for completing a signature, with some details about their truck?
Too often, I think...

For what I saw while testing, this step (complete your profile) is NOT about introducing the member, his story, projets and so on.

This "introduce yourself" step IS in fact the signature step.
I suggest that we modify the welcoming text of this window, kind of «It will be much easier to help you if you put here a short description of your truck specifications (model, year, engine, tranny, and whatever info you think is important).
If needed, you can complete and/or modify these info later in your profile»

So, «Introduce yourself» is somehow confusing.
Just clarify the title and goal of this window and keep this step (which is really easy and works seamlessly).

[BigBrother-84]

OK guys, the window is already simplified, almost as I just suggested:


So, forget my precedent post and just replace by:

«I vote for keeping the signature step».

[Gary Lewis]

Ok, I'm getting the feeling that the majority like the more involved joining process.  So let's give it a try - it doesn't have to be permanent.

However, it is confusing to me to have the signature line say "Enter information about yourself and your truck..." and then the next step to be to create an introduction post.  I like Jeff's suggestion of it reading more like "It will be much easier to help you if you create a signature here which contains a short description of your truck specifications (model, year, engine, tranny, and whatever info you think is important).  If needed, you can complete and/or modify these info later in your profile."

Chris - Can you make those changes?  Let's give this a try.

[Gary Lewis]

Ok y'all, we are making progress.  Here's where we are for the joining process:

When you sign up you'll see this screen.  It has our guidelines on it nicely, but it doesn't quite capture what will happen next.  I'm wondering if instead of "You will need to first..." it could say something like "Once you click Create My Account there will be two more steps.  First you will be asked to create a signature to tell us about your truck so we can more accurately answer your questions.  Second you will be asked to introduce yourself to our community.  Once you've done both of those things you may post on the forum."

Chris - Is that something you can do when you get back?  And could that verbiage be either bold or larger font so it is more easily seen?




And here's what the person signing up sees as soon as they click Create My Account - the signature step.  I modified the verbiage so we aren't asking about the person but the truck(s).  However, I now realize that many of us put our actual name in the signature, so should that verbiage change?  If so, what to?



Last, here's what the person sees after creating their signature - the NMSH folder with instructions to create an introduction.  Are those instructions clear enough?

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'd say "the introduction may include whatever you'd like to say about yourself, your truck, or how you happened to aquire it"


About the signature, after description of the truck I'd say "and how you'd like to be known conversationally on the forum"
Somebody might rather be referred to as Fuzzface2, rather than Dave or Cory rather than Rembrandt.
Whenever I respond to someone, I try to use an actual name, if it appears in their sig.
I get confused by all the variants of 86 f150xlt, 1986 F-150 XLT, XLT F150 etc...

[Gary Lewis]

Good upgrades, Jim.  Thanks.