Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 23:47:39 GMT

[quote user="Jo Dyer"]

OK thanks, that helps a bit. I now get 2

Michael Woodhouse Michael Woodhouse

Not sure if they are both the same.... one says 'apache' and one says 'mpw75'.

I'm not sure the world is ready for 2 Michael W's

[/quote]

I'm the first one! There are two of us. Both RVC. We've never met (to my knowledge)

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Jo Dyer — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 14:59:18 GMT

OK thanks, that helps a bit. I now get 2

Michael Woodhouse Michael Woodhouse

Not sure if they are both the same.... one says 'apache' and one says 'mpw75'.

I'm not sure the world is ready for 2 Michael W's

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 14:37:19 GMT

[quote user="Jo Dyer"]I mean Michael Woodhouse who's not on the list I get[/quote]

He is on the list you get - I just tested it!

I think the problem is that you are not typing enough of his name. Just Michael isn't enough. You have to do Michael Wo

But that should improve when we remove the job tags.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Jo Dyer — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 13:48:49 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]nothing Jo Dyer[/quote]

Glad it works for you Michael McCallum sorry I mean Michael Woodhouse who's not on the list I get!

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 08:52:27 GMT

Jo Dyer well, as a starter, I've asked techies to remove job adverts from the list when you try and tag someone. That was installed because the techies thought people would like to discuss specific jobs, and that would be an easy way to reference. But nobody ever has, and I think it just confuses things.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 01:07:15 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Remind me what was wrong with that?![/quote]

nothing Jo Dyer

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Jo Dyer — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 22:51:24 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Remind me what was wrong with that?![/quote]

If I try to tag someone, I get a random list of people I have never heard of, and a number of job ads, but hardly ever the person I want (unless it's you, Arlo Guthrie!)

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 16:56:32 GMT

[quote user="Jo Dyer"]Now if you can just get the @ thing to work as well, my happiness will be complete [/quote]

Remind me what was wrong with that?!

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Jo Dyer — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 15:09:47 GMT

Now if you can just get the @ thing to work as well, my happiness will be complete

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Jo Dyer — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 15:08:38 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Well hot damn, I do believe I might have finally cracked this problem![/quote]

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]Anyway, Jo Dyer have another search for GDPR and see how you get on.[/quote]

Yayyyy! It works! Thank you thank you thank you

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Anthony Todd — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 10:52:36 GMT

I haven't looked at all the comments but I wonder if some statistics might attract more vets to the site?

How many topics, views, posts, etc might be useful to newbys and wandering vets in cyberspace wondering whether to bother looking??

Isn't this the world's most popular vet. discussion site already, or not??

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Robert FalconerTaylor — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 09:52:45 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]

I think it needs interspersing with images of the different parts of the site you are describing.

[/quote]

I agree with Rob - 3 mins is a long time for a single image. What I would do is use this recording and embed it into a PPT/similar, so you have you speaking full screen split up with recordings of you using the actual features.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 09:06:31 GMT

[quote user="Clare Tapsfield-Wright"]This seems so personal , commenting on your presentation[/quote]

It's OK, I can take it :) The only thing that is important to me is that it represents the site, this community / your community, in a good light.

With the helpful suggestions in the tin, I think I am minded to reshoot, with mention of

a) As Jo Dyer said, mention of durability of discussions (over fb which are so much more transitory). I think this is such an important aspect, along with transparency over who you're talking to, and much easier to follow and search (especially now the latter works).

b) more emphasis on community.

c) Sellotape face, or botox injections to cheeks to prevent grimace. Or maybe just wear a klu klux clan outfit. That'd do it, Evelyn Barbour-Hill

d) try and shorten video further

e) see if I can do it from bullet points so less scripted and more ad-libbed (except then I'll likely bang on for hours).

f) break with screenshots of stuff I'm referring to on VS.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 19:48:18 GMT

[quote user="Jo Dyer"]I like it. However, you mention the 'easy search function', but I still can't get mine to work, which is very frustrating. So, to use my previous example, if I search for GDPR, it comes up with all sorts of irrelevance, but not the forum thread with GDPR as its title. It would be really really useful if it worked! I know you said it worked for you, so it may be just me alone, but I don't think so as I'm sure other people have mentioned it, or made it obvious by their posts.[/quote]

Well hot damn, I do believe I might have finally cracked this problem!

The site is permission-based, which means people are given roles which define what they can and can't see. Mostly that is just used to define the difference between members and non members. But a while ago, I changed the permissions on the general forums so that only practitioners could view / use them. What that also seems to have done is excluded them (Life in Practice / Off Duty / For Sale or Wanted / Veterinary Nursing / VetSurgeon Site Support) from search results, so you would only see results from the other forums, which are largely clinical.

Anyway, Jo Dyer have another search for GDPR and see how you get on. The only other thing in my mind is whether results should be ordered by most recent or by relevance as the default.

Crikey that was a pig of a problem. Taken me all day to figure that one out!

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

bob lehner — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 16:12:27 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"]My learned co-ed (Liz Barton) made the point the other day that there is an awful lot going on here on VetSurgeon which, unless you are really committed to exploring the site, you might never know abo[/quote]

Yes - it's good. I'm afraid I didn't know about, or use, quite a lot of what you offer as I only read the stuff on the Forums.

If I was a newcomer I'd find your video useful. You might also add that everything is available at no cost - no subscription fee - quite rare these days?

You could also say that it is a 'community' - I somehow feel that I know most of the regulars on here - tho' I've never actually met any of them.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 15:45:57 GMT

On the positive side I didnt notice anything unusual in your face. This seems so personal , commenting on your presentation when its not my field at all. There should be some excellent advice available on here from those who are in the know. Hope you have a better night.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:53:40 GMT

[quote user="Clare Tapsfield-Wright"]And you know your own site inside out and care about it which would come across better than a script .[/quote]

The problem is that my early onset dementia means I can't remember what it was I wanted to say. Seriously, I find it very hard to ad lib and remember everything.

And it's tricky with the length, as the idea is to give as short an intro to the main benefits of the site as possible, but I don't think I can make it any shorter than it already is, without excluding important stuff.

Long night last night. I'll have another look when I'm in a more positive frame of mind.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:41:45 GMT

Hi Arlo

I agree with others that it’s too long. I could immediately tell that you were reading too which makes it a little less engaging I think. I do sympathise, it’s really difficult but I think a more relaxed and natural description would be more easy to watch and listen to. And you know your own site inside out and care about it which would come across better than a script .

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 10:34:28 GMT

[quote user="Jo Dyer"]I like it. However, you mention the 'easy search function', but I still can't get mine to work, which is very frustrating.[/quote]

Hmm - prompted by your post, I have just noticed something about your search results, which I didn't see before, which is that they don't seem to include content from certain sections of the site, when they should. We're trying to figure out why that is.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Jo Dyer — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 09:54:06 GMT

I like it. However, you mention the 'easy search function', but I still can't get mine to work, which is very frustrating. So, to use my previous example, if I search for GDPR, it comes up with all sorts of irrelevance, but not the forum thread with GDPR as its title. It would be really really useful if it worked! I know you said it worked for you, so it may be just me alone, but I don't think so as I'm sure other people have mentioned it, or made it obvious by their posts.

A big advantage of VS over FB for clinical threads is that you can follow one that goes on over days/weeks, sometimes even months/years! On FB these last one day, or at most two. So here, you can get a good discussion going which allows people to chip in whenever they get the chance, and you get a much more rounded and useful discussion.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Alistair Graham-Evans — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 08:25:48 GMT

When putting screen shots maybe check content carefully so nothing too controversial? Ie avoid any text relating to RCVS, dinovets and old fruit

Maybe a photo or short video of a vet in a clinic browsing textbooks and laptop to get ideas or in a pub after work looking for a colleague or locum on line. Definitely needs breaking up and varying a bit as few people have an attention span that long.

Oh - and please do a version in a tutu singing with a gospel choir - everyone will remember that

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 07:16:32 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]Arlo, you have a funny subconscious habit, or tic: at the end of a spoken "paragraph" you pull a little grimace. I think it may detract from your message.[/quote]

What an odd thing. Actually, it took me a while to see what you are talking about (when I first watched after your comment, I was looking for something very dramatic, and also, for some reason, expecting it to be a full face grimace, so was looking at my eyes).

Was just about to give up, and spotted it ... you're right ... a little grimace around the mouth. Not quite a prince charles, and not quite a gordon brown, and not every time, but there all the same. I think it might be something I do when reading a script. Anyway, perhaps the answer in this case is either to drop the screenshots rob suggested into the grimace moments, or to reshoot and sellotape the sides of my face.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 22:07:38 GMT

[quote user="Arlo Guthrie"] Or not? Be brutal![/quote]

Arlo, you have a funny subconscious habit, or tic: at the end of a spoken "paragraph" you pull a little grimace. I think it may detract from your message.

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 19:49:06 GMT

Thanks Rob ... good point. I’ve got some screen grab video software ... I’ll do precisely that ...

RE: Me explaining the benefits of VetSurgeon.org

Rob Davis — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 18:29:06 GMT

OK, I'm not saying it's dull, but....... I think it needs interspersing with images of the different parts of the site you are describing. Lovely though your face is, 2.5 minutes is too long to be staring at it with no break