Training: let’s kick off the conversation

Oh, sorry; I’ve misunderstood. I thought this was the training and we were supposed to put suggestions forward. Feel free to delete or move the comment I’ve put, then.

This is just a temporary test bed Malcolm for Lauren and Dean to do a live demo. Please be kind to the new Which? staff – hopefully they’ll then come back and be more involved outside of this test conversation.

Well, at least you’re not alone, Malcolm.

Sorry Lauren. Several of us were a bit confused. Rewind and start again. 🙂

I wonder how they did in the Quiz?

But it doesn’t matter, folks; it’s the taking part – not the winning.

See – we can be nice 🙂

That’s a very decent sentiment Ian. 😀

We all are, but sometimes we can be more trying.
@lauren, hope it went well even if not completed. Are you planning another session?

I am trying. 🚴🏻‍♀️

Wow! If ever there was proof – if proof were needed – that summat’s up with the MySql sorting your last post provides it. Your 1445 post is a reply to mine (also 1445) but which had to have been posted before yours, since you responded to my comment as I guessed you might.

This entire edifice is dependent on MySql being accurate and it clearly isn’t.

I read your mind Ian. A pre-emptive strike 🙂

“Introduce yourself”. Could you explain a little please? Do you want a new contributor to tell a little about themselves? Or the regulars? Regular contributors do have very different attitudes and characters that I think we understand – or at least appreciate – and sometimes lead to interesting exchanges. May take newcomers a while to discover that this (mainly) is just banter It has to be accepted, I think, however that when you get a controversial topic it can get more robust. Such are everyday debates.

“Introduce yourself here” topics in forums have very little success. As it’s an open forum people are understandably wary about giving details of themselves.

I agree with Ian. We have enough problems with people giving away too much information on social media. If people want to provide information about themselves this will happen naturally in Conversations.

I have an idea which I’ll email to you.

There is a great variety of topics introduced by Convos, many running concurrently. You would think when someone makes a comment or contribution they would watch the Convo and contribute again depending on the responses.

Perhaps they lose track of the Convo – only 3 or 4 show up at the bottom of a page – so they don’t look too far. Perhaps a list of active Convos could be given down the side of a page. Maybe also recommend people to look at their recent activity to track down those that were of interest. However, if then they do not join in, perhaps they do not have the interest in contributing.

Perhaps if Which? could explain more how valuable contributions are to them, that comments and information is acted upon, and that contributors are not only a valued group but are used as a resource, more might join in. I am not yet convinced that Which? articles make much use of Convos; often the article precedes a Convo – so our views are too late to be of value. Maybe the in-house training will inform Which? article authors of the value of external contributions?