Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hey, folks!

As you know, we`re constantly adding to the functionality and features of the site - and I just wanted to take a moment to point some useful ones that might be of interest:

1. Viewing a Member`s Recent Posts. In each member`s profile, you can see their most recent postings and click for a more exhaustive list of their postings at the left side of the page. This is useful if you`d like to get more perspective about the nature of the person and their opinions and track record on the site.
2. Blocking a Member. This one`s to help you stop private messages from being sent to you by members who you don`t wish to interact with privately. You can find the "block user" feature in a member profile under the person`s photo and nickname. As the community goes, you may want to screen certain people out using this feature.
3. Buddy List. You can establish "buddies" within the community and when you create private messages, you can distribute whichever messages you desire to your entire buddy list - which saves time if you need to get the same note out to multiple people. Click on the orange Buddy List tab to begin creating your own buddy list. Just enter the user names you wnt added and presto! You`re on your way.
4. This last one`s just a tip - but if you find a topic that prompts an unrelated thought that you`d like to explore and develop, consider including a link in the forum topic that inspired the idea, linking to a brand new post that you create elsewhere in the forums. This way, people will continue to focus on the topic at hand, and develop it to a greater/deeper degree AND you`ll get a new topic started elsewhere that gets you the feedback you`re seeking.

Other features, functions or tips you`ve found particularly useful? Would love your thoughts here!

Thanks,

Rich

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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

I think a rating system of 1 to 5 is too narrow. How about a range of -5 to +5. Some people deserve a negative rating; a 1 is still too positive.


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Steve,

We all agree with you.  We will be implementing a better rating system down the road.  This ratings project took a bit of a backburner to the new Profile page and other additions...but it`s due!  (and we`ve just brought another web developer on board to kick us into the next gear!!!)

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Brian Cleveland,
Web Producer,
StartupNation

Great topic, Rich.  We`ve been making so many changes around here recently that its a good idea to sit back and think about what features and functionality we actually have available to us.

I want to encourage people to explore outside the forums.  We have a lot of content out there, folks!  We recently added the ability to comment on articles, radio shows, the 10 Steps, etc.  So if you have questions or comments while you`re reading, you`re only a click away from all your friends on the forums.

Don`t forget about the blogs, which have a subculture all of their own.  Check out one of our newest blogs, from the guy who`s seen it all when it comes to franchising, Dennis Hitzeman. We have a number of experts from different fields who blog regularly on the site, and there`s a wealth of information to be had.

And, of course, I`m sure you`re familiar with "10 Steps to Open for Business", but when was the last time you visted them?  The pages have a new, easier-to-use navigation and there`s so much information that you really owe it to yourself to go back them.  Start with Step 1.  The Life Plan is the one that is all too often neglected, and its so important.

Of course, being one of the resident computer geeks here at SuN, my favorite new features and functions are things like the new search functionality on all the forum pages that enables you to search posts by message body, topic or username.  Yes, geeks are easily excited.




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Kathleen Grant
Web Developer
StartupNation