Do we have a "tips and tricks" category for Dorico on the forum? Suggestion

Dorico
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In the Logic forum where I used to frequent, there was a great section called tips and tricks, that had less “serious” questions and discussions take place. Instead of it focusing on troubleshooting big issues, it dealt with users different workflows, and fun day-to-day stuff.
For example, it occurred to me today that when I enter slurs, I loose a lot of time. I use a midi keyboard and the qwerty, and Im reasonably fast. But after entering the slur, I have to jump on the mouse again, if I want to selects something different, as the arrow keys just move to different slur. I want to ask the users of Dorico, what they do after entering slurs, to get back to note selection without touching a mouse/trackpad. To keep the speed up.

But it seems like kind of a low level question to ask the forum. And take up precious space and attention of mods.

Anyway, I’d vote for a tips and tricks category. Cheers.

A

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Did you try the tab key?
image

Jesper

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There is a hints and tips tag when you create a new thread: but perhaps that’s best reserved for users’ submitting hints, rather than asking for them.

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Yeah, I’ve seen that.
I was thinking that there is something nice about a low-pressure place to basically, talk shop, with Dorico users, and post questions or ideas that aren’t neccesarily problems. It keeps the actual troubleshooting category leaner, allows users to avoid the backlash of asking “stupid” questions. Which in my opinion, would probably lead to more discussion of user experiences.
Anyway, just my thoughts for today, as I had asked a stupid question earlier, which you so graciously ansered Ben.

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Dividing this forum has been suggested starting when it began. I think Daniel’s first response from 2016 is still current today.

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To expand on @aleos ’s point, I have often wondered how our experience and use of the forum would change — for the better? worse? — if it had not split areas/sub-forums, but “non-optional” tags, at least one of which must be selected in order to be able to post, along with “non-optional” tags for version # and iPad/SE/Elements/Pro (same requirement for posting).

Some ideas:

  • Tips, Tricks, and Workflow [edit: # HowTo]
  • Shared Templates [edit: # Templates]
  • Troubleshooting
  • Notation Practices [edit: # Notation]
  • Other/General [edit: # General]

Some thoughts about possible advantages:

Readers would know immediately before clicking on a thread whether they can offer anything in response (version/platform).

Search engine results might be more usefully focused. (After all, we all lean pretty heavily on the collective and generous wisdom here while working under a deadline.)

Selecting the Troubleshooting tag could automatically show standard boilerplate reminders about uploading projects and diagnostic reports, potentially alleviating a lot of back-and-forth posts.

The Dorico team could prioritize keeping eyes on select tag(s) as they balance their efforts to offer help.

Notation Practices would be an excellent place for all of the great how-should-this-look? threads we share, which may not even touch directly on the software itself.

While the requirement for selecting tags and versions might perhaps seem a bit “naggy,” clicking a few buttons wouldn’t really be very cumbersome I think.

And I recognize that while there’s never any way to prevent “mis-posting,” there’s a real potential benefit in “structurally encouraging” users to do just a bit of reflection and self-editing before posting. For example, I seem to recall a recent post with a title like “How could this possibly happen?” (I don’t remember seeing (“optional”) tags attached, though I can’t recall with certainty.) We could have no idea whether it was a complaint about design or the recent user-manual deployment, a troubleshooting request, or a how-to question without opening it. (Not that opening a single post is really that big a deal, but multiply that by dozens each day….)

I definitely appreciate @dspreadbury 's long-standing concerns about sub-forums, brought back to our attention by @Mark_Johnson above, but might this be a solution that could move the forum in a positive direction without being overly taxing to the Dorico team?

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Thanks for the link to this. I wasn’t aware of it.
Daniel does mention that he thinks it might be a good idea in the future. I think 8 years past might be a good time to start calling it the future. :slight_smile:

I know nothing about operating an internet forum, so I suspect there are some angles I’m missing. But my thoughts of subdividing, was that it would be in the service of everyone, that is; users and administrators. a tips, tricks workflow section could essentially be left alone by the staff.
When I asked about the slurs, in my first thread, I don’t expect the Dorico team to answer. (In fact I’d prefer they didn’t even see it as I’ve been a user since the beginning). So it would be nice to have a low-level bin to throw those inquiries in.
Maybe they don’t want a full-on lawless sub-forum under the Steinberg banner. I can understand that. The internet is pretty whacky these days.

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Thanks for expanding on my thoughts Judd. I agree with everything you said.

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Ya think…??? We — and they — definitely would not like that, but I do love the characterization! (I’m having fun imagining some 19th-cen. American “Wild West”-style trash-talk….)

More to the point, the Dorico team very much wants to be actively involved even in these “lower-level” threads — as they demonstrate every day.

You have definitely been revealed as a slacker…“master of notating slurs” forum badge: denied! :no_entry_sign::smiley:

Okay, I just gotta say: that’s pretty funny, @aleos ! (Though I certainly understand that Daniel and the team are balancing many demands and areas for development that are more important!)