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Profile descriptions

Things you should know about Historical Fiction Online.
User avatar
FredQ
Technical Librarian
Posts: 192
Joined: October 2014
Currently reading: The Templars, Two Kings and a Pope
Interest in HF: I like how HF can fill in the gaps where we don't have enough information.
Preferred HF: Everything about the Knights Templars
Location: Northeast Scotland

Profile descriptions

Post by FredQ » Thu December 10th, 2015, 11:04 am

Hi everyone,

Emily and I are trying to come up with ways to make the forum more interesting, friendly and useful, and you may have spotted our most recent endeavour – the improved Profile descriptions that have been appearing under users’ avatars, at the side of their posts.

It is not mandatory of course, but if you would like to you can update your profile here, or click the second tab at the top of the forum (looks like a little person) if you're using the Latte style, or your user name if you're using the Blue style, click “User Control Panel” from the drop-down menu, then the second tab in here, “Profile”.

Suggestions for new fields and what should appear in user posts are welcome, but right now they are set as:
  • Birthday – does not appear in posts
  • Currently Reading – appears in posts
  • Interest in HF – appears in posts
  • Favourite HF book – appears in posts
  • Preferred HF – appears in posts
  • Location – appears in posts
  • Interests – does not appear in posts
  • Occupation – does not appear in posts
  • Biography – does not appear in posts
  • Website - appears in post through the little contact menu
  • Social media (various) – appears in post through the little contact menu
The information that does not appear in posts can be seen by clicking on a user’s avatar or username to view their complete Profile.

As previously, your e-mail address will never be shown, but is hidden behind a contact form.

You can fill out as many or as few of these fields as you wish, but keep in mind that letting people know your HF preferences may help with book recommendations and encourage more conversation in general, especially with new users who may not know everyone so well yet.

These fields can also be updated at any time, so don’t feel that you have to stick with one favourite HF book for life, or never update your special interest!

What does everyone think? Do you have any suggestions or ideas?
Last edited by FredQ on Sat December 10th, 2016, 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Moved back to normal topic

User avatar
Lisa
Bibliophile
Posts: 1153
Joined: August 2012
Favourite HF book: Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman
Preferred HF: Any time period/location. Timeslip, usually prefer female POV. Also love Gothic melodrama.
Location: Northeast Scotland

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by Lisa » Thu December 10th, 2015, 11:17 am

I definitely like the Currently Reading field. Before, we had to manually update that in our signatures, so this makes it slightly easier and keeps it all in the same place for everyone.

Plus it may start more conversations :)

User avatar
Madeleine
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 5859
Joined: August 2008
Currently reading: "The Whitstable Pearl Mystery" by Julie Wassmer
Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
Location: Essex/London

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by Madeleine » Thu December 10th, 2015, 12:43 pm

thanks for that, I've just updated one of the boxes.
Currently reading "The Whitstable Pearl Mystery" by Julie Wassmer

User avatar
Misfit
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 9581
Joined: August 2008
Location: Seattle, WA

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by Misfit » Thu December 10th, 2015, 1:02 pm

I like this.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be

User avatar
Susan
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3746
Joined: August 2008
Location: New Jersey, USA

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by Susan » Thu December 10th, 2015, 11:04 pm

Misfit wrote:I like this.
Me too!
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/

User avatar
MLE (Emily Cotton)
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3566
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
Location: California Bay Area

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Thu December 10th, 2015, 11:06 pm

Okay, I just did mine!

User avatar
Margaret
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 2440
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: I can't answer this in 100 characters. Sorry.
Favourite HF book: Checkmate, the final novel in the Lymond series
Preferred HF: Literary novels. Late medieval and Renaissance.
Location: Catskill, New York, USA
Contact:

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by Margaret » Tue May 24th, 2016, 2:40 am

Great idea! In some of the fields, 100 characters is definitely not enough to give a good answer!
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

User avatar
MLE (Emily Cotton)
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3566
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
Location: California Bay Area

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Tue May 24th, 2016, 8:18 pm

Even so, it's good to see you around the boards again, Margaret!

User avatar
FredQ
Technical Librarian
Posts: 192
Joined: October 2014
Currently reading: The Templars, Two Kings and a Pope
Interest in HF: I like how HF can fill in the gaps where we don't have enough information.
Preferred HF: Everything about the Knights Templars
Location: Northeast Scotland

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by FredQ » Wed May 25th, 2016, 11:55 am

Margaret wrote:Great idea! In some of the fields, 100 characters is definitely not enough to give a good answer!
Margaret,

Right now, the profile fields are setup like this:

Currently reading: 100 characters
Interest in HF: 1000 characters
Favorite HF book: 100 characters
Preferred HF: 1000 characters

Which one of these do you think is too short?
Image

User avatar
Margaret
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 2440
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: I can't answer this in 100 characters. Sorry.
Favourite HF book: Checkmate, the final novel in the Lymond series
Preferred HF: Literary novels. Late medieval and Renaissance.
Location: Catskill, New York, USA
Contact:

Re: Profile descriptions

Post by Margaret » Sat May 28th, 2016, 4:08 am

I guess I got confused, because I kept shortening and shortening my answer in the section on how my interest in HF developed, and I could never get it short enough to pass muster. But maybe the system was trying to tell me my answer in a different field was too long?

Yes, it's good to be back! I was way too busy for awhile. It's nice to have more time to spend here!
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

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