I'm wondering if anyone else struggles with this....?
I'm not sure if anyone else has this problem, but here goes. I usually pop in and out of the forum at different points during the day, but I am never usually on for any extended periods of time. I type quickly and can answer someone who is asking about the best way to learn Spanish in three days (jeje) very easily. I can also come up with a quick sentence for Issabella's pictures or posts of that nature.
What I have been struggling with lately is the fact that there are so many excellent threads that require extra time and contemplation. Some examples are Heidi's killer threads, Carlos' translations of the week, etc. I want to spend more time with these because they are not only great ideas, but also excellent learning tools. I just wish there was a central place we can go to find all of these more difficult posts at our leisure. They disappear so quickly and I can't always remember the titles in order to search for them, I find myself forgetting until the next time I see one and feel guilty.
Does anyone else struggle with this or is it just me? 
18 Answers
I'm definitely on the same page as you on this one, Nicole. Just yesterday I was thinking about suggesting a new category such as "Exercises" or "Challenges". Currently the best category for such threads is 'Vocab/Grammar', but you are right about there being a ton of those threads.
If there were a new category, it might be good to only allow members with a predetermined level of reputation to use it. I would suggest something small like 500 to 1K. Just enough to limit its use to people who (by their reputation) show that they have more than a passing interest in the forum.
Y tal vez una categoría para 'Juegos' también.
And maybe a category for 'Games' also.
One solution is to vote for the question when you spot one of the more challenging threads that interests you.Then it is in your history in your profile,it is easy to find and you can click on the thread when you have more time.
Nicole y todos los otros:
| Aquí está una idea. Pruebalo a ver si funciona para usted. | Here is one idea. Try it to see if it works for you. |
| En su navegador de Internet (e.g., Explorer, Chrome, Netscape, Firefox) cree un directorio dentro de sus favoritos y llamele algo como 'La 'En' Cesta'. | In your web browser (e.g., Explorer, Chrome, Netscape, Firefox) create a directory within your favourites and call it something like “InBasket”. |
| Si tu ves un hilo a la que quieres volver, salvele en tu nuevo directorio 'La 'En' Cesta'. Puedes tener que dar algunos artículos de mismo nombre las fechas diferentes. | If you see a posting you want to return to, save it in your new “In Basket” directory. You may have to give items with the same name different dates. |
| Cuándo terminarás trabajando en los artículos de tu 'Cesta', simplemente los podrás borrar de tus favoritos. | When you finish working on your “Basket” items, you may simply delete them from your favourites. |
| ¿Qué piensas? | Whaddya think? |
| Mejor recuerdos, | Best regards, |
| Moe | Moe |
| - | - |
Nicole, I can totally relate. I feel guilty when I can't participate in a thread that I know is a good one. I'd love to participate, but can't because I'm busy with something in life. It's almost always a thread that represents a pretty big investment in time. Heidita's killer threads can easily take a couple of hours for me.
And sometimes by the time I get around to them, either all the answers are posted, or else a new one has taken it's place. In either case, there is a new challenge that folks have moved on to. In that case saving the thread wouldn't necessarily help. (But the current format of our software definitely does make finding those threads more difficult.)
Like you, I feel guilty when I can't make it to a thread that I feel is a really good thing. I so appreciate the effort of the person who created the exercise for us, yet I fear that my lack of participation will imply otherwise to them.
I can only assume that if they post again and I'm in the next one, they will understand. I really think that's probably the case.
I also think it would be a great idea to create a category of challenge threads. I really love (am obsessed with?) Heidi´s killer threads, but sometimes there is a new one and I don´t see it at all. So after Heidi posts a winner for the old thread, I´m obsessively searching for the new one, which is a pain...
I agree with Nicole and I have one more suggestion to add to the bunch.
Within the threads the 'most voted' answers appears first with the tabbed options 'newest' and 'oldest' so that we can choose to view the answers by their popularity or by their chronology.
Perhaps we could do the same thing within each forum category. The 'most voted' questions should appear highest on the list, or there should at least be that option. We already have the 'unanswered' and 'hot questions' (aka current questions) options so we wouldn't be ignoring the simpler threads.
I also like the idea of adding a category for challenges and exercises. While someone suggested that it be restricted. I think it would be a good idea to restrict who can post a thread, not who can answer it. That way all the threads will be solid, educational and professional.
Thanks so much.
Just tick the "watch this question" box - then you will receive emails whenever an answer is posted. It reminds you that it's there, and there is a direct link through the email to the thread. 
I think Chaparrito's idea of adding a Challenges section to answers is an excellent suggestion.
I have an alternate suggestion, which actually may not be as good (or may be better, one never knows)...if, in addition to our profile page, we had a "my favorite threads" page, one in which we could create personalized favorites folders and then select interesting threads to put in them (and of course one could delete threads from the folders and folders from the profile as desired).
Even cooler, a folder can have folders and threads either to a set number of levels or ad infinitum (can you say recursive function? -- programmer's humor).
That way, if something caught your eye, it would stay where you expected it. Even if a new category is created, things still go down into the oblivion that is beyond page three of the threads list (and sometimes rather quickly).
If there were a new category, it might be good to only allow members with a predetermined level of reputation to use it. I would suggest something small like 500 to 1K. Just enough to limit its use to people who (by their reputation) show that they have more than a passing interest in the forum.
I really like this idea of Chaparrito's. Also, it started me thinking (always dangerous!). It would be an easy way to look up some of these more challenging, but educational posts if they could be listed in separate categories. For example, if there were practice categories for beginning, intermediate and advanced, that would be a dream. I'm sure that is probably too complicated a system, but maybe someone else can take it from here.
It is good to know that I'm not the only one who has this problem!
I love the challenge threads - but I have to agree that there should be some control over who posts them.
Heidita, Chaparrito, Carlos, (and anyone else I should have mentioned here) are fantastic - because they are dedicated and conscientious (and very clever). The all-important feedback on the mistakes from them is wonderful.
But I have seen several posted by others, which have never been corrected, and where even the correct answer has never been posted, and these are dsheartening. Anyone who participates in one of those is likely to be put off from even trying the others if they receive no feedback for their efforts, which is totally counter-productive.
I dont know if it's a question of "reputation" - new members are always coming along, and some of them are obviously very skilled - but more of commitment. Marking and policing one of those threads is an awful lot of work
As I learn Spanish using different resources, I'm also a bit torn. During the week, I find some time for the word and the picture of the day. When I go to work, I listen to Spanish podcasts. In the evening, if I feel up to it, I analyse new vocabulary and phrases, I do some written homework from my book or watch one of Paralee's lessons. I've accepted the fact that it's impossible to grasp everything and I know that it's important to stay in touch with the language. I wish I had more time to practise with the flashcards, but - no matter how hard I try - it's impossible to stretch the day to more than 24 hours
yes I agree it would be nice to be able to find stuff easier.
It's not just you girls. I forget so many of the neat threads I visit, well, these days I forget everything. Anyway it would be nice to have some type of filing system. The website author is probably cringing right about now.
I've had the same problem - in fact a week or so ago I "lost" a translation exercise I had started. I have an idea that might be simpler to implement than a separate section for these. When I try to search for a topic, I get a mish-mash of dates. What if the search yields topics from most recent to longest ago? For example, if I enter "translation" I would get the newest translation listed first.
(Of course the other thing needed to make this suggestion work is for everyone to agree on certain key words for translation exercises, killer threads, picture, palabra, video, etc., for us to search on!)
Yes!!! I do!!! It would be a good idea to have these threads in a different section, so that you can work on them during the wee, and you don't spend hours looking for them in the answer section.
I guess we'll have to wait for Heidita's opinion about this. She's the boss! jejeje
