which way is up?!?

I really love the crew at rbc.

I used to love hanging out at the site.

Then chat failed, then the format changed, then chat changed again, then the talent talks got canceled, and now I can't find my way around.

Please remember that too much change is not always a good thing. Some of us need a little stability. And I need SEARCH BOX ON THE MAIN PAGE!

There is so much good information here, but I fear that too much change has made more people tune out than you intended. I hope I am wrong.

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Comment by Julia Stone on June 1, 2009 at 4:49pm: I think that RBC may have outgrown Ning at this point, if you really want my 2 cents.

I am afraid I am much better at making complaints than suggesting solutions. It is one of my weaknesses, but hey, we can't all be perfect at everything.

I know you have been reacting to Ning's changes and trying to do the best you can. When you first launch on to RBC, I think it looks like a foreign world now, not so easy to follow new things going on or where to find things.

Well, again, wish I were more help.

Comment by Slouch on June 1, 2009 at 7:56pm: Julia, have you looked at the top of the page on the right? there is a search box that I can see. Maybe it's just on my screen, I'll find out.

Comment by pam claughton on June 1, 2009 at 9:47pm: I'm sort of thinking out loud here, and hadn't really thought about this til I saw this post, but I do agree that the sense of community here has felt like it's fading away a bit here over the past month or so and I think maybe it's because the chats have died and the talent talk cafe went away. Those were lively conversations. I didn't always make them, but when I did they were always enjoyable.

It doesn't feel like there's as much conversation happening. Maybe one thought might be to have organized areas, bulletin board like, with running conversation threads on certain topics, so you can see at a glance....say an area on sourcing, recruiting, client development, current events, off topic, etc...

Comment by John Sumser on June 1, 2009 at 10:26pm: I really prefer for the design to remain stable, whatever it is. It's kind of like the furniture in the living room. Everytime it gets changed around, I bang up my shins. When the location of key items changes, I spend my energy finding them instead of contributing.

Comment by Maureen Sharib on June 2, 2009 at 7:36am: It's kind of like the furniture in the living room. Everytime it gets changed around, I bang up my shins.
John, does that infer you're blind? Ain't we all?

Comment by Jerry Albright on June 2, 2009 at 8:57am: Normally I wouldn't bring up any of my personal opinions about RBC. It's been a great place. But for the sake of "community" I'll add my 2 cents.

I'm still confused as to why/which/what/where I am when I decide to see what's happening on RBC. For the life of me I can't figure out the benefit of the new "front page" vs. the "community" page which I think was the old front page?

Yes the new graphics are stunning. But I'm not here for the graphics. I'm here for the relationships and conversation. They're spread too far out. I'm still not understanding the thinking behind having "featured" posts up front and some of them having comments - then others having comments back here (community).....but maybe that has been addressed and I haven't noticed.

To say that the chat being removed is a downer misses the point. I realize JD would solve that in a minute if he could. It's just a bummer because it seemed to me that chat was a cornerstone.

So now there is no central place. The chat/watercooler/recruiter's virtual bar was the place you could say "Welcome to RBC. What do you do?" and the other chit chat/tell us about your day stuff. I'm not a big "blogger" and more often than not am not interested in putting together 3 or 4 paragraphs on a topic. So guys like me are more inclined to stop into a chat and have a conversation - rather than blog.

We need the chat. Sorry but that's a fact.

Comment by Maureen Sharib on June 2, 2009 at 10:19am: That's a fac' Jack. I totally agree.

Comment by Julia Stone on June 2, 2009 at 12:02pm: Jason & Maren, when I first come to RBC & hit the main page, I cannot see any search function.

I came on yesterday after realizing that one of my good friends had been featured by Dave 2 months ago & I had missed it completely. I went to search, but no search box shows up on the main page. You have to drill down a level to see any search, which imho sucks.

So, it made me realize, not only did it take me a few minutes to find his article, but it also meant I missed it. Something that would not have happened before because I was on the site daily. That makes me a bit sad. not only because I missed something very important to a friend, but because I miss my friends on here too.

Comment by Jerry Albright on June 2, 2009 at 12:33pm: Chat or no chat IMHO the "change" happened when you decided to have "2" "front" pages. Are they really? Who knows. But the RBC link I have in my favorites is not the same as it use to be. So I click it and am taken to the new one. Some of those articles allow replies. Others don't. When I follow an article to the "old" new page I am then left at the place where I use to come.

The Featured articles (like this one by Julia) then drag us back here for comments. But to look at the "headline" it appears as there have been no comments.

I just think it's been over-engineered. Sorry but that's how I feel. This place is just confusing any more...........

Comment by Tektree Gopi on June 2, 2009 at 2:28pm: Julia - I am with you. - You just reflected my thoughts on this forum. Lately I feel that I am disconnected with our RB Community. This is the only site which I used to hop-in often. I appreciate your efforts., hope something turns out positive.