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New CM Organizer Features
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We just finished updating the CM Organizer with new sharing features. You can now share your resources with other users by clicking the “Share this resource with other CM Organizer users” checkbox when you add or edit a resource. Any resources you’ve added that already have the box checked are now shared in the Bookfinder.
You can also now edit any resource in the Bookfinder. Just click the “Edit” button to add details or even duplicate the resource to create a new edition. And if you want to use an older version of a resource, all previous edits are available for scheduling on the resource’s page.
Enjoy, and thanks for using the CM Organizer!
Okay, here’s a question….if you edit a resource in the Bookfinder, I’m assuming that those changes will be reflected for everyone else if you’ve checked “share publicly.” (Am I correct so far?) However, supposing you edit something….let’s just say, for example, you have a mental block about looking up books by Gertrude Chandler Warner….so for your purposes, you edit her name to only read Gertrude Warner. If that change really, really bothers someone else, they might change it back.
I hope you see what I’m getting at, because what I’m really asking is, if you edit to make changes that are really just for your own purposes, would you simply uncheck “share publicly” and then enjoy your own little quirky resource? What kind of safeguards to the editing process are in place to avoid odd changes being made to public resources?
They have actually put in a fair number of safeguards, as that was one of the big things that us beta testers tested. I can’t remember everything ( I don’t remember things like the Author’s name…)
But one thing that was cool with the divisions… is that you can see all the edits, who made them, and pick which version you want to schedule! If you have a resource scheduled, and then someone changes the resource – it doesn’t change/affect what you have already scheduled.
They have really thought through the complications that can come around with sharing resources and letting people edit them… There of course may be something that wasn’t thought of (it can get very confusing on the combintations of things that can heppen with people….) – but at the worst, you could make a copy of a resource (so it is yours) and then uncheck the share publicly – and use your own version.
I think that it’ll work out great!
We have put a number of things in place to avoid “editing wars,” as they are often called over on Wikipedia.
When someone edits a resource it does not automatically update in everyone’s schedule where it is currently being used. It sort of keeps your own personal version behind the scenes so schedules don’t get messed up. If you edit and re-save your schedule for that resource then it will be updated to the new version. And if you later schedule that resource again you will get the latest version.
In addition, every resource now keeps a history of edits. You can choose to go back to any version and use it in your schedule.
Now, if you want to have “your own little quirky resource” then it’s probably best to keep that private. You can now make a copy of an existing resource, which you could choose to not share and make as quirky as you like.
It has been our experience with other services that allow group editing that the community tends to be self correcting. But if you see any ongoing problems just let us know and we’ll step in and come up with solutions.
I forgot to mention that there is a link on every resource page to “Report a problem with this resource” if needed.
In addition, every resource now keeps a history of edits. You can choose to go back to any version and use it in your schedule.
That’s really cool! I was hoping it would be something like that.
Thank you!!!
Ah – now I’m thinking that when you edit a resource – you should be able to put in a short description/summary of your changes…. that might help someone pick which version they want to use…
(So for example – I had a resource for Aesop’s Fables, arranged in the order of AO weeks. I’ve now edited it to add in the AO week numbers. (I didn’t use the week numbers as divisions, as 2 fables are read during the week, and we don’t necessarily do 2 in a single day…)
So it would be nice when I select “Comparison of all edits” (or whatever it is to that effect…) that I’d see…
(first date) – Created by Suzukimom – Original Version
(second date) – Edited by Suzukimom – added AO week numbers
(hey – sorry I didn’t think of that earlier!) – So add this into requests I guess!
I’m not seeing it….
Also – just wondering if there is going to be any work done merging identical resources… (probably a big project…) – because many of us have entered the same resource when they weren’t shared – some things are in multiple times… I’ve noticed about 6 copies of “Little Pilgrim’s Progress” for instance….
That said – I’m loving this!
I just checked and the “Copy” button only shows up for adminstrators right now. We meant to make that feature available to everyone with the new sharing features, but somehow it got overlooked in the upgrade. Put that button on the “coming soon” list.
Suzukimom, we’re not totally sure what we’re going to do with the duplicate resources yet. Can you (and others) give us some feedback about how much of a problem the duplicate resources is?
Well, I’m not at a point of scheduling a new term yet…. but for something that had 5 or 6 copies in the bookfinder – well, I’d have to be carefully checking them all to see which one I want to actually schedule. With the results list – I’m not seeing much difference between many of the books I’m seeing duplicates from (probably especially the ones that are filled with the main info from Amazon…)
So I’d be opening each one up to try to get the best one… Which one has the most information? Are there typos that would annoy me? Does it match my book/resource? etc. And if I had edited one – which one was it?
I’ve already deleted one resource that I created because it is identical to another one that came up….
I know that merging is a big pain/problem… so I don’t really have a solution. I suspect that it wouldn’t be as big of a deal in the future, assuming people search for a book before they add it…. but of course there are lots of copies of books that weren’t in the bookfinder before, but are commonly used by people here because everyone that used it created it.
I do have one thought on how it could be reduced… but it would take some legwork…..
The “Copy” button is available to everyone now, so you can copy resources without creating a new edition.
I do have one thought on how it could be reduced… but it would take some legwork…..
Could you send us your thoughts on this through e-mail or a private message? We’d like to know what you have in mind.
Ok, LOVE all the resources available now, BUT is there anyway we can filter by the CM approved items. If I type in a broad subject, I’m getting such an overwhelming number of resources back and I’d love to just be able to find the ones that are CM approved or at least have those show up first.
Just a thought!
THANKS!
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