Submitted by MelissaOrlov on 04/14/2010.
We are getting ready to update this site and are looking for your ideas. Tell us what you like about the current site set up and what you would like to see improved. When you first came to the site, what caught your eye? Was the info at the top of the home page helpful? Do you use the tabs at the top? Are you aware of the feed options and different ways to follow the blog? Are they important to you?
We'll start work on this at the end of April, so please let us know your ideas and comments before April 30. And thanks for you input!
- MelissaOrlov's blog
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Comments
what I like
Submitted by brendab on
- Since I have been coming here for awhile, I usually go to the recent comments section first, then I will visit the forum tab to see posts that I have missed.
- I have a preference for video on the home page by the author which creates more familiarity and tells me exactly what the site is about. Perhaps less text on the home page.
- I would also suggest you move the rss feed and email subscription to the top right corner of the page. I had not noticed it before and had to hunt it today. I do like these options.
- I would also like to see a "resource" tab because I find resource comments difficult to find.
- How about an affiliate icon of your book on the home page? It makes it easy for us to purchase the book and you benefit as we click through the icon.
- On the right side of this page it would be nice to have hyperlinks at the top for the blog categories, recent blog posts, recent comment, active forum topic, and new forum topic. I could just click on the section I wanted instead of having to scroll down.
- I like the header but Ned isn't all that involved with this site, how about a picture of Melissa instead or at least in addition to Ned? I see the small picture but I would remove it and allow your picture on the header to brand the site better.
- I think this website is a tremendous value for the people who visit here. I like the fact you have a printer-friendly version and a Send to a friend link. The reply section works well for me. I appreciate everything you do to help us understand what we are dealing with.
brendabA new blog/forum category?
Submitted by sapphyre on
I know this isn't quite relevant to your question, Melissa.... but this blog tends to be a bit heavy on the 'Oh, that isn't the ADHD... your spouse obviously has more issues than just ADHD' line... but from my understanding Comorbidities are *very* common.
"Adult ADHD was highly comorbid with many other DSM-IV disorders assessed in the survey and was associated with substantial role impairment." - see this link I got from Wikipedia's ADHD article The Prevalence and Correlates of Adult ADHD in the United States: Results From the National Comorbidity Survey Replication
I would like to see Blog/forum categories about Comorbidities (and not just DSM IV ones!), especially:
- Anxiety disorder(s)
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders
- Physical health issues
Why? Because my hubby doesn't just have ADHD... here's the list...
- lower back pain (minor spina bifida, not diagnosed until he was in his 30s after his chiropractor saw his back x-ray)
- chronic joint pain (has had arthroscopies to remove torn cartilage on both knees, and has haemochromatosis, currently in treatment)
- fibromyalgia (apparently there is a school of thought that stimulants can help with the pain, but this hasn't been true in our case)
- non-specified but severe anxiety disorder (which his psychiarist attempted to treat first, but meds aren't enough) - I think he has PTSD and social anxiety, but I'm just an interested lay person.
So, it's not just the ADHD that makes our family life difficult (my son has it too, as well as ASD (PDD-NOS), and my daughter is only 6 and needs to be reassessed in 2 years). If you are interested, I have some posts on my blog about this... but I will not post the link just now.
Thanks for your consideration!
I Really Like this Site
Submitted by Hoping4More on
I especially like being able to check out new posts and replies to my posts so that when I log on I can just got see what has been added since my last visit, or what I haven't read yet.
I sometimes find it hard to read through the threads where people just seem to be complaining and not seeing concrete suggestions about what I might do differently. But I know that some people aren't looking so much for advice and solutions so much as SUPPORT. I'm not sure how these things can be seperated, and even whether or not they should be. When I do read the posts where people are really at their wits' end, it makes me grateful that my relationship hasn't gotten ot hat point yet. (I'm sorry, I don't mean to be feeling like I am benefiting from others' pain, but it really does help me keep things in perspective.)
I'm thinking that organizing the website differently might help, or maybe putting in something explaing it's workings a little more clearly. For example, it took me awhile to even see the "recent posts" link on the left - and now I use it every time I log on. I can't really remember what other things took me awhile to figure out.
I like it that there are categories, and I definitely like the the category "Melissa's Favorite Posts." I'm wondering if there might be some other categories that might be created, though. It seems I put everything into either the Anger and Frustration category of the Communications category. But maybe that's as it should be, as I can't really think of what category to add. Maybe something like different "How to Talk to Your Spouse about . . . . " categories. Or "How to Get Your Spouse to Hear You." But I guess these are the kinds of things to put into the communications category. I'm never sure, when I am frustrated about communications issues, whether to post in the Communications or the Anger and Frustration category. Maybe I just haven't been using this blog long enough to become familiar with all the categories. Oh, that reminds me. I don't know how to get a list of the forum categories, inless I actually start a new post. It might be nice to see them listed on the right, much like the Blog Categories are.
Finally, I'm not sure what you are asking when you say "Are you aware of the feed options and different ways to follow the blog? Are they important to you?" So my guess is I do NOT know about them. :-)
Site Use
Submitted by Nettie on
The email reminder of blog posts is an asset.
I don't use a reader because there is too much candy available, but I know how to use an rss feed. Many users of feeds probably know how to find the icon, but I wouldn't object if someone wants to change its position.
Most used on site: recent comments and active forum topics (I would use recent blog posts more if I didn't get email notifications).
Categories are helpful for the initial post, but many people (myself included) don't always stick with the category, so one can find comments about, for example, communication, in many places. Tagging our own comments could be helpful, but we can now use key words in a comment (if I remember to) and search for that purpose, so it's not essential.
As I've written before, some independent control of our comments would be nice. (If someone replied about that, I haven't yet read it.)
I like Hallowell's pic because his smile reminds me of one of his Seven Habits of Highly Effective ADHD Adults - make decisions and run your life with your positive side. I really need reminders of that sometimes, am visually oriented, and images help.
Thanks to you
Submitted by Clarity on
my experience with ADD is now valid. What a relief! I finally have a clue! The only thing I would like to see added is the ability to know who else is currently on site and be able to communicate "off the record" somehow. I'm not the most tech savvy but, there is a site I visit with another assumed name and I am able to do that there. There is also an area for word games etc. makes for a little community feeling. I don't know how difficult that would be to implement but, it's nice to make a connection on a more personal level sometimes, even if it's just to say "hey". Without that, I'd still be hanging around here at times... thanks again!
Logout
Submitted by Hoping4More on
I suggest adding the ability to log out from any page, not just the home page.
Success stories to encourage us!
Submitted by mcnaught on
I would very much like to see a section (with prominent links!) devoted to first-hand accounts of successful treatment of Adult ADD through medication.
This would very much help me encourage my wife to begin to take the medication that can save our marriage.
I don't understand why this type of information is so lacking on this and other Adult ADD blogs.
Won't happen with just a pill
Submitted by Nettie on
My guess is that with experience, most people have learned that medication isn't a save-all. There are plenty of books that offer information about medication as well as a strong focus from the medical community. The hardest work, which needs the most support from forum members, is the behavioral change from both members of the couple.
Suggestion
Submitted by Looking4Help on
I would like a way to select and isolate my posts (or the posts from someone else, for that matter). I think that it would be great if I could do a search of my posts, then easily go to each one to see any replies. Currently, when I go to "my recent posts" I can tell which ones have new comments, but often the comments aren't in response to something I have asked. Or else, there are so many comments on a thread that it's hard/time-consuming to find the new ones. The brightly colored word "NEW" helps, but even those are hard to find in a really long thread. I also think it would be great to be able to search for comments from some other particular poster - either because I want to just see how that person is doing, or else because I tend to get a lot from certain posters (eg Melissa, Awren and some others), and isolating and finding all their recent posts/comments would be helpful.
I have no idea how difficult this would be to add. Maybe there's even a way to do it now that I am unaware of. They are not necessities, however - just "It would be nice if" kind of suggestions. I think all you have done so far with this site is absolutely terrific! I do know I can get an email when someone replies to my post, but I don't wna tot get so many emails. Plus, my spouse and I share an email system and I'd rather not have her see how often I am posting. :-)
use a tag line
Submitted by arwen on
kad, I put a tag line at the end of all my posts, that I can then use to search for my posts. And as you suggest, I do use it to help me see if anyone has replied. I keep the tag line in a text file so that I can just copy-and-paste it into my posts at the end. Works a treat, and then George and Melissa don't have to wrangle with the privacy issues that George has alluded to in some of his posts.
"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." Albus Dumbledore
Tag Lines
Submitted by Looking4Help on
Thanks, Awren. I think I remember you saying that before but I didn't get it. I didn't see how a tag line would help, but now I get it. One can search on the text in the tag line. Thanks!
Searching for Posts
Submitted by Looking4Help on
So, I just tried doing a search on your tag line, and it brought up all the forum topics you posted to, but I still have to slosh through the topics to find your individual posts. Is there any way to search and then go directly to your comments?
search, then find
Submitted by arwen on
Unfortunately, there's no super-easy way to do what you want that I know of.
But, after your search for a tag line has led you to a thread, you can do a simple browser find for either a unique word in the tag line (e.g. in my case, "Dumbledore") or you can do the simple browser find for "Arwen" or whoever else you are looking for. (The Search box on this website won't locate posts from an specific poster on the site as a whole, but a browser find will locate posts [one at a time, admittedly] from a specific poster on any given page.)
When I talk about a simple browser find, I mean using the Search or Find box that is typically part of the browser window, which lets you search on the webpage you are on -- I'm not talking about a Yahoo search box or a Google search box or any of the other ways to search the entire internet.
If you set your "number of posts per page" to something fairly large, you should be able to do the find on a single page and see one-by-one all the posts that I've put there.
Granted, this does require you to visit every thread I've posted to if you want to read my posts. But I'm afraid it's the best I can offer you.
Hope this helps in some way.
"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." Albus Dumbledore
One More Suggestion
Submitted by Looking4Help on
I just played with the Viewing Options and see that the "Threaded collapsed" option helps me easily find my posts in a certain forum topic and also replies to my posts. How easy would it be for you to add the keyword "NEW" to the collapsed list of comments? That doesn't seem to appear when the list is collapsed, so I can't tell which comments are new.
When both parties have ADHD
Submitted by xcschild on
I just joined, so I don't know if this subject has been covered or not. But my significant other and I are considering marriage. We are both in our 60s and were diagnosed with Adult ADD in recent years. In one way it is good because we understand each other on a level no one else possibly could and at our ages, we have more tolerance than we used to. However, when both people have ADD, it can also cause horrendous conflict even though you understand what is happening. There are times neither one of us can accomplish what needs to be done and it is maddening.
Write articles a person with ADD can read please
Submitted by pileofrogs on
I have ADD and am currently in the doghouse for Yet Another Screwup, so you can imagine how excited I was to find your site. I clicked on the link to the "2 day experiment ..." and .. Oy...
Lets have:
Lets avoid
I'm sure lots of the non-adhd readers appriciate the longer verbiage, so I'm not saying you should turn the whole site into a twitter feed, but please include a short summary for those of us who get lost in longer posts.
website suggestion
Submitted by Richard on
Not a web designer by far but your site is the best I have ever seen on ADD and ADHD. One suggestion is you might want to simplify your blog's and title them or tab them where a person can read about the person with ADD OR ADHD comments from him or her that is dealing with it and has been diagnosed and then spousal Blog comments on the good, the bad , the ugly side on how affects them. I admit these comments from spouses where really tuff to read to but at the end it did make me realize the affects of my illness. Some people have made comments that some of the blogs are way to long but I disagree with that. They really need to be able to write what they are feeling because they have no where else to go to get this off there chest. So I think you need four titles. I think you can use the right side of your current Website like you do now with recent post on each site. Don't take away the reply part of comment on each title.
1. Comments from ADD OR ADHD people
2. Comments from the spouses of ADD or ADHD
3. Comments from ADD OR ADHD successes
4. Comments and Tips from spouses that might for other spouses in day to day life.
Simulcasting WORK SHOPS to The Christian councilors that have no clue how to deal with ADD OR ADHD.
that is all for now and again thanks for the website.rocain
Glitch
Submitted by Hoping4More on
Not sure where to report glitches so I thought I'd post it here.
I am signed in with my user name and the option to "edit" doesn't appear for all my posts. I was going to edit a post I put in yesterday from my iPhone (Great Suggestion Brenda) to add line breaks, but the edit option does not appear there. It DOES appear for two other posts (I Know it's Not Personal and She Agreed) I put in from my iPhone yesterday. Strange . . . . .
New to the suggestions
Submitted by kjprimrose on
To add a fourm topic ...
Submitted by admin on
Either:
a) click on the "forum" section in the top horizontal menu, then click the link "post a new forum topic" immediately under the title "ADHD Marriage Forums", or
b) click the "create content" link from the "my account" block that is currently below the "events" block on the right-most column of the "home" page.
Also, you will note that if you go to the "my account" in the same block, you will find a complete listing of all your own content, comments on the left, forum posts on the right. This is a recent addition, to make it easier for people to track their own content.