Settings/Help

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euanandrews

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#18151 30-Dec-2007 01:30

I see its partially already happened, but something I had been thinking of doing/changing, was making all the settings, help and contact details available on each individual providers page, in a new section, hence extending the current template from just:
-Background
-Service Provided by ......
-Plans Available
-Extenal Links

To something like:
-Background
-Services Provided by .....
-Plans Available
-Settings
-Contact Details
-External Links

In doing this, this would render the settings and help pages unnessesary...
It did dawn on me, that adding such details on these pages, would make these pages very very large, when really the information should just be provided on the service providers individual page....it just makes sense yeah?

rscole86

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#102254 30-Dec-2007 10:00

I can understand why it would be a good idea to have contact details and settings on each providers page.

However, NZC is a wiki providing support/advice so we should try to keep internet provider pages similar to 'about us' pages on their own websites. While sticking with seperate pages for settings and contact details.

I think it would be a good idea to have links, whever they be internal or external, to support and contact pages.

As it is now, I personally find that some of the pages are too big. Eg, the TCL page is excessively big with the list of TV channels on it. Surely that could be linked to a new page. All we need to say is something along the line of TCL have the same channels as SKY with some extra ones eg blah blah. For a full channel listing and their number click here.

Thats my $50 for this morning... whos going to pay me for it?

cokemaster

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#102264 30-Dec-2007 11:02

I see value in both ways being used on the basis that they are linking rather than duplicating information. Adding settings all on one page would make them excessively large while linking would allow value to be added to the provider article but without the side effects of making excessively large?

For example:
ABC provider #settings -> email settings
Settings -> #ABC provider - > email settings

In this case, they reference the same page. I guess it depends on how people browse to get to the articles - do they access it through the settings pages, search for it, or go through the company profile?

(as a sidenote: should we open this up to the public forum?)

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rscole86

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#102266 30-Dec-2007 11:19

I myself would just go and look for the 'settings' page.
As it is now, I would just click on the 'Internet and Mail settings' link.

Your example Cokemaster seems the most logical. Otherwise if we have someone edit the 'settings' on the TCL main page, it may not get edited on the 'settings' page.

(side note accepted, and actioned)

euanandrews

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#102285 30-Dec-2007 13:02

Yeah I shoulda further expanded on that....

The contact deails section could have all information provided on the providers pages, as there is not much to be added, but the settings section could be a section with just links to the various settings...ie. mail, adsl, dialup etc

Doing that you would only need to edit 1 page when adding such settings, but you would have to add links to that page on 2 pages.
The settings page, and the providers page within the settings section....

Thus I still favor having no settings page at all, as it will get large with the eventual inclusion of all providers settings.
I just makes sense that if you want to find out anything about TelstraClear...you just go to the TelstraClear page, and eveything is there.

Some pages may be very large...but may I point out its only the largest companies that offer multiple services....
Telecom, TelstraClear, Vodafone

This is contributed to by the fact they also cover other companies they own...eg. Vodafone covers ihug.....
Having so much on these pages I dont see as a bad thing, its show the detail and work we have put into these providers pages...
But maybe the ==headings== could be reduced on these pages, so to not add so many of them to the contents.....Telecom being a perfect example....in the history, does every year need to be shown in the menu?....it makes for an extremly long menu....

Thus if we minimise what headiings are shown in the menus, and the full menu is shown at the top of the page, then people can click on the section they want without scrolling...hence making a long page, short.

Thats my 2 cents for the morning...now whos going to pay me?