Ideas

[Bill_S]

What's an idea exchange?

An idea exchange is a collection of ideas that members of your community have posted. They can be anything from new product requests to suggestions about how to improve a product or service. Anyone in the community can see and vote on the ideas you post.

The ideas in an idea exchange are organized on three tabs:

• Hot Ideas: These ideas are popular right now.
• Top Ideas: These are the ideas that have received the most kudos.
• New Ideas: These are the most recent ideas.

Adding an idea is just like posting a message on a board, and voting for the ideas you like is as easy as giving kudos. You can post comments on ideas the same way you do on blog articles.

Your community may use labels to help organize related or similar ideas, and assign a status to each idea so you know which ideas might be considered or implemented.

How do I post an idea in an idea exchange?

It's easy. Posting an idea is just like posting a message on a board.

To post your idea:

1. Go to the idea exchange where you want to post an idea.   Tip: It's a good idea to search the idea exchange first to make sure that someone else hasn't already posted the same idea.
2. Click the New Idea link.
3. Type an Idea Subject and the body of your idea.  You can use simple HTML, format the text, or add links or images. You can also preview your idea and check your spelling before you post the idea.
4. If you want to receive email when someone comments on your idea, click the E-mail me check box.
5. If labels are required, enter or choose one or more labels.  The labels you can choose from are listed below the Label entry area. Click a label to choose it. Labels make it easy to find related or similar ideas.
6. Add one or more tags if you wish.
7. When you're ready, click Post .

How do I vote for an idea I like?

• It's easy. You vote for an idea by giving it kudos. Just click the Kudos! button next to the idea. If you change your mind, you can revoke your kudos later.

That's all there is to it.

How do I post a comment on an idea?

It's easy. Posting a comment on an idea is a lot like replying to a message on a board. If the idea is open for comments, you'll see a Post a Comment link or a Comment count link at the bottom of the idea.

To post your comment:

1. Click the Post a Comment or the Comment count link.
   You can post a comment to an idea , but not to other comments.
2. Type your comment in the Post a Comment area.
   You can use simple HTML and quote the idea you're commenting on. You won't be able to edit or delete a comment once it's posted, so be sure to preview your comment and check your spelling first.
3. When you're happy with your comment, click Post Your Comment.

Can I edit or delete my ideas comments?

No, you can't. Be sure to check your spelling and preview your comment before you post it; you can't edit a comment once it's posted.

How do I share an idea with friends?

If you want to tell your friends about an idea, you can use any of dozens of shared bookmarking, social network, or other tracking services, such as Del.icio.us, Digg, Reddit, Facebook, MySpace, Google, StumbleUpon, Technorati, or Twitter. All you need is an account with the service and friends to share with.

To share an idea:

1. When you get to an idea you want to share, click the Bookmark button.
2. Click the service you want to use.  The next steps depend on the service. You may need to log in. If you don't already have an account, you'll probably be asked to register and create one. The way you share the idea also depends on the service.

Just choose a service and go. That's all there is to it.

Can I subscribe to an idea?

Yes. You can subscribe directly to an idea or an idea exchange, or you can subscribe to their RSS feeds. If you subscribe to an RSS feed, you can use an RSS reader to view new content that's added to the idea exchange. If you subscribe directly to an idea or idea exchange, you receive an email alert when new ideas or comments are posted.

To	Do this
Subscribe to an idea exchange	Go to the idea exchange page and choose Idea Exchange Options > Subscribe to this Idea Exchange.
Subscribe to an idea	Go to the idea and choose Idea Options > Subscribe to this Idea.
Subscribe to an RSS feed	Go to the idea exchange or idea and choose Idea Exchange Options > Subscribe to this Idea Exchange's RSS Feed or Idea Options > Subscribe to this Idea's RSS Feed. Then, save the live bookmark or whatever you usually do to add an RSS feed.

What's a Permalink?

A permalink, short for permanent link, is the URL for a specific idea in an idea exchange. In an active idea exchange with lots of entries, a particular idea will only stay on the New Ideas tab for a short period of time. It becomes hard to bookmark a specific idea or to email a link when the idea you want is replaced with something new.

This is where permalinks come in handy. They take you directly to a specific idea, rather than to the idea exchange's front page.

To use a permalink:

1. Click Permalink at the bottom of an idea.
2. Copy the URL that appears in your browser's navigation toolbar.
3. Paste the link wherever you need it.

That's all there is to it.