Be careful what you ask for....

because - as the saying goes - you might just get it.

I'm guessing that everyone who has already found this forum has also received a DG member mail from Dave today, explaining that he's looking at making some significant improvements to the journal format. That note went to roughly 1600 or so users, so we could see a flood of new ideas and questions pouring in. (Yikes!)

For those of you who use the current journal, please feel free to pitch in and help with any "how-do-I?" type questions you see posted about the current format.

For everyone who has already given their wish-list, or is still working on it, thank you. Those suggestions definitely give Dave a better picture as to what most users are looking for in a journal, and many of them may be incorporated into a new version of the DG Journal.

What I think I hear many of you saying is you'd like a "blog" type format. I've set up a "daily log" for a couple years within the current journal. (Confession: the logging usually stops when the garden gets in high gear...shame on me.) The blog/diary is definitely a good idea, and would simplify journal-keeping for a large group of would-be-users of the DG journal.

After reading your ideas, I've also asked Dave to consider an add-a-plant "wizard" function (similar to how the there's a link to "add this plant to my tradelist" on each PlantFiles entry. That would definitely make it easier to make a quick compilation of the plants we're growing, and know the spelling and format of the name is (probably) correct ;o)

I'm here because I got the message from Dave. I guess at one time I figured out how to put some things in my Journal, but I found it and the trade/want lists too confusing. I'm really not sure what I'd use the Journal for, I guess at one time I was putting a few pictures in there, but don't have any idea how to change things, or even how to add any more if I wanted to. I'm sure the journals are great for many people. Maybe I'm just too old to figure it out, but I have avoided the Journal and trade lists because no matter how many times it is explained, I just don't get it.
Deb

Deb,

I am currently working on a "Journal Lite", so to speak, that is made for folks exactly like you. It'll be as easy as the forums, and I am sure everyone is going to love it!

dave

I'm with momcat. I would love to be able to use it. I looked at others journals and tried to imitate them on my own. Never could quite figure it out.

If it was a Journal type with say, an index page with some links like:
Date - Seed planted -(Perennial, annual, etc.) (Special conditions)
Date Sprouted - (maybe add percentage, etc)
Date Transplanted (into pots, ground, etc)
Date of first flowering - first fruiting etc.
Comments:

I use a Quattro Pro spread sheet for Day lily Seeds which is simply:
Hybridizer Name - Date Planted - Pod parent - Pollen Parent - # of Seeds - # of Plants. ( Across top of sheet) It works good and I can add pictures when they bloom in two years.

I am not computer literate, if I understood files and folders systems better maybe I could make Dave's Journal work.

I used the journal...long ago...just put some pictures in it, but I too found it too hard to navigate!! In fact...I had to email Dave and ask for SPECIFIC instructions...then I posted his answer.

I'll watch for the "new and improved" version. I might learn to use it after all. Jo

My wish....

When improvements are made it will be easy for those of us with existing journals to "transition over." In other words, I don't want to have to cut-and-paste or re-enter my information in order to use the new features. :)

This site is unlike any other I've ever seen. I am continually amazed at how truly User Friendly it is here. You ask for input, you actually make those changes when possible, and you work so hard to make this site the best it can be. Please know how much we appreciate all your work.

Looking forward to the improvements. It took me hours to set my journals up completely wrong. I'm very proud of myself.

Don

I found it way too hard to deal with also, I started it when I first came, but doubt that I even looked at it last year, so will be looking forwards to the "Lite Version". I hope it's something that I can list my plants (as I know them) link to the PF, and add my own pictures. Some less structured would be nice, yet allow me to add notes and edit them.

Could you expound a little on your idea of this lite version?

Thanks for thinking of us Dave!