If I could ask for one thing, I wish DG would....

I'd like a discount/coupon forum. I just found a good online coupon for any True Value Hardware Store good until July and would love to share with everyone, but obviously can't post it in dozens of forums. It is in the frugal living forum if anyone is interested. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/dirtcheap/all/

I don't like regional gardening forums being closed to non subscribers. You are shutting out a lot of people that way. Central Midwest started out as an open forum. Some of us didn't know it closed until after it had happened. That is why we first started listing the RUs for the Central Midwest on that forum instead of the RU forums and now CMW is a closed forum too. So there goes the advantage to nonsubscribers.

I like the d-mail for subscribers only idea. Also I wish there was a better watermark available for pictures, and right clicking for picture upload blocked.

Leaflady has a good point there. If Regional Gardening Forums were open to the public it might generate a lot more interest and subscriptions? Maybe if non subscribers were invited to join in the regional round ups it would give them a chance to meet and chat with subscribers and learn more about DG.

Can the neon hot pink color be eliminated and go back to the original color or something that isn't so hard on the eyes and/or bright please?!

Thanks!

What is with the pink anyway?

Prizes for members. Everyone who is a member gets one chance per month automatically! Winner gets a gift card or something cool related to gardening, or gets their DG renewed free for 6 months, or a DG item of their choice.

Maybe the pink is an april fool's joke? It doesn't seem to be everywhere.

Good idea Cathy4!

pink...........

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/829417/

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/829417/

The PINK conspiracy

Personally I loved the pink from the instant I noticed it. But then if anyone has seen my house you would know why. I love bright colors. And that cottage is one of the most beautiful I think I have ever seen. I will use that image as a relaxation place.

If more non-subscribers are added to threads that are now for subscribers only I would not like it, also don't care to get D-mail from non-suscribers. Let them pay if they want to be subscribers. Nothing is free for all.

I would definitely like to see much more propogation info on the Plant Files e.g. images of seeds, images of seedlings, and detailed growing information.

I would also like the members who contribute this additional information earn credits towards being an "uber" gardener.

Finally, I would love a direct link on each page to the plant files - just so I can check out plants that are being discussed.

Thanks :-)

I agree about the non-subscribers. I don't like it when someone post something for a non to help them get an answer. When in the first place they should have to pay if we do. Don't get me wrong I don't mind paying just think everything should be fair.

Should have added that every dollar is worth joining, I will be a paying member as long as I am arround, love DG do not want to be without it

I watch the beginner houseplant and the plant identification forums and have posted many times on the "locked" forums trying to get info for a non subscriber who may be asking for help with a specific plant. If I'm not familiar with the plant they are asking about, I will go to the plant specific forum and ask if someone familiar with that plant if they can help the non subscriber and post the link to the original question.

I am all for helping anyone get an answer to their questions. That's how we all learn, by helping each other. And, I usually make a comment to the non subscriber that they cannot access a particular forum if they are not a paid subscriber, maybe at some point they will want to purchase a subscription and learn more.

I have been d-mailed from non subscribers a few times in the past year and a half since I joined DG but they have always been very cordial, asking for suggestions regarding a plant or thanking me for being helpful. I would not like it if I was bombarded with d-mail ... but if I were to get d-mails asking for trades or free plants (as some have) I would just ignore and not answer the d-mail or politely tell them I had nothing to trade or give away. I know we all pay for our annual subscriptions and some think it's not fair for non subscribers to get anything for free ... but I will still help a newbie or non subscriber if and when I can. If we show a friendly welcome to people they may end up visiting the garden more often, realizing there's a lot to this site and purchasing a subscription.

Thanks plantladylin! I waited a couple months before subscribing initially just to scope out the site. Loved and still do love Daves but now I'm just a member. I've no problem having limited access to forums, especially regional where many subscribers give out personal contact info etc for gettogethers.

The "spam" I get on daves from subscribers and members alike is nothing like regular email which is compounded more.

I'm with the folks who want more detailed propagation info on PlantFiles (requires dark, etc.), and I would like to have a button always available to take me directly to the Search PlantFiles feature. Thanks for asking!!!

Wow why so much non-subscriber talk. I thought this site was a happy place for people to discuss gardening.

i'm not that crazy myself about getting plant trade requests from non-subscribers. who are they? at least if it's a subscriber there is usually some kind of history so that i can know who i am dealing with and i much prefer that. it always surprises me on daves to get those requests. on gardenweb i expect it but on daves it just feels creepy.

i try never to ignore any dmail though as i have heard so many newbies say that they are intimidated when we do that. just my thought on that.

I'm all about helping people but I feel DG has set up areas for non-members and other places for members to go. I don't feel it should be up to us to make these gray areas and provide help that would require a membership to get.

plantnative, we posted at the same time. lol. sorry for my addition to the non-subscriber talk. and the topic is of course is what one thing we would change about daves. we always get off topic. lol.

hi mamajack i'm just a non subscriber garden loving mom nothing creepy here

lol. shoulda known.

it is strange though plantnative as usually every place on daves is "family". sometimes they don't all get along but everybody knows everybody else. and when a "stranger" comes on, esp. private dmail, for some reason it takes me back every time because this is Daves place and i am expecting only family. didn't mean to offend you if i did.

I have to admit to not having read all of the responses--just so many.

1) I voted to improve the navigation. Since I'm on satellite, loading lengthier threads is slow. I can't advise the solution, but hope some of the techies who also voted for improved navigation have some ideas.
2) Opening more forums as free? While I don't have an objection if that is the only way DG can grow, I question why subscribers would feel compelled to continue paying a fee. IMO the subscribers look at DG as their community. People feel safe and connected here. The "other" garden web site that I'm thinking of is free and doesn't have the same feel.

I will continue to be nice and try to help non subscribers .... at some point they may end up being paid subscribers.

"Other":
Cheapskate that I am, I would love for retailers (maybe web-only?) to offer specials to DG members- esp. those of us who give them positive reviews. I don't expect big retailers (Walmart) to acknowledge a "DG Member Card", but maybe Logee's and our other top-rated retailers could give us a bit of a "thank you" present once in a while!

I agree with almost all posts (except for not allowing members to dmail subscriberes, what is that?!?) BUT I would LOVE it if the journal were improved. I'd like to be able to put one thing in more than one catagory, less clicking iover and over again (back, back) and just make it more user friendly. Maybe even making it closer to spreadsheet functionality would be amazing.
Thanks for listening, cant wait to see what you do with all this input!

Great idea Jax4ever! It would be great to get DG discounts from web retailers!

I would also like more propagation information in the plant files.

I have several improvements I would like to suggest.

1) Allow DG Dmail to actually send us emails to our home computers if we choose that, and give all Dmail users email addresses so that we can return those DMails from home. With email, I don't understand what DMail is for, or why I should want it.

2) Improve navigation. To do a Plant Files query by genus and species one has to go to plant files, click another link to go to a selection of forms, click the form, and use it. Too many clicks. Another improvement would be to allow people to enter genus species cultivar/hybrid into the generic search box, and let only that plant come back, or the nearest thing, say all of the genus, or genus species.

3) Allow subscribers to set up the home page more freely. Right now it is pretty clunky, with stuff constrained to one column or the other. Or give us multiple layouts, one forum specific, one with the trading stuff on top and forums below, or another with daily stuff on the top forums below.

Rob

I would prefer that the d-mail continue the way it is now as I know when receiving d-mail I will have some idea who is sending it and usually why. Plus co-mingling my D-mails with all the my other regular emails with those going to the same account as my DH would not make him happy. And I certainly I don't want DG to EVER give my email to anyone without my permission. I have had some very unpleasant d-mails come from two subscribers that I would have liked to block. So I would relish the power to block future dmails from this people. I know I can just not read or respond to them and I can delete them unread, but emotionally I would rather not ever see them arriving. Patti

I like that in dmail I can click on an image sent to me to view it in a snap. With email it comes as something I have to open and download, taking to much time. I like dmail!

I haven't voted because I can't really think of a thing that I'd like to change....

DMail is just fine the way it has been for a long while now. It used to be that when someone DMailed you; they could see & capture your private email account. It was a good thing that you fixed that problem Dave. Some naughty ones could fill your email account with a lot of spam & trash!!

Then there is the fact that Dave's Garden will send you out an email to your private email account in 3 business days if you haven't been back to check your DMail. That's Dave's email reminder system.

multiple layouts: may be more confusing to the newbies who don't know how to use the system yet.

PlantFiles query: yes that would be nice to have back in one of the tabs ontop again; however I do know why you changed it from the way it was in the past. :^)

AnalogDog check this out: Garden plants - PlantFiles - your plant identification database: Scroll down this page & really take a look: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/ you'd be amazed what you can do when you 'Book Mark' the link.

(¯`'•.¸(¯`'•.¸(¯`'•.¸ ¸.•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)¸.•'´¯)

~* Robin ☺

I don't want d-mail coming to my home e-mail account! We get hundreds of e-mails at home every day and I don't want d-mail adding to the mix. I got a home e-mail yesterday telling me I had a d-mail from another DG'er ... like a home alert. I would rather not have that. I think the alert at the top of our home page is enough, I read d-mail as soon as I log on to the site before going to any threads I'm watching. I may not answer right then but I do make a point to acknowledge d-mail as soon as I can.

I love the Blog, I use it extensively and there are certain items I would like to keep at the top..like a sticky. I would love to be able to create stickys in my blogs so I won't have to change dates to keep certain items at the top.

Rj

I too am with several others. I don't want or need more notifications coming of dmail messages when I am on Dg evryday and usually more than I am out in the garden. LOL

If i get a email from Daves then I think it somethign very serious and deserves attention anything else would just get deleted without opening.

What would be cooler than a National Convention? Have it in Denver or Kansas City, where it would be central to all except out of country members. Get sponsorship from advertisers that are on here and do a cross promotion of some kind with a travel site. Could be the biggest plant swap or sale of the century!! And think of meeting all the people you gossip and laugh and cheer on here on DG! A 2 or 3 day event? I would rather get the opprotunity to meet yall than a tshirt or less clicking to view anything.