Whats the best way

[cedarhil]

How do you all surf the gallery? I feel so behind with comments because the time it takes to get through a days worth of entrys! I know that's a good thing but I only like to comment on pages with DD products, and anymore, ( maybe I am behind already!). I don't recognize most of the names. I would like to know if there is a way to see layouts that use mostly DD products so I can get to know the names of those who are participating members? Seems like there are a lot more pages lately that arent DD. Does anyone else have this problem?

[Kirsty85]

I'm never away for more than a day so I usually just browse the layouts from the past 24 hours, that way I don't miss any. I don't think there's an option to view ones that only use DD products.

It took me a while when I first joined, but now in the gallery I recognise the names of dedicated DD members so I pay more attention to their pages. If I see any kind of DD product on the thumbnails of people I don't recognise, I'll also have a closer look.

I don't get to leave half as many comments as I would like to though, I really must try harder!!

[Tove]

Yes, I have this problem too! I wish I could be able to see and comment on the DD-pages, but I sometimes have a hard time finding them. I recognize some of the names, but I know I'm missing a lot anyway. Due to the time difference I also wake up to find lots and lots of new pages in the gallery... And it's almost impossible to browse all the new pages.
I have found a method I sometimes use if I don't have time to browse the whole gallery: I find a page and then go to the gallery of those who has commented on that page. I know that those who comments on pages are participating members. But of course, I still miss a lot of beautiful pages.

I hope someone has a good idea on how to easily find DD-pages!

[kikimama]

I was wondering how you look at new pages after they've left the first page. I know I miss a whole load of fab pages by being asleep while they're uploaded, so would like to catch up. Do you just click further on after the last one on the first screen or is there another way?

I too tend not to comment on ones that obviously don't have any DD product, I'm astonished I can already recognise that! That's what seems to be uploaded a lot during the day here.

[mugsbigsis]

Chrissy, On the top right side above the layouts you will see "1 day, 7 days, etc" I click on 1 day and then you will have page numbers at the bottom of the page to advance to the other layouts. I also change the number of layouts on a page to 45 so that I don't only have 12 layouts to view at a time. :O)

As for the commenting, Pam I feel your pain. I open all the pages that I am attracted to for whatever reason, and then just start going through them. If I come to a page that has NO DD stuff and I recognize the name as someone who posts non-DD pages here all the time then it has to be sensational for me to comment. (after all, my time is precious, too) If it is not a name I recognize and they didn't have 10 pages posted in a row then I comment since I liked it enough to open it in the first place.

[kikimama]

Thanks Kelly, that helps

[hguenthe]

Ever since reading the post here at DD about the RSS feed, I subscribed to the main gallery rss feed with google reader.

I also have a folder in my google reader for those that consistently have favorites of mine so have a feed directly for their gallery. A nice addition to doing that is that I can adjust the name of the feed to have their username & real name, ex. mugsbigsis - Kelly's gallery which also feeds across into the main feed so anytime there is a page of her's, it is titled that way. Helping me remember name connections a lot better.

That way, I can always go to it and it has left off with all of the posts that I haven't looked at yet so I am not missing out which I used to much more before. Still when gone for a few days, there is a backlog to get caught up again but it is still easier to catch up.

I also like that it shows the description right along with the page so I can tell from that quickly if it uses DD products or not.

And the final reason that has me LOVING LOVING it, when there is one that I want to comment on, I click on it, it opens in a new tab (setting in my firefox) automatically, I leave the comment and then close the tab and I am back at my google reader tab exactly where I left off.

Here is an example of the first entry in my google reader this morning:

[dugarner]

I haven't been in the habit of embedding the hyperlinks to the DD store when I post credits on my LOs in the gallery. I guess I need to start doing that---that's how I usually tell if a LO has at least some DD product on it.

I set my "items per page" to 90 and each day I click on the "1 Day" option and leave that tab open all day. I refresh when I sit down and CTRL + Click through each of the pages I want to leave comments on. So far, it's worked pretty well, and I am trying to increase the number of comments I leave every day, even if it's a "great page!"

[kathleen.summers]

Whoa, Heather, that's a cool idea. Gonna have to think about setting that up.

I love browsing (and commenting) in the gallery and I too get frustrated sometimes when I see the same users who never use DD stuff and/or don't participate in the community (either commenting in the gallery or here on the message board)... it's like they're just using the gallery.

Tove, I sometimes use your method too, but sometimes I do miss pages that way...

Speaking of the gallery, I'm a few days behind, but I'm looking forward to getting caught up! It's just so exciting and I'm enjoying getting to know you ladies and being inspired by your wonderful creations!

[oldvwblues]

It's usually easy to tell the DD pages from the ones using other products...once in a great while I might comment on one of the others if there is something really outstanding about it...but most of them pretty much look alike most of the time..to me anyway. I try to go through each day but the past couple of weeks there have been demands on my time that have taken away from computer time..try to catch up on the weekend but there are alot of pages to try to catch up on...there are so many incredibly wonderful pages and people who deserve some "love" for their efforts. Pages are something like babies...there is usually something pretty special about each one. Anyone I have missed lately...forgive me...I do appreciate all the art and beauty here!

[Elena]

Ditto everything Kelly said

[muddygirl]

I was just thinking about this yesterday. I was getting so frustrated with the quantity of non DD product pages. While they are still peoples 'works of art' and worthy of looking at, I like to browse the gallery to see what my 'digi-friends' have been up to and get inspiration on how to use DD products. And lately is seems like the quantity of them is increasing, and multiples in a row! When i'm pressed for time I will look for familiar names and look at those, but then I feel like I'm missing new people (using DD stuff), and knowing what it is like to be new, I want to leave comments for them to make them feel welcome.

[Applechick]

I constantly feel that I am playing some kind of 'catch up' with comments! If I get any time at work during lunch I surf the gallery, but we don't have the kind of office where you really get time to do things like indulge in DD gallery comments LOL!! As a result I always feel terrible that I miss giving a bit of love and encouragement to so many fab pages! I think it is really important to give encouragement especially to new members ? I remember how important it was to get a nice comment from someone when I started posting at DD. In fact it was the total "niceness'" of the site that made me stay!
I do skip the pages that are CTs doing their job and posting at DD, because I know that they are not really interested in comments. I like to encourage DD patrons ? but sometimes it comes in bursts when I get some time to do it! It has to be said that the gallery moves so fast with fantastic pages that it's becoming increasingly hard to keep up with you girls!!!!

Fiona

[digigrandma]

One thing I try to do regularly is check the challenge galleries because usually those are DD regulars participating and using DD products.

Other than that, I try to check the gallery most every day because the inspiration is wonderful. Even with daily checking, I am amazed at how many I miss that are mentioned in the Favorites Thread.

I think the participation is wonderful at this site. Commenting takes time, and, sometimes for various reasons, your time is limited. I don't think you should feel badly about it. We all understand!!!

[anke]

the ctrl/click feature is such a great idea! It takes me forever to click back 3 times to get to the next page. this is going to be such a great help. commenting really takes an incredible amount of time, at least for me. I hate to leave people out, but it's impossible to comment on every single page. I really like to leave some love for the new people, I remember how much I appreciated the kind remarks when I first started (and I was pityful). I have gotten to the point where I try to comment on DD pages (unless I know the person), because there are just not enough hours in a day and I want to scrap too! Imagine that. heather, I am going to have to read your post again, I don't think I quite got it, but it sure sounds like it must work!

[SuzanneB]

Gosh, I wish I knew the best way. I go in spurts. Sometimes I'm here all the time and then other times, I just can't get to the gallery. If I'm here all the time, I usually look at the gallery for that day, doing what Kelly said, increasing the number of layouts that I can view. When I miss, I feel guilty about the lack of comments (crazy, right?) but I just start fresh again and try to remember to check in on the favorites thread.

Heather, thank you so much for that information. I'm going to have to check out that thread. You are SO knowledgeable! What would we do without you???

[hguenthe]

Hehe, sorry Anke, I know I can be confusing.. here is the basics:

1) in google reader, add subscription - put in http://www.designerdigitals.com/digi....php?type=RSS2 and that will subscribe you to the main gallery

2) have your browser set to open a new tab (in Firefox, it is under Preferences, Tabs, "new pages should be opened in a new tab")

3) then browse like you would other blogs in google reader and if you want to comment on one, click the layout picture and it will take you to the page to leave comments in a new tab, when done, close that tab and you are back at google reader ready to scroll down to the next layout

Hope that makes more sense as I find it has helped immensely for giving me time to comment & scrap.

[Amy L]

Heather, you are about as handy as a pocket on a shirt lol! I'm giving this a try!

[hguenthe]

Originally Posted by Amy L

Heather, you are about as handy as a pocket on a shirt lol! I'm giving this a try!

Actually the above is all thanks to Chris (RSS feed thread), Randy (idea that you could subscribe to the gallery! only ever thought about using it for the forums/blogs) and Cassie (that Control/Command click trick & setting browser preferences to open new tab). The DD community rocks! you all teach me new things everyday!

[geekgirl415]

Thanks Heather- You (and Randy&Chris) made our lives easier! I subscribed to the main and the Project 365 galleries in my google reader... and i'll be adding the blogs that get added to the other thread here... it works awesome!