Volunteers needed.

squeaky

Hi everyone

OK - here's the thing...

Pretty much ALL of our indexes are woefully out of date. Some of them are more than a year behind now and, as you may have seen in the "help us to help you" sticky, we just don't have the time to keep them up these days.

About the only one that is up to date is the breadmaking one compiled and maintained by RacyRed (thank you )

The Complete Breadmaking Collection

Kiwichick very kindly (thank you ) set up our slow cooker one, but has not had time lately to keep it up to date:-

The Complete Slow Cooker Collection



We are very aware that while merging very similar posts can be helful this is not always the best solution. Indexes really rock!

So if you'd like to take over one of the indexes in our Indexed Collections:-

Indexed Collections

I'd be more than happy to create a copy of it for you so that you can bring it up to date and keep it there. (I'll write a tutorial immediately below this post later today on how to do it for those of you who are not sure).



Then, of course, there are questions that come up regularly that just don't have an index of their own as yet. Yoghurt, jam, kenwoods, gardening * all immediately spring to mind... so if you have an interest in a subject that doesn't have an index yet and would like to start one then please post your suggestion into this thread.

*
There are "some" threads on these listed in the MEGA Index but this too is behind. Hopefully, as we get more organised, I'll be able to bring that more up to date too.

So if you'd like to volunteer to help maintain an existing index or create a new one please post into this thread.

Thank you all

The volunteers list:-

Building - new links added:-

• The Complete Kenwood Chef Collection - CFC
• Complete Makeup and Body Care Index - jessicamb
• The Complete Laundry and Clothes Collection - Alisonpennypincher
• Flooring and carpets - Alisonpennypincher
• The Complete 'Buying Organic Food' Collection (not gardening) - bluemoon
• The Complete Thank You Old Style Collection - Squishy
• The Complete Freecycle Collection - vivw
• The Complete Old Style Book Collection - Penny-Wise
• The Complete Pets Collection - aimeelister
• The Complete Kitchen Equipment and must have OS gadgets Collection - vivw

Confirmed:

• The Complete Menu Plans Collection - Penelope Penguin
• The Complete Jam, Chutney and other Preserves collection - Apprentice Tycoon
• The Complete SHOPPING Collection. - hazzie123
• Old Style Recipes Collection - clu
  
• Getting Started - Money~Bunny
• Gardening - angelavdavis
• Breadmaking hints tips and recipes. - Racy Red
• Daily thread archives - cha97michelle
• Slow cooker recipe index - Murtle
• The Complete Old Style Books Collection - Penny-Wise
• The Complete Pizza Collection - Iwantahouse
• The complete 'how to declutter and organise your home' collection - cha97michelle
• The Complete HM Gifts Collection - debbym

Yet to be confirmed:

• Cakes biscuits (and nibbles and puddings?) - Money~Bunny
• Vegetarian dishes - Money~Bunny

Volunteers who haven't picked yet:

• ancasta
• jcr16
• Bizzimum

Suggested indexes that need a volunteer:

There's a pretty complete list of the current indexes in post #22 by Money~Bunny (thank you).

Edit: I should have said that you need to check against the lists here as well in case the thread you pick from post #22 has already been taken.

In fact - once we are organised it would be a list very similar to this one that would be the first page of the MEGA Index, and indeed, this post would then be the one to go into the "Start here - Indexed Collections" link at the top of every page. That would make the whole lot available in a single post everywhere... Great innit?

You can by all means pick one from that list, any one, or part of one, at all.

I do however have my own hit list if you'd like to choose one:-

• The slow Cooker Recipe Index - This again is an index of single posts in a very long thread... See here and while it is included right at the top of The Complete Slow Cooker Collection it is in fact a completely separate index. Again, the work load will be similar to the Old Style Recipe Collection.
• Food safety - Is it safe to eat/use this? How long can I keep my husband in the fridge for?
• The "Quick Freezer Questions Thread"
• Freezing and Freezer threads (except the quick questions one)
• The "Quick Slow Cooker Questions Thread"
• Store cupboard essentials etc

We need a copyright checker to go through each of our index lists and make sure that we haven't got recipes that infringe other people's copyright. You'd need to be good at web searches. Please volunteer for this one ONLY by PM



Yay! Well done you all And thanks


.

squeaky

Right, here we go...

Due to limits on the size of a single post I've had to create a new thread with the instructions in.

It's still being written at the time I write this but you can find it here:-

How to write an index


It looks very long and complicated, mostly because it's full of images and a bunch of comments and tips - but if you already know how to start a thread (and I'm sure you all do) then that's that bit taken care of easily and quickly.

Most of you will know how to link to another thread one way or another - so that'll be that dealt with...

..and the final section will be some notes and tips on general layout and formatting of your index.

Don't lose this thread...

Index discussion thread

squeaky

I'm also thinking that it would be nice to have a collection of:-

"Thank you OS" type posts

and

"Welcome new member" type posts.


Anybody?

apprentice_tycoon

I know that you're going to give proper instructions later, but just how techie is it?

squeaky

Just like adding a whole bunch of links instead of one. Plus changing "how do I.." type names for the links to what they are actually ABOUT and of course, keeping very similar ones in groups. Just organisation really.

Take a look at the breadmaker one by Racy Red - that'll give you a good idea

edit: I'm sure she'd be happy to tell you how she found it getting started if you were to PM her.

Penelope_Penguin

Sounds good: I'd like to have a go. I'm planning to do more meal planning, so a good look through some of the threads will be fun!

Penny. x

squeaky

Thanks hun

So I take it that you'd like to take over the exisiting meal plans collection?

The Menu Plans Collection

apprentice_tycoon

I'll do jam

squeaky

Terrific, thanks

Could you start a post called "The Complete Jam Making Collection" and then copy and paste the opening bit of the "breadmaker" one? Suitably altered, of course

If you're happy posting loadsa links then by all means make a start, otherwise hang on for a bit while I grab some sceen shots to use in the tutorial.

I've got a few links I can hand you, too.

apprentice_tycoon

yes, delighted to, but can I start this evening?

squeaky

Any time you like. It's entirely up to you