Hi all,
Since G+ has been redesigned, haveing Hangouts is a nightmare. So many problems. Has anyone figured the best way to use Hangouts now? Is it best to invite the whole Treeleaf sangha? Or just start a "Hangout Party" after inviting everyone and see who joins in?
They really have messed up G+. Our Wednesday Evening Zazen is not working very well, as a result. No one sees the invite in the stream ... that's the main problem.
Enlightenment welcome!
Gassho
Myozan
Myozan,
I have been noticing some of the issues you mention, but not all. Just yesterday a couple folks told me they were not getting notified on their phones but were by their desktops. Not sure what to do about that. I invite the Treeleaf Zendo community, all the way at the bottom of the menu that drops down when you go to invite folks. That seems to work the best and perhaps that will help. It does get frustrating, but I try to sit with it and do the best I can. I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear and it may not be helpful, but there it is.
Good luck and keep at it.
Gassho,
Dosho
P.S. I just looked at your event page Myozan and noticed that you didn't make it an online event. Fugen and I have had this discussion many times and agree it makes no sense, but you have to add the Hangout to your event. I'll write up some instructions and post again. But, if you don't add the fact that it's an online event, you will experience the problems you have been having.
Last edited by Dosho; 10-08-2013 at 07:34 PM.
I had problems for a week or two after the redesign, but they went away. Now I get all the invitations and have no trouble finding and joining the hangouts. And, Myozan, i get a
l of your invitations. i just can never sit with you because it is in the middle of the workday. I hope your technical glitches resolve themselves.
Gassho,
William
"First you have to give up." Tyler Durden
Instructions for an online event:
1. Go to your G+ page and click on "Home" (left side of the screen).
2. Choose "Events" from the drop down menu.
3. Click on the "Create Event" box.
4. In the dialog box that comes up, click "Event Options", then "Advanced".
5. Select "Hangouts"
After that fill in all the details and, if you want to do what I do, in the invite box choose "Treeleaf Zendo" (different from Treeleaf Sangha).
Let me know if that works.
Gassho,
Dosho
Thanks Dosho. You're a gem. Will try that.
Gassho
Myozan
Sooooo are you still going to do this event?
Hi Clark.
Yes! Wednesday Evening Zazen will go on, just like it has every Wednesday for the last year and a half! Everyone is welcome...
... Dosho, Yugen and Hans also sit at regular times online, by the way ... And all this to complement the weekly Zazenkai with Jundo, which is the one sitting that should not be missed by us all.
Gassho
Myozan
Thank you
Gassho
C
Hi guys.
Not sure if it was better this week. I do have a technical question, maybe you can help me with.
I followed Dosho's instructions. But where do I go to start the actual Zazen Hangout? Do I start it from inside the 'event' and whoever said they are going will just see the Hangout pop up in their stream?
Sorry for my stupidity!
Gassho
Myozan
Myozan,
You don't start it per se; it starts by itself (that's why it's worth all the issues!). It should notify people in their streams when it is starting.
I just looked at your event and it was scheduled for September 25th and did not include a Hangout component.
For next week, I would suggest starting from scratch by creating a new event. After you have one that works well, then you can use the "Duplicate Event" function.
I'd also suggest setting up next week's sit as soon as you have an opportunity to do so. That way we can fine tune it beforehand.
So, go ahead and create the event with a name, background picture, date, time, any details you want to include (like the length of each zazen round), and use the instructions I gave you about making it an online event, but DO NOT invite anyone yet. Then, let me know and I'll take a look. Sound ok?
Let me know about any questions. We'll get this sorted out, I promise, and then it should work like a well oiled machine; Well, let's just say it'll run.
Gassho,
Dosho
Last edited by Dosho; 10-09-2013 at 10:28 PM.
Thanks Dosho. Really appreciate it. Bedtime here. But will give this a shot tomorrow.
Gassho
Myozan
Thanks for the instructions Dosho
If I'm already enlightened why the hell is this so hard?
You are going to be the Google+ guru Dosho ... your feedback has been super helpful.
Gassho
Shingen
Argh—apparently, I need a lesson in the new format as well. It said I had to install a plugin, so I did, but it just seemed to hang at Verifying and never did give me the Hangout window. Now I'm not even sure what it looks like any more (although I do like the "Theme" that seems to go with the Event.).
I'll check back before I try again tomorrow, see if there's something I missed (haha)
Gassho,
Lisa
Hi Dosho,
So, I've set up next Wednesday's Zazen, according to your instructions. Does it look ok to you?
So, do I just wait next Wednesday for the event to appear in the stream in my home page ... and then just join in when it pops up at the right time?
Gassho, with thanks,
Myozan
Myozan,
It looks a-ok!
You can access the Hangout in a few different ways:
1. If you go to the event page, you will see a "Details" box. Just under the date, it says "Hangouts". If you click that it will take you to the Hangout at any time, from right now until the minute before the Hangout is scheduled to begin. That's why doing it this way is better in my opinion: No more waiting for it to show up in the stream!
2. Once the Hangout begins, a blue button will appear on your event page that says "Join Hangout".
3. The little bell in the right hand corner will have a red #1 on it once the Hangout begins.
Hope that helps and let me know how it goes!
Gassho,
Dosho
Originally Posted by Myozan Kodo
Dosho,
You're fantastic. Thanks so much. Your help is invaluable and your directions so clear. I'll let you know how it goes.
Gassho
Myozan
Hi, I searched for Zendo Treeleaf and did not find any results. Do I need to be invited? Someone had mentioned in another post they log in to see if anyone is on and if they are joins them. If no one is on, they start a group that way if someone else comes on later while they are still meditating that person can join them. I could not figure out how to do that. Does anyone know how to do this that could help me out?
Troy,
Please look over this "Guide to G+" and then let us know if you have further questions:
http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...E-for-Zazenkai
Gassho,
Dosho
Thanks Dosho! Will do
Hi guys,
Thanks for your patiance Dosho. So, if I undertand correctly I just join my own hangout after its started? Usually I select "hangout"in the event and it starts but then says no one has been invited so I send another invite. Some people show up but still have the feeling something is not right. I'll try joining my own hangout next time.
One more question; when inviting "Treeleaf Zendo" I invite everyone in the sangha right? Even if it says one person was invited?
Thanks again!
Gassho
E.
Mu
Enkyo,
As I wrote to Myozan, you can get in there before others are invited by using the #1 option. If you invite the "Treeleaf Zendo" community, that's everyone. Why do you feel it is not right?
Gassho,
Dosho
Hi all,
Well, we seem to be having problems with notifications for sits in the G+ Community. I didn't get an invite to Myozan's sit and at least Shingen did not get notified of my sewing and zazen sessions for last night. So, in looking for a workaround, let's try this for the time being. If you are looking for a sit go to the Treeleaf Zendo community page and see if the sit you are looking for is there:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communit...70299605274399
I can see Myozan's sit listed here as well as my own for this evening, so please check that page and see if you can view them. Either way, please report what you did or did not find.
I am sorry this is such an issue. Google just made some more changes which may be causing the problem. So, until they get that sorted out I'm hoping this workaround will help.
Gassho,
Dosho
Did you see my sit last night? I was not joined but It appeared in the news feed. I followed your instructions above.
Gassho
Shawn
Shawn,
I did not. Seimyo contacted me with a thought that we are trying now: Creating an event directly from the Community page. It seems to work from the event side, showing it as upcoming, but no invites sent out. Will advise.
Gassho,
Dosho
Another suggestion: If you have people who attend regularly, invite them after inviting the community. It shouldn't make a difference, but it might anyway! Such is Google.
Gassho,
Dosho
Thanks for your work on this Dosho. We could also revive that rolling calendar in the Forum as a way of letting people know what events are coming up. Then a 'Hangout Party' could be initiated, which anyone can join...
... Or, could all sittings be conducted from the Treeleaf Zendo Community Page? Make each of our sittings more official as events, held in the 'Zendo'? Would that mean people see events better in their streams?
Gassho and thanks again,
Myozan
Hi Myozan,
Yes, I see no reason not to revive the rolling calendar if people feel it would be helpful, especially with the kinks in the Google system.
As for doing sits directly in the Treeleaf Community page, that's what Seimyo and I were trying. They appear on the Community page, but no one seems to get an invite. Once we get it working (or Google gets their act together) that will be the way to go.
I still don't think we should do hangout parties because the events still let you create a room that is always there. So, if you schedule far enough out it gives people plenty of time to find it. And hopefully we'll get the kinks out soon!
Thanks for your patience guys. For now, please check the community page daily for sits. That part should be working. And try to schedule your sits as early as possible and then post a link to the event page in the rolling calendar.
Gassho,
Dosho
don't know why I said that, bad memory I guess, Ron joined me last night. I simply invited treeleaf zendo. He had to of seen it.
I didn't get an invite, just happened to be sitting at about the same time and saw the sit in my "stream".
Shugen
Meido Shugen
明道 修眼
Hi guys,
Just thinking: Is everyone hosting an event using Google Chrome in combination with G+? Maybe the classic Explorer is giving all this trouble? Also, if I start G+ from a separate desktop icon all works fine. If i start it anywhere else, it keeps asking for plugins. Maybe there is something there?
Gassho
Enkyo
Mu
Enkyo,
I don't think it is a plugin issue and Seimyo tells me it is likely a coding issue with Google that they aren't advertising openly. The method I outlined earlier will work at some point, just not now unfortunately.
The reason we use the "Community" rather than the Treeleaf "Circle" is that the Community is always updated and you don't have to be "friends" with everyone else to invite the whole sangha to hangouts. However, since that isn't working Seimyo and I suggest updating your Treeleaf circle regularly and inviting your Treeleaf circle in addition to the community for the time being.
We will keep you updated.
Gassho,
Dosho
Dosho,
IŽll bet a `G+ Platinum' or 'G+ Pro' we all will have to pay for, is lurking around the corner. Hope not!
Thanks guys, its is comforting to know you are trying to figure it out. The method you posted is working very well in my case Dosho, thanks. Sadly it turns out the invites is only half the problem. Many people are having trouble with unstable connections as well. Yesterday I sat two events and in both people kept getting connected, disconnected and then automatically reconnected again. The result is an interesting symphony of bells and chimes, as people drop in and out during (only) 30 minutes of sitting. Nothing we can do about it I know. All good practice!
Gassho
E.
Mu
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