Improve Local alert content type

[djwesto]

Both HH and CPN asked us to look at Local alerts with a view to:

• Improving the UX on the node creation form
• Improving the UX on the frontend – so that clicking on the panel will take users through to the linked page / forum post
• Simplifying the workflow for drafting, submitting and publishing Alerts
• Strengthen the Link field so that it links to the forum post about the missing moggie

Extra bonus points:

• Add the ability to create a new Alert next to the homepage Alert panel.
• Add the Alert panel to other pages across the site, rather than just the homepage

Some proposals:
These are just some proposals for how to manage this and reduce workload – I'm looking for discussion and alternative solutions

1. Get rid of Alerts altogether and just use News articles with a Flag on the News Article node creation page to request it be published as an Alert (similar to featuring it using the OpenLocal Highlight (Content) – Homepage Highlights view)?
2. To make it easier to reference the forum post containing the alert, could we make the forum link field into an Autocomplete field which only references forum posts?
3. Alternatively, offer the same "Publish as an alert" Flag in the Forum Post node creation field (since according to @GilesGibson most Alerts are first published in the Forum.

[GilesGibson]

If we offer a "make it an alert" button in the forum then every comment will be an alert. Everyone and their dog (lost dogs especially) will think that their comment should be on the front page.

[djwesto]

But you already have an Alert creation tool and you're not currently experiencing this problem. Are you?

[GilesGibson]

we get some badly written alerts that I have to edit etc. However, if there was a one click button in the forum that basically said "publish your rant on the front page" then it would be a little crazy. If there was a link through to creating an alert as normal then that may work. If the URL of the forum post was automatically added to the alert details to avoid getting people to figure out how to cut and paste a forum comment then gerat.

[djwesto]

we get some badly written alerts that I have to edit etc.

So there are no current problems with moderating this already? That's good.

if there was a one-click button in the forum that basically said "publish your rant on the front page" then it would be a little crazy.

You misunderstood me @GilesGibson – what I was proposing was basically just a little checkbox in the forum or news article creation page which would say something like Lost a cat or dog? Click here and we'll let everyone know. Then they'd tick the checkbox to request you publish it as an Alert.

Most of the time, I doubt anyone would notice it. However, if anyone wants to set a Forum post to be an Alert, they can go in there and click the flag. That would send a message to moderators who'd then approve it if it's genuine.

If there was a link through to creating an alert as normal then that may work [and] If the URL of the forum post was automatically added to the alert details to avoid getting people to figure out how to cut and paste a forum comment then great.

I'm trying to reduce the number of content types we have to manage – that's all. Interested to hear @pmackay's input.