These new forums aren’t that great.
WHY did you go with a framed system? You can’t bookmark frames. This is the single biggest problem with this new layout, IMHO.
Anyways, just my opinion…I’m sure we’ll all get used to it sooner or later…
These new forums aren’t that great.
WHY did you go with a framed system? You can’t bookmark frames. This is the single biggest problem with this new layout, IMHO.
Anyways, just my opinion…I’m sure we’ll all get used to it sooner or later…
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Replies
seems like you have given them a fair trial..
I don't like it either-how do you post a picture?
Hang in there a few minutes. It's like you wake up from a drunken stupor in an unfamiliar place and it takes a while for the fuzzies to disappear. I'm seeing cool new features all the time, including ways to view all posts in a thread and ways to block all comments from Republicans...
Ha ha ha...
Do smilies work :)
Will look for pictures next.
Sandbox? Bah humbug. Let's play in the big boards!
To post a picture, click the attach button below the box in which you're typing...
If it worked, there's a picture of DW digging our footer.
This is going to take some time to get use to. Hope that everyone makes it here from the "other side"!
Tamara
In the upper right hand corner is a message ID number. Right click on it and you will get the message URL.
If this works right I will have a link to the thread in the Tavern.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=1295.1
I think the new "read one response at a time" format is definitely a step backwards in useability. I also agree as to the undesirable quality of frames in not allowing bookmarks. I also was unable to register using my CaseyR username as it said my e-mail address had already been used. However, it did have my e-mail name and password transferred over from the old system and let me get in with that.
I think they are going to be sorry they put "report violations" in with the Options.
This place looks ok, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.
OK, finally found my way over to <i>my preferences</i> over in "My Forums" and was able to change my Nickname, so I am back to being me again. Also changed it so that I get 20 messages per page - much better. Still think this system is a couple of steps backward from the previous Breaktime, however. Just not nearly as inviting as the older setup was.
Click on advanced view and you can see up to 20 responses at a time.
And you can bookmark any discussion by clicking the discussion number on the upper right of the message and saving that.
Keep looking around, you'll find almost everything you need.
Darrell, are you in basic or advanced view? Go with advanced.
AndyAndy Engel, Forum moderator
Yes, I was very fond of the hierarchial representation in the previous forum; it was a structured conversation; this, seems more like painting random graffeti and having the readers trying to put togeather the jigsaw.Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
We can't thread messages?
This is like being in a dark room with boxing gloves on.
Flail away, Fred-o! They won't let you cuss, either.
If you want to be FredL again, set your knickname in your preferences (click the My Forums button above, then the My Preferences link is in the lower left).
didMaterials such as this forum do not transmit light
This is going to take some time to get used to. At first glance it feels very crowded and awkward to navigate. But time will tell.
Gabe
My guess is that the engine driving all this is a Oracle database? Am I right Andy?
Although I am not a big fan of framesets (actually hate them), they have made really good use of them here. There are some really cool features I could get used to.
You can fudge around the frameset bookmark problem by right clicking the mouse in the frame that you want to bookmark and select the properties option. Under properties highlight and copy the address url and paste it in a new window address bar.
This will break you out of the Frameset and put you where you want to be.
It is also possible with a little javascripting to create a bookmark script which will work within a frameset. Maybe it's here somewhere...if not maybe it can be added. I good dig up a sample script if needed.
paul
Well, to be fair, I do this stuff for a living. I'm a complete amateur when it comes to working on my house, but I've dealt with enough online usability issues to the point where I think some of my comments have some validity ;o)
To be fair, there are a lot of great features on this forum, but you know what? Most people only need a very small handful of features: read, post, and reply. Hiding those three simple featuers behind a plethora of more complicated features isn't really the best thing to do.
Adding features to an online forum often hinder the the ability to communicate with each other. This current system certainly is a road block for new users. I'm a long-time web and discussion forum junkie and it took me quite a while to figure all of this out. Most people don't like having to 'figure out' a web site.
The frames are bad. This is perhaps personal bias, but I've never seen a site that was actually improved because of frames. They totally throw off the beginner user, and they waste valuable screen real estate for the power user. Also, some of the frames are completely unecessary. for instance, I don't need the navigation across the top to fine cooking.
The left frame, with the posts, is hard to navigate for the unitiated. On the previous system, you could choose a broad category, then see a list of a majority of the recent topics. You could focus on that one discussion. Now you need to navigate through all of the different forums from within this little, scrolling frameset.
And, I guess, the biggest problem I have is that this forum system is simply not like any other forum system out there. There's a lot to be said with going with a system that people are familiar with.
Anyways, just my opinion...everyone dislikes change like this, and I'm sure many will get up to speed with this. I'm just afraid you are going to loose quite a few in the move and the new-user rate will dwindle (which, to be fair, isn't necessarily a detriment).
I have seen a bug, however, where the back button isn't working very well...it will often pop-me back 2 or 3 framesets.
Thank you Darrel, I thought only a dumb carpenter would be seeing that. A dressed up pig is still a pig, if I may be so bold. Maybe we could find a job for luka, taking all this and posting it in a more familiar and simpler mode.......
Only come here now to read the bitching. Used to read and subscribe to FHB, but even that seems to be declining as of late. Maybe all the good ideas have been expressed and there are no more. You guys are great, and by reading the board much as one would read the newspaper, I have benefited greatly. But, if it were not for the dirt, I would and will be gone. Hope the place works out for all of you who are so very passionate about this site.
MDF_USER
The problem is that most web developers have never created an application. Creating web sites is easy. Creating great user applications requires lots of experience. Just know how to code doesn't cut it.
Frames work great when used right. It's nice to be able to click on something and have just that item come up instead of having the entire page refresh. Here there is too much text on the left to make it work right. Not only are the lists too long but the titles wrap around making the lists twice as long as they should be.
Another problem with web pages is organization and flow. Most users are not computer literate. And with a forum like this where just about anything you click on takes you far far away to a land unknown will confuse the heck out of even those of us who code this stuff!
I'm a simple guy, I like simple things. I don't need gold trim on my bathtub.
Steve
Hi Darrel,
ITA.
Another thing (and I am just posting my thoughts wherever I turn up because I never know how long it will take for me to post, although in the past hour, it has been speedy--the longest stretch all day), it seems to me to be so incredibly unfriendly that I wouldn't be surprised if they banished the Tavern/IPKE/etc. and started moderating threads that went off-topic.
I'll still read CT and whatever I have time for in the other forums, but NO WAY will my posting ever have any predictable clarity in re who I'm responding to and where.
Surely they can make room for the name of the person who initiated the post, at the least. Sheesh.
Not a happy camper. Oh well, more time for housework aargh.
ProsperoAndy Engel, Forum moderator
Yes I know, but I it seems that Oracle is the database engine running underneath their front-end. But I could be wrong....
Paul, did you know that I'm a complete computer idiot who's barely able to navigate Windows? So, you're probably right. Andy Engel, Forum moderator
LUDDITE!If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.