I get similar - hence my reduction in viewing…
I’m fast losing patience with this new version, I do hope the issues are addressed soon - my membership may be in jeopardy!
I don’t think there’s any going back but I do think the old section headings were a lot better.
Carrying those over would have helped ease the transition - and would have avoided a lot of the ‘I don’t know where to find/post anything these days’ issues.
This would have meant just getting used to a new way of working within a familiar framework. Once everyone was bedded in, then if it was really considered necessary that could have changed too, gradually honing it as they did on the old one.
This seems to have been a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Sink, swim - or JUST keeping your head above water! 
Blast - where’s the spellchecker gone again?
It really shouldn’t be much to ask…
All i want is
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The colour of the side bars changing before i have an epileptic fit
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The text made slightly bigger
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The ability to post from something other than firefox without having to insert ‘paragraph’ html all over the shop to start a new line
When can we expect any of the above? (oh and passell is 100% correct…why change the headings and the order they were in for no logical reason?)
Personally, I think the new heading naming is a bit cheesy… there was nothing wrong with the old naming convention. [+o(]
It’s not too much to ask, since it is already there! [:)]
If you click on “Edit Profile” at the top right, and then go to “Site Options”;
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Change Font Size to “Large”
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Change “content editor” to “standard” or “enhanced” - when creating a messsage, you will have a new toolbar, and new paragraphs start automatically (on return) or new lines (on shift + return).
Regarding the first point, at the moment there is little that can be done - no doubt it is on the list to be at least considered from an attractivity point at least- although I’m not experiencing the issues that you are describing.
Is it possible that the colours/contrast/whatever on your monitor is/are not set correctly, because even being only slightly off could cause the issues you describe.
Keep in mind that setting up a monitor correctly can be as fine an art as tuning a piano, so don’t assume that it is OK because “this is how PC World sold me it” or whatever.
The colours used should not really cause the symptoms you describe - the colours in your illusion are not colours used on the site, with the vital black & grey combination not being present anywhere (that I can see).
It is not the white & grey as you state - this combination is very common, Paint & Word for example.
Go to paint and re-colour the black circles red, for example - you can look at it fine, re-colour the background, and it will not be so bad either, but still noticeable with a lighter colour.
Wheres the go to newest unread post and when are the security issues ie peoples names on show going to be addressed??
At the top right of the main forum page “Posts you have not read”
Martin is addressing the name issue.
That’s not what Swanny was asking, though. That view takes you to a list of threads containing unread posts since your last visit (well, since your last visit on the same computer, anyway, but that’s another issue …). What it doesn’t allow (unlike pretty much any other forum software) is the ability to jump to the most recent unread post in a thread. All you can do is jump to the very beginning or the very end of a thread, not the first unread post. A glaring omission …
At present there is no way to do this, although it is being worked on.
EDIT: Having done a bit of research, I do not think this functionality will come to the forum - it is not a straight forward option, so would need to be custom developed, which I doubt will happen.
That’s absolutely shocking. That basic forum-browsing functionality has been present in other software for a long, long time.
It’s starting to seem as though the thinking behind the new and “improved” (ha!) forum is based on some sort of adaptation of the old “if it ain’t broke …” adage - “it wasn’t broken, so we broke it”. [:(]
Sorry, chaps, I know that sounds really negative - but when a popular web-based discussion forum completely changes the “engine room” and loses important functionality (and, in the process, user goodwill), and more to the point doesn’t seem to be that bothered about it, then it’s a sorry state of affairs.
STHT has won awards - quite rightly so, if you ask me, as it’s one of the best club/society/association periodicals that I’ve ever read. It’s a real shame that the OC’s web presence isn’t keeping pace with the quality of its printed offerings.
I could argue this because of all people I do understand how computers read coding. This was not the point of my original post though. If something is not ready do NOT Bill Gates it, do an Apple and remove features that do not work at the time of release and add them in later on when they do. The old forum functioned fine and so could have been left going until this forum was of adequate standing to work as friendly as the old one and show of its new fangled features. I realise we had to make the move at some time but IMO it was the wrong time (but that is just me).
I also agree with Alex’s head its taken me about 15 mins to type this because of the colour scheme (I flick to another forum every so often to stop headache). Something must be done about it as I also fell dizzy when reading/typing.
I don’t know what else to say but I hope this gets sorted because I can see forum life (the clubs only effective communication means) disappearing and so events will become rather more challenging to organise unless people simply C&P threads.
[:)]I don’t even know where to begin here, so many nerves have been touched in so many places.
The team had done a lot of work to get the forum running prior to public release, but some areas did fall a bit short - they are working hard to fix any issues, but at the end of the day, they are not miracle workers - they have their own lives and jobs.
Things are getting done to try and improve what is lacking - the colours are going to be looked at, but making posts like the above are not going to benefit the club - yes, maybe they should have waitied a bit longer - but there is no gain in saying that - nothing can be done now, unless you know Dr Who and can do a bit of time travel to advise the team of the world of slanderous comments arround the corner. [:)]
There are threads to (polietely) provide feedback & comments regarding the new forum, but this thread has drifted so far off the question that I feel has been answered, it should probably just be locked now. [Y]
- slander |'sland?r|
noun Law
the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation
I agree with you - there are too many disjointed topics concerning the inadequacies of the new forum software and what might be done to address them. I’m as guilty as anyone of contributing to this problem, having posted in three or four different ones. I agree that they should perhaps be amalgamated into one ‘master’ thread, into which problems and issues can be posted and via which the forum team can advise us of what steps are being taken to address them.
No, I’m not one of the forum team - I was going to clarify this in my last post, but it got removed in one of my many edits. I am simply trying to help the guys out as much as I can, and having a reasonable understanding of the forum’s technology, and the field in general, I felt that I could contribute something.
I view forums as a transcript of oral discussion, rather than written as such (I write as I speak as much as possible), hence the word slander, but if you prefer defamation, then that’ll do - though I feel it is largely irrelevant.
However, as an example of what I mean:
There are some short comings - nobody is trying to deny that, but I don’t think it is too much hassle to remember where you were in a thread, or whatever to prevent the forum being used until issues can be ironed out.
I wouldn’t go as far as “woefully inadequate”, but I know where you are coming from - maybe “slightly disappointing at times” would be better?
The whole community - not just the guys with the admin rights can help make this forum a lot better, by helping out where possible, and replying to threads to keep people engaged, as well as welcoming new members and so on.
Perhaps it is a step backwards in some ways, but in many others (as per my post previously in this thread (page 1?)), it is a big step forwards, which is what we should embrace, and carry forward.
Thanks for your super positive-comments 01mx5 [Y] Why not offer to help Martin out? I’m sure he would welcome with open arms, help from someone with “understanding of the forum’s techology”. I would go so far as to say that a lack of that sort of dedicated person (as opposed to a web development company) is a contributing factor to the speed of which solutions are being found to the bugs.
I’m in the process of speaking to Martin to see what I can help with, but as I said on the old forum ([U]!) I was a bit hesitant - being at Uni’, going from having nothing happening, to everything at once (just now, things are coming to a close, so I’ve got piles of work to do, but in a month, I’ll have a totally clean desk (metaphorically at least)).
Theres only one thing that can be done to this disasterous badly thought out forum, and that is to shoot the server that supplies it and go back the forum that all of us “WANT” to use, because it looks to me now that those on the commitee that wanted to kill off the forum to stop the members having there say have got what they wanted. what was one of the busiest most usefull forums has become almost dead compared to the old and much lamented forum “By its the members at least”
Can’t argue with that!
Despite the snippets of the forthcoming benefits - i.e. weather forecasts, forum access tied to membership, etc., I haven’t heard of anything or seen anything that was really worth the cost or effort of changing to this forum software.
If I want weather forecasts I use http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/index.html or http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/.
All it’s done has driven people away from the forum, and therefore away from the OC and potential membership - the forum was, to me, a very important part of me becoming a member - yes, the STHT is a brilliant publication, - but 6 STHT mags and a couple of rallies a year don’t add up to the membership cost. The members discounts are not always as attractive as they seem - AON are good but others are similarly priced now, and you can’t have internet prices on Norfolkline using the code (you have to call and pay a surcharge for telephone bookings!), etc…
I’m not ungrateful of peoples efforts of running the OC. But at times it could seem to be a case that popular members opinions are not regarded.
If we’re not careful, the stumbling of this forum could affect the membership of the OC. Yes - we’re told things are changing, but they don’t seem to be! - if we use “Search” then we’re then bumbled off into the staging forum never to be heard of again!!!, our full names are still being displayed at the bottom, the size of the viewed forum is still too slim, posting links is still a pain, still no spell-checker, … to name just a few.
If we HAD to have this forum software then further testing should have ironed out all these issues before it was inflicted on the masses. If we bought it then we should have some support too.
Don’t forget - these things are not just affecting members - they affect everyone who visits! - and if people come and feel this to be an unfriendly forum (software wise), then they won’t re-visit and are less likely to join the OC fully.
It’s not too late to turn back - don’t be ashamed to admit a mistake. Listen to the members - they are paying for this.
[:)]
Luddite two here.
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It is too late to go back. We must press on and make the best of this now.
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There is a spell checker, albeit one you have to load onto and use from your own PC. Don’t know why it didn’t come with the package but having said that, I’ve loaded it, used it and it works just fine.
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I too kept getting bundled off to the ‘Staging’ forum - but having deleted the old saved favourites for this and the previous site, logged into this one, then saved it as a new favourite again it seems to have killed that, at leadt for now. However, I do find myself checking the URL, just to be doubly sure.
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I know I’ve moaned about this place too - and still do - but it does seem to be improving, slowly - and some self-help does go some way to improving things as well.
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Updating from IE6 to IE7 seemed to make a big difference to stability of the view - and enabled more of the (admittedly horrible) smilies to be viewed. Still can’t bring myself to use them - apart from the angry one! However, being at work right now I can neither see the smilies, nor use the spellchecker, as we’re not allowed to upload unapproved s/w on our work machines
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Can’t say I’m warming to the place - maybe thawing just a little though
Ah - now there’s something I haven’t seen before - all my paragraphs and line spacings have been ignored and its all just been run together - but now I can see the smilies! [:@] Wierd[:@]
Just been in and edited it all to re-apply spacings, etc. It’s worked this time 