Well it says to “ALL” but it’s really addressed to the SYOPS.
Isn’t there any way to minimize the header on the screen? The header takes up so much room that little is left for reading the postings – probably a full third of the screen is your header. That results in the reader (Me) having to continually scroll even to read a moderate length question or response. After a while it gets really old.
I know it’s Taunton’s Fine Woodworking.com web site that I’m reading. I’ll bet every other reader also knows this. So, what’s the point?
So, how about minimizing that big orange header once we begin to read the entries?
And another thing. Small item really. Why isn’t Taunton in your own dictionary? Whenever I use spell checker before posting, it always queries me about the spelling of Taunton. No matter how many times I instruct the spell checker to “Add” the word to its memory, it seems not to be able to do that. One begins to wonder if it has something against its benefactor.
Somewhat odd, wouldn’t you agree?
Replies
I just go to view on my browser and klick full screen (reverse process to undo). It doesn't get rid of the orange header, but it makes quite a bit more room for messages.
Yeah, I do that too, when I think of it. And you're right, it helps.
Still an annoying draw of the eye due to the boldness of the color. I find it quite distracting.Griff
I'll add my complaint to that. sysops could certainly lessen the header into a toolbar or such. I mean, we all know where we are and there's no need for the large advertisement, which is about what it amounts to.
Well, advertising pays the bills. this ain't no charity site.
Advertising does pay the bills, but so does the fee I paid for access.
Hate to be a party pooper, but I wish they would add an additional thin line of the knots forum folders so I could more easily page through them. With the order constantly changing, I have to either keep a list of the folders checked or page through them alphabetically, which also isn't convenient because of the changing order.I'd rather have the border at the top than not have the forums available, and it seems very unlikely that even with the paid subscriptions to the web site it breaks even financially for Taunton.
Contrary to several suggestions, I don't believe Taunton is earning anything by maintaining this web site. I don't find any advertising on it beyond Fine Woodworking's self promotion and that doesn't earn any $.
I believe Taunton is, to its great credit, maintaining this web site as a sort of "public service" to its.....followers (I would have said readers, but it's painfully obvious that not everyone here subscribes to any of Taunton's magazines or even reads them periodically.) Taunton's earnings may come from its publications, magazine, special interest publications and books, and perhaps related activities, but not from this bulletin board.
Still, while praising Taunton's selflessness, I think suggestions about improving the layout and appearance of the site are worth considering. Hence, my original comment about the big orange stripe, and subsequent thought about adding "Taunton" to the spell checker's memory.Griff
"...it always queries me about the spelling of Taunton." That's hysterical!
Shortcut for getting a full-screen IE browser is F11
A mouse with a scroll wheel might lessen the frustration. I don't really notice that I'm scrolling alot.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Glad I was able to give you a laugh during your day. Try it sometime. The spell checker doesn't know it's own master.
I'll try the F11 shortcut and see how it works. And, I have been scrolling with the wheel on my mouse - I'd have a blister from it if it weren't for all the other blisters already there.Griff
You might try changing your wheel settings to more lines per roll.
Since the house is on fire let us warm ourselves. ~Italian Proverb
F11 will close all your toolbars and such, which in my browser is the same amount of space as the FWW orange thing, I'm so tollbar-inclined (Google, eBay, Links).
Rest assured, I'm not discounting your observation that the FWW Orange thing takes up alot of room, just looking for other ways to help. You should be able to tweak the rate at which your mouse scrolls when you move the wheel. Either via Control Panel >> Mouse, or via a specific icon for your mouse (such as my Logitech cordless). Mine is set, for instance, at scroll=5 lines.
Ooops, I see dgreen already mentioned that.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 5/25/2006 4:46 pm by forestgirl
Edited 5/25/2006 4:47 pm by forestgirl
I think I'm at optimum scroll rate for my tastes, but thanks for the suggestions.
My comment about excessive scrolling was apparently inartfully worded. I wasn't complaining about too much scrolling per se, but too much scrolling to be able to read the full question due to the space taken up by the big orange thing (I like that description!). If the big orange thing was smaller, the whole question would most likely fit in that available screen. With the big orange thing, I have to scroll to read the end of the question.
And, yes, I am aware that most answers of any note go well beyond one screen full and do require scrolling. That's not my point.Griff
Griff, I'm mystified. Perhaps we haven't asked the right question(s). So, hmmmmmm, lessseeeee......How big is your monitor? Have you sized the left-hand frame to help make the right-hand frame fairly large (proportionally)? The wider the RH frame, the fewer lines the post will take up.
I just clicked on every unread thread in my list (Total=50). Out of those, only 3 were longer than the screen, and 2 of them by only a couple lines. Mine is a 17" flat-screen monitor, 1024x768forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Well, maybe that's one of the problems - but not for the reason you suspect.
I have a Dell 19" Flat Monitor with resolution of 1280 x 1024. Maybe it's so large that the big orange thing is just plain disconcerting simply because the large screen allows it to be so large. Maybe an old 12" CRT monitor would be best when viewing this site!
Or, I could just put on my shades when viewing the site. Whadda' think?
Everything else appears to be in proper perspective.
PS - I just checked the Dell site to see if it had any suggestions to offer. It didn't. But, I did notice that this particular monitor is on sale for the ridiculously low price of $220.
Geez, they're practically giving them away.
Know what's really odd? No one from SySops has either appeared on this thread or emailed me privately. You would think that one or the other idea (the big orange thing or the spell checker limitation) would have caught their attention.Griff
Well, I'm still mystified. Just can't understand why, with such a large monitor, you have to scroll to see any given post. The vast majority easily fit in the provided area most of the time for moi. Best of luck.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi FG,
On my computer, F-11 disables the scrolling wheel on my mouse.
Que sera, sera,
-Jazzdogg-
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie
And if you press F1you get Mozilla FireFox Help-if using FF, I presume. One day when I am no longer fixing things that aint broke I will investigate it.Philip Marcou
Thanks, Philip. Unfortunately, it's Internet Explorer that's posing the challenge.-Jazzdogg-
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie
Jazz, maybe you should change to FireFox-it was the best thing I did,cured many problems, one of which was the fact that my internet banking would not work with IE-no computer expert could resolve that one.Philip Marcou
Good tip! Alas, my knowledge of woodworking surpasses my meager knowlege of computers; following my retirement from the ranks of CFOs, and I have little interest, or incentive, to keep up with the beastly devices - save for Knots and other such life sustaining electronica!
Sawdust in your shoes,-Jazzdogg-
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie
"On my computer, F-11 disables the scrolling wheel on my mouse." Oooopsie!
My cat disabled a young rat this morning. Totally different approach though. "Yum, yum....brains!" he said. Fortunately, he keeps 'em down in the field, doesn't bring them up as "presents" the way some cats do. Smallest cat we've ever had, and the only one that would tackle anything bigger than a vole.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Great story, Jamie.
When I was a kid on the farm we always had several barn cats, many of whom were quite friendly - as least as far as us youngsters were concerned.
My dad, on the other hand, emitted strong anti-cat vibes. Our cats were great hunters of rabbits, gophers, etc. One cat, whom dad had forcibly evicted from a family meal served on the patio one summer, took revenge by leaving the malodorous intestinal tract of a large rabbit around the pedals of his truck. Another left a dead possum atop his tool box.
Even without a common language, cats can still find ways to communicate with us! It has been my experience that, although my dogs have often had a sense of humor, the cats I've known have possessed a strong sense of irony.
-Jazzdogg-
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie
My favorite cat story involves a couple that belonged to a long-time boss. In her spare time, my boss enjoyed doing big jig-saw puzzles, so she frequently had one spread out on a card table in the living room. She had several cats, but one in particular (we'll call him "Kit") enjoyed pestering one particular other (we'll call him "Kat").
Well, Kit would perch on top of the card table. The other cats could wander in and out, no big deal. But when he saw Kat walking across the floor, he'd get a puzzle piece in position at the edge of the table. When Kat got in just the right place, Kit would bombard him with the puzzle piece(s). Got great joy out of it!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Jamie, the f11 is a good tip from you.I think you should be appointed resident computer consultant, and provide us ,say, one useful tip on how to be smart with these infernal machines every two days.Philip Marcou
Hah, hah....you haven't seen me "lose it" when I can't get mine to work right!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
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