Looks like the new board is up ahead of schedule. Looks great.
Congratulations on a smooth transition.
Steve
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Replies
Thanks Steve. I hope you all like the new look and feel. It will take a little while to get used to but it's a good format.
Tim
I'm guessing there's no way I can use my name as my username just because it's too many letters.
Now I need an alias, sheesh.
Just squeaked in myself, Lee. Tim, it would be cool if the registration screen mentioned the size limitation, and that spaces aren't allowed (since I managed to blow them both ;-))
Dave
That's a good idea. I'll pass it to Mark. Thanks!
I don't quite get which reply button to drill into in order to add to a thread discussion so this is a bit of a test and a bit of a question. Do you drill into the reply button of the original post of a thread or the reply button of the last post of a thread? Does it matter which one you drill into? If you drill into the reply button of a post in the middle of the thread does that start another thread from there (which, if so, would seem like spegetti threads)?
So far I have been able to figure out most of my original questions on my own within the first 45 minutes or so of being in the new forum (and without tutorial, help buttons etc.) so I would say: SO FAR SO GOOD! When I have been on here for more time I expect to be able to give a full blown "At A Boy".
Will
Edited 3/20/2002 2:07:18 PM ET by WILLOBRIEN
Click on any "Reply" button in the thread, and when the new page shows up, there will be a drop-down window labelled "To:" You can select a specific user, or select "ALL."
I had the same confusion!
Edited 3/20/02 1:41:16 PM ET by forest_girl
Edited 3/20/02 1:47:51 PM ET by forest_girl
Will,
I'm going to make a tentative answer here and ask Mark our SYSOP to confirm it--when you reply to a message, it will always default to the person's message you're replying to. But, when you type your reply, you'll see a "To:" field where you can direct that reply to "ALL" or even other users.
Hope that helps!
Tim
I think I've got it. A little clumsy but it works.
TDF
I think I rather like it. It'll take some getting used to, but there you go.
Playing about here.
This is a bit yeuchy.
Another bit of tinkering.
How big is this font?
Edited 3/20/2002 11:23:10 PM ET by Sgian Dubh
I like the new message toys. neat features wow! I can even type small to get more on the page. Was playing with the size on the posts and got it so small it couldn't be read hmmmm. Pretty neat web page though.
Slem
Cool text, RJ
I think you've got a definite calling as a spammer. :)
Scott
In true
spammer
style,
I can now
SHOUT
very
LOUDLY
with ease.
he,he.
Slainte, RJ
PS. I don't think I'll use this feature much.I used to be positively apathetic, but now I really couldn't care less.
Well there are certainly some very feature rich components in the new forum. Possibly a little too much but then again, if you look closely and take the time to figure out how to really use the forum, its everything we've all be asking for. For example, it's pretty nice to be able to screen all but new messages and to be able to select which messages interest you so you can quickly get to them. You can also rate messages and use then use them as future reference material without having to try to search out the subject everytime.
Being a Techy sort of person, I really like the new format.
Steve
Look out now - Sgian's got some new toys!!
Sgian - Does this mean you'll be even more "colorful" than in the past?
Maybe Fishman. Or maybe not. Is this bland enough? I am enjoying learning about the new format one way or another. I rather wish the threads were a bit more threaded so that I could see who is replying to whom a bit easier, but perhaps that's just a setting in preferences I've yet to discover.
Anyway Fishman, who did you used to be, frae Wisconson in the old forum? Slainte, RJ.I used to be positively apathetic, but now I really couldn't care less.
Sgian - Bland? Who wants bland? I've rather enjoyed your "style", and others as well. In fact, the posts that I enjoy the most are those which contain some color. That's one of the main reasons I hang around this forum more than some others. The characters to be found here are unmatched anywhere else, and that's good IMHO.
In our "previous life" I was just Lee Goehring, Wisconsin native, Cheesehead, Packer Fan, and rookie in the woodpile.
This new style forum will take some getting used to, I guess. The previous one had become pretty simple for this information superhighway roadkill to navigate, and I guess I'm trusting Tim, et al, to provide an honest improvement for all of us. I hope most of the previous personalities who all made this place fun and educational will continue to do so.
Thanks,
Lee
Edited 3/22/2002 6:28:04 PM ET by Fishman
I was willing to bet that someone would try to "borrow" the moniker Sgian Dubh during the changeover...looks like the real Sgian has returned....
Who'd want to steal my handle, associating themselves with my pugnacity and general obnoxiousness. I got in there first I guess Mr?, (Ms?) Exhibitor. Who were you I wonder in the old forum? Slainte, RJ.I used to be positively apathetic, but now I really couldn't care less.
It stinks. I don't think I'll be coming back here very often.
Just goes to prove you shouldn't fix what ain't broken, I guess. This new format takes up too much screen space, requires a lot more clicking, displays too much non-functional material, and loses the plain-stated look of the previous forum. I wish it could be as simple and straightforward as it was! Why make it more complicated? I'm really disappointed.
Jim,
I'm in agreement, FWIW. The past hour or so that I've been in here trying to figure things out has been a pain at best. I don't see an improvement anywhere, particularly in speed....I keep getting script error messages on the spell check. For some reason the "nickname" deal isn't working, when I click on my name it takes me to the profile... Oh well.......
Dano
"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Edited 3/20/2002 3:04:30 PM ET by Danford C. Jennings
Dano,
For the nickname, try clicking on your name. A window will pop up. On the right side you'll see "My Prefs". Click that and scroll down until you see the "Nickname" area. Then just click Submit" or "Update" (can't recall the exact name) down below.
Hope that works for you.
Best,
Seth
Edited 3/20/2002 4:20:51 PM ET by Seth Frankel
Seth,
Thanks, I've tried several times using both approaches, no go....At this point in time I think there are "other things" more important than getting my name to post "correctly". Boy, if "newbies" thought the old forum was a pain to navigate.....
Dano
Ah, I see it's "correct" now. Perhaps changes in preferences don't take effect until you log out and then log back in....
"Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
Edited 3/20/2002 4:44:25 PM ET by Danford C. Jennings
Edited 3/20/2002 4:45:19 PM ET by Danford C. Jennings
My only complaint is that it's crazy slow compared to the old one. That's offset somewhat by the fact that you don't have to go back to pick a different forum, but it's very frustrating when you click to read the next line of posts and the hour glass just sits there for 30 seconds. It reminds me of one of my other favorite forums...
The new layout is not quite as stone simple for the "computer challenged" but it has much more utility and capability to it, IMO.
Now, this font deal... I take it whatever my default font is through my browser is the font used in my post? (I think I will answer my own question in a minute.) I'm curious because Dano's posts are in New Times Roman and everyone else's are in Arial or something.
A suggestion for this forum's operation:
With the old forum, once you logged on once, the site would recognize your cookies and you would be logged in automatically whenever you visited the site.
This one will save your password, but you still have to click a "login" button.
My suggestion is to have the site log you in automatically by recognizing a cookie.
I fudged on the space thing too. I used the underscore (shift and then the key beside the zero key) to create a space.
I'm a little frustrated at how the forum lists the catagories on the left. It's a pain to scroll through all the listings. Maybe I just need to play a bit more and figure out how to finesse it.
Best,
Seth
If you want to add spaces or use a long name, go under MY PREFERENCES and use the nickname option. The nickname will be used when you post messages and it seems to allow both spaces and long names (notice the above).
Ah ha! Thanks Mike. That should help just about everyone out.
Seth
Super, Mike. Thanks!
Dave(soon to be space)Arbuckle ;-)
Dave, if you'd like a space, use the underline (shift+dash). See my name (I wanted "forestgirl" but it was already taken, so I used "a_forestgirl"
Hey, I like the "nickname" part. Not only can I have a space, but it is upper/lower case the way I prefer. :-)
Finding "My Preferences" to set it up was a bit of a chore, though. Finally found it in "My Forums".
Dave
Dave,
You can also simply click on your name that the top of one of your postings. That brings you to your preferences as well.
Best,
Seth
Thanks, Seth. I figured there had to be an easier way, durned if I could find it. :-)
Dave
After trying for about an hour i finally got registered. I dont think this new THING liked my cookies
I can't see any photos in the gallery! This used to work...
Simply too much stuff on one page!!
I agree, and must confess, I was anticipating that the new site would be glitzy, dizzy and not-so-efficient. I feel bad complaining, because I know the sysop guys put in a ton of time and effort getting this done. Maybe after we get used to it, it won't be so bad.
Hey I'm the guy that was complaining the loudest about the change, before it happened, for fear of "Monday Morning Quarterbacking". But now after an hour or so in here I feel fairly comfortable. I did like the simpicity of the old forum and see the validity of the comments about too much going on but like I said, I got comfortable in here rather quickly.
I'm a bit upset that we lost the content in the Cafe folder. Is there anyway to get that back? Even if it comes back slowly it will be good to have.
I'm a little concerned that users that are completely new to Knots may get turned away to the new forum before they see its full value, but they may also adjust more easily to it because they don't have the "baggage" of knowing what it used to be like, so less confusion. I don't have a resolution to this but thought the observation may be useful to Mark and Tim
Will
Will,
Unfortunately the Cafe was killed though I'm hoping to repost some of the threads on here. It was a decision based upon file size more than anything. Hopefully it'll be robust again soon.
Thanks to all of you for your critiques/kudos/whatever.
Tim
Tim, I suspect that you (or someone at Taunton) could scan the cafe for the threads that have "meat" in them or you could have a post asking the users for the names / subjects of threads that they liked and want brought over. Someone is trying to continue the "shop blunders" thread so that is a likely candidate. Just a thought.
Will
Thanks Forest_Girl and Tim for your responses. I get how it works now. It seems like a good answer to my fear of the "spegetti threads".
Will
I didn't mean this to be to forest girl. I don't like this at all. It was simple and easy before, and oh yeah not broken. Sorry but I just think it ####.
Well, when I saw the phrase "feature rich environment", I suspected it would suck in exactly the way it does. Sorry, we don't need all this fluff. Its slow, hard to read, and unnecessarily complicated. Bad move...
Hmmph, I'll stick around and try to figure this out, and maybe I'll get used to it, as other folks have said... maybe I missed a post to this effect before the switch, but what exactly is the reason for the changed format?? I really find this layout to be unfriendly and unintuitive-- the old one was just so, well, obvious. Big list of topics. Click on one to see its subtopics (or messages). No unnecessary clutter. I think that there is too much stuff on the screen now.
One of the reasons I used to like this forum was the straightforward display style. And its not that I'm especially computer-challenged at all, I just don't think this new setup is very attractive or as clearly presented. Why are all the messages/topics shoved over into a little window on the left?????
Chris Gleason
OK, why are all the messages in General Discussion linked? I started out reading a topic, and there was no ending point when I finished it- it just leapt into the next topic without warning, and I thought I'd clicked into a different category by mistake. Why is there no separation here?
Well, I just discovered WoodCentral, so I may switch to that one. Yes, this new forum was a bad move.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood
Edited 3/20/2002 8:21:51 PM ET by PlaneWood
Mike, if that is who you are I hope we don't lose you because I have enjoyed getting to know you. Hopefully the burn in period will be over soon and you will get used to the new technology. But just in case, where is Woodcentral?
Will
Tim,
Question.......to post a new message in a disussion do you just reply to the last message?
I like the new format but it is not intuitive. The discussion names are all scrunched up on the left which makes them hard to read. You also lose the folder name when you scroll down through the discussion list. This causes me to lose where I am. Its a little confusing for us old coutes(sp?).
TDF
Tim,
As far as the scrunched disscussions names goes I have found that that window can be enlarged to beter show the names. I'm actually liking this new forum. It is much more flexible in the way you can customize your view. My intuition is growing by the visit on how to navigate and setup the screen to best suit my needs.
Keep up the good work. I think we'll be okay.
TDF
I too hope you will not leave; being a newbie WW, I have learned a great deal from you Mike.
sincerely,
John
This is going to take a little getting used to. Had to change everything to get regestered. It kept telling me to re regester. Oh well I'm here with all new name and everything!
Slem
This new site is awful! I am wondering if I should start a pool with a 5 dollar entry to see how long it takes to get the old site back. If you want to see a nice site, look at the neanderthan site on badger or the chaski metalworking site at http://www.chaski.com and router on over to the boards.
The issue is that it takes forever to cruise on through the site. I dont have the time it takes to pick and poke my way through each item just to see whats there!
I may drop in from time to time, but the metal master is gone. I am taking my olivers and going home.
That's too bad. I'm somewhat dismayed at the attidute on this forum. Albeit, I'm a lurker at heart, as I've much more to learn than to share, however, quitting, no, never. Same people, same questions, many answers..... let;s move on,
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