Changing Stuff- Like - do they really have to ?

Hello!

I would also ask not to change it - the last change was like five years ago? - and I still think the former layout was better. But now I got used to this one and changing it will cost me unnecessary work to get used to it. Like they say - If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Thanks in advance and have a nice day

Paweł

Tim, as Pawel said above, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!  It took this computer illiterate old fart with a very old laptop a long time to figure out this one and now it's going to happen again? PLEASE, DON'T DO IT.  What's left of my brain can't take another jolt like that.

Respectfully,

Jim  

I didn't read Kidwell's announcement as a poll. And personally I HATE the green color. I hope that is changed.

It's known from experience that green leads people to feel institutionalized.

Why fix something that works?

I don't remember us, as contributing members to this forum, being asked do we want anything to be changed, what would we like to see etc

Based upon my experience with computers over the years, I'm making the presumption that FSM  might have the choice of either keeping the current software version or updating.

OTOH, depending on the FSM forum server's current software / hardware configuration and forum software license, they may not have the option to avoid installing a new forum version.

If the Beta version of the new forum software has been working well enough on a spare FSM server, then I have no reason to fear an upgrade.

Just my opinion.

Worst Case Scenario:

Everybody hates the new look and skee-daddles on over to SPAM.

.

No worries ! 

Oh but somehow we always come back, like a dog at the back door.

What we want to see changed (and almost every comment I've seen about it indicates we ALL want it changed) is what Tim says ain't gonna be changed - the pop-ups. Ain't that a hoot. If it's the marketing department's decision about this, then Kalmbach needs to fire that marketing department/company. Any entity that ignores their customers' requests will not last long.

I agree with the above statements - I see nothing that needs to be changed, other than eliminating those frustrating pop-ups whenever we log on.

GMorrison

Oh but somehow we always come back, like a dog at the back door.

I hope they lay out a fresh layer of news paper for us...................just in case............

Keep in mind that the last major update was shortly after Windows 7 was released. Within the next few months, we will be up to Windows 10 (though W.9 has been sidestepped). 5 years is a long time in the PC world.

Many of us will be familiar with the Compatibility View issue which has afflicted at least some of the members posting on this thread. If a forum software upgrade fixes this seamlessly, then by all means go for it.

GMorrison

Oh but somehow we always come back, like a dog at the back door.

Food?

Sprue-ce Goose

Worst Case Scenario:

Everybody hates the new look and skee-daddles on over to SPAM.

.

No worries ! 

Yes, there are alternatives...

It can't be any worse than Windows 8 or *cough, cough* Windows 10....

At least they're removing that annoying green bar at the bottom of the page.

It's the golden rule in action. Who has the gold makes the rules.

Seriously, this is Kalmbach's website. They maintain it to make money, that what a business does. Marketing, who may be saying put in pop ups shows they pay for themselves. People posting here who don't like the changes are free to move on to another site or put up the money and time to develop their own site.

As some have said, there may be software/licensing issues behind the scenes, besides just marketing desires for something new. I'd rather not see this turn into another Hyperscale, with its to the death defenders of its obsolescence.

And before anyone says don't go there if you don't like it - I don't. Hyperscale does not meet my needs/expectations, so I don't use it. If you love it, well good for you. There are enough model forums out there; I'm sure one meets your needs.

Meanwhile, it may be verboten to discuss here, but on some other websites the rumor mill is going strongly that FSM editor in chief Matt Usher is out, so may be more changes on the way.

The mag does itself does not seem to be doing very well, repeating the same articles endlessly, and I have noticed a significant reduction in advertising the last couple years. There are hardly any big ads at all now. Before you all say how great that is, the ad $$$s keep the mag coming. Which is not good considering the hobby is making more products than ever.

You'd think all these companies would be eager to tell everyone  about their stuff, but for whatever reason, they aren't in FSM. I'd like to see the mag packed with articles and ads, and it is not happening right now.

stikpusher

Sprue-ce Goose

Worst Case Scenario:

Everybody hates the new look and skee-daddles on over to SPAM.

.

No worries ! 

Yes, there are alternatives...

But, that alternative is green .................and won't let us borrow his gold plated AKs

Looks like Saddam was into the falafels again...

MJames70

.................

The mag does itself does not seem to be doing very well, repeating the same articles endlessly, and I have noticed a significant reduction in advertising the last couple years. ..................

That's not good.

Even if the articles repeat basic techniques, I thought the article quality had improved recently over past years and- at the risk of raising a few hackles-  would like to commend the current staff for it. 

I had presumed the reason for the type of articles was based upon a magazine business model geared towards the neophyte builder who may be strapped for cash while keeping the price at roughly half the UK hobby magazine price. 

.

Maybe FSM needs to check how many premium priced  $12 - $15 slick cover hobby magazines are sold every month and re-evaluate it's business model.

GMorrison

Looks like Saddam was into the falafels again...

I see a number of things that don't work right in the forum now.  Fixing those is worth something, and if I have to put up with learning a few new things it may be worth it if the problems are fixed.

Personnally, I think too many people are panicking over nothing. We all go through changes in our lives - be it at home or work. It's part of life. Besides, change is good. Let them do the upgrade and go from there. I don't see the harm.  Like the old REO Speedwagon song goes:

Roll with the Changes.....

I'd like to see FSM magazine subscription price be reduced to $20 (or even $23) for 12 issues a year, not $30 for 10 issues.

We old geezers don't mind repeated articles and topics, because our memories are rather short...

Hello!

I'm not panicking - I just don't want to learn new ways of doing exactly the same things. I would be glad to invest that time in building. So I don't mind fixes, but I don't want the whole model to change. The magazine staff will do what they need to do anyhow, but let's let them know how we feel about it. So please FSM - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Thanks in advance and have a nice day

Paweł

Personally, I'd welcome two changes. First (this is pretty trivial), I'd like to see the description of the "IPMS Nationals" edited so it no longer announces the event that ended ten months ago. Second, and more important, I'd like to see the process of posting photos get easier. It would be great if I could click once on an image (either on the Web or in Photoshop Elements Organizer), click once on my Forum post, and see the picture appear. As I understand it, though, that isn't financially practicable.

I'd like to offer one other suggestion. We've been informed, courteously, that the changes are coming, and we've been told that they're going to be minor. And they're going into effect in August. Wouldn't it make more sense to wait and see what the changes are, than to spend the next six weeks or so griping about what they might be?

This thread has been up for a little more than a day, and it's already got 26 posts. At this rate, I hate to think what it will look like by August 3.

Worst change I ever made was switch from a PC to an iMac.  Still don't understand the dang thing!

Cadet Chuck

Worst change I ever made was switch from a PC to an iMac.  Still don't understand the dang thing!