New forum not as active?

Well, Rob, I have been trying but the screen keeps jumping around.

I know the admins are busy but just typing this sentance the text line has jumpe from top to bottom about 10 times and I can barely keep track of what I'm typing.

The only problem I am having with the new format is trying to figure out which posts have new content from the last time that I was here.

On the old format, there was a little folder that would be a different color if anyone had posted since the last visit.  Now, you just gotta guess or at least I do.  I haven't figured out to tell yet. 

I don't have any problem with the screen jumping around.  The speed of the pages loading appears to be just as it was before AND before anyone say's it!  Yes, I am on a dial up connection.  I have seen where one member says he has to type his message on Word or something of that nature and then has to copy and paste it to the forum.  I have had no problems in this area at all.  But, that's just me.  I'm sure all of those who say they are having problems are.

chopperfan wrote:

The only problem I am having with the new format is trying to figure out which posts have new content from the last time that I was here. On the old format, there was a little folder that would be a different color if anyone had posted since the last visit.  Now, you just gotta guess or at least I do.  I haven't figured out to tell yet.

Heya Chopperfan,

You get a  (or similar) in the left column beside the thread titles with new posts and a on read threads. (Click here for a rundown on the thread icons)

Hope this helps a little.

(Edited to fix FAQ link)

Thanks, Phil.

Now, one more.  If, after reading a thread someone adds another reply to that thread, will the icon change back to the not read version?  It seems that once I have read a thread, it stays the same.  

chopperfan wrote:

Thanks, Phil. Now, one more.  If, after reading a thread someone adds another reply to that thread, will the icon change back to the not read version?  It seems that once I have read a thread, it stays the same.

It should update every time the page reloads. Sometimes it doesn't seem to happen though.

Rob Gronovius wrote:

Is it my imagination, or is the new forum not as active as the old one? Perhaps it seems slower since this is a holiday weekend or that not everyone has re-activated their acounts. Just doesn't seem to be as many new posts.

I don't think it's your imagination, because I see it too. For me, it is still a matter of being a little disoriented and trying to find and follow the topics. It has been mentioned a few times here and in other post, but I'll say it again: The process of finding 'new posts since last visit' in this new format is horrible! That is probably the most important feature that I miss. In the old forum, you could log on and see every topic that had been posted on since you were gone, and they were all arranged by topic. Now, we just get a jumbled mess of recent topics from every forum on the website. Hopefully that issue can be resolved. Some other issues I have are the lack of the quick reply box, the fact that you cannot see the entire record of posts when you are replying, and you cannot see the member names of those who are viewing a topic. And one last thing, I don't like having to type out my entire email address to log into the FSM network. What was wrong with just using your screenname to log onto the forum? Anyways, I have digressed. But, I think my viewpoint is that until the bugs are fixed and the new format is done with it's growing pains, the forums will be slightly less active.

chopperfan wrote:

If you will check the 'Remember me' box, all you have to do is enter your password.

Bgrigg wrote:

chopperfan wrote: If you will check the 'Remember me' box, all you have to do is enter your password.  Huh? I've checked the "remember me" box and I don't have to do a thing. It logs me in automatically!

Well that just chaps my *** (There!!  I beat the forum censor!! )!!!  I checked the 'Remember me' box and I still have to type in my password!!

matthew9 wrote:

I must admit I've posted a little less than before. I too am trying to get used to how things work now. I'm getting used to the new format. Besides, these guys are pretty good about explaining things to computer greenhorns like me. Any questions I've had they [FSM] have answered so far. Like anything new it will take time to work out the bugs.

I also have been posting less lately. Because of the new look (with al thos signatures and avatares) I can't use the forum at work (it's to conspicious). I used to turn all the badges, signatures etc. off so I could use the forum at work but that option is gone! [:-(]

overkillphil wrote:

You also have to take into account that FSM has more than 20,000 fewer registered users than it did a week ago.  Sure most of them probably weren't all that active, but I gotta think they counted for something.

give it time 

i bet once everyone gets used to it and a few of whatever bugs in it are worked out

i would say by the 1st of the yr  things will be back to normal

 if you can consider what we do here normal

grandadjohn wrote:

Noticed the drop-off even before the new forum came about, seems like the number of new posts has declined since late last summer

Have to dissagree, the forums we're very busy before the change, I just don't have the time to trawl through stuff I'm not interested in.

(stop hitting return, it's broke)

I just want to hit a view threads button, see which sections have new posts, look at the new posts in the sections I want and go, that's all. Right now, I have to scroll down pages of stuff, and run the risk of missing stuff I may actually want to look at.

Dan has it on the nail guys, despite the hard work, which I'm not knocking, the GUI stinks, it's hard work, unintuative and certainly not user friendly right now. That may change but the damage may be done, I used to check at least once a day, now I'll look maybe once a week if lucky now, because it's so damn painfull.

This is my first post since the new forums went online.  I'm pretty much a lurker on the boards here, but I'll chime in on the inadequacy of the "Active" posts link.  Having the most active posts sorted by forum topic was a great help to me when checking in on the boards.

On the other hand, I don't seem to have any issue with the "GUI" post editor.  Seems to be working OK for me , though inserting that smiley was painful (only text descriptions?!).

-tcb

Woody wrote:

I was hoping it would have picked up by now.

Same here... I still check in several times a day but there is not near the activity of the old board... let's chalk it up to the holiday for now... and the new software.  I think they will come back once they start missing it a little.  "Absense makes the heart grow fonder" so they say...

roadkill_275 wrote:

I miss the "return to the top of the page" button .

That's why Gates invented "Ctrl/Home".

Just hit the "Control" and "Home" buttons at the same time and you jump to the top of the page. (Ctrl/End takes you immediately to the bottom of the page.)

although i dont post as often i still frequent the forums quite a bit.  the new look will take a bit of getting used to but in time it will be as active as the old.

to the fsm staff.  thanks for what you are doing.  you have taken an awesome undertaking and done it with very few glitches. (at least that is what it appears to me)

joe