Not liking this at all. It was fine the way it was.

It's a new look, that's for sure, and it'll grow on me the same way the last update did.

"Mobile"?  If it is defined as throwing my laptop across the room, then yeah, okay.  But if you mean one of those overpiced fancy shmancy phone thingies.... forget it.

I find the new design to be informationally sparse, meaning that there is a lot of scrolling and clicking to be done to get the same (amount of) information as under the old design.

Once a daily visitor and occasional poster, I expect to visit less often, and then only if I have definite questions in mind.

Hi Manstein,

You can adjust how your account sorts posts. If you would like to see them from newest to oldest, go to Community Settings next to your avatar. Click the Advanced Options tab. At the very top is sort posts. Click just change it to sort from newest to oldest.

Hope that helps.

TK

Haven't had much time to spend on the new format yet, "standard" or mobile. There seems to be a few spots where I find myself thinking "oh that's where that went / what that looks like now", but it is starting to make more sense now. Mobile (again, 2 minutes exposure!) looks better for sure. Also seems like the old database/threads are playing nicely with the new software.

If only I could un-learn where everything was beforehand.

This is the way I see it using an analogy...the first change took us from a 50,000 foot level at looking at the site to about a 30,000 foot overview...most people used an analogy like that back then.  Well now, I feel like I am no longer overlooking the Forum and seeing the big picture at all.  Now I feel like I'm at ZERO feet (on the ground) and I'm lost in a maze of weeeds and can't see over them...

Sigh ... I knew it ... but I am not a subscriber so what, at the end of the day, does FSM really care?

I will stumble around blindly in this latest, new, improved, forum ... probably for months ... and then there will be ANOTHER two-day shutdown ... rinse and repeat ...

We welcome both the criticism and the praise, and everyone has a right to their opinion. We will consider all of the critiques we receive. We will work to make the experience on the forum the best we can for everyone and still keep current with software and technology advances. What we can improve in-house, we will.

Let's stay focused on the specifics.

Thanks,

TK

As an added note, let's refrain from commenting about other users and their concerns or comments, positive or negative, about the Forum. Any bullying, attacking, or sniping between members will see accounts terminated without warning.

I will second that. It's only been a little while so I will play with it for a few more days. I need to dig into it some to see if there is a way to get some of the annoying things changed. For one when looking at the listings of threads in a forum they used to be nice and close together so you could see a lot of them at once, now they are spaced far apart. It just doesn't look right and makes it harder to find what you are looking for.

I am all for upgrades and hope this will grow on me, but if the only reason its being done is to make it better for smart phones then it makes me wonder.

Some humble suggestions for improvement:

1. Have all threads open on the last page as a default.  If someone wants to open up on page one every time that should require them to change settings---not the other way around.  Who wants to keep visiting an ongoing thread, such as a groupbuild, only to be thrown on page one?

2. Remove the FSM announcement posts at the top of every thread.  Takes up way too much space and you have to scroll down past several (I believe four in some) just to get to member posts.

3. More to come...  

The majority of the announcements have been removed now. However, there are a few that will remain because they need to be there for new members or as reminders. Also, this does not mean that new announcements will not be posted in the future.

The default is for threads to open with the initial post and then subsequent posts, oldest to newest, in chronological order, as was the case with the Forum before the update. The initial post that starts a thread always appears at the top of the first page, no matter how the following posts are displayed (oldest to newest/newest to oldest).

The default is accommodating for new members. Switching this would mean erecting a barrier to people joining the Forum in the future. Current members are experienced Forum users, and are better equipped to navigate the technological hurdles presented them than the typical newbie. At present, it will remain as is.

However, members can set their default display to show posts from most recent to oldest in Community Settings (next to your avatar)>Advanced Options. As before, members can also click  "latest post" to go to the page with the most recent post.

Also, at the top of each thread, below the initial post, is a yellow banner that allows users to flip the post order.

TK

I personally have no desire to familiarize myself with this forum yet again.

I wish the 'Who is online?" feature was here, unless it's right under my nose?

I also think the colors are a bit garish for my taste, more neutral in the previous version.

I also liked the total number of posts that the user submitted was right next to the avatar on every one of their posts, it helped me keep track of how many posts I had submitted, less work than clicking on "manage profile" and hunting for it... but I digress.

I recently posted pics, I find it a bit more difficult than the previous version to paste them in...

The edit/ write box for a post could stand these improvements-

1.) A "unlink" button, I don't see one here.

2.) This was a problem with the older one too, when I went to paste something on another line of text (no matter if it had been cut or copied) right- click the mouse to paste, and the whole line is highlighted, so if you click "paste" the whole line is erased.

I like it

Plus I like the way the emails look

Look, this was somethin I would have done, which is also what manstein means I guess,

Just put the text and all closer together, this would make scrolling through the threads waaay easier and faster, I don't know if you know allready... people want everything as fast and easiest as possible...

I think your designer/programmer should know this by now...

With regards, Ninetalis

Tim Kidwell

The default is for threads to open with the initial post and then subsequent posts, oldest to newest, in chronological order, as was the case with the Forum before the update. The initial post that starts a thread always appears at the top of the first page, no matter how the following posts are displayed (oldest to newest/newest to oldest).

The default is accommodating for new members. Switching this would mean erecting a barrier to people joining the Forum in the future. Current members are experienced Forum users, and are better equipped to navigate the technological hurdles presented them than the typical newbie. At present, it will remain as is.

I don't understand how that is a barrier for people to join???

That's sorta the mentality that occurs when you find your cell phone carrier is offering great deals for new subscribers but doing nothing for loyal customers they have had for years...

I don't get this issue with threads. I don't see how anything has changed in regards to how they open. If you click on the title of a thread, it took you to the firts post. If you wanted to go to the last post, you just clicked on the last page. Now you just select last post.

This all seems exactly the same, or am i missing something.

I think you are missing something...

I must be, because i don't see any change in how the threads open.

Manstein's revenge

I dunno...having every thread start on page 1 is a non-starter for me...IMO its just stupid to start a 27 page thread on page 1 every time you click onto it...

You have the ability to change the default behavior of how replies to threads are sorted if you want.  The first post (thread starter) will always appear at the top regardless.  The replies however can be reversed in order.  By default the replies go from oldest to newest.  You can switch this order on each individual thread by changing the sort order of replies right below the first post.  

Otherwise if you prefer to always have the replies to threads go from newest to oldest so you can see the newer replies first you can change this option in your Community Settings.  Click the "Advanced" tab and change the default post sort order.  This option was built in so that every member can have their own personal preference on how posts are ordered.

There is also a FAQ question that explains this option in more detail.  It can be found here:

http://cs.finescale.com/p/help.aspx#settings11

PaperPanzer

I wish the 'Who is online?" feature was here, unless it's right under my nose?

The "Users Online" listing is still here.  It just doesn't appear to be on the thread listing pages.  I'll add that in.  It will appear in the right column below the advertisements.

Here is the direct link though to the "Users Online" listing.  Keep in mind also that community members have the option to not be displayed in this list if they do not want to.

http://cs.finescale.com/p/users_online.aspx

Manstein's revenge

Tim Kidwell

The default is for threads to open with the initial post and then subsequent posts, oldest to newest, in chronological order, as was the case with the Forum before the update. The initial post that starts a thread always appears at the top of the first page, no matter how the following posts are displayed (oldest to newest/newest to oldest).

The default is accommodating for new members. Switching this would mean erecting a barrier to people joining the Forum in the future. Current members are experienced Forum users, and are better equipped to navigate the technological hurdles presented them than the typical newbie. At present, it will remain as is.

I don't understand how that is a barrier for people to join???

That's sorta the mentality that occurs when you find your cell phone carrier is offering great deals for new subscribers but doing nothing for loyal customers they have had for years...

Manny,

As has been stated, this is the way the system works. And it was the default on the old forum software. It can be easily changed by users.

If this issue is of concern to you, feel free to contact me directly, askinner@finescale.com, 262-796-8776 x299. I am happy to discuss this or any other problems with you.

Cheers, Aaron

Guys, is there anyway to move the links menu or whatever you call this:

Gamera

Guys, is there anyway to move the links menu or whatever you call this:

Home»Discussion Forums»Feedback, Help and Testing»Forum Feedback & Error Reporting»Grumble, grumble

 

 

 

from the top to the bottom so I don't have to scroll back up to the top when I read to the bottom of the page?

Ahh.. the breadcrumbs.  Yea, that's a quick and easy one.  It should be appearing at the bottom of threads now as well.

Thanks Craig, that's the biggest gripe I have with the new format, breadcrumbs at the top and bottom or an option to swap them from one end to the other would be great.

Thanks!

Edit: Ok it's showing up at the bottom now- great!!!

Big thank you to you sir!!!

Aaron Skinner

Manstein's revenge

Tim Kidwell

The default is for threads to open with the initial post and then subsequent posts, oldest to newest, in chronological order, as was the case with the Forum before the update. The initial post that starts a thread always appears at the top of the first page, no matter how the following posts are displayed (oldest to newest/newest to oldest).

The default is accommodating for new members. Switching this would mean erecting a barrier to people joining the Forum in the future. Current members are experienced Forum users, and are better equipped to navigate the technological hurdles presented them than the typical newbie. At present, it will remain as is.

I don't understand how that is a barrier for people to join???

That's sorta the mentality that occurs when you find your cell phone carrier is offering great deals for new subscribers but doing nothing for loyal customers they have had for years...

Manny,

As has been stated, this is the way the system works. And it was the default on the old forum software. It can be easily changed by users.