New Messages

[Lkraus]

Am I the only one who misses the old "search for new messages since last on" feature? I had that page bookmarked, press the search button, and presto! A nice list of all the new messages, sorted by forum, and the first few words of each message to help you see if it might be interesting. Click on the first posters name and you jump right to that point in the thread, or click on the subject to go to the top of the thread.
With the new format I seem to spend most of my time rereading old posts, or at least trying to figure out if I've seen it before I click on it. I had hoped the "24 hour" button would help, but the threads are all mixed together (as are the emailed digests).
I've delayed bringing this up since I wanted to give the new format a fair shot, but I am getting increasingly frustrated . I've been following this board for the past couple of years, checking in near daily, and 2-3 times a day when I'm home. I appreciate the amount of work it must have taken to set up this new format (which does LOOK better), but for me, it just is not working.

P.S. I also miss the "automatic" login. I forgot that until I tried to post this!

 

[Lkraus]

OK, I guess I have to take back that bit about "automatic login". I was offline for a bit, came back here to see what I might have missed earlier, and automagically found myself logged in! Don't know why it didn't work earlier.

As long as I am here, am I the only one who has clicked on <font color=blue> (101 new)</font color=blue> in the Main Index expecting to see new messages?

 

[Bird]

I'll have to agree that it sure does take a lot longer to get to and read all the new messages. And as for the "automatic login"; I still don't know what's going on there and whether it's my computer or Muhammad's. When I came to the forum tonight, I was automatically logged in; but about halfway through going back and forth reading the new messages, I some way or other got logged out, and had to log in again. It would be nice to be able to just pull up all the "new" messages, then decide whether to go to the full thread. I do miss that part of the old board.

Bird

 

[Robert]

Ditto - I really miss the ability to search for new messages since I last logged on. I find the new format more cumbersome than the old.

 

[Muhammad]

Viewing new messages is in a different format for this new forum. And, you need to be logged in to easily view them.

When you login, or if you are already logged in when you visit, from the main index, you will see <font color=blue>(x# New)</font color=blue> to the right of the total number of posts for each forum. When you click and enter that forum, those <font color=blue>(x# New)</font color=blue> messages will have yellow folders, while the unread messages/threads will have white folders.

We are always looking for ways to improve the forum, and I will take all suggestions into consideration.

Regards,

<font color=blue>>></font color=blue>Muhammad
<font color=blue>Forum Master</font color=blue>

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I agree with LKraus that the old format of a list of all the new messages, sorted by forum, with the first few words of each message listed was much better and quicker than the current method.
It seems that many of the new improvements are only for registered users. A previous thread that discussed the number of page views and the number of registered users seemed to conclude that the un-registered users significantly out-number the registered ones. I realise that many of these things are tied to the user name, but many sites allow customization or will set preferences using cookies without requiring registration. Short of that, a few changes like LKraus suggested above would make a big difference.
I do not wish to register for several reasons, which include not wanting another password to add to the list of 25 or more that I can't seem to get rid of, and not wanting a "title" posted next to my name, although I can't seem to shake the (Unregistered) title.

Andy

 

[Bird]

Aw heck, go ahead and register and join the group. As you probably know by now, we just try to help each other, learn a few things, and have some fun. One more password won't hurt anything (I have to keep a printed list of mine handy), and most of the time it's an automatic logon anyway./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[Lkraus]

>When you login, or if you are already logged in when you visit,

So the "automatic login" is an "iffy" thing? Is there some sort of necessary condition for an automatic login? FWIW, I have also experienced the mid-session logout that Bird described.


While new messages are highlighted, clicking on the yellow message takes me to the first message in the thread, and then I have to scroll through the old messages to find the new ones. It would be much simpler if it took me directly to the message I clicked on. Or better yet, if I could click on the <font color=blue>(x# New)</font color=blue> from the Main Index, and see only those new messages.

 

[Muhammad]

We'll be working on this one, or at least trying to. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Thanks for the suggestions/feedback.

<font color=blue>>></font color=blue>Muhammad
<font color=blue>Forum Master</font color=blue>

 

[MChalkley]

Seconded. Besides, you can pick your own password, so if you like you can make it the same as your username. It's not like we've got a spurious posting problem here.