Plans for updating the archaic forum?

Oh Dear...Are you here for the hobby or for the Bling??

Honestly, without exaggeration, it's the worst platform I've worked with.

The owners of the site are very protective of it and don't take kindly to such suggestions. I believe that there are provisions in the terms and conditions to allow heretics that make said suggestions to be tarred and feathered. Expect judgement to be delivered by carrier pigeon.

No problem commenting on the platform I suppose - free speech and all that - but come on guys..you don't contribute anything to the platform other than hope for an ego trip posting what you did today, it costs you naught, there is no member qualification, etc..Do you complain to Google about something on their platform that niggles you?

If the platform really gets your goat, you are free to go elsewhere ...

Joe

Edited By Joseph Noci 1 on 11/11/2020 05:42:06

I am perhaps too old. But surely the old engineering adage applies here."if it ain't bust, then don't fix it!" My bit of this wide hobby is particularly a niche area and had a very small following and in my long years I have seen a number of originally very good forums/groups fail and degenerate into parochial self interest. I have seen drives to move to "soshul meeja" destroy what had been good communities despite their fallings out from time to time.

I sincerely hope that this one does not go down those routes of updates for the sake of them. My vote is that this is OK.

Ian

Honestly, without exaggeration, this is the best platform that I have worked with.

Mick H

Significant change would be significant effort and risk.

"if it ain't bust, then don't fix it!"... there are a few people who seem to struggle with adding photos. If it was easier we might get more photos which would be nice. But if this needs a change to a new platform then, 'no rush'.

jaCK, what do mean by easier? I know it is different to just dropping photos inline with your posting, ie, you have to first put them in an album, but I think that has a very positive effect - Makes one consider what photo you are putting into the text, and that it is worth it - and people put lots of photos in albums, lots more than they post about, and its easy to go have a deeper look if interested. It helps a lot in focusing the posts to the subject in the posted photo I think.

And it does not dissuade the posting of photos at all - I mean, I have nearly 1000 photos in albums...

Every other site has its compromises - as does life..

Joe

Well this seems to have attracted more attention than I thought it would!

It's interesting to hear that this has been discussed before. That's a telltale sign that something isn't right.

One thing we should straighten out; I think most of you are confusing layout/formatting with functionality.

The layout/formatting (pretty colours, simple templating, large text) is fine. It's easy to read and navigate.

With regards to the "it's free, so take what is given" comments. That's a terrible angle to take. My proper job is working with FOSS (Free and Open Source Software). Just because it's free, it doesn't mean people aren't free to comment or make suggestion for improvement. The great thing about Open Source is that if you don't like it, you can physically make the changes and submit them for inclusion. That's not so easy with closed systems like these.

I'm struggling to figure out what platform this forum is based on. Is it bespoke?

There are so many; professional free to use, actively supported, regularly updated forum software packages out there, it seems like an odd decision to roll/maintain your own.

Okay, so the OP was kind of fired from the hip. Mostly born out of frustration whist actually using the platform.

Here is something more considered - the issues at hand:

• Reply box
  • Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's CKEDITOR - is it an old version? It's super clunky
  • Over-rides web browser behaviours
    • Right click (Qhat's that paste thing about? How is that helpful?)
    • Spell checking *really frustrating*
      • You have to copy words out to Google and back to amend them
  • No preview function
    • It's a lottery as to how this post will be formatted once it goes live!
  • The odd red CR/LF (carriage return/line feed) line doesn't work on mobile devices
  • Inserting an empty line between things like images requires a little dance
    • You have to add an image, then a new line, then a new image
      • If you forget, adding one retroactively is a real pain
  • Splitting up/editing quotes is equally as painful
• Forum behaviour
  • No multi-quote
    • You can fudge it with a series of ['quote', copy/paste, repeat], but it's arduous
  • Photo upload
    • You can only upload 5 images at a time
      • Worse than that, in reality it times-out if you attempt more than 4
  • Only 1 device at a time supported
    • If you flip between phone and computer (which I do often), you have to re-login each time *sigh*

I'm sure there are a bunch more issues which have slipped my mind presently, but this should be enough to chew on for a while.

I appreciate that you feel protective over this platform, but please bear in mind that I make these comments, which I think are justified, with the intention of making the forum easier to use for everyone. Not just to change something you've become accustomed to just for the sake of it.

Wow! I genuinely can't think of anything to say.

Imho, this is the best of the forums I visit.

Clear and straightforward to navigate, doesn't take an age to load like some do, and not plastered with adverts.

I fail to see what Mr Jones is objecting to.

Please don't change it.

Rob

If you have a compelling urge to improve things then feel free to go and help the poor and needy

edit: and the grumpys in here aren't shy about it if there IS a problem with anything

Access to the digital platform and snail mail deliveries seem to be an issue for some members

Edited By Ady1 on 11/11/2020 08:55:52

I think this is going to happen a lot - please see a couple of posts above.

In fact, maybe it's better to start a new thread with my second post as the OP?

I like the forum as it is, and it is a little better than four others that I regularly use. Upgrades often mean that more computing power is required and/or more bandwidth, but with no great benefit or functionality to the user.

I agree with Lee. Specific things I dislike are the idiosyncratic spell checker, and the inability to upload any files that aren't jpegs. I do a huge amount of online document editing and having one site where the spell check works differently from every other system is a real pain. And wouldn't it be useful to be able to upload pdfs, or dxfs or (heaven forfend) g-code? I also use the Groups.io site (Synchronome1 group) and it's significantly better.

Is this "change for change's sake"? What would we loose with such a change? Access to old but very useful postings, perhaps?

Leave it as it is. It works. I have seen the introduction of systems because they are new and sexy that fail or don't deliver too many times.

JA

I'm pretty satisfied with the way it is, but would like to be able to upload PDFs as well as JPGs.

If the migration was done correctly, nothing would be lost.

No one is suggesting 'new and sexy', only 'works better and less painful'.

Resistance to *any* change just because you're used to something is a very limiting trait.

I agree with what appears to be the majority view. Works fine for me, leave it as it is!

Be careful what you wish for!

Many, many years ago I was a member of the P&O Cruises forum, run and owned by P&O, it too got a lot of stick.

In the end they took the simple solution, they just closed it down, what's the point in financing something when all you get is critcism.

One or two people refer to "flickering" on the top of the screen. I do not see that flickering so do not know what it is, but I find the rapidly-changing ads a bit irritating. It is not the presence of the advertising that bothers me - they pay for the forum - but the way they change.

Let's be grateful that despite its few niggles this forum lets us concentrate on its contents rather than how to operate it; and it is free of the massive "cookie" (biscuit?! ) barriers that now make Google, Youtube and some other major sites so inconvenient I no longer use them. (They are claimed to give you some control over site's trade in your details, but turning certain ones, or all, off can lock you out.)

One user here complains it is difficult to use when switching back and forth between phone and computer. Errr, why? I have no "smart"'-'phone so am probably missing something, but I am puzzled why one might "need" do that anyway other than when transferring files, e.g. photos. I would consider that a matter of personal use, not a software shortcoming.

"A few niggles"? Well, one is the control codes for those wretched face symbols, meaning you have to try to remember adding spaces or using words when typing dimensions. Do we really need those symbols anyway? I would say no: there are punctuation-mark equivalents you can use instead.

Otherwise the OP seems only bothering far more about how the forum works behind the screen than its purpose and users' contributions.

That's a telltale sign that something isn't right - For 3 people out of 30 so far....

Same old same old from day one. No post ref numbers. A lot easier to quote a number instead of overloading posts with endless repeats of photo blocks. Quotation system is ridiculous and inability of some to orientate photos. Apart from these, no problem. Did take a looooooong time to sort text disappearing under adverts so not holding breath for any changes. "If it ain't broke don't fix it"? It limps along but the ability to add a splint relies on web designers ability.

Regards Ian.