This Forum is really hard to use

[volatile]

I don't know whether it's because TPTB are not using the latest implentation of vBulletin, or just whether it's not been configured as well as it can be in the back-end, but I just find this place really, really hard to use compared to the other vBulletin-engined places I frequent.

For starters, and without doubt the main thing keeping me from posting more regularly, is the really strange workings of the Subscribed Threads panel and the associated "First Unread" buttons. On other forums, the Subscribed Threads list keeps track of read threads, not updated threads, IYSWIM - here, it's virtually impossible to visit the forum, not read every subscribed thread, and then return later, because the forum loses track of where each user was in each thread. You also end up with threads that you *have* read in their entirety in the "New Subscribed Threads" list, which is just baffling. I hope that makes sense.

Secondly, why doesn't the quote button create a link back to the post being quoted? Without it, it's really hard to keep track of conversations.

I realise these are niggles, really, but they do detract from the usability of this place...

 

[scotrace]

I've never fussed with anything beyond the little "New Posts" button, and it gives me everything I have not yet seen. I stopped subscribing to threads a long time ago because the email notifications were too numerous.
A link back to the quoted post sounds like a good idea.

 

[volatile]

I've never fussed with anything beyond the little "New Posts" button, and it gives me everything I have not yet seen. I stopped subscribing to threads a long time ago because the email notifications were too numerous.
A link back to the quoted post sounds like a good idea.

The link back is really great - it puts an unobtrusive little arrow next to the quoted poster's name.

As for subscriptions, you can turn the email notifications off, so that shouldn't be a problem.

In essence, the way I use the other forum I'm referring to is thus:

- Surf to the UserCP, which shows a list of subscribed threads which have unread posts, if any (this, as far as I know, is not the behaviour here, but would be useful). Threads with no unreads are hidden behind the "View All Subscribed Threads" cut.
- Check the ones that interest me immediately
- Leave, to return later. Note, I still want to be able to catch up to these other threads at the point at which I left them - the New Posts button only loads all the threads with new posts since last visit to the forum, and the Subscribed Threads list shows the ones that might be un-updated since my last visit, but still with unread posts.

Essentially, the Subscribed Threads list tracks where I am in the threads I want to read. Would that be of use to anyone else here? I don't know how hard it is to implement, but, as I said, it's definitely possible with the vBulletin system.

How else does everyone here keep track of where they are in each thread, other than from memory?

 

[Miss Neecerie]

New posts.

Otherwise I miss on on threads that I might not have even seen if I just subscribed to things.

Other then -really- long threads...I don't find it that hard to know where I was in a particular thread.

 

[Edward]

Generally I love this place. The one thing I really miss from other forums is a second button besides the quote button that allows you to work your way through a thread checking individual posts you want to respond to so that when you hit "compose reply" at the bottom, you then are presented with a window with all the posts you've checked in it and can respond in one easy manouever. I'd love to see that on here - much more convenient if you want to make a few responses on one thread and don't want to have three or four posts by yourself all in a row. Overall, I find this place easy enough to navigate and well laid out, just that one change would be fab for me.

 

[volatile]

Generally I love this place. The one thing I really miss from other forums is a second button besides the quote button that allows you to work your way through a thread checking individual posts you want to respond to so that when you hit "compose reply" at the bottom, you then are presented with a window with all the posts you've checked in it and can respond in one easy manouever. I'd love to see that on here - much more convenient if you want to make a few responses on one thread and don't want to have three or four posts by yourself all in a row. Overall, I find this place easy enough to navigate and well laid out, just that one change would be fab for me.

Ah yes... I'd forgotten about that feature. That's useful, too!

 

[Miss 1929]

I don't know how

but some people here on the Lounge seem to have figured out how to have multiple quotes in one reply. I have seen it! And I am intrigued.

I hink one thing that would be awesome would be a color change option. The white and yellow on black is handsome, but hard on the eyes after a few hours (and I seem to stay in here a few hours at a time, regularly! I should get a life...).

I also WISH we had a way to keep pictures on our own homepage here (a la Myspace). It would be very cool to be able to go to a user's profile and see some of their favorite pictures. Maybe not zillions, but a limited number. Useful for keeping our avatars, etc.

 

[Foofoogal]

I personally find this forum easy and that is saying alot for me. Some forums I give up as they are so difficult. I also (sorry) love the black background and am legally blind. Somewhere I have a link that shows the best colors and such for peoples eyes. I do know monitors make things look alot different for people.

 

[Nashoba]

but some people here on the Lounge seem to have figured out how to have multiple quotes in one reply. I have seen it! And I am intrigued.

All you have to do is type out (without the spaces in it)
[ QUOTE= WHOEVER] the message you want to quote [ /QUOTE ] (again no spaces and you can quote as many people as you want.

 

[LocktownDog]

but hard on the eyes after a few hours (and I seem to stay in here a few hours at a time, regularly! I should get a life...).

Time to find the girl a hobby.

 

[MK]

.

I did a bit of maintenace on the subscription table. I hope it helps. My guess is having almost a half million posts makes the database a little unwieldy.

 

[ScionPI2005]

I find this forum to be pretty straight-forward to use. Of course, I only visit two message boards regularly. I just log right in, and click on "Today's Posts", and scroll through for topics that interest me. I do this same process about 12,456,034 times a day...and all is right with the world.

 

[pretty faythe]

Time to find the girl a hobby.

This is her hobby...lol

 

[Edward]

but some people here on the Lounge seem to have figured out how to have multiple quotes in one reply. I have seen it! And I am intrigued.

I do it by opening a bunch of other windows and cutting and pasting the bits I want to quote into one reply. It's a bit of a pain, but much fairer on other folks than having a whole page of nothing but my inane ramblings! lol

 

[Mrs. Merl]

I am rather new here and haven't used very many things on the forum as yet, but thus far I find it fairly easy to navigate. And I love, love, love the black scheme! It is such a relief for my weary eyes after a long day of work white computer screens! Plus, it really makes it feel like the "lounge!" Gives it an "ambience."

 

[Diamondback]

but some people here on the Lounge seem to have figured out how to have multiple quotes in one reply. I have seen it! And I am intrigued.

Simple trick, Ms. Sara.

1. Get a real browser like Firefox or Opera, something with "tabbed browsing" rather than default Internet Exploder. (Yeah, IE7 added tabs, but my post and my rant and I'm a BOFH and all BOFH's hate Micro$oft, so humor me. )

2. Each post you want to quote: RIGHT-click the "Quote" button, select "Open in New Tab".

3. Copy/paste from all but your first new tab's "post reply" box into that box, I suggest closing each tab as you paste from it just for neatness' sake and to avoid risk of confusing which tab you're working in.

4. Once they're all in, start typing your responses after each quote and away you go!

Takes a little practice, but you get the hang of it after a bit. "Give it a chance, you'll get used to it--or have a psychotic episode..." lol

 

[Undertow]

All you have to do is type out (without the spaces in it)
[ QUOTE= WHOEVER] the message you want to quote [ /QUOTE ] (again no spaces and you can quote as many people as you want.

...and it is upon my dying request that Undertow be President of Canada whenever he so choses...

Undertow is a peaceful man

Get a haircut, you hippies!

I'm sorry...I couldn't resist!

 

[Josephine]

My only gripe is that the "New Posts" button doesn't work like an "Unread" button. I've missed quite a number of New Posts because they've gone past a time limit from when I was here last. At least, that's what I think happens.

 

[volatile]

My only gripe is that the "New Posts" button doesn't work like an "Unread" button. I've missed quite a number of New Posts because they've gone past a time limit from when I was here last. At least, that's what I think happens.

That's what the UserCP Subscribed Threads list does - I think the Magical Forums Elves have tweaked it as per my suggestions in the OP, so it should work in the way you want. If you set the forum software to automatically subscribe you to threads you post it (in the Preferences), it's even better!

 

[Boris K]

.

I've never fussed with anything beyond the little "New Posts" button, and it gives me everything I have not yet seen. I stopped subscribing to threads a long time ago because the email notifications were too numerous.
A link back to the quoted post sounds like a good idea.

You can set subscribed threads to "no email notification" to avoid this.