The Format of this Forum Is Quite Useless.

[seathanaich]

This forum does not allow for actual conversation with people, unless you are going to check every thread, every day, on the off chance that someone replied to a post of yours. And even if they do, the next post anyone makes carries the thread on.

There are plenty of forum formats that notify and bring you right to every response anyone makes to any post you make. I'd particiate far more on this site if it were actually formatted for conversation, but it's not, so I don't. Years ago this site allowed for conversation, but some genius decided to change a useful chat forum into a useless, non-chat forum. Why?

Basically, I read the original post in many threads, but there is no point in posting back, since you'll never actually have a conversation, because there is no way of being alerted to any responses. That thing where your profile shows what topics have posts after yours is completely useless - it just opens up at the start of the topic (doesn't even go to your post).

[Tuscan]

Interesting, I don't have a lot of experience with different forum formats - aside from one other this is the only forum I frequent (and the other one is very once in a blue moon anyway). As long as we keep this constructive, perhaps we can end up with an idea of what everyone is looking for. Jamie's been working hard to get the forum and CSN stabilized and customized to our liking, so if we can squeeze a few extra hours of work out of him perhaps things will better match what people are looking for.

Jamie we all owe you pints for the time you've put into the board, among other things.

[paul-collins]

The forum does do all you ask of it, if you're set up to do it.

Your profile has to be set to allow the system to email you if a thread you've subscribed to gets a new post. You have to set autosubscribe to "on" for threads in which you post. And you can subscribe to threads without posting in them, too. Then you get emails whenever a new post is made in those threads (only once, until you've visited again - then the thread is marked read and you will get notified again when there's a new post).

You can search only for new posts (look at the top of this page).

If you want to jump to the first new post since your last read of a thread, click on this icon beside the title -->

Sorry to say, but the reality is that the BB world has moved on, and it's time for you to learn the new software's capabilities.

[Soju]

but some genius decided to change a useful chat forum into a useless, non-chat forum. Why?

If this refers to the switch from the Network 54 forum to this one, quick question. Who turned your computer on for you today and how much did you pay them?

[Jeremy]

I am able to track threads just fine using one single link: New Posts at the top left of the screen, just under the Home button. If you click on that link everyday you won't miss a thing.

[ted]

^ I do that as well but it would be nice if, like on some forums, clicking the thread title took you automatically to the first unread post rather then having to click a second button.

[paul-collins]

^ I do that as well but it would be nice if, like on some forums, clicking the thread title took you automatically to the first unread post rather then having to click a second button.

If you want to jump to the first new post since your last read of a thread, click on this icon beside the title -->

You don't have to go *into* the thread first, it's right there beside the title in the list of threads. (Although the same icon shows up above the first post of the thread too, with text to tell you what it's for)

[seathanaich]

If this refers to the switch from the Network 54 forum to this one, quick question. Who turned your computer on for you today and how much did you pay them?

If I'd wanted a comment from an *******, I'd have farted. I specifically pointed out this site sucks compared to others, that don't. That implies I use other chat forums - ones that don't suck.

[seathanaich]

If you want to jump to the first new post since your last read of a thread, click on this icon beside the title -->

You don't have to go *into* the thread first, it's right there beside the title in the list of threads. (Although the same icon shows up above the first post of the thread too, with text to tell you what it's for)

Thanks for trying to help, but I don't necessarily want to read every post, but I would like to easily find comments attached to mine. That's a major problem with this site.

[seathanaich]

The forum does do all you ask of it, if you're set up to do it.

Your profile has to be set to allow the system to email you if a thread you've subscribed to gets a new post. You have to set autosubscribe to "on" for threads in which you post. And you can subscribe to threads without posting in them, too. Then you get emails whenever a new post is made in those threads (only once, until you've visited again - then the thread is marked read and you will get notified again when there's a new post).

You can search only for new posts (look at the top of this page).

If you want to jump to the first new post since your last read of a thread, click on this icon beside the title -->

Sorry to say, but the reality is that the BB world has moved on, and it's time for you to learn the new software's capabilities.

I'm aware the "world has moved on"; the problem is that this site has not. It's stuck in a terrible format. Note my comment that this site sucks in comparison with sites that do not, implying that I'm actually basing my criticism on the fact that, among sites I read, this one is the worst. There are plenty of sites that add responses by indenting, which isn't exactly a new idea.

I have used the "subscribe" feature. It doesn't take you to your post, or the latest one. You have to start at the beginning, and try to find your post. That's really poor. I'm not asking anyone to reinvent any wheels - just copy a format that works. The point of complaining was the hope that there were tricks I hadn't come across just be experimenting. Cheers.