The Design Of This Forum Is Weak/Confused/Confusing and Ultimately Unsatisfying

adrimm says on Dec 19, 2004, 00:03:

Geeez It's not like you are paying to access the site or someone is forcing you to use it. If you've got the time, energy and resources to set something better up go for it, I'll take a look.

I for one am very grateful at the opportunities that Peter has given us in this site. For the scale that this site started out at I think improvements are happening at a reasonable pace. I prefer to view the navigation (which I don't find difficult) as just the personality of the site. God knows it would be boring as hell if all sites had the exact same formats of navigation.

As for this "best" thing, I don't get what you are talking about. Whenever I arrive the first page shows a reverse chronological listing of all the most recent posts across all the forums. It's great becuase I can see what has happened across the board while I've been away and then choose what discussions I want to read and go from there.

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Miguel says on Dec 19, 2004, 01:52:

Senor Sam What do you mean by having to log on several times? I log in once and that is it. I find this new format mas facil. Don' leave, Sam, because in my opinion you make some great posts.

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viewpoint says on Dec 19, 2004, 04:01:

Unsatisfied Sam de Salmon,

I guess your post doesn't surprise me as some of us (especially you) log on to this site and chip away at other peoples posts every day so why should I not expect that someone would run out of negatives to pitch to other people and start chipping away at the host of the site who makes all this possible.

A more constructive approach might be to have offered your observations, suggestions or proposed solutions to Peter in a PM but instead you offer your negative remarks about the site as a public message about the fuctionality that is more than adequate to any reasonable person. I notice that your post just offers strangely worded complaints about the site but little to no soultions.

Chao unsatisfied Sam Salmon, log off and be done with you. Come back when you can offer something positive and constructive.

Well you do deserve an award for something before you leave as I believe that your post here is the most offensive, negative, disrespectful, inconsiderate post I have read in the 30 weeks I have visited this site.

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santiBOG says on Dec 19, 2004, 05:09:

.... but he does have a point about the cookies. I agree that his complaints should have had better wording. However, it is true what he said about the login/cookie process. I find myself having to log back in only after a short period of inactivity (a few minutes).

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viewpoint says on Dec 19, 2004, 05:44:

santiBOG Well I guess it's not a problem for me because I only log on to make a post and before posting I copy the post from my edit tap just in case I log out due to time constraints. Peter created this site in 1998 (I believe) and has maintained it for the past six years and I am sure that he knows the few issues of inconvence without being criticised publicly. The improvements to the site come on a regular basis and the few remaining issues will come in their own time thanks to him having the interest and committment to give us this website to use.

Don't get me wrong discussing a problem and offering a solution or suggestion is not criticism but why not do it in a PM to the sponsor.

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YEP says on Dec 19, 2004, 06:21:

Ehm the cookie problem
Maybe we could convince Peter to keep the cookie from expiring before we actually leave the site ;-)

At least increase the duration of the cookie so it doesn't expire that quickly and get renewed when moving around on this site ;-)

------------------------------------------------------------------- Just another scandinavian getting ready to explore South America

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2retirensa says on Dec 19, 2004, 09:02:

Nothing in life is perfect! Get over it.
Maureen

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santiBOG says on Dec 19, 2004, 09:03:

Beg to differ gringoinbogota I am sure Peter appreciates well-meaning suggestions from users. After all, isn't that what this forum is all about... discussion, interaction?

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Sam Salmon says on Dec 19, 2004, 11:14:

I admit to being 'half cut' w I admit to being 'half cut' when I posted this but I stand by waht I said-as caustic as it is.
Confusion begets more confusion and weak design is the bane of civilised living or in this case discourse.

' a la orden!'

' a la orden!'

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YEP says on Dec 19, 2004, 11:55:

Sam ... then I'd suggest that you jump in and offer your help with the coding that has to take place to the standard setup that Peter uses.

And to those of you that talked about the quality of the board.

It's the people using it that makes it a good/bad board and the way it's run. If usability is bad that can make people loose interest but here the information outweighs the few drawbacks in the general layout.

------------------------------------------------------------------- Just another scandinavian getting ready to explore South America

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Gomezman5 says on Dec 19, 2004, 13:33:

I think the site is FINE but a positve suggestion I will agree with what at least three people have already written.
Once logged in, you're timed out too fast even if you are active on the site. For example, after typing a thread the other day, when I went to post comment, it was unable to do so because I had been automaticaly logged out. All too often, after logging in and preparing the thread, your logged off and you are not even warned. What should happen is that a pop-up warning should appear warning you that you are timing out unless you click continue. That is what a lot of other sites do. This is not a complaint. This is something that I think can be impooved upon. After reading the above, it is clear others have had similar experiences. But on the whole, I would say it is an inconvenience and that site has been helpfull to many looking to assist others, Colombian and non Colombian alike.

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isaactraveler says on Dec 19, 2004, 14:45:

hahah you slow-ass-typers!! just kidding.

Hey another thing, Peter: On another forum not related to this, they had an option you could pick that would either let you see the complete forum and threads, or just the unread/new.

I only ask about this because I am afraid that Desiderata will get Carpel tunnel syndrome clicking back to the end of the racy threads.

see desi? I care!!! :)

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santiBOG says on Dec 19, 2004, 15:35:

Reply to Gomezman5 I like your idea about the pop-up window but it would probably be better to have a session cookie (expires when you shut down your browser). What do you think Peter?

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YEP says on Dec 19, 2004, 15:42:

at SantiBug
until the user leave the domain ;-)

There's spies enough around ;-)

------------------------------------------------------------------- Just another scandinavian getting ready to explore South America

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Peter (Moderator) says on Dec 19, 2004, 18:15:

Yes, the cookie problem drives me crazy as well. And I don't mind feedback like this, I think it's great! Anyways, about the cookie thing... mmm... I'm getting hungry now. It's a known problem with Drupal (the open source platform this site runs on). I didn't realize it was that bad (I never get logged out until I close my browser window). I have tried to fix it but no success so far. I am considering actually paying one of the Drupal developers to do it, and to add a "remember me" checkbox.

Poor but snappy

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ACBlessing says on Dec 19, 2004, 18:19:

Bad cookie, bad cookie I echo everyone who is thankful for a free place to hang out and chat so thank you Peter. Yes, the cookie monster bit me once when I typed a three-page response to help someone but couldn't post because I had been timed out. When I hit the back button, I lost an hour's worth of work.


Alex Blessing, Spokane, WA, USA
alex at acblessing.com,MSN Messenger
www.acblessing.com

Just plain poor

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mark says on Dec 19, 2004, 23:33:

sound like a democrat crying over the election eom..

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YEP says on Dec 20, 2004, 02:28:

Well mark I can second ACB's experience .... It's a royal pain in the a..... when you just typed a very looooooooong reply and this happens :-/

------------------------------------------------------------------- Just another scandinavian getting ready to explore South America

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YEP says on Dec 20, 2004, 02:32:

at Peter ........
What made you choose Drupal ..... there's so many OSS boards out there ;-)

Almost always you should choose the most widely used as things gets fixed a lot faster. Or Does Drupal have some features that you can't live without (except for the hours you used setting things up).

I miss graphical smilies ;-)

------------------------------------------------------------------- Just another scandinavian getting ready to explore South America

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dwmte says on Dec 20, 2004, 14:34:

the site's great peter................. as far as constructive suggestions go.

1) have threads numbered so they can be found easily and accessed promptly.

2) do something to stop this 'access denied' mind f.... from taking the wind outta my sails. it really is a bummer.

other than that, i haven't found anything that needs fixin. keep up your most gracious work. and have a wonder-filled holy day.

douglas

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YEP says on Dec 20, 2004, 15:03:

Another suggestion
When people make a subject that doesn't contrain then it should be broken at some fixed length so the first column doesn't steal 1/4 to a 1/3 of the width of the page ;-)

------------------------------------------------------------------- Just another scandinavian getting ready to explore South America

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ARMacleod says on Dec 20, 2004, 15:36:

No complaints Peter. Lets see if I can get this one in before I lose the thread and the will to live. I have the solution however, I write this in WP8 or Word, cut and paste and in the few times that I have been ‘outed' my two finger typing has managed to retype my name in about 10 seconds. A truly wonderful thing this modern invention and innovation, and for my good friend Mr D Negro, spell check and thesaurus is included at no extra cost.

I find this site very educational and easy to navigate, the ‘time out' syndrome does not cause me to lose any sleep.

I was advised of this site by a friend in USA and it has helped me to unwind quite a few of the tangled procedures that I found when Visa hunting, and other things. For this and the ease of use of the site in general, Peter, I give my grateful thanks. Don't listen to those muppets who think that they know everything. They annoy those of us who really do.

I am surprised at the trouble that some persons take to be helpful when questions are posted. The same information from my solicitor would cost me more than the Gross National Product of Uganda. I thank you all for this.

If I had just one minute suggestion, (and I don't) it would be a supplication to the multitudes who use the site to lighten up a little, even the worst scenario does not look so bad if there is a hint of a smile there somewhere.

Finally. I tried to download some wonderful artistic landscape pictures from the site, No luck, Just the message ‘sorry, this picture can not be opened? Any advice would be appreciated. I can convert to JPEG, BMP. Etc

JVH (Calcutta failed)

The brain is like a parachute, it only functions correctly when it is open. Pax vobiscum.

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