New Format Sucks!

Topher Kessler wrote:

I can see where having multiple discussions going can be tricky to manage, especially if you are a regular contributor. I've found the email notifications here are quite useful in aiding this.

The last thing I want is more email! Many of us made extensive use of the Subscriptions page. One simple list of topics you were following with an obvious indicator for new content. I could scroll through 100 topics in about 10 seconds, checking for activity. So far, I've found nothing to replicate that. Some of the widgets provide some of the information. No single widget or view provides all of it.

My impression after two days: I hate reading in bubbles. The whole ****** thing is too awkward and complicated. I think I will take up stamp collecting.

You can add a widget to your homepage to do exactly that. It will show the most recent posts by that user, and allow you to track them and quickly access their profiles.

I'm not interested in "watching" users (or access their profiles) in order to then engage in conversations. I simply wanted to watch one "special needs" friend; other than that, I don't have time to scan what other people are saying unless I am answering a question in a thread.

This appears to be an attempt to mimic a "social networking site" rather than technical forums. Personally, I do not visit social networking sites of any flavor - I have better things to do. I did appreciate the no-nonsense approach to the tech forums and the things I learned and was happy to share my knowledge with others.

Yeah, I agree...one of the first things I mentioned was the lack of this feature, but found that using an email rule to lump them all into a mailbox has been a decent workaround. It is more email, but can be managed with a rule or two.

Well, I'm no fan of this new format (and I've been around here for years, though am far more active in a couple of other Apple online forums, one of which I help to run). I have to scroll and use sliders to see the same content I used to be able to see in ONE window. I also find it much harder to read - color/lack of text density etc. probably all having something to do with that.

I don't want to have to click through several options to get where I want to go - not when I used to be able to do it in one click!

The list of "recent content" is next to useless as it's all lumped together from all communities. Most of us looking for info here are looking for something specific - so that's not at all helpful.

But my biggest complaint about the new layout is that when you select a community and look at the list of topics, there is no indication at all of how many people have responded or whether it's a brand new question with no answers at all. That's beyond useless, IMHO. I hope someone fixes that!

On the upside, the reply window is nice. 😝

I think you're right. It is an attempt to more socialize the interactions here, but that doesnt necessarily draw back from the more technical help components that can be offered. So far I've used this in very similar ways as the previous forums, without getting "social," per se.

As for the widget to follow users, it sounds like you're denying the exact thing you're looking for. If you want to watch one "special needs" user then you can add that one user to the widget and it will show you what new postings he or she has submitted...nothing more. The widget wont sit there and scan multiple people or link you to a group of sorts...check it out, from your description it sounds like its exactly what you're looking for.

Me, exactly (for one).

Why the duplication? I managed to finally figure it out on my own after deleting over 100 unwelcome e-mails, I had turned them off in one place, but not the other, and was tearing my hair out trying to figure out how to stop them.

The tutorials are not all that easy to find, at least not for me, but then I get to where I want to be via browser bookmarks, so may be bypassing where they are found.

Topher Kessler wrote:

As for the widget to follow users, it sounds like you're denying the exact thing you're looking for. If you want to watch one "special needs" user then you can add that one user to the widget and it will show you what new postings he or she has submitted...nothing more. The widget wont sit there and scan multiple people or link you to a group of sorts...check it out, from your description it sounds like its exactly what you're looking for.

Actually, that doesn't seem to be entirely correct. The Watch a User Widget seems to show recent activity in threads to which that user has posted which is not neccesarily the same thing and not necessarily what I, at least, am looking for. For example, if I have the Watch a User widget set to five conversations, it seems to show the five with the most recent activity, regardless of whether that activity was by the person I'm following. I may not care (generally don't) care if the person I'm following posted something in a thread a month ago and not since but someone else just did. I want to know when they post. If I wanted to follow the thread, I'd have subscribed to the thread, not the person. Which is hard to really do now, too.

I'm willing to be proved wrong on my observations about the Watch a User Widget.

I do keep track of certain users, but you can create a browser bookmark folder for that purpose, and never have to deal with the widgets.

So far, my bookmarks to user profiles work, but that may change in the future, so I will be updating the profile URLs as I click on their profiles in my bookmarks.

Oh, I added my special needs user. However, that does not alleviate the myriad of problems.

And, since you seem to have an answer for most opposing opinions:

What's with the "people like you" column on the right??? How can anyone be so presumptuous to think they know me well enough to suggest people like me? (For clarification: no, there is no one like me 😀 ). I don't know any of these people, don't want to know them, and don't need to see their user names.

Ah I see...you're right it does follow the whole conversation, but perhaps it may still work since you mentioned the user you're watching does not post much?....dunno. I get the feeling the widgets will get more options implemented, and hopefully have more refinements on their behavior.

(Whups...I confused you and babowa...i blame low blood sugar).

Message was edited by: Topher Kessler

Oh but they are...EXACTLY like you! In fact, they are family you never knew you had.

...yeah, I'm not too much of a fan of social networking either, but still do see much potential for improvement here over the previous forums.

Topher Kessler wrote:

I get the feeling the widgets will get more options implemented, and hopefully have more refinements on their behavior.

I'm hoping that the new forum software will give the hosts that sort of flexibility. Right now, I'm trying to figure out where to send them the flowers and the Xanax.

babowa wrote:

What's with the "people like you" column on the right??? How can anyone be so presumptuous to think they know me well enough to suggest people like me? (For clarification: no, there is no one like me 😀 ). I don't know any of these people, don't want to know them, and don't need to see their user names.

Am I one of them? Topher seems to think we're similar!

(sorry, Topher, couldn't resist)

Topher Kessler wrote:

Oh but they are...EXACTLY like you! In fact, they are family you never knew you had.

As they say in England, "bollocks"! That's just the social networking, we're only identifiable by some group association, nonsense. I, like Barbara, am an individual and don't need or appreciate the cubby holing.