<> I have been using Netscape Navigator for the past 7 to 8 years (version 7,2 for the past 3 to 4 years) and I have never had a problem on these forums or anywhere else, including my Emails. Even when MRR gave us the new and improved version a couple of years ago, everything worked well. Now we get a newer "IMPROVED" version again, and the first thing I find is a problem. For me anyway.
I had no problem logging on, or when I went to the main Forums page for General Discussion, MRR. I clicked on the "Weeeere Back" thread to see what everyone thought of the new design. Mostly positive except for that big PITA down the right hand side. Just a BIG waste of valuable space. I have no problem with a couple of Banners across the top of the threads like on the previous version, as this free ? Forum does have some cost associated with it that we have to put up with. The problem that I found, was when I went to go back to the Threads Page and hit the "Go Back One Page" button at the top of my screen, NOTHING HAPPENED. I could not go back to click on another Thread. I ended up having to click off the site and Log back on again. I have no problem with other sites, and I did not have the problem before the change, so it must be something that was done in the changeover.
As far as I am concerned, this new design is NOT as good as the old one, and the black on white is harder to look at. At least for these 69 year old eyes anyway. PLEASE, go back to the old colour scheme. It was much easier to look at.
Also, what happened to the colour pallette so that we could type in different colours???
Blue Flamer.
With time is change... Overall I don't mind the "New and Improved Forum" and I suspect the change is due in part to changing technologies that even they can't ignore. My only complaint so far is if I am posting on a multi page thread once I post the first page of the thread pops up, which means if I want to see what I've posted I have to re-direct to the last page. This is not too bad if I have high speed but when I'm back at sea this will be problematic.
We'll see
Fergie
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959
If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
I would imagine that they're still going to be ironing out some of the bugs... however I see nothing down the side of that "wasted space"... ad blockers work wonders.
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
See, I donl;t see what the point is. Sure an ad blocker will block the ads, but they ARE train-related, not the random junk Google throws up sometimes (I swear someone must manually mess with their keyword associations given some of the site/ad combos I've seen). So you get even MORE white space with an ad blocker. There's basically 4 blocks of forum stuff then some ads under it, then if it's a long thread, as you scroll down, nothing but wasted white space where the message area could be wider.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Stuff happens and sometimes there is nothing you can do about. Go with the flow. Adapt.
Sometimes I go to the fridge and get some cheese to go with my whine. It does help.
Change is inevitable, struggle is an option.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I agree about the black and white is a little harsh on the eyes.
glenn
I am trying to find the "My Discussions" button in the new website. I liked to use that to easily keep up with discussion threads I was involved in.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
My first impression is more positive than negative. Any change is something different that takes us out our comfort zone, even if for a short time. I think I will wait a week before really judging it.
Bob
Well, the black and white IS a little harsh on my eyes, and I had to do quite a little dance to get my forum password unlocked (still don't understand it), but we're back, so lets see how it works from here on out.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
jbinkley60 I am trying to find the "My Discussions" button in the new website. I liked to use that to easily keep up with discussion threads I was involved in.
Jeff,
If you look at the bottom of the General Discussion page, you'll find a "More Options" box. Click that and you can filter the display to show the topics that you have participated in.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
Well, I feel that this is WAY too much crap on the half screen that is not related to the forum.... Im done here until I can find a way to break all of that advertising bloat and just view the forum dialogs.
Ads pay the bills so YOU can come here and complain free of charge.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
I too had quite a problem with the forumn password saying that my password was invalid.I used the same password on all types of forumns for the past 8 years so I should know my password.
Bergie injects... You don't need to go through the password or unlock your previous username process... just logout and log right back in. - Bergie
You don't need to go through the password or unlock your previous username process... just logout and log right back in.
- Bergie
Bob D As long as you surface as many times as you dive you`ll be alive to read these posts.
What was wrong with the other setup?
Today I sign on, go to the Trains forums and get a ''you need to unlock your old screenname'' prompt.OK.... I enter my info and get a ''incorrect password'' prompt.....after 3 more times of the same, I say ''send me my password''...what I get is a jumbled bunch of nonsense numbers and letters but not my password. So I have to make a new screenname, this is progress? Now I have to go and redo all my info and find an avatar.More wasted time. I'll have to wait and see if this new mess is worth the trouble, but right now it's a big thumbs down.
I agree...why can't they leave stuff alone...if it's not broken DON'T FIX IT!!!
I solved the ad spam.
Mozilla Firefox Thee right click on the ad itself and select ad block frame and it's GONE. You may have to repeat until all ads go away. Enjoy! Dont forget to reinforce this also with the Ad image block as well.
Once you cleared all that stuff out, I like the forums now very much. Less clutter, more talk.
We are trying to get the word out as we work thru a few of these bugs. You only have to logout / login -- resetting your password is not necessary.
We will work thru the "My discussions". This option is available at the main forum index. Click Here
** Our Website Has Changed **If you have previously unlocked your screen name and are seeing this message again, you may need to log out and log back in.
Online Publishing Manager, Kalmbach Publishing Co.,
This is going to take some getting used to. The invalid password thing was a pain in the rear...not sure why it was necessary to lock existing user names like that?
The color scheme is nasty!
At least the other forum I visit still feels like home...
spectratone I agree about the black and white is a little harsh on the eyes. glenn
I absolutely agree!
The first thing I noticed was the new format seems to be hurting my eyes.
This seems to be a common complaint here.
The new colors and such may be considered a great improvement, but if my eyes are bothered by reading the forum, I will have to spend far less time here, or I may have to pass on this great forum.
I may be able to adapt to using the new forum features, but can't have my eyes hurting and burning.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
BlueHillsCPR This is going to take some getting used to. The invalid password thing was a pain in the rear...not sure why it was necessary to lock existing user names like that? The color scheme is nasty!
Two quick things....
First, it was not necessary to lock existing username and we did not do that. We have a message for all first time returnees to the site that says if you have a username all you have to do it logout and login again. (If you've done that, the message is gone.)
Next, it's funny to hear a CP fan calling a color scheme nasty. Sorry, that's just funny to me.
Sorry for the sarcasm... call me a proud pappa if you must.
Bergie
In terms of "Some people can't leave well enough alone..."
If Athearn had left well enough alone, we'd still be working with blue box locomotives and freight cars. We wouldn't see superdetailed locomotives, steam locomotives, DCC, sound, etc., etc.
Change is inevitable... we hope that this change -- to the site overall and forum -- will improve things over the course of time and that you will continue to enjoy Trains.com. If you've been with us for the past 7-1/2 years, you'll note how far not only the look of Trains.com has come, but also the usability and features offered have improved.
I know change is hard, especially when you're used to the way something works. And that's not just lip service... while I've used this forum software a tiny amount on some of our other sites, I too am very new to this new forum platform. While it's taking some time for me to get used to it (today, mind you), I'm enjoying a lot of the new features.
For example, have you used the new Quote feature? When you're replying to someone's post, their entire post will appear above the Message area where you type your reply. If you'd like to quote their post, you highlight as much or as little of their post as you'd like then click the Quote button and the coding is done automatically for you.
Hang in there guys, I'm confident you'll look back a month from now and be satisified with the changes that have been made.
Erik
I don't mind the ads along the side as long as they remain railroad based.
BergieNext, it's funny to hear a CP fan calling a color scheme nasty. Sorry, that's just funny to me.
For the record the forums color scheme can be overridden in Firefox by changing the settings under Edit -> Preferences and the Content tab, you will want to change it back to the defaults after finishing.
Black text on white background is too great a contrast for comfort while reading on a computer. A lower degree of contrast is preferrable, the old forum's Light Blue & Lighter Blue was a good example.
Mark Gosdin
BergieFor example, have you used the new Quote feature? When you're replying to someone's post, their entire post will appear above the Message area where you type your reply. If you'd like to quote their post, you highlight as much or as little of their post as you'd like then click the Quote button and the coding is done automatically for you.
OK so that is definitely cool! And I do like having the spellcheck in Firefox work over here as it has in other places. But I still don't care for the page layout..........
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Well just more stuff not to like...the color scheme sucks and all that extraneous BS over in the margins make the pages load so slow it's hardly worth waiting on. Not everyone has fancy DSL and Firefox stuff to make it faster to load or delete all the crap. The old forums were fine, this is just a bunch of advertisements and extra junk. I'll check back in a few weeks to see if you've cleaned up your mess or better yet, PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS!
The password thing was a small hurdle but I was taught long ago to not worry about tying my loafers. 'Course I was born well before Velcro was thought up.
The ads are another small hassle but I have always been able to see the cows in the field behind a billboard when driving or riding down the expressway.
It will take a bit to decide if the color scheme is causing me problems as some posts created headaches for me in the old format.
The information is as free as it always was and that's one of the top three things I look for here. The other two are laughs and insight.
Bergie could have saved a thread if he'd just brought the complaint litany forward from the last change. It's not enough to be on the same page, we've gotta be looking at the same book.
Kudos, congrats and thanks for providing a forum at all.
dwRavenstar
Bergie,On the subject of change, I don't think people would object if it were noticably better with more features. On this change, so far that's still up in the air. I visit several other kinds of forums, mostly sports related. Some of these have an "ignore" feature that allows one to filter out posts by certain posters. Others offer picture hosting so one can easily post photos. And so on. So far, what I see are more ads (not complaining...they pay the bills) on a color scheme that's harder on the eyes (black on white).
As for suggestions, what ever happened to the idea of putting the thread's origin date on the forum main page to warn folks about Thread Necromancy? If a thread is 5+ years old, it'd be nice to know about it before I click on the link.
Secondly, when one hits the "Forums" button (under the pilot of Koester's Midland Route Berkshire above), it only goes to the forums for MR (http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/default.aspx?groupid=8). Before, that same button went to all the forums (http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/). This means that when I'm surfing the MR forum, and I want to check out the Trains forum, I have to click on the "Trains" magazine tab, then click on "Forums" to get there. It's not a big deal, but adding clicks to a person's web browsing experience isn't exactly an improvement, IMHO. Oh, and without a highspeed connection, I wouldn't want to wait for the Trains page to load just to change to a different forum.
Lastly, you gotta do something about the smilies page ("Options" tab). That looks very awkward at the moment.
BTW, I was here when Andy Sperando posted monthly questions in a "Guestbook" format (MR's first webforum) back in the mid-1990's, and I was here when it was truly awful (the first attempt at a true forum) when one had to click on each and every post in a thread to read it...and if they didn't sign their name, you had no idea who was posting). This version is far better than the old days, folks.
Paul A. Cutler III*******************Weather Or No Go New Haven*******************
Paul3This means that when I'm surfing the MR forum, and I want to check out the Trains forum, I have to click on the "Trains" magazine tab, then click on "Forums" to get there.
Paul,
Look directly above the "General Discussion" header at the top of the thread you're in. You'll find a link to the Trains.com Forums. One click and you're out at the list of all of the forums just like you desired.
Bergie Change is inevitable... we hope that this change -- to the site overall and forum -- will improve things over the course of time and that you will continue to enjoy Trains.com... I know change is hard, especially when you're used to the way something works. And that's not just lip service... while I've used this forum software a tiny amount on some of our other sites, I too am very new to this new forum platform. While it's taking some time for me to get used to it (today, mind you), I'm enjoying a lot of the new features.
Change is inevitable... we hope that this change -- to the site overall and forum -- will improve things over the course of time and that you will continue to enjoy Trains.com...
Bergie:
I am enjoying the new web site along with it's new features. I agree that change is inevitable... Yes, it will take a little time, trial and error to learn the various features; but, we will get use to it, then learn and grow in the process.
There is one feature that appears to be missing or maybe it is not yet enabled. That feature is the subject line in the e-mail notification. The old forums had the thread topic displayed and observed that this is now missing in the new notification.
Could you enlighten us if this will be restored? This feature is important to some us who have tight time tables -- in other words I look very quickly at the subject line to see if there are a number of e-mails about one topic -- If time is short, I pick the few -- If I have large block of time, I pick the most posts -- like WPF!
At the risk of getting flamed by a number of forum members , I will say that I like the Ads. As Model Railroaders we are always shopping for something -- The ads do help the cause -- ours, yours and the advertiser!!
The Tabs in the "Reply to an Existing Message" are really great!!
Oh, yes! I wasn't able to find the "Spell Checker". I had to copy and paste to Word, spell check and then back again! Don't tell me!! I have to take my own advice and "learn and grow ". I'll find it or how -- I really will .
Pennsy
A Model Railroader's Credo: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
LD.30-30 What was wrong with the other setup? Today I sign on, go to the Trains forums and get a ''you need to unlock your old screenname'' prompt.OK.... I enter my info and get a ''incorrect password'' prompt.....after 3 more times of the same, I say ''send me my password''...what I get is a jumbled bunch of nonsense numbers and letters but not my password. So I have to make a new screenname, this is progress? Now I have to go and redo all my info and find an avatar.More wasted time. I'll have to wait and see if this new mess is worth the trouble, but right now it's a big thumbs down. I agree...why can't they leave stuff alone...if it's not broken DON'T FIX IT!!!
Exactly. This is a classic case of what my cousin who works on computers calls upgradeitis, where a company upgrades or "new and improves" something just for the sake of doing so.
Geared Steam Ads pay the bills so YOU can come here and complain free of charge.
That's the way of it when you offer a public forum...
Atlas has their own forum that we use free of charge and there is no ad banners.
I can live with or without the banners.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"