Good morning,
Is it possible to contact the people that are in control of the forums, and try to get some way of personal messaging back in place?
It used to work in Chrome and/or Fire Fox browsers, now it doesn't work in any of the above.
Impossible to message back and forth about issues with out displaying personal contact info in here.
What happened????
Mike.
My You Tube
Any day now, Mike, there will be a complete software update. Please be patient.
Rich
Alton Junction
richhotrain Any day now, Mike, there will be a complete software update. Please be patient. Rich
And people think I'm a trouble maker around here.......
ATLANTIC CENTRAL richhotrain Any day now, Mike, there will be a complete software update. Please be patient. Rich And people think I'm a trouble maker around here.......
Thanks guys, at least I'm laughing now, inside of hanging and burning issues of MR and trying to find insulting MR memes to post on Face Book!
I used to visit the Forums every day, sometimes twice a day. And each time I'd see that what had been the top thread was now well-buried by other threads, sometimes shoved onto page 2. All that in 24 or even 12 hours
Now I visit every other day, or so, and often nearly nothing has changed from the last visit. This is particularly true, sad to say, about the prototype info thread, perhaps my favorite.
Also while the "Users Online" box was never totally reliable (sometimes I'd see myself , as a user online, which I obviously was, and sometimes not) often now the box is empty, or just one name. And sometimes that name is someone I know who does NOT visit the model train forums just trains and classic trains.
The bloom is off the rose so to speak and I suspect the Forums have a low priority on the Kalmbach budget. I have reason to think other online model train forums are in the same boat, or should I say gondola. Unless it's adding eyes to the product why pour more effort or money into it?
Dave Nelson
The sound of the mic hitting the floor.
A lot of the people on this forum are on a handful of other forums as well. I/we use those forums to chit-chat privately as the private conversation feature is alive and well on those.
I do not do the friends thing on FB, however, I do have some interesting conversations with people through the messaging feature there as well. FB is a gold mine for photos and info. I belong to several historical groups. There is one group that only discusses weathering track.
Another thing, I will post my low-production quality tongue-in-cheek videos here as well as on other forums and FB. You can go into analytics on Youtube and see who is watching and from where. Rarely did/does anyone ever watch a video here but on FB and other forums, people take the time to have a look and often will ask a question. I will get a hundred views overnight on another forum and not one here. I think that speaks volumes about how many participants are left here.
I think the only reason I check in here is out of habit, having been a member for quite a while. For a person that is new to the hobby or getting back into it stumbling across this forum would be like finding the last bar that is open in a boarded-up part of town. You stick your head in the door and see one guy sitting at the bar and everything is covered in dust.
Jeffery Wimberly use to post constantly in the diner just so it did not fall off page one by noon. He use to say "the diner on page two, not on my watch". It would take a few days to see the diner on page two now.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I hear there's a new upgrade of the MR Forum software scheduled for tomorrow!
Remember the date.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
dknelsonNow I visit every other day, or so, and often nearly nothing has changed from the last visit. This is particularly true, sad to say, about the prototype info thread, perhaps my favorite.
This is true for me too, I love the prototype info thread.
Unfortunatley, the realtiy of this forum is....its a forum for the TRANSITION ERA. Here are the titles right now:
E8s, Steel Water Tank, 44 Ton diesel (I like this one), Sanding Towers (ok, not), PRR Mikados, UP DD40 (?), NKP Boxcar, Dome Car AAR Class, Super Dome and Great Dome Cars, Ice Houses, Coaling Facility, ....etc.
I suspect its just a matter where the normal Kalmbach customer base slowly leaving us and not being replenished as quickly.
I can't say that other forums have different era bents, they are all pretty transistion era focused.
- Douglas
MisterBeasleyI hear there's a new upgrade of the MR Forum software scheduled for tomorrow!
Yep! Tomorrow!
About the users online section, I (and I think many others) have checked the box to not show our name in that box, even though we are online.
York1 John
York1 About the users online section, I (and I think many others) have checked the box to not show our name in that box, even though we are online.
And where might that box be?
maxmanAnd where might that box be?
Community settings (advanced options)
Okay. I checked and the box is checked.
However, appearance seems somewhat random. Maybe has to do with the definition of "on line". I don't log off, so I would assume that means I'm on line continously. But that doesn't happen.
Dearborn by Bear, on Flickr
dknelsonI have reason to think other online model train forums are in the same boat, or should I say gondola.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hey look,
in todays society you should be dam thankful you can still view this site in IE11 and your logon works! You should be more appreciative.
Enjoy it whilest you can before the top of the page says "Google Trains". Or disappears entirely.
PMR
PM Railfan Hey look, in todays society you should be dam thankful you can still view this site in IE11 and your logon works! You should be more appreciative. Enjoy it whilest you can before the top of the page says "Google Trains". Or disappears entirely.
Nope. Internet Explorer is officially dead as of last year.
Eh??????
Take Care!
Frank AKA The Shadow........
Howdy Frank !!
Howdy to You too, Mike!
Pure-Blood, Frank
My 2 cents,
I've always modeled in N-scale while at the same time enjoy just running Lionel trains. So a few years ago when I returned to the hobby I picked up a couple of magazines which led me to online forums. The first interest was Lionel and I was pleasantly surprised at the participation and acton on the OGR forum, anytime I look there are hundreds of people viewing and posting. My quesions and comments are easy to track, notifications and messaging is very helpful. The information there helped me get back up to speed on new products and issues (it had been over 20 years).
So when my cateracts were removed I also started back on N-scale which led me to this MR forum. I subscribed and for the most part have been thoroughly dissapointed. The most users I've ever seen online is four, the website is annoying, and if I had to guess I'd say the last time there was an update was probably around 2007. My subscription runs out soon and I won't be renewing which is probably what happened to many other users.
Mike in NC,
zstripeThe Shadow........
And, "The Shadow knows!"
Mike in NCThe most users I've ever seen online is four, the website is annoying, and if I had to guess I'd say the last time there was an update was probably around 2007.
Mike,
IIRC, the last MR forum software/platform upgrade was probably 2013/2014. While there had been mentions from MR a few years back about an upcoming update, it has never materialized and - most likely - it never will. Sadly, certain features that we used to enjoy (e.g. PMing, changing avatars, etc) no longer work.
While I probably visit the forum on a daily basis, I find little on it that interests me anymore. The Prototype forum is probably my favorite then Electronics and DCC because there is always something new to learn. The General Discussion forum resembles Facebook too much for me. I generally browse the first 10-15 titles on pg 1 to spot any possible issues or misplaced threads then quickly move on to the other two aforementioned forums for more interesting topics. The Layout forum I spend the least time on...but that may change, as I contemplate building my next layout.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I don't know how much it cost, or what is invloved in a change over, but the software on this forum is exceptonal.
www.mytractorforum.com
I am signed up on two facebook model train groups, but that is a different world. Mostly I just look at what is going on and post VERY little.
I only bothered with that because facebook is the place to be for my tractor hobby.
Sheldon
"Nope. Internet Explorer is officially dead as of last year."
Actually, IE11 can never die. As you see, I am using IE11 right this very second.... OR, I can use that MS Edge crap. (IE11 on left, Crap on right).
Think of this as a general statement, as in anyone could say this.....
"I don't know how much it cost, or what is invloved in a change over,"
Typing is free - its just HTML. However, it could be said the crew at MR arent programmers.... they are Model Railroaders. The cost is just 'hosting' the site. Last time i did that it cost me $150 a year (Go-Daddy). (See, you dont need frillin advertising to pay for a website!)
If you have your site ready to go, testing complete and bugs worked out (like an old school programmer would - not todays millenial types).... its a matter of kicking everyone (users [us]) off the site. Delete the old site, paste in the new. Invite everyone back.
Yes, it is that simple!
Websites are just a form of program that runs on a computer. No special magic involved.
Could MR do it? Yes. But they will have to hire it from outside which means MR will be shafted on the price, and get a product of 'today' (pirateware/malware). And I bet you ANYTHING no one is going to like it! (which i say is why it hasnt happened yet because you know they could afford to do it right now/yesterday/last year.)
So, I highly recommend you get you a working Win7, an update to IE taking it from 8 to 11 (7 doesnt come with IE11 it was an update) and add a "pre-chrome" version of ad-block.....
ENJOY a working MR site!
Say what????
PM RailfanTyping is free - its just HTML
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
PM Railfan "Nope. Internet Explorer is officially dead as of last year." Actually, IE11 can never die. As you see, I am using IE11 right this very second.... OR, I can use that MS Edge crap. (IE11 on left, Crap on right). Think of this as a general statement, as in anyone could say this..... "I don't know how much it cost, or what is invloved in a change over," Typing is free - its just HTML. However, it could be said the crew at MR arent programmers.... they are Model Railroaders. The cost is just 'hosting' the site. Last time i did that it cost me $150 a year (Go-Daddy). (See, you dont need frillin advertising to pay for a website!) If you have your site ready to go, testing complete and bugs worked out (like an old school programmer would - not todays millenial types).... its a matter of kicking everyone (users [us]) off the site. Delete the old site, paste in the new. Invite everyone back. Yes, it is that simple! Websites are just a form of program that runs on a computer. No special magic involved. Could MR do it? Yes. But they will have to hire it from outside which means MR will be shafted on the price, and get a product of 'today' (pirateware/malware). And I bet you ANYTHING no one is going to like it! (which i say is why it hasnt happened yet because you know they could afford to do it right now/yesterday/last year.) So, I highly recommend you get you a working Win7, an update to IE taking it from 8 to 11 (7 doesnt come with IE11 it was an update) and add a "pre-chrome" version of ad-block..... ENJOY a working MR site! PMR
Nobodies time is free....... Every time somebody gets something for nothing, somebody, somewhere, does something for nothing, how much are you willing to do for nothing? A very successful person said that......
The site I mentioned switched from an older software to their current one almost seamlessly with virtually no loss of data and only minimal down time and minimal interaction required by members.
I'm not a programer, the last thing I programed were some early 80's Cutler Hammer PLC's to run some machines.
I have a love/hate relationship with modern tech....... I know and learn enough to use it for what I need, I have no interest in it otherwise - it is not a hobby.
So I'm sure it would "cost" something in real dollars for Kalmbach to aquire and impliment new software.
You think it is easy because it is "something you know".
I think designing and building houses, or designing/building old fashioned relay logic circuits, or understanding architecture, or designing speaker systems, or fixing cars is easy, because these are the things I know.
If it is free and so easy, you could volunteer and fix it........
The silence from Kalmbach is deafening,