Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Why I Hate the New Software

5526 views
113 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 8:11 AM

Doughless
I can't logout after posting a reply. Hitting the logout button takes me to an error 404 screen.

I have that problem too but for me it's just a minor irritant. If I need to log out for some reason I go to the Classic Toy Trains forum and log out from there without a problem.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 8:25 AM

I also share that problem.  Also, at the very top of the page, in the small print,  where you point the mouse and a drop-down appears, the "Trains.com sites" doesn't work.  In order to get to the other sites, I go into my account/profile, and click on the magazine/forum I want to get into.

The picture is from a series I took last spring, when I took the crew from  E'sTS Diner for a tour.

The East Troy Electric RR is right up the street from me.  I can hear them when they "play with their trains".   Smile

Mike.

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: IN/USA
  • 2,495 posts
Posted by wetidlerjr on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 8:28 AM

No problems here. Using Chrome and the latest version of Windows 8. Mischief

Bill Tidler Jr.

Near a cornfield in Indiana...

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • From: Central Absurdistan
  • 1,179 posts
Posted by kbkchooch on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 9:09 AM

Chrome and Win 7 (64 bit ) here, runs fine!  Nothing gets cut off on my phone either (Samsung Stratophere/Android), jus my fingers are still too big for the slide out keyboard, I keep doin the wrong keys!Sigh 

Karl

NCE über alles! Thumbs Up

  • Member since
    March 2008
  • 773 posts
Posted by ruderunner on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 12:21 PM

I've survived a couple of updates on this site.  Are they improvements?  Debateable but they don't normally present any problems with use.  May take a coule days to figure out where such and such is now located.

My only recurring gripe with this site is the search function.  Specifically that it brings up indivual posts rather than complete threads.  That's the opposite of any other fourm I'm part of and it seems like a huge waste of time to scroll through 15 posts in one thread before finding the next thread.

Modeling the Cleveland and Pittsburgh during the PennCentral era starting on the Cleveland lakefront and ending in Mingo junction

  • Member since
    February 2012
  • 163 posts
Posted by gn.2-6-8-0 on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 12:33 PM

Funny, I have a iphone5 and can read the posts here just fine,now on my kindle fire I have that problem though turning it sideways solves the problem.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 12:49 PM

 I'm on Win7 with IE10. Through various updates, the basic functions of posting, replying, and insertign pictures have always worked for me. A few updates ago, when I was on IE8 or 9, I needed to turn on compatibility mode for things to work right, but that was a long time ago, I am NOT using compatibility mode any more. In fact - if that option is in IE8 - try turnign it off, that could be the soruce of the problem, this site does not need compatibility mode with anythign less than IE11 at the moment.

I think it's been a million posts - in most cases I cannot reproduce the erros or lags others are seeing, either in the message forums or with videos, here or on MR Video Plus. Just the other day, someone said they couldn't view the videos on their iPad - I picked mine up, logged in to MRVP, and they worked fine. I can see many differences in configurations with Windows PCs, because some people will have different AV software, different firewalls, etc. But there's not much you can do with iOS to customize it that would block certain sites or anything. Haven't tried browsing here from my iPad to see if that works. My iPhone, browsing on there I reserve for at need, when I don;t have a computer or the iPad handy, it's too small for EVERYTHING and web sites get cut down too much. In an emergency, it's better than nothing.

No WiFi where I am at, middling 3G signal, been trying to log in on my iPhone for 5 minutes now, still at a "Logging in" screen. I'll try tonight when I get home and connect to my wifi.

       --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 1:42 PM

mbinsewi

I also share that problem.  Also, at the very top of the page, in the small print,  where you point the mouse and a drop-down appears, the "Trains.com sites" doesn't work.  In order to get to the other sites, I go into my account/profile, and click on the magazine/forum I want to get into.

The picture is from a series I took last spring, when I took the crew from  E'sTS Diner for a tour.

The East Troy Electric RR is right up the street from me.  I can hear them when they "play with their trains".   Smile

Mike.

 

Mike,

Right next to the Trains.com sites, is resources, click on that then click on community and it will take you to all, the sites.

I only have one problem and it appears,others have it also, can not make a link clickable, that someone else tried. Like posting a past article link. I have a way to make it work, but havn't used it yet! My brain needs more time. Smile

Cheers, Drinks Cust, Service, 1-800-533-6644, Laurie B. She did post a response, Nov, 30th to someone with advice. Her Avatar, is Pirate. Just saying!

Frank

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 2:16 PM

 That's another one that 'just works' for me. In fact I just went back and checked my last post where I provided a web site to make sure it actually did post it as a link, and indeed it did. All I ever do is visit a web site I want to link in anothe rtab, select the URL, copy, and paste into my message, and it always comes up as a link, not just a url in the text that can;t be clicked. Same with pictures, I rarely use the insert image menu option, I juct copy/paste the picture url (ending in .jpg or similar). It won;t work that way if you try to paste from a site that won't allow hotlinking, you'll see it but no one else will.

In fact, hmm, let me try something: http://www.google.com

Yup, all I did was type in (without the spaces) h t t p : / w w w . g o o g l e . c o m and when i hit space after the m, it automatically made it a clickable link. Never touched the Link option on the menu, didn;t type in any fancy codes like [ u r l ] or anything (that might still work too).

I'm sure the next person will come along and say they too have Win7 and IE10, and none of this works for them. No idea what would block that, perhaps the security settings or a third party web filter. I never use the Windows Firewall, it is completely disabled on all my computers - I am behind a NAT firewall/router so no one can get to my machine anyway, the Windows Firewall in such cases is just redundant and possibly a problem source.

     --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,255 posts
Posted by tstage on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 2:27 PM

rrinker
Yup, all I did was type in (without the spaces) h t t p : / w w w . g o o g l e . c o m and when i hit space after the m, it automatically made it a clickable link.

http://www.google.com

Thanks, Randy!  That worked for me using Windows XP and Firefox 25.0.1.  Another fix for the new upgrade. Thumbs Up  Now to see if it also works with Windows 8.1 when I get home.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 3:11 PM

rrinker
Yup, all I did was type in (without the spaces) h t t p : / w w w . g o o g l e . c o m and when i hit space after the m, it automatically made it a clickable link. Never touched the Link option on the menu, didn't type in any fancy codes like [ u r l ] or anything (that might still work too).

That's what I use. Works every time.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
    May 2002
  • From: Massachusetts
  • 2,899 posts
Posted by Paul3 on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 3:52 PM

Well, this forum still won't load on Win7 with IE ver.11.  I have to use Firefox to even see it.  Does anyone think it's a good idea to have a forum that won't load on the latest version of the most popular web browsing software?

And FWIW, not every MR forum upgrade has been panned.  I was here in yon olden days, around 1996.  My first post was on a "Guest Book"-like interface.  That "forum" was upgraded to one around 1998 to 2000 or so that featured a real forum, but it was more like a newsgroup interface.  Every single darn post had to be clicked on to read it, and there was no way to know what it said or who said it until you downloaded it...which in 56k modem days was maddening.  There was also zero moderation, and it was a tad like the Wild Wild West with flames and 4-letter words being common.  Both of these older forums were roundly criticized for being poor forums, especially compared to others.  New forum software was greated with great acclaim back then.

But these days, what gets me the most is that I read many other forums, and only Trains.com seems to feel this need for constant change.  RR.net hasn't changed in 10 years or so.  Why the need to reinvent the wheel?  It makes no sense.  It would help if there were forum improvements, like having "ignore" features, new smilies, or picture hosting and the like.  Instead, they take away features, make it harder to read, and make it impossible to load.

Sigh. 

Yeah, I know; it's free.  But is this acceptable for our industry leader?  Should we not want the best out of Trains.com?

Paul A. Cutler III

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Pittsburgh, PA
  • 1,796 posts
Posted by JoeinPA on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 5:11 PM

I wonder what I am doing wrong. I'm using Windows 7 and can access the forum with Internet Explorer 11, Firefox or Google Chrome. I may be mistaken but the forum seems to run faster with IE 11. These computers sure are strange things. 

Joe 

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 5:51 PM

I just realized why no one from Kalmbach has commented on the new software in recent days.

No one from Kalmbach, no one, can access the forum with its new software.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
  • 9,352 posts
Posted by BATMAN on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 6:29 PM

richhotrain
No one from Kalmbach, no one, can access the forum with its new software.

Hey Rich, just think of the trouble we can get into while they look for the keys to the squad car.Laugh

I must say I have had issue's with the new software. The kids get new laptops at school every 2 years. As a result we have the old ones laying all over the house. If I want to check the forum, there is usually a computer sittng on the couch or table somewhere close. Depending on the the browser of each laptop, I get a slew of different problems cropping up. Hopefully they will have it all tuned up soon.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,255 posts
Posted by tstage on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 6:33 PM

http://www.google.com

Yep, I can create links with Windows 8.1, too.  And I give the link icon in the Post Body tool bar another try and it still doesn't work.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Big Blackfoot River
  • 2,788 posts
Posted by Geared Steam on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 6:38 PM

rrinker

I must be the only one where everything is working fine.

        --Randy

 

 

No, there are two of us, and the forum is excellent on my IPad and desktop using Chrome. I would never use my Iphone to websurf, only in an emergency when I need information. 

As far as going back the old software? Ain't never gonna happen.

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein

http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Detroit, Michigan
  • 2,284 posts
Posted by Soo Line fan on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 6:59 PM

I want to know out of all the other Kalmbach forums, why did they have to punish us with this so called "upgrade" Super Angry Super Angry Super Angry

Everyone else gets to use the old software.

Jim

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Alabama
  • 1,077 posts
Posted by cjcrescent on Thursday, December 5, 2013 1:10 AM

Geared Steam

 

 
rrinker

I must be the only one where everything is working fine.

        --Randy

 

 

 

 

No, there are two of us, and the forum is excellent on my IPad and desktop using Chrome. I would never use my Iphone to websurf, only in an emergency when I need information. 

As far as going back the old software? Ain't never gonna happen.

 

I'm not having any problems as well. Winders7 & Firefox whatever current version is. Never have I seen where a company went back and replaced a newer version of a software package with an older version. It's not gonna happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carey

Keep it between the Rails

Alabama Central Homepage

Nara member #128

NMRA &SER Life member

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Thursday, December 5, 2013 1:43 AM

Deleted:

Cheers, Drinks

Frank

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, December 5, 2013 6:58 AM

 I suppose you could call my way of posting links a 'fix' for the new software - but it's what i've been doing pretty much forever on forums. From my point of view, I haven't changed my ways to work witht he new version, the new version continues to support my method.

 Never did try my iPhone, but it's not like I'd ever do it except for a test.

               --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 8,892 posts
Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, December 5, 2013 7:31 AM

I noticed a number of you commented you were still on Windows XP.  I was too but my wife and my computers were getting to be cumbersome to work with, not to mention Microsoft would not allow IE9 to install on XP so getting various errors in IE.  At work, we still haven't upgraded IE above 8 yet, but it's a gov'ment agency and things take a long time!

For those of you on XP however, be aware of the following - you will be pushed off the cliff next year:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/what-does-end-of-support-mean

"Support for Windows XP is ending on April 8, 2014."  So no more updates and you will become more vulnerable on the internet!

The solution for me and my wife, who are old fashioned and don't use those new fangled touch screens for email and need an honest to God full sized keyboard and monitor, we bought two refurb Dell OptiPlex 755 deskktop PC's with Windows 7 and beefed them up to a modest 4 Gb memory and installed dual screen video cards.  (this is how our standard PC's at work are set up and they work great).  It only cost me less than $200 each to toss my old XP Machines and upgrade to the Refurb Dell 755's.  Like I said they are zippy and can handle some light 3 D gaming fine -- hopefully that will be us sorted for a good few more years on the cheap!

I leap frogged from XP to Windows 7 and avoided Vista.  If possible I may very well leapforg Windows 8 that I've been hearing all the horror stories about.  I guess Microsoft is like the Star Trek movie franchise - everyother release is aweful, all the inbetween ones are decent!

Anyhow, I've read all about everyones woes with IE 11 here so when it arrived on my PC unwanted yesterday morning, I immediately rolled back to IE 10.  No problems here with MR forums so far, but I don't do much fancy stuff, just read and post messages.

Cheers....  Jim

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Thursday, December 5, 2013 11:07 AM

Jim,

That is only, for the unsupported versions, of XP, the supported XP, will continue,to run and have updates. I already have the version 2 installed.

Cheers, Drinks

Frank

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Back in the PNW
  • 659 posts
Posted by alco_fan on Thursday, December 5, 2013 1:27 PM

zstripe

Jim,

That is only, for the unsupported versions, of XP, the supported XP, will continue,to run and have updates. I already have the version 3 installed.

 

Incorrect. Service Pack 3 and all other XP versions are done in April 2014. That means no more updates.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/endofsupport.aspx

 

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, December 5, 2013 2:08 PM

Nope,. April 2014 is the end of the line for ALL XP. Microsoft won't even take your money for paid support after then. XP has been on security patches only for some time now, any bug fixes were reserved for peopel who paid a lot of money for them. Now, all support is ending.

 But really, it's a 12 year old OS. It's 4 versions behind. Best get a system with Win7 while you still can, although if you are forced to Win8 there are several free programs that restore the traditional start menu so you don;t have to deal with the touchy-feely tiles for everyday work.

            --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, December 5, 2013 2:39 PM

alco_fan

 

 
zstripe

Jim,

That is only, for the unsupported versions, of XP, the supported XP, will continue,to run and have updates. I already have the version 3 installed.

 

 

Incorrect. Service Pack 3 and all other XP versions are done in April 2014. That means no more updates.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/endofsupport.aspx

 

 

Yep, bye-bye XP, come April.  No more Service Packs, no more support.

And support for Windows 7 is coming to an end in 2015-2016.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Potomac Yard
  • 2,767 posts
Posted by NittanyLion on Thursday, December 5, 2013 6:03 PM

Most of the time, these roll-outs happen and issues are definitely traceable to issues on the user end.  I've never had a single issue through any round of updates on any of the now five machines that I've browsed this site on.

That said.

The mobile version doesn't seem to play nice with smartphones in portrait view.  The last three characters of every line are off in the aether.

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Shenandoah Valley The Home Of Patsy Cline
  • 1,842 posts
Posted by superbe on Thursday, December 5, 2013 7:10 PM

Rest assured that Kalmback is working on the issues.

How do I know?

Because in the beginning everything seemed to work other than there weren't the frills and do dads that we had before. Shortly there after I lost the picture posting buttons and yesterday I couldn't even log on the forum. These changes didn't happen without Kalmbach's help. They must be busy.

But Firefox came to the rescue. In several months I will be able to go back to IE

Bob

 

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Thursday, December 5, 2013 8:02 PM

rrinker
But really, it's a 12 year old OS. It's 4 versions behind. Best get a system with Win7 while you still can, although if you are forced to Win8 there are several free programs that restore the traditional start menu so you don;t have to deal with the touchy-feely tiles for everyday work.

I have Win8 on my new HP. My advice is to avoid it! I have many 16-bit and some 32-bit programs I used a lot under WinXP. Win8 won't touch them!

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 918 posts
Posted by Kyle on Thursday, December 5, 2013 8:16 PM

There are several post on this thread that have the right side cut off, it is mostly the longer post.  Mike your picture looks great and the I can see the entire photo but your posts have the right side cut off.  Is it just me are other people noticing that it takes awhile to type on this, I can type a short sentence beforup the first words start showing up on my screen.  I alsonoticed on the other trains.com websites and on this forum, sometimes I can't see the cursor, and when I tap on different areas of the text, the cursor won't move soIIF I want to Change something in the first part, I would have to delete everything I typed since the .  Luckily, that hasn't happened with this post.  I have seen some of you say you use google chrome, but my school provided chrome books this year, and I absolute hate them, worse, computers ever (and I thought the Mac books were bad)!  Personally I wish they would just change it back, it would require less work which isbetter for them since as some of you haw pointed out, this is a free service, they don't get payed to make update.  I would much rather have the money spent "upgrading" the forum spent other places like having more MR extra videos, instead of having most of the videos be Video Plus videos.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!