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Wishes for this forum

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Wishes for this forum
Posted by snjroy on Friday, December 12, 2014 11:58 AM
Given the season, I thought I would take the liberty of expressing some wishes about this forum for 2015:

1)      I wish MR would improve the search function to make it more effective and user-friendly

2)      I wish users would use the search function before submitting queries

3)      I wish there was a simpler way to put pictures on this forum

4)      I wish all OPs  asking technical questions  would come back to us and follow-up on some of the suggestions offered to them

5)      I wish users would place their questions in the right forum

6)      I wish MR would create a “Scratchbuilding and freelancing” column

7)      I wish to thank all of those that take the time to respond to queries in an extensive and polite way.

What are your wishes for this forum?
Simon
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Posted by Mark R. on Friday, December 12, 2014 12:14 PM

I wish subject titles would be more descriptive.

I missed a few good conversations because the subject title was vague or non-descript and didn't catch my interest. I tend to breeze past the "Help Please !!!" and the "What Is This ?" threads. 

You're "advertising" your topic folks, you gotta make the title interesting enough to draw people in.

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, December 12, 2014 12:18 PM

snjroy
...3) I wish there was a simpler way to put pictures on this forum....

It can't get much simpler than clicking on the "img" line of data in photobucket and then clicking on "PASTE" here.  Big Smile


Wayne

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Posted by Soo Line fan on Friday, December 12, 2014 12:45 PM

I wish it were 6:00 so I can go home.

Jim

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Posted by "JaBear" on Friday, December 12, 2014 12:47 PM
I would like to see the formation of a “Beating the Dead Horse with a stick ad nauseam” column. 
To be fair it is human nature to want to get things off our chest from time to time and having a whinge and/ or rant can be a good way to achieve that, and also newbie’s don’t necessarily realise that the topic is not a new one and was discussed, Yet Again, two or three pages over. Bang Head Angry But enough is enough, and I do wonder at times what visitors may think on their first visit to these pages.
And seeing that this is the season I would like to thank the folks at Model Railroader and Kalmbach for having the patience to continue to provide a forum where such a disparate and very occasionally downright cantankerous (for the want of a better word) bunch to inhabit.
Also I‘d like to thank all those who have put up with me, provided me with encouragement, enjoyment, advise, and camaraderie.Bow
Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by MackeyBloom on Friday, December 12, 2014 12:54 PM

Sorry for the sophomoric question here - but I don't even a Search Function.  Am I missing something so obvious to all?  I see the balloon and magnifiying glass in the upper right, but entries to that bring all sorts of answers - and I would like to restrict the results to Forum only.  Search by topic and search by Screen Name are must haves.

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Posted by gmpullman on Friday, December 12, 2014 1:05 PM

A big "ditto" to Mark R's point!

Additionally, Please let me make a link to cs.trains own sites clickable!

and it would be nice to directly click to the last post in a thread.

I see there's a "sticky" on the Classic Trains forum that they are getting a "new and improved" website over there. Time will tell...

Ed

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Posted by cedarwoodron on Friday, December 12, 2014 1:07 PM

It can't get much simpler than clicking on the "img" line of data in photobucket and then clicking on "PASTE" here.  Big Smile


Wayne

The Tyco Collector's Forum integrates the file (jpegs only) upload function into the overall posting process, so that- as you describe something, you can immediately insert an image into the text, then continue with additional text or more images. There is no outside website needed to post images- just pull them and upload directly from an image file already on your computer.

Cedarwoodron

 
 
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Posted by chutton01 on Friday, December 12, 2014 1:14 PM

user=snjroy
1)      I wish MR would improve the search function to make it more effective and user-friendly
-- It's not too bad - at least you can search for 3 letter words, and not have to wait 120 seconds between searches like some forum I know.
2)      I wish users would use the search function before submitting queries
-- I normally do, but then we get what some forums call "zombies", where posters revive years-old threads
3)      I wish there was a simpler way to put pictures on this forum
-- Covered above - and since MR is not gonna want to host Tetrabytes of images, you'll need to get your account on a photo-archive site.
4)      I wish all OPs  asking technical questions  would come back to us and follow-up on some of the suggestions offered to them
-- People do - I've posted images of such myself (e.g. how to make clear lenses)
5)      I wish users would place their questions in the right forum
-- I wish we could prune some more forums - a number of forums are just basically dead, and others get maybe 10% of the traffic of more popular ones. At least they got rid of the Anniversry Boxcar forum.
6)      I wish MR would create a “Scratchbuilding and freelancing” column
--Heh, maybe a "Scratchbuilder's corner" (© 2014, Railmodel Craftsman/White River Publishing).
7)      I wish to thank all of those that take the time to respond to queries in an extensive and polite way.
-- Now where's the fun in that...

OK, I do second/third the proposal to finally fix all glitchy controls (self-referential links to MR threads not active unless you post with manually edited url tags; Img and link tags not appearing when you're in the edit post screen; easier to place insertion points of text after inserting an image, and a few other PITA's issues.
Still, things aren't too bad to complain much...

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Posted by maxman on Friday, December 12, 2014 1:28 PM

gmpullman
and it would be nice to directly click to the last post in a thread.

On the home page of each forum where you see the thread title, it will say something like "joe smith replied to this thread x minutes ago".  If you click on the "x minutes ago", it takes you to the last post in the thread.  So you got that wish.

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Posted by maxman on Friday, December 12, 2014 1:31 PM

snjroy

<!--[if !supportLists]--> 1) <!--[endif]-->

I wish posts didn't include stuff like this that I don't understand.

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Posted by snjroy on Friday, December 12, 2014 1:33 PM

Hmmm... not from me. Must be a glitch.

Great suggestions so far folks... Keep it coming.

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Posted by gmpullman on Friday, December 12, 2014 1:36 PM

maxman
If you click on the "x minutes ago"

Learn something new everyday! Thanks for pointing that out maxman. I hadn't realized that the time-stamp was clickable. What ever will they think of nextSurprise

Ed

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Posted by maxman on Friday, December 12, 2014 2:00 PM

gmpullman
Learn something new everyday! Thanks for pointing that out maxman.

Actually someone else pointed this out previously.  The only thing I take credit for is remembering and passing on the info.

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Posted by west willow and laurel on Friday, December 12, 2014 2:16 PM

I'm with you there. I, for one, don't want to be bothered with outside web-sites having my stuff. The photos section alows you to put images directly from your computer. Why not the forums?

Ian

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Posted by Graffen on Friday, December 12, 2014 2:17 PM
I wish it would work to post from a mobile device, such as a Tablet....

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

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Posted by steemtrayn on Friday, December 12, 2014 2:21 PM

Wish we had a chat room.

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Posted by peahrens on Friday, December 12, 2014 3:53 PM

A good question.  I'll be content if the forum gets progressively better, over time, as my overall view of the forum is very positive.  Hopefully new web versions will include technical improvements such as those suggested above; my priority being the previously mentioned search function effectiveness. 

Paul

Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent

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Posted by PM Railfan on Friday, December 12, 2014 4:48 PM

maxman
 
snjroy

<!--[if !supportLists]--> 1) <!--[endif]-->

I wish posts didn't include stuff like this that I don't understand.

 

 
This is one of the many forms of HTML. The computer code required to make websites work, essentially. When you see this, it is because you inadvertantly typed a command nuemonic that produced an error. Most times when this happens, you will get the 'stuff' like that displayed.
 
From back in the day before the advent of Disgracebook, Twitter, and the like, AOL and Yahoo were the inventors of chat rooms and social media. Back then we used the "<" and the ">" with something in between them to denote what "smileys" do today. IE:  "<smiling>".
 
You cant do that today with HTML like it is. The arrow keys are internal markers to let the web site server know what follows is a command before the next arrow appears. IE: "<b>" would mean the text that follows is to be in BOLD.
 
I am still forever doing this (habit) and get the error message you posted above, when i do.
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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 12, 2014 4:55 PM

steemtrayn

Wish we had a chat room.

 

Now that would be interesting.  Yes

Rich

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Posted by BATMAN on Friday, December 12, 2014 4:56 PM

steemtrayn

Wish we had a chat room.

 

 

I have had some great conversations over the years through the PM service offered here. When I go to train shows I tend to run into a few of the same olds every year at the food area and while we sit and talk trains, we also talk about a lot of other things.

Having a forum where we could chat about things without having to wade through all the doom and gloom and listen to every detail of a medical exam that tends to go on in the diner would be nice. While I am sympathetic and sincerely interested how people are doing over there I don't want to have to wade through it all just to keep on discussing whatever it is were talking about. Other forums have an area to discuss "whatever". Not just a single thread like the diner.

Brent

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Posted by PM Railfan on Friday, December 12, 2014 5:00 PM

west willow and laurel

I'm with you there. I, for one, don't want to be bothered with outside web-sites having my stuff. The photos section alows you to put images directly from your computer. Why not the forums?

Ian

 

I too am a proponant of MR hosting photos. Using a third world site like photobucket etc etc means this, one more account to have (unneeded), one more password and user account to remember (uneeded), and ultimatly, ALOT more chances you yourself can be hacked, your pictures hijacked or hacked, or a compromised site would introduce to MR all kinds of security problems (unwanted!) by posting a link to a compromised site. This is how malware gets around!

So yes, it makes sense MR should host pictures on their own. They dont do this because: it would take up alot of storage space. They would need someone to monitor the uploads so that only railroad content gets uploaded (not naked pics of that Wiley Virus thing and her pet tongue). MR is a bunch of railfans like us, not computer security specialists, like most of you... who wants to sit at a monitor all day preventing bad things from happening. And quite frankly, unfortunately MR doesnt have, or doesnt want to expend the resources to do this.

By using a third world source it places the responsibility on the third world parties to do all of this while MR focusses on the important stuff..... TRAINS!

Ironically you CAN upload pics to your profile. Makes no sense to do this and not host pics. Shame though, sure would make it easier on us. Just remember, we dont own this site.... they do.

 

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Posted by PM Railfan on Friday, December 12, 2014 5:03 PM

richhotrain
 
steemtrayn

Wish we had a chat room. 

 

Now that would be interesting.  Yes

 

Rich

 

 

I agree with this too! Something MR should have. Be nice to have real time conversations with folks here.

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Posted by rrinker on Friday, December 12, 2014 5:06 PM

 Older versions of this forum software DID display the [ img ] and [ url ] tags. I wish it still did, this is far easier. But it doesn't looks as slick and user friendly, so the developers of this forum software (which is a commercial product, not something Kalmbach came up with) made up the fancy URL and Picture posting buttons with their little forms, and hides all that stuff now.

As for direct picture hosting - it will NEVER happen here, and anyone setting up a forum that allows it is potentially asking for legal trouble. If someone takes a picture from some other web site, that isn't theirs, and uploads it via the picture upload feature of a forum, who's responsible for the infringement? I'll almost guarantee this software actually has the capability and it can be pretty easily turned on, but I see why they don't want to, and why they won't.

             --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

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Posted by Jimmy_Braum on Friday, December 12, 2014 5:28 PM

MRR restarting the " railroad you cab model" series. 

(My Model Railroad, My Rules) 

These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway.  As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).  

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Posted by tedtedderson on Friday, December 12, 2014 5:34 PM

Graffen
I wish it would work to post from a mobile device, such as a Tablet....
 

I post from my phone and post pictures taken with my phone.  I upload the pics to the photo archive site copy the link and paste. I must add that I had a hard time using the mobile site so I use the regular internet site from my phone. When typing your post it's a lot easier to control if you change the view to Fullscreen from the view dropdown, type your post, add pics, then " unchoose" fullscreen, then submit your reply. I'm not sure about tablets though. The better half has a tablet- I'll try hers to see if they work the same. 

I wish the search function would work better but I've found that if you Googlle it, what you're looking for comes up and most of the time the 2nd or 3rd thing is a post from the forum. 

If I only had one wish from this site it would be 2 grand from train world.  

That's tedderson with 2 d's. Please and thank you. Stick out tongue

T e d 

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Posted by richg1998 on Friday, December 12, 2014 5:36 PM

They must have low bid. the latest upgrade is terrible BUT FREE.

The Powers That Be have been very quiet.

i use Google search to find info here which is FAR better that this site search.

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.

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Posted by Dusty Solo on Friday, December 12, 2014 5:51 PM

I like & enjoy this particular forum.

Members are generally respectful & patient with one another offering advice & suggestions from a personal knowlege base that often astounds me.

For the most part members seem good natured & helpful - no tyrants with over inflated egos,  just good honest people & that is not always easy to find in our changing world of self absorbion & greed.

Long my this forum continue unchanged in its present form.

Dusty

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Posted by vsmith on Friday, December 12, 2014 9:56 PM
The SIMPLE ABILITY to post from my Android... this forum currently is SO JACKED UP for non-iphone users. It really stink. Its a PITA from my HP7 tablet and the desktop only seems to work when it wants :'(

   Have fun with your trains

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Posted by dominic c on Friday, December 12, 2014 10:08 PM

snjroy
Given the season, I thought I would take the liberty of expressing some wishes about this forum for 2015:

1)      I wish MR would improve the search function to make it more effective and user-friendly

2)      I wish users would use the search function before submitting queries

3)      I wish there was a simpler way to put pictures on this forum

4)      I wish all OPs  asking technical questions  would come back to us and follow-up on some of the suggestions offered to them

5)      I wish users would place their questions in the right forum

6)      I wish MR would create a “Scratchbuilding and freelancing” column

7)      I wish to thank all of those that take the time to respond to queries in an extensive and polite way.

What are your wishes for this forum?
Simon
 

8. Auto spell checker. 

Joe C

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