New forum complaints thread...

[alco_fan]

My complaint is this:  In the old forum, you could easily identify topics that had been posted since your last visit; because they were color coded purple and the "old" posts were color coded yellow.  . 

 

Check the faq. I believe that there are different icons for threads one has read vs. not read.

http://www.trains.com/trccs/languages/en-US/docs/faq.aspx#58

 

[rrinker]

 Yes, there are different icons - this is how you can tell if a thread contains messages you have not yet read.

 Also notice you can set the order of messages so the newest are on top instead of at the bottom - saves paging through multi-page threads at times.

                              --Randy

[grayfox1119]

You can change font and color ? I can't!!$%$%#
When I hit reply, I do not see any choices, where are they located on the page? I am using MS IE ver 7

[trainboyH16-44]

The colour, font and size boxes SHOULD be just below the subject line.
For a compliment, it's nice that the page counter doesn't start lagging when you get close to 100.

[joeyegarner]

I have no complaints, it works about the same as the other one only faster!! Most of the problems are just simple internet stuff not everyone understands, You'll learn.

[rrinker]

You also mentioned you are using the Vista beta. I'm sure this is the problem - the security is SO tight it won't allow the code that displays the font, color, and smiley drop-downs. These appear below the subject and above the text entry area. Works fine for me using Firefox or IE 6.

Using beta software is fine - but remember, is IS beta and may very well have problems.

                                        --Randy

[Texas Zepher]

OK it's official.   My biggest complaint about the OLD form was the really bad search engine.   I was so hopeful the new form would have a FAQ and good search engine.  Well this one is much WORSE!   I gave it a few days thinking I wasn't finding the right option, or maybe it wasn't up to full capacity.   But, I can't even find threads that are a few weeks old that I KNOW a really good key word for.  I need to find a thread to refer someone to and can't.....

What good is this wealth of information if we can't find any of it!

My index I kept of hot links that I refered to often is worthless. And there appears to be no way to map them to the new references....

[AntonioFP45]

Guys, let's give this a chance.  I too am a bit frustrated with this as I even tried using keywords in the new search feature but winded up with a lot of "Coffee Shop" hits.

Like the Santa Fe Super Chief......the old forum is gone and many of us will miss it.  But let's not trash Kalmbach's efforts and turn this into a "Gripe Thread".   Considering that this is still a "Free Forum" allow some time as we all learn the new "nooks and crannies".

Some good points have been mentioned above.  Hopefully when Bergie has a chance, he'll chime in and give us some pointers or let is know if some of the issues will be addressed.

Peace and High Greens.

  

[cudaken]

OK, I am a little lost and at this point not happy. I have not been able to find any of my old postings. Guess I will get the hang of it.

 I do like the bigger font with my bad eye sight.

 

 Cuda Ken

 

[Anonymous]

I havent been on the new site much, but it seems ok to me. Everything new takes time to get used to. I love the info I get from this site and appreciate it being here with whatever form it may take. This site has a really great bunch of train people contributing to it, and helping other hobbyists. If there are problems, i'm sure they will be taken care of as time goes on.

Mike Rapp.

[Anonymous]

I havent been on the new site much, but it seems ok to me. Everything new takes time to get used to. I love the info I get from this site and appreciate it being here with whatever form it may take. This site has a really great bunch of train people contributing to it, and helping other hobbyists. If there are problems, i'm sure they will be taken care of as time goes on.

Mike Rapp  

[jfugate]

Long story short, moving to the new forum trashed all the old forum links ... none of them will work in the new forum -- and there isn't any easy way to fix that.

This means we need a search engine for the forum that works well -- and unfortunately that doesn't work properly right now either.

Until the search engine problems are fixed, we're up a creek without a paddle. All the old posts that you may have considered valuable are here, they're just buried somewhere between pages 10 and 1097 or so.

I'm believing there will be a way to fix the search engine problems, otherwise we might as well kill any of the old posts past about page 50 since most people won't bother searching through even that many pages by hand ...

[tsasala]

Like Joe, I'm not usually one to complain about FREE sites that provide tremendous value for FREE. Can I say that enough - FREE FREE FREE.

That said, there are tons of BB software packages out there that are leaps about bounds ahead of this one.  I applaud Bergie and the team for the effort, but their choice of packages is, well, poor.

All I want to know is how I can see all the posts that have been added to this forum since my last visit.  The show me the lastest link on the main page shows me *all* the posts in *every* forum since my last visit, with no obvious order (probably date of post, rather than grouped by forum like the old forum).  I tried the MR filter from the results list, but it returned a page that said "no new posts".  Interesting.

This is the only ONLY feature I'm broken up about and it is one that will PREVENT me from posting here often.  I don't get a lot of time to fart around for personal use these days and anything that takes up more time than necessary is off the list.  0.02.

-Tom

[fievel]

Like Joe, I'm not usually one to complain about FREE sites that provide tremendous value for FREE. Can I say that enough - FREE FREE FREE.

That said, there are tons of BB software packages out there that are leaps about bounds ahead of this one.  I applaud Bergie and the team for the effort, but their choice of packages is, well, poor.

All I want to know is how I can see all the posts that have been added to this forum since my last visit.  The show me the lastest link on the main page shows me *all* the posts in *every* forum since my last visit, with no obvious order (probably date of post, rather than grouped by forum like the old forum).  I tried the MR filter from the results list, but it returned a page that said "no new posts".  Interesting.

This is the only ONLY feature I'm broken up about and it is one that will PREVENT me from posting here often.  I don't get a lot of time to fart around for personal use these days and anything that takes up more time than necessary is off the list.  0.02.

-Tom

 

Ditto to the above !!!   And I also miss the Watched Topics list.

 

 

[AntonioFP45]

Bergie and crew,

You did a great job. Could care less about stars, my only concern is the not showing number of pages at top and bottom and in a convenient spot. I used to like the line on each forum and topic of how many guests, members etc were on at the time. We will get used to the new format anyway. The reply/ quote could be confusing to someone new.

I agree 100% with you Bog.  Adding to that I'm sure having a very hard time finding my old topics such as the "Easy Sharpening UP" thread dealing with passenger car interiors.   If anyone

[AntonioFP45]

Bergie and crew,

You did a great job. Could care less about stars, my only concern is the not showing number of pages at top and bottom and in a convenient spot. I used to like the line on each forum and topic of how many guests, members etc were on at the time. We will get used to the new format anyway. The reply/ quote could be confusing to someone new.

I agree 100% with you Bog.  Adding to that I'm sure having a very hard time finding my old topics such as the "Easy Sharpening UP" thread dealing with passenger car interiors.   If

[AntonioFP45]

Bergie and crew,

You did a great job. Could care less about stars, my only concern is the not showing number of pages at top and bottom and in a convenient spot. I used to like the line on each forum and topic of how many guests, members etc were on at the time. We will get used to the new format anyway. The reply/ quote could be confusing to someone new.

I agree 100% with you Bog.  Adding to that I'm sure having a very hard time finding my old topics such as the "Easy Sharpening UP" thread dealing with passenger car interiors.   If anyone finds

[AntonioFP45]

Bergie and crew,

You did a great job. Could care less about stars, my only concern is the not showing number of pages at top and bottom and in a convenient spot. I used to like the line on each forum and topic of how many guests, members etc were on at the time. We will get used to the new format anyway. The reply/ quote could be confusing to someone new.

I agree 100% with you Bog.  Adding to that I'm sure having a very hard time finding my old topics such as the "Easy Sharpening UP" thread dealing with passenger car interiors.   If anyone finds it,

[AntonioFP45]

Bergie and crew,

You did a great job. Could care less about stars, my only concern is the not showing number of pages at top and bottom and in a convenient spot. I used to like the line on each forum and topic of how many guests, members etc were on at the time. We will get used to the new format anyway. The reply/ quote could be confusing to someone new.

I agree 100% with you Bog.  Adding to that I'm sure having a very hard time finding my old topics such as the "Easy Sharpening UP" thread dealing with passenger car interiors.   If anyone finds it, please post the URL!

Thank you!

[tsasala]

I guess persistence is key; I've found a partial solution to showing only the newest post since you last visted.

When you are at the main forum page, click "not read" near the top, then select the forum you want to read.  It should list all the posts you haven't read in that forum.  The newest should be at the top. Now I just need to figure out how to mark all the post read so I *only* see the newest since my last visit.
 
Hope this helps some folks.

-Tom

[Joe Hohmann]

Being a "computer idiot", I managed to get "re-joined" with no "history". Oh well, my previous 400 or so posts were'nt worth much anyway. Plus, they were mainly on the "Toy Trains" forum. Joe

[grayfox1119]

Change is always with it's pains, the range of approval/discontent will be on a scale of hate to love it and everywhere inbetween.
Having written test software, and used computers since vacuum tube days and IBM punch cards ( remember fortran guys? ), we have come a long , long way. Bergie and the team are trying to do their best with limited funds and limited resources. I am sure that little by little added features will be implimented.
Here is how we can help:

1. Let Bergie know what is working Ok and what is not without sounding like a 2 year old in the candy store.

2. Suggest features that you would like to see implimented after the Software guys work out the bugs in this onversion.

As an example, I am Beta testing the new Operating System (OS) for Microsoft called VISTA. This new OS will be available for the general public, if all goes well with this present Beta version, in January 2007. IT will come with a brand ne Internet Explorer ( IE) version 7. I have reported several "bugs" thus far that must be worked out. For instance, when I hit REPLY, I do not see the drop-down choices that many of you see, for icons, font sizes, and font colors. This may simply be the beefed up security that IE 7 has, or, something else, we don't know yet.
In conclusion, have patience, and work with Bergie and his team.

Thank you,

[vsmith]

I only want one thing, one thing only....and image icon on the reply toolbar? Is it SOOOO hard to add one? Will the entire program self destruct if its added?

All I want is the image icon reinserted I really really resent the giant step backwords having to hand type code in to do something when we previously had a one click option previously.

I used to post lots of pics for reference or imformation of my work or other sources to help others, now I'm not considering posting anything because trying to hand type image code on several pictures is a tedious PITA and I'm not likely to do it very often from here on out, its a shame because here was where I started the thread describing the building saga of my RRs on the GR forum and I considered my online home. Now I'm going to relocate my focus to another forum where I've also documented the progress, simply because its now easier to work with, I can upload and post images with the image icon with one click, not here anymore, kinda sad and I doubt I'm the only one who feels the decisions for why this format was chosen had little to do with its actual function for the users, Yes I know its free so I really have no rights to gripe, but I've been here since 2001 so i should be able to at least express my opinions publicly to illicite conversation.

What I really dislike is the lack of any feedback at all (this or other issues) from Kalmbach as to whether or not its even an option for future upgrades. I work with PC computer programs that are icon driven, once you get used to using them going back to something lessor like hand typing, is just that - something LESSOR.

[MAbruce]

You get what you pay for...

Oh wait, this is FREE - right?

I agree it's not perfect, but why expect so much from something we don't pay anything for?  Besides, aside from some technical shortcomings, a new forum software package won't fix issues with content (which I think has always been the biggest issue). 

[Anonymous]

Bruce,

A number of people seem to have the same opinion that you expressed. The forum is free, so we should accept it and not look a gift horse in the mouth.

I disagree because I do not consider the forum free.  We have to read the advertising and I admit that I have bought a few Kalmbach publications that I most likely would not have bought if I had not been playing around with the forums.  Fundamentally I believe companies like Kalmbach do not exist to give away free services.  Somebody who makes decisions in the company believes the site will turn a penny through advertising revenue and sales of publications.

From the proprietor's viewpoint the site and its forums has to work effectively to give users a good impression of the organisation.  So there is a self interest in making this site as good as they can within the limits of resources.

From the users' viewpoint we have a right to expect professional service because it is a comercial site and we are the customers.

 In fact the new site works reasonably well and the complaints are predominantly a few teething problems.  Nevertheless, the search engine leaves a lot to be desired, and some of the features enjoyed in the old site have been lost without evidence (to my mind) of any improvements.

Hope Bergie saved some money for his masters. No offence intended. They have to make money.

 

[MAbruce]

I disagree because I do not consider the forum free.  We have to read the advertising and I admit that I have bought a few Kalmbach publications that I most likely would not have bought if I had not been playing around with the forums. 

Why do you say that we have to read the advertising?  I don't.  My pop-up blocker takes care of any pop-up ads and I don't pay any attention to any other ad banners.  Also, the fact that you bought Kalmbach publications is a choice you made.  It's not like Kalmbach held a gun to your head and forced you to buy anything.  They may have enticed you, but certainly not forced.

Fundamentally I believe companies like Kalmbach do not exist to give away free services.  Somebody who makes decisions in the company believes the site will turn a penny through advertising revenue and sales of publications.

True. But that's the way most things work on the internet.  Sort of like TV.  Company's pay for free services/content and hope that you will read their ads and consider purchasing their products.  But the moment they require you to do this in order to access the content is when I think most people will bug out. 

From the proprietor's viewpoint the site and its forums has to work effectively to give users a good impression of the organisation.  So there is a self interest in making this site as good as they can within the limits of resources.

True, but that is subjective.  They have to balance their investment in free services against the return they hope to acheive.  Their current offering seems fine to me, and I don't see people bailing on this site in droves (at least not yet).  If this does occur, then I'm sure they will take action to improve their free offerings.

From the users' viewpoint we have a right to expect professional service because it is a comercial site and we are the customers.

I consider myself a potential customer that is basically schlepping off Kalmbach by using their forum to enhance my knowledge of this hobby.  I don’t have the right to expect anything from them!  In fact, I’d be surprised if my account is still active by the end of today… 

[Anonymous]

Hi Bruce,

You wrote: "I don’t have the right to expect anything from them!"  There is where we differ.

I do not expect the world of them.  Just that the spot that they created to exchange views with fellow modellers and find out information is relatively functional.  Perhaps we get spoiled and look for more than what is a fair thing.

I acknowledge that the forum works reasonably well.  The small gripe is that I don't think it is any better than the one it replaced, so why change if it is not to achieve something better?

Enjoy your modelling.  I find myself using spare time to argue the toss over small stuff instead of running some trains or making some models.  Just  shows I am a dummy!

 

[selector]

Isn't this thread a good one after all?  You can bet your bottom dollar that Bergie is highly tuned to what we are saying in this thread, and I am positive he and his IT staff will do all they can to make the system as user-friendly as it permits.  Let us give him a week or three to get the bugs out.

 

Until then, yippee...the stars are history, the forum so far loads much faster than the other (it would often stall for many seconds, and sometimes time out).  Happily, it seems that the vast majority of our usual contributors have taken the time to convert their registrations and are back in business.  We even have some newcomers.

 

Unlax, folks.

[fsm1000]

Sorry Joe if I 'implied' anything. Let me ay it more clearly then. You are not a plant by any means. You are paid by them and so OF COURSE you are happy. I never said you were a plant though.
Sorry if I was not clear about that Joe.