Kenton Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 So it's Twitter then? That's "Status Updates" ... and about as useful ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted June 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2011 "Active Content" has actually changed - it used to cover a much longer period not the limited to 24 hr view. Hi Kenton, If you change your View New Content setting to "All unread", it effectively becomes the same as Active Content and covers a much longer time period. See "Search Settings" at: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&tab=core&area=settings Unfortunately, every time Andy does an upgrade it resets to "Since last visit" and you have to remember to set it to "All unread" again. regards, Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkmouse Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Just popped in after a few months away, and frankly, I'm not impressed. The whole site is a fragmented mess, I've no idea where to find anything, and if I had something new to contribute, where to post it. The forum has lost it's focus, is far too complicated to navigate, slow, and is very user unfriendly. Sorry Andy, you know I've always supported you and the site, but at the moment, the only improvement I can think of is to go back to the previous version of the S/W. It may have been buggy, but it facilitated communication in a way the current set-up doesn't, and that's the aim isn't it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 ... it does require a bit of extra work to get the best out of a blog. ... Nail + Head = Hit, I think... possibly "a lot more work" rather than a "bit"... I don't follow anyone's Blog elsewhere on the web, except Lance Minheim's - and that only as part of his whole site, so it's no surprise to myself that I don't follow any on here either; I much prefer the to-&-fro of a Thread. For what it's worth, when I log on RMweb, this is the order in which I follow things... 1st, my Own Content list; 2nd the USA & Canadian Group list (the only group I'm on), and 3rd, Active Content, which will throw up other interesting stuff I'm not directly participating in. The button I never use, now I think about it, is New Content. I accept that RMweb is now so big it is impossible to follow everything, and I might miss some gem, but that's just the way of it with such a huge place!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2011 Hi Kenton, If you change your View New Content setting to "All unread", it effectively becomes the same as Active Content and covers a much longer time period. See "Search Settings" at: http://www.rmweb.co....e&area=settings Unfortunately, every time Andy does an upgrade it resets to "Since last visit" and you have to remember to set it to "All unread" again. regards, Martin. The only problem with setting to 'All Unread' is that it gives you all the stuff you never wanted to read in the first place. I recently tried it following a previous comment by Martin and got 225 pages to look at - I didn't Setting on 'Since Last Visit' seems to keep stuff for at least 4/5 days - possibly longer - and is my normal viewing method as it is relatively quick to scroll through but it (or me) does sometimes seem to miss things? So I also occasionally use 'View Active Content' as well. My only grouse now is the need to look at Groups separately but fingers crossed that might not be a long term problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Pannier Tank Posted June 4, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 4, 2011 Am I the only one that uses "View New Content" (Very occasional user of "Active Content") ? What am I missing by using it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 All of which goes to prove that the site is different things to different people; there would be just as many disenchanted people if it was in any way different from how it is now or indeed as it was in the previous incarnation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted June 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2011 The only problem with setting to 'All Unread' is that it gives you all the stuff you never wanted to read in the first place. Hi Mike, But so does Active Content. The difference with "All unread" is that you are in control. When you have read all that interests you, you can click Mark Board As Read (on the very last line at the bottom of every RMweb page) and your View New Content list will be empty, ready to receive the next posts. regards, Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Gordon S said : I still have no idea what a blog does that is different to a thread. The blog allows one to have a continuous story of words and pictures without comments from members breaking up the continuity. In otherwords, comments are always kept together at the bottom of the page. Threads have other members comments intersperced between the 'story' and it means one often has to go through several entries before picking up the story again. Sadly, blogs gained a thoroughly bad reputation through miss-usage but I cannot better Olddudders words :- :D Blogs enable the writer to produce a stream of consciousness, from the profound "I'm taking the plunge into P4 at last" to the banale "We had sausages for breakfast, and my sister has her operation for ingrowing toenails today" stuff. While many of us are guilty of leading a thread somewhat off-topic, few of us go that far without being given suitable advice! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkmouse Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 All of which goes to prove that the site is different things to different people; there would be just as many disenchanted people if it was in any way different from how it is now or indeed as it was in the previous incarnation. Andy, it's nothing to do with disenchantment, it's to do with functionality. Blogs have been around for what, two years now, and still are not properly integrated with the main system. Showcase and Groups are new, and yet still don't play nicely with everything else. Access is getting slower and slower as the forum tries to do more and more, and instead of discussing modelling, there are a plethora of posts discussing how to tweak settings to try and find the stuff people want to read. After six months away, I'd expect to see lots of new faces with interesting projects. I don't. Is that because everything is too fragmented to find, or because new members are put off by the complexity? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 The topic isn't for grumbling about something you don't feel is right at the moment but you can suggest ways to improve what's here at present. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinkmouse Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I thought that's exactly what I was doing with my last post. Functionality and focus. Both need to be improved. A lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 The topic isn't for grumbling about something you don't feel is right at the moment but you can suggest ways to improve what's here at present. Perhaps it should have been asked on a blog It is only inevitable that a question asking for "improvements" will get answers suggesting changes to improve the current arrangement rather than the "future" changes that probably most of us cannot imagine / don't know what is out there / will be available / understand completely your desired direction for the site. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 I'm very disappointed that this has descended yet again into mistruths and misconception about the RMWeb blogs. The inferences of self-centred notions, "streams of consciousness" etc etc do a lot of the membership a great dis-service. There is some excellent content on there, the 2mm boys and girls in particular plus some groundbreaking stuff in 4mm and larger. I certainly don't recall reading anything about toenails or breakfast sausages, far less writing such. The showcase section is essentially the blog format. An article, then related discussion. Why this doesn't get the same panning as the main blogs I don't know. Perhaps because it doesn't use the scary word "blog"? You might well find the less well conceived blogs do exist but tend not to last very long. Sorry, but whilst like Pugsley I'm not too fussed if folk are unwilling to read the blogs - they're probably not all that interested or they *would* make the effort - but I do take continued offence at the stereotyping and misinformation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted June 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2011 The topic isn't for grumbling about something you don't feel is right at the moment but you can suggest ways to improve what's here at present. That's why I offered to restart the indexing project, Andy. It wouldn't matter how many different sections and formats the site contains -- IF there was a single all-encompassing index to help find stuff. I don't know the answer. There is no software on earth which can do the keyword indexing for us, but there must surely be some software somewhere to compile the index lists which can run online and accept input from all members. Still looking. If I wasn't so busy with Templot I might try to write such a thing. regards, Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Rmweb is running slow again. Is this due to 'Similar Topics' (which they patently aren't) being tagged onto the bottom of every page? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Sorry, but whilst like Pugsley I'm not too fussed if folk are unwilling to read the blogs - they're probably not all that interested or they *would* make the effort - but I do take continued offence at the stereotyping and misinformation. Jamie, and Pugsley - I don't see this as "another" bash the blogs thread. I agree there is a lot of good content there. But the trouble revolves around the fact that it doesn't get displayed correctly, it does not get spoon fed into the Active Contents in the same way, and probably what is really mis-understood by the enthusiastic advocates - it is not simple to contribute to. There are a few odd-ball blogs but then there is Wheeltappers and just like Wheeltappers no one has to read everything. I don't want to see the blogs disappear - quite the opposite I want them to work and become as visited as the topics are. I started a blog, but since changes in the format and software I cannot update it or continue with it - that is an issue probably only limited to me as a anti-javascript user. But we have seen others on here with issues regarding the display layout. When it is easier to create a blog off-site than create a blog here within a group of selectively interested parties simply down to the software there has to be something wrong with it. Of course there is an element of "blog bashing" and that is inevitable with something that is quite alien to most people and as we have seen from some of the posts above - not even fully understood as to what it is for or how it should be used. I just do not get the impression that members do not want to access the great information out there in the blogs - they just want to be able to see it and interact with it in the same way as they can with the topics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Rmweb is running slow again. Is this due to 'Similar Topics' (which they patently aren't) being tagged onto the bottom of every page? I'm with Larry on this. The slowness seems to be getting all persuasive and I'm concerned these little "add ons" add up. I was just posting on the subject of American Depots and the #1 similar topic was , apparently, German Railways!!!! Isn't it rather superfluous? Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Thanks very much guys for clarifying the difference between a blog and a thread. As always, the simplest explanation is often the best and the postings this morning have been most illuminating for me. I think we all have to be careful in terms of stereotyping members as my comments on blogs are certainly not anti blog but simply trying to understand what they are and why we now have two options in which to write up our layout build progress. I have no problem with giving everyone the choice that suits them, but the postings must be easily available to all and simple to access whichever route you choose. One of the most soul destroying things in life is to work behind the scenes improving things and then find someone or several people write off in a few seconds something that has occupied hours of your day for many weeks. I'd like to put on record that I'm very grateful for everything Andy and the crew have done to make RMWeb the best UK based model railway forum available. You guys have worked tirelessly on our behalf to produce something very special and should be applauded for what we currently have. My only gripe is that gaining all these new areas has not been without cost as we now have a much more complex site and one where access to certain areas does not follow a straightforward common access route. If we can continue to provide the best product/hobby coverage in the UK and yet still keep the site fast and simple to use we will have the holy grail of forums.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Thanks, Gordon, for the "lest we forget" - quite right! It's just "we" have to look and see where the demand for improvement really is. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted June 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2011 I'm very disappointed that this has descended yet again into mistruths and misconception about the RMWeb blogs. The inferences of self-centred notions, "streams of consciousness" etc etc do a lot of the membership a great dis-service. There is some excellent content on there, the 2mm boys and girls in particular plus some groundbreaking stuff in 4mm and larger. I certainly don't recall reading anything about toenails or breakfast sausages, far less writing such. Sorry, but whilst like Pugsley I'm not too fussed if folk are unwilling to read the blogs - they're probably not all that interested or they *would* make the effort - but I do take continued offence at the stereotyping and misinformation. My contribution was specifically in response to a genuine question about the difference between threads and blogs. Blogs exist outside RMWeb and have the same purpose and set of values - you write what you think. As for the idea that streams of consciousness do not lurk in RMWeb blogs, try this from the last couple of days : "I'm modelling in the rain, I'm modelling in the rain. What a glourious feeling i'm having again - Come on, sing along as i'm sure you can make the words up. What the hell is he on about I hear you cry as you look at this!!!!! Its not some wierd fantasy that I can only do things outside when its raining. Can you imagine trying to make a model from card in the rain? I've always found the sound of rain on a tent canvas to be a fairly soothing sound except when accompanied by high wind, and the other day I was in the shed on one of the few days recently when we have had some rain and the sound created was that nice gentle tap tap tap sound on the roof of the shed. I know often we talk about the music we listen to, but this was just such a peaceful way to model, and certainly beats the noise the damn cats make scratching on the roof. In no time at all I was through the mod roc I had and over an hour had sailed by." As a blogger, the author is entitled to talk about everything and anything - and here he has chosen to do so. He might not have done so in a thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted June 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2011 Hi Mike, But so does Active Content. The difference with "All unread" is that you are in control. When you have read all that interests you, you can click Mark Board As Read (on the very last line at the bottom of every RMweb page) and your View New Content list will be empty, ready to receive the next posts. regards, Martin. But the other setting for 'View New Content' does that anyway Martin. It will only show me 'new content' which has arrived since I last signed out - hence every time I sign in 'View New Content' shows me all the posts (except those made in Groups) which have appeared since my previous visit - no need to mark anything, in effect it does that automatically when I sign out. (I have noticed that it sometimes does slightly unexpected things around midnight but that is readily picked up by looking at Active Content as well.) And - unlike 'Active Content' - it seems that using 'View New Content' works over a period of days - thus if I sign in after not visiting RMWeb for, say, 4 days when I do sign in it shows me all the posts (except in Groups) made since my last visit and once I sign out again it resets itself ready for my next visit. Admittedly it probably only saves a few clicks but it seems a simple and convenient way to visit for someone like me who has a wide range of railway/modelling interests. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 This isn't a grumble or a moan, but I have to agree with Pinkmouse that the whole forum is scattered/shattered/fragged since Andys latest change. Previously I would look in all the forum sections and scan down them quickly, opening up any thread that looked interesting. Now everything is so fragmented that I open "Overseas modelling", followed by American Groups ( because those are my main interests) . I may duck into the 2011 contest, wheeltappers, and possibly exhibitions. ( Whisper it softly but I scan the blogs on the right of the page, and have even been known to read some!) I use the Basic homepage and never use either "New content" or "Active content" largely because there is so much stuff in there, and there are only so many hours in the day - I'm sure that I am missing lots of interesting threads but as long as the majority are happy, so-be-it. I do appreciate Andys hard work, and his vision for the site, and its development - I'm probably just old and set in my ways. And the similar topics very, very rarely come up with anything similar to the thread I'm reading - whatever its search algorithm is, it needs a severe revision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted June 4, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2011 But the other setting for 'View New Content' does that anyway Martin. It will only show me 'new content' which has arrived since I last signed out Hi Mike, Yes, but you may need to sign out without having read everything that you would like to read. Using the "Last visit" option you will lose those items from the list. The "Unread" option keeps them in the list until you read them or mark them as read, regardless of any signing in and out. regards, Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 What do you mean by the traditional way, Dave? I've used Active Content since the onset of RMWeb as I found that gave me access to all the posts and meant I could choose what was of interest. To me Active Content IS the traditional method. I'd certainly like to hear about other methods and what advantages they offer. Basically, looking at the forum like this... ...and clicking on 'Hints & tips' and reading the latest posts, then going back to that page and clicking on 'Prototype Questions' and reading stuff in there, then going back and clicking on... and so on. I'm not looking for a discussion on which is the better method (summary: you're afraid of missing something, I don't want my viewing clogged up with stuff I have no interest in - horses for courses), I just don't believe that most RMWeb users access via Active Content. If they do, then we can do away with all the different forums and just have one big massive one and bung it all in. However, this is also why I believe blogs don't get much interest, because they aren't accessed in the way described above. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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