Opinion

[Doug Smith SRA]

Wayne,

I just returned, albeit jet lagged, from a vacation. While on vacation I logged in and welcomed the familiar screen. I even posted from the shores of France on one compelling subject.

I returned, booted up and gaped aghast at the sudden overhaul of the site. My perspective is from a long time participant and major fan. My first reaction was very negative but weighing the specifics, I really feel the site has become too segmented and carpartmentalized. I just don't have the time to scan so many boards.

Other innovations seem to be a leap forward in extraordinary ways that will bring real attention to this important site. I just never thought I would need a user manual to follow the action eg. use of the emoticons for me is not intuitive. I clicked them in vain trying to move them into my document. For first timers and old guys like me, I need a little instruction above or below to tell me how to use them. I apparently waded in to make a point without first getting instructions on using the new screen. There is no help screen or at least no way to back out and get some help explaining the extraordinary menu that I can see.

So other than spreading out the forum into too many segments, I will endeavor to get used to all the changes.

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Just don't go away!!! Keep playing with it and the next thing you know you'll be used to it and will like.

Hope you had a wonderful time in France.

 

[Head Surfer]

Wayne,

I returned, booted up and gaped aghast at the sudden overhaul of the site. My perspective is from a long time participant and major fan. My first reaction was very negative but weighing the specifics, I really feel the site has become too segmented and carpartmentalized. I just don't have the time to scan so many boards.

Doug, if you will click the link "view all new posts since my last visit" it will display posts from ALL forms. You can choose which to read or not.

Other innovations seem to be a leap forward in extraordinary ways that will bring real attention to this important site. I just never thought I would need a user manual to follow the action eg. use of the emoticons for me is not intuitive. I clicked them in vain trying to move them into my document. For first timers and old guys like me, I need a little instruction above or below to tell me how to use them. I apparently waded in to make a point without first getting instructions on using the new screen. There is no help screen or at least no way to back out and get some help explaining the extraordinary menu that I can see.

Doug there is an icon called FAQ at the top of each page that gives extensive help. Also at the top and bottom of each page are links back to the main page. In addition there is a drop down box at the bottom called "jump to" that will put you anywhere you want to go. Expore these a little and you will see it is very intuitive

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So other than spreading out the forum into too many segments, I will endeavor to get used to all the changes.

Thank you! We had outgrown the other software. We were getting a lot of posts but what about trying to make sense of them later? Example: We were getting 300-400 new posts every day! The topic at the top of the page got lots of attention, but if you wanted to comment on a post from 2 weeks ago you were out of luck because they had gone to the archives.

This system will make for much easier reading and searching.