Very, very frustrated with the new board « Columbus Underground Messageboard

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Very, very frustrated with the new board

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Started 3 years ago by Andrew Hall
Latest reply from Walker

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Andrew Hall
Dennison Place (The Circles)
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I really hate to bitch and moan and I appreciate all involved are working hard, but things are at a point where a large part of the value of CU is gone or simply less than the effort to get it.

A bit ago, there were some comments about bad service at Nida's. I posted I experienced the same. We went this week and it was much improved. In cases like this, I feel honor to acknowledge this. Fair is fair. The thread was not that old and was a bitch to find. If I didn't feel strongly about posting and had time to kill, I would have said 'fuck it.'

The thread is not old, but would require going backwards in Dining through three screens (loaded with images), assuming you noticed the tiny link at the bottom AND figured out that "<< previous entries" wasn't going to go back in pages you'd viewed which a << usually means. A search for "Nida's" fails. A search for "Nida" finally worked. Ridiculous. This was the final straw to prompt this rant as I haven't bothered to post several restaurant/news updates because it was too much hassle.

The ways things are configured, it is all about new topics and posts. Updating information is not worth the effort it takes to find. And if you do, the teaser text is intermingled with newer topics on the side bar. And if you click on those, you get taken to the opening of the topic and you have no way to know WHAT topic that teaser is part of. I could go on, but the main point is that the effort to sustain relatively organized commentary on active businesses has become more effort than the value of it.

If being a news feeder with only 'fresh' commentary is what CU is heading towards, then that is what we've got. That really is of little value to me.

Sorry to dump on you Walker but when my intent to do the right thing with respect to a business is so thwarted, I could not take it any more.

A.

Posted 3 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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I agree, but I figured with time I'll get used to the new site. I'm sure things will be added to make things easier. For now I just view the most recent (top 10, wish it were 20)topics at the top of the page, I don't bother anymore to search through the subforums for recent posts, it is too time consuming.

i also feel posting has slowed. I know I don't post as much and haven't seen a couple of people posting, of course this is what I see, probably not seeing the entire picture. and I feel I've gotten less info about what is happening in the city on the newer site compared to the old one.

and i always just come to the messageboard first, bypassing the first page. before it seemed everything was more in the same place without having to navigate the site to see all the conversations and stuff going on. it's like there's 2 sets of conversations happening.

Posted 3 years ago #
enzo

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I just liked being able to see the entire graphic without it being inside a box other than that, I like it...I miss the pop up when you get a note too!

Posted 3 years ago #
sixby9is42

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It may just take time for me to get used to, but it's taking quite a while so far. This is the most drastic change I've ever had to go through for a message board. Other forums that have changed just updated the software, but CU totally changed platforms. I agree with lifeliberty; I'd like to see more topics on the "Topics with new posts" page, or at least give us the option to change it. vBulletin seems to be much more flexible than this. I know that you changed CU with the best intentions, Walker, but it seems like the functionality has taken a big step backwards.

Posted 3 years ago #
Cookie
Flyntonville
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sixby9is42 wrote >>
I agree with lifeliberty; I'd like to see more topics on the "Topics with new posts" page, or at least give us the option to change it.

Click "recently updated messageboard discussions" to the right.

Posted 3 years ago #
shroud
Polaris
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I think as things go on, it will be a little easier - as threads get properly tagged, for example, it should be easier to find them on searches.

I do think volume has gone down somewhat, but that's hard to gauge as well, since the discussion areas were cut in two parts. Discussion on the big news items definitely seems down... but maybe that's just because there hasn't been a big flamewar yet?

The new system grew on me pretty quickly - and honestly, the slight slowdown has helped me get back into things as well, since I can go a day away without having 5 pages of threads to try and filter through.

Posted 3 years ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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I agree with this frustration.

the news section is comparatively crippled. i attempted late last night to update the bourbon thread with a review of the new bourbon at details and found it is already buried deep into the dining area never to be seen again unless someone specifically goes over there or clicks the little "recently updated news" link.

And the topic is not even a day old!!!

I posted my comment, but I suspect that because it is buried "out of sight out of mind" that most people will just assume the thread is DONE and it is now impossible to spur new discussion on the topic.

I understand why this was done, but I think there should be a way to revive news posts back up into the front page so people can know that the topic is still, or again, active. I am really hoping to see other people comment on that particular thread! Don't make me go start another discussion about it over in the messageboard section.

The messageboard section on the other hand bumps threads with new posts in the same way the old board worked, also the "favorites" list, and the "threads I have participated in" are great features.

Posted 3 years ago #
gramarye
In Exile
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I've been holding my tongue because I was a little shy about openly criticizing such a bold new experiment--especially since I was invited to be a beta tester and didn't do much with that invitation. That said, I do think that the board lost more than it gained with the relaunch.

Navigation to older threads is one part of it.

The harder line of separation between news and discussions also is extraordinarily cumbersome for me. In addition, the news threads no longer seem to recognize BBCode. Formatting has become a true chore and quotations are extremely difficult, especially formatting either quotes within quotes, or quotations from different people in a single post (i.e., answering two separate earlier commenters in one post of one's own).

I'd be highly interested in seeing the aggregate posts/day tallies, pre- and post-relaunch, sans those of Walker himself. My impression is that the total volume of participatory activity (i.e., posting) here has fallen perceptibly, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that the total volume of non-participatory activity (i.e., reading) has also declined.

Posted 3 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Andrew Hall wrote >>
Sorry to dump on you Walker but when my intent to do the right thing with respect to a business is so thwarted, I could not take it any more.

Feel free to send me an email with any issues you might have.

Posted 3 years ago #
Andrew Hall
Dennison Place (The Circles)
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Another unintended consequence : It used to be that when I was out on biz, I'd make stops to check out new places and post here. Fun and, in my mind at least, a service.

Earlier this week I was downtown and going right past Rolls, which was noted here before it opened. I had a thought to take 10 and visit it, but then didn't do so when I realized the hassle it would be to find the old thread as well as the feeling that it just wasn't worth it.

I have done my usual routine of checking out the new, but not posted. It was kind of a threshold to decide I didn't want to bother even checking out the place.

A.

Posted 3 years ago #
sixby9is42

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Cookie wrote >>

sixby9is42 wrote >>
I agree with lifeliberty; I'd like to see more topics on the "Topics with new posts" page, or at least give us the option to change it.

Click "recently updated messageboard discussions" to the right.

That's the page I'm talking about. You can only see 10 topics at a time. At the very least, I would like to see 15-20 topics or the option to configure a setting for it.

Posted 3 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Anyhoo... I've always been open to any criticism and issues and will always continue to be. I realized full well that many regulars would be annoyed at first with some things moved around.

For the past few weeks I have been working on glitches and navigation fixes. Glitches take priority. Some navigational changes are still in the works. I set a hard deadline for myself on Jan 1 to get this at least up and running because otherwise it would be another 10 years in the continual "tweaking" phase without any user input. This is a part of the process and I think it will address a lot of the complaints being mentioned here.

But again, if anyone has more indepth issues to discuss, you all know how to get in touch with me privately. Don't feel like your only options are "biting your tongue in public" or "dumping on you in public".

thanks,
Walker

Posted 3 years ago #
Cookie
Flyntonville
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sixby9is42 wrote >>
That's the page I'm talking about. You can only see 10 topics at a time. At the very least, I would like to see 15-20 topics or the option to configure a setting for it.

Just being able to go back a page or two in the recent updates works well enough for me.

Posted 3 years ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
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This is what i think would help:

a list of the "News Topics with New Comments" right under the list of "messageboard Topics with New Comments". The currently list of random opening post lines ("news articles with new comments) is useless and irritating. These should display 10 topic headers each.

Being able to put a news topic in the favorites would also help with being able to follow a topic.

having the news easily displayed by area has been VERY useful for finding buried news topics. The few times i've had to look for something it was found there quickly.

Posted 3 years ago #
Ndcent
OTE
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I really like the new look and everything but the whole news articles v. messageboard articles is really confusing, bc in many instances I feel they should be messageboard articles with the discussion that ensues from the news articles.

Searching is very difficult, but what's most trying is quoting parts of a post, or multiple quotes.

I do again enjoy the look though.

And I wish there was that "hover over the link" feature where you can read the first few lines of the post w/o having to click on it.

Posted 3 years ago #
pixlfarmer
Dublin
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Being able to search for phrases using quotation marks would really help out with the searches.

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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Yeah, the search is definitely an issue, still thinking of going Google search Walk?

I do feel a bit of a disconnect with some of the conversational style that used to exist, maybe just because of the separation of news and messageboard still. My only real issue with the "10 newest" thing, is there were sections I pretty much totally ignored before, but now those new posts knock back posts I do care about a page or two.

The look of the site, particularly the front, I think is fantastic though. Still don't get an e-mail when I get a PM though, and with it being so small on top now I've had them sit for a day before I realize it!

Posted 3 years ago #
Roland
Clintonville
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I have greater success using Google to search for CU Threads. Give it a try.

Posted 3 years ago #
Andrew Hall
Dennison Place (The Circles)
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Google turned up less and less useful hits for 'Nida's.' While a technical matter, I still wonder why 'Nida' hits and 'Nida's' doesn't.

Lastly, why the fuck is there a tag of 'calling you out' on this thread? That is just rude and unnecessarily confrontational which is far removed from my intent here. If that is that tags are for, then that is ridiculous.

A.

Posted 3 years ago #
Anne
King Lincoln
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Tag has been removed.

Yes, there are some problems with the new site. There are many people using it and they all use it differently. Trying to work in everyone's complaints with it is going to take some time. Walker and I appreciate everyone's thoughts and patience.

Also, I think this might have been noted in the thread for messageboard issues, but the search currently has a problem with apostrophes.

Posted 3 years ago #