Vote on board format

This is the main board for discussing general techniques, tools, and processes for fusing, slumping, and related kiln-forming activities.

Moderators: Brad Walker, Tony Smith

Should the board change back to the old format?

Yes.
50
23%
No.
116
54%
It doesn't matter to me.
28
13%
I'm not familiar with the old format.
19
9%
 
Total votes: 213

Terry Ow-Wing
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Post by Terry Ow-Wing »

:D :D :D
I absolutly love the new board! I especially like the Read all post since your last visit. It organizes all the messages across the separate topics on one page. It's very organized -

Sincerely,
Terry O.
Terry Ow-Wing Designs
Kilnformed and Lampworked Glass Art
http://GlassArt.weebly.com
Image
Brian and Jenny Blanthorn
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Post by Brian and Jenny Blanthorn »

Terry Ow-Wing wrote::D :D :D
I absolutly love the new board! I especially like the Read all post since your last visit. It organizes all the messages across the separate topics on one page. It's very organized -

Sincerely,
Terry O.
I prefer this format

Using the view new posts I dont miss stuff

Saves me time

As mentioned, a what U read option would B that only addition I would require

Thanks 4 ur continuing devotion

In the end Brad its what makes ur life easier
Image
Colin & Helen
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Post by Colin & Helen »

Spot on Brian with this new format we can use those skipping pics

Image Image

I'm all for this new format Colin inthe other Albany..
Colin & Helen from the other albany<img src="http://members.westnet.com.au/sheltie/i ... b-logo.jpg">
rodney
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old and new board

Post by rodney »

i liked the old board because for me it was easier to see the thread, but i like the multiple boards of this one, so,,,,,,,,,,,if the old board came back, but still had the various boards here, i would like that, but now that i see we can have votes and get the %, this is good, very good,,,,,,,, brad, whatever is fine with me, but it looks like the % is way ahead for keeping the new board, ahhhhh, the politics of trying to please everyone,,,,,,,,brad, thanks for all the hard work, this board, old or new, is the best place ive ever found for helpful, and knowledgable info, and im happy that the sponsorship is growing, thanks again,,,,rodney
rosanna gusler
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Post by rosanna gusler »

i have changed my mind. the more i think about it, the better i like this new board. rosanna
David Williams

Post by David Williams »

I don't like this format at all. I don't have the time or the connection speed to view many threads or even posts within a thread. I usually view posts by people I find interesting or knowledgeable. With the old format I could look at a thread and read the posts I wanted to. With this I can only see the most recent poster not all who have contributed. I know this has alot of features, blah blah. I don't want more features. Its a waste of time learning new technology which will just change in a few months. I have to admit this plays into my already fixed opinions about the computer/ technology paradigm we live under now. IE I want less features. I want simple. I want things to stay the same. Its a tool to do work (in this case, to learn and get information). If you always change the tool, the tool becomes the focus not the work.
Brad Walker
Site Admin
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Post by Brad Walker »

To me, the irony about the whole board format argument is that I read the posts by email (and did on the old board, too). As a result, the board format doesn't really matter to me from a user perspective (administration is a different issue) -- in either case, I just get emails and just click on the link in any email I want to reply to on the board.

Since we have a lot of people that subscribe to the board and get the emails also, I suspect that I'm not the only one who keeps track this way.
Kathie Karancz
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Old vs New

Post by Kathie Karancz »

Hey Brad:
I like the new Board too. As people have mentioned the old Board was getting so there was far too much info to weed through before you got to where you thought you wanted to go. I too am not computer savy, so I am afraid that I may miss something that I don't want to miss on this new one, but I guess that's my problem. I think that there had to have been a reason for the change to begin with, so why not stick to the new and try to avoid what didn't work in the past. Keep up the great work. Hopefully I haven't missed anything on the Conference.
Kathie from Calgary
Clifford Ross
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Post by Clifford Ross »

Stick to the new board, please. The separation of thread types looks a lot better to me now that I'm used to it.
Ron Coleman
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Location: Columbus, Ohio USA

Post by Ron Coleman »

Brad Walker wrote:To me, the irony about the whole board format argument is that I read the posts by email (and did on the old board, too). As a result, the board format doesn't really matter to me from a user perspective (administration is a different issue) -- in either case, I just get emails and just click on the link in any email I want to reply to on the board.

Since we have a lot of people that subscribe to the board and get the emails also, I suspect that I'm not the only one who keeps track this way.
The email method may be fine for some Brad, but consider the people that browse the board from two or three different computers and locations each day, all with different email addys. And the people that only get a chance to check email when they get home from work. Who wants 50 emails to read at one time?

I think many people browse the board looking for topics of interest and one attention getter the old board had was the threaded message system with topic headers that would mutate as the thread developed. A lot of the meat in the threads wasn't in the first few messages, but further down the list things got interesting and that's when the read meaty discussions started.

Even though the new board has the ability to change the topic in the message string I think it's a useless feature. The font is so small in the topic line I don't even notice there has been a change most times.

Another annoyance that really bugs me with the new board is that people don't use the "quote reply" button" and all I see is the answer to a message. Which one of the previous 40 or more messages the answer is in response to, I have no idea and I have to spend a lot of time reading through 3+ pages trying to figure where the answer fits into the discussion. On the old board if things weren't quoted, which for some reason some people would erase the automatic quote, there was a visual way to connect the response by looking at the thread.

Recently, my method of reading the board has been to glance at the main topics and if there is one of interest I click on it. I also look at the last person's name who posted a reply and if I want to read what they said I click on the their little icon and go read. What happens between the first and the last post most times doesn't draw my attention because there isn't any visual indicator of an interesting topic developing. I used to read only the attention getting topics in a thread at first and then maybe read the rest later on, maybe even the next day. Today, without the visual parts of the threads I don't even read a lot of messages.

To me, the new board will give answers to questions that people have, but the development of interesting threads is hard to get started with the missing, mutating topic line as a visual indiactor of a hot topic.
Ron
Last edited by Ron Coleman on Wed May 21, 2003 7:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Geri Comstock
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Post by Geri Comstock »

This is in response to Ron's comments.

Ron, you expressed perfectly the reason why I haven't been looking at the board as much since the format changed. The thread format really helped me see more easily what I wanted to read and respond to. This format is more challenging for me for some reason. Other boards I used to read alot have switched to it, too, and I don't read them much anymore either.

I find the discussions very disjointed in the new format because there's no visual cues as to who is responding to whom, which, as you said, you could see using the other format.

I didn't quote your post because the quote feature of the new board inevitably sends my poor old Mac into hyperspace from which it can't return. I don't know if other people aren't using it for that reason or if they don't understand it yet.

I haven't subscribed to this board via email because I simply don't have the time to read every message. I already subscribe to the orchid board and don't have time to read that either. I never respond on that board. I get between 50 and 75 messages a day from that and am a couple of weeks behind in sorting through which ones I want to read and which ones I don't. LOL. TMI (Too Much Information)!

Geri
Kitty
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Post by Kitty »

When i first voted in the poll, i chose "it doesn't matter to me," since i didn't have strong feelings and it appeared others did. when we switched from the old format to the new one, i was in a funk and didn't like adjusting to the change, but since i didn't do any of the work, it seemed a good idea to be quiet. after seeing Rosanna's post yesterday or the day before, i decided to come clean and say that i really prefer the new one, for much the same reasons others do. i'm not battling any computer problems, i'm too new here to miss the past, and regardless of what form it takes, i'm just delighted to have the board, and look at it every day. it's astonishing how much i've gotten out of it - thanks to everyone. kitty.
David Williams

Me too

Post by David Williams »

What Ron said.
Cynthia

Usually we disagree.

Post by Cynthia »

Usually David and I disagree, but today I have to echo what David said and say...."What Ron said".

.
Barbara Muth
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Re: Usually we disagree.

Post by Barbara Muth »

Cynthia Oliver wrote:Usually David and I disagree, but today I have to echo what David said and say...."What Ron said".

.
yo tambien

Barbara
Barbara
Check out the glass manufacturer's recommended firing schedules...
LATEST GLASS
Mary Kay Nitchie
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Re: Usually we disagree.

Post by Mary Kay Nitchie »

Cynthia Oliver wrote:Usually David and I disagree, but today I have to echo what David said and say...."What Ron said".

.
What Cynthia said.

Mary Kay
Mary Kay Nitchie
Bullseye Glass Co.
http://www.bullseyeglass.com
PDXBarbara
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Re: Usually we disagree.

Post by PDXBarbara »

Mary Kay Nitchie wrote:
Cynthia Oliver wrote:Usually David and I disagree, but today I have to echo what David said and say...."What Ron said".

.
What Cynthia said.

Mary Kay
What Mary Kay said.
P.S. I'll pick up the stuff this morning, Mary Kay...
Barbara Bader
Brock
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Post by Brock »

What Barbara said . . . Ich Auch!

Herr Brock
My memory is so good, I can't remember the last time I forgot something . . .
jim simmons
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Post by jim simmons »

Who said what?
Anyway, i also say what everyone else said.

Jim
Doug
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Post by Doug »

What Ron said, David said, part of what Cynthia said, Barbara said, Mary Kay said....and what PDX Barbara said........The old board was much easier in format to use, and in a much more personable, friendlier fashion. And maybe I'm wrong, but more professional dialogue at times. .....Doug
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