I need your help and feedback...
 

I can alter the current forum to look a bit more like the "old" Sowpub forum, so you can see "threads" from the front page...

In fact, here's a forum which has done it, so you can see what it looks like...

http://www.spiritwood.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=4

(I should be able to change the text size, so don't worry about the text being too small...)

The question is - do you prefer this "other" threaded look? Or do you like the forum as it is right now?

Please let me know what you think! (And feel free to post why you like one way or the other way...)

I've set up a poll - so please let me know your vote! (At present, you do need to be registered and logged in to vote...)

Thanks for your help and feedback! :)

- Dien

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

I like the way they have the threads on the front page.

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

I like the way this poll is showing responses one after another. It's familiar to that on another forum I visit.

But, since I often forget that the threads are at the top, I sometimes close a post before I realize that somebody responded. So threaded would work for me.

I'll get used to however it's arranged, though, now that the little man is back sowing his seeds.:)

I cleaned my registry and dumped a bunch of cookies I didn't recognize, so I'm having to log in. . . took me forever to figure out how to vote.
:o

Marye

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

. . . and I can't edit. Is that turned off, or do I need to set something?

Marye

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

I think if you will try the threaded view on the main page, you will see readership and participation increase. Many times I will pull up the main page and just give up and move on without opening any thread because I don't want to have to wade through each thread to find what I might be interested in. I understand you needed to change, but I really preferred the old forum.

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Dien,

I like the new forum. However, the feel of it isn't Sowpub. Looking over the Spiritwood Forums, I like their threaded view.

Maybe you could have the threaded view, but bring some of that old Sowpub background or wallpaper back to this forum.

From the Trouse
Woody Quiñones
ImpactYourArea.com

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Hi Dien,

I believe the more this new forum looks like the old forum the more people will enjoy it. My vote is to go with the "other" threaded look.

My Best 2 U,

LindaC:)

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Dien,

The old forum has the comfortable, familiar feel of "home" that we were used to.

I vote for something that resembles "home".

Lawrence

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Dien, this was kind of a toss up for me but one thing made me decide: the time factor. It is just much faster and easier to pick out exactly where you want to go with a threaded view. I'll be happy with it either way.

You're doing great with this. Enjoy browsing the old forum threads...especially the really old ones I hadn't seen before. I really missed Sowpub and all the folks here when it was down.

Sandi Bowman

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Hi Dien,

I love this forum! My vote goes to the threaded look. It makes it easier to choose interesting posts to read. Can you do the old archives this way too?

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Dien,

Another good reason to change the forum to implement "threaded" views is so particular posts within a thread can be referenced directly to another related post. It can't be done now on the new forum, as each post does not have a separate ID number whereas the old forum did like the forum example you posted. In other words, you can only carry over the entire thread to reference it elsewhere.

Hopefully, this makes some sense and at this point it looks like the Red team is winning with a three quarter Vote. :)

Phil

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Because I really preferred the look of the old forum
I vote for making it more like the way it used to be!

Cheers,

Steve

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

I like the threaded look of the link you showed.

I think that would help us scan the forum for new material more easily.

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Dien,

The more you can resemble the old forum the better,
but just happy to have you back!

Rod

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Dien,

Thanks for asking for our opinons.

For mine, the Threaded look is best because I can see which messags in a thread I might like to read, without first having to click to open the thread. It gives an element of control back to me - which is what is so alluring about the internet; we control our experience.

Also, the thread view saves time. Sure it's only a click and load time wait, which might not be long depending on your conncetion speed. Buut it's additional clicks and waiting that I don't experience when I can pick a message out of a thread.

If you go the Threaded View route, can the front page be made to show more threads/messages than the 21 is shows.

Also, you'll need to do something about the Sticky, otherwise we have to wade past it all the time. Which isn't so bad now, but could be if more and more messages get added to it.

Michael Ross

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Hi Dien,

1st Congratulations on the new SOWPUB forum and for recovering some of the archives.

THANK YOU!

the search function on this forum is also a lot better :->

The Threaded view is preferrable.

Duane

Thanks for your feedback...
 

Thanks for your feedback everyone!

Wow, it's starting to look like a "landslide"!

Unless the "tide turns" and we got an avalanche of votes going the other way, I'll work on implementing the "threaded" look...

It will take a little work to implement (because it's an "unofficial" modification), but hope to get that done very soon! (By the weekend, perhaps...)

Thanks for your feedback... and feel free to continue voting either way...

- Dien

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Hi Phil,

Actually, you can reference individual posts - though it took me a while to realize it.

At the top right of each post, you'll see a number... it will have a format like this "#1" or "#11" or whatever... If you CLICK on that number, it will take you to the link to that individual post!

For example, here's the link to one of your posts, which is part of another thread...

http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showpost...45&postcount=3

Actually, if you want to make it look more "elegant", you can delete the "&postcount=X" part at the end, so the link is just

http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5245

That number at the end is the individual number of the post... :)

(The number - 5245 in this case - is quite high because that post was added after I added most of the various posts currently in the archives... Once I add more of the archives that number on new posts will become over 30,000 ... However, for individual posts, that number won't change, so you can use it to link to individual posts...)


Yes, the vote is looking pretty one-sided!

- Dien

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Dien,

Your forum will be great no matter what, and I guess I am always familiar with the status quo. But I really like a threaded message. The old SOW had it, and FIB has it, and it's so easy to relate to (at least for me).

No matter what, keep up the good work. This is one of the best forums for exchange.

Rick

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Wow, I was one who voted to keep the current style.

I'm a big fan of clean and uncluttered.

I like to mix things up a bit and test new stuff all the time. Change is always good IMO, if for no other reason than than just to try something new and see how it works.

Oh well, I guess majority will rule here.

I'm curious Dien, what do you prefer? It's okay for you to be the dictator here, this is your house and people will abide by whatever you do here.

I doubt that you will lose any visitors either way.

Jim

Re: I need your help and feedback...
 

Hi Jim,

I didn't want to answer earlier, because I didn't want to risk "biasing" the poll!

Personally, I like the "threaded" look... I like the fact you can answer a particular post in a thread, and it's clear that your answer is connected to that particular post. Also, personally, I think it's nice to see the title of all the new posts, rather than the title of only the initial post...

I agree it may look a little more "cluttered" - but then, I live a slightly "cluttered" lifestyle, so perhaps it fits... ;)

Cheers,

Dien