New Forum Changes - What Do You Think?

[tionis]

I don't like the new changes to the forum. For example, you can't tell who replied to a thread, or how many views it has etc unless you're logged in. The thumbs up I don't care for. I'd would rather see who replied and stuff. If it's to make it more mobile friendly so it doesn't take up too much space in your screen then I guess is OK. But for some reason I enjoy knowing who replied to a thread before I click on it.

 

[Joppy]

Why would you ever be viewing the forum and not be signed in? Just sign in and 'stay signed in'.

 

[beamie564]

It doesn't show how many replies a post has gotten. Please bring it back

 

[Joppy]

It doesn't show how many replies a post has gotten. Please bring it back

I have no idea how this feature could be useful.

 

[beamie564]

I have no idea how this feature could be useful.

It's not vital, but it was nice to know.. It gave an idea about how long the thread is.

 

[Joppy]

It's not vital, but it was nice to know.. It gave an idea about how long the thread is.

xD. Come on now, give the dev's a break :p.

 

[DrClaude]

It doesn't show how many replies a post has gotten. Please bring it back

It does.

 

[beamie564]

It does.

What?! I can't see it.. I'll attach a screenshot.

 

[mfb]

The replies are shown in the desktop version but not in the mobile version.

 

[Joppy]

What?! I can't see it.. I'll attach a screenshot.View attachment 104247

Maybe you should download Tapatalk. It provides most of the notifications and info you need for PF, and a lot of other forums you might use also.

The link attached is assuming you have an android device of some kind (from screenshot).

 

[beamie564]

The replies are shown in the desktop version but not in the mobile version.

But I've been able to see them until now; on my mobile.. Dunno what changed

 

[beamie564]

Maybe you should download Tapatalk. It provides most of the notifications and info you need for PF, and a lot of other forums you might use also.

The link attached is assuming you have an android device of some kind (from screenshot).

I'll try that.. I'm using a Windows phone though.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

But I've been able to see them until now; on my mobile.. Dunno what changed

I still need to play with some things. It was broken in mobile around midnight and I needed to get to bed. Hold tight

 

[beamie564]

I still need to play with some things. It was broken in mobile around midnight and I needed to get to bed. Hold tight

Cool. I was just worried that it'll be a permanent change. Thanks

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Working on it now, sorry for the dust

 

[DrClaude]

What?! I can't see it...

It helps to specify what platform you are using when reporting problems

 

[fresh_42]

I miss the page number list. It has been easier to jump into long running threads.
E.g. I tested a jump into "Japan Earthquake ...". It led me to the first unread post somewhere in the middle. A little bit inconvenient if you want to know what the actual discussion is about. And as always: "Everything has been better in the old days" or the positive version: "Never change a winning team."

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I miss the page number list. It has been easier to jump into long running threads.

Clicking the date in the last post column will take you to the last post

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I miss the page number list. It has been easier to jump into long running threads.

Also how often do you click any page number other than the last?

 

[beamie564]

It helps to specify what platform you are using when reporting problems

I'll keep that in mind
Ps: I use internet explorer browser in my Windows phone.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Replies are back in mobile. Can you confirm @Aniruddha@94?

Last page hover link is back

 

[beamie564]

Replies are back in mobile. Can you confirm @Aniruddha@94?

Last page hover link is back

Yes! It's back. Cool

 

[mfb]

Also how often do you click any page number other than the last?

I do that sometimes. I don't have statistics how often.

 

[fresh_42]

Also how often do you click any page number other than the last?

Good question. To be honest, I don't know. Usually I will and therefore thanks for the hint above. On some threads I actually do, e.g. joke threads or very long threads like SUSY debates (to read the last 2 or 3 pages). Now that I know how to get to the last, last read and first post, I officially withdraw my critics.

 

[Charles Link]

It doesn't show how many replies a post has gotten. Please bring it back

Yes, I also liked seeing how many views a posting received.

 

[beamie564]

Yes, I also liked seeing how many views a posting received.

No no.. Not views ( I still can't see those on my phone). I was talking about seeing how many replies a post gets

 

[Charles Link]

No no.. Not views ( I still can't see those on my phone). I was talking about seeing how many replies a post gets

On my PC I can not see the number of views. Usually, in the listing of the discussions of a section it gave the number of views. This change just occurred last night.

 

[beamie564]

On my PC I can not see the number of views. Usually, in the listing of the discussions of a section it gave the number of views. This change just occurred last night.

Oh okay. I haven't used my computer in quite a while. Don't worry, it'll be back ( I think)

 

[tionis]

Consider the following screenshot:

This is what you see when not logged-in. Now, I don't know about you guys, but It's my preference not to log-in unless I have something to say or I'm replying to an PM or something. Anyways, do to the current changes, there is no way to know if, for example, the ''what is a photon'' thread has received any new replies just by looking at it. It could have very well received a thousand more replies, but you wouldn't know it because all you see is the title and nothing else. This is not cool. At least let us see the name of the last poster who chimed in. Thanks.

 

[Joppy]

= Now, I don't know about you guys, but It's my preference not to log-in unless I have something to say or I'm replying to an PM or something.

A very odd preference. Seems senseless to me.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Anyways, do to the current changes, there is no way to know if, for example, the ''what is a photon'' thread has received any new replies just by looking at it. It could have very well received a thousand more replies, but you wouldn't know it because all you see is the title and nothing else. This is not cool. At least let us see the name of the last poster who chimed in. Thanks.

The number of replies for the latest post has never been shown on the front page. The reason for dropping the last poster information when logged out is that for 95% of logged out (non member guests) that information is not useful and thus clutter.

 

[tionis]

The number of replies for the latest post has never been shown on the front page.

Yes, I'm aware of that. That is not what I'm asking for.

The reason for dropping the last poster information when logged out is that for 95% of logged out (non member guests) that information is not useful and thus clutter.

Was there a poll about this? I think it's rather useful to see the name of the last person replying to a thread so you don't have to keep on clicking threads just to see if there is a new reply. It would save people the trouble of having to guess whether there is something worth reading. Hey, thanks for replying BTW. I'm sorry if it appears as if I'm making demands. I know people like me just add noise, but I'm trying to remedy that by going to school.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Was there a poll about this?

No poll was created

I think it's rather useful to see the name of the last person replying to a thread so you don't have to keep on clicking threads just to see if there is a new reply. It would save people the trouble of having to guess whether there is something worth reading.

Guests don't know members or have relationships with them yet. To me all they care about is the content. Once they read the content, sign up and contribute, then they care and know about other members. When they are logged in that member information is then displayed.

I'm sorry if it appears as if I'm making demands. I know people like me just add noise

Feedback is never noise to me. It is absolutely vital. I appreciate your opinion and it is important to me. Sincerely.

 

[tionis]

Feedback is never noise to me. It is absolutely vital. I appreciate your opinion and it is important to me. Sincerely.

Thanks! ''Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable.''

 

[dlgoff]

Feedback is never noise to me. It is absolutely vital. I appreciate your opinion and it is important to me. Sincerely.

Okay. A removed, useful feature for me was bolding the user name in a forum's thread list for new or unread threads. It made for a way to do a fast scan for threads of interest to me. Here's a screenshot.

Edit: Never mind. I see that the thread title is bolded which gives the same information I was using. Thanks.

 

[phinds]

I still need to play with some things...

Yeah, I just knew you'd been playing with yourself again.

 

[Charles Link]

As I mentioned in post #25, I did like being able to see on my PC how many views a posting has. This was previously found in the listing of all the posts for a section. I think it is now absent completely in the new format.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I think it is now absent completely in the new format.

Indeed as I thought total likes was a more important metric than views. One is a value stat the other is neutral stat.

 

[dlgoff]

Indeed as I thought total likes was a more important ...

Knowing how much time you spend in front of a computer monitor, I know PF will always be at the peak of social forum's trends.

 

[OCR]

Yeah, I just knew you'd been playing with yourself again.

Well, that explains the glasses ! ...

 

[phinds]

Greg, I really like the new format in each of the forums but I am deeply distressed that it does not show up when you click on "New Posts". That's my automatic way of looking at the forum so now I never see the number of responses and I do not at all like having that gone.

I don't care that much one way or the other about the # of likes but I do appreciate your adding it. I also don't care at all about the number of views. BUT ... I care a lot about the number of responses (maybe it's a personal quirk) and since the "New Posts" is my default way of looking at the forum and since it is now gone from there, I'm not a happy camper.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I can fix it on Sunday

 

[phinds]

I can fix it on Sunday

Excellent. Thank you. It's nice to see the forum god working on a Sunday

 

[Merlin3189]

Just to add my vote, I do like to know the number of replies. If I don't notice a thread before it's got a lot ('lot' varies with my mood, say 20+) of replies, I'm not going to join in unless I'm really interested in the topic because I'd have to read through all of them if I wanted to comment. Maybe just an indication of when it gets onto the second page would be enough? So long as I can scroll back to check what people are talking about I'm OK. When it gets to the third page and I'm not sure whether to skip back to p.1 or 2 to check a comment, then I need a bit of motivation to keep at it.

And I have a (maybe totally wrong) feeling that for many threads by 20 posts, either the thread has gone off topic, or the OP was so unclear that no one actually knows what it's about.

 

[phinds]

And I have a (maybe totally wrong) feeling that for many threads by 20 posts, either the thread has gone off topic, or the OP was so unclear that no one actually knows what it's about.

I used to think that and I do find it true sometimes but other times, it turns out it's a long interesting discussion (for me anyway).

 

[Merlin3189]

You're right, of course. But it is probably more so for you clever guys. There aren't many topics, that I understand, which could sensibly go on for very long!
I did once try to follow one of Jim's on transformers that went on past 300 posts. But I think they had lost me even before they scored the first century.

 

[tionis]

More often than not, threads with a high number of replies are awesome. The same could be said for a high number of views. Don't know how this new thumbs up system works, though. When I go to the list and try to click on the green thumb up icon, it does nothing. My guess is that it counts the number of likes individual posts received.

 

[mfb]

My guess is that it counts the number of likes individual posts received.

That is exactly what it does, the sum of likes received for all posts.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

This has been fixed but I need to correct some column issues.

 

[phinds]

This has been fixed but I need to correct some column issues.

You are a man of your word. It's starting to look good. Thanks