Is it my imagination, or is the new forum not as active as the old one? Perhaps it seems slower since this is a holiday weekend or that not everyone has re-activated their acounts.
Just doesn’t seem to be as many new posts.
Well, Rob, I have been trying but the screen keeps jumping around.
I know the admins are busy but just typing this sentance the text line has jumpe from top to bottom about 10 times and I can barely keep track of what I’m typing.
I agree - just not quite as easy to use. I think they might have figured out the image resizing thing (which was causing me some problems), but the other thing that’s really making it harder for me to use these is the “posts since last visit” feature - or more specifically, the lack of it. David Voss mentioned he was looking into that.
I think it’s more of a growing pain sort of thing, and once some of the kinks get worked out and people get used to the new set up it will pick up again…
The only problem I am having with the new format is trying to figure out which posts have new content from the last time that I was here.
On the old format, there was a little folder that would be a different color if anyone had posted since the last visit. Now, you just gotta guess or at least I do. I haven’t figured out to tell yet.
I don’t have any problem with the screen jumping around. The speed of the pages loading appears to be just as it was before AND before anyone say’s it! Yes, I am on a dial up connection. I have seen where one member says he has to type his message on Word or something of that nature and then has to copy and paste it to the forum. I have had no problems in this area at all. But, that’s just me. I’m sure all of those who say they are having problems are.
Heya Chopperfan,
You get a 
(or similar) in the left column beside the thread titles with new posts and a 
on read threads. (Click here for a rundown on the thread icons)
Hope this helps a little.
(Edited to fix FAQ link)
Thanks, Phil.
Now, one more. If, after reading a thread someone adds another reply to that thread, will the icon change back to the not read version? It seems that once I have read a thread, it stays the same. [%-)]
Took me a bit to figure how to post-I think the new GUI stinks!
Have to agree the GUI sucks bt i think once they get the bugs worked out it should be ok i hope.
It should update every time the page reloads. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to happen though. [%-)]
I don’t think it’s your imagination, because I see it too. For me, it is still a matter of being a little disoriented and trying to find and follow the topics. It has been mentioned a few times here and in other post, but I’ll say it again: The process of finding ‘new posts since last visit’ in this new format is horrible! That is probably the most important feature that I miss. In the old forum, you could log on and see every topic that had been posted on since you were gone, and they were all arranged by topic. Now, we just get a jumbled mess of recent topics from every forum on the website. Hopefully that issue can be resolved. Some other issues I have are the lack of the quick reply box, the fact that you cannot see the entire record of posts when you are replying, and you cannot see the member names of those who are viewing a topic. And one last thing, I don’t like having to type out my entire email address to log into the FSM network. What was wrong with just using your screenname to log onto the forum? Anyways, I have digressed. But, I think my viewpoint is that until the bugs are fixed and the new format is done with it’s growing pains, the forums will be slightly less active.
If you will check the ‘Remember me’ box, all you have to do is enter your password.
I too have noticed the lack of activity. I share some of the same “gripes” that the rest of you have plus, I miss the “return to the top of the page” button and since this morning my computer doesn’t update the menu page so that it shows recent activity. I’ve posted in some of the forums and when I come back to the menu later in the day it will show a post from yesterday or early this morning as the most recent. On the whole though I like the new format.
Huh? I’ve checked the “remember me” box and I don’t have to do a thing. It logs me in automatically!
You also have to take into account that FSM has more than 20,000 fewer registered users than it did a week ago. Sure most of them probably weren’t all that active, but I gotta think they counted for something.
I must admit I’ve posted a little less than before. I too am trying to get used to how things work now. I’m getting used to the new format. Besides, these guys are pretty good about explaining things to computer greenhorns like me. Any questions I’ve had they [FSM] have answered so far. Like anything new it will take time to work out the bugs.
Well that just chaps my *** (There!! I beat the forum censor!! [:P])!!! I checked the ‘Remember me’ box and I still have to type in my password!!
Personally, I don’t trust the member figures shown on most message boards. They list the numbers of people subscribed which includes: 1.) People that signed up and left without removing their id’s(if the Software even allows that). 2.) People that signed up but never posted. 3.) People that forgot their login/password. 4.) People that are subscribed but are browsing the board without bothering to log in. 5.) etc. Plus, after every major software/GUI change you will see a drop in participation/postings. Which might pick up or not, IME, it tends to drop. As an average less than 10% of the subscribers are actual participating posters(if you are lucky). One Board I know was down because the admin happened to be stationed in Iraq during the crash for a few weeks. It nearly killed the board. Same can happen when a bunch of regular posters leave due to “political/admin” issues. Seen quiet a few boards to go from 100+ messages a day to less than 10 a month, even though they record 500+ members.
I also have been posting less lately. Because of the new look (with al thos signatures and avatares) I can’t use the forum at work (it’s to conspicious). I used to turn all the badges, signatures etc. off so I could use the forum at work but that option is gone! [:-(]
Those 20,000 user accounts that were deleted were accounts where they had never participated on the forums and had not visited since Jan 1, 2005. We kept any accounts where they had participated (1 post or more), even if it was a couple years ago.
Well, so much for that theory. I had assumed that the 32,000 members were the ones that had re-registered, although that did seem like a somewhat large number to have re-upped so quickly.