Good morning Forum Manager!
I note that the Forum pages have now started showing as multiple pages not one long page. After a certain number of posts one moves onto "page 2" and so on.
Is there any reason for this? I find it much less convenient - it adds nothing, increases the number of "clicks" (important if you are viewing the pages via a poor connection in a remote place), and removes the ability to scroll down.
What do other Forum readers think? Any support for a return to the previous all-on-one-page formatting?
Bucksnet - 05/09/2011 09:25 GMT
Cedric, it is 20 posts per page from what I have seen.
I think it was done because some people viewing the site from mobile devices had trouble with a lot of posts, or something similar.
I haven't really got a problem with it, but when you are on page 2 or 3, for example, and you reply to a post, then the page updates and goes back to page 1 and not the page you were on. Same for editing posts.
Thank you Bucksnet. I had not thought of the problems for Mobile users - but even there, I would have thought there was advantage in being able to download a whole thread and then simply scroll up and down it.
It is not the largest issue in my life either, but just a mild irritant and (for me) reduction in quality of the Forum experience.
If the consensus at BT is to keep this format - after all i presume it was introduced for a reason and after careful thought - then perhaps, Forum Manager, there might be a button which says "View as one page"?
VintageKrug - 05/09/2011 09:53 GMT
It works fine for me, but I think it is essential the functionality to "quote a post" is added, for two reasons:
1. It ensures the "thread" of a post is not lost between page turns
2. It ensures that it is the content being discussed, not the poster (by avoiding directing comment at a poster rather than her/his comments)
I agree with Cedric if you're just joining a thread and have to scroll multiple pages, whereas before you could just scroll down and scan the various posts.
However if already contributing to a thread it's handy to just skip to the last thread and carry on from there. Unless of course it's just on a page break, in which case you have to go back a page to make sure you've read all the posts.
All in all I like the new format though a (saveable) "view all" function could be handy.
Delighted I don't lose all my sign in details anymore on the iPad.
PS. How do some people add "bold" text to their posts?
Lugano
bold text string Precede the text with these three characters
left arrow head parentheses; lowercase b; right arrow head parentheses
To conclude bold (4 characters) left arrow head; / ; lower case b; right arrow head
italic To italicise, replace each b with an i
VK - Please have the courtesy to review your posts for spelling and grammar, get your act together before whinging about others.
VintageKrug - 05/09/2011 10:59 GMT
Sorry - new keyboard!
A facility to block being able to view the posts of a particular user might also be handy.
Thanks CallMeIshmael. It's a bit fiddly on an iPad but here goes. Best wishes, LP.
And my thanks too, CallMeIshmael. A neat trick. One learns the most obscure useful things via this forum, and I predict a rash of heavily formatted posts in the coming days ....
VK
I do hope we don't get the ability to block various posters. The spirit of tolerance for others is in short enough supply anyway in this world, and it really should be possible to ignore a post or a poster one does not like and move on.
And anyway, who is to say that you (or me) won't be the one people want to block ...
Oops, before the great grammatician-in-chief comments, that should of course be "you or I", not "you or me".
VintageKrug - 05/09/2011 13:23 GMT
I would have no objection whatsoever to being blocked by some posters here!
Hello,
Thank you for the messages.
It was added at the request of regulars on the forum who use mobile devices. I'm sorry it doesn't suit everyone, and I've noted the suggestions for further functionality on this thread, all of which make sense, and which, when finances permit, will be added to the "must-do" list.
I haven't said it for a while, so will do so now. We really do appreciate the effort people put into this forum, and are very grateful for your contributions, as are the countless numbers who read but don't comment, but who benefit from the advice and conversations. Thank you again.
Tom Otley (Editor, UK)
Tim2sms - 05/09/2011 16:15 GMT
If we are to have paged threads, please could they be date descending, otherwise long threads are going to need lots of clicks to get to the newest stuff.
Thanks.
Tim2sms - 05/09/2011 16:17 GMT
I also repeat my offer that if the forum can be made RSS'able, I'd be happy to create iPhone and Android Apps for the forum content, no charge and no cost for the App to download.
VintageKrug - 05/09/2011 16:19 GMT
My preference is to have date ascending posts (as is the case now).
Some people have different preferences, of course, so configurability is the way forward!
Bucksnet - 05/09/2011 17:39 GMT
And of course you can click 'skip to last post' which has always been there.
stevescoots - 06/09/2011 02:02 GMT
cant say as I noticed any change.....
I have seen several old posts reappear this morning from a new poster, which appears to be for the sole purpose of removing current discussions down the line.
On the left, a BA flight report has been posted for the 3rd time 3, 4 and 8 February.
Is there a mystery editor or someone with aspirations to be a moderator about??????
