New A2K annoyances

The "quote" button on the BBCode editor inserts the tag pair kinda randomly, if you've already typed somehing in the text window.

I have a gripe with the "My Tags" box in the left column of the "My Tags" window. Keywords I use frequently, but the community uses rarely don't show up in it. "Science", for example, was the keyword that inspired this post.

It would help me if "My Tags" -- the box to the left, not the window containing it! -- were sorted by their popularity with me, not their popularity with the community. They are, after all, my tags.

That has crossed my mind as well, Thomas. I'd like it to follow my order.

I suppose there is some reason it doesn't. I've had to do the tags sometimes a few times to get it to eliminate something that is less important to me than my word, and keep mine. There are some words it doesn't want to repeat at all, ever, and it may be that they're too specific. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn't get a tag to take St. Pancras Station -- which, ya know, someone in the wide world may be interested in some day.

I don't think you can put punctuation marks in a tag. Try "St Pancras Station" and see if that works.

Has anyone else noticed that the "list" function is gone? I used that a lot to make block quotations. Now the formatting in many of my old posts is screwed up because the "list" function is defunct. Bring back "list!"

And make the avatars bigger.

• This
  
• is
  
• a
  
• list
  

What you want is how the old list used to allow you to not have any list items and just indent right? So what you really want is a tabbing or blockquote feature.

So do I. But it's probably not going to come back in the form of invalid lists.

Well, I have no idea how you did that, because the "reply" box used to show the formatting in the post being replied to -- maybe that's something we need to bring back too.

But yes, I want something that will block quote a piece of text. I didn't make too many lists in the past and i don't expect that I will in the future.

Thanks, JoefromChicago, I bet that's it.

You can turn it on in your preferences now.

nice! yay.

The new A2K site is very space-wasting, I have to do way too much scrolling just to get the same content as on many other sites, including the old A2K.

- The base font is not overly illegible, Arial is easily its superior.
- The login is an irritant, because now I must use my email.
- The quote feature is muddled.

- If you want to see a professional well laid out forum that is efficient in its use of space and way more intuitive check out this one:

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php?PHPSESSID=b2690dc0d12f8c4901f42f463781cb43&

- or this one:

http://www.bcsportbikes.com/forum/

Both of the above totally blow away the new A2k with it wasted space and invasive features. Sorry, but there are plenty of forum templates that could have been used that are far better the new A2K's.

Don't know if it was here that the bbcode editor was reported as an annoyance but that's been addressed (clear your cache for it to work) and now if you show the toolbar on one of your posts it will be open by default for you till you close it.

This was just addressed a few minutes ago (and I posted the news elsewhere), but there's a preference for the old style quote buttons.

amen!

I see the name of the last poster to a thread feature is back!

That's all very well Chum but those sites you have pointed us at are where to go to get yourself cleaned out with some bullshit about machismo.

Craven is on a labour of love.

I think I know what is bothering me about the new A2K.

Every important discussion/topic/question I care about has slowed down (or stopped) due to the change.

Above all else, this is the function of the site.

I feel like there is a HUGE decrease in participation because people are too preoccupied with the site itself.

If we can have a "top" and "end" link/button (in tiny ass low contrast green tint) on a page at any moment, why not a "reply to all" that you didn't have to return to the top (at the exact opposite place it should be placed ergonomically)?

This is honestly getting beyond frustrating. I've heard the statement about how not everyone will use the site like you do. blah. blah. blah. All I have to say is that I've been using BB and PHP forums for years now, and the way I use them is the way they were designed to be used (A2Ks old form is EXTREMELY common). This design is certainly designed to be used differently, but I'm not sure who it is designed for.

I think that functionality has taken a huge hit. Huge.

Tags - great. I can follow information back to topic I post about. Good bye old system where I might just happen to see a topic I know nothing about and might click on for educational exposure.

For instance, I may make a topic about a particular country. Let's say a small one. I tag it up with specifics like what country, a president, and a topic such as "water contamination". Now, people just wont find this topic unless they are looking for it! The only way I'm going to have my topic found is to apply general (not specific) tags, which means when I return and add "international" or "politics," now someone might find it, but now they have to wade through every other thread with that tag, in which case we should have just had a general directory in the first place!

There are no shortages of places on the internet where people can come together and debate etc, so I understand that A2K is trying to offer something new and unique to set themselves out from the rest. That is there interest, not mine. My interest is having a place where I can share my ideas and hear other's.

I am tech savvy and this is not technically sound or practical. I'm upset because valued members like BumbleBeeBoogie feel alienated and hurt by the MEANINGLESS thumb system to the degree she feels like she should leave.

I want to leave! But not out of protest, out of convenience! I'm staying around because I have a fondness for the community, and I'm appealing to those in charge to not abuse that fondness, because like I said there are plenty of places on the internet...

T
K
O

P.s. - How many new members did we get a day/week before the change? How many now? People are going to go to what they know. So for all the heard of what is brand new, they still use Linux based systems and code in PERL at NASA for a reason and it's not because older engineers work there. Food for thought: function will always prevail over form.

Not sure now where to speak of potential glitches, so I will try here.

Apologies in advance, Soz...

When I try to use a link on the "what are you listening to" thred, it will not open in a new window like all the other threads seem to. (it replaces A2k instead)

This is true on both of my systems...

Yeah, I saw somewhere (sorry that I don't remember where -- can track it down if need be) that Craven changed the default setting. A2K links open in a new window/ tab, but outside links don't open in a new window.

What browser do you use? (There are ways to open any link in a new window, but I only know how to do it with Firefox.)

I can do it manually, it just seems strange to have one place where it is different.

(I do links all the time in and out of my thread and zap) I thought I had a bug at home, till it duped here on a completely different system.

No worries, just thought it might be a quirk.