Am willing to give it the benefit but I'm not sure i like it

jepsonclough Image
05/17/2009 - 08:48

Think this is going to take some getting used to - probably much more functionality but at the moment there doesn't seem to be a structure - while structure can be restrincting (eg all the sniping on the forum about setting up new topics) it does mean that there is a logic which helps with finding things (so if you aren't interested in somethign you don't look there, equally if you want help with some aspect of gardeing you know where to look first). For example I have no idea where this post will end up - but being a good girl I followed the instruction to introduce myself.43, female, live in Chehsire, house in Monte San Martino, rennovation almost finished, two children (boy 10, girl 8), chocolate labrador, university lecturer and former accounant, can't speak Italian (but husband can), don't know what else to post.Chris

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In reply to by jepsonclough

Hello and a huge welcome from all of us :) I suspect your daughter is 8 ? The smiley is made up of an eight and a bracket (I think) so you may have just clipped it with your finger??Thank you for the intro - you are not far from lots of us here - Huzzah!Quick question did you click new post under the Marche Clubhouse? If so how did it end up in the piazza Ronald so Gala saw it?I can only assume that you hit another option too? Could you confirm for me please? Look forward to hearing much more from you soonMoxie

it is very different from the usual forum layout - the main difference being that there are no forums as such!You create content which can be categorised and it is those categorise that replace the different forum headings we had in the previous layout. So as you say it is far more flexible from that point of view although it takes getting used to (especially if you are coming over from the previous layout and functionality)The other difference is between groups (where posts are visible only to group members) and posts in the public space (which are visible to all.Finally the piazza gives you an overview of everything going on on the website that is relevant to you (i.e. a view of all the public posts and group posts you are a member of)Another big different (that is not live yet) is the ability to create different types of content (rather than just posts like the forums). So tomorrow we will see how photo galleries, different types reviews, etc will be possible.

In reply to by Ronald

Hi Ronald

Great work on getting rid of forums and replacing with Drupal Groups! I know this is going to be difficult for all those members who are used to forums but I'm sure that a few months from now when all the glitches and improvements are in place that most users would not want to return to forums.

Kevan

1. In the piazza you see posts that are relevant to you - so if you are a member of the Marche group you will see Marche group postings in the piazza etc.2. This post was created under the Help Group AND the Marche Group (cross-posting) and that is why Gala (who is not a marchese) can see it

...after all those of us old enough to remember dos operating systems eventaully got used to windows (although I still can't find anything on vista - one of the problems of running two computers with different operating systems but this is getting really off topic so enough already!Chris

Hello All,Just saying hello from sunny Wales. Have made a few postings in the old system and am not sure I like this one. Maybe I'm just a bit of a dinosaur! Also I have not got a status. Does anyone know how I get one? I did like the forums as threads were easy to find but I'm sure I'll get used to this in time.Helen

In reply to by helens

 Hi Helen,the status it the right place to describe what your feelings are in a particular moment or what are you thinking about.This is how you can have one: www.italymag.co.uk/community/what-status-how-do-i-change-itIf you one the get one more idea of what a status is, just go at the bottom of the Piazza's page and you will find other users' status.Waiting to see your own status!!

I've used the internet since around 1990 (on a very slow 9600 modem) and the days of bulletin boards - 'cos we couldn't download images back then.  Forums work.  I've seen a few great forums move to new 'community' sites like this has & they've all gone down the drain - losing the very user-base that kept them interesting.I find this particularly hard work to browse through - it's hard on bandwidth and half of the page is taken up needlessly with graphics and gimmicks.  The CSS implimentation appears to have problems here and there as well since on Firefox 3.0.10 (OSX) I have over-lapping columns on certain pages.  It's disappointing imo - no longer a place I can quickly login to and scan through for interesting threads.

I'm giving it a go but I find that unlike the old forums which I could have a glance at when i had a spare 5 mins it's so difficutl to see what has changed and the screen is so full of dross (for example I don't care what avatar or picture someone posting has) and not much content that I don't even have a look once a day.  Sorry but I don't think I'll be as regular as I was. Chris

I agree with Chris and Andy.  The site is quite cumbersome and even with just selecting new posts, I find I'd have to scroll through 14 pages to view everything.  I usually have had enough after page 3 and call it quits.  So far, I am spending much less time on the site, which perhaps is not a bad thing!

 I'm using Safari Beta 4 browser on Leopard (10.5.7) and don't have the problems of overlapping columns.  (Just an aside Safari 4 seems to be working very well indeed.) I don't bother to log out. Regards sempre_italia

 Well here we go again..jepsonclough has just posted according to the main page and it;s not registering here, well so far  .....

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Hey SI, it's another 'no-quotes' problem . AndyT posted at 8:19pm.  Jepsonclough replied to THAT message so appears underneath the AndyT posting! If you look at the thread it goes:8:19 - AndyT9:45 - jepsonclough8:258:31 etc If you 'reply' to a posting you may not end up as the FINAL posting in the thread. Will you join my crusade to get 'quotes' so the threads appear in the order they are posted?

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Thanks SI, What do you call a fish without any eyes?  A fsh! What do you call a Cinghiale without any eyes? A  Cinghale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Sorry!  Clicked 'Save' instead of 'Back to Top' again.Ronnie - can we please have 'Back to Top' on the other (right) side of the page?

I agree that it is difficult to follow threads logically now.  Not sure what to suggest though.   However, can I put in a request for a "new posts" flag on topics?  That was how I used to browse the old forum, and/or used the search facility

Also, the old Forum had a feature where you could receive notification if a thread you had participated in had a new post.  I do not receive any type of announcement now in my e-mail even though I believe I have it correctly set up.  I now have to search out a thread I posted in to see if there is anything new.

Hi Lisa - have you tried the"My activity" button in the banner at the top.  That at least brings up all the threads you've participated in - I presume in the order of new postings

In reply to by Annec

Thanks Anne,I just tried the "My activity" button and it did help.  I had to scroll down to get to the newest posting, but it was easier than trolling through pages of posts.Lisa 

I agree with the others who dont have lots of time to spend on the computer. On the old forum I could skim through and quickly find the things that might interest me and put the odd comment here and there. There are still lots of categories on the new one I've not even visited. I'm sure I must be missing a lot but somehow they've not got the same lure.  If I do write something I have difficulty remembering where it is to see if there are any rep;ies so often dont bother to comment. Mind you I never did learn how to programme the video. I really need to be in a separate new group especially for extremely slow learners (possibly only me in the group I suppose , which could be a bit lonely)ciaoalma

In reply to by alma

Can I join your group too Alma?  I'm in the same position as you.I can't even record a programme any more, let alone programme any of the machines we have got.  I am lucky these days if I can even get the TV switched on to the channel I want.  I was only saying the other day that when VHS first came in everything was so simple, I simply pressed record and I could wind the tapes back and forward - technology has got far too clever and I have got far older!

You certainly can. At least I can understand your post. Some of the posts on this thread might as well be written in an ancient and obscure Italian dialect as far as my comprehension is concerned. I know that later generations than me have evolved brains that are wired up to all things technical, but we actually had a tin bath by the fire when I was very small  and bought our butter loose from the corner shop.  Our most complicated piece of equipment was a wind up gramophone. I didn't even have a telephone till I was in my 20's, so even writing a comment here is quite a miracle. When it all goes above my head I wonder should I pack it in or bluff it out. 

I've only just mastered my Amstrad computer; I gather there are now more up to date ones. The only thing that has saved me is having teenage (and, in the past, less) children.  They cut their teeth on VHS recorders, mastered iPods in a flash, can do amazing things with DVD recorders and can even make computers do what they want rather than what (in my experience) the computer wants.Hoppfuly sum of thiss has rubed offf on mi.