"Why not a different forum?" Topic

The forum here is pretty nice, and there's always something interesting to read. However, I can't help but get the feeling that the system behind it feels a bit dated. Could be wrong.

Thing is, most of the nice features don't seem to exist here; we can't embed anything, and text control is pretty basic. I'm not complaining, but there are a bunch of free forum sites out there, including Invisionfree (which I've personal experience with). Is this one still preferred because of a few features not seen in other forums (cross posting), or because it's part of the site?

Just curious. The member system being down every other night around 2AM my time prompted me to ask.

M.

TMP goes down about 9am here, but I'm happy to live with it. I like this site because, more than anything, I'm used to it and find it easy to use / navigate around.

Like many, I have a love hate relationship with technology. I love it when I know how it works, and I hate it when I have to relearn everything. I don't use a PC at work, so I tend to be 5 years behind the majority. I still don't know how to do some of the most basic things with XP. In a few years time my son will be 8, then I can ask him how things work! Until then, please, don't change.

One thing I would like to know though. How do you highlight things in a white block in the messages. I like that a lot but havn't a clue how to do it.

goes down here at 7pm bloody annoying..

The forum here is pretty nice, and there's always something interesting to read. However, I can't help but get the feeling that the system behind it feels a bit dated. Could be wrong.

TMP is state of the art for internet forums in 1998 or thereabouts.

Bill's "upgrade" looks like it might drag TMP kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Just about. Maybe.

For an example of what a modern online community can be take a look at Ravelry ravelry.com/account/login It's for people into knitting, crochet etc etc. But it shows what can be done.

olicana wrote:

One thing I would like to know though. How do you highlight things in a white block in the messages. I like that a lot but havn't a clue how to do it.

Put < q > at the start of the text you want to highlight and put < / q > at the end. But leave out the spaces.

Guys,

You can try to make it look prettier all you want, just don't change the rest.

Dan

Poor old TMP is dead on it's feet. Certainly time for a change.

Cue all the old farts to chime in (they always do), about how we mustn't alter a thing because of all the flashy avatars and signatures that will hurt their poor little eyes. For the umpteenth time: Just because you have modern forum software, it doesn't mean you have to have that stuff. And even if you do have it, it can usually be turned off in user preferences.

Laughably dated I guess I can live with, but I'm afraid TMP is just plain broken. Half the time all the posts go walkabout for most of the day (There is no topic with this ID number), never mind all the other bugs, and the fact that it needs what seems to be an increasingly long nap every day. If it were a horse you would shoot it.

I'm looking forward to the new upgrade that Bill has been talking about. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

I'm looking forward to innovative and revolutionary features like:
go to first unread post; todays posts; embedded pictures; search (one that works); auto formatting tools; not breaking down and having to be manually fixed every day.

Who knows what new developments to the internet happenned in the late 90's,some of them may even show up here.

todays posts

Oh yes… a list of the 600 posts I have missed today so far will help me immensely :-D

my 2 pennies…

From someone who throws this kind of thing together once in a blue moon at work, and uses them for work too, TMP is anachronistic at best, plain outdated at worst.

The content is fine, the people are great, but the engine needs an overhaul im afraid.

12 years of development and design have occurred and we just expect better these days.

In no way is that a reflection on Bill, but more a reflection on us, the selfish users.

thanks

As long as the site works and you can read the posts, I don't see that it matters. It's not like there is any competition anyway.

Without exception, TMP takes fewer clicks and less time to get where I want to go than any of the other forums that I use. Others may be newer and have no bugs, but I prefer TMP.

However, I can't help but get the feeling that the system behind it feels a bit dated.

It is, and generally I like it that way.

Most modern websites use too much bandwidth, and have terrible design.

TMP is in the midst of a gradual modernization, which I hope will improve reliability while maintaining clarity and ease of use.
-Kle.

TMP is like my pair of old slippers…they may have a couple of holes in but I find them very comfortable!

Pete

I'm here for the content and the atmosphere. The site works, it's not important to me that it look like everywhere else.

The site works, it's not important to me that it look like everywhere else.

I would agree, if only that were true. It doesn't work above half the time I try and use it– It's busted.

You can only keep using so much Gaffa tape to hold things together. TMP needs modernizing ASAP.

I'm surprised that all the technological wizards who claim that so much more could be done aren't out running their own little TMPs.

Poor old TMP is dead on it's feet. Certainly time for a change. Cue all the old farts to chime in (they always do),

Yer preachin' to the choir here Poly. I agree the poor old dog is on it's last legs. Time to take it behind the woodshed and do the kindest thing. Then get a new puppy.

Speaking as an old fart myself, like. If I can manage all this modern computery stuff, it can't be rocket surgery.

I will say that TMP loads great on mobile devices.

It has that goin' for it, which is nice.

Funny Alan, there are lots of wargaming forums out there, this is hardly the only one. Lots of people go to them too, and that is why they would like to see some of the common options brought back here. TMP is outdated, broken, and needs the overhaul. That is why I stopped paying for my account till I see what is changed.

I cannot understand why so many of you are afraid of, not even new and untested options but, common place standards of the day.

Not everything has to be giant flashing avatars, and bloated signature lines. Being able to see new posts of the day to old treads would be nice. Thats not too radical and scary is it?

"If I can manage all this modern computery stuff, it can't be rocket surgery."

Well, there you go! Must be a long line of you talented fellers knocking on Bill's door, all ready to make everything just hunky-dory!

On the other hand TMP has 24,588 members, so it can't be that bad

I dont think anything needs changing.
But thats just my 2p

Rees

I'm surprised that all the technological wizards who claim that so much more could be done aren't out running their own little TMPs.

Lots of people are. The technology is not the difficult bit, building the community is.

TMP has got the advantage that the community has been building for years. But the technology is over ten years behind the times – stuck in the era of dial up internet access.

For such a visual hobby it's quite amazing just how many people seem satisfied with a (largely) text only forum.

On the other hand TMP has 24,588 members, so it can't be that bad

Funny thing about that. Turns out that most are just sock puppets.

So from your own experience, Derek, what do you consider current technology? A blog?

Where are all these high-speed, low-drag fora that make TMP look oh so very antiquated? The ones I frequent give me nothing in the way of significant improvements; I can't think of a one of them that isn't inaccessible for some period of time every so often.

Oh, and fora frequented by little louts whose only vocabulary consists of "kewl" and "awsum" and "roXXOrz" an LOL emoticons, where half the page space is taken up by anime avatars and stupid sigs, need not apply.

Allen

Allen wrote:

So from your own experience, Derek, what do you consider current technology? A blog?

Blogging software is not even slightly suitable for a large scale community such as TMP.

Said it above, Ravelry ravelry.com But you won't be able to see how good it is without joining up and joining in with discussions about knitting crochet etc. My wife uses it a lot and it's absolutely first class.

It also got significantly more opportunities for the forum's owners to generate income, allowing users to buy pdf patterns immediately for example.

The engine used by Ning is also good.

Anything where you can't display pictures in your posts is just inadequate.

"If I can manage all this modern computery stuff, it can't be rocket surgery."

Well, there you go! Must be a long line of you talented fellers knocking on Bill's door, all ready to make everything just hunky-dory!

I dare say that if I wanted to I could build a decent guitar, I have the skillz. However, as I am a guitar player, not a guitar maker, I have the luxury of being able to go out and buy one instead. Call me lazy, I won't argue. Tell me I'm taking advantage of someone else's labours, I still won't argue.

That's probably one of them annaloggy fings. Prob'ly.

…and what Derek H said too

…and finally, by an amazing coincidence, someone (not me) posted a link to a motorcycle forum I'm a member of the other day. It's in the first post here:

TMP link

Is late 20th century web technology so bad?

OK, signed up. Went to the "socks on ciruclar" thread in the Techniques forum; must be a TMPer: no caps, can't spell.

Gee, funny thing: it's all text posts! It has a banner ad, like TMP. Great… It has avatars of turtles, and kitties, and girls. Wow.

I don't see the virtue. Oh, wait: there's useful "TMP Talk"-like information, explaining how to put a prairie dog in the corner of your avatar. Now I'm impressed!

Allen

Allen wrote:

Gee, funny thing: it's all text posts! It has a banner ad, like TMP. Great… It has avatars of turtles, and kitties, and girls. Wow.

There's none so blind as those who will not see.

Members certainly can put pictures in Ravelry posts, they don't have to though.

an LOL emoticons, where half the page space is taken up by anime avatars and stupid sigs, need not apply.

And here lies the same argument for not changing anything used to death here.

YOU CAN HAVE UPGRADES WITHOUT THAT.

Bumping updated threads
Easier access to quoting, bolding, etc…
Easier visual clues to new posts in treads.
Not having to save a link to every tread I want to follow after it leave the front page.
Email notifications of activity on threads I am following
A search engine that works
Posting pics would be nice
random link from random site
link
Crazy, but pics showing painted items, in a painting board. We have gallery and painting guide boards in almost every major category here but still have to link out of it?
why even have those boards?

Why pictures could be limited to those boards so your aol dial-up connections wouldn't be strained. Heck there could be a text only option for those that still want it. '

All of that of course has nothing to do with Avatars and signatures so it's not worth discussing as possible upgrades in any sort, right?

I even prefer the bog standard phpBB forums, which people may know from Frothers and Flames of War, to the TMP setup.

But I can understand why people would disagree with me on that one.

"random link from random site"

That's a fine example. Why should Bill have to pay the bandwidth for images? Let the punters link to their blogs or image accounts.

"so your aol dial-up connections wouldn't be strained"

Sneer all you like. My broadband works just fine.

Allen

"I even prefer the bog standard phpBB forums, which people may know from Frothers and Flames of War, to the TMP setup."

Excellent examples: they both go down regularly. And TMP's interface is elegant in comparison.

Allen

That's a fine example. Why should Bill have to pay the bandwidth for images? Let the punters link to their blogs or image accounts.

And let Bill set things up so that images stored elsewhere can be displayed in TMP posts!

It wouldn't cost him a penny!

Allen wrote:

Excellent examples: they both go down regularly. And TMP's interface is elegant in comparison.

They both go down occasionally. TMP goes down regularly, same time just about every day.

Interface is a matter of opinion.

Why should Bill have to pay the bandwidth for images? Let the punters link to their blogs or image accounts.

Aside from Derek's suggestion above, Hell, Bundle it as a option for the paying members and he would offset the costs there and give a real reason to get people to buy.

It would be cool to be able to imbed an image into a post. And it doesn't need to suck any of Bill's storage space, since you would only be linking to an image stored on someone else's server.

I happen to like this format: sdean-forum.co.uk

by an amazing coincidence, someone (not me) posted a link to a motorcycle forum I'm a member of the other day

Moth?

Aecurtis, dont confuse the functionality of a site with the drivel its members may post on it.
I'm sure the punchcards that made this site could be retired and you may even like some of the newer forum features,those that you dont like you can normally switch off.

Might be. Who's asking?

Perhaps Bill could make both embedding images, and not having to look at them, privileges for Supporting Members. Heck, I might join up again to keep the clean look of the site.

I guess I'm odd for not seeing these huge problems that need fixing… I like the clean and simple look of it, I like that it loads lightning-fast. I don't have much trouble searching out old threads.
Going down once a day for an hour or two isn't a big deal to me.

I don't have much faith that 'updating' will be anything except a new set of issues for people to complain about.

Perhaps Bill could make both embedding images, and not having to look at them, privileges for Supporting Members. Heck, I might join up again to keep the clean look of the site.

Charging for basic functionality is not the way forward.

The fact of the matter is that TMP has to go down daily for maintenance. Every other board I frequent doesn't have this problem. Not saying they don't ever go down for maintenance, but nowhere near daily. Once a quarter maybe on some of the less stable builds. Sometimes the downtime is more for tweaking to avoid spambots or upgrades, not necessarily for repair.

I find navigating on TMP and determining which threads have updated since my last visit both to be a pain. I can do it, but other forum suites make it easier.

The whole flashy avatar and bloated sig line arguments are moot because they are things that The Editor can control the configuration of. Or he could establish it as a simple rule that no animated gifs for avatars (it works on at least one other forum I frequent) and boot those that violate. Though to be honest, I don't even notice the animated avatars. They get filtered out with the rest of the noise on the Web.

What I wouldn't envy is trying to transfer all the collected information in this website to a new format. The mere thought makes water boarding sound like a fun day out.

At any rate, the site works (with some interruption) as it is and continues to be a vast repository of information, both with and without bias. If it doesn't change it won't be the end of the world. If it does, I doubt anyone will go into cardiac arrest over it.

And here's another fun thing, the editing of posts. I went back to correct an error and it double posted the original post which had to be deleted. Newer forum software makes editing so much easier. I try to use my best (American) English, but I don't always catch errors the first time around so editing published posts is important to me.

I like TMP the way it is.

The "Add Comment" box is simple and effective.

The downtime (6pm-7pm onwards in Sydney) is a pain in the arse, though.

Pictures would be nice.

The down time here for me on the West Coast of the US is 12 AM to 1 am approx. So since I am usually asleep then is really no hassle. Robert