Stickies-- Helpful or not? Please let me know -- Thanks

[E55 KEV]

I hate the stickies also! I want to see all the current threads and topics listed at the top. I hate having to scroll down to see whats really new.

[mileshoover]

Originally Posted by E55 KEV

I hate the stickies also! I want to see all the current threads and topics listed at the top. I hate having to scroll down to see whats really new.

You really don't have to scroll and fish around for posts, the s/w of this board is much more sophisticated.

Newest posts, both in stickies and non-stickies are always listed on the top in any forum. They will be blackened until you read them, greyed out when you have finished.

Also, under your logon name and avatar on the first panel upon signing in, there is a statement "View New Posts Since Last Visit", click on that and all new posts which you haven't read will be set up immediately. Ones not yet read will be blackened. Those are the ones which are new to you at that moment. Simply go down that list, reading at your convenience. They will gray out when read.

You can also have an extract of all new posts to which you subscribe sent to your home daily at your own computer after midnight. This will alert you as to new posts in all threads in which you have already posted. These notifications will actually take you directly to these new posts.

Also, in each forum, a black arrow in the first column indicates that there is new traffic in that forum. Blackened ones are ones you haven't read yet. If no new posts in that forum, that arrow will be greyed out.

When looking for new posts in a forum, to get the first post of the forum, click on the forum title. To get the last post, click on the icon in the Last Post column.

If you don't have these options presently, you will need to go into your personal area and enable them as you please.

Lastly, to ensure this all works correctly, go to the Quick Links column at the top of the page, click on "Mark Forums Read". This way anything added AFTER you leave your session will be highlighted (blackened) for your next session.

Pretty neat.

[joey]

Since I discovered the "View new posts since last visited" about 2 months ago, that is all I use. It is wonderful There is only one downside. If you don't finish reading through all the unread posts in one sitting, and come back later, the previously remaining unread/blackened threads no longer appear.

The only recommendation would be to create a Sticky Archive folder and move all the older stickies that havn't had any posts, say in the last 30 days, to the Sticky Archive folder. This would keep the number of Stickies to a minimum.

[mileshoover]

To retain a certain place, just don't log out when you leave the board. All will be as you left it when you come back (short of a power failure at the server which rarely has happened). Likewise, if you read the boards often enough, you should be able to catch up in a relatively short session.

On the other hand, do not hit the load button (300C Forums) at any time prior to being finished reading during a session, that will lose all previous threads held for you to read and you must start over from scratch. Instead, get into the habit of using your browser's Back button. It will also get ou back to where you were.

Regarding a sticky archive folder, the board does that automatically at an appropriate time. Stickies are set up BECAUSE the info therein tends to be useful and/or important.

Who knows who will sign on next looking for some specific info we've just moved out of easy sight. Take a good hard look at the stickies in each forum -- close to 60 % of them are repeats of an already existing subject, usually placed in the wrong category initially. If more consideration were made in making the posts initially, close to half of the stickies could be merged just on that fact alone.

The solution to this proliferation problem is to educate ALL our members and newbies to post in existing compatible threads in a proper forum for the subject matter and not keep starting new ones haphazardly. That is the real problem.

This board is growing like wildfire and will continue to do so just as long as members and potential members can find what they want or need. Moving info to an archive won't solve that problem.

All persons need to begin early to read the Active Topics category, too. Search does a reasonable job of finding stuff which should be added to rather than begin a new thread if the subject is already covered. A new thread should be a serious undertaking and not done until making sure that the info to be posted isn't already there or similar info to that proposed to be entered.

The more threads we develop, the more the board gets snowed under.

All of this has been covered well in the RULES. IMO, they aren't being read. If so, they aren't being followed.

Under consideration is a requirement for all new members to read the rules as a condition of entry plus development of some new forums and/or rename some of the existing ones.

[joey]

Miles,
I agree in theory with you that new users should first look around and search the topics, but as time goes on many of the older threads may not be relevant anymore. I also think new (and old) members will get "scared away" from posting if every time they post a question they get scolded/reminded to first search the other threads. New members are the life blood and we should make it OK to start new threads. If someone knows of a previous/similar thread with info that would add value or answer a question, we can respond by posting the link to their thread. This is just my opinion, but too many etiquette/rules will take away from the fun and enjoyment

[mileshoover]

OK, I can't disagree with you other than to say that this whole problem is nothing new and it has not improved simply because newbies (and some oldies) simply refuse to play the game.

Boards have always had this problem; once the "hang" of the board is developed, things do get better. But we all need to keep persons on track.

Unfortunately the RULES were late in being published. That is part of that problem.

[th59718]

Originally Posted by joey

Since I discovered the "View new posts since last visited" about 2 months ago, that is all I use. It is wonderful

I'll second that! It's all I use now as well. There really are very few new items coming up that haven't had fairly lengthy discussions in the past. Using this feature let's you spot interesting new stuff very quickly. If there are older threads out there that I want to relocate, I can usually find them using "Search" and a keyword(s) specific enough to shorten the search list.

[E55 KEV]

Yeah, I use the "New Post" link but it is not perfect. For Example - I go to new post and there are 30 new posts and I only have time to read 3 or 4 and I have to shut down Internet Explorer or the PC. When I come back in a minute or 2 the new post are now 3 and I lost all original 27 of the first set of 30 new posts. Then I am force into each section and have to scroll down past all those darn "Stickies" and hunt for all the titles of post that I think are new.

I vote to get rid of the Stickies.

Damn Miles, your post are always just too long to read - I am a skimmer. Very verbose!

[mileshoover]

That's part of your problem -- you don't read and then miss some pertinent stuff. I gave you a solution -- if you don't want to use it, that's fine with me.

This short enough for you?

Peace.

[E55 KEV]

Originally Posted by mileshoover

That's part of your problem -- you don't read and then miss some pertinent stuff. I gave you a solution -- if you don't want to use it, that's fine with me.

This short enough for you?

Peace.

Just because it is long does not mean it is useful too all! Most of your posted diatribes offer 'me' no benefit.