Author Topic: Board changes  (Read 4744 times)

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(unknown)

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Board changes
« on: June 14, 2004, 12:55:06 PM »
Hello folks


You probably notice the new section arrangement.....we split Homebrewed Electricity into 4 subsections, Wind, solar, hydro and controls. Controls, as in inverters, charge controllers, LCBs, etc. For electricity related stuff that doesn't fit into these categories, you can still use Homebrewed Electricity as the section. And, for now -- anything posted in these subsections also appears in Homebrew Electricity.


The thought being -- if you want to look at everything electricity related you can go there, or look just at wind if that's your interest. We were getting so 90% of postings were in that one section, and it was time to split it up for better organization.


Good postings are scrolling off the front page very fast, and they get 'lost' pretty quickly. So later this week we are going to change the front page. ALL stories will still post immediately, but only in their own section...to get onto the front page, people will have ot vote the story there. More on that later, when it's implemented. There will be a "section headlines" box on the side. And having the homebrew electricity section include all the stuff in solar/wind etc. will mean those us who mostly watn to read electricity-related posts don't have to0 hunt thru solar/wind etc. to find them.


Also, diaries are still accessable, we just moved the link to see all of them down to the Recent Diaries box.


More soon. We'll keep everyone posted, and we hope this will make it easier to find stuff on this board!


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« Last Edit: June 14, 2004, 12:55:06 PM by (unknown) »

KHB1

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2004, 09:55:13 PM »
CAN'T LEAVE A GOOD THING ALONE!!!

KHB1

Cecil
« Last Edit: June 14, 2004, 09:55:13 PM by KHB1 »

TomW

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2004, 02:35:49 AM »
KHB1;


Haha, well that might depend on who is doing the maintenance whether its a good thing or not. We had growing pains when we went from the old BBS style board but few today would argue it was not an improvement. Anyway the only thing you can count on is that things change and I think the point is to improve the board's usefulness as a resource.


I think it should be pretty painless everything will still get posted, users accounts will not be affected, but the front page will be a little higher quality type posts. At this point I don't really know much as far as details but some adjustment of sections and topics probably need to be made to reflect the direction the board is going.


Anyway, on with the show,


Cheers.


TomW

« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 02:35:49 AM by TomW »

KHB1

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2004, 05:33:08 AM »
Tom

Do you like going in a store you've been shopping in for

years, in a hurry for hardware you know the isle and shelf

location when you get there you find womens under garments?

You don't dislike under garments but that's not what you

were looking for so you stumble around the store for 1/2 hr.

looking for what you came for. I understand from the stores

point they want to keep customers there longer to buy impulse

items but old fa**s like me change stores. Do you quit

wearing a pair of shoes when they become comfortable? I

use Windows XP but I don't reccomend it to anyone using Win98.

I will admit automatic transmissions and front wheel drive

were a good change. "If it ain't broke don't fix it"

KHB1 cecil
« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 05:33:08 AM by KHB1 »

Gary D

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2004, 07:32:57 AM »
Could you add a help page for dummies like me that are unsure what section or topic to post too? Possibly have examples of topics that are best suited for each area, inside the post message section? Your village idiot.. Gary D.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 07:32:57 AM by Gary D »

kurt

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2004, 08:44:33 AM »
« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 08:44:33 AM by kurt »

wooferhound

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2004, 08:48:10 AM »
I think I'll like the changes BUT...

The Solar section will have such a dual personality with solar heating and solar power getting all mixed up in there
« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 08:48:10 AM by wooferhound »

bob g

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2004, 08:55:30 AM »
all i have to say is yahoooooooo!


great job guys


bob g

« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 08:55:30 AM by bob g »
research and development of a S195 changfa based trigenerator, modified
large frame automotive alternators for high output/high efficiency project X alternator for 24, 48 and higher voltages, and related cogen components.
www.microcogen.info and a SOMRAD member

elvin1949

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2004, 10:28:36 AM »
hi woof

i agree on breaking solar into two parts

later

elvin
« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 10:28:36 AM by elvin1949 »

hvirtane

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2004, 05:56:08 PM »
Yes there is the problem that posts are scrolling

down fast. But the other thing is that if not

all of the postings will be on the front page...

it will make the use of the board to be more

complex and difficult...


That makes it more painful

to use with a slow connection.


The good point of the old board was

that it was so simple.

If that would have had a good easy way

to implement pictures

it would have been better

than this one in my opinion.

For me it was actually better,

because I have no problem

to load pictures

on another server.


I have little problems

to learn to use many kinds

of looks of computer screens

or programs either,

I've been sometimes working as

a professional to build

kinds of educational systems

utilizing computer assisted learning,

but anyway I think that

the less there are complexities

the better it is.


I have no solution for the problem of

posts scrolling down fast, however.

Maybe the change is necessary anyway.


Or maybe if you could leave out

all the intro stuff and all

the rest stuff taking so much

space on the screen so

that more posts would appear

there on one screenfull?


Only the the headlines of the

posts appearing there first.

If you would click one

and/or start posting something

then the rest stuff helping you

to load files and so on would appear

on the screen then... ?


- Hannu

« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 05:56:08 PM by hvirtane »

Demetri

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2004, 07:28:35 PM »
I like the changes, less clutter.


Demetri

« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 07:28:35 PM by Demetri »

monte350c

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2004, 07:47:21 PM »
Hi All,

It's the best energy board out there, and I suspect with a little fine-tuning it will still be the best. The new categories make a lot of sense.



Hannu might be onto something with the shorter links on the main page, something like:



Placement of Magnets   Posted on Tue Jun 15th, 2004 at 05:28:46 PM EST, 1 comment


Magnetic Bearing  Posted on Tue Jun 15th, 2004 at 05:28:46 PM EST, 0 comment



etc. This could fit a lot more links on one page.

Anyhow keep up the great work!

Ted.

« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 07:47:21 PM by monte350c »

iFred

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #12 on: June 15, 2004, 08:42:51 PM »


LOL... Yep, now I have to check 2 boards rather then just one. and all in the name of progress! I am sure it will all work out in the end, but I have to work harder doing it! LOL.. Good luck with the changes..

« Last Edit: June 15, 2004, 08:42:51 PM by iFred »

ADMIN

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Re: Thanks for the suggestions!
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2004, 10:03:14 AM »
We are thinking about all the comments! This board is, in our opinion, a treasure and very unique on the internet. We are almost at 1700 registered users now...somewthing like 4,000 stories, and 15,000 comments.


I noticed nobody complained about how I removed Topics -- I'm glad about this. I was hoping that some better organizations on the sections would remove the need for the topics -- which just add extra steps for anyone that's trying to post. Hopefully that trade-off in ease of use will make up for the extra link you have to click.


BUT -- remember, everyone, -- you can access JUST the stuff you want by using a different link. If you only want to see homebrew-electricity-related postings, use the link:


http://www.fieldlines.com/section/homebrew/


to access the board. And so on.


More changes soon.


ADMIN

« Last Edit: June 16, 2004, 10:03:14 AM by ADMIN »

wooferhound

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2004, 02:48:59 PM »
When you make a New Post, The instructions still talk about setting the Topics.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2004, 02:48:59 PM by wooferhound »

John

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All new posts together.
« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2004, 01:48:46 AM »
I still want to see ALL the new posts in one place. When will that happen after you stop putting all new posts on the front page?


John

« Last Edit: June 17, 2004, 01:48:46 AM by John »

ADMIN

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2004, 10:58:11 AM »
Re Topics in isntruction text----roger that, we are busy changing stuff like that.


ADMIN

« Last Edit: June 17, 2004, 10:58:11 AM by ADMIN »

ADMIN

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Re: All new posts together.
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2004, 11:13:22 AM »
Good suggestion. There will be an "everything" link that will give you exactly what the current front page does now.

ADMIN
« Last Edit: June 17, 2004, 11:13:22 AM by ADMIN »

wooferhound

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #18 on: June 17, 2004, 07:08:12 PM »
Well I have been playing on the Changed Board for a while now. I do like the shortened front page where the content is richer and the good stories don't scroll down so quickly. But I don't like searching out all the other posts that aren't included on the Front Page. What about adding a 'Back Page' that includes all the sectins that aren't included on the Front Page.


I may not know what I'm asking since ya'll haven't put the Voting in yet...

« Last Edit: June 17, 2004, 07:08:12 PM by wooferhound »

Electric Ed

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Re: Board changes
« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2004, 08:08:50 PM »
I would like to be able to edit my own posts, like I can on all other forums that I participate in.


And I find the forums that use UBB code much easier to use.


Electric Ed

« Last Edit: June 20, 2004, 08:08:50 PM by Electric Ed »