An important message.....

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

BEB I think it is mostly with poorer internet connections.

I seem to be fine from home but working away I have had problems.

Sometimes I can have written something I'm really pleased with and suddenly the page will lock and I can't even copy what I've written to paste it back in a new box.

 

What I wish we had was when I get an email that there's been a new post, I wish the link in the email would take me to that post. Or at least the page it's on.

[John Privett]

Losing (one 'o' please!) posts is not something I have a problem with either. Even, like BEB, if I start a post, wander off elsewhere... and come back to it later, it usually doesn't get lost. Heck, I've even (in a moment's thoughlessness) hit the back button with a half-written post on the screen and after hitting the forward button found it still there. Not that I recommend people try that at the end of a lengthy post!

 

I know other people have mentioned having problems and I'm sure they're not making it up - why would they? Maybe it's a browser problem, or a comms problem. I use Firefox (currently version 7 Beta) and a fast broadband connection that rarely disconnects. I suspect some people's problems occur when they post. The browser fails to submit the post to the forum, but their original text is no longer available. Not a problem I've had - not recently anyway.

[Pete B]

IIRC, going back a couple of years, there was a mention of there being about a 1500 word limit on a post.

 

Photos take up a chunk of that allowance, so I restrict my posts to about 5 or 6 pics and some text. Any more than that and it's likely to chop the post short. I too copy my text to Notepad if I'm doing a longer post.

 

I have to resize my pics to upload them, to about 1200 x 900 pixels maximum, and if I try to load more than a couple at a time, the system breaks down and they disappear into the ether.......

 

I think users just have to put up with using a very fragile, earlier generation(?) forum and treat it gently.....

 

One simple question - why can't the sidebars be moved to each side of the page (where the grey void is) and we use the remaining 3/4 of the page width???

 

Pete

[Tim Mackey]

Posted by Chris Bott on 11/09/2011 21:16:41:

BEB I think it is mostly with poorer internet connections.

I seem to be fine from home but working away I have had problems.

Sometimes I can have written something I'm really pleased with and suddenly the page will lock and I can't even copy what I've written to paste it back in a new box.

 

What I wish we had was when I get an email that there's been a new post, I wish the link in the email would take me to that post. Or at least the page it's on.

 

AMEN to that last bit Chris - just think how we mods feel when the same situation exists for the approx 200 notifications per day we get and have to read !!

[Flanker .]

"

What I wish we had was when I get an email that there's been a new post, I wish the link in the email would take me to that post. Or at least the page it's on."

 

- Never had the above problem either, my email click takes me straight there every time !

 

Spell checker works great.

Never had a post chopped and I have done massive posts on the build blogs.

Never had a post disappear except when MY COMPUTER has had a problem !

The on line editor works fine.

Posting photos is a breeze

Moderators do good work

 

The only hassle I ever had was with Word. THAT disappeared, mangled & mis formatted, text all the time. AND crashed in the middle of documents.

 

So all you MS lovers why am I using XP Pro ? Because Vista and 7 are SO GOOD !? Yeah right. DOS 6, 3.11 and XP pro are the only half decent OS s that they ever made !

 

Animal produce is not profanity - ask any gardener.

 

We don't pay for this forum, but we can use it even if we don't buy RCM&E so I for one won't knock it.

 

Keep up the good work guys, you won't find me gripeing - until my next gripe that is !

 

Go well all, F

[Jim Burton 1]

Have to agree with most of you Guys.

 

This forum is consintent (deliberate missspeling where's the spellchecker wen yuo knead it?) full of informed, non-sarky advice, and equally full of real practical dirty-fingernail info from active flyers/builders/theorists. The fact that the forum software is a bit creaky is ok by me.

Spell check? I refuse to believe that the informed science-savvy forum members on evidence here cannot spell!? Or care - if they are rattling off a 10 para reply to some comment that needs correcting or informing, for the benefit of all.

 

When we're shouting helpful advice on the field over a screaming 2-stroke, we don't bother with the odd split infinitive, now do we?

That's a retorical question, by the way, but neither I, nor you care.

 

This remains the most civilised place I visit on a daily basis, and puts our poor broken society to shame.

 

 

[PatMc]

Jim, I don't think lack of a spell-check is a particularly important issue with anyone who has offered any criticism. The reason MS Word is useful has been explained as have the some of the other peculiarities of this site software. None of the criticism has been unreasonable but rather it's been to draw attention of the perceived shortcomings to the administrators. I think that must be preferable to people remaining silent then ceasing to post.

[leccyflyer]

Is the correct answer.

[Steve Houghton]

 

Posted by David Ashby - RCME Administrator on 11/09/2011 14:38:38:

 

Right, just to quantify a few of BEB's comments. You can paste text from word into the forum easily by copying from the word doc and then hitting the 4th icon in from the right ‘paste plain text’. This works well enough - this post was pasted.

David,
In case I've missed something, can you please clarify whether you are telling us not to use the 'Paste from Word' icon, or do you want us not to use right click->paste from Word (ctrl-V), or both?

 

 P.S. It would be handy to have a few forum operational tips for users on the various 'paste' icons. I couldn't see these in the current instructions.

 

 

Edited By Steve Houghton on 12/09/2011 12:36:28

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Steve,

 

my understanding is that pasting using the icon is Ok, but we want you to avoid other ways of doing this such as direct pasting from WORD.

 

BEB

[Steve Houghton]

Thanks BEB.

 

To develop my 'PS' a little further, I think it would be useful to have a simple 'How To' guide on using the forum. I know that the mods have produced several threads about specific issues (e.g. posting pics/videos), but a single guide at the top of the forum page would help to focus everyone's concentration. This could include specific instruction for using the icons and for things not to do, all in one place.

 

I know this is work for somebody, but it could save a lot of mods time taken up by threads such as this.

 

Regards, Steve

 

 

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Yes Steve, using the 4th icon..............|

....from the right does the job

 

[David Ashby - Moderator]

...the middle clipboard

[Steve Houghton]

David,

 

How does the 'Paste Plain Text' differ from the 'Paste from Word' icon?

 

 

 

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Essentially very little except an interim text box appears when the 'paste from word' icon is clicked and so text can be pasted into this and prepared further still before a second click makes it appear in the post.

 

Clicking on the 'paste plain text' box posts the text straight into the posting box albeit cleaned up of course.

 

Importantly both work fine so the message is, if you've got some text, any text, to paste across then use the middle clipboard and all should be well. It's what I use all the time when pasting and I've never had a hitch.

 

[Steve Houghton]

Ta! Much appreciated.

 

[leccyflyer]

..isn't that completely contradictory to the request in the OP asking that cut and paste from MS Word not be used at all, because it creates a problem?

[David Ashby - Moderator]

I assume BEB meant pasting from word straight into a post Leccy, indeed pasting from anywhere straight into a post.

 

 

 

[James40]

I think people need to remember the forum owners are more interested in making money and ramming as many adverts as possible onto the site than actually making a functioning forum that you can do something as technically advanced as copy and paste into!

 

 

[Myron Beaumont]

The more you all talk about programming this that and the other,the more confused I get.I'm still trying to post some photos of what I've been building for more than a year.No luck,even 'er indoors who in a past life (two years ago) used a computer all day can't do it . Probably the wrong thread to mention it but it is SO frustrating .And I know from PM's that I'm not alone .

I'd love to send you all some pictures of my new flying friend .He's a coquerel who now lives in the living room / Hanger  'cos the dominanant cock chicken in the yard pecked out his left eye about a week ago &  very swollen  .He's sat next to me now on one leg and asleep -Lost his crowing ability as well .Poor old thing and so beautifull .Definately off thread -Sorry

Myron

Today,The cats got one baby chick as well & a young Nut hatch  we.ve fed all year  -We're down to about 30 baby chicks now

Edited By Myron Beaumont on 12/09/2011 16:37:20

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Posted by James40 on 12/09/2011 16:11:53:

I think people need to remember the forum owners are more interested in making money and ramming as many adverts as possible onto the site than actually making a functioning forum that you can do something as technically advanced as copy and paste into!

 

 

 

TBH I think that is a bit unfair James.

 

When you run a forum there are only two basic models - either you charge people for membership or you carry ads. Now I don't think too many folks will pay to use a forum - no matter how good the content or how much they enjoy it. So you're left with model B - ads support the cost.

 

At the price of a narrow column of ads either side - many of which may well contain things of interest to you, you get this forum free. Someone has the pay for the server, the maintainance etc. Facilities don't just come from nowhere - someone has to pay for it. IN this forum its the advertisers. All in all it doesn't seem to bad a deal to me.

 

Second, its not true to say you cannot cut and paste - as we have said you can, but use the buttons above, not just direct pasting into the text box at the bottom of the page.

 

BEB

 

PS Usual disclaimer applys - these are just my personal opinions not in any way "official" - I'm just speaking as a forum user.

[leccyflyer]

Posted by David Ashby - RCME Administrator on 12/09/2011 13:38:09:

I assume BEB meant pasting from word straight into a post Leccy, indeed pasting from anywhere straight into a post.

 

 

 

Ah, right.

 

Until this thread I hadn't paid too much notice to the little icons at the top of the text box, since I always type into the text box itself.

[Pete B]

At the risk of repeating myself, and I can live with the little posting foibles of the forum architecture, why do we only use a little more than half the screen for the display?

On my screen there are two 7cm wide grey columns with about 25cm of usable screen in the middle.

By all means keep the advertising and other panels in the side bars but it can't be that difficult to stretch the middle bit, can it?

 

I don't think anyone has ever explained why there needs to be this blank grey expanse either side of the forum body???

 

Pete

[Jim Burton 1]

Pete B, If you just click 'Page' (top right in your browser, if it's Internet Explorer) and Zoom to 125% the forum will fill the screen and the 'grey bars' will be banished forever.

Edited By Jim Burton 1 on 12/09/2011 18:50:32

[Pete B]

Blimey, Jim - that's frightening! Everything's big now.......including the sidebar content!

 

I was thinking more of keeping the sidebar content as per the existing page and just widening the text area - most other forums seem to manage it.

 

Thanks anyway - I can now read the posts from the other side of the room!!

 

Pete