A note to the mods

[Lazygit]

Dear Mods, I appreciate the irritation you must feel having to deal with sorting out links that are posted without using the built in mincer, but it has now been made even more complex, and we all have to go on another tutorial to use it. I feel like giving up on the Hobbystore websites, at least until someone takes a long needed decision to make the forums user friendly instead of advertiser friendly.

The site no longer works with my usual browser, and I suspect I am not the only one who has noticed this.

Could you convey this information to the right departmentas somebody needs to make the site accessible instead of using any available gadget for their own amusement.

I wlll not be visiting the site much now because of these problems, so it would be better for anyone dealing with the problem to email me.

Thanks

Lazygit

[Mike Rolls]

I must agree that this site is not very easy on the mouse wielder. Why does it not have the facility to check postings since one's last visit as so many sites do?

Mike

[Alan Cantwell]

would that not be the latest posts feature? first thing i go for,

[Danny Fenton]

I find many of the forums have their issues, but at the end of the day the content is more important. If you think you are having trouble you should try using the forum via an Android tablet as I am doing now! The friendly nature of this forum makes up for minor issues. download Firefox and it works fine.

Cheers

Danny

[PatMc]

I use Firefox & find this site frustratingly clumsy to use. For instance I've completely given up on the cut & paste facility.

[Alan Cantwell]

must admit, the copy and paste thing is now a thing of the past for me also, i had just got used to the previous one, i saw no need to change,

[JayCee]

'built in mincer' ?

Been away from the site for a while, what is a 'built in mincer'?

JC

[Lazygit]

I can use my setup fluently on forums other than the MyHobbyStore forums. They unfortunately have a legacy problem of how to get to a workable platform. Any forum usung the phpBB system is a dream to use. The MHS ones are a nightmare.

Until recently it used to work, why do people justify the fact that it no longer works on my system, and tell me to change browsers?

I'm not disputing the fact that most postings and posters here are friendly, but I have to put up with grief to see the forum that not so long ago didn't exist.

Does that explain my problem getting access and being able to use the site?

The reply window used to be one several inches across with buttons and smilies. Now it is 1-1/2 inches across, just like those naf windows on companies' customer service pages, no buttons, no smilies, no good.

Edited By Lazygit on 29/04/2012 11:06:04

[Devon Flyer]

Posted by JayCee on 29/04/2012 10:59:53:

'built in mincer' ?

Been away from the site for a while, what is a 'built in mincer'?

JC

A resident John Inman?

[Lazygit]

Try to use the link button and it presents you with a tool, it used to work, now it minces your attempts to post a link.

[Del Wheatley]

I use a lot of forums at the moment due to being stuck in bed due to an accident.

I have problems with only 2 sites,this one and one bike site(but the bike mag site doesn't hide content away for subscribers only).The similarity between the two are that they are both linked to magazines so mainly look after the advertisers cos thats where the money is and the users play second fiddle.

[Steve W-O]

Posted by Danny Fenton on 29/04/2012 10:44:45:

I find many of the forums have their issues, but at the end of the day the content is more important. If you think you are having trouble you should try using the forum via an Android tablet as I am doing now! The friendly nature of this forum makes up for minor issues. download Firefox and it works fine.

Cheers

Danny

I used to have no problem at all from my android tablet, so after reading your comment I tried it.

The reply box doesn't work at all now.

I think in my case, the real losers are the advertisers on the site, when I search on the net for something I want, I find I skip the names I see on here, and don't even look at their sites.

No logical reason, I guess it is just the feeings of problems using the site and associating them with the problems.

So far as I can see, the same software is used in all the publishers forums, like I said before, I think they have got themselves into such a deep hole, they just can't get out.

The problem is that unless you could get the majority of people here to join another forum, people will remain here and put up with it.

Rather like the retailers who don't give good service, why bother when most people will use them anyway.

phpBB could easily be set up to include adverts, which could even be context sensitive, but could you imagine them changing all the magazine forums to something different? They probably couldn't export the user database, so everybody would have to re-register. The cost would probably force the publishers into banruptcy.

At te same time they can not afford to dispense with the forums, that would probably kill the magazines after a while.

I think this is really a case of not trying to change the world, but of thinking what can you do to make it better for yourself, at the same time, keeping the voices of discontent going.

[Steve W-O]

Another thing, while I was writing the previous reply, the forum logged me out, so when I tried to post the reply, it told me to log in, now if I had simply logged in, my rply would have been lost. Having been caught before I copied it and pasted it into wordpad before logging in again.

I don't thinl we should blame the people who work on the software, I'm sure if they were given the time and resources they could do the job.

[Richard Harris]

I just feel sorry for David and the mods, I guess this is all out of their control. Must be very frustrating for them also keep having to change things and put things right. For me that is not what moderating is about, it should be keeping an eye on us ( rude at times) lot!

It won't stop me using the forum even if I struggle keeping up with copy and pasting links! some of us are slow you know!

[Ultymate]

The setup of this site is a little dated for sure but as far as I can see it's much improved from what it has been this reply box that I'm currently typing into can be re-sized to whatever size you wish by dragging on the bottom right corner. It's easier to post a link than it used to be. There is a saying that says if we were all the same life would be boring and I think it could be applicable in this case. I can't comment on what it performs like on tablets or 3G phones as I have neither of these.

[John Tee]

Lazygit,

You say the site doesn't work with your "usual browser" which one? and the reply box is only "1 and a half inches wide". I use the much maligned IE9 and no problems . The reply box is full size - approx 5 x 3 inches. Suggests other browsers need settings tweaking or the computer does. I don't know how computers work I just turn it on and use it - mainly with no trouble using Vista and IE9

John

[Oldbaldfella]

I'm on google chrome and don't appear to have any issues.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

As a volunteer mod I too find that this forum has it's "foibles" and sometimes agree that other forum platforms are more of a joy to use. But as most posters above appear to realise, there is only so much we can do. We do pass on all complaints and issues to the relevant techie people. The techies are working very hard with the tools they have beleive me. A lot of their time is spent on other mag website things too. Changes that you see are usually the final result of complaints that have appeared here, so it wouldn't be popular to undo them.

I regularly check threads in IE8 & IE9 in both normal and compatibility mode, and in Firefox and Chrome. I also use the iPhone from time to time. I can't say I've ever seen LG's issue. But I'm sure the tech guys would like to look at it. So LG can you provide more info? Computer type, browser, browser version etc. Then maybe we could try to reproduce the issue which is the first step to getting it fixed.

Personally I think the content here outweighs any of the issues by miles, and I think that is the basis on which anyone should decide whether they stick around.

Cheers
Chris

[Lazygit]

Computer G5 iMac 1.8GHz 2GB RAM.
OS 10.4.11
Browser Camino 2.1.2

Bear in mind it used to work fine, now it doesn't.

That the content arguably outweighs the problems allows the powers that be to deliver a poor service to users, since they think they will come back whatever offering is dished up. I don't accept this argument, it is the forum equivalent to sloppy practice on the flight line or in the pits dismissed with something like "it's only a hobby".

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Thanks Lazy, as I say we are powerless except for passing on the info, which I will do.

I assume you have already tried dragging the bottom right corner of the reply box to make it bigger? I'm sure you will have, but as I don't have access to an iMac I can't try to reproduce your issue myself.

[John Privett]

Posted by Alan Cantwell on 29/04/2012 09:17:47:

would that not be the latest posts feature? first thing i go for,

No, that's a very poor imitation of what Mike mentioned. 'Elsewhere' I can click on a "Show Unread" link and see a list of all the threads that have had new posts that I have not read. So if a particular thread has no new posts in it since I last visited that thread, then it doesn't appear in the list. That way I don't waste time (as I often do here) clicking on a thread title, scrolling down to the bottom and then realising I've already read it.

Similarly a "Show Replies' link on other forums will give me a list of threads that I have posted on and that have replies that I have not seen. OK, you can do something similar here by getting email notifications of posts on a thread, but that's not really the same thing.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Well, we are a lot of unhappy bunnies today aren't we? Personally I put it down to the weather!

Seriously, well a bit anyway, what we have here is a "heritage system". When this forum was launched 99% of users accessed it via a PC with a few Mac users and UNIX jockeys thrown in for good luck. Nearly everyone was accessing via one of 2 or 3 browsers. Compatability simply wasn't an issue. As an aside; all of my access is still from PC and via IE8 or IE9 and I have very few problems with the site.

Today of course, for many other users, all that has changed. Users now access from a combination of 100's of different platforms, operating systems, browsers etc. And yes the machinery is creaking a little under the strain - you think we don't know that?

But to use a popular current expression "it is what it is". Steve is right above in much of what he says and this forum is not the only platform struggling to keep up at the moment.

This is a forum, provided free of any charge, for modellers to use. No, its not perfect. But I for one pride myself that its welcome and support for modellers, both old and new, is second to none and like many others I've made some excellent contacts, had some great advice and gained many great new friends in the hobby because it is here.

The fact that it does these good things is not an excuse for other failings. And that it is free is, of course, not an excuse for it being amatuerish - which I don't believe it is. But I think that these things do mean that it has an enormous value which outweighs its shortcomings and that we have to have realistic expectations of it. As Steve says completely replacing this system is not, at present, a practical proposition. When updating channels that are pratical do come along I am sure they will be looked at. Again speaking personally I find its occassional quirkiness part of its charm - a bit like an old armchair that's a bit battered and worn but all the more comfortable for that.

Now while that might sound a bit trite - I'd ask that you consider this. Many of our users are not - how should I put it - in the vangaurd of IT progress. They like a system they understand - they don't like lots of changes. Add to that the fact, as has been mentioned above, that many of the features are the way they are because that's what folks asked for, and you can see that constantly changing to accomodate the latest IT craze (get the internet on your Cornflakes packet will be the next - I'm not joking check out something called "the internet of things" would simply not be popular.

All this is not excuse for not changing at all - but it is perhaps and explanation as to why this forum isn't, can't be and perhaps shouldn't want to be at the very forefront of internet developments.

In the meantime - let's get back to what we are all here for - talking about radio controlled model aeroplanes. Always keep in mind that fact that David, Chris, Steve and myself (along with our hard working tech team of Mark and Katy) will always do our best to help any user having problems. And while we will always welcome constructive criticism and suggestions of ways we can make things better for the whole community, let's not unfairly ascribe attitudes and positions to the team that there is no evidence to support.

BEB

PS Usual caveats apply in that these are my personal views.

Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 29/04/2012 15:23:14

[Mike Rolls]

BEB

From the tone of your posting I take it that by constructuve criticism , you mean only criticism which refuses to recognise that there are a good few other fora on a vareity of subjects, not just modelling, which work far more easily than does this one.

Sorry if that upsets you - but this forum is far from being as easy to use and navigate around than others that I use.

Mike

[Lazygit]

BEB as you put it "it is what it is" what I am talking about is "it is not what it was". I didn't mind what it used to be able to do, but since the changes, for my system it can't. I don't want bells and whistles and to be able to post from a mobile phone while my plane is coming in to land, but I would like the old reply window, and I would like to be able to post links correctly.

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

@Mike - no I mean what I say - constructive criticism that indicates pratical ways forward or makes positive suggestions - not just negative, in some cases ill-informed, comment.

@LG - read the tutorials try things out in the "sandpit", if you are still having problems contact one of the mods by PM and we would be happy to help if we possibly can. There are hundreds of links sucessfully posted on here everyday - you might not like the new system but does work - at least for the vast majority of users.

BEB