Official Luthiers Forum!

Lance: Since the forum is still in it's infancy I thought I would start a thread for suggestions for you to consider [if you can].

Is it possible to direct you back to the main discussion forum after posting a reply? After posting a reply, the software takes you to the top of the thread and then you have to scroll to the bottom to navigate back to the main discussion forum. I might be overlooking a shortcut and if I am just toss the iron skillet at me.

On the plus side I really like the new software much better than the old OLF. Thanks for all of your hard work!!! Tim McKnight38362.3412962963

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I don't think it is necessary to put the complete header on topic page. My browsers doesn't jump to the first entry and I have to scroll. It makes using the back button a little messy because every page looks alike and you can't tell if you've actually gone to a previous page.

A seperate header for topic pages that is only a few inches high would be good. Perhaps thumbnails of the sponser images.

I was going to start this thread later today but Tim beat me to it. Here are my suggestions.
Is there a way that when you click on a particular post, you can be brought directly to that post. As it stands, when I click on something posted recently, it takes me to the top of the page and I have to scroll down to find it. Also, there is no thread order here. What I mean is that if someone replies to a post within a thread, it just shows up as a part of the thread. Not indented or anything. That's kind of anoying to my eyes.
Last thing. Can the banner and ads go away when you click into a thread? Scrolling down an entire page EVERYTIME you click into a thread is really tiresome. I think it would be adiquate to just put them on the message home page. Maybe have a revolving ad on the top of each thread page but not all of them. And a note to your advertisers who might be against this: after a person has seen a format for a period of time, they aren't looking at it anyway. Though you would not be on every page every time, a revolving ad would show up as different and new and people would look at it more often.

I think these are good ideas.

Right now, we are working on anchor tags that will put you at the top of the discussions rather than the top of the pages upon the execution of certain tasks.

Lance asked about the "reduced" ads page. I will talk to Jesse about that and see what is involved.

Paul... I am not exactly following your linking issue. When you see the list of threads and sub threads by clicking any one of them it should pop you right to that post. However, if you are moving to a post that is on the last page, the anchor tag usually centers it in the page rather than puts it at the top. This is limited by the browser.

If you are talking about the order of the threads once you click in, they are all ordered by date. At first, I found this a little distracting too. However now I like it. Now I know all I need to do is read a few posts on the bottom and I am caught up.

(or am I missing what you are saying?)

Keep this thread going... it is helpful.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I too am getting the behavior that Paul is describing. Regardless of which post I click on, I go to the top of the page. If it jumped straight to the post, the banner ad at the top wouldn't be a problem.

Apparently, there is a class of browsers that for which the automatic scrolling doesn't work. Paul, are you using Internet Explorer or Mozilla or Firefox?

I've noticed that when I'm in the "Active Topics" section, there's an ability to search based on time. The "Show Active Topics since" feature doesn't seem to work well for some reason. Check it out.... play with it...you'll see what I mean. I expect to have it change each time I choose a different time range, but it doesn't seem to work right.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Yes, I to go to the very top of the page no matter which post I click on, I use Netscape 7.1. If you post a reply to a post within a thread it would make more sense if it came after that post rather than in date order at the end of the thread. Only minor points though, great software otherwise.

ColinColin S38362.4306365741

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Personally I'd like to see that gigantic header go away, put at the start page or something but it eats a tons of screen real estate and it's disconcerting to have to scroll past for each to topic your reading.

Maybe have page that displays those and then a link to jump to the forums..

Just my opinion.

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars

Brock, I'll try to explain myself better. If I'm on the forum main page I can see that there are various posts, and replies to post designated by being indented. If I click on one of those indented replies I'm taken to the top of that thread's page and have to scroll down. Also, there is no distinction between replies and posts on a thread's main page so not only do I have to scroll down but I also have to dig through all of the other posts to try to find the reply I'm looking for.
There are several forums that we all visit that could offer some very benficial formats. MIMF being the most obvious one. It's clean and very easy to navigate. Also, www.woodcentral.com messageboard has a cool format. The main page stays on the upper half of the window and the threads appear on the lower half as you click on them. It prevents you having to hit the back button all of the time. I think my back button is wearing out quickly.
Just my thoughts. Take them for what they are worth. Paul

Paul,
The format of this forum is something I personally asked Brock to keep in tact as much as possible. I wanted to move into a better more feature rich software package but keep the same (feel) and look as the old forum. Brock and Jesse have done that.
I'm not interested in having the OLF look like any other forum out there. Personally I don't like the format of the MIMF or the AG board, because I have to click on every topic to see (who) responded to a post. With the cascading threads, I can see (who) responded, click that reply and go directly to it.
This in my opinion keeps the close intimate feel of this board.

NOW this is were you may be having problems. I AM directed right to the thread I click, I DONT have to scroll from the top of the page. The thread, wither its a parent topic or a reply appears at the top of my screen, ready to read.

Lance

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Understood, I was just giving my opinion as to what works easy for me. It's your baby, run it your way. If indeed you are able to click directly to a reply, that will cover 90% of my complaints. I'm still not able to. Tried in both netscape and explorer. Is there some sort of setting that I need to be looking for?
thanks P

Maybe it is a mac thing.... HTML sometimes behaves differently on the Mac and PC browsers.

I will find a mac and test it a bit.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I've noticed that when using Internet Explorer I can click on a thread and I'm taken right to the reply that I have clicked, but when I use Netscape I'm only taken to the top of the thread and then have to find what I want to read. For me the speed is not too bad(faster would be better). I could do with smaller adds or a revolving add, I do understand that this all costs money and the bills have to be paid. How about adds place in a side bar. The screens are wider than the are tall so maybe they wouldn't be as intrusive. Just some thought's. Keep up the good works guys.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Thanks for the thoughts... I will try Netscape while I am at it.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I always get taken to the top of the page, regardless of what message in the thread I've clicked on. I'm using Mozilla (of course), since I wouldn't be caught dead using IE.

I think the most important thing to remember here, is patients. You have all been fantastic in helping isolate the problems, and its getting closer all the time. I just don't what anyone to through up there hands and give up. I remember this time last year I was try to locate a server to host the forum, for 3 weeks we had crash after crash, all the posts lost. It was very frustrating. This is no where near that kind of problem.

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Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Frustrating indeed =) Keep up the good work guys I love the new format

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