thread viewing

[joecav]

This is dumb, I know...but is there a way to have a thread and replies "open" instead of having to click on a link for every response? It just makes for easier reading. I poked around for optional viewing and found none.

Thanks.

 

[joecav]

This is dumb, I know...but is there a way to have a thread and
replies "open" instead of having to click on a link for every
response? It just makes for easier reading. I poked around for
optional viewing and found none.

Thanks.

Nobody knows?

 

[tyoung]

This is dumb, I know...but is there a way to have a thread and
replies "open" instead of having to click on a link for every
response? It just makes for easier reading. I poked around for
optional viewing and found none.

Nope It is as you see it. True, the format is different than many forums that exist. It's a choice that Phil has made, and once you get used to how it works, it's really not so bad at all. I imagine a large part of the reason is to do with the frequency of postings that go on here. When a thread is well over 100 messages it could take a fair amount of time to open it up, and by the time one has read through all of the content that was retrieved, it would be easy to miss the posts that were added during the time that you had the thread open on your desktop.

I used to have Buffy, my attractive reflector holding assistant click on each link for me, but alas she has since moved to Louisiana where she has found her true calling in the alligator wrestling trade. Cest la vie!
--
Tom Young
http://www.pbase.com/tyoung/

 

[Gospel #160752]

Overall, I like the threading here at dpreview. When you first start reading a long thread you have to click a lot to read it. But then, this layout is faster if you just want to see the new articles. Also, by the way the subjects are indented, it is easy to tell who is following-up on which post.

Later,
Steven

This is dumb, I know...but is there a way to have a thread and
replies "open" instead of having to click on a link for every
response? It just makes for easier reading. I poked around for
optional viewing and found none.

--

Cameras: Casio EX-Z3, Panasonic FZ1
Software: PSP 8

 

[Jim Cockfield]

If you look at the number of posts in many of the "hot threads", having a layout option to read all of them would just not be practical (from a readability perspective, or from a performance perspective).

With the activity on the forums, the I/O load on the servers would be dramatically increased with a different layout.

Phil planned this site for both growth and ease of use, and it shows in the forum deisgn.

Also, would you rather have Phil reviewing cameras, or changing forum layouts (to a design that would probably end up being worse anyway, for the reasons mentioned above).

Later,
Steven

This is dumb, I know...but is there a way to have a thread and
replies "open" instead of having to click on a link for every
response? It just makes for easier reading. I poked around for
optional viewing and found none.

--

Cameras: Casio EX-Z3, Panasonic FZ1
Software: PSP 8

--
JimC
http://www.pbase.com/jcockfield

 

[joecav]

Easy there Jim. I wasn't saying Phil should take any time to change anything. You may like the layout, I do not. No big deal. Alot of message boards let you have an option of how you want to view the threads. I was just making sure I didn't miss anything, that's all. Not telling anyone how to run their message board.

FWIW, I am on plenty of message boards that have "hot" threads that span 20+ pages (w/ 25 or so posts on each). There are no performance issues...plus, if you want to get technical, if you calculate the time it takes to click and open each reply, I'm sure you could have opened the entire thing like 20x the way I'm describing. Scrolling through each post is much easier than having to click on a link. But whatever floats everyone's boat, that's just one man's opinion.

If you look at the number of posts in many of the "hot threads",
having a layout option to read all of them would just not be
practical (from a readability perspective, or from a performance
perspective).

With the activity on the forums, the I/O load on the servers would
be dramatically increased with a different layout.

Phil planned this site for both growth and ease of use, and it
shows in the forum deisgn.

Also, would you rather have Phil reviewing cameras, or changing
forum layouts (to a design that would probably end up being worse
anyway, for the reasons mentioned above).

 

[Jim Cockfield]

My guess (an educated guess, based on how the forum search engine works -- subject line or text), is that allowing more flexibility in viewing, would indeed impact Phil's servers (and associated cost) -- requiring more CPU power, and bandwidth to support another viewing format.

The forum subject lines you see are probably part of an index, with pointers to the message body. So, with the current forum layout, only the index needs to be read until someone clicks on the post topic.

If changed, the I/O would probably increase dramatically.

Again, just an educated guess.

Only Phil knows for sure.

If you look at the number of posts in many of the "hot threads",
having a layout option to read all of them would just not be
practical (from a readability perspective, or from a performance
perspective).

With the activity on the forums, the I/O load on the servers would
be dramatically increased with a different layout.

Phil planned this site for both growth and ease of use, and it
shows in the forum deisgn.

Also, would you rather have Phil reviewing cameras, or changing
forum layouts (to a design that would probably end up being worse
anyway, for the reasons mentioned above).

--
JimC
http://www.pbase.com/jcockfield

 

[Alfisti2]

IMHO this is the most awkward, hard to read and fiddly BB I have ever visited.

If you look at the number of posts in many of the "hot threads",
having a layout option to read all of them would just not be
practical (from a readability perspective, or from a performance
perspective).

With the activity on the forums, the I/O load on the servers would
be dramatically increased with a different layout.

Phil planned this site for both growth and ease of use, and it
shows in the forum deisgn.

Also, would you rather have Phil reviewing cameras, or changing
forum layouts (to a design that would probably end up being worse
anyway, for the reasons mentioned above).

 

[joecav]

hehe

IMHO this is the most awkward, hard to read and fiddly BB I have
ever visited.

 

[Kliker]

I am quite a new forumee here and at first I found it a bit awkward but the more I get used to it The more I like it, and the clour scheme makes it easy on the eye as well.

IMHO this is the most awkward, hard to read and fiddly BB I have
ever visited.

 

[James C. Murray]

S N I P !!!!!

I would like to see the onus put on the poster to cut and paste any, or all, of the previous message into their post.

The amount of scrolling needed to get to the new material in some posts is ridiculous, especially when it is some throwaway one liner at the bottom of some hugely long screed.
Messages that are (nt) surely do not have to include the whole previous post.

Automaticaly including a whole series of images with every additional post does not make for an easy look through a thread and must be a huge waste of bandwidth.

I made this suggestion to Phil through the feedback section but I don't know if it was read, but as has been mentioned it is his site I suppose.
I still think that it is kludgy in this respect.

 

[GodSpeaks]

I think this design stinks. It is way too slow, especially when you are on a dialup connection. Trying to read through a particular thread just takes way too much time.

I probably only read about 1/10 of what I would if it was displaying the complete post texts, rather than just the subject lines.

Contrary to what some poster said previously about taking too long to download if the thread has a lot of posts, just limit the number of posts per page, like most other forums do.

I also think, NOT automatically including the text of the post to which you are responding, would be a VERY GOOD idea.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Declan

 

[joecav]

I guess there is no "POLL" option either...I'd be interested to see what the results would be

 

[Ian Yаtes]

Especially when the post contains 4 large file size pictures! ;-)

 

[James C. Murray]

Especially when the post contains 4 large file size pictures! ;-)

Yes, the Retouching forum is probably the best/worst? example of that.
I'm surprised that Phil has not looked at that as the storage must be enormous.

 

[Alfisti2]

Forget the topic, just look at the format.

Isn't this MUCH easier to use?

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/index.php

 

[James C. Murray]

Isn't this MUCH easier to use?

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/index.php

Yes, it is much the same as this site which I find very easy to use.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/

I can only assume that there are reasons that dictate the current format but I do find the constant scrolling through the entire previous message irritating. At least I have high speed ADSL or else I would probably not have the patience or time to wade through much of the materail.

 

[Jim Cockfield]

phpBB is used by many web sites as a forum platform, but Phil is not using PHP -- he's using ASP. So, this product would not work here.

Phil probably wrote all of the code himself for this forum -- putting in the features that he felt were needed.

Sure, he could probably find an "off the shelf" product that some people may like better. But, given the popularity of the dpreview.com forums, he must be doing something right!

He's not trying to be a clone of other sites. He offers a unique perspective, with a unique web site, and because he most likely writes the code himself, he has maximum flexibility.

Personally, I like Phil's style.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Forget the topic, just look at the format.

Isn't this MUCH easier to use?

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/index.php

--
JimC
http://www.pbase.com/jcockfield

 

[Jim Cockfield]

Especially when the post contains 4 large file size pictures! ;-)

Yes, the Retouching forum is probably the best/worst? example of that.
I'm surprised that Phil has not looked at that as the storage must
be enormous.

Actually, I don't think Phil stores the photos. Have you noticed that when someone removes a photo from their album, the photo dissappears (red x) from the forum post that contained it?

Phil probably stores just the link, and the photo is read from it's source location when you view a post containing it.

--
JimC
http://www.pbase.com/jcockfield

 

[James C. Murray]

Jim Cockfield wrote:
snip

Phil probably wrote all of the code himself for this forum --
putting in the features that he felt were needed.

I think you are correct, he has said that he has written it himself.

Sure, he could probably find an "off the shelf" product that some
people may like better. But, given the popularity of the
dpreview.com forums, he must be doing something right!

I find the format "labour intensive" and I suggest that the undoubted value of the content is responsible for the popularity of the site more than the convenience of use.

Having said that I have no idea what costs are involved in running a site and perhaps Phil keeps costs down by using his own creation. I'd still like to see a response format that puts the "cut and paste" onus on the responder.

Personally, I like Phil's style.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" Hmmmmmmmmm !!!!!!!