anyone else finding they're posting & browsing less

[CalicoKat]

than with the former format?

I thought perhaps it was just because I'm still at about 75% power here, but I think it's more than that.

Not that the new format is bad, just different.

I have a harder time quickly following interesting threads or coming back to the ones I've contribute to.

[chai]

I'm finding myself posting and browsing more! I really like the change. This format makes it easier for me to find interesting threads on any of the boards, by using the "New Posts" link. I'm addicted again!

[Plaid Dad]

I'm finding myself posting and browsing more! I really like the change. This format makes it easier for me to find interesting threads on any of the boards, by using the "New Posts" link. I'm addicted again!

Same here. Plus the "new posts" feature brings up interesting threads on boards I otherwise wouldn't visit.

[kRenee]

Yes, I miss the witty comments and new ideas that people leave to a perfectly ordinary question. I have learned so much from the answers to questions that, on the surface, were of no import to me. Now I just don't see them.

[3lilreds in NC]

I felt comfortable posting before, and now it seems weird to open a topic that will get its very own box - like I must need to say something of import, LOL!

[StaceyinLA]

I am not as likely to bother posting. It just seems more time consuming than scanning the old boards because you actually have to open the threads instead of just being able to see the responses right there.

I do agree that it's very organized, and there are a lot of really neat things about the new boards that I like, but I do see myself on less and less (well, except today because the weather is disGUSting and I'm tired of catching snowflakes on Webkinz...) ;-p

[Karin]

I'm posting less because it takes longer and I used to participate in more banter. However, as I learn to use this board more, I'm sure I'll post more.

[Jenny in Atl]

I actually like this forum better. I can find an older post easier here than in the old BB, where it would get buried; but then it just might be my visual style? I'm always fascinated by what people prefer, guess that is the Psych major in me.

[JudoMom]

I wish.

I somehow spent more time here the last week. I'm gonna blame it on not feeling well and not sleeping well. But all that has made me about 95% comfortable with this format. That's not good.

I think I'm going to have to ban myself.

:eek:

[lovemyboys]

Definitely. I almost didn't answer your question! I know it's wonderful and creative and more expressive and quite organized and all that. I'm sure I'll use it for posting and to get specific information.

But it just feels like work now. Sorry SWB, and everyone else who loves it, that's just how it feels for me. It's not the easy drop by style it used to be. With all the add-ons and personal bios in every single post, it's alot of space to get through each thread. Perhaps this will encourage me to spend time doing something more productive, like organizing. ;P

[sdWTMer]

but I know that for some this one doesn't work out as well. I'm sorry for that. There probably is never a happy medium, is there? :(

[prairiegirl]

It's the opposite for me, too. I love this new format. Before, whenever I found a post that I could contribute to, it was always buried. There was no point in my replying cause no one would see it. With this format, even though the post may be buried, when I reply to it, it pops back up to the top. That is incentive for me to post more. I have posted more in the last week than I have in the five years that I have been lurking on the old board. I think I have acquired another addiction (to add to the books and homeschooling ones I already have :D )

Julia
mom of 3 (8,7,5)

[Claire]

than with the former format?

I thought perhaps it was just because I'm still at about 75% power here, but I think it's more than that.

Not that the new format is bad, just different.

I have a harder time quickly following interesting threads or coming back to the ones I've contribute to.

Same here. I've spent enough time learning the new format that I'm comfortable with it now, but somehow I am finding less of interest. Not sure why.......

[Mel]

I really like the change. It's more clean & easier to read. :)

[MaryM]

More for me. I also really like the change, mostly.

Mary

[Amy in NH]

Same or more, here, too.

I like the fact that a thread can stay at the top for a period of days without getting completely buried or having the board flip.

[Diann]

I like this new format and find myself posting more.

Diann

[ChristyB in AL]

I just enjoyed the board more when I could read the comments in the subject line. But this isn't necassarily a bad thing for me....I have wasted a lot of my time sitting and reading comments!!:)

[8FillTheHeart]

Ultimately, this format will drastically reduce my time on the boards b/c I don't normally have time to sit and open threads and then see where they have headed and with the "more replies" vs actual list in hybrid mode, it takes too long read everything.

Reality is that I have spent way more than 10x my normal amount b/c I have very little to do this week. 3 weeks from now I'll hardly have any time and won't be able to pop in and out the way I used to between kids while I waited for them to get books etc b/c it takes too long to unravel the board.

[LaMere Academy]

Nope, I'm browsing and posting way more, love this easy format!

[Crissy]

I have been here (visiting and posting) more, but it could just be the time of year. Post-Seahawks football season is the slow time for our business, so I am enjoying a bit of a vacation from work.

[Jennifer in MI]

Posting more . . . I guess because it feels more private - my name isn't on the board if I post in a thread already started. Can you tell I'm an introvert!?

[WTMindy]

I have been here (visiting and posting) more, but it could just be the time of year. Post-Seahawks football season is the slow time for our business, so I am enjoying a bit of a vacation from work.

Yah...but.....what about me?:( I keep asking the kids, "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

[WTMindy]

About the same amount of time, but I find myself motivated to post more because (I'm embarrassed to admit) I kinda like the challenge of moving up to the next level!!http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/ashamed/ashamed0005.gif (http://www.allboxingstats.com/)

[Tonia]

I'm posting more than I did on the old boards. I had a hard time keeping up with things on that board. I'm used to this type of board, so I found the switch fairly easy.

[Deidre in GA]

definitely less for me. threads/pages take much longer to draw. the other format felt like a big room where you could easily walk around and eavesdrop on conversations. now, it's lots of little rooms you have to choose to go into to find out what's happening. more time consuming for sure, at least for me.

[Tressa]

I am posting more. I like this format much better. I don't feel quite as "out there" as I did on the old forum. :)

[sdWTMer]

About the same amount of time, but I find myself motivated to post more because (I'm embarrassed to admit) I kinda like the challenge of moving up to the next level!!http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/ashamed/ashamed0005.gif (http://www.allboxingstats.com/)
I must admit that I'm the same as Mindy in the moving up the levels thing. What can I say? I like the challenge. Plus I never got 1st on the last board, it was an artform. :-D

[Jeanne in MN]

Yes, I'm finding it more time consuming to open posts, flip through pages and do searches if I'm trying to find older posts. I feel like the messages are jumping all over and it feels incohesive. It was easier for me to scroll down a page and check things on the old board. I don't write as much more. But I'm hoping on getting more used to it. It doesn't help our computer is veeeeerrrrrrryyyyy slllllooooooow right now and it's taking forever to flip through pages.

[Jenny in Florida]

I find it very frustrating to try and follow a single thread. I much prefer reading things in the "Thread Start Time" sort, but it's so irritating to have to go to the bottom of the page and re-set that option every time I open a forum.

I also dislike not being able to see the titles and names of posters who've responded to a particular thread, since that often draws me into a conversation I might otherwise not find intriguing.

I'm doing my best to keep an open mind and give it a chance, and I do understand the reasons for changing, but I'm definitely finding it less tempting to hang out.

--Jenny

[lovin'life]

I haven't been on in a little while. I'm grieving the loss of the old format.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Many times, with the old format, it was the *responses* that got my attention, not the original post.

I miss the old "living room" feel. It felt like I was walking through a party, or a church potluck, catching little snippets of conversations, and feeling free to join in or just pass by. It was open and friendly. This format feels more like a hallway with lots of doors. I need to open the door to find out what's happening inside. It puts the burden on the OP to create a captivating subject line, one that will draw people in. It's not bad, just different.

I think I'm spending more time here, but it's mostly just learning the format, not joining in conversations.

[EKS]

I'm getting better with this format. I don't think I'll ever like it as much as the old format (not as transparent), but I am getting used to it.

[TeaTotaler]

I just joined the new boards today and I agree with what you said. BTW, good to see you back here.
Take care.

[Cindyg]

First of all, I feel like I'm typing into a vacuum. I strongly suspect no one will read this response or anything I type unless I start a thread. Nobody can scan the subject lines and quickly see the subposts. So I think subposts are getting lost.

Secondly, I dare not come check the posts 8 times a day (quickly) like I used to because the post order will be all jumbled up each time, and I can't tell what I've read and what I haven't read. I know I miss things if I check multiple times a day.

What seems efficient to me now is to just look at the board and check the New Posts. But I know by the time I do that, most of you have gone to bed, and I'm typing into a vacuum.

Third, I certainly feel like we've lost the flow of conversation. Yes, I know about the hybrid and threaded mode, but when you read the posts, they're all stacked in sequential order, and you've lost the entire flow of the conversation.

I hate to be a griper, and I'm not leaving the forum. And I love posting a picture of my horse with every post! ;) But I wish we could incorporate some of the features we loved from the old board into this new format.

[Sharon in SC]

I definitely appreciate many things about the new format and feel I have, honestly, reached a comfort level in using the tools to make it work for me. I feel adept at noting new threads, following old ones, etc. However, having said all of that, I do find that I am less inclined to post for, primarily, one reason - because of the loss of that "living room feel" that so many others have noted, I'm convinced that posts are much more likely to missed, overlooked, etc. That, in turn, leaves me feeling, "Why bother?" Of course, I'll certainly post when I feel I have something significant to offer the OP or when I have a direct question I'm hoping someone, in turn, can help me with but I find that I'm now not as quick to just chime in. I'm still the same poster I was, just less inclined somehow.

Your post, at least, help me to know that I'm not alone. :-}
Sharon

[Liz CA]

CalicoKat, how are you feeling?

I still find this format a little more cumbersome but since I have an opinion on a lot of topics, I do post. It seems harder to just quickly look what's going on. Sigh. New tricks are hard on this old dog.

Take care of yourself!!! No heavy lifting!

:)

[Tap, tap, tap]

I typically like change but I don't feel the same way about the boards anymore.

To me the old format was like walking into a room full of people talking and you could listen or join in conversations at will. You kinda saw/heard everything at once as you visually scanned the boards. You may not have commented on the original topic but a response further down catches your eye and you jump in to the conversation because of it. You moved up, down and into conversations quickly and effortlessly. A quick "ctrl F" and you could bop in and out of conversations at opposite ends of the boards with ease. It was simple and lent itself to quick one line posts. Even if you weren't part of a thread you could see/hear people LOL, and ROFLOL, and :), and all the sweet things. It was like a room full of laughter and giggles most times.


The new board is like walking into a room full of tables full of very polite people who don't talk over one another. You have to walk up and sit down at a table to see the conversation. You have to click on multiple spots, and you only see/hear one person at a time. To go to another conversation, you have to get up from the table an walk around, looking for a place to sit. Then you have to open the thread and decide if it is interesting. Then you click on the next page. And you see/listen to the next person. If you want to check in on a conversation you were participating in earlier, you have to go back to another location in the site. It is much more time consuming and doesn't lend it self to quick scanning. I feel tired after being her for 10 minutes and don't really participate in most conversations. This format take much, much more mental energy for me. Even searching for a post takes about 5-6 steps. I work on a computer allllll day at work, I don't want to navigate one at night.


This format is not chatty to me, like the old board was. The new format requires much more concentration. I used to leave the boards up during the day and I would check in, about 10 times a day, but only for a literal minute or two. Then I was off to help the kids again. I stay logged in now too, mostly out of habit, but find I don't want to bother with a minute or two, so I just don't bother at all.

I will undoubtedly stay around but I doubt that I will post much.

[nancypants]

Yes, and that's why I love it so much!

[Colleen]

You (and Sharon and others) expressed it well. This is the third time online communities I visit have switched to this format, and each and every time I've felt exactly as you describe.

[CalicoKat]

My poor baby girl, 8 mo, probably thinks I've abandoned her because I'm learning all the lifting of her to the nanny & my girls! I do get to feed her, thankfully she's taking to the spoon better. I'm going to be very spoiled when the Nanny doesn't come any longer. . . .

I'm still sleeping a lot during the day but I think my "systems" are getting sorted out. I wasn't sure there for a while if it was ever going to be a normal don't-think-about-it process ever again. :D

Thanks for checking on me!

CalicoKat, how are you feeling?

I still find this format a little more cumbersome but since I have an opinion on a lot of topics, I do post. It seems harder to just quickly look what's going on. Sigh. New tricks are hard on this old dog.

Take care of yourself!!! No heavy lifting!

:)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm finding myself posting and browsing more! I really like the change. This format makes it easier for me to find interesting threads on any of the boards, by using the "New Posts" link. I'm addicted again!

Ditto. I see a lot more former lurkers posting now too - I think this format is lurker-friendly:D

[kalanamak]

nt

[Karen sn]

I totally agree. And I think I just figured out how to reply to a reply.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Thanks. I took time off last January to get a hold of some of the loose aspects of my life. I was gone for a whole year! I'm glad I came back in time to be a part of this transition.

[Chris in CA]

Great metaphor, I agree completely. It is harder to get the community feel here.

[Heather in the Kootenays]

I'm in the "spending less time and making fewer posting" camp.

[Peek a Boo]

since I'm in the middle of a huge learning curve [grin], I'm posting a lot and spending a huge amount of time here, but as we progress, I can see that i probably won't post as much, for almost all the reasons mentioned already. less witty. more cumbersome. too compartmentalized. too many clicks to see the great info.

I'm learning a LOT of how to manage my time here, but I'm not learning as much about LIFE as I did on the old boards. I picked up SO MUCH information because my eyes literally had to scan it to catch the messages, lol. Replies were immediate and visible. I learned a lot about diabetes w/ a kid [we don't have that problem here, so i would most likely not open any thread about it], about cooking [i'm a non-cook], about sewing and sewers [::snicker::], and about so many topics that weaved their way into my brain.

So yes, i will probably continue to post a lot, but i won't be learning as much cuz the "browse all replies" feature is simply non-existent. The whole premise of "The Hive Mind" has been kinda wiped out-- it doesn't feel like a Hive anymore-- it feels more like a formal hospital w/ different levels and wards, lol.

I have learned to subscribe to all threads I post in and am hitting my User Control Panel as a "home page' before going to the general board. I have just enough patience to browse about two pages, then i check out New Posts for any other categories, then browse the Curriculum board about two pages.

i think that as people get specific about labeling thread titles, and we learn to use the PM feature to alert other users to threads that may be of interest to them, it will help the flow of information.

[ELaurie]

This will be my 5th year homeschooling (counting preschool and K ) and until last week I had never met another homeschooling family in our community. In order to connect with other homeschoolers, I need to drive a minimum of 30 minutes, usually more. (I'm not complaining, simply describing my situation.)

At times I felt isolated, until I found the WTM boards. The boards were not only a wonderful source for information, but a source of support as well. It felt like a virtual community, and I echo the sentiments of others who loved the feel of being able to mill about and drop in on a conversation, share a laugh, or offer a word of encouragement.

Now I feel like all of the conversations are going on "behind the scenes". I find it confusing to follow threads when they jump around on the boards. I do appreciate the efforts of SWB and her team to make the board as "user friendly" as possible.

But I feel like we're all in separate "cubicles", and it feels less friendly to me. That's not meant as a complaint either, merely an description of my experience.

I remain grateful for SWB and those who graciously provide these boards for our use but I doubt I'll be posting or lurking as often as I once did.

[Queen_Zarga]

I have to say that a lot of these comments really bum me out. I was SOOOO excited to see that they changed these boards! I NEVER commented before because, like I believe someone else said, if I found something interesting at the bottom of the old boards, no one would ever see that I commented. With these new boards, I can find something 2 or 3 (or more!) pages down the list, and when I comment, the thread shows up back at the top! This layout keeps the "hot" threads visible and at the forefront for discussion. With the old boards, I had to scroll and click and scroll and click to check on something of interest. Most of the time, I couldn't find it so I just gave up. Now I can subscribe or search.

And searching...oh my goodness. This search is FANTASTIC! I can find anything I want! Anytime! Search was IMPOSSIBLE on the old boards...ESPECIALLY after the page flipped.

I'm really confused by the people saying we've lost the sense of community. On the old boards the different areas seemed soooooo compartmentalized; you had to go to the main page in order to get to any of the other boards, and you never knew what was going on until you entered a particular board. With this new format you can see the latest thread for each forum right from the home page! This is GREAT! I rarely visited the accelerated or special needs boards before because they didn't seem relevant. NOW, since I can see what the recent thread is, I have actually visited the forums and learned something.

The pictures, avatars and signatures really add to the community feel, IMHO. Now I feel like I "know" so many more people...I can put "faces" to names. I love that!

I know a lot of people are saying they like the threaded mode display because it is like the old board. That way requires so many clicks though! This linear display is great...when I want to browse the posts in a thread, I just click it and I get to see all the posts (I've set my default to display 40 posts at a time). I can quickly scan them over with minimal clicking (only if the number of posts spans multiple pages). Once people get the hang of replying and quoting, the threads will be even better.

Sorry to ramble on. I know this is a big change for many of you, but I really hope you play around with all the options and see how really wonderful this format can be.

And thanks to SWB and Crew for doing this. For free. Wow.

[lovemyboys]

What a great visual! That really describes it for me too!

Another thing that I don't care for is the whole ratings/reputation/competition to have stars and different labels and color codes and whatever. That just feels like way too much work and time for a message board and way too highschool clique-y. I know some folks are into it, and that's cool too, but those are the valid reasons that I (and perhaps others) do miss the old board styles. And I've avoided other boards in this style before because, for me, the wtm boards were so much more open and friendly. But like they say, ymmv.

And I do appreciate what SWB and PHP have gone through to keep these boards available to us all!

[lovemyboys]

What a great visual! That really describes it for me too!

Another thing that I don't care for is the whole ratings/reputation/competition to have stars and different labels and color codes and whatever. That just feels like way too much work and time for a message board and way too highschool clique-y. I know some folks are into it, and that's cool too, but those are the valid reasons that I (and perhaps others) do miss the old board styles. And I've avoided other boards in this style before because, for me, the wtm boards were so much more open and friendly. But like they say, ymmv.

And I do appreciate what SWB and PHP have gone through to keep these boards available to us all!:o

[Peek a Boo]

hey Queen!

I think the difference we're talking about was the actual browsing of the board --the old boards were simply a cinch to LOOK at : to get a fast overview: to literally browse. Yes, if we are searching for something specific, this format is wonderful. But a lot of us really learned so much just from the quick questions and replies --we can NOT see all that in this format.


I guess once you knew how to work the old forum, it was a cinch, lol. control F revealed anything immediately on the page, and I could search the entire wtmboards site from google --no matter what page a post was on or where it was in a post. I don't like the threaded option *here* because it does NOT display an entire thread, and then only lists the first few words of a reply. On the previous forum, once I was in a "room/board" it was totally open *to browse alllll the threads*--i could see everything at once. i could see exactly how conversations were flowing w/o ever clicking. If i wanted details, THEN i clicked to open it. Or I had an instant tip-off that a post was spectacular by the replies --the rating of threads here just doesn't carry the same weight [and is more arbitrary, i think] as seeing 10 replies along the lines of "wonderful post! EXCELLENT analogy! ITA!". And praise God I finally got dsl a few months ago, or this format would be kicking my b*tt, lol. here, each THREAD is like entering a different room -i have no idea what's going on unless i click it open.

I like the linear option for discussions that don't require quoting someone else. The discussion *is* easier to read. But when threads start diverging into subthreads the linear option drives me batty, lol.

I wish the threads would show up as "read" like on the old boards -- i have to go to UCP to see a list of all the threads I've subscribed to. And the jumping to the top is nice, but if you're trying to actually browse, then by the time you get to page three things have already moved! i do like the "Thread start time" option, but that has to be re-set every time you enter the forum. I wish we could see more threads on each forum's page too. We have way too much traffic for just 20 threads at a time to be displayed --have you seen how many pages of threads we have *just for today* alone?? there's simply no way to "browse" all that quickly.

I have mine set to 40 too --it should probably be closer to 80!! or at least 60, lol. And like most of the rest of us, we WILL participate and be grateful for the opportunity and make the best of it. But i think even SWB [and others who host forums] would be interested in honest feedback to make the boards Even Better.:D


Yeah, there's more opportunity to put the focus on *us* as individuals here, but even now that I'm getting the hang of subscribed threads, rep points, searching, re-ordering threads, PM, and all that other fun stuff, I'd still vote to go back to the previous format. Or at least switch to something like teachingmom.com has --THAT one has the best of both worlds, IMNSHO :)

[Liz CA]

I'm still sleeping a lot during the day but I think my "systems" are getting sorted out. I wasn't sure there for a while if it was ever going to be a normal don't-think-about-it process ever again. :D

Thanks for checking on me!

sleep as much as you feel like it. I did sleep for all of October practically after having surgery the end of September.
My doctor told me I would feel this way and he said if I sleep when I feel tired and not force myself to stay awake, I will recover much faster - and he was right!
Take all the time it takes, then it's over for good!

:)

[Liz CA]

Ditto!
But I suppose we have to live with it and make the best of it.
Those long subject lines in the hybrid mode are a little annoying...I am trying to type a title now instead of just plunging into the text.

[Crystal in VA]

I actually like the new format and do find that I will post more than I use to.

[MJN]

a good thing, lol! I'm a borderline computer addict according to the test I took the other day. I'm sure my family likes this format better. :)