Some things I like

I like the new forum layout, but don't like having to login every visit.

I sincerely hope that we can lay to rest the unfounded and unfair notion that Adobe applications and users and the former Macromedia applications and users have been forced together in a shotgun marriage and coexist only under the greatest pressure from on high.

Long before the acquisition of MM, I had the privilege of meeting John Nack at a presentation he gave in Boston to MMBUG, the Macromedia Boston Users' Group. During the presentation of LiveMotion, John received a warm welcome from those whom some would have us believe represent some dark side of the graphic arts. The fact that John was an Adobe guy and I was an Adobe user were never highlighted, it did not require an uneasy truce or armed guards for all of us to mix and converse.

I came to use a couple of Macromedia products before the acquisition and have enjoyed and appreciated the use of products from both Adobe and Macromedia sources. Now that my Adobe and (formally) MM products are integrated, I'm very pleased with the improvement to my work flow.

I have what may be an irrational resistance to change. I like the WebX forums and dislike the Fusetalk forums. I'm not thrilled with the new direction, but there are a multitude of requirements beyond my personal preferences that need be addressed. I am confident that none of the features of the new forums are the result of some vast conspiracy of ego-crazed Community Experts from some secret society of Dreamweaver users.

A lot of observations have been made, concerns recorded and emotional opinions posted. None have escaped notice. Repeating them ad nauseum, with an increasingly large dose of bile, will not give them more weight.

From what I am already seeing in the "New&Improved"; there are going to be plenty of e-mails being exchanged for THAT purpose!

Now we get to see what/who has been hidden under the rugs in that "Other Place" in their true colors!

>Or to bitch about someone else

that's about the only reason i can see for allowing "private" discussions.

I would only use private messages to exchange email or phone info.

Or to tell someone in NYC where I might be teaching.

Or to let someone know that the post they made was strange and they might want to change the info.

Or to bitch about someone else ( ;-) )

It's just a way to communicate about those things I currently give my email address for.

Both work, and can work together

There may be times when a private discussion, and exchange of files, will work faster than the usual "clutter" of the side discussions that very often spring up in a message thread

Then, once a solution to the problem is ready, the OP or the answering party may come back to the message thread and post the solution

>I always post an answer on the assumption that more than the questioner may benefit

I try to do that too.

And, with a more efficient Search engine, it becomes even more imperative that answers should be correct, as detailed as necessary and should remain in full Forum view so that they become part of the shared knowledge-base.

Maybe in a few cases, but I always post an answer on the assumption that more than the questioner may benefit.

Using private message to relay detailed information, that would make experience people here bored to tears, would have that.

>This will make it much easier for me to communicate with someone about getting samples of their problems, etc.

again, the point of the forums is the share that information. everything that takes place in "private conversations" hurts the rest of the forum. like now when people say "email me the answer".

very sad.