Speed is the #1 criteria

[_SuperMacGuy_]

Speed is my #1 criteria. Speed of finding answers, getting answers, posting questions, and just general page loading.

I view these forums almost exclusively from my daytime job. I can't be see as continually web surfing. I need to get an answer to particular questions quickly. So page load speed is important.

This is why the current forum is so great- just text, hardly any css, no javascripts, no images, no avatars, no advertising, no Flash/flash. I also need a way to see as much as possible of each topic on screen at once. Currently I can see almost all current topics without scrolling my page. I can see if my post is answered, or new posts are there, etc. Having to scroll 3 pages with lots of wasted space time consuming. Having only 1 page worth of topics, but with tons of fancy frames and wasted space and such so I only see, say 15 topics per page, will kill me. I'd rather see 50 or 100 topics listed on one page than need to load multiple pages. Perhaps a pref to show XX items per page if need be.

I am against avatars, long signatures, javascripts, and wasted vertical space, and Flash.
I also HATE grey text. All text should be BLACK. Unless it is grey for a real reason, like a legal disclaimer or something.
I would like to be able to upload screenshots to be able to clarify problems, that is one thing I will accept if it's a tiny bit slower.

Sorry to sound like a rant but in order to do my job I need these forums to get answers. Having them crash n burn like the last time would be a big problem.

Thanks,
Chris

[Ann_Shelbourne1]

YES to all of your points.

That is the ONLY format and modus operandi that is of any use to me too.

[Kath-H]

A tiny disagreement - 'hardly any css' actually slows things down. A decent external stylesheet and we wouldn't need all the clunky table code.

And I suppose we've just got used to all that gunk at the top of the page that needs scrolling past every single time.

These forums aren't *entirely* perfect 😉 Useless search function, too.

I would like improvements but I'm bored with making requests that either get slapped down with 'you can't expect poor widdle John to do everything' or, quite possibly, ignored entirely.

As has been pointed out, the message at the top of each forum does not read as an invitation to contribute opinions, and I'm not even sure they are wanted. We have no concrete proposals, still, and no confirmation that anyone gives a hoot what we want or don't.

Hosts contributing either admit, like Oz, that have really no more information that we do or posture around pretending to know. So we're just flailing about, really.

I'm dropping in now and then to see if that changes.

[Ozpeter]

> We have no concrete proposals, still, and no confirmation that anyone gives a hoot what we want or don't.

When we do have concrete proposals, then we'll be able to see what concrete response there has been to the views expressed here. Let's be optimistic - the seemingly long delay in publishing the concrete proposals might be due to the time taken to change some things in the light of what's been discussed here. Or not. I don't know. We'll see.

[Ann_Shelbourne1]

How I wish that that will turn-out to be the case but unfortunately I don't share your optimism at the moment because we had every indication, so far, that they are just taking the easy way out by sticking with the standard unpalatable fare as offered by Jive.

[Ozpeter]

My optimism is indeed a personal trait. You may be right to think otherwise.

[Ramón_G_Castañeda]

> might be due to the time taken to change some things in the light of what's been discussed here. Or not. I don't know. We'll see.

Really?

c :/

[dave_milbut]

speed is number one.

[Ann_Shelbourne1]

While speedy access to a page is vital, so also is: "Speedy Previewing of Content".

In other words: A tightly-leaded List View (with no space being wasted on separating rules) showing at least 60 Topics per Screenful; together with CLEAR markers to indicate Unread Threads, Threads with new Posts, and Previously Read Threads.

[Mark_A__Boyd]

Wow. Ann, do you realize that you've just described the advantages and a few basic features available all NNTP newsreaders? ;)

I'm a long time fan of NNTP and have been reading both adobeforums.com and forums.macromedia.com newsgroups for many, many years (migrated from CompuServe). I even used MM's dial-in BBS a few times.

I abhor the FuseTalk Web forum software used in the former MacroMedia forums. I do think that the Web forum interface in the old Adobe forums is MUCH better, though still not as good as a real newsreader.

I've only seen a few of your posts in this forum and hope that my first impression of you is wrong. Just thought I would let you know that a MM newsgroup regular agrees 100% with one of your posts.

Yes, this recent post of yours expresses some of my hopes for the new forum. Though I may be resistant to change, I have no problems adapting when a new system is an approvement over the old - else I would still be using teletypes and snail-mail.

I would likely leave if it were to perform the same as either of the existing interfaces. But I will not make such a decision until I've had a chance to kick the tires and take a good, long test drive in the fully migrated and implemented version.

[Bill12]

I finally gave up and went to look at the NNTP format for Dreamweaver (just a sample). It was kind of interesting. I do not know much about newsreaders, but it looks like a useful format. It is interesting when we hear from MacroMedia forum users that say they use the NNTP format. I can now see what they are talking about. The form is simple and fast to go through. It would take me a while to get used to, but I think it would work fine for my needs. I guess that a lot of you are having that heartburn with NNTP being dropped and I can see why.

Hopefully the new interface retains a lot of the simplicity that folks have requested, but experience from the past suggests we should not expect such a simple form. Thanks for the comment.

[dave_milbut]

>Wow. Ann, do you realize that you've just described the advantages and a few basic features available all NNTP newsreaders?

zactly. maybe that's what you want ann. everything you're describing is what a newsreader already does. oh wait... no nntp with the new system! XD

[PJonesCET]

Both Thunderbird and SeaMonkey (equivalent to the old Netscape Comunicator format) have NTTP new capability Built in. Opera does to but its almost hidden and a pain to get to.

[dave_milbut]

there will be NO nntp in the new system. it's dead. kaput. finished. it's an ex-news enabled system. :)

[Dorothy_Krause]

It'll be interesting to see what people can do with email to act similarly to NNTP. If there is nothing like the message center to work with in the web forums, I may open a gmail account and set that up to watch the forums.

For me, a gotta-have is the ability of the software to accurately track what I have actually read (or at least opened) as opposed to just date-stamping everything as read as of the time of my last visit. If the forum software won't do that, I'll set up email that will.

[John T Smith]

If the original, somewhat loose, schedule is maintained, the new forum will be in place next Month

If April is still the target, and if there is going to be a preview, I would expect it some time this month

Reading here is interesting... but the actual trial will start when the preview link is given for people to see something real

[Photo_op8-XG0MBl]

To avoid a disaster, like the last time, any preview should be accessible NOW. To indicate that the product will be rolled out in April (18 days, unless you assume April 30) sure would seem that the features are pretty well baked in already. We should be testing what's been decided or April will be deja-vu all over again!

[Dorothy_Krause]

What John has said in the past is mid March for a preview expected to be available for about 3 weeks if things go as planned.

[Ramón_G_Castañeda]

Mid March is this Sunday.

[Dorothy_Krause]

The clock is ticking. Does it have to be on a weekend when not even John is working tho?? I've give "mid March" a week on either side of exact center. (tho, at this point, I'd say not on the early side. Duh!) And there is always the "best laid plans" factor.

[PJonesCET]

If it is it should be on a Monday and last an entire week if it doesn't crash everyone.

[Ramón_G_Castañeda]

>Does it have to be on a weekend when not even John is working?

Of course! :D

[Mark_A__Boyd]

From: "Mark A. Boyd" <Mark_A._Boyd@adobeforums.com><br />Subject: Re: Speed is the #1 criteria<br />Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 07:30:06 +0000 (UTC)<br />User-Agent: Xnews/2006.08.24<br /><br />> it's an ex-news enabled system. :)<br /><br />Hey, you've been looking under the skirts 🙂

[John_Cornicello_Photo]

Who says I don't work weekends? I just try to stay out of forums on weekends to get other things done.

[Kath-H]

OK, I can't stand it any longer. One criterion, many criteria.