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What chance a U Turn?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by ColCannon (U7362862) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  I went away when the format of TA board was changed so that conversations get splattered throughout the length of a thread. I did miss it though, especially when I needed a break from the book-keeping, so have come back to try again.
  
  Sadly, I still can’t get used to it, the lack of continuity in a conversation makes me lose interest very quickly – it is so hard to follow who is replying to whom.
  
  Apologies if this has been raised recently but is there any hope of a change of mind?
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by RosieT (U2224719) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Not sure what you mean, Col? Time Order? Tree structure?
  
  Could you explain what you think is needed?
  
  [sadly, the bbc messageboard people do not rethink. Keri does put some points raised to them, but it's a pretty thankless task I'd imagine]

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Ed Gely (U2334656) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  They've sold on the hardware/software that used to run Howerd2 (the old style Messageboard system) so a move back to it seems virtually impossible

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by ColCannon (U7362862) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  I think I mean both - what I loved was to see the conversations between folk as if I were watching a play. You figured frequently Rosie, in some of the funniest banter I have ever seen but it seems to work now only when a thread has less than four posters.
  
  I simply can’t be bothered to keep checking to see to which remark a particular post is a reply. Of course it may be that I’m not doing it right – should I start at the end and trace the conversation backwards?
  
  As I'm reading it now, I often see remarks that seem to relate in no way at all to the one above - it's like everyone on the board has been Jekked!

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by ColCannon (U7362862) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  perfect example - In The Bull there is a thread "wrecked saucepan help" - my comment #44 makes absolutely no sense at all where it has landed between #43 & #45 which at least appear to have a connection.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by RosieT (U2224719) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  One thing that *might* help -
  
  At the foot of each messsage is
  
  << This is a reply to this message >>
  
  and if you click on
  
  this message
  
  you are taken back to the message to whichit is a reply. This is not really useful if there are few messages, but can help if there are a couple of pages or more.
  
  [Bring Back Time Order! my cry and the cry of a couple of others]
  
  

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by ExTAlistener (U3058291) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  I also think the way each message has a rigid border around it has undermined the sense of communality that previously existed, and fostered an increased sense of hostility between posters, each b ehind their own little hedge.
  
  Much lament the loss of e-mail notification of a reply - that allowed for keeping track of where posts were....
  
  Bring back the REAL messageboards
  Bring back the REAL Lilian...

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by studioj (U1600165) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Sat, 26 May 2007 12:02 GMT, in reply to ColCannon in message 4
  
  If you use Firefox (or Opera) - or are prepared to install it (either or both) - then you can take advantage of a script that I and another message-boarder (Achilles Grytpype-Thyne) have written.
  
  This javascript program modifies the presentation of the message board pages to make the layout better (and more like the old Howerd2 boards) and also adds some extra goodies.
  
  One of these "goodies" knits the posts together in a thread page in order to rebuild the conversation/sub-thread structure. One thing it does is to let you hover your mouse over the "this is a reply to..." and the original post (so long as it is on the same page *) is displayed in a pop-up div. Another thing the feature does is to allow you to navigate a sub-thread by displaying a small "thread tree" which displays the thread structure around a "current" post and its immediate relatives (parent, child and sibling posts). You can browse up and down the thread/sub-threads by navigating up and down the "tree" display. Note: only the thread /structure/ is displayed in this "tree" (not the posts themselves) but you can see each post in turn by hovering your mouse over each one within the tree-display. It's far from perfect.. but better than nothing.
  
  (* you can force the browser to display up to 200 posts on a thread at a time by changing the URL to contain "show=200". If a thread is less than 200 posts in its entirety then the whole thread structure can be revealed.. otherwise we are limited to seeing the thread structure slightly fragmented).
  
  So:
  I simply can’t be bothered to keep checking to see to which remark a particular post is a reply 
  With this feature you can see the original post (so long as it is on the same page) simply by hovering your mouse over the "this is in reply to..."
  
  This feature does, of course, rely on people replying to the correct post rather than just replying to the last one on the page or any other random one.
  
  The script offers many other features too.
  
  See here for a detailed decription and instructions: - don't panic, it's really easy and there's really only three basic things you need to do. I recommend Firefox over Opera for use with the script because it works more seamlessly.. though there's no reason for you not to try both. (And remember, there is no problem running one or more alternate browsers alongside IE).
  
  hth
  
  jont {;¬· >···{

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by petal jam (U1466691) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Sat, 26 May 2007 13:43 GMT, in reply to ColCannon in message 1
  
  Col be very sure that you are not alone.
  
  The Script does help follow subthreads but there are still posters who always attach their comments to the latest message in the thread, whether it replies directly to it or not, and this diminishes the effect.

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by ColCannon (U7362862) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Thanks again RosieT. Now, not trying to push my luck here but can you also tell me how to find out if anyone has replied to my ramblings?

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by ColCannon (U7362862) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  "Much lament the loss of e-mail notification of a reply"
  
  So that's why I feel so bereft of likeminded pals. It’s like no one gives a fig for anything you say – sniff….
  
  I really should get out more........

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• Message 12

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by studioj (U1600165) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Sat, 26 May 2007 16:40 GMT, in reply to ColCannon in message 10
  
  If you look in your "Your discussions" page then you will see if a thread has been updated since you last looked at it (which includes when you last posted). This won't tell you if anyone has specifically replied to your own post though.
  
  If you use the script then you can elect to see a widget against each post which displays whether a post has direct replies (on the same page) and, if you click it, the small "tree" appears which lets you see what those replies are (and subsequent posts etc).
  
  hth
  
  jont {;¬· >···{

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• Message 13

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by ColCannon (U7362862) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Blimey sj, ‘tis really decent of you to explain all that - I did know about running more than one browser but have always been scared to try. I shall be on the case come Tuesday when everyone else gets off this boat and leaves me to concentrate in peace!
  
  ‘don't panic,’ they say ‘it's really easy’ – yeah right says she, quailing at the very thought!

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• Message 14

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by studioj (U1600165) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Sat, 26 May 2007 17:21 GMT, in reply to ColCannon in message 13
  
  No probs, ColCannon.
  
  
  
  
  As far as I am concerned.. the /only/ difficult/scary part of installing Firefox (and then Greasemonkey + script) is the point where Firefox asks you whether you want it to become your default browser (instead of whatever you are currently using).
  
  This really refers to whether Firefox should "take over" (from IE) the file extensions "htm" & "html" etc such that if you were to click on a saved page on your desktop (or wherever) or click on a web link in another application (eg: your mail program) then it should open that link using Firefox rather than your current browser.
  
  You have the option to say "No" and then change your mind (via the Firefox options) at a later stage. Or I think you can say "Yes" and then get IE to steal the associations back at a later stage if you wish.
  
  Don't be scared.. and don't be put off by the extensive instructions.. they are that exhaustive (and I should know) because they are trying to cover all possibilities - various versions of two different browsers on three different operating systems. If you read - and follow - the instructions carefully then all should be really easy. Plenty of users have initially said it looked a little daunting but ploughed in and found it was really easy to do. I just hope that they weren't saying that just to be kind
  
  jont {;¬· >···{

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• Message 15

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by Bette (U2222559) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Colconnon - it really is easy, as Jont says. if /I/ can do it, then anyone can :-S
  
  If you try and run into problems, then just ask - there are loads of people who will sort you out! Just to put you at ease, the first time I tried, I clicked LH mouse instead of RH - simple as that (didn't read the instructions properly).

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• Message 16

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by studioj (U1600165) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Sat, 26 May 2007 18:29 GMT, in reply to ColCannon in message 13
  
  ps: I have just rechecked the instructions by running through them with a clean profile and I see that (as noted in the instructions) the Greasemonkey initially /looks/ enabled but is in fact disabled after it has been installed.
  
  After you have installed Greasemonkey (and after exiting Firefox and restarting it) you will need to disable then re-enable Greasemonkey in order for it to recognise the script as a Greasemonkey script. This work-around is noted in my instructions.. but I thought it wise to alert you to it ahead of time.
  
  The team who maintain Greasemonkey are aware of this bug and a fix is supposed to be in the pipeline.. but it hasn't made it to release just yet (as of today, that is. Who knows.. it may be fixed by the time you try it).
  
  jont {;¬· >···{

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• Message 17

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Spartacus (U38364) on Saturday, 26th May 2007

  Sat, 26 May 2007 21:52 GMT, in reply to ColCannon in message 1
  
  ColCannon, if you remember the old boards fondly, take a spin past my place:
  
  
  
  It's a spin-off site myself and my friend Bob created when the board format changed. We kept a lot of the old features...
  
  (If you create an account and log in, as opposed to just lurking, you'll notice we seem to be overrun by sheep. These are optional - when you're logged in, have a look through your "Profile"; there's a lot of configurable stuff in there!)

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• Message 18

  , in reply to message 17.

  Posted by Lady Macbeϯh - not without mustard (U550479) on Sunday, 27th May 2007

  Sun, 27 May 2007 11:21 GMT, in reply to Peet (the Pedant... in message 17
  
  Overrun? Not enough sheeps IMHO

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• Message 19

  , in reply to message 17.

  Posted by ExTAlistener (U3058291) on Sunday, 27th May 2007

  Fantastic - I'm joining up now.....!

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