SchwinnChopper68 Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I see what you mean now.I'm at 18,153Would be nice to see a drop down box with last 24, last week etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Took me a little while, but I reviewed all of the threads from today and yesterday. That leaves enough of a gap that I know where the real new content is. However, like Hwy6 said, the fact that the topic drops completely off the board is a bit annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 And again... Maybe I'm doing something wrong or it will clear up if I can mark all posts as read. When i click View New Content... This thread does not appear on the list if someone hasnt added to it... This doesn't seem right... it still has the most recent post, even if its not new to me. I want to be able to see it on the list, regardless if another post has followed mine. To take it even further.. I clicked "Mark Board as read" .. and now I get nada under New content. *sniff* After I clicked "Mark Board as Read" ... now when i go to the members tab... I get nada. Says "no new content" ... I'm gonna shut up now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm not keen on Inbox and Sent having been combined... and has Message Tracker been disabled ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 I'm gonna shut up now.I'm sure ed appreciates our constructive criticism, and he's probably getting to them as fast as he can. Plus, it's the 4th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porchman Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Also, note your signatures are scambled. Easy enough for each member to fix their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Also, note your signatures are scambled. Easy enough for each member to fix their own.EDIT.. I stand corrected. The kind of tags have changed.Still.. there's a line spacing issue or auto "<br>" being put in that i cant contend with... anyone have any suggestions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 The content is what we're here for. Not the fluff around it. Don't lose sight of that fact. There are some extremely successful message boards out there that have absolutely horrendous user interfaces...that's because the CONTENT is what people are there for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 The content is what we're here for. Not the fluff around it. Don't lose sight of that fact. There are some extremely successful message boards out there that have absolutely horrendous user interfaces...that's because the CONTENT is what people are there for.Don't discount Editor's background in the TV news business. The bloated aesthetic rubs you and I the wrong way, but I'm sure that once all the kinks are worked out, it'll be more convenient and functional in a way that wouldn't have been possible on IP Boards, and I'm sure that most people will prefer the new look as well. And to the extent that some of us don't like it...we were here for the content in the first place, so a more bloated aesthetic probably isn't so important to us that we'd abandon HAIF.As a business decision, this was probably the right way to go. Hopefully, Editor can re-implement a new Diet HAIF, just with the ability to turn on or off pictures. That'd help satisfy the needs of users that access HAIF from mobile devices, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Definitely need "get last post" link on the new content page, and mark all forums as read. Other than that, I dig it so far and look forward to getting used to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 "HAIF HD"... too big... I am looking for the elusive "Close Ad" X box to shrink it, but to no avail. I have my resolution set to 1280x1024, and its taking up half the screen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahiki Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 HAIF:Now back online. Access from http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haifnow.php or from the HAIF:Now link under HAI Extras at the bottom of the page.I like it. Good stuff. Thanks, Editor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 When i click View New Content not all threads appear on the list even if someone has added to it since my last visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 When i click View New Content not all threads appear on the list even if someone has added to it since my last visit.It appears that if you're not logged in, the View New Content function works like it is supposed to. the icon for the threads you've read goes dim. if you click it again, it takes you back to the last pane you read. etc. when you log in, all the ones you've read disappear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 After 24 hours of trying to use and become aclimated to the new format, I am frustrated and flat worn out. The biggest problem is the new content page. By dropping a topic off the page after it has been read, it discourages adding a reply. Many times, I will read topic and think about it before posting a reply. Other times, I may want to post an article, a photo or research in my post, meaning I leave HAIF to get that information. The new format causes the topic to disappear, meaning I have to search through HAIF to find it again. Needless to say, I won't do that often.The forum jump at the bottom of the page is nice, and the previous/next topic link is even better. However, if I am in New Content, I want to jump to the next new post, not the next topic in that section.The overall layout may be prettier, but it seems to have less information and fewer links to things I intuitively want to link to. The new format seems mostly to help the person looking for specific information, and punish the frequent poster who has already read much of the historical content, and wants mainly to read new content and contribute to it. As one of those posters, I must admit that it is frustrating enough that I have walked away from the site several times already. Whereas in the old format I could almost feel the other posters in the room with me, now I feel like an outsider looking for unlocked doors in a very large building. It doesn't feel like anyone else is online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I haven't looked over things in too great a detail but one thing that kind of stands out is that it seems a bit "busy" and "cluttered". It's a little harder on the eyes ... guess it just takes getting used to like anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SchwinnChopper68 Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 As I mentioned before hopefully there will be an IP Board skin option to go back to the old forum style or continue to use the new updated style. http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haifnow.php This link is great yet it appears to only show the last 10 hours of new posts. If this could have a drop down of say last 24, 48, 72, last week etc it would make finding recent posts so much easier.As an example, I am a member in another forum and I only need to click one link or bookmark and I can see all 50-200 posts on one page that were made in the last 24 hours, 2 days, 1 week etc.. whether I have been to that post or not. Even a thread that had 7 posts to it I will see all 7 of the new posts with a short 6 line synopsis of that post to let me know if the post is even worth checking out.I like the new header graphics though I think it is taking way too much of the above the fold space. To me it just seems a bit more difficult to navigate around the forum than the old one. Keep the graphics, new headers, buttons, web 2.0 stuff but at least have an option to choose between new and old style navigation/preferences.Sometimes I upgrade programs automatically when "new functions" are released. What I have learned is that yes the new upgrades seem to add a bit but in many cases I lost functions that I had come to depend on.Just my 2 cents for what it's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 The new format seems mostly to help the person looking for specific information, and punish the frequent poster who has already read much of the historical content, and wants mainly to read new content and contribute to it. As one of those posters, I must admit that it is frustrating enough that I have walked away from the site several times already. Whereas in the old format I could almost feel the other posters in the room with me, now I feel like an outsider looking for unlocked doors in a very large building. It doesn't feel like anyone else is online.I know that the post ratings were meant to eliminate the following kind of comment, but you articulated the frustration I'm experiencing so well that I just wanted to say ME TOO.Hopefully that empty feeling has more to do with the decline in traffic resulting from HAIF being offline for pretty much a whole day, followed by the weekend slump. And hopefully a lot of these technical issues about user friendliness can be identified and resolved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Don't discount Editor's background in the TV news business. The bloated aesthetic rubs you and I the wrong way, but I'm sure that once all the kinks are worked out, it'll be more convenient and functional in a way that wouldn't have been possible on IP Boards, and I'm sure that most people will prefer the new look as well. And to the extent that some of us don't like it...we were here for the content in the first place, so a more bloated aesthetic probably isn't so important to us that we'd abandon HAIF.As a business decision, this was probably the right way to go. Hopefully, Editor can re-implement a new Diet HAIF, just with the ability to turn on or off pictures. That'd help satisfy the needs of users that access HAIF from mobile devices, too.I don't know if it was the right decision or not. I do know that there are lots and lots of highly trafficked forums that have sub-par design and functionality (gardenweb.org is a perfect example). I'm not sure if TV news is applicable to this....viewers don't interact with TV news, nor provide the news stories which are broadcast (or at least they didn't used to). I think Ed is trying to make this site all things to all people (radar? really?), and I believe that is the wrong approach since this is an interactive medium. The internet allows you to drill in and find the authoritative source for just about any sort of information you desire. Why would I want to access radar from this site rather than NOAA.gov? Coming to this site and then hopping over to radar is just a needless extra step. I visit this site time and time again because it has local info from real people. If Ed really wants to add value to the site he'll find something that will group relevant topics together and display them, or add a feature that would display other topics I might be interested in (mind reading!)....both of which are, unfortunately, hard for computers to do well. It is crucial to draw people into the site, but as Ed has said previously, people are being drawn in by the content via Google, not the flash-in-the-pan graphics that take up 1/2 or more of the screen while contributing nothing useful or unique to the user experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citizen4rmptown Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 After 24 hours of trying to use and become aclimated to the new format, I am frustrated and flat worn out. The biggest problem is the new content page. By dropping a topic off the page after it has been read, it discourages adding a reply. Many times, I will read topic and think about it before posting a reply. Other times, I may want to post an article, a photo or research in my post, meaning I leave HAIF to get that information. The new format causes the topic to disappear, meaning I have to search through HAIF to find it again. Needless to say, I won't do that often.The forum jump at the bottom of the page is nice, and the previous/next topic link is even better. However, if I am in New Content, I want to jump to the next new post, not the next topic in that section.Weren't you the one stating that walking from the old Reliant Energy Plaza to HP isn't bad, and then thinking that we were complaining at the 4-block walk.... Yet, your complaining about having to do things online and how it takes longer and its harder.So, you have to do things that take up your precious time, big deal. Im sure you can spare a few seconds or minutes to find a post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citizen4rmptown Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 And as long as were posting constructive criticism, we should be able to post some nicer things about the upgrade, as well. (I know some of us have, but for the ones that haven't.) Im sure we all appreciate it, but sometimes if all we point out is the negative things, we lose sight of the positive things.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelguy_73 Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I'm not the power user I used to be, but I think I will be fine with the changes if the HD logo is dramatically shrinked and the spacing is worked on so that there is more info on a screen. For example, on the View New Content page, there is just too much space, and the font too large, so that you can't fit as many posts on the screen. Everything just seems too large and too spread out. I could barely use the old HAIF on my Bold (fault of the Bold's small screen), and can't imagine how much scrolling I will have to do now, LOL. Under this same topic, I also notice that when I go to respond to a post, I have to scroll down to get to the reply box, and then again to get to the Add Reply. Just too much space/scrolling. My laptop screen resolution is 1440x900. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahiki Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 As I mentioned before hopefully there will be an IP Board skin option to go back to the old forum style or continue to use the new updated style. http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haifnow.php This link is great yet it appears to only show the last 12 hours of new posts. If this could have a drop down of say last 24, 48, 72, last week etc it would make finding recent posts much easier.As an example, I am a member in another forum and I only need to click one link or bookmark and I can see all 50-200 posts on one page that were made in the last 24 hours whether I have been to that post or not. Even a thread that had 7 posts to it I will see all 7 of the new posts with a 6 line synopsis of that post to let me know if the post is even worth checking out.I like the new header graphics though I think it is taking way too much of the above the fold space. To me it just seems a bit more difficult to navigate around the forum than the old one. Keep the graphics, new headers, buttons, web 2.0 stuff but at least have an option to choose between new and old style navigation/preferences.Sometimes I upgrade programs automatically when "new functions" are released. What I have learned is that yes the new upgrades seem to add a bit but in many cases I lost functions that I had come to depend on.Just my 2 cents for what it's worth.This is what I have bookmarked. I check there, see what's new. I've never used the "new posts" or "new content" option. Haifnow is easy, and graphic-free, for those who don't like the new graphics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Weren't you the one stating that walking from the old Reliant Energy Plaza to HP isn't bad, and then thinking that we were complaining at the 4-block walk.... Yet, your complaining about having to do things online and how it takes longer and its harder. So, you have to do things that take up your precious time, big deal. Im sure you can spare a few seconds or minutes to find a post. That's quite the stretch, linking walking to lunch to surfing an intenet forum, but I suppose if you've been stewing over that post for nearly a week, this was as close as you were going to get (if you had waited until I posted the latest 100 degree records that Houston is setting in the 'DAMN, It's Hot!' thread, you could have nailed me there). To be honest, I debated not posting my thoughts, as I did not want to sound as if I were complaining. But, after deciding that the Editor would rather hear my thoughts than have me and other posters leave quietly, I decided to post, especially considering that the software probably allows the old listing format to be emulated. But, lucky you! Because I post here as a distraction, rather than a necessity (like eating lunch would be), it is very likely that my posting will diminish dramatically if the problem I noted is a permanent feature. Therefore, I won't be around to call out wimpy Houstonians who can't stand the heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Where is the HD part of "HAIF HD?" HD frame size, for TVs, is 1280x720 or 1920x1080. My computer has been set to 1280x1024 for about 10 years now. Digital cameras have been taking high resolution well beyond 1920x1080 for years, even before "HD" as we know it today.Is there actual HD streaming content that I am missing, that warrants the "HD" designation? If not, does it really make sense having "HD" in the name? When I used to work in web design, the general rule was that the title/splash bar across the top of a site should be no more than 100 pixels in height, preferably 75 pixels or less... but that's minor...It appears the upgrade is in line with a newer version of the same message board software, whatever it is. So in a way, we are like a bunch of people complaining of wanting an older version MS Word in favor of the older version - because it is familiar. In general, I've always thought the newer versions were better than the previous versions... until this last version of Office, and the stupid "ribbon." Hopefully, this upgrade doesn't turn out to be like a ribbon upgrade... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SchwinnChopper68 Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 HD = Houston Dallas Houston Discussion Houston Dialog Houston DebateThere are many possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I am guessing Ed is working on a few things while he takes in suggestions. or he's enjoying himself over the holiday weekend, which is even better. I'll get by, and I'm willing to bet the "mark all forums as read" reappears, and also some link to the latest posts instead of having to dive in at the beginning of a thread.I find the thread location under new content to be more subdued, it's not as obvious what forum a topic is from. I think I will get used to it. Usually I use that to avoid historic houston topics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 As one of those posters, I must admit that it is frustrating enough that I have walked away from the site several times already. Whereas in the old format I could almost feel the other posters in the room with me, now I feel like an outsider looking for unlocked doors in a very large building. It doesn't feel like anyone else is online.Bingo! Well said.One bug that I'm thankful... that new HD banner only takes up half my screen when i'm not logged in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 I hope everyone had a nice Independence Day. As you can tell, I didn't spend it in front of the computer making changes to HAIF. I went to a movie and then had a steak and corn on the cob from The Weber Grill, then went window shopping and read the entire Saturday New York Times in a squishy hotel lobby. I hope everyone else got a chance to spend some time with their loved ones yesterday, too.Why do you care? Well, it means I'm rested and ready to tackle the bugs and missing features left over from the HAIF upgrade. There are plenty of things to do, and many behind-the-scenes tweaks that must be taken care of. Just because you don't see changes, doesn't mean things aren't changing.I will also take the time to address each of your concerns one at a time in this thread as appropriate.All updates will be posted in this thread.So for now I have a bucket of Starbucks VIA, my feet on a comfy pillow and the 80's station on the radio. I'm ready to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 New Feature: Mobile HAIF If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or Blackberry you can simply point your browser to the regular HAIF address to get a version of the web site specially formatted for your device. No special URL. And threads you click in HAIF:Now on your mobile device will automagically open in the mobile version. This is more powerful than the former Diet HAIF. That was a read-only experience. With HAIF Mobile you can log in, start threads, post replies, and many other functions you'd expect from your computer. And yes, the bandwidth has been reduced for people on EDGE and GPRS connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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