I'd like to hear your opinion...

[cb977]

I'm fine with leaving the groups...but that just means that we all need to get a bit more pumped up here!

I really think the social groups, if we keep them, should be used ONLY for non-orchid subjects...

Marty, the ball is in your court

[Tindomul]

Agreed. Also I think a reduction in quality of threads may be related to an increase in quantity. More members does not necessarily mean better content. Its like the big city effect, when you have a small board all the threads are extra special, everyone reads them, contributes, nurtures them. Like in a small town everyone knows everyone the the place is safer, nicer looking etc.. When you have a very large forum, which is what we are now, lots of members are overwhelmed by the number of threads, you don't know what to look at first, sometimes you just give up and decide to come back some other day, or you become specialized and tackle one or two subforums only rather than the whole board. Just like big cities become impersonal, everyone has a specialization, we hang out in clicks etc.. Taking the social groups away may not solve the issue Sue has percieved. It seems as though social groups are just another symptom not the cause. But I still say we should avoid redundant social groups.

[harrywitmore]

Originally Posted by peeweelovesbooks

Actually,

It is very easy to use the search function. Sometimes the question isn't answered to my satisfaction, however; which is a totally different issue.

I would like to make one point on this subject and I realize it's not really pertinent to the subject of social groups which I don't use.

I am relativity new here but I see lots of redundant questions here and on other forums. I also see folks get right testy about the fact that it is a redundant question and inform the poster that they should have done a search before asking it. They may even make a comment about it being ask several times a week in a condescending manner as well. But, did anyone ever think that the user base of this and every forum is changing constantly and just because someone answered a question 3 months ago does not mean you won't get a totally different perspective if ask again. Noting is set in stone and someone may have just joined that can give us all some information we never knew. I'm learning every day and this forum has been VERY helpful to me. So, it never bothers me to see a question ask again. If I have nothing to add I ignore it.

I'm sorry, but I think it is rude to make some of the comments I see made to someone who is simply seeking knowledge. Luckily I don't see that as much here but it does happen.

[cb977]

Originally Posted by harrywitmore

Luckily I don't see that as much here but it does happen.

Just want to let you (and everybody) know...when something like that is posted on this forum, I contact the member it was written by privately to explain (mostly) nicely that we do not behave that way here

I don't do it in the public forums as that would also be rude...and it's just not my style

[Tindomul]

Originally Posted by harrywitmore

I would like to make one point on this subject and I realize it's not really pertinent to the subject of social groups which I don't use.

I am relativity new here but I see lots of redundant questions here and on other forums. I also see folks get right testy about the fact that it is a redundant question and inform the poster that they should have done a search before asking it. They may even make a comment about it being ask several times a week in a condescending manner as well. But, did anyone ever think that the user base of this and every forum is changing constantly and just because someone answered a question 3 months ago does not mean you won't get a totally different perspective if ask again. Noting is set in stone and someone may have just joined that can give us all some information we never knew. I'm learning every day and this forum has been VERY helpful to me. So, it never bothers me to see a question ask again. If I have nothing to add I ignore it.

I'm sorry, but I think it is rude to make some of the comments I see made to someone who is simply seeking knowledge. Luckily I don't see that as much here but it does happen.

I completely agree!!! Orchid Board once upon a time took pride in itself for its exceptional treatment of members, no do search, or if you had bothered to do a search.... responses. I have not seen these types of threads because I don't go to the forums where you are likely to find them, so it is surprising to me and a shock, sobering perhaps to hear of this here on ORCHID BOARD. Well, I suppose it was bound to occur. A sign of the times. This is another symptom I would say of the what I call the big city effect.

[harrywitmore]

Thank you both for your work to make this a better place than any forum I have been on.

I would also like to say that I can't even remember a particular instance here of what I was talking about but I do believe I have seen it. But, I'm old and my mind may be playing tricks on me.

[RosieC]

I've never seen those sorts of responces here, and it's one of the reasons I like the Orchid Board so much. Everyone is always friendly and willing to help beginners.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

When you have a very large forum, which is what we are now, lots of members are overwhelmed by the number of threads, you don't know what to look at first, sometimes you just give up and decide to come back some other day, or you become specialized and tackle one or two subforums only rather than the whole board.

Someone mentioned earlier (I think in this thread but maybe another) about the time-out playing a part here.

I find that I feel like it is a race for me to read everything before the time-out automatically looses all my 'New Posts' list.

I know that it is based on inactivity, but sometimes it takes me so long to write a responce or to read an entire thread, that I have not pressed a button before the time-out and they are gone.

Or I need the loo, or don't realise when I start that hubby is about to serve the evening meal, or the door bell goes, or...

I find myself becoming obsessed once I start reading I won't do anything else until I've finished. When writing a long reply I keep clicking 'Preview' to remind it I'm here, when reading a long thread I keep clicking out it and back in to remind it I'm here.

It either becomes an obsession to beat the time-out, or you just let it loose your history and don't keep on top of all the posts.

Oh well, just one of those software things I doubt anyone can do anything about, so rant over

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by RosieC

Someone mentioned earlier (I think in this thread but maybe another) about the time-out playing a part here.

I find that I feel like it is a race for me to read everything before the time-out automatically looses all my 'New Posts' list.

I know that it is based on inactivity, but sometimes it takes me so long to write a responce or to read an entire thread, that I have not pressed a button before the time-out and they are gone.

Or I need the loo, or don't realise when I start that hubby is about to serve the evening meal, or the door bell goes, or...

I find myself becoming obsessed once I start reading I won't do anything else until I've finished. When writing a long reply I keep clicking 'Preview' to remind it I'm here, when reading a long thread I keep clicking out it and back in to remind it I'm here.

It either becomes an obsession to beat the time-out, or you just let it loose your history and don't keep on top of all the posts.

Oh well, just one of those software things I doubt anyone can do anything about, so rant over

This is getting a bit off topic (sorry Sue!) but actually, there is something you can do! I used to race though the new posts before losing them until I discovered something. Go to quick links at the top, and click on 'Today's Posts'. There you'll find the posts from the last 24 hours. Perfect!

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by camille1585

Actually, there is something you can do! I used to race though the new posts before losing them until I discovered something. Go to quick links at the top, and click on 'Today's Posts'. There you'll find the posts from the last 24 hours. Perfect!

Thanks Camille,

I re-wrote my previous post several times and in one of the incarnations I mentioned that but it seems it missed the final cut!

The problem I have there is that it is often over 24 hours between my reading sessions and so I still loose a whole bunch.

Just the last few days I've been at home (decorating) and so have actually read every day (today several times) but when I'm working I often don't have time every day.

All forums that use software similar to this one have the same problem. I've only ever found one, which looked very different in it's layout and obviously used different software, which only marked them as read when you conciously decided they were read.

I probably need to just care about it less, and not try and read everything but I think it is a reason for what Tindomul was talking about.