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YankeeCanary

Message Board - Potential Improvements

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I know that we all think this is a great message board but, in order to avoid complacency, it may be worthwhile getting posters input as to where the potential exists for further improvements. For example, as you use the board, what do you often find yourself wishing you could do that does not readily appear to be possible?

In my case, I wish I could go onto a thread and see the last message posted at the top rather than the bottom. Most of us who enter the thread to see the latest input are aware of where the thread started.

Secondly, as is the case currently when reviewing past threads for previous good input or to nominate threads for awards etc., I find the "search" feature not working very well and an inability to go to a specific page. It would be nice if we could enter "go to Page 65" e.g., and work back or forth from that point.

Thirdly, while the reason for the pink colour scheme is obvious as well as very pleasing, is it not possible to have at least some subtle yellow and green patches for additional warmth during the long winter months.

Really do appreciate what we have already but some posters may come up with one or two good ideas that cost almost nothing but builds on the existing quality.

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(1) You sort-of already can; click on the little next to the latest poster''s nickname in the subjects list. This will take you to that message. You can then use your Page Up key to see earlier posts.

(2) Would be useful, but how do you know the message you want is on (or close to) a certain page? Can''t you find the specific message via the search? It may be possible, but wouldn''t be done anytime soon. But yes, search could be improved - the advanced features aren''t very advanced, and the "find posts by poster" needs to be fixed.

(3) Which bits would you like to see in yellow and green? And do you want to argue with out artist about colour co-ordination!? :-)

How about adding a bit of colour via smiley type codes, i.e. [NCFC] may insert the badge, [Hucks] may insert a Huckerby image - but we don''t want to overload the board with graphics, certainly not until things get faster; but I may try something out tomorrow if I get time...

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A few things I''d like to see...

a) A ''previous'' and ''next'' thread buttons - it is a pain in the backside to have to keep coming out to the menu every time.

b) I find the layout not particularly user friendly. I realise there is a dropdown to set whether there is a threaded view or a flat view, bt it doesn''t retain the value between threads, let alone sessions! As a cookie is written with our user info, can''t this be included in the cookie info?

c) As this is the most used of the Pink Un forums, is there any chance of having a hot key straight to it, as opposed to navigating the menus.

d) We know the posts are moderated after posting - either change the screen that displays this warning to one that automatically loads the post again, or at least gives you the option to go to the thread list or the thread.

e) Speed the damn thing up!!!! PLEASE!!! And I tend to get a lot of errors when trying to access the board during the day, may have to get a screenshot or something as I can''t remember the message.

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I would like to see a column for the thread originator in between the views and last post column,reason being we all have our favourite posters and if you didnt have time to read all the posts you could pick out the ones you particularly wanted to read.Also agree it takes too long to find a particular page,was looking for my favourite threads at Xmas time, for the awards and had to trawl through loads of pages to find it,there must be a quicker way.
Otherwise my only concern would be that I havent been able to get in twice this week again, which is frustrating when you work full time and only have an hour or so in the evenings to post.

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Thanks for the response Vince. Allow me to respond to your points:
1) When I click on to the little icon next to the latest posters name I am taken to the first post on the thread. My point was it would be nice, when entering the thread, if one was taken to the last post first. Perhaps I''m doing something wrong.
2) It''s true that if there was a "go to a specific page" feature that one would not necessarily know if you were getting to what you were after. However, in referring to past messages, most posters will relate to a specific match date or time period e.g early in the season, Christmas, Easter etc., and they will know when they go into a certain page whether or not they have reached that point. This eliminates the problem that cityangel ( and many others ) encountered when reviewing past messages.
As a matter of interest here''s another one that I find myself doing and wish there was a way around it. I am responding to your points on this thread but... once I click the "post reply" button, I can no longer see what you actually stated. I can only see a portion of the last post. I smile as I say this because of the number of times I have seen different posters say to each other, "Why don''t you read what I actually said?" Well, they may have done, but forgotten it when they attempt to post a reply.

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love the board and the style

minor adjustments - the speed, i am on dial up (soon to get broadband though), but i have tried on broadband too and it is still slower than most other football message boards, i know that is because of moderators, is this totally necessary? The major disadvantage of this board is having to wait to see your post go up or wait for any replies, you can chat/argue/have a laugh instantly on most others, i won''t name any, but they are numerous, yes, you get the occasional bad language or abuse, but those people can be stopped, i am sure you know how, anyhow this board seems to attract mostly articulate adults, kids want other things it seems

icons/avatars - would be nice, i take the point it would slow things down, and on dial up there are many times i just cannot get on here because of the speed (ie promotion night, even at 1am it was imposssible to get a connection), so it would be nice if the technical problems could be sorted so we could all have a picture beside our name

colour - no don''t change it, this is the pink un - if you want green and yellow there are sites which do that, but you might have to put up with people using them as a dating agency not a football forum

private messaging - on one or two sites, and used heavily by most of us who use them - just an idea, where you can leave a message for other posters, eg: leaving your mobile/email for contact over meeting/tickets etc - i am sure you could set this up without many problems


peter/vince - the spirit and content of this board is first class and it is the best football board on the net (for norwich fans anyway), long may it continue and please don''t think i am criticising for the sake of it, just thought i would include ideas which seem to work on other boards

keep up the good work

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I like that one! Thanks from all of us.
We will look at the suggestions - any improvements would have to be done, I think, by the computer department rather than the web team, who are (while brilliant, hard-working and deserving of much more money) not technical enough to alter much.
That means we''ll have to join a long queue . .
Celia

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Soon to get broadband Gazza? You''re not in Long Stratton are you???

Agree with you re icons, colours and PMs though

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Yankee old chap.
When you open a thread you should notice at the top, on the right hand side of the screen a prompt "display using". This has 2 drop down boxes, the 2nd of which gives the choice "oldest to newest" or "newest to oldest". I think this is what you are asking for. Hope thats some help.
Keep it low.

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I don''t have a problem with the layout of the board although some of the points raised about threaded conversations being available as expanded or non-expanded in a "Windows" directory style would be excellent.

The big gripe I have is that I see a lot of SQL Server timeouts coming back when I try to access the message board. Are you reaching a state where you need to split your database across two servers behind your web server(s) perhaps? Or do you have a situation where every post is generating a trigger event in order to have it moderated?

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Thanks Jet. I should have pointed out that I tried this and it does not work. I switch from one to the other and the same sequence prevails. I assumed ( perhaps incorrectly ), as Vince pointed out, that a similar problem exists with the search feature at the moment. Just not functional.

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1. Column with who started the thread.

2. Ability to add small avatars beside name which helps distinguish posters easily and builds up a personality.

3. MUCH clearer markers to show if you''ve posted in a thread!!!!!!

4. Possibly a PM function

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Interesting that, after many times of trying to switch sequencing from oldest to newest and vice versa, it now appears to work. I suppose one just has to speak up.

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I think the Board is great, but agree with most of the suggestions above.

However my main point is slightly different. One thing is find frustrating is the multiple threads on the same or similar issue or point. Other moderated Boards I have used have a system where if you go off the topic of the thread the post gets bumped off (or the writer warned) or if a new thread appears on the same topic it gets loaded into that other thread or bumped off the Board.

Now I am not suggesting machiavellian type of supervision but some rules like that would help me as I sometimes see a large part of page 1 when many different people have seen a headline and rushed to post a message. I then have to read each one separately which takes forever and you just don''t know which one contains the best content.

Several users have commented on speed- the need to read multiple same issue threads is a pain and increases the time to use and download and clogs up the Board. Sometimes an interesting thread gets pushed down to other pages because we have 10 posts all on the latest rumour about Carl Cort being seen in the Nelson Hotel!!

Since this is a moderated Board, could the Team not facilitate this- they will be aware of existing threads and could presumably assist in getting some consistencyand if they see an obviously same issue new thread put it into the existing one.

Other than that, many thanks to the Team and all the posters who really make this place the only one to be for good quality and often very humorous debate

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hello scott, no, i live about ten minutes from fortress carrow road, in the greatest city in the world and am i proud of it

i can get broadband, have already checked :-)

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The question is when do you stop flogging a dead horse? This board has been down at so many critical times that I''ve lost count. And now on this afternoon of afternoons. Sling it in the bin and start again!!
The Sunderland unofficial board ''readytogo.net'' is one of the best I''ve seen, is heavily used but seems to stand up pretty well. It allows for the use of avatars, and has a clever way of nesting replies in a thread. Worth a look I would have said:

http://www.readytogo.net/smb/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=32e46a0a8f0c8cb601d79e8eee55cd56

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fool

Be aware that you''re looking at two different beasts here.

The link you provide for the Sunderland site is based around what is probably a PHP/MySQL implementation and probably on Unix. The Pink''un look to have based their scheme on an SQL Server/ASP.NET implementation on Windows. They may be unable to move to something else.

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I can see that I''m in way over my head technically here. Any Pinkun techies able to explain in words of one syllable why our board can''t be like the Sunderland one?

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Have to agree that it is very frustrating when you can''t get in especially weekends when us full time workers use it most.
Still there are lots of suggestions there for you to ponder over moderators,presume you will let us know in due course which ideas you will implement.

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I know this is supposed to a serious thread but I have to say I found the last two posts extremely funny. I can just imagine the look on Fools face when he read Murphs explanation!

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What was funny about my post Kathy,sorry but I dont get it,but it has been a long day!

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Yes City Angel, there seemed to be a big delay on the board tonight at least from where I was sitting, and by the time it updated itself your post had appeared after the other two which made mine seem stupid (just for a change). No offence intended.

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This is a message for the Moderators. As you know, most posters seem to appreciate the work you put in on this message board. I am one of those posters. However, with respect to this thread and associated threads dealing with the message board, your effort ( or lack of it ) falls way short of the mark at putting together a sensible response to posters inputs regarding potential improvements or helping us to understand why access difficulties are occurring. In terms of ongoing access difficulties, non-functional search features, messages periodically going completely out of sequence etc., it would be appreciated if a clear response was put together to help posters avoid wasting their time trying to use such features. It is not good enough to say things are outside of your control. If things cannot be remedied then please ask those that are responsible to put together a response that will help us understand when a) the system is likely to be down b) what causes features to be available sometimes and not others c) if it is impractical to even consider a search by page number etc etc. It is frustrating to be unable to access the "discussion" section while other sections can be accessed at will. Is it simply the size of the "discussion" section and, if so, will removing a significant percentage of the history improve the accessibility? Maybe not, but helping us to understand is a good thing.
Please take this input as constructive criticism. While overall the message board is good your objective surely is not to cause posters to become discouraged.

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Just speed the bloody board up...it is always SLOW and the number of "timeouts" that I get is extremely frustrating - you are supposed to be a communication company!!!!!!!!

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Have the moderators decided what changes are to be made yet and which of our suggestions they have taken on board?
FatMan Fat,have to agree it has been very slow over the past few days and I tried at least 3 times over the weekend and got timed out on each occasion so gave up.

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Just after reading FatMan Fat''s post I clicked for page 2 and ......
What do I get but .....

Server Error in ''/'' Application.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Index was out of range. Must be non-negative and less than the size of the collection. Parameter name: index

Easily the most popular phrase on the board.

Sort this out - the rest is fine

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Well done to the web team.

Frankly - thought that would be weeded out.

Get some powerful servers to compliment the best board in cyberspace.

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Believe us, an upgrade is coming! We have new server kit which is currently being set up and will be located in London, where we will have more bandwidth. PinkUn.com and EDP24 will be the first sites to move (which in turn will free up capacity for sites left behind) and it still all looks to be on schedule to happen by the end of June.

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