"Released Articles" Forum format

[map man]

I see that the "Released Articles" forum is being formatted differently than other forums when you click on it. It is similar, graphically, to the new format "Gear Review" forum that attroll's been working on. Each entry's got a big space on the left for a chosen graphic, and then the main body has the article title, the first two or three lines of the article text, and it also shows how many comments the article has received. Each entry takes up a lot more room so there is only room for ten entries per page, instead of the 50 that other forums have. Also, the default order the articles fall in is alphabetical by article title, instead of being ordered by how recent the latest comment is on the article, the way the default is set for other forums.

My preference would be to go back to the way the Released Articles Forum used to be formatted. This new format takes up a lot more room on the screen without really adding anything new the old format didn't have, except for the possible graphic (the first two or three lines of article text can be seen just as well in the old format by just scrolling over the entry with your cursor). I think the graphic could be useful in the Gear Review Forum as a picture of the product could be included here, but it doesn't seem so useful to me in the Released Articles Forum. And as it stands now the new format does not include the number of views an article has received like the old format did, and I like seeing that information. It gives me an idea of how useful members are finding a particular article. I tend to be really text and info oriented, and not graphics oriented, and the new format takes up more space with no info payoff.

In the months I've been a member, and in the months I was lurking before I became a member, I've really been impressed with how diligent attroll and sgt rock and the forum monitors have been about continuing to update and improve the web site and it's obvious how much work that has involved. So I'm not saying "don't change a thing," or that I'm not grateful for changes I've seen that I've really liked -- I'm just saying this is one small change I'm not wild about. It would be nice to know what others think about it.

[attroll]

I see that the "Released Articles" forum is being formatted differently than other forums when you click on it. It is similar, graphically, to the new format "Gear Review" forum that attroll's been working on. Each entry's got a big space on the left for a chosen graphic, and then the main body has the article title, the first two or three lines of the article text, and it also shows how many comments the article has received. Each entry takes up a lot more room so there is only room for ten entries per page, instead of the 50 that other forums have. Also, the default order the articles fall in is alphabetical by article title, instead of being ordered by how recent the latest comment is on the article, the way the default is set for other forums.

We can switch back to the old format with the blick on an eye. It is that easy. I was trying this on for size. The articles section was not originally intended for replies but for members to submit articles and once we reviewed them to make sure all was apropriate then we would move them to the released articles section and then add them to the article navagation bar that you see.

My preference would be to go back to the way the Released Articles Forum used to be formatted. This new format takes up a lot more room on the screen without really adding anything new the old format didn't have, except for the possible graphic (the first two or three lines of article text can be seen just as well in the old format by just scrolling over the entry with your cursor). I think the graphic could be useful in the Gear Review Forum as a picture of the product could be included here, but it doesn't seem so useful to me in the Released Articles Forum. And as it stands now the new format does not include the number of views an article has received like the old format did, and I like seeing that information. It gives me an idea of how useful members are finding a particular article. I tend to be really text and info oriented, and not graphics oriented, and the new format takes up more space with no info payoff.

You have to keep in mind just because you can see the number of views in the old format it does not mean that it was a useful article for the ammount of users that viewed it. It just means that the title might have sounded interesting and that many people looked at it.

In the months I've been a member, and in the months I was lurking before I became a member, I've really been impressed with how diligent attroll and sgt rock and the forum monitors have been about continuing to update and improve the web site and it's obvious how much work that has involved. So I'm not saying "don't change a thing," or that I'm not grateful for changes I've seen that I've really liked -- I'm just saying this is one small change I'm not wild about. It would be nice to know what others think about it.

Yes we are always striving to make the site better for everyone. We would not be doing our jobs as webmasters if we did not keep that in mind.

I understand and I am not taking this personal. I am glad you brought it up. I would like to know how others feel also. The reason I changed it was to try amd make it stick out more. I feal that the articles section and the gear reviews when set up like this have a lot of potential for users to submit and write better articles and reviews. There are more reasons to do these two sections this way. But I am not going to sit here and bore you with it all. But one major reason is that the person that submitted the article or the review can always come back and update it at there leasure and they will never reach a time limit where they can no longer edit the articles or the review that they posted unlike a forum post.

Like I said I can change this back to the old format with the blink of an eye. I would like to hear more feedback before I do it just because one person does not like it.

[map man]

Wow, that was a quick reply, attroll -- thank you. I didn't realize that with the new format that articles authors could go back and edit their articles, and that's a great feature. I've got one article in the articles section, the one about hiking rates in various AT sections, and I was hoping to update it annually as I gather another year's worth of data, and this format will make that a painless process. That alone sways me in favor of the new format. I'd still like to know how many views my article and other articles are getting, though. Can that be added in the new format? Thanks for the great work, attroll.

[attroll]

I just went and added views to the listing.

[jlb2012]

I didn't realize that with the new format that articles authors could go back and edit their articles, and that's a great feature...

Nothing new - that was there before just in a different form. Like any other editing it only works for Donating Members so as a Non-Donating Freeloader I am unable to edit the article that I wrote even though it has a couple spelling mistakes and there is some data that would be good to add.

[attroll]

Nothing new - that was there before just in a different form. Like any other editing it only works for Donating Members so as a Non-Donating Freeloader I am unable to edit the article that I wrote even though it has a couple spelling mistakes and there is some data that would be good to add.

The way this the new format is set up for the artciles and reviews section it does not matter if you are a donating member or not. If you are the one that wrote the article/review you can edit it at any time.

[jlb2012]

The way this the new format is set up for the artciles and reviews section it does not matter if you are a donating member or not. If you are the one that wrote the article/review you can edit it at any time.

Well that may have been your intention and it may even be true BUT I can't find the f'ing edit button to save my arse so I can only _assume_ that I don't have the priv to edit my article.

[attroll]

Well that may have been your intention and it may even be true BUT I can't find the f'ing edit button to save my arse so I can only _assume_ that I don't have the priv to edit my article.

Which article did you write. I may have to fix it. Let me know and I will fix it when I get home form work tonight. I am on my way out the door now heading to work.

[jlb2012]

the article on Knots : link - http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/arti...57&postcount=1

[attroll]

the article on Knots : link - http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/arti...57&postcount=1

Your right Hog. I tested your theory and you are right. I will look into this and see if i can find a fix for it. Give me a little time though.