Post your tech glitches, errors, issues, etc. here.

Marple

OH MY, this IS a glitch.  Threads that were in my favorites and I've long since deleted are showing up.  Namely one of konakat's threads!!!!!!!!!!  This happened when I first signed in to this new format and I didn't say anything as I was just stunned.  It's like getting hit in the stomach.  Again.

Moderators

Without sounding (overly) defensive, we said we would bring it back to the tech team in response to Windlass, as they are the only ones who can even make a change (in any direction). We are just here to help, to moderate, and to relay your requests/feedback/opinions back to the folks on our team who make the changes. It was certainly not meant to be heartless.

Moderators

Without sounding (overly) defensive, we said we would bring it back to the tech team in response to Windlass, as they are the only ones who can even make a change (in any direction). We are just here to help, to moderate, and to relay your requests/feedback/opinions back to the folks on our team who make the changes. It was certainly not meant to be heartless.

Anonymous

LOL it posted twice - speaking of glitches -

LISTEN MODERATORS - it is QUITE obvious you are not aware that the REAL value of this board is the WOMEN helping other women. BCO.can pay it's "executives" those $250,000. salaries, and Dr. Weiss can have her own board - but WITHOUT the women, helping other women, BCO is of no value.  YOU aren't listening to Windlass, Ruthbru, Coolbreeze, or anyone who is saying you have deliberately FRAGMENTED a community, ruined the ease of being in contact with each other, and the TECH teams knows F all about this.

Keep trying to "fix" the type, and all the other annoyances - you ARE AVOIDING WHAT IS BEING TOLD TO YOU.

This WAS a community - you blew it.  Almost as good as the "New" Coca Cola, and right up there with the Edsel.

pj12

I haven't taken the time to read all the posts and other members have probably mentioned this but... My Favorite Topics category should have about 16 threads in it and that's what it indicates. BUT there are many more threads from some years back showing up, threads that I never had marked as favorites in the first place. For now I can just ignore them or delete them but it would be better if they would stop popping up.



This is not really a problem, more a suggestion... When scrolling through the topics it is a little harder for me to notice what forum the thread is in now. If I try to go back now to be specific, I will lose this post. But I "think" the forum is indicated last after thread title, date, name, etc. Since many of us who are not stage IV, for instance, try not to post in that forum, I would like it if the forum category were more prominently displayed.

Edited to add: well, the forum is listed on the second line but it is small and maybe the blue print makes it less noticeable to me. Perhaps, at least Stage IV threads could be marked in some more prominate manner?



I am getting used to eveyrthing and know it will be fine in a while.

petjunkie

Let's not blame the Moderators for this. They do not make the technical decisions! They are our ADVOCATES here, the liason between the community and the tech team/decision makers. Bullying them is not going to help anything.

Megadotz

If I understand the mods correctly, the only ones who have the capability to make any changes, including returning to the previous format is the tech team.

I suspect that the mods'' authority is limited to sending  feedback to the tech team, which they are doing, including the requests to return to the old format.  From what I can see, beating up on the mods is  a symbolic case of "killing the messeger" -- neither fair nor effective.

I can't help but wonder if the upgrade was a donataion "in kind" of the donor's disscusion board product that the tech team is trying to align to meet folks' needs.  Don't know for sure, just a WAG (wild a** guess).

I certainly wish that were more options available, but I think that the mods are doing  what they can under the circumstances.  They don't have as much power as we wish they did.  *sigh*

truebff

I wish I could get rid of the left space and read in the middle.

I wish the threads had who started the thread, whoposted last, howmany comments as it used to.

I wish I oculd refresh my page like I used to be able to, now Ihave to do via my computer and it takes longer and longer.

I wish that the "script" thingy where some script keeps spinning endlessly for  an hour not only slowing this site down but the whole internet functionality would be finally (it was broken on the last site design too and did this too) would finally get fixed.

Thanks.

lago

truebff you might mention what operating system you are using and browser/version so they can fix that script thing. I don't seem to have that problem.

I too wish I could reclick the tab on the left and have it refresh the page like the old site.

I too miss both names of the last person who posted and the original poster being listed.

-----------------------------------

I also wish people would understand that the site isn't going back to the old format. There are some things I miss but I do understand the change. This is a free site. I get a lot out of this site and it's all free. I contribute too but I don't feel bc.org "owes" me because I contribute. Yes I have made a donation this year.

Anonymous

Amen, Petjunkie.

SoCalLisa

OK, the decision has been made to change the website and the discussion boards so I say let's try to make them better. It would be a huge start  to have the different topics organized so a user can see the divisions of the forums more clearly. Before they were highlighted with the topics indented..it made sense..this would help immensely to make this more userfriendly.

otter

NOTE:  This post does not include any specific technical problems or glitches. It will probably be considered off-topic, but I'm going to post it anyway.

An otter's view:

1) This thread is dedicated to the reporting of technical problems associated with the new format. We have been asked not to complain here, or to request a roll-back to the old format. The Mods are using our posts on this thread to identify problems the tech team needs to address.  There are other places we can go to whine. (I'm okay with that. Others might not be.)

2) It appears, from recent posts, that our Mods are not in charge of the technical aspects of these Boards. The "tech team" is in charge. The Mods can only convey to the tech team the specific technical issues we identify. The tech team will decide whether the "glitches" we report here should be addressed, or whether they will be ignored.  Someone else -- not our Mods -- decided what these Boards would look like, and how they would function. Those decisions have been made somewhere up the food chain and are not likely to be changed.

3) The tech team has decided to limit the "backward compatibility" of this new format. That means those of us with older (i.e., out-of-date) browsers or operating systems will be unable to view or use the Boards as fully as they've been designed to be used. In some cases, we can't even use them as fully as we did 2 weeks ago. That's a decision every web designer has to make. They have to draw the line somewhere. (This irritates me, but I accept it.)

4) I am finding the long, unbroken lists of forum titles and threads within titles almost impossible to manage. It's like reading the rolling credits after a movie when the headers, font changes, indents, and underlines are missing, and everything is left-flush. As several of us have reported here, we would like to see better attempts to organize the content visually. We've offered multiple suggestions for use of color, lines, fonts, contrast, line placement, etc., to make these pages easier to read and process. How's that coming along?

5) I have not seen any "improvements" on these Boards in, oh, the last 48 hours. (I'm guessing. It might be longer than that.)  The O.P. said, "And, this way we could post what we've fixed, all in one place."  I must be missing those announcements, although I have seen lots of assurances that what we're reporting is being relayed back to the tech team. Because we're using different computers or devices and different browsers, it's hard to tell when changes are made in response to someone's report.

6) I sympathize with the Mods. It seemed they were eagerly anticipating the launch of this new format. Something I read upstream said they conducted a survey to identify changes the users would like to see, and they tested the changes on a select group of users before implementing them. Or did I imagine all that? In any case, the Mods were hoping -- assuming, perhaps -- that we would be pleased with the new format. It must have been a shock that so many of us aren't pleased, or are having serious problems with it.

otter

dlb823

I have a question... I don't see the word Forum being used any longer.  We have All Topics, but no Forum Index.  Is that intentional?  I'm so use to thinking of the topic headings as forums and directing newbies to them as such, and I just realized the use of the word forum seems to have vanished.  

And, for whatever it's worth, even though I'm comfortable navigating this new layout, it absolutely doesn't have the same cohesiveness and sense of community the previous format did, which is something I don't think anyone who hasn't been invested in this board can grasp, but which I hope is being conveyed to the tech team anyway.  We've gone round and round about browsers and fonts and colors, but none of those are going to fix what's been lost.  And it just seems so ironic that no one wants to hear input from users on anything more subtle than basic technical problems.    Deanna

ruthbru

I don't think anyone deliberately fragmented the community, but I am afraid that it may be an unintended consequence. So the question would be, how to make the setup more user friendly (in every way)?.....lots of suggestions have been made to pass on to whomever does make the calls. 

otter

Technical issues:

1) In my outdated version of Firefox (3.0.19), I do not see a Post count or a View count after the thread titles in any of the lists. Those counts (counters?) are present in the layout I see with Safari. I was going to complain about this, but I now realize my argument is moot.

2) Deanna, I agree with your concern about the use of the word "Forum", but I'd like to add the word "Topic" (a.k.a. "thread") to the pile.

Back in the dark ages, what are often called "threads" on other discussion forums were called "threads" here (I think, anyway). The last time things were reorganized here, "threads" became "Topics". I never could adapt to that change. For me, the word "topic" was too general and could refer to the thread title or the forum title or even the categories of forums.

The word "Forum" is still being used in this new format, but only in the breadcrumb trail. For instance, here's the breadcrumb trail across the top of the page for this particular thread... I mean, "Topic": 

All Topics → Forum: Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests → Topic: Post your tech glitches, errors, problems, etc. here.

As best I can tell, "Forum" is no longer being used anywhere else. I do think the "All Topics" list is mis-named. That list does not contain all of the "Topics" -- it contains all the "Forums", similar to the "Forum Index" we used to have. The only "Topics" it includes are the ones with the most recent posts in individual forums.  If, in fact, the "Topics" are "threads" (and not "Forums"), then the "All Topics" list should be renamed "All Forums". (Is your head spinning? Mine is.)

It's imperative (IMHO) that the naming of all the sections and features of these Boards be consistent. This is a huge community. We often need to cite a particular "Forum" or "thread" ("Topic") to help others find their way around. This is another example of poor labeling and absent navigational cues.

Finally, a comment about "community":

I cannot explain this, but I also have a sense of loss here. Perhaps it's the newness of the layout; perhaps it's the difficulties I'm having with features and functions that are missing because of my browser. In any case, I used to be able to glance at the list of Forums or a list of threads/Topics within a forum, and easily identify a thread I'd like to visit or one I'd visted before.

Now, instead of the old "table" format with columns that were easily scanned for an interesting topic or familiar name, the information about each thread is jammed together in a 3-line paragraph.  And, as several of us have pointed out, the list of threads in a forum seems to run on endlessly with no easily seen breaks between the thread titles. The same is true for individual posts within a thread -- just line after line of text, punctuated occasionally by someone's avatar at the left margin. I find myself squinting and re-reading a lot. (Perhaps that's why some users are feeling eyestrain?)

I don't know why these Boards seem so foreign now, but they do. That makes me wonder what the newcomers think about this site. Are they satisfied with its functionality? Do they like the "look"?  Is it just us old-timers who are complaining?

otter

truebff

My system is MAC and the suggestions (PMed me) for fixing the left space thing have not worked.

I too feel a loss with this current state of this site. I am grateful for this forum and have found comfort here and have not stopped using it, but I feel it is fragmented badly and, for those of us here, cancer has already been fragmenting. There is an overwhelming need for connection and wholeness. I hope that the techies realize, many of the users are not going to run out and get a new or updated computer or software. We are many of us older. We, many of us, have other financial priorities these days...cancer and its related expenses.

Years ago, every time a software updated, I had to go out and get new, but that got wearisome for me over time. I just want to pick up the tele and be able to dial, if you follow.

I wish the moderators and techs better forsite and hope these "glitches" do not continue to fragment this community.

dlb823

I have another question/observation.  Why do the total number of posts for each "topic" now have such a prominent place in the All Topics listing?  For example, next to Not Diagnosed But Worried, it now says 64,181 posts.  I'm not sure where that information was before, but the way you can't miss it now seems odd.   Deanna

PS ~ Otter, as always, I really value your extremely analytical approach to things!  Your patience to delve into and analyze whatever question is at hand, including the issues here, always impresses me!  Thank you!

dlb823

Another thing I'm not getting at all is DASHBOARD, which makes me think of eBay, where I also have a Dashboard, but it shows stats not visible elsewhere.  BCO's Dashboard is basically 2/3rds repeating exactly what's on 2 other pages (Favorite Topics & PMs), and 1/3 stuff I don't use (Friends & Blocked).  Maybe this page is helpful for mobile device users, in which case I guess that would make sense.  Otherwise, it seems totally redundant and an effort to utilize an in function/term.    

And now I'm going to get off of here because my eyes are absolutely killing me, and no, I'm not going to adjust my screen colors because I've never had to do that on this iMac to view any other website in the whole internet universe.      

Sorry, but a week or so of trying to deal with this glaring background, has made me a bit crabby...     Deanna 

mrsnjband

About my earlier posty about the Kindle fire, I meant to say that I am NOT having any problems getting the keyboard to come up.   

I forgot the word NOT, sorry. nj 

otter

BTW, someone on another thread in this forum ("Yay Mods") noted that the formatting of the Active Topics list has changed.  Now, for each active thread/topic on that list, the forum is listed first. This makes it easier to see where the topic link will lead, and should make it less likely for strays to end up on the Stage IV forum.  Example:

 This is a significant improvement (IMHO).

otter

pj12

I just saw the change in the format of the Active Topics listing. Now the forum is on the top line, followed by the topic or thread.



Major improvement! Thank you, mods!

Moderators

Oh good, we're glad you're liking this solution!

CoolBreeze

I checked it out on my iPad and it's no different than on my laptop with chrome.

For the tech team:

________________ 

Why isn't there a quote button?

I can't cut and paste easily.  When I try, it brings up a box that I have to resize, paste into, then click on an "insert" button.  I should just be able to cut and paste into my reply window.

___________________

Usability definitely has gone down and so has posting.  Sometimes there are only a few new posts in Stage IV all day - if I check before work and when I get home, there are far fewer conversations going on.  There used to be many more, I'm certain now.  Perhaps that is temporary. 

I think new users aren't going to stick around as it's too hard to find information and get help.  It's not because they didn't know what it's like before, it's because it isn't easy now.  When you do a search, land somewhere, and if it seems difficult or the information isn't quickly accessable, you click away until you find a place that's easy.  People online are not patient.   The only way to tell is if registrations have gone down.

Regulars are different, we have more invested, in friendships and sharing our stories,  and will stick around longer.   I think regulars are going to drift away when they find that they don't need to use it as much as they used to.  I know I already have and it's not out of spite or change.  I now pretty much stick with Stage IV and then do something else because it's no longer possible to scan a bunch of topics and let my ADD self get lost here.

The difficulties make them post less, read less, and mods, that means fewer eyes for ads. 

That's just a guess.  I don't understand why full-functioning forum sofware wasn't implemented?  Vbulletin does everything a forum needs, is cheap, is customizable and works like a charm. 

Nobody should rag on the mods and if it seems like I have, then I apologize.  But, they are not providing answers either and when somebody explains a usability problem (as I just have)  that is NOT tech related and the answer is "list it so we can tell the tech team" that specifically sounds like they are not listening or respecting what we say.  If their job is to be liaisons, then they hopefully are relaying all of our problems, from small ones to the basic functionality and purpose of a forum, which now seems many of us feel is gone.  But, they haven't said they were doing that, they seem to just be focusing on glitches.

I really don't think things will be changed folks, so they are right, this is the place to talk about glitches you find.  Maybe if posting and page views go down dramatically they'll figure out a way to make it more like it was but if that doesn't happen, we'll have to make do. 

Anyway, I posted the two missing technical areas that I feel should be on every forum and which are missing so I have done what was requested. 

sheila888

I love love love the new format of ACTIVE TOPICS.

It looks very organized and easy to the eyes to identify which forum and which topic.......

Thank You

PS; Please don't change it........

Cottontail

I second the suggestion of the quote button, please.

Anonymous

Okay, so I took a deep breath and came back.

If this thread, titled "tech glitches, errors, problems, etc" is not the right place to say "We want our old BCO back," then where is the right place to say that? Can we start a petition and deliver it to the owners? Help us out, Mods. We don't want to beat you up, so tell us how to go to the top with these concerns about usability and community. As I've said before, these are not issues for the "technical team."

Moderators

Well, sad as it is for some, we really can't bring back our "old boards". We can only make our new boards better, more functional, and more to your liking. 

Backstage we are working on tons of suggestions, e.g. changing around colors, helping folks to better navigate; switching up our active topics, ......... 

We are listening to you on how to best make the new version of the boards work best for your needs. We need to move forward, and are eager to hear your constructive suggestions on what is working, and what isn't. Going completely back is not an option. 

So, if you can provide concrete suggestions, we can them, and potentially implement. Thank you.

voraciousreader

Exactly what are the tech people doing to improve the active topics so I don't have to scroll up and down the wazoo?

bdavis

Hi Mods.. When I look at someone else's posts and click on one to see what they said, it goes to the beginning of the thread, not their post.

suzieq60

Good example of wasted space - the post above showing SO many signature lines - bigger than the post itself.