Forum UPGRADE Input!

[SAcres]

I like the idea of a “like” button, maybe some people will get too into “getting likes” but IMO it is a good way to see if people are agreeing with you. I post and then sometimes have NO idea if my info was valuable or not because no one comments on it.

Like the idea of the western forum but I probably wouldn’t use it. It definitely wouldn’t bother me to HAVE it though and I don’t see why anyone else would really care. For instance I rarely venture into the Racing or Hunting forums but they don’t bother me at all.

New smileys are a MUST!

Also would love in line pictures but maybe have a size limit? That way pictures don’t get too overwhelming.

No comment on mobile forum, I do fine on the regular one with my iPhone.

Spell check-eh, my Mac does that for me and I’m pretty sure you can download programs that will check.

Premium Features-no comment on these really because I’m not planning on ever becoming a premium member.

I personally would like to have avatars but can see how they might get annoying and distracting.

Also would love an improved search function!

Finally I think a “report as spam” button with a function that if the button gets clicked however many times, say 30, then it is removed and goes to the Mods for review…or just gets deleted, like Craigslist report system.

Also I just wanted to say that I LOVE this forum and learn so much on it!

[Char]

I like the idea that someone had on another thread where there were multiple buttons, rather than just “like”. Such as “This Post Was Helpful”, or, “Agree” or Disagree", etc.

Also, I think a Western/Reining forum would be fine. For those who don’t want one, they don’t have to frequent it.

A mobile site would be wonderful. I don’t have a Smart Phone, and while I can view the regular site with my phone, it takes forever for the pages to download on my phone.

JMHO.

[trubandloki]

@nasalberry;5964351

Yes. Sometimes it is like being in classroom of 1st-graders and all of them talking at once. They read the OP, and it is like does not even matter that 23 people already gave the same answer: they don’t care to read, just voice their opinion. It does get tiresome.

Can anything be done about this redundancy? It would surely cut down on CoTH’s bandwidth at least. Anyone have ideas?

Who gets to decide who is being redundant and who is adding more agreement to a thought?

You posted the same thought as someone else. Are you redundant?

[nasalberry]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;5964395]
Who gets to decide who is being redundant and who is adding more agreement to a thought?

You posted the same thought as someone else. Are you redundant?[/QUOTE]
At least I read every post.

If someone asks: “Shoes or Barefoot?” it is not redundant to have 87 different people pick one or the other; some with the same reasons.

If someone asks: “Is a rhino vaccine for a cold-like virus or for a flu-like virus?” and 86 people all answer “a cold-like virus” or “I didn’t read of the replies, but it’s for a cold!” that, imo, is redundancy.
If 1 person answers Rhinopneumonitis vac is for the ‘cold-like virus’ and the Influenza vac is for the Influenza virus, and FWIW, Strangles is the equine equivalent to distemper.", that is not redundant so much as expounding the previous answers.

[Nes]

[QUOTE=nasalberry;5964351]
…Can anything be done about this redundancy? It would surely cut down on CoTH’s bandwidth at least. Anyone have ideas?[/QUOTE]

If we have a “like/agree/thumbs up” button you can very quickly scroll through and see ‘oh this post has 20 likes’ maybe I should read it… sort of thing.

It would be really nice if any OP’s posts in their own thread their name was bolded at the top of the post. Or the background on their top bar was a slightly different colour or something :yes:

Even just adding an easy search function to find all of one user’s posts in one thread would be great.

[Simkie]

@Nes;5964691

Even just adding an easy search function to find all of one user’s posts in one thread would be great.

Exists already, although perhaps you’re looking for something easier? At top of thread on any page click “search this thread”, click “advanced search,” and enter username of poster you want to see.

[ayrabz]

so…does no one else want a chat room?

[MHM]

I agree that the Off Topic forum is more fun in small doses. Maybe it could be open on a more regular schedule, like the first weekend of every month, plus holidays.

I have no trouble using the site on my phone, so I would agree with the idea of making any app optional on a mobile device.

I don’t see much need for a like button. It doesn’t take much effort now to type, “XYZ, great post.”

I also don’t see much need for a Western forum, since the Chronicle does not cover Western disciplines. But if it is included, I can just ignore it, as I do other forums that don’t interest me.

Add me to the list of people who never have much luck with the current search feature. Any improvement there would be nice.

And spell check is always a good idea. :yes:

[Nes]

[QUOTE=Simkie;5964735]
Exists already, although perhaps you’re looking for something easier? …[/QUOTE]

Yes, I’d like to be able to click on a user name and do it, would just be faster.

[alterhorse]

[QUOTE=Nes;5965687]
Yes, I’d like to be able to click on a user name and do it, would just be faster.[/QUOTE]

If you click on a users name it should open a list of choices that include “Find all posts by this user”.

If you don’t have that ability it might be a computer or browser issue?

[Jaideux]

(Reposted here at the request of another reader in Off-Course)

I think an important thing to think about with a “like” button is that you aren’t necessarily “liking” a thread, you “like” an individual post in a thread. It doesn’t convey popularity, just a quick snapshot of whether it was helpful/appreciated.

I enjoy using the “like” feature on fb statuses as a way to quickly and simply offer that I have good feelings about what is happening, especially if I am not super passionate about the status or if I’m not personally close with the person (like friends from high school, etc). It’s kind of the equivalent that if I were seeing them in person, I’d say casually, “Oh, cool!” and offer a thumbs up. For me, typing out “Oh, cool!” on fb is a bit too strong of a conveyed emotion for some things, such as “Got out of class early and get to ride before dark today!”.

For other things, though, such as “Just got cast in Germany’s Popstars”, I will type out a full “Holy crap congrats you rock remember me when you’re famous!”.

A helpful button and a like button I think are good tools. They don’t eliminate the option of offering a comment, but they do help you quickly gauge the reactions of people without wasting lots of space page.

It’s so obnoxious wading through 200+ “Happy Birthdays” on fb. It’s so nice that when someone posts an engagement announcement or something, there are a handful of comments to read, but mostly all the “likes” are condensed into one little icon that says “174 (image of a thumbs up)”. The magnitude of well-wishers is conveyed. The people who have something more to say than “yay” can still do it.

And it’s definitely NOT a popularity thing, at least in my experience. It’s just like a youtube video getting a thumbs up/thumbs down rating (except a thumbs down here may not be so helpful). You don’t have to wade through an entire thread to figure out which info is helpful, and you don’t have wade through an entire compendium of youtube comments to know if people generally like or dislike the video.

(New comments on upgrades):

• Love the idea of a mobile app.

• Not a huge fan of the idea of a Western section- I like that COTH forum focuses on English things, just like the magazine. Also, and though I know the mods are SO WONDERFUL and can handle it like pros, I wonder if there might be a misunderstanding between the two communities if they are co-housed? There is much to learn from both English and Western worlds, but… not sure I want to invite the opportunity for conflict? I feel like I’m not expressing myself well, here.

• Not a huge fan of a constant Off-Topic section, but I’m not a premium member so I suppose it won’t effect me much either way. I like OT days to be very, very special events. I already feel like they are too frequent.

• Not sure if it already exists, but it would be cool if we could “bookmark” a thread so we know where we left off reading. Sometimes I have to wade through several pages before I figure out where I left off, especially on hot topics that blow up!

• I second the idea that when an OP replies to a thread he or she has started, his or her username or background or something should be in a slightly different color. Sometimes it’s hard to remember who the OP is after a thread goes 'round for a bit. It would be nice to have a little reminder if the post is conjecture or “from the horse’s mouth”

• The search function could really use an upgrade. I know I PM’d a mod about it a while ago, but it’s frustrating to search for “tall boots” and get results such as “my husband is really TALL and we have a cat named BOOTS who lives in the barn”.

• Thanks so much for soliciting our feedback!

[Simkie]

@alterhorse;5965710

If you click on a users name it should open a list of choices that include “Find all posts by this user”.

If you don’t have that ability it might be a computer or browser issue?

Nes is looking for all of those posts by a user within a thread, not everywhere. Nope, we do not have a one click way to do that.

[MHM]

@Simkie;5965767

Nes is looking for all of those posts by a user within a thread, not everywhere. Nope, we do not have a one click way to do that.

No, but it’s not exactly hard to do.

You click on the number of posts in the thread, which opens a smaller window with the names of all the posters on that thread, listed by number of posts.

Then you scroll to the poster you want, and click on the post number for that person’s name, and it lists their posts in that thread.

So it’s two clicks, not one.

[Simkie]

@alterhorse;5965710

If you click on a users name it should open a list of choices that include “Find all posts by this user”.

If you don’t have that ability it might be a computer or browser issue?

Nes is looking for all of those posts by a user within a thread, not everywhere. Nope, we do not have a one click way to do that.

In fact, it would be pretty cool if we had a FILTER function, where you could request to view all of “xyz” poster in a single thread, and it would display AS a thread, instead of as single posts returned by search.

[CuteArabHunter]

[QUOTE=Mara;5962688]

How about making it easier to multi-quote? I know the risks inherent - that we’ll end up with one gigantic post of back-and-forth arguing with 35 quotes/responses. But perhaps you could put a limit on the number of quoted posts in a “quote chain”?[/QUOTE]

Definetely multi-quote. That would be so nice. I’ve thought before gee I wish they had multi-quote.

Spell check would be nice too.

I’m always game for more :)s. :yes::yes:

I also like the x amount of clicks and it gets deleted for spam.

[nasalberry]

[QUOTE=ayrabz;5965514]
so…does no one else want a chat room?[/QUOTE]

At first I typed this:
Actually … a chat room; let’s say a Friday evening would be cool.

Then I realized that said “chat room”

• if an “open” chat room - would have 10,000 people all typing at once. BAD idea!
  But I’m not so familiar with chat rooms.
  I’m guessing if you’re into that, then you can always open a window and chat with whoever you wish.

Perhaps, instead, a “chat option”? Like facebook.
Again, I know it: Have used it rarely.
Would use it once in a while or never here … but then, I’m mostly a lurker -
If it’s already been posted 87 times, why add to the heap:
rolleyes:
I’m not an idiot after all. Nor am I 12 years old. Just sayin’.

[CuteArabHunter]

@ChocoMare;5964217

–New smilies – BIG YES PLEEEEZE - If anything, we must have a barfing emoticon. :yes:

Yes! If we get new smilies we NEED a barfing one. That would be epicly awesome!:D:yes:

[Simkie]

@CuteArabHunter;5965887

Definetely multi-quote. That would be so nice. I’ve thought before gee I wish they had multi-quote.

We HAVE multiquote. See the button between “quote” and “quick reply”? That’s the multi quote button.

[Eye_in_the_Sky]

Please no western, as this is a online version of the magazine. I have nothing against western, however I think there are other places for that.

I would really be pleased if you gave us a “Like” button.

[CVPeg]

@vineyridge;5961077

Just remember that a lot of rural people are still stuck with dial up. So try to keep programming bloat down as much as possible. Please make videos a matter of choice.

[QUOTE=kristinq;5962665]Let me just say that I really, REALLY like CoTH the way it is. I think that is looks very clean and sophisticated. For me it is easy to use

Please no avatars. It makes me feel like I’m in Junior High.
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=MunchkinsMom;5964057]I agree, if you allow inline photos, can it be optional to have them load?

[/QUOTE]

During much of the year, I check racing news. Used to go to the Paulick report 1st thing. They went from a plain-Jane/straightforward/easy-to-glance-at website to a nightmare that I can barely get through, and never have enough time to click on articles, or wait for them to load. I commented and asked for at least an option to use a format that isn’t so complex, and was met with a very rude response. I went from checking them daily first thing, to perhaps having checked their site 8 times in the past year. Even when Yahoo mail changed to a new format, they gave you a back door way to go back to the old…

Please, please consider those of us who live in rural areas who have no means of using highspeed and not increase the fluff. As I explained to The Paulick Report, you’re catering to horse people, and many of us are where the horses are! (Of course I know they cater to the bettor, and perhaps a smaller percentage of those who take care of horses. But it was a smack in the face nonetheless.)

@LexInVA;5961636

10. A Cooking sub-forum. Horse owners need to eat and many here are reliant on their own cooking skills to get them through life because they live away from fast food and restaurants.

11. A Gardening sub-forum would be great. Lots of people here have gardens and spaces to grow things.

Both excellent ideas!

@Simkie;5963207

I agree that I would not want permanent off-topic forum, even if just for premium members. I like the specialness of it when it does happen, and I’d worry about attracting people who are NOT AT ALL horse people that would use just that forum.

[QUOTE=jenm;5964006]No to a permanent OT forum, I also think it’s a treat. What I would like, however, is to know how long the OT forum will be open for posts. The start/end times cater to EST and I get disappointed when the forums close “early” for those of us on the left coast.
[/QUOTE]

Also, prefer the OT forum as a treat. When the OT forum is on, how about a highlight, or star, or something that triggers that it’s on? I often have missed much of it before it’s almost over.

The COTH forum is just class. Period. Now my favorite place online.

Always like subtle changes, but you seem to have a lot of happy campers on this site - a lot of good, intelligent, experienced, funny, and clever individuals. Appreciate your continuing the standard that attracts so many.

Thanks for listening! :yes: