topic Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum in Community Site Feedback

Mac OSX/Linux forum

kabads — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 07:21:12 GMT

I'm a bit disappointed that the mac/linux forum has gone. When I joined PN, it was a sign that they were supportive of different technologies. I used to check there occasionally and help out when I could. I'm less likely to come to the forums now, but some might think that's a good thing.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Anotherone — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 08:01:32 GMT

Hello kabads. It hasn't gone, it's here - Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

If you use your Browse button, or click the Forum from the large menu bar, you can also find it that way.

We aren't happy with it being amalgumated, and are campaigning for it to be split back up again into the 3 previous boards.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

PeeGee — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 08:57:52 GMT

It's not sensible to split them out - think of all the wasted screen space resulting from two more boards, both of relatively low usage (in comparison with the MS Windows element). It would mean we could find useful information more easily, too, which doesn't fit the ethos of the new forums.

I've finally found a way to "compress" the lists somewhat by blocking the avatar display (interesting that there doesn't appear to be a setting to cover this). I'm happy without them and the layout is, in my opinion, much cleaner.

Phil

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

HairyMcbiker — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 08:57:57 GMT

It really depends on whether you want to trawl through posts about non relevant stuff, personally I would prefer 4 new boards, M$, Linux, Android, Mac.
They maybe low volume but at least they are SPECIFIC.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Townman — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:04:14 GMT

All depends on one's perspective of the purpose of this forum. This is an ISP support forum, not an every operating system under the sun support forum. There are lots of those - more suited and better for purpose - elsewhere. That said, given I rarely use those here, may be I should remain mute?

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Anotherone — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:05:59 GMT

@Townman no comment

@PeeGee Well I would say that if you've found a way to "compress" the lists then the splitting out shouldn't really affect you Although if you are referring to all the white space that there is, then that is another matter and is something that we have been on about being compressed long before this new forum went live, and will continue to go on about! If it's something else, a screen shot would be good - it might be something we can suggest as an enhancement
It may interest you to know that the board count with this as 3 boards was in fact strangely the same board count as SMF.
I don't want to have to trawl through irrelevant stuff either.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

kabads — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:09:55 GMT

@PeeGee - it wastes a lot of my screen space as I'm not really interested in general tech software help stuff, and there are thousands of places you can already get that kind of forum out there. However, it does all depend on your interests. If you're after general stuff, then that's the place for you.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Townman — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:13:37 GMT

AO one could argue that all of the OS stuff is irrelevant in the context of an ISP support environment. However I suspect that when you said "irrelevant" you really meant "of no personal interest to you" which is a slightly different take!

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Anotherone — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:16:16 GMT

No. Wrong I mean irrelevant to the subject matter

Let me give you a slightly different example, if I want to look for something to do with Hardware, I don't want to have to trawl through a load of stuff to do with Windows 8, 8.1, 10 carp

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

HairyMcbiker — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:31:50 GMT

And why would someone have to trawl through them if they were split, the only time it would take up more screen space would be at the top level, and even then it doesn't have to. Since they are low volume groups they wouldn't fill the new posts topics all the time.
But as to this being a PN specific forum, you will find it has always been a general interest forum, with PN help.
Maybe they want it to be LOW volume and restricted to only PN stuff, if so let us know and we can setup our own fourm and leave this one empty?

As to there being specific forums about yes but getting an answer can be hit and miss, at least on here you (could) get a reasonable answer in short time. I have found that some tech forums are very cleaky and not welcoming to new users. I can mention a certain car forum like that, where I am still waiting for an answer a YEAR later.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Anotherone — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:38:55 GMT

HairyMcbiker wrote:
Maybe they want it to be LOW volume and restricted to only PN stuff........

Do you know, I actually am starting to wonder if that is the case and in particular that they want to get rid of trouble-makers (in their eyes) like @Townman and myself

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Townman — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 09:49:23 GMT

Might I suggest that in the new paradigm it is all relevant to the subject matter - general technical help on hardware and software. Let's face it, even with the reduced number of boards, there's still many around here unable to post in the right place! More choices makes that simple task more difficult.

Besides, if someone is looking for something, they are more likely to try search than scroll through topics, so does it really matter to the majority how many boxes there are?

May be the right answer is to have more boards AND a more compact presentation. The latter has not yet been influenced in spite of the many words said on the matter right from day one of pre-release testing. I hold no hope for the boards being split out again; it's not exactly relevant to an ISP forum and it's going to take shed loads of manual effort to make the split, as I'd doubt there's any means of automating the divvy-up of the merged contents.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

HairyMcbiker — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 10:09:44 GMT

Since there has been MINIMAL input since it opened I don't think it would take more than a few seconds.
Maybe 10 minutes to do the WHOLE board, since it is a skeleton of its former self.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

PeeGee — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 10:17:46 GMT

The other problem is that not only should the board really be split into 5 boards, as per HMcB plus hardware, without the existing "Tech Help" but they should be put in a new section entitled "Tech Help". Putting it in "Other Forums" is just trying to hide it away and then archive it.

Phil

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Townman — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 10:17:57 GMT

That statement implies that content has been removed (or was it just achieved)?

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Anotherone — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 10:19:38 GMT

It's all still there AFAIK, and the "Other Forums" was done to try and keep the top level list a bit shorter, I never really thought it was Plusnet trying to hide things.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Anonymous — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 21:07:49 GMT

Just adding my voice to this topic, I agree with

@HairyMcbiker wrote:
It really depends on whether you want to trawl through posts about non relevant stuff, personally I would prefer 4 new boards, M$, Linux, Android, Mac.
They maybe low volume but at least they are SPECIFIC.

In the current format, I can't be bothered to post any new OS specific topics, as visibility of topics feels to have been lost, and now requires much more careful consideration of a topic's title to make it stand out when browsing through a jumbled mix of unrelated subjects in the Software/Hardware section.

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Townman — Sun, 01 May 2016 09:41:29 GMT

But they ARE all related, just by a definition different to what they used to be. They all relate to platforms used by users, to access the services provided by THIS ISP.

Essentially this forum is about supporting THIS ISP's SERVICES, not supporting every bit of tin and operating system under the sun. What do you want on here next - how to repair cars, segmented by manufacturer because that's what you use to get home to use the operating system and tin which connects you to PlusNet?

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

Anotherone — Sun, 01 May 2016 15:04:15 GMT

That is about as daft a remark as I've seen. People use different OSes when using Plusnet Services and that is very relevant and they sometimes need help to successfully use the services with those OSes - including Windows!
They also use different Modems, Routers etc and that is very relevant to their ability to use the services, which they sometimes need help with, to successfully use the Plusnet Services.
They use different Computers that sometimes have issues, different Virus checkers and so on and so which will sometimes prevent them from successfully using Plusnet Services. Perhaps you'd like to ban any topics about that lot as well, Chat included (where they can talk about car repairs)
Whilst they might not be the services directly supplied by Plusnet and hence why they are on a different part of the board structure, perhaps a reminder of what one member of staff said -

ScottStorey wrote:
But it does have a potentially huge community benefit. A happy active thriving community socialising and not dealing with just problems day in day out.
Although some people love doing just that, its nice to bond over common interests as well.

The sooner they are split back to the 3 boards that existed on SMF (when most people seemed happy) the better. My (obviously mistaken) impression of the board structure had taken that as read, if I'd actually realised they were going to be amalgamated, I would have had a lot more to say at the time

Re: Mac OSX/Linux forum

kabads — Mon, 02 May 2016 09:47:42 GMT

@Anotherone - you are correct - it does shorten the top level listing. But to the detriment of the posts within those categories. If you take it to the extreme, you would have one very short category (saving loads of screen space) called 'General, problems, and other stuff' - this could be the only category and it would keep that screen short. But think of the postings that go into that category. You would have to trawl through a load of unrelated posts before finding anything that you are remotely interested in.

Obviously, there has to be balance, but having one big tech category, in my opinion, is too big. Technology is now a vast subject and is rapidly expanding. The forums should at least reflect that - not try to dumb it down. As for having a happy community of users -this type of forum has lost me and I really don't want to check any more as I have better things to do with my time (and more specific forums to check).

If I'm really honest, PN missed an opportunity here -they could have implemented something like stackoverflow where you can tag posts and then click on tags. That is now becoming a more accepted way of organising forum communication.