Mac OSX/Linux forum

[#1]

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.

[#2]

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.

[#3]

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

[#4]

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.

[#5]

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?  

[#6]

@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.

[#7]

@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.

[#8]

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! 

[#9]

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

[#10]

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.

[#11]

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

[#12]

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.

[#13]

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.

[#14]

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

[#15]

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