We're under construction again

[Capt. Bob]

Well just got back and see all seems good.

SB, I was working on the Forum in the office and like yourself was logged on all day. That explains why I could only get on there and not on my phone after I got home.

What a mess.

Just cleared my phone of Firefox cache and finally can get on.

[gran398]

Good work fellas. Can see everything now, even as a visitor.

Also checked the Photo Gallery. Running on non-eth 93 Octane

Back up to snuff...post 'em up members!!

[GoneFission]

Thanks guys for the update/renovation!  

[Aquasport Commodore]

I'm good now

[RickK]

By the time CB and I are done the site should be so much easier to find what you're looking for.

[Capt. Bob]

OK,
Here's a new dilemma for me and maybe others.

I've been moving rebuilds around to their new homes.When I refresh, I notice the "New Post" indicator (pic to the left of the forum title) is highlighted. Upon clicking, I see that I have already read the latest post so.....

Check the last date post shown on the far right. If it's today's date, then check for a new post.

OK, let's see what else I can screw up.

[RickK]

If you start seeing this (I see it too), there is a "Mark topic read" at the top of each forum (on the right side of bar just under "New Topic" button) - scan the dates, if you've read them already, click that button.

[RickK]

So we've made the first pass through the rebuild forum and separated everything out - still a little ways to go though, another pass or so to see if we can sort the rest or just leave it in the generic forum.  (My eyes are bleeding  :cyclops: )

What is your initial opinion as you learn the layout and such?  Any easier to find stuff?

[gran398]

Rick, mentioned to CB earlier this is night and day over how it was before. Like how it is organized by model. Really makes it easy for the members, especially new members, to research their boat and potential rebuild procedures.

Hat's off to you guys!!

[RickK]

It really brings to light how many rebuild examples we have of each model.  Bet some of the old timers will start reading some of the old threads too  

[kaptainkoz]

I may be a unique case as I like to read all the rebuilds and chime in where I can. With that said I have to say I liked the old format better for that purpose. Yes, the new format catalogs and separates the categories better for research but I definitely feel disconnected from the most recent posts across all builds. I guess I will have to take more steps and click more topics to see what everyone is up to.... But will everyone else? Will the person who may have a great answer to my generic dilemma navigate many pages and topics to find me as easily as they did when it's was all under one topic? There is a ton of useful overlap that applies to fiberglass boats in general which may be lost in the new sectionalizing of the site. It may have made it easier to search a specific model but I think the group dynamic will suffer and replys will diminish greatly.  Sorry to be a downer but I feel disconnected from the builds I was following. Maybe it will grow on me and I will have an " ah ha" moment on how it works now but I liked the prior format better.

[fitz73222]

Very nice Rick,
Just surfed through the topics and it is very well organized. You and CB have put a bunch of time and effort into this. I found it very easy to find what I was looking for. Sure you have to do a little digging but that's typical when your doing research. I also found the most recent posts to be available in each catagory, for me, easy to track. Hats off!

[Capt. Bob]

I may be a unique case as I like to read all the rebuilds and chime in where I can. With that said I have to say I liked the old format better for that purpose. Yes, the new format catalogs and separates the categories better for research but I definitely feel disconnected from the most recent posts across all builds. I guess I will have to take more steps and click more topics to see what everyone is up to.... But will everyone else? Will the person who may have a great answer to my generic dilemma navigate many pages and topics to find me as easily as they did when it's was all under one topic? There is a ton of useful overlap that applies to fiberglass boats in general which may be lost in the new sectionalizing of the site. It may have made it easier to search a specific model but I think the group dynamic will suffer and replys will diminish greatly.  Sorry to be a downer but I feel disconnected from the builds I was following. Maybe it will grow on me and I will have an " ah ha" moment on how it works now but I liked the prior format better.

Koz,
I won't argue your feelings because change is often hard (more so for old guys like me) but let me give you something to ponder.

The Forum has been in existence since early 2005. Over this period of time, a great deal of information along with a fair amount of chaff has been accumulated in the various forums. During my tenure here, I've found that most members rarely scan deeper than the first page or two of the individual forum they're reading and as such, don't utilize the Forum to its full potential. I'd guess the vast majority of members who use this Forum for obtaining the data they are searching for, may or may not find what they are seeking and move on. This would also include "lurkers" like myself who use internet forums like THT and Continuous Wave for the exact same purpose.

That stated, our hope was to break out the information lying dormant in this Forum and make it more accessible to both members and guests. In its past form, it often reminded me of a coffee can of fasteners (screws, nuts, bolts, washers etc.). When I needed a fastener for a project, I would dump the can out on the table and scatter the stuff around looking for what I needed. After I found it (or did not find) I then  pushed all the fasteners back in the can and placed it back on the shelf.

The Forum was (and still is in sections) a lot like that one can but as we move forward, we have created smaller cans to place our information in and place on the shelf. Certainly more cans to shift through but but less data per can and since they are labeled, logic would dictate they should help us find that data easier.

New posts to a thread still are highlighted as it always was (think no change).
The active threads are at the top (or close to) of their forum page (think no change).

Now data is more concentrated (think change).
More mouse clicks are needed for navigation (again change).

What has really changed is the ability to find things. We are in some cases adding to the original thread title so members can spot a topic of interest without having to wade through the thread. All of this is change and it will take time. Time to implement and time to adjust.

Give it a little time.

[kaptainkoz]

Thanks Bob. It's not that I hate it although I guess I'm getting older and resistant to change. I can see reason for the points made but that's also what the "search" function is for. When I go to google.com there aren't any categories. I put in what I'm looking for and it takes me right there. I've browsed the categories and my concern is that there are many categories combined in our builds which make them too broad to place in a boat model category alone. The 100 plus page Delmarva build covers every category by itself. I agree that a single "rebuild" category ends up a jar of screws but again that's what the search is for to pinpoint a keyword of interest. I guess time will tell but I still believe that fracturing the site to this extent is going to hurt the broad input posts that make this site such an incredible resource in the first place

[CLM65]

I'm pretty much with you on this one, Steve, but I'm hoping that it is just that I need to get used to the new format.  I used to go to the rebuild forum to see the latest updates.  Lately I've been clicking on the "view new posts" button in the upper right so I can see all the new posts on all the forums.  If you don't do this, perhaps you should give it a try.  It may make keeping up with things a little easier.