I suggest to add optional checkboxs comments in the initial topic to show the software works on which operating systems, and shows the os info on topic lists.

That's a nice idea. I can't see everybody remembering to do what you're suggesting, but in principle I like it!

General categories would be nice too:

- Outliners
- New (or recently updated) apps
- CRIMPing
- General Discussion (Anything Goes)

drm vorlock wrote:

I suggest to add optional checkboxs comments in the initial topic to
show the software works on which operating systems, and shows the os
info on topic lists.

Nice idea. Maybe we can do this ourselves if we remember to use hashtags at the front or end of postings

#ideas #forum #dont_forget

drm vorlock wrote:

I suggest to add optional checkboxs comments in the initial topic to
show the software works on which operating systems, and shows the os
info on topic lists.

Turns out we cannot search on "#" here. Oh well.

Paul Korm wrote:

Nice idea. Maybe we can do this ourselves if we remember to use
hashtags at the front or end of postings

#ideas #forum #dont_forget

drm vorlock wrote:
I suggest to add optional checkboxs comments in the initial topic to
>show the software works on which operating systems, and shows the os
>info on topic lists.

The simplicity and lack of categorization is one thing that I've always found amusing and endearing about this place. I was assuming this simplicity is a deliberate attempt to avoid a big meta-argument about the best way to organize it by a crowd consumed with indecision about the best way to organize their own data.

No one argues about lacking features in notepad.exe. but the second you make something a bit more capable then it becomes a debate.

In all seriousness, I do a lot of lurking in the other software forums like myinfo, connectedtext, and IQ and my favorite discussions are threads that are years old and still seeing regular action because they are about deep questions. I've noticed that some of you are pretty great at referring us newbies to old discussions here about certain topics, not sure if you have your own index or are just good at search.... But the lack of categorizing does create a lot of repeat discussions we've already had. I would very much like to see it organized like the other forums.

"The simplicity and lack of categorization is one thing that I’ve always found amusing and endearing about this place. I was assuming this simplicity is a deliberate attempt to avoid a big meta-argument about the best way to organize it by a crowd ****consumed with indecision about the best way to organize their own data.**** "

THIS MAN GETS THE AWARD for funniest comment of the day! ;-)

I too have wondered about this. Very much appreciate its existence, but wondered what kind of software is used to run it - never seen anything like it before. That might mean importing the data to a new system would be difficult (?) Seems like one of the free php bbs systems used by most of the linux distributions would work a lot better if the data is exportable.

The ability to go back and edit the mistakes I made is one feature that I hoped this forum has. I tend to make so many mistakes.


Otherwise, this is a great forum.

The ideas raised are what matters most.

I won't speak for Chris or any other long-time members, but I believe that the reason the forum continues in its original form is that Chris has been very generous to host and moderate the forum, and that we did not want to further impose on him. But after having read the comments above, I am now wondering if tinkering with the site would be akin to a "symphony of soloists" given that we all have our preferred methods of organization. While most things in life can be improved, I kind of enjoy the simplicity of the site. Perhaps it is just familiarity, but I am usually able to find what I am looking for.

--Ken

Ken wrote:

I won't speak for Chris or any other long-time members, but I believe
that the reason the forum continues in its original form is that Chris
has been very generous to host and moderate the forum, and that we did
not want to further impose on him. But after having read the comments
above, I am now wondering if tinkering with the site would be akin to a
"symphony of soloists" given that we all have our preferred methods of
organization. While most things in life can be improved, I kind of
enjoy the simplicity of the site. Perhaps it is just familiarity, but I
am usually able to find what I am looking for.

A wise comment, with which I agree.

--Ken

I originally wrote the forum software myself in 2006. It is basically in the exact same form as it was then. I do have a list of improvements I want to make, and welcome any suggestions. It's always been a side project for me, but I want to spend more time on it at this point. The first thing I want to do is add SSL security and modernize the display so everything works better on different devices. Editing one's own posts for corrections is also high on my list, along with basic formatting (probably Markdown), and the ability to include images in posts for things like screenshots.

Better search and categorization options are needed, but I think I would prefer a looser, tag-based approach rather than a strict top-down ordering. I like the idea that structure would emerge organically, as I can't see us agreeing on what the top-level categories should be :-) I have also imagined a section that is separate from the forum that would allow the community maintenance of a database of software with fields for platform, features, etc., which could also link to relevant forum threads (and external URLs). In other words, giving each application its own detail page.

Anyway, I appreciate everyone's participation. This is still the only forum where I read every post - and not because of my moderator duties. I enjoy reading it so much that I sometimes forget I have anything else to do with it!

That's great news, Chris. And thank you for providing the forum, maintaining, and moderating it. It's a great asset for the community you've created,

The only suggestion is let me edit my stuff. I'm always pressing "Post" then immediately thinking "that makes no sense" or "look at those typos".

Tags would be nice. Markdown would be awesome. But don't put too much on your plate -- it ain't broken!!!

Ok now I'm nervous that if this site was updated that it'd somehow be Mac Only!

Its also funny to imagine how structure arguments would go if you all weren't so civilized.

"You are such a a tag-hole! " "Index this, you flat list loving sync-ophants!" "Folder? I don't even know her!" "your Metadata makes less sense than a one-button mouse and is twice as ugly!"

Add my voice to the chorus. Thanks, Chris, for the only site I check daily, and whose members are almost always polite, and can be wryly funny, as above.

Yes, ability to edit posts, post images, and use markdown would be solid additions.

Thanks to you all for providing, if not an island of sanity, at least an atoll of comfortable craziness.

Thanks Chris!

Paul Korm wrote:

The only suggestion is let me edit my stuff. I'm always pressing
"Post" then immediately thinking "that makes no sense" or "look at those
typos".

Get Out Of My Head! ;-)

Paul Korm wrote:

That's great news, Chris. And thank you for providing the forum,
maintaining, and moderating it. It's a great asset for the community
you've created,

The only suggestion is let me edit my stuff. I'm always pressing
"Post" then immediately thinking "that makes no sense" or "look at those
typos".

Tags would be nice. Markdown would be awesome. But don't put too
much on your plate -- it ain't broken!!!

I agree. I will graciously take whatever improvements that Chris decides to add, and agree with Paul that it ain't broken.

--Ken

nathanb wrote:

Ok now I'm nervous that if this site was updated that it'd somehow be
Mac Only!

Its also funny to imagine how structure arguments would go if you all
weren't so civilized.

"You are such a a tag-hole! " "Index this, you flat list loving
sync-ophants!" "Folder? I don't even know her!" "your Metadata makes
less sense than a one-button mouse and is twice as ugly!"

Quite funny! :) Will we need to worry about gentrification if the site becomes Mac only? ;)

--Ken

jaslar wrote:

Add my voice to the chorus. Thanks, Chris, for the only site I check
daily, and whose members are almost always polite, and can be wryly
funny, as above.

Yes, ability to edit posts, post images, and use markdown would be solid
additions.

Thanks to you all for providing, if not an island of sanity, at least an
atoll of comfortable craziness.

I have to agree 100%. I read the site daily and greatly appreciate the atmosphere that we have created. There are only a handful of forums that I participate in regularly, mostly because folks are well-behaved, and this is one of them. The forum is a true resource, and yes, and atoll of comfortable craziness (a phrase which I come to like).

--Ken

--Ken

Ken wrote:

Quite funny! :) Will we need to worry about gentrification if the site becomes Mac only? ;)

Humm... interesting association. With the apparent lack of interest for any significant hardware development from Apple (and to a lesser extent, MacOS too), innovation is IMHO more on the PC-Windows side these days.
And users, power users in particular, are getting increasingly frustrated:
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/15/developer-slams-lack-of-mac-updates/

Of course, some will argue that Macs were so much more advanced w.r.t. PCs, that the latter is only doing catch up. May be, may be not.

Big Thanks to Chris for keeping this forum alive. It is also one of the very few that I read every day.

Pierre

As to any forum upgrades, editing would be nice, but not having it forces us to re-read and re-think our thoughts before actually clicking the Post button, and I see this as something positive, so it would not be a priority.

I would like to see 3 somewhat minor changes:

1- Persistent login
2- Page links at the top and the bottom of the page, with > 6 pages, ideally 10 or more
3- They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so being able to upload and view images in posts would be great !

Pierre

Pierre Paul Landry wrote:

Ken wrote:
>Quite funny! :) Will we need to worry about gentrification if the site
becomes Mac only? ;)

Humm... interesting association. With the apparent lack of interest for
any significant hardware development from Apple (and to a lesser extent,
MacOS too), innovation is IMHO more on the PC-Windows side these days.
And users, power users in particular, are getting increasingly
frustrated:
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/15/developer-slams-lack-of-mac-updates/

My (somewhat poor) attempt at humor was trying to poke fun at how Apple occupies a premium niche in the world of marketing. Right or wrong, there is a bit of exclusivity in the brand, and I was just trying to get in a humorous reply to nathanb's quite funny post. And for the record, I do own several Apple tablets and have a nephew who works in Cupertino (and my wife's works in Redmond). We are an agnostic house when it comes to technology.

--Ken

Of course, some will argue that Macs were so much more advanced w.r.t.
PCs, that the latter is only doing catch up. May be, may be not.

Big Thanks to Chris for keeping this forum alive. It is also one of the
very few that I read every day.

Pierre

Chris, belated thanks for providing the infrastructure and support to a forum that is now 12 years old--in this incarnation, not to mention the valuable archives from its previous life.

I have only one request which should be fairly easy to implement and consistent with your taxonomy vision: the ability to search posts by user or, alternatively, user names being clickable tags so one can list all contribution of a certain user.

More and more, I find myself remembering posts by person, but searching only finds users in posts where their name appears in the body, i.e. where they've been quoted by others.

It would also be nice to be able to recall what I myself have posted in the past and assess whether I've become any wiser...

Chris Murtland wrote:

Better search and categorization options are needed, but I think I would
prefer a looser, tag-based approach rather than a strict top-down
ordering.