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Sherrill

Nov 5, 2002, 7:31 PM

Post #1 of 33 (15346 views)

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I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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May I respectfully suggest that the new format has too many gadgets, bells and whistles that are pretty much useless. I have tried and I just cannot get over the lovely old set up. OK, it wasn't exactly reading the NYTIMES. But you did get an idea of who was saying what to whom. And you could just scroll down to look for something. There was something so satisfying about the visuals/that rather clean white page with the blue print. Now I am getting really nostalgic for it. It was beautiful. I'll stop as I know this change was well-intended but have to say that just because all kinds of symbols are available does not mean one has to use ALL of them. Clean design, direct approach really works the best.

Erich

Nov 5, 2002, 7:40 PM

Post #2 of 33 (15275 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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Here-here!!! The old system was much easier to read. Erich

Sherrill

Nov 5, 2002, 8:01 PM

Post #3 of 33 (15258 views)

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Thank you Erich, I thought I was the only one...

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This is silly. I get a "bing" on my email saying someone responded to my post! That was you. Thank you!! Had another that was sent "privately " and made a reference to Flintstones. Meaning I think that I was living in the "Stone Age" re bells and whistles. This is all too much busy work. Point of Internet is communication! I spend a lot of time doing work on the computer. When I needed a break, I could always count on MexConnect for diversion; usually informative, often amusing and always an opportunity to connect!

pedro picapiedra

Nov 5, 2002, 8:50 PM

Post #4 of 33 (15240 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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I agree with what you are saying. -- And isn't it true that there are many fewer posts since the new format started??
I am personally a gadget lover myself but the steep learning curve for many of them make adopting new ones often not worth the effort.--"If it ain't broke don't fix it"

Sherrill

Nov 5, 2002, 9:24 PM

Post #5 of 33 (15227 views)

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Form follows function/or if it ain't broke, don't fix it

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Pedro, I enjoyed your response. Thing is that I too love gadgets otherwise I would not be using this machine. Perhaps I should have used the word gimgracks. A few minutes ago I received a very nice "private" response where the writer informed me I could get rid of the email notification and private responses that I found so annoying. It may be too late. I may already be addicted to them. He was very kind. BUT would it not make more sense to make his answer part of the dialogue? And, yes, I think there are fewer participants now as the conversational tone is lost. BUT I have to say that JRose is trying to take the dialogue up a notch and I applaud her for it. I just don't like the format. Love your photo.

lucy

Nov 6, 2002, 4:11 AM

Post #6 of 33 (15202 views)

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Re: [pedro picapiedra] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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Seems like the forums have become boring. There is even spell check. We can't even have fun with that.. Everyone seems to be careful of what they say because they are registered. Almost like BIG BROTHER. Now everyone is nice but there seems to be little substance to the posts. This may change but I doubt it. Seems like there is room for a new forum..

ibidem

Nov 6, 2002, 5:30 AM

Post #7 of 33 (15180 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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Actually I like the new format. Seems better organized as far as following a particular thought through the thread (say that 10 times fast!). Yet I agree that responses seem to have dwindled in number. Maybe people have a hard time with the concept of being 'identifiable'. On the other hand, if it brings a measure of civility to the board it's probably worth it. These things tend to work themselves out....BTW let's hear it for the nostalgic blue!

jennifer rose

Nov 6, 2002, 7:23 AM

Post #8 of 33 (15153 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] Form follows function/or if it ain't broke, don't fix it

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The new format takes some practice, but even the slowest technopeasant will figure it out in time. It’s like using a new microwave, VCR, or answering machine.

You don’t have to use every feature. Repeat: the existence of a feature does NOT mean that you have to use that feature. Personally, I happen to hate user icons, happy faces, and instant messaging. No one is forced to use spellcheek. Some folks think those features are the cat’s meow, and although I have serious doubts about those kind of people, I can opt not to look at or use those features. It’s that easy. What is definitely kewl is that this format is infinitely customizable by the user.

The new format has something for everybody. Some people have taken to killing their spare time uploading those personal icons, which means that they have less time to post. You’ve already become addicted to e-mail notification of new messages.

Registration not only means that we no longer have to waste my time removing Chinese spam, but it also signals that posters are expected to take themselves and other seriously. There’s still room for jocularity and levity, but there’s a semblance of order now.

From the perspective of online community administration, the new interface means that messages which belong in another forum can be easily moved over to a new venue. It’s cut down drastically upon the number of deletions and the amount of discipline. I may have to retire my black boots with the 9” heels and put away the whip.

Remember, Sherrill (and others), how hard it was to move from WP5.1 for DOS to Word? And how many of us thought Windows was the Emperor’s New Clothes? We made the adjustment, and I’ve even managed to forget how to use those function keys.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” means that we’d still be sailing in stone boats and the official language of Mexico would be Nahuatl, which would be a heck of a lot harder to learn than Spanish.

Juan

Nov 6, 2002, 7:43 AM

Post #9 of 33 (15133 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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I have to agree with you. The new format looks very "modern" and probably is more efficient than the old but I find it difficult to understand or use. IMO this is one reason for the current lack of posts. This may change with time, some of the participants will learn how to use the new format while others will move to another site.

bournemouth

Nov 6, 2002, 10:01 AM

Post #10 of 33 (15100 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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I have to agree with you - it's no longer any pleasure to read these fora. I used to log on several times each day to read the latest. There doesn't seem to be any "latest" these days. Before, everything I read changed color and I knew exactly what I had read. Now, it seems to me, correct me if I'm wrong, but I need to click on each post to get it to change color. I can only guage what I may have read by the dates and time on the post. I'm not that interested in "cutsy" photos and quotations at the bottom of posts.

Targa

Nov 6, 2002, 12:06 PM

Post #11 of 33 (15056 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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Hi All,
it occurs to me that it might be helpful to remind ourselves that, "What is, is, and that what is not, is not."
Happy times to all, Targa

Carlos

Nov 6, 2002, 12:10 PM

Post #12 of 33 (15056 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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Give it time! Gradually you will find this new format easy to use as long
as you keep using it.
At the beginning, when they introduced the new board I was somewhat lost but
I persisted.
I appreciate the fact that you don't have to click here & there anymore!
One click opens the head post and follow ups. That in itself is worth the
price of admission!

Georgia

Nov 6, 2002, 2:03 PM

Post #13 of 33 (15025 views)

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Re: [jenniferrose] You wouldn't would you?

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Ditch the black boots with the 9" heels and put away the whip? Don't you think that's a bit premature?

moon

Nov 6, 2002, 2:24 PM

Post #14 of 33 (15016 views)

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Re: [Carlos] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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Didn't the old format work that way also?

moon

Nov 6, 2002, 3:02 PM

Post #15 of 33 (15011 views)

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You don't have to use every feature, but...

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Some of the characteristics of the new format are unavoidable.

What is really annoying to me is the way that threads jump from anywhere in the list to the top whenever anyone adds to the thread. It is now more difficult to keep track of recent new threads.

I spend a lot of time on the internet and I have never - ever- spent so much time 'practicing' the simple act of following links around and keeping track of where I have been. The developers of HTML (the programming language that web pages are written in) long ago came up with a simple method of following links that became standard on virtually all web sites. Many of us can remember our first experiences with the internet and one of the main attractions was how easy links are to follow around and how consistent it is from web site to web site.

Although the new format has a few desirable new features, I am with some of the others here that are just not enjoying this forum like I used to and I'm finding myself using it less often.

_Howard_

Nov 6, 2002, 4:51 PM

Post #16 of 33 (14978 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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I really like the new forums look and functionality! I love the way I can click once and see all of the posts in a particular thread. With the old forum, I quit reading long threads because of all the clicking you had to do to navigate the whole thing.

I agree that the number of messages posted have fallen off but I'm sure the number will increase over time as people get used to the new forum. As previous posters have said, just continue using it and it gets much easier to use. Experience makes all the difference!

While a lot of people seem to have quit posting because they don't want to identify themselves, that has cut the 'noise' in the forums way back. I had almost quit reading this site because the forums were degenerating into a 'chat rooms.' What originally brought me to this site was the large amount of information about Mexico. The forums added recent information, shared experiences, common problems, observations, etc. When I first started reading the forums, there was a plethora of good information in them but, over time, there were more and more posts with with less and less information and a real loss of civility.

I'm not against 'chat rooms,' they are lots of fun. I just don't think this site was intended to be that. After all, David needs for this site to be commercially viable, and 'hits' from people seeking information is what makes advertisers want to place ads on the site. I don't particularly like ads but they pay the bills and David doesn't over do it. But David, I really dislike ads that blink!

Over the long run, people will learn to use and appreciate the look and functionality that is now available here. It was a 'good move' David!

pedro picapiedra

Nov 6, 2002, 7:47 PM

Post #17 of 33 (14930 views)

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Re: [jenniferrose] Form follows function/or if it ain't broke, don't fix it

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I admit that this new format may proove to be an improvement. Only time will tell. The bottom line will be how active it remains.

But Jennifer, why do you think that Nahuatl would have necessarily been harder to learn than Spanish?

Jeannie

Nov 7, 2002, 8:08 AM

Post #18 of 33 (14878 views)

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Re: [pedro picapiedra] Form follows function/or if it ain't broke, don't fix it

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The only thing I have a problem with is in people responding to a post.

For instance, someone posts near the top and there are numerous replies below. If I reply to one of those upper posts in the thread it does not go below the person I am replying to, it ends up at the bottom of the thread. Then I have to scroll up and down trying to find what the original person said and what the replies to that person were.

DavidG

Nov 7, 2002, 10:57 AM

Post #19 of 33 (14856 views)

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Re: [Jeannie] Form follows function/or if it ain't broke, don't fix it

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In Reply To

Instead of hitting "Reply" hit "Quote"
DavidG
Villa Dos, Cozumel
"I still believe in ignorance as my best defense"

(This post was edited by DavidG on Nov 7, 2002, 11:00 AM)

DavidG

Nov 7, 2002, 11:43 AM

Post #20 of 33 (14845 views)

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Re: [DavidG] Form follows function/or if it ain't broke, don't fix it

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Oops! sorry I didn't know the "quote" doesn't function correctly at the moment.

I had to go back and edit my "reply w/quote" because the 1st time the reply didn't show up.
DavidG
Villa Dos, Cozumel
"I still believe in ignorance as my best defense"

Gone away

Nov 7, 2002, 1:13 PM

Post #21 of 33 (14830 views)

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Re: [pedro picapiedra] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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In Reply To

I agree with what you are saying. -- And isn't it true that there are many fewer posts since the new format started??

scott

Nov 7, 2002, 9:17 PM

Post #22 of 33 (14791 views)

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Re: [jenniferrose] Form follows function/or if it ain't broke, don't fix it

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Registration not only means that we no longer have to waste my time removing Chinese spam, but it also signals that posters are expected to take themselves and other seriously. There’s still room for jocularity and levity, but there’s a semblance of order now.

People ranting and raving is more entertaining to read than orderly questions about which hotels accept pets. There should be an anything goes forum. Thats what keeps people coming back. People reloading the pages for the third time in a day just to see whats been posted in that heated argument. People who come to ask about hotels probably won't ever be back again.

Consider 10 people who stumble across the forums from google, post once or twice, then never come back again... Or 5 people who are completely hooked, come pretty much daily, see the same advertising over and over again, and who will think about MexConnect first whenever the topic of Mexico on the Internet comes up?

Gone away

Nov 7, 2002, 9:32 PM

Post #23 of 33 (14788 views)

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Re: [RM] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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Well there is something that's not working right, I used the "QUOTE" and my whole message dissappeared. Totally gone.

To make it short, I do like the NEW forum it has more features, Bells and whistles which do not have to be used. It's like everything else in life, and a lot of us have been through many years already. Anything new is looked at with disdain, but if life were like that we'd still be riding in a horse and buggy. Or the high tech equivalent would be staying with DOS.

When Bill Gates introduced WIndows 3.0 and all the other successors he opened up computing to legions of more "mature" people. With DOS and no "mieces" people were scared to use a computer.

I can take all the components of a computer and put it all together and have a working computer in a couple of hours, I'm 60 years old and something new is not something that scares me, rather it challenges you and stimulates you intellectually.

So sit back and enjoy the new forum, it's here to stay.

RM freezing in the cold North right now for 2 more months.

Nos vemos

Nov 7, 2002, 11:31 PM

Post #24 of 33 (14784 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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Sherrill,

This is a classical example of what must not be done in business at a Marketing lecture in any college: Make decisions ignoring what the market demands.

The other forum format satisfied the needs of the market. David made the change based on his needs.

Clearly, the market (posters and browsers) demands a simple, efficient, user-friendly format. David is going against that, money, not time, will tell who is right.

He seems to forget that the vast majority of the posters and browsers are old people, who are not very flexible to adapt to new enviroments or conditions, and who are not very computer literate.

It's like when you become successful selling something that is ENJOYED by your customers, and then you decide to "improve" it from your point of view, resulting in a "new and improved" product which is not enjoyed any more by the market.

Good bye[reply]

Guest

Nov 8, 2002, 4:14 AM

Post #25 of 33 (14776 views)

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Re: [Sherrill] I've tried but am not enjoying this site anymore-too many gadgets

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I like the new format!

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