Another discussion area?

[Muhammad]

First, some simple definitions... the main index is the first page you land on in the forum. A forum index is the main page that lists the posts, replies, views, and date posted for each 'thread', or each message if you are viewing in 'expanded' mode. Message page is one with messages.

Now, new messages...

1) On the main index, in blue, like this... <font color=blue>(x new)</font color=blue> will tell you how many messages are new since you last viewed the forum index. That number is reset to 0 once you view the forum index.

2) 'New' images to the right of the number of replies in a thread in the forum index, and also yellow folders indicate new messages since you last viewed the forum index.

3) On the message pages, new messages have the 'new' images to the right of the subject. Below, the message you are on has a white folder and the others have yellow folders.

You must either decide to read messages when logged in, or not. The mark as read feature does not use a cookie but rather tracks it by your username. So if you view a message, or a bunch of them, and then login, they will still be new since your user never read them.

However, if you do not ever login, the new messages in a forum will be tracked with a cookie... this way, for example, you can view a forum to mark it read, then return when there are new messages and those will be marked with yellow folders, in expanded or collapsed mode.

These features work properly.

 

[Muhammad]

<font color=blue>My main index just now showed one new message in the off topic and just for fun forum, but when I went to it, I found two new messages that I'd never seen before.</font color=blue>

It could have been posted between when you loaded the main index and then entered that forum. We've never had the new message numbers count incorrectly, ever.... but several times I will re-load the main index and have no new messages show, then enter the forum and in that time a new message will have been posted. A couple times I thought it might be a problem, but I checked and that's actually good that the message in the forum shows as new in that time... just working as it should. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Muhammad]

Roy, I just read your post after I posted the reply to Andy... we've had a feature like this planned for a while now, but want to do it right. Basically, what we're looking to do is, at least the following...

By individual topic forum or for the entire forum, view new messages in the past 24/48 hours or 7 days, and also since last login. And with a new format... maybe similar to the old forum, possibly in a threaded mode if more than one message in a thread was new, and/or with a bit of the text so you could get a 'feel' for the message without clicking to read it.

 

[Muhammad]

<font color=blue>At one time I thought a "Main Index" button was needed at the bottom of the page until I found that all you need to do is click the "Discussions" button.</font color=blue>

Yeah, that's what I thought when I looked into what it would take to add that...

 

[Bird]

Ditto, Andy. You're not using one of these danged LT Win Modems like my IBM came with are you? My ISP tech support folks definitely do not like them. I did find last night that they have a new upgrade to the "firmware" and downloaded that so I'm hoping it'll be a little better.

Bird

 

[Harv]

It may not be possible to accommodate every member's viewing preferences perfectly, but this forum comes as close as any I've seen. And Muhammad is still making improvements. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Personally, like Bird, I generally use the last 24/48 hours feature, partly 'cuz I want to see all the discussions and partly 'cuz, as MarkC points out, you can never be sure where certain topics are going to show up.

The only problems I run into with this approach (and this is really picking nits) is that if I'm short on time or I've been away for a couple of days, it's a tough way to get through it quickly. When I'm in a hurry, I choose a thread I am interested in from the 24/48 hour list and view it in "flat" mode, which allows me to zip through and catch up on that particular topic in one swell foop. The problem is that the next time I look at the 24/48 hour list, the messages I read in flat mode are not shown as "visited" (different color link). This is a function of the browser and there's nothing Muhammad can do to directly fix it (but then, I've learned never to underestimate Muhammad /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif).

What I would like to see is a way to view the last 24/48 hours sorted by thread and by date. That would allow me to quickly identify and read the threads I have been following, and keep my "visited" links up to date.

Alternatively, maybe the 24/48 hour selection could return a page in the same format as the nifty new one you get when you select a discussion topic. That wouldn't fix the "visited" link problem, but I probably wouldn't need it 'cuz I would have them li'l yellow folders and ("race" conditions notwithstanding) those way cool "NEW" flags.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

First, may I say that imho this website is a wonderful resource "as-is", ...and so I hope any suggestions for improvement will not be perceived as "criticism".

At the risk of presumption, I would like to share some thoughts on "categories". I am, I assume, representative of the "unaffiliated tractor newbie" class of reader. I am drifting towards an affiliation, but have learned much (and have much more to learn) about tractor use in general, from this list.

I support Mark's suggestion to include a "tractors in general" section. (...and would do so even if my "brand-association" had been long-established!)

My approach to best-utilizing the vast amount of info at this site has been to read (for example) the attachments/implements category first, which of course will be important knowledge regardless of which brand I choose. The same is true for innumerable topics such as "how much hp do I need?, ...should I use ballast?, ...what trailering issues are important?", etc, etc.

Such a "general" grouping, would offer everyone a "quite-likely-to-be of interest" discussion, as opposed to a "less likely-to, but might" choice (PARTICULARLY newcomers with a significant time-requirement required to "search" the brand-specific threads for the "general" info sprinkled through them).

This can be helpful in another way.... not everyone has the luxury of sufficient time to read EVERY posting, in EVERY category, EVERY day.

Of course, the off-topic meanderings are a "given" in any freestyle communication, and often lead into productive, although unplanned, areas of discussion. I think this (probably unalterable-in-any-case) situation should be seen as a "plus" and, time permitting, will always enjoy perusing all the postings , for the gems (as well as the humor, etc.) to be gleaned.

But at those times when my goal is to maximize the effective use of limited time for seeking info, labeled categories give me a chance to make an "educated guess" as to how to do so.

As a newcomer to tractor issues, particularly safety concerns specific to their use, I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT a separate "SAFETY" section.

I believe myself to be a reasonably intelligent person, with at least my share of "common sense". And with a 37 year background of firefighting service, I have probably at least an "average" awareness of safe conduct in a dangerous situation. BUT,.. the things I have read here have heightened my "alert-level" CONSIDERABLY!!! Thanks to all for stressing these issues. I would differ a bit from a posting earlier in this thread where accidents were attributed to "carelessness". While carelessness certainly plays a part in many unfortunate incidents, I believe the most "correctable" contributor is IGNORANCE. Correctable, of course, with education. And this list, and others like it, offer a chance to obtain the necessary instruction, that many WILL NOT GET anywhere else.

I suppose that some may take exception to my use of so much "emphatic" capitilization. I use it because, having survived an adventurous youth and a hazardous career in one piece, I was literally shocked to realize the many tractor-specific dangers that I have never considered, and might find myself learning-by-experience just a little bit too late. ( I don't credit myself with my "so-far-so-good" safety record... luck undeniably played a far greater role than than I want to count-on in the future!)

Certainly the maiming, disfigurement or death that can all-too-quickly result from one moment of either ignorance OR carelessness is far too high a price to pay for either failing. I have voiced encouragement, while concealing my own horror, as I patched up people who in the midst of their pain and shock, had not yet begun to realize the life altering nature of their injuries.

If ONE such incident is prevented by what someone has picked-up on a list such as this, it will be far more meaningful than all the "tractor-brand" opinions ever expressed!

I apologise for any "crusader" tone perceived in these comments...crusaders are not generally my cup-of-tea.
But tractors are attractive devices, to "boys" of all ages... and visions of my grandsons, in the condition of some of the accident victims I have worked on, are very powerful motivators to improve my safety awareness and practices.

So, thanks again to all who have posted on this topic. Keep those safety-thoughts coming. Has it probably been said before?...redundancy be damned! It was worth hearing then... it's worth hearing again. Maybe this time one more person is listening.

Larry

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Bird, I don't have a win modem, the problem is the poor quality phone lines do not support connection speeds faster than 26400. The modem I use is a 28800 but have tried a 56K and it will not connect any faster. No cable and no DSL in the area. I guess it will get here sometime.

Andy

 

[Bird]

Andy, I think we're in the same situation. My ISP likes to blame my LT Win Modem, but it's supposed to be a 56k modem, and the fastest I've ever been able to get connected is 26400 on these phone lines.

Bird

 

[scruffy]

Andy, Bird, check and see if your ISP supports ISDN. You will get an eight to twelve fold increase in speed over the same phone lines. Your ISP's probably don't support 56K modems, or the phone number you are dialing into is not dedicated for the faster speed modem bank. If not, or the modem banks are mixed, then every time you dial in, it is nothing but a crap shoot.