StreetSpirit
Premium
join:2002-08-13
Roslyn, NY | last: tag Is there any possible way to make this a user preference (perhaps for premium users)? I really enjoyed the previous method, especially when using larger fonts.
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Just curious!
Thanks in advance,
Dave | |
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Gizy
Have you thanked a soldier today?
Premium
join:2002-08-26
Lake Oswego, OR
clubs:
| Re: last: tag Are you talking about this?
This is nearly impossible to read, probably because it's so close together now. The old format was much easier to read. | |
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MorWired
Premium
join:2001-03-03
clubs:
| Re: last: tag said by Gizy  :This is nearly impossible to read, probably because it's so close together now. The old format was much easier to read. Agreed. Actually, I'd like to see the "last post by" column also displayed on the page of threads you've replied to, that would be very helpful as well.
Although, as with other things, I'm sure we could get used to it, if we really had to. (That said by someone who still scrolls to the bottom of a thread for the 4 navigation buttons that used to be there, as opposed to the admittedly much more convenient centrally placed floating ones -- some habits/preferences are most difficult to break.)
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Get your daily dose of wonder from the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).
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| Just Bob
Premium
join:2000-08-13
Spring Hill, FL
| said by Gizy :Are you talking about this? This is nearly impossible to read, probably because it's so close together now. The old format was much easier to read. Yes it is hard to read...at least for these old eyes. 
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"...an imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics."
Plutarch | |
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justin
Australian
join:1999-05-28
Brooklyn, NY | I am still playing around but I don't think "last poster" deserves its own column. Hard to see why a column of last usernames needs to be scanned vertically.. | |
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removed
Crisis Management Squad
Premium,VIP
join:2002-02-08
Houston, TX
clubs:
| Re: last: tag said by justin :I am still playing around but I don't think "last poster" deserves its own column. Hard to see why a column of last usernames needs to be scanned vertically.. Is it possible to move it further to the right at all? It's all bunched together at the moment. | |
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justin
Australian
join:1999-05-28
Brooklyn, NY
Host:
IPv6
Business Connectiv..
Home/Office setup ..
Console/Handheld g..
Console Tech
| Re: last: tag I might remove "last" and put in in a pop-out over the date. Evidently "by ..." does not need its own column so there is even less reason for "last poster" to need it, and since it is cluttered I'll just put it in a mouse over..
The reason for fiddling with this layout at all is to give more space to the topic title for browsers with less horizontal screen space such as the iphone browser. Trim off the un-necessary fat basically. | |
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Gizy
Have you thanked a soldier today?
Premium
join:2002-08-26
Lake Oswego, OR
clubs:
| Re: last: tag And for those of us who don't allow mouseovers on the site? But did look to see who last posted on something.....
And with all due respect, I realize it's your site, you can do what you want, but how many hits are you getting from browsers like the iPhone to warrant such a drastic format change? If it's really to get more spacing for the titles, and I would assume the date something was last updated, then why not most the who posted last to the last column on the right. The it doesn't take up room for the less horizontal screen browsers and those of us who actually look at the column can still use it. | |
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Angelo_
The Network Guy
Premium
join:2002-06-18
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
| said by justin :I might remove "last" and put in in a pop-out over the date. Evidently "by ..." does not need its own column so there is even less reason for "last poster" to need it, and since it is cluttered I'll just put it in a mouse over.. The reason for fiddling with this layout at all is to give more space to the topic title for browsers with less horizontal screen space such as the iphone browser. Trim off the un-necessary fat basically. can't you detect os / browser versions and display special pages just for those sites?? like gmail does it... really simple to do :/ | |
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| | | | Turbocpe
Premium
join:2001-12-22
IA
| Re: last: tag said by Angelo_ :said by justin :I might remove "last" and put in in a pop-out over the date. Evidently "by ..." does not need its own column so there is even less reason for "last poster" to need it, and since it is cluttered I'll just put it in a mouse over.. The reason for fiddling with this layout at all is to give more space to the topic title for browsers with less horizontal screen space such as the iphone browser. Trim off the un-necessary fat basically. can't you detect os / browser versions and display special pages just for those sites?? like gmail does it... really simple to do :/ I was wondering about that myself. When I used the iPhone, websites such as CNN automatically displayed their "mobile" version without any user interaction. | |
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Grail Knight
Who Dares Wins
Premium
join:2003-05-31
·Verizon Online DSL
| quote:
and since it is cluttered I'll just put it in a mouse over..
That works fine for those that use the mouse over feature. Some like myself have mouse over turned off.
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"Facts beat FUD any day of the week and twice on Sundays". | |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| said by justin :I am still playing around but I don't think "last poster" deserves its own column. Hard to see why a column of last usernames needs to be scanned vertically.. Why not just nix it altogether? if one wants to see who last posted they can click the little "e" thing or hit end on a thread without an e.
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee | |
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| TheWiseGuy
Dog And Butterfly
Premium,MVM
join:2002-07-04
Yonkers, NY
1 edit | I liked the old format. The last poster gives you a quick idea, over time, of who is posting in a thread. It sometimes encourages me to read the thread, especially if I see users who are sharp, posting. I will then read the thread to see what has been said.
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Warning, If you post nonsense and use misinformation and are here to argue based on those methods, you will be put on ignore. | |
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| TheWiseGuy
Dog And Butterfly
Premium,MVM
join:2002-07-04
Yonkers, NY | Thank you. | |
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removed
Crisis Management Squad
Premium,VIP
join:2002-02-08
Houston, TX
clubs: | Yeah, it is a bit cluttered and difficult to follow.
*ob..no, wait. *sign* | |
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Turbocpe
Premium
join:2001-12-22
IA | Yikes. It looks too "busy" with that information/links being so close together. | |
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Mashiki
Balking The Enemy's Plans
join:2002-02-04
Woodstock, ON | Ya far too cluttered, 2:20 am and I'm half asleep I nearly went cross-eyed. .
Really Nixing 'last post' would be just fine by me. | |
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jfmezei
Premium
join:2007-01-03
Beaconsfield, QC
·ELECTRONICBOX
| I always scan the "last poster" column. If my ISP's staff have just posted to some thread, I know it is worth reading.
If it is a thread I have recently participated in, re-updating the list of threads and seeing my name being replaced by another person's tells me there is additional content to read.
And when you get to know the regulars in a forum, you can tell if one has recently participated in a thread of not.
Obviously we can't telel the operators how to run their web site. Just wish this were done as newsgroups where we could each have our own GUI and not be bothered by cumbersome HTML. | |
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Turbocpe
Premium
join:2001-12-22
IA
| Justin, is this why the postlist, under the forum column, is right-adjusted? Or is it not suppose to be that way? Looks a bit out of place and adds more whitespace.
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Angelo_
The Network Guy
Premium
join:2002-06-18 | Re: last: tag i liked the old format | |
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StreetSpirit
Premium
join:2002-08-13
Roslyn, NY | Re: last: tag said by Angelo_ :i liked the old format I wholeheartedly agree. | |
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justin
Australian
join:1999-05-28
Brooklyn, NY
Host:
IPv6
Business Connectiv..
Home/Office setup ..
Console/Handheld g..
Console Tech
| said by Turbocpe :Justin, is this why the postlist, under the forum column, is right-adjusted? Or is it not suppose to be that way? Looks a bit out of place and adds more whitespace. It doesn't add any more white space, what was left adjusted is now right adjusted in that column. It just looks different.. | |
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sbrook
Premium,Mod
join:2001-12-14
H0H 0H0 | Re: last: tag Definitely harder to read ... especially as eyes get older. | |
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Wolfie00
My dog is an elitist
Premium
join:2005-03-12
| Re: last: tag One thing that I think we are proving here is how much a UI preference is the result of habit and familiarity, which leads to the following old adage that I just made up -- that often the best UI design is the one you already have!
Still, I agree with the last couple of comments and I think there are practical reasons for saying that "last poster" was perhaps better the way it was before, where I think it had its own column. By lumping it in with the date/time column, the eye has to scan a wider expanse of text to pick out the info you want. Before, poster name and date/time stood out more easily. I realize this is a pretty nit-picky point and I'm just glad to have the info displayed, but thought I'd mention it. So yes, I can see the point of those saying it was better the way it was before.
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"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace" -- Dr. Albert Schweitzer
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher
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sbrook
Premium,Mod
join:2001-12-14
H0H 0H0
 ·Rogers Hi-Speed
Host:
Rogers
Bell Canada
| Re: last: tag Well, it is an old adage ... it normally sounds like this "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" 
I think that applies here. It's reasonable to add new functionality but the part that was changed to add new functionality wasn't broken.
As to the *'s after user names, could we not simply have clicked on the user name there ? | |
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justin
Australian
join:1999-05-28
Brooklyn, NY
Host:
IPv6
Business Connectiv..
Home/Office setup ..
Console/Handheld g..
Console Tech
| Someone elsewhere posted:
"Knowing the last poster was very useful to me to see if amnyone had replied to topics I had last posted to. "
I'm always interested to see what unusual ways people have got used to to find information but this is a puzzle: the page »/postlist shows which topics have been replied to "that you last post to", and the blue arrow shows updates to topics you are reading, so I'm not sure why the last poster info was anything useful? | |
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jfmezei
Premium
join:2007-01-03
Beaconsfield, QC
·ELECTRONICBOX
| Re: last: tag Sorry, I don't want to lears a gaizzlion different hidden pages I don't know about. I go to a forum, get the list of topics and want to decide on a single page which onces I should open (I then open each in a separate tab, which means I have to have javacript disabled otherwise it won't let me post because too many links already opened (those links to tell how many readers/posters in a thread).
I am old school, much prefer newsgroups to these HTML based forums.
I can't ask you to shape your service for me. It's your web site and you do as you wish. | |
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justin
Australian
join:1999-05-28
Brooklyn, NY | Re: last: tag well, you still don't need the "last" username, because any topics you have posted to get blue arrows before the last-updated date, if they have new replies since you last opened them? | |
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MorWired
Premium
join:2001-03-03
clubs:
| Re: last: tag said by justin :well, you still don't need the "last" username, because any topics you have posted to get blue arrows before the last-updated date, if they have new replies since you last opened them? But there are uses for seeing the last post user. For example, if someone is a known troll and they're the last poster, I'm not interested in seeing the thread at the moment, conversely, if someone whose opinion I truly respect posts, then I'd want to see the thread right away. Or if you're involved in a discussion with a particular member, then seeing that they replied is an important bit of information.
This is why I'd also like to see it on the "threads you've posted in" page. I'd like to see more of this information, not less, or none. 
BTW, the asterisk with the mouse-over mini-user page is pretty cool. But that shouldn't have to replace the other feature, should it?
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Get your daily dose of wonder from the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).
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Cabal
Premium
join:2007-01-21
Boston, MA
| said by jfmezei :Sorry, I don't want to lears a gaizzlion different hidden pages I don't know about. It's the star in the top-left corner of your screen. Not exactly hidden.
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Interested in open source engine management for your Subaru? | |
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Wolfie00
My dog is an elitist
Premium
join:2005-03-12
| I found that the "last poster" information is very useful once you get to know the regulars on a given forum and I rely on it all the time. I don't really care where it appears as long as it appears somewhere. Actually I think one could argue that in many cases it's more important information than the name of the thread starter, which stays constant for the duration of the thread. | |
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nwrickert
sand groper
Premium,MVM
join:2004-09-04
Geneva, IL
 ·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Midwest
| ..., so I'm not sure why the last poster info was anything useful? I will often read a thread because the last poster is somebody I respect, even though the thread title suggests it is not of interest to me.
It's your call, of course. But I did value that information.
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AT&T dsl; Westell 327w modem/router; SuSE 10.1; firefox 2.0.0.14 | |
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·AT&T DSL Service
·Comcast
| Re: last: tag said by nwrickert :It's your call, of course. But I did value that information. As did I.
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Calling an illegal alien an undocumented worker is like calling a crack dealer an unlicensed pharmacist. | |
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| horsemouth
Please Clarify My CSP
Premium
join:2002-03-13
canada
·Eastlink Cable
| said by justin :Someone elsewhere posted: "Knowing the last poster was very useful to me to see if amnyone had replied to topics I had last posted to. " I'm always interested to see what unusual ways people have got used to to find information but this is a puzzle: the page » /postlist shows which topics have been replied to "that you last post to", and the blue arrow shows updates to topics you are reading, so I'm not sure why the last poster info was anything useful? I find that people sometimes give a relevant answer but do not respond to me directly so I keep an eye out for their post by looking for their name. | |
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VR Laura
Queen Of Cyberspace
Premium
join:2002-02-10
NYC | *object* | |
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Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
| Last poster column has always been the most important column on postlist page for me. I have had postlist page as my home page for all the years I have been a member here. Now, that page has been rendered basically worthless to me.
I don't use mouseover here so that asterisk has to be clicked on and it just took me to the user's page and I thought "huh"? What is that all about? If last poster is shown as a mouseover, I will never see it. One of the things I LOVE about this site is the ability to disable mouseover which I find extremely irritating. At other forums, I can't disable mouseover and I don't frequent other sites that much because of this. So, I will not be turning on mouseover here so I can see last poster information on the postlist page if that is instituted. I didn't mind the messiness when the last poster was shown next to the OP in the topic column.
I ALWAYS look at the last poster column every time I access postlist page and I navigate this site from postlist so I am accessing it a lot and always looking to see who the last poster is. I decide from the name whether or not I want to go to the thread at that time or not. Now, I don't have this important information. I can see from the color of the envelope if there have been posts since I last visited the thread but I need to see last poster also. Depending on who the last poster is, I might immediately go to the thread (especially if I have been helping someone and I see that person is the last poster with a new post since I have been to the thread). Or, if the last poster is the OP, I want to know that as then I will immediately go to the thread, but if the last poster is certain folks, I might decide to visit the thread sometime later or in certain cases, I won't ever visit it again.
Lacking this important information means I will come here less now since I have been half blinded by this change which is a VERY UNFRIENDLY change. This is not a minor change. It is a major one that deprives me of important information.
Much more minor but still irritating is the fact that postlist page now has more white space and one column is not properly aligned to left. Right alignment (especially for just one column) looks strange and I have an urge to fix it every time I look at the page now.
I find it sort of sad that such a major change is being done because of a few folks who access the site on a cell phone. I would have thought that Justin would have a special form of the site for cell phone users.
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"The same ferocity that our founders devoted to protect the freedom and independence of the press is now appropriate for our defense of the freedom of the internet. The stakes are the same: the survival of our Republic". Al Gore, The Assault on Reason | |
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dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
·Verizon Online DSL
·Verizon FIOS
| Did the 'last reply by X' information disappear completely? I can't find it by looking (and I'm obviously not a read-the-manual type of guy).
I agree with those who say it's important information. I have differing levels of respect for different respondents!
(Yeah, obviously it's a quirky piece of data to rely on, given that if SomeKnownSensibleGuy responds, and then KnownTroll responds immediately after that, then I never see the info about the first one. But nevertheless, in practice I have grown to find the name useful). | |
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Dersgniw
Disco Crunchin
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-10
behind you
clubs:
·Optimum Online
| I don't usually complain about changes here.. I know I'll get used to most of them.
I miss the last poster column - it's really an odd thing to remove. It's useful information, especially in the more social forums. I don't like to compare other forums, but sSometimes you have to look at other forum software and think, if they all have it, maybe there's a reason.
If you're looking for ideas to save horizontal space, a lot of other places stack the info under a last post column. So, one column, date is on top of the last poster - Check fatwallet, slickdeals, IPB.
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I Smell Cures! -- Our Hope | |
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