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| The Future.... | |
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| Topic Started: 17 Oct 2008, 07:56 AM (1,542 Views) | |
| craiggluyas | 17 Oct 2008, 07:56 AM Post #1 |
Director
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As we all know and have discussed, the layout of the forum needs simplifying and updating. The staff have been discussing this in some detail, and now we would like your views + comments (constructive please!) Below is a proposed layout kindly prepared by Tim. There are no sub divisions, and any info on railways or stock goes in the applicable gauge. This should make searching for things easier.  Note - you may not have access to all forum areas shown here! We will leave it until the 1st Nov for comments. After that we will review all the comments and start implementation! Craig + The Staff PS - If you don't comment, you can't complain about something later! Edited by craiggluyas, 17 Oct 2008, 07:59 AM.
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Craig Gluyas Talking to one's self is a sign of madness. I talk to my imaginary friend. | |
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| rough-shunter | 17 Oct 2008, 09:28 AM Post #2 |
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Director
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Craig what a superb idea it certainly needs something like this welldone |
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JORDAN ASHLEY LEEDS Trains go into tunnels and come out but locos can go in sheds and never come out | |
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| Timbo | 17 Oct 2008, 11:03 AM Post #3 |
Timbo
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I would also suggest (since doing that layout) that we have an EVENTS section. This will be purely for the announcement of events (pre-moderated) and will act as a diary for you to keep up to date . Discussion of those events both forthcoming and past can then take place within the RAILWAYS section above it. The general concensus is that there are too many sub-forums and potential for duplicate postings. We want to streamline the way that you use the forums and search for past postings. Note that the GAUGE way of laying out the main area is purely to help you narrow things down a bit. Some railways and locos will be of two gauges or more; and indeed change over a period of time. It is up to the original poster as to which he posts it in. Lappa Valley for example could fit in several - or even better, "Everything else". And that is why the SEARCH function is so useful. Perhaps we need to make the search box more prominent on every page - what are your views on that, chaps? Note also that the SEARCH function on this site works brilliantly and I encourage you all to use it before making a new question or covering old ground. There are 25,000+ postings on the forum to date, and a lot of very interesting material within them! A final note on gauges; if your particular interest is 9.5, 12, 21, 24" or any other more unusual gauge (14.5 inches, anyone?) , please don't be offended. We have had to limit the number of choices to the most popular, and other gauges are covered in the delightfully shambolic forum "Everything else". Comments, from all members whether new, old, regular or occasional, are welcome - either in public or by PM to myself, Craig Gluyas, Anthony Coulls, Peter Bryant, Colin Peake, David Colley, Dom Greenop or Ben Thornhill. |
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Tim Dunn MRW Moderator www.bekonscot.com www.meteorite.co.uk | |
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| DGH | 17 Oct 2008, 04:18 PM Post #4 |
Operations Manager
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Looks good. I especially like the LNER Apple Green colour scheme. |
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| MuzTrem | 17 Oct 2008, 04:54 PM Post #5 |
Operations Manager
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Yup, isn't the colour scheme always the most important thing in life?  But seriously, that does look good and I can see the logic behind reducing the number of forums. However, I wonder if it might be worth retaining a separate forum for Overseas Miniature Railways? I suggest this as I think we may sometimes struggle with the gauges of foreign lines due to the metric measurements, and it might help to minimise clutter in the "everything else" forum... Oh, and I definately think the search facility should be made more prominent. In fact, I'd go so far as to give it full-width banner across the top of the screen, with a caption suggesting to posters that they search for information before starting a new topic. After all, it's currently very easy to miss and people won't use it if they can't see it! Edited by MuzTrem, 17 Oct 2008, 05:04 PM.
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| Cagney boy | 17 Oct 2008, 05:03 PM Post #6 |
Operations Manager
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I like the layout but not the colour scheme.....what about have a selection of different colour schemes for example a colour scheme for each of the big four gwr, southern, lner an lms?  |
 Laurence Michael Smith Every night is a MRW Skype night!, add me on Skype and let the converstion grow! | |
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| peterbryant | 17 Oct 2008, 05:05 PM Post #7 |
Director
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The future skin colour has not been decided, and the background used on Tims layout example is simply there for decoration so to speak Please keep your suggestions and thoughts coming in. Thanks Peter Edited by peterbryant, 17 Oct 2008, 05:06 PM.
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Peter Bryant MRW Webmaster and Admin Railway Web Services - http://www.railwaywebservices.co.uk MRW Hosted by 1&1 | |
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| DGH | 17 Oct 2008, 05:09 PM Post #8 |
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Operations Manager
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Can I suggest that there is a prominent button of 'posts since your last visit' or 'postd in the last 24 hours' if the former cannot be achieved. David |
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| Callum Darraugh | 17 Oct 2008, 08:45 PM Post #9 |
Mug shot master
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im only just getting used to this one 
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Your train is cancelled due to the lack of the tea can on the footplate. www.hilcotevalleyrailway.webs.com and www.trenthamfernrailway.webs.com Staffordshires Greatest Little Railways! | |
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| RichardP | 17 Oct 2008, 08:58 PM Post #10 |
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Guard
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Isn't that just the Active Topics button of the current scheme? |
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| MickT | 19 Oct 2008, 11:02 AM Post #11 |
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"Isn't that just the Active Topics button of the current scheme? " No it's not, and I agree with the suggestion - "view posts since your last visit" (sic) is a feature that is present on all other forums that I am on, and I must admit that its omission on this one is one of 2 frustrations that exist. The other one (and very annoying at times) is the occasional very long delay that has to be endured in loading up topics because of either very large avatars or very large signature graphics, or both. I am on a high speed broadband connection but it still takes 30 seconds or more from clicking on a topic to getting it fully loaded up on occasions and even then it requires a refresh sometimes to get one or two particularly large avatars (same ones every time, but unfortunately owned by regular posters) to reduce back down to an acceptable size. Goodness knows how many people may have simply given up and gone elsewhere who are still on dial-up (and a lot of people still are) The proposed enhancements look fine to me, but please also give some thought to speeding the site up - by either getting rid of completely the graphic avatars and signature blocks (totally unnecessary anyway), or at least get them regulated with a maximum size allowance. Mick |
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| MuzTrem | 19 Oct 2008, 11:25 AM Post #12 |
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Operations Manager
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No! Don't get rid of the graphics!  Personally, I think they are a good thing to have - they make the forum look a bit brighter and they help to identify people (I'm afraid I sometimes forget the usernames of less frequent posters! - but pictures are a bit more memorable.) I think the problem is that the current forum will accept images that are too large and then reduce their size as it loads them. What I would suggest is that the new forum is programmed to refuse to accept images over the maximum size, so that people are forced to reduce the size of their images before uploading them. Then the file sizes will be smaller and they will load quicker... |
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| MickT | 19 Oct 2008, 11:29 AM Post #13 |
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Ticket Collector
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"Personally, I think they are a good thing to have - they make the forum look a bit brighter and they help to identify people (I'm afraid I sometimes forget the usernames of less frequent posters! - but pictures are a bit more memorable.) I think the problem is that the current forum will accept images that are too large and then reduce their size as it loads them. What I would suggest is that the new forum is programmed to refuse to accept images over the maximum size, so that people are forced to reduce the size of their images before uploading them. Then the file sizes will be smaller and they will load quicker... " That sounds like a very sensible and practical solution to me.  Mick |
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| RichardP | 19 Oct 2008, 12:00 PM Post #14 |
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I just meant 'Active Topics' appears to be 'postd in the last 24 hours' I agree it is irritating if you're away for a few days not to be able to do "view posts since your last visit" and have to hunt out the older messages. I also find the avatars a problem, when I attempt to access the forum at work they make it almost unuseable. For some reason it doesn't reduce them to thumbnails so you get big pictures with the text squeezed into a long narrow unreadable column. Richard |
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| bvr379 | 20 Oct 2008, 10:43 PM Post #15 |
Operations Manager
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For me the issue of keeping up-to-date with topics is important. To be able to "view posts since your last visit" would make life a lot simpler, especially if one is off line when away from home. (OK, I appreciate that one can get internet access around the world, but not as easily as from home.) Each of the gauges, could also have standard sub-topics such as "Locomotives"; "Rolling stock"; "Trackworks"; etc. Another topic could be "Suppliers" - with feed back. Finally, I would like to thank all those on this site who keep things ticking over. |
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David Barnes Bure Valley Railway - The 15" gauge railway with powerful locomotives. Trains between Wroxham & Aylsham in Norfolk. Santa will be arriving soon, followed by Mince Pie Specials from 27 Dec 2009 until 3rd Jan 2010. For Bure Valley Railway info. see: BVR website, which includes timetables. | |
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7:05 AM Nov 25
