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Site stuff

am i the only one who doesnt use active conversations?

30 replies

nightowl · 10/03/2005 00:52

it just looks a mess to me! (sorry) so i always use last hour or last day and have noticed that chat has been moved from there also. am i the only one who finds that a pain? like last hour/day much better as i get to see snippets of the last few posts so i know if im going to find a thread interesting. sobs...i dont like change!!

OP posts:

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nightowl · 10/03/2005 23:50

im very structured..i first go to threads im on then when i get bored with that i do last hour and then last day when im desperate!

OP posts:

ThomCat · 10/03/2005 22:31

Apart from the special needs and threads I'm on it';s almost all I use to navigate the site.

nightowl · 10/03/2005 22:30

sorry tech but that just did it for me...the dental mirror was the final straw..so sorry to laugh!! but maybe you have something there for the bizarre accidents thread?

OP posts:

Snugs · 10/03/2005 14:01

maybe you should put this on now hub2dee

hub2dee · 10/03/2005 13:57

Thanks for the post, Tech, and the quick fix was certainly quick and certainly fixed the issue.

Just had an idea: Rather than seperate out sale or chat by their own hyperlinks, it might be better to have just one page of Active Convos with the first 50 lines non-chat / non-sale - ie. core MN parenting stuff, and then, say, 50 lines of chat / sale / whatever else. Probably keeps everybody happy that way...

Incidentally, maybe staging proposed changes in a special place ie. mumsnet.com/newtalk etc. might allow people to post feedback / argue about approaches / extract opinions etc. Little regular improvements (ie. continually integrating short-term deedback) tends to bug long-standing users, IME.

Re: lastnparam - yep, I played with that, but it would be nicer to be able to tweak the site in an 'official' way, IYSWIM.

tech · 10/03/2005 13:54

Hello rickman, it's infected apparently, but only the canal - the drum is fine. I have antibiotics and a steroid spray. Who knew you could do so much damage with a dental mirror and a pair of tweezers.

NomDePlume · 10/03/2005 13:26

My god, I can't imagine using this site without active conversations. I'd just end up talking to myself on threads I'd killed.....

rickman · 10/03/2005 13:21

Message withdrawn

tech · 10/03/2005 13:16

Thanks for the suggestions. We are currently discussing internally what level of choice is appropriate for active conversations, and how it should be structured. The current layout is in the realms of the "quick fix".

It's true that the current search facility is not really optimal. Having to know whether you want to search current or archive is a little odd, though also quite common. The fact that "find new messgaes" (i.e. since x time or since I last searched stuff) is on a different page from regular searches is a hangover from when we started out with a third-party bulletin board. When we moved away from it, the people using the board at the time naturally didn't want to see major changes.

We try to bear in mind that a fair number of the people using mumsnet are new to the internet and that some of the terms that are very familiar to web-savvy people can totally flummox people in that position. We try to make our links as few and as self-explanatory as possible. This can make them a little wordy.

Change understandably annoys some people (see this thread ). Also, too much choice can be wearing and confusing and just make people switch off. Take me and BT. I don't care about Option 56 vs Option 57 - I just want a reasonable phone service at a decent price. I have better things to do than update a friends and family list. And frankly I couldn't care less if the electricity comes from the LEB or the Martians.

By the way, you can change the number of results in active conversations by changing the "lastn" parameter in the url to a number up to 200.

As ever, thanks to everyone for all your suggestions. I think we are going to leave things alone now - at least for a time - as we've addressed the original gripes about chat and trading dominating active conversations to the exclusion of other threads.

Regards,
Tech

hub2dee · 10/03/2005 11:19

Increased spacing between the options would also make them more readable, IMO (just a few &nbsps should do the trick)

hub2dee · 10/03/2005 11:06

Snugs, you're making my backside toasty.

Actually, that's rather nice.

Snugs · 10/03/2005 10:59

aims at hub2dee

Poor tech not only has to cope with a bunch of hormonal women but a bloody picky man as well

hub2dee · 10/03/2005 10:52

Must admit I think it looks rather inelegant, and might possibly be quite confusing for newbies...

SPARKLER1 · 10/03/2005 10:15

I thought it looked different . Much clearer thanks.

tech · 10/03/2005 10:14

I've just done a bit of a rearrange up there to make it a bit more obvious what's going on..... sorry for the confusion

SleepyJess · 10/03/2005 10:08

Active convos are in fact there, it's just that the bit that says 'active convos', which used to be a link, is now just a heading, in black.. and the other categories of active convo are next to it on the right. I have it sussed now.. or maybe it was different earlier..

SJ x

Snugs · 10/03/2005 09:51

Am I missing something here? Active conversations is still there at the top of the page - why are people having problems?

piffle · 10/03/2005 09:48

aaarghhhh I still have the link for active convos though on my web address
phew

Davros · 10/03/2005 09:44

I couldn't handle active conversations, got sucked into too many threads. I go through the home page to Talk and just look at the 12 or so topics that I like. I tend to miss all the excitement and flouncing though.

Snugs · 10/03/2005 09:27

Same as lou

lou33 · 10/03/2005 09:21

i don't use it, i always click check for new messages since i last checked.

SleepyJess · 10/03/2005 08:36

Just came on here to ask where active convos are. Personally I'm lost without them. Anyway, read the convo and Tech, just wanted to say you sound as if you have an infected hair follicle in the ear and yes go to the docs because it will probably need antibiotics. DH had this.. it grew into like a big spot in his ear.. which of course I had to squeeze because I'm gross like that.. and had convinced him it needed squeezing.. (what a bitch, just for my own self-gratifications! ) but then it just grew...and got more manky and infected and loads more painful. So go to docs and get the antibiotics before you have to have it lanced! Ouch!

Ugh..I've gone off my coco pops now.. my fault, not yours!

SJ x

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hub2dee · 10/03/2005 08:34

tech, didn yer mamma tell ya never to put stuff inside yar'ears ????

There's sensitive stuff down there, old boy... run, don't walk to the quack !

Keane · 10/03/2005 08:08

I didnt used to, I used to scroll through all the topics and try to answer almost everyone!

Imagine trying to do that now

Infact i get so confused now, i seem to get stuick on "threads Im on" and never go anywhere else

lucy5 · 10/03/2005 08:05

Ignore me I have a hangover and it has taken me 10 mins to work it out. Durrr

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