Posted By:
JoannJim et al,
I completely agree with everything you guys are saying. I think that a lot of people are okay with the move - despite the loss of simplicity, the "busy look" to threads and all the other changes - because we are willing to trade those things off for some of the improvements.
On the new site, you can find all the posts one person has made. You can have new posts at the top of the page instead of bottom so you can see them right away. There is a PM system. That's a private messaging system which is sort of like a little mini-email box right on your forum page. You can trade private notes with one other person quickly without having to be going back and forth on your regular email.
I think a lot of people like these things and are willing to sacrifice the simplicity to get them. However, for those that are not interested in these features and weren't affected by some of the issues with this board, I can absolutely see that there is nothing to "trade off". It is simply a loss.
The best comparison I can make is the house I have been in since 2000. It is my second house. My first house was a small little starter house on a city lot. The whole house was full of character - arched doors, nice woodwork, a great little lawn that I could keep up with. It was so cute and just felt like home from the minute I stepped in it.
My new house is "better". It's bigger, in a better neighborhood, is newer, is a better investment, lots better layout, more storage space, double garage, better fireplaces - the list goes on and on. But it has never felt as comfortable as my first little house in the city, and I don't think it ever will. But I still wouldn't trade back. I think the new board/old board will be the same way for a lot of people.
We will have the speed situation resolved in the next few days and then maybe some of the "creature comfort" settings can get tweaked. Then it may look a lot friendlier. At least it will be easier to hop on and start clicking on things to experiment and see what they do.
Again, if there is anything I can do to help, let me know. I am in favor of the new board, but completely understand a sense that it may never quite feel like home the way this one does.
Joann