I can't suggest a new forum, but I have some suggestions for forum features.

1. Email alerts. It's nice to get an email that says somebody replied to your post, whether you started a new thread or contributed to an existing one. This allows you to continue a discussion. The way it's set up now, your threads are very short. Why? You don't allow people to get back to where they were, and it's hard to remember all the threads one has participated in.

2. Links. Open links in new windows and leave the board open behind it. Some of the links have links in them. If you get lost in all of them, getting back to the board is troublesome. Leave the board open. Open links in new windows.

3. Smileys. I love smileys. Pictures are worth a thousand words, yet you show a list of descriptions to choose from, not images. How ironic!

4. Subscriptions. Why subscribe to a whole board?  Sometimes you just want to subscribe to a thread.

5. Spell checking. Make my life easier, eh? That's what computers do best -- repetitious, simple tasks.

You have a problem too. Try posting, and before you're done, click the tab 'related' above the post. You get taken out of your post, and lose all your work! That's bad. Bad, bad, bad.

Need a real board? Try SMF version 1.4.1  http://www.simplemachines.org/  These are great boards and they're free. They work flawlessly, are easy to maintain, and easy to modify or customize. 

 

Thank you for your ideas.  We are part of a group of television stations across the country that work with Inergize Digital Media (you might see their name at the bottom of this web page).  Because of this we only have so much control over the sort of thing you are suggesting. 

The good people at Inergize are always improving our site, and adding new features.  They also ask us for the input our members give us.  We will pass your ideas onto them.

I have some suggestions for you on some of your points.  For opening links in new windows, you can always right click a link, and it brings up a menu that you can then tell the browser itself to open it in a new window, or new tab.  For spell checking the Firefox web browser has this built in.  If you right click in a field, that you are typing in, it brings up a menu, which you can then ask it to spell check.

Buzz,

There is also the "My Posts" section, which show all of the forums that you have posted in.  I figure if I haven't posted to a topic in so long that it doesn't come up in that section, it probably is a dead topic and I'm done with it.  I certainly wouldn't want to be reminded of one of these dead topics if someone were to post something like "I agree" and not much else.  If  I'm responding to so many topics that they won't show in this section, then perhaps I should spend a little less time here and get out more often.  10 topics on ones plate is enough for me, thank you, but that may not be enough for everybody.

The section titled "Active" also shows the latest 'hot' 10 topics.  Same reasoning.

Smileys....   Don't get me started.  I hate when they are overused, and when they are available, it seems that is exactly what happens.

Subscriptions...  It wouldn't be a bad idea for some.  I personally wouldn't use them.  I get enough e-mails without getting alerts all the time. Again, what works for some, doesn't work for others.

Spell Checking...   I re-read most of my posts several times before posting, and can catch usually 90% of the errors anyway.  That way, I don't rush off a reply without looking it over and giving it a second thought before firing it off.  I find that I sometimes back off on a strong statement that might be offending or otherwise inappropriate.

I HAVE had the system kick me out when I try to post a reply.  I've gotten to where I copy the posting before I send it.  That way, I can re-paste it and post again, if there is a problem.  Remember, this is the Internet.  Lots of things outside of ones control can happen.   Adapt and overcome.  And enjoy the ability to at least have a place where we can share ideas, topics, and perhaps get some insightful information (but don't believe it's true just because it's here...).   :-)    <--  I couldn't resist..

 

Lengo,
To enable Email Alerts, you must enter your profile. Once there, click on the Email tab and mark the "Yes" radio buttons next to "Recieve Email" and "Enable Email Notifications of forum/thread subscriptions and replies to my posts." You will then get the alerts.

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Steve Morton
Webmaster