soupagirl Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 Well that was unexpected. Tried to do my normal morning peruse of the forum (couldn't yesterday as we were entertaining) and it looks all different, I had to reset my password as after trying my usual password three times I got locked out for security reasons, and when I did manage to get on, it's so confusing as absolutely nothing is familiar and there's no 'Active Topics' which is my normal go-to part of the forum. I hope things improve soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterG Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 5 minutes ago, soupagirl said: it's so confusing as absolutely nothing is familiar and there's no 'Active Topics' which is my normal go-to part of the forum. I hope things improve soon! Me too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 This place is weird! Looking at General Discussion, The posts (Page 1) start at 2015 and go back to 2005: and page 240 goes back to 2002! Nothing current is in view??? Except the one thread reference "New Forum Software. Additionally, with 4,800 odd posts to my name I am now classed as a "Newbie"?? Plus all the profile data (date you joined, area in which you live) has evaporated AND also my Avatar! I note from the Admin post, they are using Windows Server 2003... This is so archaic, Microsoft Support for this product ended on July 14th 2015! If it aint broke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 If you click on "Activity" at the top of the page, you should get the most current posts and not all the old gobbaldy goop from years past. At least that is what worked for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 This will turn out to be a very welcome change once you get used to it ! I’m just a user like all of you. The ‘forum software’ has basically been bought ‘off the shelf’ with a few tweaks here and there. The reason I know that is because the format and style is identical to another forum that I frequent. IMO, it’s very user friendly once you get used to it. My modus operandi is to go straight to ‘unread threads’ in the brhc. That’ll effectively give you the recent stuff. The only criticism is really the lack of notice - it would have been helpful if everybody knew that it was coming, with in particular the advice on how to re-register. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted September 22, 2021 Author Share Posted September 22, 2021 I remember you Harnser. The old software had a lot to answer for! Welcome back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 At Last ! finally managed to log in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted September 22, 2021 Author Share Posted September 22, 2021 Whooppeee. Seeing better then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loiseau Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 Phew; eventually managed to work out which email address I had registered under, and reset a long-forgotten password! Good to see you, Idun, and those other familiar names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 I think that this abominable new software may probably be the final kiss of death to the Forum. Where it was previously easy to log in, post , find active topics and post replies and photographs as evidenced by my many previous posts it has all become too complicated to manage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted September 23, 2021 Author Share Posted September 23, 2021 Gettin old, Norman? Not ideal, I agree but work at it and it is quite ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 I've been having terrible trouble for over a week. The a miracle - last night I had an email to say that someone from Grantham had died to log in as me and that if it wasn't;t e I should change my password. I did so here I am back at last. Russethouse and Idun very glad to see you both back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 I've been having terrible trouble for over a week. The a miracle - last night I had an email to say that someone from Grantham had tried to log in as me and that if it wasn't me I should change my password. I did so here I am back at last. Russethouse and Idun very glad to see you both back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted September 23, 2021 Author Share Posted September 23, 2021 2 hours ago, Hoddy said: I've been having terrible trouble for over a week. The a miracle - last night I had an email to say that someone from Grantham had died to log in as me and that if it wasn't;t e I should change my password. I did so here I am back at last. Russethouse and Idun very glad to see you both back. So, you are really the ghost of Margaret Thatcher! I knew she hadnt left us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajal Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 Yikes, who saw that coming! I'm still on a familiarization course. So far, hmm? When I first found my way to 'active topics', the index seemed just like trying to understand a bowl of alphabet spaghetti. Further inspection revealed a 2 button option on the right-hand side of the page, below the 'All Activity' banner, titled 'Condensed' and 'Expanded'. Once I had hit the 'Condensed' option, the index turned into some semblance of order with the posts being listed as Topic subjects instead of posts being listed by Time of post listed, regardless of topic. If anyone hasn't yet tried it, give it a go. Good luck with all your explorations and hope it eventually all comes together for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted September 23, 2021 Share Posted September 23, 2021 14 hours ago, NormanH said: I think that this abominable new software may probably be the final kiss of death to the Forum. Where it was previously easy to log in, post , find active topics and post replies and photographs as evidenced by my many previous posts it has all become too complicated to manage. I agree, Norman. All fora have a life cycle and it is clear that many very active members of the past have departed. I am sure important contributory factors for French-Centric fora are both Brexit and the pandemic. There was a period when Brits were very attracted to enjoying a holiday home in la belle France, driven by low relative property costs and a booming economy in the UK. A local cultural centre town in the Pay de Calais was Hesdin: the town square was jammed with UK registered cars back in circa 2000: not so the last time I was there a couple of years back. Both Brittany and Normandy were also hotspots: not now, however. And, as you say, this forum is hard to navigate: we shall see... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 Absolutely hopeless! I deliberately left it a few days in the hope it would settle, but nothings has improved. I can't sort the posts into latest first or oldest first, and lots of dates for 1st January 1970 as the last date posted when it's quite apparent looking at the posts that they are more recent than this. The "stickies" at the top get in the way because you have to read them first to decide whether they are in fact stickies instead of being categorised as such. I agree with Norman on this one, it'll be so time-consuming and frustrating that many of us will leave and never come back. What a pity! One plus point... all these old members reappearing, nice to see you all. There are other (better) forum packages around such as Vbulletin. Has this one ever been tested ? As an ex-IT man I hate to see untested software go live, gives us all a bad name. Where's my avatar ? And with 2.7k posts, and a member since 2005, why am I a newbie ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted September 26, 2021 Author Share Posted September 26, 2021 (edited) Press Activity, then All Activity or Unread Content. That should get you to all current stuff. Then Condensed. Edited September 26, 2021 by anotherbanana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardengirl Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 Yes, Woolly, but all this ‘press this then press that’ really shouldn’t be necessary! For whatever reason, the website changed and has left us with a really shoddy version of the forum. If it’s the best that Archant can do now, then heaven help us all and will put all-comers off anything they produce. i’ve tried sticking around and will do so for a little longer but this is so poor that it really doesn’t warrant spending much more time on it. Some of us have been with it for a very long time, many of you even longer than me, but what’s on offer now really is abysmal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anotherbanana Posted September 26, 2021 Author Share Posted September 26, 2021 Archant may not want to invest in decent kit as they are not exactly rolling in funds. It is a pity, I agree. This is, I think the fourth change of software I have experienced, or maybe the fifth. One does get used to it. But each time there is a major hissy fit. At least we can download pictures very easily now so it is not all bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 Hello Old Members! ? It's a cleaner layout - better than having that soddin lavender fields wallpaper behind the (very narrow) column of posts - and I'm sure I can adjust to the new functionality - but what is irritating and probably make or break for me is I can't post anything if I'm using my preferred (latest ver) Firefox browser. This is posted via Chrome; using Firefox causes the submit reply button to hang on 'saving' and saving never completes. I've no desire to change from Firefox to Chrome for one pretty much comatose forum so if Firefox is causing the problem with posting a response, I'm unlikely to persevere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajal Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 On 23/09/2021 at 18:15, cajal said: ............ Further inspection revealed a 2 button option on the right-hand side of the page, below the 'All Activity' banner, titled 'Condensed' and 'Expanded'. Once I had hit the 'Condensed' option, the index turned into some semblance of order with the posts being listed as Topic subjects instead of posts being listed by Time of post listed, regardless of topic. Since posting the above, I have found that when logged onto the site there is an option of 'Unread Content' available where the index, once the 'Condensed' option is selected, displays all the topics listed in chronological order of the original post of that topic. They remain in the list until you have read them or a new post is added to a topic. To me, it is much easier on the eye and the brain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le martin-pêcheur Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 Another idea............once logged in save the address that appears in your navigation bar as a favourite link, then next time, just click the saved link. It should look something like this https://forum.completefrance.com/index.php?/discover/&view=expanded No need to click various links on the new site then. Works with Chrome and Firefox - so far;-) Hope this helps . Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thibault Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 Just managed to log in and boy is this forum different! It took ages to find active threads - why hide that? Thibault Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Raven Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Hoddy and anotherbanana should now have the power to moderate the forum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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