Lobsang: I’ve read through your ATMB thread and several others, and I kept wanting to comment, but every time I started, I realized my response would have to be it the pit. I figured I’d wait it out, but people are still bitching!
Tars: Sounds good. My email and AIM are in my profile.
I agree with the OP.
Additionally, I’ve never cared for the attitude that some posters have that the board must cater to their whims-- their posting preferences, their board surfing styles, their layout and design tastes. They’re not suggestions that will benefit the board as a whole or even a sizeable portion of users; mostly, it’s just for them. I find this incredibly selfish. Not only do they want the administrators to make these changes, they’re want everyone else to adjust to them.
I’ve noticed in the last day or so that some features have come and gone. The mouseover preview appears to have been disabled. The pull-down forum-jump menu at the bottom has changed-- it’s no longer a split Site Area and Forum menu. On Tuesday I had problems staying logged in; today and yesterday, however, I’ve stayed logged in. This is evidence that there is indeed work going on behind the scenes, that attention is being given to this board. For this I am grateful. I get this all for free, though it’s a drain for the Reader. Even if it was a pay site that’d be no guarantee that we’d get our money’s worth.
We don’t know what issues need to be tackled, or how complex they are. We don’t know what other projects need the attention of the site admins. I can’t help but think that when we complain that the margins are screwed or the smilies are weird or the graphics are missing, we’re pushing ourselves closer to the “fuck it” trash heap. Since this board got popular, there have been almost endless complaints about speed and features. Only when the complaints have gotten loud have there been any counter-protests offering appreciation. If you were this board’s benefactor, how would you respond to at least two years’ worth of gripes? I wouldn’t be the least surprised if the SDMB’s been on the chopping block before and been saved by someone’s intervention.
I don’t post as much as I used to, and thanks to the anonymous LJs I can barely think of this place without a tint of disgust and disappointment. But I still think there’s good in this place, and it’s tragic to me that its own users could be its downfall.
A fucking men.
I, personally, like the new gay pride function, even though I’m not gay. Not that there’s anythig wrong with it…
Not that I really want to start posting in rainbows (although it is kinda cool!) how did you do that?
I mean, I can see how it’s a bejillion color…/color tags, but I’m assuming there’s some at least vaguely automatic way to do it.
Some dude posted some little program that would do the formatting for you in some thread some time ago.
I’m feeling especially helpful tonight. 
It’s now faster than Hotmail. 
I also noticed the preview doesn’t work for every thread title, yet for some it does. Then it hit me (and checking confirmed my hunch) – the mouseover preview works only for threads that were started after the upgrade.
I agree 100% with the OP.
Note to the mods, admins, tech support folks, and the weary hampters: I am sure (I hope!) that the whiners are only representative of a very small vocal minority. The silent majority sends out its kudos.
…not to mention the weary hamsters.
Damn the hampters, they screwed up my spelling.
[soapbox]It has been my experience that there is, in any given group, a 4% PITA (pain in the ass) factor. They are usually very obnoxious and vocal. Mods, admins, etc., pay them no heed! I am thankful for the Board and grateful that you are all here doing this thankless job and helping the “teemings” like myself access the continuing fight against ignorance. Hey, everybody, remember DOS?
Change is painful, change is often good, change will happen regardless of whether we like it or not, so lets be a little constructive, patient and above all thankful, that this service (yes, service as in free and for our convenience and benefit) is available.[/soapbox]
I think you’re looking at it the wrong way. We like this place because there is an assumed standard of the people who post here. We then try to apply that standard to the posts over at the anonymous Livejournals, and it just doesn’t fit. I’m sure a lot of people over there are the same users, but that place is more of a bathroom wall rather than a message board. Take everything over there with a grain of salt, as it’s mostly hot air. It’s the virtual equivalent of the Jerry Springer show.
What are these anonymous LJs of which you speak? And how do they relate to the SDMB?
I just updatd my vB 2.3.0 site to vB 3 (http://www.cyburbia.org/forums).
It’s not fun. Here’s what you have to do …
I’m going to spend DAYS on the language pack, since I’m picky about consistency with capitalization; something that Jelsoft has always ignored. The control panel has HUNDREDS of new options, and it can be overwhelming.
Why did Jelsoft make such a radical upgrade? Competition. Invision Board, which was free, is arguably better than vBulletin 2.3.*, and phpBB was catching up. The code base needed to be cleaned up, because there were other 1,000,000+ post bulletin boards that were experiencing the same slowdowns as the SDMB; maybe not to the extent here, though. vB3 has lots of new features, like WSYWIG editing and showing links to similar threads. Those probably won’t be implemented here, nor on my site, but many vB users were asking for them.
Anyhow, it will take a LONG time before the SDMB looks anything like its old self … and it will NEVER look the same. NEVER. That isn’t what should matter, though … it’s the content and the people that are important, not whether tables are colored with a blue gradient instead of a flat purple.
Eh…what Elmwood said! Yes, that’s the ticket.
I still want new smilies and what-not. Whine.
Preach it, kids. I want the mods and admins of this board to hear us loud and clear.
To all the people behind the scenes of this, the best damn board on the 'net, I wish to say thank you. Your efforts to improve this site have not gone unnoticed.
I guess I missed the construction phase, I last posted just before I flew out of Anchorage on 1/5, and didn’t have a chance to get my online services set up for almost two weeks after that.
I personally like it. Though as I said, I didn’t have to go through the rough spots. I’ll bet the admins and mods made it quite plain that the inconveniences were temporary and so on, so I have to say, I agree with the OP.
I would like to thank the OP for not mentioning that it was MY quote he was quoting.
Thanks, dude.
:o :smack:
we’re still in the renovation phase. am i the only one who think that the lack of a business sign (SDMB banner), clearly shows that the boards aren’t done updating yet?
Good thing that my suggestions were for another reason, not because of the upgrade!
Seriously, I like changes too. Whenever there are something new, I feel excited. But the bunch of complainings remembers me when it comes a new version of an old beloved movie: critics are hating it almost before seeing it.