Have you thought of setting up different interest sections on Ask Woody?

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1. Windows users
2. Apple users
3. Linux
4. Android
5. Etc.?

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Question: How would these “special interest” sections be different from the forums already available for people to comment on all those issues?

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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DrBonzo

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At the top of any page click on Forums and you’ll see a plethora of them. Under Ask Woody Support there’s a link for Non-Windows Operating Systems. Click on that and you’ll see Linux, Androis iOS macOS, etc., etc., etc.

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OscarCP wrote:

Question: How would these “special interest” sections be different from the forums already available for people to comment on all those issues?

It might provide easy topic access for users interested in a specific Operating System.  Right now, this site is becoming a kluge!  The original design of Ask Woody was easy to use and well-focused.

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The forum organization hasn’t changed.  The only thing added was Windows 11.

Up on the right hand side are quicklinks for various sub categories.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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GCG1000: “The original design of Ask Woody was easy to use and well-focused.”

I have been coming regularly to this site for close to four years by now, starting at the time when Woody Leonhard was running it, and don’t remember the arrangement of AskWoody being much different from what it is now. Even when, at the time, this was even more dedicated to one particular operating system than it is now. If memory serves, there were here already those forums for “Other Operating Systems” that included macOS (then called OS X) and Linux. Or if not here just then, soon they were.

So perhaps a more detailed explanation of what is the difference between what AskWoody is now and what you would like it to be could be helpful for understanding what you want.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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GCG1000 wrote:

It might provide easy topic access for users interested in a specific Operating System.

I agree. It is much harder now to find things here. Clicking on Forums just brings up a confusing mess. I’ve learned to avoid that. Search for Topics is not very useful either (but maybe that is due to my mediocre ability to use the right search term). I navigate here by looking at the Recent Topics column and click or don’t click on a topic listed based on the topic name alone! So, if the name is not the best or “boring” then I never see that topic.

I would like to see a much better organization of topics not based on the word “recent”. I haven’t been here all that long (about 5 years now?) and an IT friend pointed me here. The poor organization here confuses me if I want to start a new topic. So, I usually just don’t post it at all since figuring out where to put it is a confusing hassle. This site is extremely hard on the eyes anyway what with its narrow column down the center of the screen (no one here has ever made this site work with wide screen PC monitors I guess) and two thick black columns one on each side of the narrow center column and its tag along halloweenish orangy yellow right side column.

This isn’t 1998! When I got this wide screen 24″ Dell Ultra Sharp monitor in 2012, with my new then Dell Windows 8.0 Pro computer, quite a few sites were unable to display correctly on this monitor but were fine on my older 19″ non wide screen Dell Ultrasharp monitor. All sites within a year or so corrected the problem (i wrote to everyone of them that displayed badly). Now with Windowblinds for Windows 11 not available (because Microsoft constantly makes changes to Windows 11 so that Stardock cannot write a skinning program) maybe switching to Apple for my next desktop computer is the only viable answer…but that takes a wealthy person! (I was in our Apple repair shop yesterday buying more Juce for my iPhone and should have tried one of the display computers to see how this site displays on Apple computers but didn’t think of it then).

This site should not stay stuck in 1998! Besides, it is not Halloween every day!

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SkipH, klang

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Will and I were just chatting about the forums (especially the 11 forums that still said beta on them) but we always want to get feedback from Moderators and other regulars first.  The organization of the forum has not changed for years. The only thing that got changed was a “skin” to increase the font size and to add buttons to make it more obvious on posting a topic or reply.  As far as the color scheme, the black is intended to highlight the DEFCON status.  I honestly feel it does a much better job as a result.

I don’t like to change merely for change sake and believe me, every change shouldn’t be on a whim, but thought about ahead of time.  I am working on getting search enhancements as I agree that’s still a bit lacking.

I notice you are not a plus member, remember you can get a much better experience with the plus newsletter being sent to you for only $1. The site has a LOT of moving parts and we can’t change the overall look of the site (along with the width) without severely impacting the newsletter as well.

Trust me the site is not stuck in 1998 and we keep making changes where appropriate.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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SueW

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I think that Susan and all of the people that make askwoody what it is, do a pretty good job of keeping things running.  The newsletter is very, very, good.  My presence on askwoody is small.  I have made a few comments from time to time, usually in the Linux forum.  I’m not one of those that dominate here.

I do find that I have problems finding what I’m searching for.  It is very possible that I’m in the minority, and most people have no issues, but I have given up trying to search for information.  Perhaps, a tutorial on the subject in the newsletter?

Perhaps, a targeted questionnaire concerning ways that the information on the site could be more streamlined and easier to find?

Again, I realize that it just may be me.  No matter what, I still visit askwoody once or twice a day to see what’s happening.  Another great thing about askwoody is that Susan does listen and her responses are clear and thought out.

Thanks.

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Klang: “I do find that I have problems finding what I’m searching for. It is very possible that I’m in the minority, and most people have no issues, but I have given up trying to search for information. Perhaps, a tutorial on the subject in the newsletter?”  This is a different issue from what the original commentator who started this thread wanted to discuss, but an important one, in my opinion. ”

I have discussed this with others in the thread “What has happened to AskWoody?” started by Susan. Please, have a look there.

This probably deserves its own thread, not in “Rants”, like this one, but in the forum “Suggestions about improving the lounge.”

In the other thread I just mentioned, I have floated some ideas that could be also a contribution to the thread dedicated to how the AskWoody search feature can be improved and, if necessary, best combined with Web searches. So that could be a start.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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I really cannot understand what the problem is, other than the fact that some people do not like the way this site is arranged. It presents no problems to me, and what the problems others may have has not been explained. The message is  “we don’t like it” but why and what can be done to improve things has not been mentioned so far in a concrete way one can make something of and work with.

So I am doubtful that there is a real need to change anything here in the way forums are organized. Or in the links in the brown sidebar. Except maybe a little touch-up here and there: nothing deep.

Problems with filtering and what seems like some occasional random and unexplained radical moderating (“radical” as in “pulling something from its roots”) in my own view is more of a good place to start to make improvements. So, if something is to be done over one of these days, that could be first.

Or maybe the name of the forum where this thread has been started is its actual explanation as well. So: A clever twofer that?

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Fred

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I wonder how many other websites have an Out Of the Box section with Rants, Fun Stuff, Junk Box, etc.  And also a Test Box to try things out?  This AskWoody site has grown a bit to accommodate all of the new technology, and at the same time has gotten better.  I’ve been coming here since 2008 so I know how things were.

Being 20 something in the 70's was so much better than being 70 something in the insane 20's

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wavy, SueW, OscarCP

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Check out the changes, what do you think?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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GCG1000, Charlie, OscarCP

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Susan Bradley wrote:

Check out the changes, what do you think?

Nicely done.  Thank you.

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To get rid of the black bars just zoom in a notch.
Yes the organization as it is displayed is clunky ( I miss the old WS site ‘sigh’ for many reasons but work with what you got). Use post since last visit and posts from last 3 days to get what that misses.

OK maybe changed a bit for the better

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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