I havent read all the threads preceeding so I hope Im not repeating anyone, but if your cramped and boy my screen is then to open up your screen if you dont have Dr Betty's browser try hitting F11 on your keyboard. - Gayle

Can anyone on this Forum actually say they were contacted by Fodor's about these changes and made recommendations to insert blinking banners and scrunched up messages, etc. I cannot imagine any one actually saying "Oh please please insert a banner, we'd love to have extra advertising taking up some of the space". Speak up please if Fodor's asked for your views on this and you thought it would be great to have ads, banners or whatever else comes along. Fodor's has never realized they have a great thing going here, if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Almost enough to get me off this site completely as much as I love it! I have a 17" monitor and it feels CRAMPED! Not all of the question/post titles fit and you can't see very many of them. Please put back the line between post replies. This new format is annoying and hard on the eyes!!!!!!!

I thought we went through this whole business four or five months back and everyone agreed we preferred the original set up. How did this question even come up again? Start a new board (with a whole new name) if that's what you want but leave this one ALONE! Joan

Having been away now for four days (48 hours of shutdown - - or at least I think that's what happened - - and a quick trip to Florida), it's interesting to come back and see that this thread has died (for now) as we seem to be back to everything the same as the old system "before". <BR> <BR>I assume that the "upgrade" will be tried again, and probably soon. It does seem a little peculiar that Fodor's would choose to make these changes without trying a "read-only" version of any new interface - - i.e., not capable of posting any "new" messages - - with some "beta testers" - - before going live, UNannounced! <BR> <BR>And I thought that the search function was somehow once again crippled. I tried answering a question about Karneval in Germany Wednesday morning (1/17/01) and could not locate for a previous (and very recent thread) on which I (and others) had posted a lot of information about Karneval/Fasching/Fassenacht/Fas(t)nacht in Germany and neighhbor countries. <BR> <BR>The search function ought to be tested to see that no (old) functionality has been lost before going live again with the new interface. <BR> <BR>And as for where you "jump" to get from thread 50 to 51 to 101, etc. how about giving us a "go to" box (like Yahoo message boards, for stocks, for example) which will allow you to jump backwards by many hundreds of posts all at once... This website does run off a big database of postings, right? <BR> <BR>I'd be happy to serve on any kind of "frequent poster" sort of advisroy board. <BR> <BR>

I don't mind the new format. The only improvement I'd like is that after typing in one's post there could be an edit screen. I visit this forum at work (don't have internet at home) and have misc. interruptions when typing posts (damned work getting in the way of my fun!) and sometimes I hit the "Post my Reply" without checking my post for errors, to see it makes sense, etc.

Rex, <BR>Read Fodors' apology on the Forums home page. You'll notice that beta testing has been performed and that the tests were reviewed by some of Fodors correspondents.

I HATED the new design. I sincerely hope they do not go back to it! If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Thanks, Wes. <BR> <BR>I don't know why it didn't occur to click on the "So sorry" to read further. <BR> <BR>It would be interesting to read more about the beta testers' experiences, but I'm glad to hear that they were utilized. <BR> <BR>I do NOT consider the new version a "disaster" (like the "fragmentation off" of "leading" countries, earlier in the fall). In fact, other than the autofill and ability to e-mail a thread, I am not so sure I recognize what are/were the big changes - - other than general appearances? <BR> <BR>Were you a beta tester? Do plans exist to "register" user names? (not that I think that it would be important to do so - - the only problem this would address is to prevent others from "impersonating" someone else.) <BR> <BR>