Rex - I saw this new feature yesterday. It's very handy.

>>It would be nice to have the "tagged" info on the "today's activity" list. <<

Well. well, well - they added this feature today. Thanks Fodors !!!

Stu Dudley

You know, I found this early yesterday and was going to post something about it but figured it had probably been here a while and I'd look nuts having only just discovered it. I understand Robespierre's reaction. Somehow when something gets done that makes things easier, you'd think Fodors would want to post something to tell everyone what they did and why it's a good thing rather than have us gradually blunder into it. OTOH it could be that folks learn better this was and that it's part of "teaching/learning theory" to have it happen this way. Benefit of the doubt, but I'd sure be out there telling folks what I'd done for them lately.

Hi everybody--thanks for the feedback. A majority of the conversations related to new changes are in the help forum. I don't know want to clog the "regular" forums with constant announcements but I agree I could do a better job of letting you know when things have been added.

I'll take this opportunity to gloss over a few changes.

1. We added the "view all of today's topic activity". If you happen to click that list early in the morning, you won't see much. Click "Older" at the bottom of the screen to view older topics (yesterday). This is a small copy tweak--we used to have dates at the end of these archive pages but they were confusing folks. (Understandably). We're still exploring alternatives to this date-centric archives. Thanks for being patient. Please also keep in mind that these pages <i>are</i> dynamic and they constantly are changing an updating. If something is "topped" that was last commented on two weeks ago, that topics will "come off" that archive page and be at the top of today's list.

2. We've added an "advanced search" shortcut under the regular search.

3. It is now possible to search by tag (state, country, province, etc.) using our advanced search.

4. We've added back the gray/blue changing links based on whether you've clicked on them.

5. Tags are now appearing when you run a search.

6. We tweaked the tag pages; we no longer break the page up into "new topics" and "recently commented on". It's just "recent activity". This list is the same list that you used to see when you selected the country/state in our old forum's search. It's just not in the left-hand column.

7. We've made several tweaks to font size/bolding, etc.

8. "Most replies" has been changed to "Popular Topics". It's been moved below "Trip Reports" and the window of time behind the logic has been shortened so the section changes more often.

A quick shortlist of items that we'd like to add or we know need to be fixed:

1. Search-- the search is not properly searching terms that are 3 letters or less; we're working on this.

2. Double words-- It seems that many are seeing certain words (usually at the front of a line) being repeated.

3. Preview/Edit function-- We are working on this and we hope to add it next week. Thanks for being patient.

4. Graying of one's posts-- Many miss this feature; we're working on adding it back in. Please note that if you click on "view comment" in your profile (or someone else's) you will be taken to your (or that person's) last comment on that thread.

5. General issues with "recent activity" archives-- We're exploring alternatives and improvements; thanks for all the feedback.


<b>Random notes of mine</b>

1. We have a fully revised FAQ or help section; a link to it is featured on every profile page, forum, and the main community page. You can view it here:
http://www.fodors.com/faq/

2.Please keep in mind that the advanced search <i>can</i> search topics beyond just the past three years. A three year time span is the range---so you could search for topics from 2000-2003. This ensures good results and helps prevent performance issues with the site at large.

3. Place your search terms in quotes for more specific results-- "Paris hotels" for instance. The search will look for those two terms appearing together.

4. If you're trying to find out what another member is doing, place their name in the search and a link to their profile will be the result. You can also go to your profile and then take out your name in the url and put in your own.

5. Hold down the CTRL + F key to find something--a term, a member name-- in a topic.

6. We have RSS feeds for the main forums; we're hoping to add more shortly.

7. Fill out your profile; it makes the site more fun I think. Hey I filled out mine: www.fodors.com/community/profile/katie_h/

8. A link to the smileys is in the FAQ; here's the link:
http://www.fodors.com/community/smileys/

9. If you're having trouble viewing things or the site looks really strange drop us an email. We have noted that some members having trouble are using a very old version of Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox. For optimum performance, upgrade your browser--it's free and only takes a moment. AOL's browser is not compatible with the site; if you're using AOL service you can surf the internet using one of the popular browsers out there.

Katie, will you make an announcement when the print feature is added??

Ooh--I forgot that- we also hope to add that soon as well. I saw an early version yesterday. Will definitely announce it--but it will be clearly visible as well.

Thanks Katie - great info and thanks again for all the improvements!! It wonderful to know that you are listening to all the complainers on the forum (ok, ok, I'll just speak for myself under the complainer umbrella!!).

<< 4. If you're trying to find out what another member is doing,>>

I think Rex will be happy with this enhancement as he will now be able to see all his threads when he searches for "Rex."

And the country tag in the advanced search is so cool! But we still can't search on 3-letter names.

This is my first real "wish it was just back to the way it used to be"... but I <U><I>do</I></u> still wish that "Today's activity" was displayed in a "lefthand column" (I realize that the page is no longer constructed in frames) the same way that "recent activity" is displayed. Moreover - - what advantage is there/was there to give up numbering the headers in reverse chronologic order?

I understand that there is only so much "real estate" on the screen - - and since "headers" now display more info (thank you!) like originator, and tags... there are fewer titles displayable to "the vertical inch".

Nevertheless, if the lefthand column width is good enough for the "recent activity", why isn't it good enough for (all of) "Today's activity"? Yes, we might have to scroll down a mile deep... you could put little subdividers along the way (80 more threads below this point, 60 more threads below this point, etc)...

That would take it back to SO much more similar to the way it "looked and felt" before.

It functions okay now; maybe this is just nostalgic whining...

Katie: while I would welcome a Preview function for posting, I concur with the comments you posted last week about not adding an Edit function - I think the ability to edit after hitting the Submit button would only encourage some real nastiness around here.

Thanks for the update. I never knew about that control+F business for searching within a thread. Nifty.

Hi Holly; I agree with you as long as we have the 'edit/preview' function before hitting the 'submit button. iris1745/dick

So, if you use the control+F and insert your screen name you can skip to all your posts within a thread as if they were greyed over.

<i>Thanks for the update. I never knew about that control+F business for searching within a thread. Nifty.</i>

Julie, just so you know, Ctrl>F is not a Fodor's thing, its a Windows thing.

<i>So, if you use the control+F and insert your screen name you can skip to all your posts within a thread as if they were greyed over. </i>

Yes, and I've been using that to get to the 26th post on the Day's Activity list, too. Just type in one word of the final post on the Recent Activity list, and you're there.

I'm living without previewing - - I'm just double- and triple-checking anytime I dare to put tages for <B>bold</B>, <I>italics</i> or <U>underlining</U>.

Lord knows how many times I screwed up and failed to have the tags properly paired even when we DID have preview!

But I'd still like to have it back!

"Julie, just so you know, Ctrl>F is not a Fodor's thing, its a Windows thing."

I think it's actually a browser thing. I'm using Firefox on Linux and it does the same thing. Either way, no, it's not specific to Fodor's, but it IS very handy!

<b>Katie</b> - thanks for all your feedback, and especially for that advanced search link!

jent, interesting, because it works in a Word document, too - you don't have to be on the internet. Maybe it's just one of those things everyone adopted because it's so darn useful!

Yep, I think so - I've found it to be a pretty standard command. Not universal, but in many, many applications. Makes sense - it's useful and intuitive!

<< 2. Double words-- It seems that many are seeing certain words (usually at the front of a line) being repeated. >>

This may have occurred before today, but I never saw it before just now - - "in the pink"... that is, in the lefthand column with the titles. At least four of them have a word repeated on the next line.

The advanced search link is nice, but it would be helpful to note that the basic search is for words in titles only, if this is the case, and that advanced search will search the entire text.