I just liked to be able to look at the threads...we used to see 50, then 50 more...now it's 25 then Archives, right? I hate it.

<b>missypie: </b> "<i>I just liked to be able to look at the threads...we used to see 50, then 50 more...now it's 25 then Archives, right?</i>"

Look at the top of the thread list. There is a "View all of today's activity" link.If you click that you will get a loooooong list of all of that day's activity in that forum. Much more than 25, and by mid day on an active forum - it is much more than 50 threads. Don't get fixated on the 25 you first see. Click on "view all of today's activity" and you can see every single post for that day (w/o having to go back 50 + 50 + 50 etc etc)

Then after reading a thread, click your "back" button and it will take you right back to where you were in the list.

missypie, I guess I don't really understand the problem there. I agree that now it shows less than 50 in the first column, but when you get to the bottom, you simply click to see more activity (just like you used to click to see the "next 50". And what you get is a continuing list of topics just like you used to -- except now you get ALL the posts from the past day, which seems to be more or less than 50 depending on how many posts were posted on that day. So with just one single click you can see all the posts from the current day -- or with one more click you call see all the posts from the previous day. Unless I'm not understanding it right, I'm not sure why that is more difficult or less satisfactory than simply getting the next 50 posts without regard to whether they were posted today or yesterday. In fact if there were more than 50 posts posted in one day, then it seems the current method requires less scrolling and clicking to see ALL of them. NO?

I apologize in advance for those who think my response is obnoxious or of the wrong tone. As usual, I don't mean it to be.

Hmmm. And once again, janisj and I seem to be on the same wave length and were posting at the same time.

I'm really getting used to this new system, even though I haven't spent that much time on it yet. My only gripe now is that when I come here and click on my own name, it still takes a long time to get to my profile and posts.

NP: We have to quit meeting this way :)

How are you doing by the way?

Back to Missypie's question. On Europe, the Lounge and other active forums, I don't even bother scrolling to the bottom of the 25 list. I just click View all of today's activity and look at the entire list at once.

I have learned to do exactly what janisj just said - just click on "view all of today's activity" (although in the morning, I might also click on the previous day's activity list to see the last posts I might have missed the day before). I like the fact that when you hit "back" you go back to where you were, instead of having to scroll around trying to find your place.

What I DO NOT like though, is the following (an example):

I go to the Lounge and want to look up all the threads tagged under Music/Movies/Books.

So I click on the MMB tag from the drop down box.

The next page I get is:
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...ies-and-books/

Which lists the most recent <b>30</b> threads, which happens to go back as far as Feb 21, 2009.

If I want to look up older threads, I have to click on <i>View recent activity for topics tagged Music, Movies and Books by day</i>

That shows me only the topics for Feb 21, 2009
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...ks/2009/02/21/
(A total of 4 threads that day.)

To see anything older, I click on <i>Older</i>, which shows me the topics for just Feb 20, 2009
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...ks/2009/02/20/
(A total of 2 threads that day.)

This is very cumbersome and not useful for me. Basically, if I want to look up older MMB threads, I have to keep clicking on every single day, which may yield 2-4 threads each day. The old system which shows 50 at a time is much more user-friendly. As a result, I DON'T bother to check at all. Of course, if I have a title in mind, I can use the search function. But if I just want to browse, basically I won't bother to browse more than the first 30 threads listed under
http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...ies-and-books/

yk-- We're working on an alternative for the dating structure for the archives (switching to sets of 50, etc). We realize that the current structure is not ideal for slower forums or for the "tag" sections.

sf - thanks for the tip on the "back" button. I hadn't realized it would take you back to the same place in the list. that will help minimize my frustration.

yk - I know exactly what you're saying. That's the point I was trying to make (not very successfully) earlier. On slower forums, the archives is cumbersome. Like you, I no longer bother to browse beyond what's shown on the current activity screen.

Using the back button, I may do so once in awhile, but every time I read an item (and I used to read a lot of them!), I'll have to make an extra click to go back. It add up quick when you're trying to browse through a lot of items - and, yes, is even worse on a slow forum where there are only a few posts a day.

and katie - thanks for the note and your continued efforts to improve the board. I'm hoping at some point that certain features of the old "frames" version that users have said they like can be revisited/resurrected. It's frustrating when new, more advanced technology can't do something that older, less sophisticated technology could. I know we can't have it all and many features are a definite improvement... but we'll continue to provide feedback and hope it helps. thanks.

althom - I don't usually visit the slower forums or tagged subjects, so I can't be 100% sure. But take the example I gave about regarding Movies/Music/Books forum. On the first page, as I've said, shows 30 most recent topics, which dated back to Feb 21, which is almost 2 weeks ago.

Therefore, if I check that every 2 weeks, there is NO NEED for me to go to the day-by-day archive.

Or let's pick the Germany tag as an example. The first page after selecting Germany tag, shows 30 threads going back to Feb 22. Again, if one checks that once every 2 weeks, there's no need to go back any further.

But since I don't check every country tag on every forum, I don't know how other countries work out.

Katie - while on the same subject, right now, the <i>View recent activity for topics tagged ___________ by day</i> links are not updated to show the correct day.

For example, for Germany
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/germany/
The last post shown is:
Radolfzell to France or Ireland? by bojabi
3 responses; most recent on Feb 22, 2009 at 04:32 PM

However, the <i>View recent activity</i> link right below is showing the URL for Feb 11, 2009. It should have been Feb 22's URL instead.

A similar issue for the United Kingdom page, with the last post shown being:
Haltwhistle/Hadrians Wall Trip Report by annesherrod
16 responses; most recent on Mar 2, 2009 at 05:22 AM

But the <i>View Recent Activity</i> link is showing the URL for Feb 22, 2009.

Like easytraveler, I like the new format. It just took a few days to get used to.

I'm also finding the site's search engine to be much more effective. Good job Katie et al ! ((Y))

But when you click "view all of today's activity" you get archives. And yes, there is an "archive" for today. How can TODAY be in archives?

Thing is, it's not enjoyable for me to come here anymore. I don't want to have to take tutorials and study help posts to figure out how to work a message board. Sure, I'll come when I need help...but I won't "hang arond" any more.

<b>missiepie: </b> "<i>But when you click "view all of today's activity" you get archives. And yes, there is an "archive" for today. How can TODAY be in archives?</i>"

Yes, you get a list of archived days . . . But maybe you didn't notice that <u>all</u> the threads for that forum are listed in the right hand column.

There is no reason to click on a date in the "archives" list unless you want to go back to one of those days. (yes - the current date displays but there is absolutely no reason to click on it because the ENTIRE list is right there in front of you.)

For instance -- if you go to the Lounge right now and click on "View all of today's activity" -- on the right is the archives list, but on the LEFT side there are more than 50 threads all from today. As the day goes on that list gets longer and longer. By the end of the day there could be a couple of hundred . . . . . .

missypie, it works like it did before.
The labels are a bit different but you click in the same spot - and see MORE than 50 posts. You see all of the posts for the day.
If you want to see more posts, then start clicking on a prevous date.
If you were in the habit of going back 300 posts, you had to make 6 clicks to do that. Now, you'll get to 300 in just maybe 2 or 3.

"<i>Now, you'll get to 300 in just maybe 2 or 3.</i>

Or maybe just 1. On a busy forum like the Lounge or Europe,

<i>But when you click "view all of today's activity" you get archives. And yes, there is an "archive" for today. How can TODAY be in archives</i>

If they just changed the name of the link to "All Activity By Date" instead of "Archives", would that be better (same thing substantively, but since the title bothers you....)

sf7307: I think missypie's problem is she didn't scroll down the right hand list and see that every thing is right there. I assume she just saw the list of archived dates and stopped there. Easy mistake because the first 25 threads displayed would be the exact same ones she'd seen originally (the latest 25 threads). So it may have looked to her as though the page is forcing her to click on today's date.

But by scrolling down (ignore the left side completely) - she will find ALL of today's threads. whether it is 25, or 56, or 277 or 300 . . . . . . .

&lt;&lt;&lt;"Now, you'll get to 300 in just maybe 2 or 3. &gt;&gt;&gt;
&lt;&lt;&lt;Or maybe just 1. On a busy forum like the Lounge or Europe,&gt;&gt;&gt;


Or maybe 100 clicks, on a board that only has a few posts a day, like Latin America or a tagged country.

Those of us who frequent the less active boards may be in the minority, but hopefully, we count, too! And for us, it's a bigger issue.

Althom1122: Have you tried it on Latin America? "<i>a few posts a day</i>" . . . Right now if you click on Latin America there are 30 posts just from this morning through 1:45PM. By later today there are bound to be 50 - 100 current posts. That is not a "slow" forum . . . . . .

I have another suggestion/request (Katie, are you there?). When you peruse the activity list for a day, and click to read a thread, and maybe reply to that thread, to go back to the list of threads can take 4-5 clicks. Is it possible to add a link that remains on every page that will take you back with one click to the list of the day's activity where you started?

sf to keep the list, just right click on the title of a thread and open it in a new tab.

hi sf307--I think I follow you. But quick question. Say you start on the full day's list. When you click to read a thread, the "top level" view column appears on the left. At the top of that column is a link back to the day's archive. You could also hit back on your browser just once and be where you were. Just trying to clarify in case I'm not following you---which is completely possible. =:)

janisj... ok, then, a tagged country - BURMA. Excuse me for giving an incorrect example.

For Canada, there have been 5 today. For Australia about 10. My point is valid regardless of whether i gave an example where there happens to be quite a few posts today. There ARE some slower forums. And for those, it's cumbersome.

althom1122- as I've explained above, the first page for any tagged country shows the <b>30</b> most recent threads. In your case, Burma, the first 30 threads go back to Setp 2007.
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/burma-myanmar/

So unless you are very bored and want to read posts before Sept 2007, you will have to click on every day.

For other busier countries, eg, Germany, the first 30 threads go back to 2 weeks ago. So if you check it once every 2 weeks, there's no reason for you to click further back by each day.

I think, for *most* of the frequent posters here who come here once a day or a few times a week, the current format is working. If someone wants to come once a month to just read the posts on one particular country (eg Germany), it may not work as well, but those people are definitely the minority here. Does that mean they should be discriminated? No. And sounds like Katie et al is tackling this problem based on her response yesterday:
http://www.fodors.com/community/foru...omment-5490702

And if a newbie stumbles on Fodors forum, chances are he/she won't be spending time clicking through the archives. It's more intuitive for a newbie to use the Search function to look for information.

Testing what Katie said.

Katie, I think you're right, I don't have to use the Back button at all. After I submit my reply, I just click on "View All of Today's Activity" again. Everyone else, will this have any other "negative" effect, like I won't be taken back to where I was, etc.?

I never responded to your earlier comment, janis, because i considered it nasty, but now I will since you seem intent on being confrontational.

&lt;&lt;&lt;That's OK NP, I haven't understood half of what Althom is on about.&gt;&gt;&gt;
I'm here - there's no need to talk about me in the third person. And I'm not "on about" anything anymore than anyone else. I was expressing an opinion about the forums that has been expressed by many other users.

&lt;&lt;&lt;"And neo, you don't need to re-explain your intentions. I understand that you did not intend to come across the way I interpreted it. I hope you'll grant me the same graciousness." -- talk about passive/aggressive . . . .&gt;&gt;&gt;
I was not intending to be passive-aggressive - such a comment on your part was unkind. I genuinely MEANT that I hoped to be granted the same graciousness in not assuming that I intended to come across in a negative manner.

althom1122: I honestly don't understand your issue. Maybe it's me.

But yk did explain it pretty darn well. A country like Burma has never ever had much activity and you can get nearly 2 year's worth of activity w/ one click . . . . . .

sf-
The way you're doing it, is that each time you click "View All of Today's Activity", the page shows up will be an updated/refreshed list.

Let's say you spend 15 minutes typing a reply to a topic. After you submit it, if you click BACK, you'd be brought back to the list where you started 15 minutes ago. But if you click "View All...", it'll be the current list, with new threads showing up on top from the last 15 minutes.

So it depends on what you're used to. I personally like to keep the list unchanged when I first get on in the AM. Say I get on at 9:30am and I look at the "all day activity". When I see a thread I want to read, I RIGHT click it and open it on a new tab. So, my "all day activity" list in the original tab remains frozen in time at 9:30am, and I have a good idea of what I've read and what I haven't read. After I'm done reading the day's list, eg, by 10am, then I go and get a newly refreshed page to see what I've missed between 9:30 and 10am.

Is that clear?

The light comes on. Duh. Yes, I was confused. I was focusing on that left column to the exclusion of actually SEEING what's in the middle column. I think it was too busy for me to actually take it in.

I'm not stupid (although some may disagree!), but not quick at learning new software/technical stuff - a liberal arts major through and through.

So ok... please don't attack me, but once you've got the list, there's still no way to avoid hitting either the back button or view all after reading every post, right? So there's an extra click for every post you read (once you've left the current list) that didn't used to be necessary. Do I have that right? Thanks - I'll shut my mouth (still my fingers?) for awhile.

yk, yes is is, and I'm going to try it your way and see how it works for me. thanks.

althom1122-
<i>but once you've got the list, there's still no way to avoid hitting either the back button or view all after reading every post, right? So there's an extra click for every post you read (once you've left the current list) that didn't used to be necessary. Do I have that right?</i>

Yes, you're right that we have extra clicks in the new format when we open and close each new topic. Unfortunately, the ease of use of the old forum was due to the separate frames, which they cannot do in the updated forum. But like we've mentioned throughout this thread, if you RIGHT click on the title of a thread that you want to read, you can open it in a new tab, so the "current list" will stay in the original tab window.

<i>If they just changed the name of the link to "All Activity By Date" instead of "Archives", would that be better (same thing substantively, but since the title bothers you....)</i>

I just realized it already says "View more activity" rather than "Archives", so I'm not sure what the angst is all about (other than the extra clicks).

yk, thanks, that makes sense. But to compound my difficulties, I'm now on a Mac (which I'm also still learning) so there IS no right button. i'm sure there's a way to emulate a right click on a Mac, but I don't know how yet.
(Mac users?)

hi althom1122-

To right click w/o a right click button, you should be able to right click by -

Holding down Ctrl and left click on the title. That should work for a Mac as well.

sf - yes, it does say "view more activity" at the bottom of the string of titles, but when you click on it, the list of days that comes up still says "Archives" (at least in the Middle East/Africa board, where I just checked).

Now I'm REALLY confused....after I wrote my last post, and then read althom's reply, I looked again and can't find the "View more activity" button. At the top of the recent activity column it says "View all of today's activity" but at the bottom all it says now it "Back to the top" (??)

Hmmm sf- I guess it's the executive decision to pull out the "view more activity" botton at the bottom of the pink column? They now have all disappeared in all forums.