Ant, Chris: Layout

[Brian Ellis]

Just had the misfortune to need to use one of the other Matrox forums because of an old Millennium problem. Was rather surprised to find the threads were sorted latest-to-oldest (opposite to this one). This reduces scrolling.

Do the guys here have any views on this?



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Brian (the terrible)

[Patrick]

Ummmm..... Am I missing something here Brian? I don't see any difference.

[Ant]

This forum is setup exactly the same as all of the other forums, virutally all of the settings are done globaly for the entire server. Not quite sure why you should be seeing a difference with this forum it looks the same as all of the rest to me.

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks, guys! It must be me who is missing something here.

On this forum, each thread has the oldest (original) post at the top and later ones chronologically underneath it.

As I see it, the thread on the Matrox Hardware Forum that I started has the original post at the bottom and the subsequent ones in chronological order upwards. To me, this is logical, because one can see the latest post added to a thread without any or minimal scrolling. Being lazy, I like this because Alzheimer has not yet set in to the extent that I cannot remember what went on in the thread a few hours or the day before.

My documentary proof may be found at: http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/007442.html

Or is this a quirk at my end which I can set up? Sorry if I'm being a pain.



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Brian (the terrible)

[Ant]

Mmm most strange, I'll go scratch me head for a while and have a think

[Captain Marvel]

I know what you mean. The descending thread type thing. Sometimes you have to read every message and go back to the original between each.

[Patrick]

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.......

I just HATE it when the newer posts are at the top of a thread. It is SO awkward trying to read a long thread that is set up that way. You have to scroll DOWN to read a post, then you have to scroll UP to go to the next post. Then down to read the post, then up to go to next one...

Long ago I decided that forums set up in this manner weren't worth the trouble.

Please Ant, don't listen to Brian.

Brian, I'd rather buy a MiniDV camcorder than have to read this forum set up like that!

[Brian Ellis]

<FONT color="ff0000">YES!..YES!..YES!..YES!.....</FONT>

I just HATE it when the newer posts are at the bottom of a thread. It is SO awkward trying to read a long thread that is set up that way. You have to scroll UP to read a post, then you have to scroll DOWN to go to the next post. Then up to read the post, then down to go to next one...

Long ago I decided that forums set up in this manner weren't worth the trouble.

Please Ant, don't listen to Patrick.

Patrick, I'd rather buy a D-8 camcorder than have to read this forum set up like that!

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Brian (the terrible)



[This message has been edited by Brian Ellis (edited 26 January 2000).]

[Patrick]

Now Brian, before you confuse everybody, you have to admit that the way the forum is currently set up, people only have to scroll in ONE direction to read a thread.

Do we at least agree on that?

[Brian Ellis]

Patrick

If the truth be told, it doesn't make a ha'p'orth of difference whether the posts are in direct or reverse chronological order if you wish to scroll through the whole thread. You just start at the top or bottom, as appropriate.

The difference is when you just wish to read the latest addition, which is always visible without any scrolling. I wouldn't mind betting that you don't read the whole thread when you read this message, but you will have scrolled down to do so, when it is so unnecessary.

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Brian (the terrible)

[Patrick]

Brian

If the truth be told, it DOES make a difference...

I find that the only time scrolling down to read the latest post is a nuisance is when there is more than one page of posts for a thread. But how often does that happen?

If someone is reading a long thread for the first time and it is set up in the manner you prefer with the newest post at the top, I repeat, it's really awkward. First you have to scroll down to the very bottom of the thread. Then you have to back up a bit to the beginning of the first post. You then have to scroll down to read the post (because not all posts are two or three lines), then you have to scroll back up past what you've just read to the beginning of the second post. Then you scroll down to read that post. Then you scroll back up past what you've just read... and on and on it goes.... I'm sure you get the picture, it's not pretty.

Brian, not everyone is like us and keeps track of the threads as they grow each day. A lot of people probably check in every few days to see what's happening. It's these people who would have the greatest problem with the format you suggest, not you or I.