Re: Re: Memorial to the BBS


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Posted by I for one . . . on March 20, 2004 at 13:08:13:

In Reply to: Re: Memorial to the BBS posted by TubeNet is not dead on March 20, 2004 at 12:06:36:

. . . have found that the PHP software format is a royal pain to navigate. Over the last year or so I have seen more and more of my favorite BBS's switch to the format from the one that Sean has been using. And I have seen the traffic at these sites drop off drastically. Part of the problem is that stuff constantly moves around based on the date/time stamp of the most recent post. So threads float around. It is much easier to find stuff if it stays in one place. And an old post from long ago can pop up at the top of the list one day, making it look like a new thread. Having topics in fixed positions by date/time and letting threads develop naturally from that point is much easier to follow than having topics floating around constantly.

This older format with some changes would be much better. TubeNet1 with spell checking, preview, and log-in features would be preferable to yet another PHP labyrinth, even if the older style page takes longer to load, even if it is not as "cool", etc.

TubeNet2, with all of its new features and coolness will also cut down on all of the BS posts and flame trolls. But the elegance of the current layout will become missed by all after a while. I know this from my experiences with these other online communities that have switched from this exact format to that exact format.

These are only my observations, however, and not some CNN telephone poll. Personally, I like both formats, warts and all. I think that I like the older one more, but that might just be an issue of familiarity. Any good BBS software really needs to have Log-In, Spell Checking, and Preview functions, in my opinion.

Wade "opinions are a dime a dozen, and I have dozens of 'em, unfortunately" Rackley


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