Forum-Specific Profile

[writeco]

Is anyone working on a request to restrict the forums that are included when looking for new posts?

I would like for my profile to include only the forums in which I am interested. It is not that I am anti-social, anti-humor, or anti-political. Rather, I am concerned that I will miss some of the really important posts that deal with technical issues, which is the primary reason that I started and continue to visit this useful BBS on a daily, and usually more frequent, basis.

[Guest110]

If you click on the forums button at the top the forums will be listed.. any new posts in those forums you are interested in will have http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l183/blackmirror111/forum_new.gif

hope that helps:D

[writeco]

While this is a "work around", it does require me to go through each forum to find new posts.

The previous version of this BBS had only two forums: technical and everything else. While the increased segregation of topics can be helpful at times, it can defeat what I thought was the original intent of the BBS.

[Guest110]

While this is a "work around", it does require me to go through each forum to find new posts.

The previous version of this BBS had only two forums: technical and everything else. While the increased segregation of topics can be helpful at times, it can defeat what I thought was the original intent of the BBS.

Well you have me on that one..:D i am sure that one of the mods will give you an answer..

There are topics on here that are of no interest to me as well..;) but i read the posts anyway.
I believe that someone has took the time and trouble to post info news hints techy stuff humor.. it is my duty as a member of KH to read whatever it is..even if i dont understand it:confused:


It would look a bit empty wouldnt it with only 2 forums.....
:D

[kelly]

Joe - I'm with you. That would be a nice feature.

- td

[Pi rules]

I found out how to do just one, but I cannot seem to get more than one. It's similar to a search of unreplied to posts I looked at source code at *** for:
This will get you all the unread posts in the Vista forum:
http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/search.php?do=getnew&f=67

However, I don't know how to get more than one in a link. I tried f[1]=67&f2=59, f=67&f=59... I don't have time to keep looking at source code, either. If anyone figures it out please let me know. Replace the 67 in the link above with the proper forum ID. Bookmark the link itself, not the one you get after you click it.

Edit: My suggestion would be to make a link for Annoucements, Computer Help Desk, and Specialized forums:
Announcements: http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/search.php?do=getnew&f=59
Computer Help Desk: http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/search.php?do=getnew&f=3
Specialized forums: http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/search.php?do=getnew&f=7
Here are some forum IDs:
59 Announcements, Feedback, etc.
3 Computer Help Desk
67 Windows Vista
5 Windows XP
6 Windows 2000
4 Windows 95,98,Me
15 Apple, Linux, Unix, etc.
19 Hardware Problems
64 Software Problems
7 Specialized Forums
66 Programming Help
21 Networking / Broadband
20 Virus / Spyware / Firewalls
61 Gaming / PC Building
62 Tech News
22 Hardware and Software Reviews
63 Other Topics
65 Tweaks, Tips, Hacks and Mods
10 Non-tech Topics
11 News - World, Political, Sports, etc.
30 Humor
31 Basement
33 Promotions

[Dudeking]

http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/faq.php?s=&do=search&q=rss&match=all&titlesonly=0

[Dudeking]

e.g. http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/external.php?type=rss2&forumids=66,21

[Terry Hanushek]

Joe

Is anyone working on a request to restrict the forums that are included when looking for new posts?
We have some thoughts on how to create a technical (only) user profile but we are a bit away from implementing it.

Terry

[PeteF]

Joe - I'm with you. That would be a nice feature.

- td

I'm with you guys.

I'm here for the computer related topics.
It's getting more and more difficult to weed through the
other stuff to find the topics that I'm here for. Some
kind of filtering for New Posts is definitely needed.

---pete---

[compusimple]

add me to the group

elliott

[Dudeking]

Why not have Tech and Non Tech forums and make everything else a sub-forum of them?
It would be a short term fix.

[Terry Hanushek]

If I understand the problem, it is not so much the number on type of forums but the items presented in New Posts. Am I correct in assuming that those whose interest is solely technical (Joe, Tony, Pete, ???) would like the New Posts to be 'filtered' to show only tech posts? If this were the case, would you have a problem with having the non-tech forums removed from view?

Terry

[Dudeking]

I thought they only wanted to be alerted of tecnical posts.
Well creating an RSS feed or the forums that are tecnical or have it split, and create a feed for the tecnical section.
I have RSS feeds setup for Announcments and general KH.
Then I just reply in topics I see when I logon, tech or non-tech.
But Im a teen, I don't mind the Off Topic stuff, but I can see why people only want the tech posts.

[compusimple]

terry- your analysis works for me
elliott

[PeteF]

Am I correct in assuming that those whose interest is solely technical (Joe, Tony, Pete, ???) would like the New Posts to be 'filtered' to show only tech posts? If this were the case, would you have a problem with having the non-tech forums removed from view?


I'm not quite sure what "removed from view" means.
Whatever solves the problem where I come in and click... New Posts
I'd then like to see just the new posts of the technical forums and
not Humor, News, Etc..

---pete---

[Terry Hanushek]

Pete

I'm not quite sure what "removed from view" means.
Whatever solves the problem where I come in and click... New Posts
I'd then like to see just the new posts of the technical forums and
not Humor, News, Etc..
vBulletin has the ability to show / hide forums based on the user category. An example is our moderator forum that is not in view of non-moderator members. One idea being discussed is to create a 'tech user' category which would see the 'About this Site', 'Computer Help Desk' and 'Specialized Forums' but not the 'Non-Tech Topics'. This approach would eliminate non tech topics from appearing in New Posts but would also make the forums unavailable for viewing by this class of user.

Terry

[PeteF]

vBulletin has the ability to show / hide forums based on the user category. An example is our moderator forum that is not in view of non-moderator members. One idea being discussed is to create a 'tech user' category which would see the 'About this Site', 'Computer Help Desk' and 'Specialized Forums' but not the 'Non-Tech Topics'. This approach would eliminate non tech topics from appearing in New Posts but would also make the forums unavailable for viewing by this class of user.


I think that is a great solution.
Sign me up! :)


---pete---

[rVidia]

I think that is a great solution.
Sign me up! :)
Me, too! :)

[compusimple]

I'm in

Elliott

[mylanta]

I think this is so wrong it's like saying that those who post in politics or humor never read anything else and if you segregate them that way, they for sure won't.
What is the big deal about scrolling through new and those of you who want to pass politics or humor, just "keep scrolling"....

[mommalina]

Can the New Post page be divided as follows with
an option to mark as read?

TECH FORUMS (Mark as Read)
New posts since your last visit
Other posts you haven't read yet or marked as read

NON-TECH FORUMS (Mark as Read)
New posts since your last visit
Other posts you haven't read yet or marked as read

This would allow the "techs-only" to ignore or
mark as read the non-tech forums and not deny
access to those who want to check out all new
posts.

The mark-as-read option for an entire tech or
non-tech section would prevent accumulation
of messages you don't want to read.

Maybe in my next life, I'll be a computer guru and
can offer a BBS with that setup.:)

Lina

[Guest117]

We live in a 'skip the salad and bring me the meat and potatoes' world.
Speed and less strokes seem to interest some. I'm tech and non-tech so I don't mind the way things are now. Any forum can improve to meet certain needs and requests. But remember: Everyone certainly can not be pleased.
If the majority is pleased, then you have accomplished something.
KH does this, IMHO. Good work.:thumb:

[Guest110]

I think some of you are being just a little bit lazy.. clicky clicky
:rolleyes:

and you will create a divide in KH of them and us..... an elitist group who just want to be part of the techie side and nothing to do with the other members who try their hardest to brighten the forum up a bit....:clap2: .. it is hard work at times

Ignore me .... i dont mind.. reallyhttp://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l183/blackmirror111/x-cathang.gif

[Dudeking]

Sounds like a great solution.
But I'll stick with having the non-tech and tech stuff :)

[kern]

Can the New Post page be divided as follows with
an option to mark as read?

TECH FORUMS (Mark as Read)
New posts since your last visit
Other posts you haven't read yet or marked as read

NON-TECH FORUMS (Mark as Read)
New posts since your last visit
Other posts you haven't read yet or marked as read

This would allow the "techs-only" to ignore or
mark as read the non-tech forums and not deny
access to those who want to check out all new
posts.

The mark-as-read option for an entire tech or
non-tech section would prevent accumulation
of messages you don't want to read.

Lina

excellent idea Lina.

[mommalina]

excellent idea Lina.

You're kidding! So it's not one of my off-the-wall....:noidea:
suggestions/questions?

Can it be done? I hope, I hope, I hope.......:rapture:

Lina

[fleamailman]

I think what has been sugested is a great idea for a later date, at the moment if I press new posts, there are only about ten of which I open the techky ones, two or three at most, also posts push up our ratings so we should be careful to keep everyone happy and posting, also it is the nontechs who are victims to our cures that we need, but having said all that here, I still think that in the future, when this site is bursting with tech posts, and when admin has the time to change things then yes a 'new posts button' with the choice of 'all post' or 'post except discusions' would be great

[mylanta]

Can the New Post page be divided as follows with
an option to mark as read?

TECH FORUMS (Mark as Read)
New posts since your last visit
Other posts you haven't read yet or marked as read

NON-TECH FORUMS (Mark as Read)
New posts since your last visit
Other posts you haven't read yet or marked as read

This would allow the "techs-only" to ignore or
mark as read the non-tech forums and not deny
access to those who want to check out all new
posts.

The mark-as-read option for an entire tech or
non-tech section would prevent accumulation
of messages you don't want to read.

Maybe in my next life, I'll be a computer guru and
can offer a BBS with that setup.:)

Lina
Where was it we did this already? Of course wherever that was there were no further breakdowns of category I think....

[mylanta]

I think what has been sugested is a great idea for a later date, at the moment if I press new posts, there are only about ten of which I open the techky ones, two or three at most, also posts push up our ratings so we should be careful to keep everyone happy and posting, also it is the nontechs who are victims to our cures that we need, but having said all that here, I still think that in the future, when this site is bursting with tech posts, and when admin has the time to change things then yes a 'new posts button' with the choice of 'all post' or 'post except discusions' would be great

Flea, you hit the nail square on the head...

[mommalina]

Where was it we did this already? Of course wherever that was there were no further breakdowns of category I think....

Yeah, Gads! ... :eek: .... I didn't dream it up! .... :doh:

There were once three sub-forums; tech, non-tech, and humor.
I think humor can stay as non-tech here also. Maybe we can use
the best of both forums unless there are copyright considerations?

For, as Flea says, when the times comes, I have a slightly
different proposal -- have three main forums with a mark-as-read
option with each (the latter is important):

ABOUT THIS SITE (Mark as Read)
Announcements, Feedback, etc

TECHNICAL TOPICS (Mark as Read)
Computer Help Desk, Specialized Forums

NON-TECHNICAL TOPICS (Mark as Read)
News (World, Political, Sports, etc), Promotions,
Basement, Humor

The separate mark-as-read options would be important
to me to avoid unintentionally marking all three
forums as read.

Lina

[PeteF]

I think this is so wrong it's like saying that those who post in politics or humor never read anything else and if you segregate them that way, they for sure won't.
What is the big deal about scrolling through new and those of you who want to pass politics or humor, just "keep scrolling"....

Rich, the percentage of non-tech to tech type posts seems to be
reaching 50:50. It's to the point now where I'm sometimes missing
posts I'd like to read as I attempt to sort through all the non-tech
posts. I need a more efficient way to to filter out the non-tech
posts that I never read anyway. I was dealing with it fine in the
past but now it's risen to the level of being problematic.

Think to the future. This problem will only get worse as the forums
grow more members. You already have a large number of people
speaking out on a need for filtering non-tech posts. I guarantee,
for each person who speak out, there are many more who feel
the same way but remain silent.

As for the segregation issue, I don't see where that would be
an issue at all. How would any other member know which members
were in what group? All a person can see is if their post has
been viewed or replied to and that will not change as a function
of creating user groups. Therefore, unless someone announced
they were in a particuar user category, no one else would know.

Just to clarify my position, I'm for having
2 basic user categories as follows:

1.) View ALL Posts
2.) View Tech Posts only and General posts realted to KH Forums.


PS: I'm not saying to get rid of the non-tech forums becasue
they do serve a good purpose. I just think a large percentage
of KH members need a more efficient method to be able to
read the tech type posts.

---pete---

[kelly]

Yes - KWH was been turning me away as I now have to wade thru all those posts I'm not really interested in. With that said, there are times when I've been thru all the tech stuff and cruise on over to the humor area. So it would be a shame to lose the non=tech, but then again, it's now a pain to filter to the content I come here for.
- tony