A good question, a great thread but the wrong forum

[JDCAVE]

I'll probably get clobbered for mentioning this but it seems lately there many situations where there is a good question that is posted and a great thread develops but it ends up being posted on the General Discussion Forum. This becomes problematic when you are searching for specific topics and key words from the iPad App. For example I was searching for a specific thread with some good commentary on fuel filters and it was a challenge to find it from the iPad Trawler Forum App, since it seems you have to search each forum individually when you use the App.

Anyways, it would seem to me that it would make things easier for the "Forum Site Team" if we posted questions about Engines on the Power Sub Forum, etc.

...just a suggestion.

Jim

 

[jwnall]

I'll tell you the thing which really makes life easier for the Site Team. And that is for our members to report posts that they think are a problem. Really easy to do. Just click on the little triangle with the exclamation mark in it, which will be on the left and at the bottom of the avatar.

We might not appear to do anything about it, but rest assured that we ALWAYS discuss it. Sometimes action is required, and sometimes it is not. But it sure makes life a lot easier for us if you ladies and gentlemen help us identify posts which are a problem. Or appear to be.

 

[healhustler]

Both posts sound equally important. I can rarely find the post I wanted to respond to days before cuz the search info I install doesn't match the subject title. Jim has a good point.

And John, ... I'll make sure to punch the exclamation point the next time I view a thread worth the notice.

 

[CPseudonym]

As a moderator I used to spend 3-6 hours per month moving threads out of General into their appropriate forums. Misplaced threads have long been a pet peeve of mine. A now deceased member Keith used to help me identify poorly titled or located threads, it really does benefit those of us who use the search function.

 

[Xsbank]

And another small point, heading a thread with "p
Please Help!" Or "What's this?" Or similar is annoying and sometimes completely wastes your time if you have no interest in flying dinghies or jet skis or other weapons of mass destruction.

 

[oscar]

It's a tough call..... On the one hand these Fora (and I use a variety for a plethora of interests) are a data base of knowledge, to be searched and answer the question NOW and HERE.....

On the other hand they are like a bar..... just a bunch of guys and gals hanging and talking trawlers, sailboats, Land Rovers, guns, keyboards, medieval siege weapons, flying, more flying, hurdy gurdies, djembes and so on and so forth.

I have, and do, moderate a few... aside from sending the wankers to "the bilge", "contentious issues" or whatever..... just let it go.....

But what do I know......

 

[Marin]

. This becomes problematic when you are searching for specific topics and key words from the iPad App.

FWIW I have the iPad app on my iPad and don't like it at all. I simply use the standard forum configuation and function on the iPad by using Safari to open it. The operation of the forum is then identical to what it is on the Mac and Windows computers I use, including the search function.

In my experience the only advantage offered by the iPad app is that it allows as many photos as one wants to be attached to a post. Using a computer, the limit of photo attachments is ten. Using the forum on an iPad via Safari, Firefox, etc., even though the attachment page providess for ten photos to be selected, only the first one will actually end up being included with the post. I have no clue why it behaves this way on an iPad.

So if I want to include more than one photo with a post and I'm using an iPad at the time I'll either use the iPad app to write and post it or write it on the "regular" forum open in Safari and then copy and paste the text to the iPad app and attach the photos there.

It seems that on an iPhone one has no choice but to use the iPad app as even using Google to find the forum automatically opens the forum using the iPad app. But an actual iPad doesn't do this, at least not my iPad II and my wife's Mini.

I don't know if opening the forum using Safari or some other search engine on the iPad will make it easier for you to search the archives or not. I have found the process to be identical to doing an archive search on a computer and it works quite well if one uses the most effective keywords.

 

[markpierce]

Useful for many. Regardless, I go without regret.

 

[Northern Spy]

Both the iPad and Android apps are lacking features that the PC page has. I just rarely use a PC for anything else but business...

 

[twistedtree]

Shouldn't this topic be under Forums Support/Suggestions, News?

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: iPad App....well, there's your problem... No, seriously, iPad or Android, this forum or others, just generally anything on the web using an app instead of full site, sucks, in my not so humble opinion. I never access websites and especially never forums with apps. Always browser. Like here, use the browser, use the search or the google search and you have great functionality. I think all the silly mobile versions and apps for such sites make sense if you have a 2" screen or something but not on most smartphones and definitely not on tablets.

It's really easy to use this site on a phone or tablet, using a browser. 98% of our posts are on tablets or phones.

Now, what to order for lunch.....

 

[FlyWright]

I agree with wife B. I don't access the forum via app, I use the my Chrome browser and view the full site. All features are visible and usable, unlike the apps.

Good point by jwnall to report posts. It's very helpful to the Site Team if misplaced posts (or anything else of concern) get reported so we can review the post and take steps as needed. Not all reports get reply PMs but all get discussed in a dedicated Site Team section to decide the appropriate course of action, if any. If you need a reply, let us know in the explanation box.

As far as searches go, I share your frustration with the site's search capability and find it returns too many results that are not even close to my search terms. Try using the Google search link shown in my signature below. Sometimes it's more capable and precise with results.

HH, love the new avatar! Great angle for your Manatee. She almost looks slimmer and streamlined!

 

[JDCAVE]

Thread creep! I like the App. My eyes have become quite poor and I find the App optimizes the text size for my eyes. It's also easier to post photos with the app. The search function is a bit of a compromise but, I still like the app.

WRT the original topic, my goal was to put the burden of responsibility on the original poster, not the Site Team.


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

 

[oscar]

Shouldn't this topic be under Forums Support/Suggestions, News?

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 

[BandB]

Shouldn't this topic be under Forums Support/Suggestions, News?

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

And if it was, then the participation in it would be substantially less than it is here.

 

[what_barnacles]

Shouldn't this topic be under Forums Support/Suggestions, News?

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

You should report it as a problem thread to the "site team".