New Forum Format: Feedback for Administrators

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SandiaBuddy
SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
edited January 2023 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Blue box.jpg

As the blue box seems to indicate, the administrators are briefly open to users' feedback about the new format. Here is mine:

The format is cluttered and confusing. The "features" are meaningless to me. I have disabled all notifications. The old format (pictured below,) functioned as a bulletin board that I could quickly scan, comment if appropriate, and depart in a matter of minutes. The new format is confusing and time consuming. In the new format, a single new post is circled in blue, but other new posts on the same day are not marked--at least as far as I can see. Repeating prior comments automatically in new comments adds to the clutter. If this new format is so sophisticated, let users choose the old format. To me, simplicity is desirable, clutter is distracting. Make the forum serve the users, not the administrators.

csn old screen.jpg

Colorectal Cancer | Cancer Survivors Network (archive.org)

Wayback Machine (archive.org)

Comments

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,427 Member
    edited January 2022 #2
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    I could not agree with you more. That old layout is 100000000% times better. There are things in the new system that are nice, and which should have been in the old system. But if there has to be one or the other, they should revert to the old system immediately

    In general (and not just here) the old PHP bulletin boards were a ton better than most of the the things being used nowadays. There are some sites that use the quick, clean flat look, and I still find them more useful, by a wide margin, compared to these types of layouts.

    I am far from a luddite, it is just sometimes the drive for form over substance seems to be too much .

  • CSNSupportTeam
    CSNSupportTeam admin Posts: 205
    #3
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    Thank you for sharing your feedback. We realize the new site is different and will take time to get used to.

    To help navigate, it may help to note that a topic subject that is in bold has new content, if it's not in bold, you have read all the existing content.

    The blue box around a comment, lets a user know where they left off reading the comments. The comment above this, is the last comment they read. The comment in the blue box and all comments after it are comments they have not read. If you have read all the comments in that topic, you will not see a blue box.

    Prior comments are not automatically repeated in new comments. They only appear when a user chooses the "Reply" reaction to let users know which comment they are responding to.

    Lastly, while we hear your interest in returning to the old style, the previous platform was obsolete and we could not continue using it.

    Thank you again for your input and please continue to share your feedback.

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    edited January 2022 #4
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1692182#Comment_1692182

    C'mon. ACS has a budget of about $800,000,000 a year (2020 American Cancer Society, Inc. Financial Statements). You have the ability to make the format functional, but you obviously do not think it is worthwhile. Silly me, I guess I mistook your business for a charitable organization that helps people with cancer.

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    edited January 2022 #5
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    Double post. First post disappeared for a while, then it came back. Who knows?

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,427 Member
    edited January 2022 #7
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1692195#Comment_1692195

    You know what is even better? Go to cancer.org and try to find the forums. I just did, for some reason went to the main site and not the bookmarked part. Poked around. Could not find a link for the forum. Even did not see it on the site map.

    The saddest part in all of this, I have contacted ACS a few times since this started for me to try to get help/advice. Based on those attempts, I have not bothered in years. You know what has been of value? This forum and the people in it.

  • Capox Dude
    Capox Dude Member Posts: 127 Member
    #8
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    So….you really don’t want comments. Gotcha.

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #9
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1692282#Comment_1692282

    I tried to use their rides to chemo, and that was a waste of my time

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,427 Member
    edited January 2022 #10
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1692210#Comment_1692210

    I think the layout is brash and harsh, so during tougher parts of treatment it is another strike against it. You know those days when you are not 100%, but may drop in through the haze just because there were people here you know. I am thinking particularly the first week of each cycle of FOLFOX and FOLFORI when I had those. The build up of the second week of Lonsurf of each cycle.

  • CSNSupportTeam
    CSNSupportTeam admin Posts: 205
    #11
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1692305#Comment_1692305

    Hi NewHere,

    We appreciate your feedback. Would you mind elaborating on what you mean by "brash and harsh"? Also, did you have any suggestions in mind for how to make it less harsh?

    Thank you again for your input and please continue to share your feedback.

  • minibull
    minibull Member Posts: 56 Member
    #12
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    Why fix or change something that’s not broken? This format really sucks! Hard to navigate, doesn’t tell you who else commented on the original comment, don’t know when the commenter joined CSN. I could go on and on. Bring back the old format.

  • CSNSupportTeam
    CSNSupportTeam admin Posts: 205
    #13
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1692960#Comment_1692960

    Hi minibull,

    Unfortunately the old platform became obsolete so we had no choice in changing to a new platform. Going back to the old platform is not an option.

    You can opt into or out of notifications that can tell you when someone posts or comments. If you click on the bell in the top right corner, the notifications will pop up. If you click on the settings (highlighted below) you can choose the notifications you want, and how you want them to be delivered, e.g. email or pop-up.

    image.png


    You can also see when someone joined CSN; you have to go to their profile, but it says "Joined" and a month/year. You can access someone's profile by clicking on their avatar or their username. (If you right click you can open in a new tab, so it doesn't jump from the page you're on.)

    Your feedback is appreciated.

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #14
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    Now it looks like the dates of the posts have been deleted--only "January 2023." The topic of the dysfunctional reformat seems to have resurfaced recently, so I thought I would resurrect this post.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,800 Member
    #15
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1702730#Comment_1702730

    Good job, Sandia

    While the old format might be obsolete, surely there is another format out there, that is user friendly.

    I miss my old forum friends, but find it a chore to navigate, so keep away.

    Tru

  • airborne72
    airborne72 Member Posts: 301 Member
    #16
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    I totally agree with all that has been posted above. The conversion to this new format has drastically reduced the number of participants (me included) and substantially increased the stress level for a population (cancer survivors) that is already stressed to the max.

    There's no excuse for such a substandard platform. The solution is simple...provide a teenager with a pizza coupon and ask her/him to fix this situation.

    Jim

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,800 Member
    #17
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1702783#Comment_1702783

    Jim - Good to see you!

    I confess, now I just come back to see if my old friends have popped in; and then I will check the new-comers post, to see if I can be of help.

    There has got to be a better format out there.

    Bring on the Pizza - oh wait, can't have pizza now I have had a heart attack. I'll sneak a piece from the teenager who is going to solve our problem; it will be worth it.

    TRU

  • CSNSupportTeam
    CSNSupportTeam admin Posts: 205
    #18
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1702730#Comment_1702730

    Hi SandiaBuddy,

    Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We are looking into the issue. In the meantime, you can hover over the date with your mouse and it will tell you the specific day and time it was posted.

    Best,

    Emily, CSN Support Team

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #19
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1702783#Comment_1702783

    Pizza coupon. I love it. I always picture a kid I label "Bobby," who screws up all of the computer systems, and continually revises them with "improvements" that make things worse. CSN must pay "Bobby" well, and accept everything he says, as they completely ignore the people who (formerly) used the forum. I accept that the modern world has left me behind, but I do not have to like it.🙃

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