Now I'll be the first to admit these forums aren't the best designed, but I do have a pet peeve. Doesn't anybody read or search??? Do you have to post your message separately and get answered specifically? Why can't you say you have the same question, keep it in the same thread?

How is it you can have 5 different threads (one above the other) all with nearly identical subjects, all complaining about the same thing and asking why this is "x" from 5 different people at different times.

When the problems are different, even a little, OK. But the same???? All it does is litter the forum and make it harder for those of us looking for something specific....

OK, Sorry, just had to get that off my chest

Hey, no problem. I've had the same thoughts about that myself. I try to make sure that there is not another thread before I submit one. A couple days ago, I had a problem when trying to post, and I had about 6 threads submitted, all the same and in a row. I think there should be a way for one to delete a thread if they themselves started it and discovered that there was indeed an identical one on the subject already. I thought I saw something about deleting a thread a while back and looked for it, but I haven't been able to find it. L8R....

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Edit: If you go to pages 2 and 3 here, you will see the thread that replicated itself 5 times. the title is: Check this out....! L8R....

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Rick A. - BOINCing right along now.... It can only get better! </p><p>"There is no fate but that which we make for ourselves."</p><p> Live Long and Prosper....</p>

> Hey, no problem. I've had the same thoughts about that myself. I try to make
> sure that there is not another thread before I submit one. A couple days ago,
> I had a problem when trying to post, and I had about 6 threads submitted, all
> the same and in a row. I think there should be a way for one to delete a
> thread if they themselves started it and discovered that there was indeed an
> identical one on the subject already. I thought I saw something about
> deleting a thread a while back and looked for it, but I haven't been able to
> find it. L8R....
>
> ---
>
> Edit: If you go to pages 2 and 3 here, you will see the thread that
> replicated itself 5 times. the title is: Check this out....!
> L8R....
>
> ---
>
> Rick A. - BOINCing right along now.... It can only get better!
> </p><p>"There is no fate but that which we make for ourselves."</p><p>
> Live Long and Prosper....</p>
> <img> src="http://boinc.mundayweb.com/seti2/stats.php?userID=827&trans=off">
>

No worries.. Wasn't you!!! Those seemed like an accidentaly repost, but when they aren't and they are from different people.... one right after the other.... that's what gets me...

I am with you on this one, AT.
P4 3.0 512cache
P4 1.8 512cache
Gainward FX5900u
Visiontek gf4 4600
160 gig ata 100
20 gig ata 133
Dx9b
1gig pc3200
1gig pc2100
on dsl
XP pro
BOINC Ver 4.05

M7

One of the possible reasons is that when the webpage of the "Help desk" is opened, the default filter is set on "Most frequently asked first".
Personally, I believe it would be much better if this would have been "Most recent answer first". I have asked to change this more then 5 months ago but it has never been implemented.

Greetings from Belgium.

Help Desk: use "Most recent answer first" sorting

> One of the possible reasons is that when the webpage of the "Help desk" is
> opened, the default filter is set on "Most frequently asked first".
> Personally, I believe it would be much better if this would have been "Most
> recent answer first". I have asked to change this more then 5 months ago but
> it has never been implemented.

This is the biggie! I think many people don't even look at the sorting methods, and the "most frequently" setting being default tends to bury most current issues. :(

"Most frequently" is dependant on people hitting the "I also have this question" button, which I think also gets ignored. "Most recent answer" is a better default setting IMHO.

>
> "Most frequently" is dependant on people hitting the "I also have this
> question" button, which I think also gets ignored. "Most recent answer" is a
> better default setting IMHO.
>

I second that.........

There izn a search function around here.. so thats why...

> There izn a search function around here.. so thats why...

Well, I think there is.
You will find it as "Do a keyword search of messages" and it is at the top of the webpage "Questions and problems" as well as on top of the webpage "Message boards".

Look here.

Greetings from Belgium.

Help Desk: use "Most recent answer first" sorting

> This is the biggie! I think many people don't even look at the sorting
> methods, and the "most frequently" setting being default tends to bury most
> current issues. :(
>
> "Most frequently" is dependant on people hitting the "I also have this
> question" button, which I think also gets ignored. "Most recent answer" is a
> better default setting IMHO.

And how much people have already used "This answered my question" a very nice feature so you know when you have given an answer if that answer really answered the question.

Yes yes I see it now that u mention.... why dont they put a link under every section too....

> > There izn a search function around here.. so thats why...
>
> Well, I think there is.
> You will find it as "Do a keyword search of messages" and it is
> at the top of the webpage "Questions and problems" as well as on top of the
> webpage "Message boards".
>
> Look <a> href="http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/sah/forum_text_search_form.php">here[/url].
>
> Greetings from Belgium.
>

Don't know about anyone else but I only today finally noticed the search function and that was just before I was about to create a post complaining that there wasn't one. For those of you that are familiar with these forums, maybe you knew about the search ability. I always enter through the link to Community from the main page and then went to Questions and Problems and straight to Windows. I never even noticed the search at the root of Questions and Problems. I'm hoping it's just because I didn't have my glasses on and not old age creeping up on me, but at any rate, it would be nice to have search available in each category, as well as at the root. Now that I've posted 5 different questions today that have undoubtedly already been answered elsewhere, I'll go take my Geritol and take a nap so I have the energy to do a search next time before making another redundant post. Argggg.

:-)

Cheers,
Stretchr

"It's a small world...
But I wouldn't want to paint it!"
Stephen Wright
<p align="center">

> Don't know about anyone else but I only today finally noticed the search
> function and that was just before I was about to create a post complaining
> that there wasn't one.

You are right!

For ease of use:Search ALL forums (by title or message)

Or if you prefer to see the URL: http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/forum_text_search_form.php

Maybe they should also place the 'submit question or problem' link at the bottom of each page, s.t. users will have to scroll down. At least some of them will then see that their question has been posted / answered centuries ago... ;-)

Raphael Schweizer
Schweizer Informatik

"Just noticed the search function"
lol , ya I found it pointedly remarked by a project director in an example of hundreds ,seemingly anyways,of other posts including "your stated problem here"

when a new submission is made it should 'accidentaly' just search for matching posts, lol

when i took basic programming that sort of concept was called idiot-proofing. I'm sure there is a politicaly correct name for it now, anyone know what it is ?

> "Just noticed the search function"

No. I have never found the search function, and I've been using SETI for years. Where the h*** IS it? One would expect it to be prominently positioned and highly visible. The "submit new problem" link is right at the top of the forum page; "search problem list" should be right next to it, if not before it.

Perhaps the new problem header should be: Make the search function more easily available.

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THANK YOU ALL for pointing out the 'Keyword Search' button. I looked for it as well, and just tripped over these comments in another thread. It would be great if it appeared on every page or category. (And, no, you aren't getting old - or at least this isn't evidence of it).

While we're commenting on the forum user interface, I think there should be a category for 'I'm not connecting/updating/uploading/downloading/seeing my credit/etc. and am too impatient to wait until tommorow when everything will be working again automatically'. That ought to divert about 20% of the posts. There could be an autoresponder that posts a reply of 'Check again tommorow, and in the mean time, get a life'. Or maybe I'm just getting grumpy in MY old age.

Cheers,

Comissar

> Don't know about anyone else but I only today finally noticed the search
> function and that was just before I was about to create a post complaining
> that there wasn't one. For those of you that are familiar with these forums,
> maybe you knew about the search ability. I always enter through the link to
> Community from the main page and then went to Questions and Problems and
> straight to Windows. I never even noticed the search at the root of Questions
> and Problems. I'm hoping it's just because I didn't have my glasses on and not
> old age creeping up on me, but at any rate, it would be nice to have search
> available in each category, as well as at the root. Now that I've posted 5
> different questions today that have undoubtedly already been answered
> elsewhere, I'll go take my Geritol and take a nap so I have the energy to do a
> search next time before making another redundant post. Argggg.
>
> :-)
>
> Cheers,
> Stretchr

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- Comissar