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25 Replies Last post: Jan 8, 2008 7:29 AM by ActiveSucks1   1 2 Previous Next
Click to view davecamire's profile Pro 86 posts since
Sep 27, 2007
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Dec 29, 2007 10:34 AM

Forum Update

Hi Folks,

I want to give you an update on our progress with the Cool Running forums. I've read several complaints that the progress has been slow and I am hoping you will give us a pass since these two weeks are consumed with Christmas and New Years. Nevertheless we continued working on improvements and you'll begin seeing results real soon.


First and foremost the biggest complaint surrounds logging into the system. This is a bug that we did not anticipate and when we transitioned over. This is our top priority and I want to assure you that we are working on resolving this problem. We have also received other suggestions such as improved navigation between forums, changing the width of the forum page and adding a signatures feature. One of the first changes you'll see is new navigational tools added next week.

We will also be posting polls on various suggestions to gauge their importance among community members. The will help us in prioritizing. I can't promise we can deliver on all of your suggestions, but I promise we will let you know the reason if we cannot.

Our new forum software has a host of features that were not available previously. Below is a list of what is available to you. Our plan is to continue to add to this feature list based on the input we get from you.

  • Blog - We finally have a blog tool and it has some neat features.
  • Rich Text Editor - Great for cross platform exchange of documents. I used it to produce this post.
  • Image picker - This feature allows participants to choose or upload an image and position it within their post.
  • Attach files - you can now attach photos, videos, documents to your posts.
  • Include images - Many of you are already including images in your posts.
  • Embed Active or YouTube videos -I can see a lot of uses of this feature such training videos, race reports, etc.
  • User Profiles & Directory - We had this in our other forum, however it was an add-on. Now it is fully integrated.
  • Search forum contents - Because our old server could not handle the load we had to shut off this feature. The Active search is much more robust.
  • Search for users based on profile content - Another neat search feature.
  • View as PDF - Ability to save the discussion as a printable document.
  • Tag clouds - Provides a visual depiction of tags with the most popular being larger.
  • Tag filtering - View of messages by tag.
  • Personalized RSS - You can now feed of your posts for syndication to other blogs and websites.
  • Personalized email notification - This is one of my favorite features since it lets me know when someone has replied to my post. BTW this feature can be turned off for those who do not want to receive notification.
  • Automatic content relation and suggestion - System automatically searches and displays suggested and related threads.
  • Avatars - You can now include an avatar from our library or use you own customized avatar.

When Kevin and I started Cool Running 13 years ago it was because we were both avid runners - we still are! We want this site to continue being all about running. I promise that we will continue to work to make Cool Running the best running site possible. My hope is that you will continue to keep the discussion on our boards about running since this is the reason we are all here on Cool Running. For those who have suggestions on improving this community please feel free to post them in on the Suggestion Box - we are reading them. And for those trolls who are bent on the destruction of this forum . . . well I'll keep those thoughts to myself since it is the holiday season.http://community.active.com/images/emoticons/wink.gif

Thanks for listening and I'll post another update when we have made further progress. Happy New Year!

Click to view Julian Howe's profile Amateur 36 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
1. Dec 29, 2007 1:17 PM in response to: davecamire
Re: Forum Update

Dave I can't understand why the upgrades mentioned were not in place from the start but to me these are only minor problems. What has really upset me ( I don't know if I class as a troll ) is the running log.

I have used it almost daily since 2003 and had you given me the choice of paying and staying with the CR format or moving to the new format I would have been happy to have paid.

Surely you sample tested the changeover and got some feedback as I can't imagine anyone who could possible claim the change in format is an improvement.

I can't understand why such as good format has been wrecked and you could at least as a sign of good faith let us have a chance to download the original details.

I was always too idle to keep a log until I came across CR so I have a lot to thank you for but it has all that goodwill been wasted now the data has been trashed.

Click to view JPGarland's profile Legend 775 posts since
Dec 7, 2007
2. Dec 29, 2007 2:13 PM in response to: davecamire
Re: Forum Update

Dave,

Thanks for the update. You must have done something, because this was the first time I was able to log-in with one try (it had been taking me 3).

Click to view hally's profile Community Moderator 1,211 posts since
Aug 14, 2007
4. Dec 30, 2007 5:35 AM in response to: davecamire
Re: Forum Update
The Active folks sent email to the mods saying we were going to be given advance access so we could give feedback. We call that UAT in technology (user acceptance testing) Next would be QA, QualitAssurance. That never happened. Instead they relied on the current community to put up with the bugs and poor layout. Bad move.You don't roll out a release without proper testing and user testing is the most important part. Had this been a spur of the moment thing we might be more understanding but this move has been in the works for quite some time now . We're talking a large corporation here in Active. Shame on whoever was leading this project and whoever approved it. Unfortunately the result is that most of the users have found other, more user friendly places to post.


Barb

ETA the formatting in this text editor leaves a lot to be desired as well.

Click to view RunstheBitterroot's profile Legend 591 posts since
Aug 14, 2007
5. Dec 29, 2007 5:24 PM in response to: davecamire
Re: Forum Update
It is still too slow. Some of us live out in the country and do not have access to high speed internet where the speed of the sight may not be noticed. I don't really understand why it should be slow as other sights with simular formats are fast. Pictures are slow on all sights of course, but everything else comes up pretty fast. Larry
Click to view lyndenrunner's profile Amateur 15 posts since
Aug 15, 2007
6. Dec 30, 2007 7:46 AM in response to: davecamire
Re: Forum Update
It's sad Dave,but it looks like the Boomers have moved on...
Click to view JPGarland's profile Legend 775 posts since
Dec 7, 2007
7. Dec 30, 2007 8:00 AM in response to: lyndenrunner
Re: Forum Update
Well, a lot of us over 50 are staying.
lyndenrunner wrote:It's sad Dave,but it looks like the Boomers have moved on...
Click to view maryt091's profile Legend 806 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
8. Dec 30, 2007 11:36 AM in response to: JPGarland
Re: Forum Update
I haven't had any problems the last couple of days logging on, so I'll stick around in the new year. I do like the spell check! Actually, I spell very well - my typing on the other hand, leaves much to be desired! The spell check caught 3 mistyped words in this post alone!
Click to view Julian Howe's profile Amateur 36 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
9. Dec 30, 2007 1:35 PM in response to: davecamire
Re: Forum Update

Dave, I employ 30 staff dealing directly with the public. If you asked them what our number one principle is they would say if we make a mistake ( as we all do ) we put our hands up and we sort it. It won't go away and the longer we leave it the worse it gets.

Because of this I have many times ended up in a stronger relationship with a customer because we apologized than if we hadn't screwed up in the first place. But the trick is to do it quickly and in your case that window of oppertunity is disappearing with every hour you stall.

Read your posting again it seems to suggest that what you have done has been a huge improvment and you haven't explained it properly so why accuse some of your customers of being trolls if its your fault? Nowhere is there the "sorry" word.

Look at my posting about the log I actually praised you for it and you just ignored the whole issue.

If I were you I would

  • get a pen and paper,
  • go through all the replies to your posting in the various forums,
  • work out the major issues,
  • give a timetable when you expect to resolve them
  • apologize personally to all the ex CR members by E Mail

What alternative do you have as you appear to be loosing members hand over fist and do you think anyone new would join once they looked at the current forum postings?

PS to make matters worse your spell checker didn't notice that opportunity and improvement were spelt wrongly.


Click to view WillRunForBeer's profile Amateur 31 posts since
Aug 14, 2007
10. Dec 30, 2007 3:15 PM in response to: davecamire
Re: Forum Update

trolls?
Click to view lyndenrunner's profile Amateur 15 posts since
Aug 15, 2007
11. Dec 31, 2007 7:20 AM in response to: JPGarland
Re: Forum Update
Sorry JP,I meant no disrespect...Good Luck
Click to view JPGarland's profile Legend 775 posts since
Dec 7, 2007
12. Dec 31, 2007 9:09 AM in response to: lyndenrunner
Re: Forum Update

LR, I didn't think you were being disrespectful, just inaccurate. That 50+ thread has over 230 posts since the transition.

Good luck to you. And if you get to be our age, come and join us.

Click to view lyndenrunner's profile Amateur 15 posts since
Aug 15, 2007
13. Dec 31, 2007 3:16 PM in response to: JPGarland
Re: Forum Update
I'll still peek in at you guys and hope another daily gets started here,you guys are great runners!!!
Click to view runwun's profile Legend 353 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
14. Dec 31, 2007 4:24 PM in response to: lyndenrunner
Re: Forum Update
Keep up the great work dave.