25 replies to this topic

[AtariAge]

Just read the new blog entry describing the latest and greatest improvements to the VNC/My Content interface. Great work!

One thing I'd really like is the ability to see threads which have no replies. This is useful for moderators and admins to find topics that are deserving a response but have been neglected for one reason or another. Often these come from users new to your forum who have signed up specifically to ask a topical question. If these are responded to reasonably quickly, that might encourage the user to hang around your forum and become a regular visitor.

How about adding a "Topics Without Replies" filter to the "Other" section on the new VNC screen?

Thanks!

..Al

[blair]

Even better if it were topics with no replies from anyone other than the topic starter (no answer). Avoids missing the topics that have been bumped, or when the op added info in an additional post.

[AtariAge]

Even better if it were topics with no replies from anyone other than the topic starter (no answer). Avoids missing the topics that have been bumped, or when the op added info in an additional post.

Interesting idea, although that would complicate (and slow down) the query a bit since you'd need to examine EVERY post in a thread. I'd be happy with a straightforward list of topics that have no replies at all.

..Al

[3DKiwi]

Add vote for this. I would add the new filter under the "Other" options on the new VNC panel.

3DKiwi

[Ocean West]

indeed much needed.

[bfarber]

I thought about adding such a filter (really), however if we do such a search routine I wanted it to be as useful as possible. While a filter could be added to VNC relatively easy, that would only apply to new content. I was under the impression such a thing would be useful elsewhere, and for consistency reasons should be added to all of the other search routines too. Still, that wouldn't give you a "all topics on the forum with 0 replies" unless we had a new area for it.

I'm afraid this isn't likely to be included in 3.2 (we really have to get moving along onto other outstanding things), but please continue to share your thoughts about this for the next release, as I'd still like to add this in at some point in a way that will be easy to use and truly useful.

[AtariAge]

The reason I suggested adding this to VNC is you want to catch these threads in a relatively timely manner. After some time has passed, I don't think the person who posted the original thread is going to really care that their question was answered, as they probably already found the answer somewhere else! So, given the new VNC page allows you to look at content up to a year old, the ability to find "Topics Without Replies" for up to a year really fulfills the purpose I had in mind. If such a filter could be added to the new VNC page "relatively easy", I hope you'll reconsider.

Thanks,

..Al

[Ocean West]

Ok think of it this way...

The STREAM of all incoming content is the tour-de-force by visually seeing this data for a site administrator and moderator presents a connection to the individuals on providing such content.

By crafting useful filters for such data provides further meaning to the context to the data being posted, and objectively provides tools for the duties that person is assigned.

When you say that showing topics without replies isn't going to make it - that sends my frustration factor thru the roof - that has been an on going request by many, on this site.
because that is how we ensure that people are posting in the proper forums and are being greeted and acclimated to our forums.

I don't wish to go to yet another link just to view or manually search for content with out replies. That defeats the purpose. Being in the stream of "viewing new content" filtering it down to threads
with out replies is an obvious filter option. If it is really that easy to add that to the list of filters - then do it, let us kick the tires in an actual test and we will tell you.

MOST of my power users do not read the forums in a hierarchical manner, from the top down forum index. They look at the topics as they are presented and make a reply accordingly because
my forum is technical in nature and targeted to one specific industry or subject matter there is a lot of cross over of forum topics, or people are active in multiple forums.

We curate the threads by putting them in the proper forum for new users browsing the site they typically navigate the forum tree. For the duties of underpaid dedicated moderators and administrators
this basic feature is a necessity not a luxury.

This is another reason why we need to have a DATE driven pagination so that I can request ALL topics TODAY or YESTERDAY or LAST MONDAY and see a finite list of posts that have
NO REPLIES - as a moderator I can easily spot check the moderators have been doing their jobs by seeing if that list is nearly non existent.

I will state it again I don't wish to have another AREA or LINK to perform said task, but be included as a filter option with in the logic of VIEWING NEW CONTENT

This is another reason why I feel that the feature TITLE should be given more thought - from VIEW NEW CONTENT - to something like RECENT ACTIVITY or something that reflect the nature of the feature
being able to filter ALL CONTENT regardless of where it is posted. - I most likely will be modifying the language to reflect such connotation.

Please give this some further consideration....

[3DKiwi]

Please add a no replies filter to VNC. I would also expect to have a similar filter in the search system as well. I don't see what the issue is having this filter in with VNC. I doubt that adding this functionality is that hard to do or would take long to code.

3DKiwi

[bfarber]

Ok think of it this way...

The STREAM of all incoming content is the tour-de-force by visually seeing this data for a site administrator and moderator presents a connection to the individuals on providing such content.

By crafting useful filters for such data provides further meaning to the context to the data being posted, and objectively provides tools for the duties that person is assigned.

When you say that showing topics without replies isn't going to make it - that sends my frustration factor thru the roof - that has been an on going request by many, on this site.
because that is how we ensure that people are posting in the proper forums and are being greeted and acclimated to our forums.

I don't wish to go to yet another link just to view or manually search for content with out replies. That defeats the purpose. Being in the stream of "viewing new content" filtering it down to threads
with out replies is an obvious filter option. If it is really that easy to add that to the list of filters - then do it, let us kick the tires in an actual test and we will tell you.

MOST of my power users do not read the forums in a hierarchical manner, from the top down forum index. They look at the topics as they are presented and make a reply accordingly because
my forum is technical in nature and targeted to one specific industry or subject matter there is a lot of cross over of forum topics, or people are active in multiple forums.

We curate the threads by putting them in the proper forum for new users browsing the site they typically navigate the forum tree. For the duties of underpaid dedicated moderators and administrators
this basic feature is a necessity not a luxury.

This is another reason why we need to have a DATE driven pagination so that I can request ALL topics TODAY or YESTERDAY or LAST MONDAY and see a finite list of posts that have
NO REPLIES - as a moderator I can easily spot check the moderators have been doing their jobs by seeing if that list is nearly non existent.

I will state it again I don't wish to have another AREA or LINK to perform said task, but be included as a filter option with in the logic of VIEWING NEW CONTENT

This is another reason why I feel that the feature TITLE should be given more thought - from VIEW NEW CONTENT - to something like RECENT ACTIVITY or something that reflect the nature of the feature
being able to filter ALL CONTENT regardless of where it is posted. - I most likely will be modifying the language to reflect such connotation.

Please give this some further consideration....

I think you should sit back for a moment, calm down, and re-read my last response carefully. I never said the feature "isn't going to make it". I simply said it was unlikely to be included in 3.2 at this time, and would be a great candidate for the next version. We have already dedicated a huge amount of time during the 3.2 release cycle towards improving search, view new content, view user content, and viewing content you follow (more to come on that I suppose...). We absolutely HAVE to get moving along with other functionality and changes and cannot spend much more time on this one area for this release cycle. We WILL continue to improve it (and note that 'next version' does not necessarily mean 3.3 - it could just as easily be added in 3.2.1 for instance) and I have already agreed that I would like to add this filter.

I understand everyone has certain things they want and it can be frustrating if a specific feature you would like is not included in a specific version, but please understand that view new content is but one piece of the overall puzzle in our software line up, and we have to continue improving other areas on our roadmap too. We can't spend an entire release working on just one feature.

Please add a no replies filter to VNC. I would also expect to have a similar filter in the search system as well. I don't see what the issue is having this filter in with VNC. I doubt that adding this functionality is that hard to do or would take long to code.

3DKiwi

EVERY feature takes time. "x" doesn't take long and "y" doesn't take long and "z" doesn't take long, but combined they can take a ton of time. We have a lot of functionality and changes we are incorporating into one release, and I'm afraid there simply *is* a cutoff at some point.

[Aisha]

We absolutely HAVE to get moving along with other functionality and changes and cannot spend much more time on this one area for this release cycle.

Think of it this way guys. Every time you ask IPS to change VNC to suit your needs, IPB 3.2 gets delayed another week.

Seriously, IPS has made so many changes to vnc and added so many options that I'm not even sure how to use it anymore. Now can't we just wait a little so that they can add other things that other people have suggested?

[Charles]

Think of it this way guys. Every time you ask IPS to change VNC to suit your needs, IPB 3.2 gets delayed another week.

Seriously, IPS has made so many changes to vnc and added so many options that I'm not even sure how to use it anymore. Now can't we just wait a little so that they can add other things that other people have suggested?

Yes that's another good point. At some point we have to stop and wait until people can actually use the new features. Then we can see what works and what doesn't. Right now we are getting all this feedback based on a few screenshots which isn't really that useful since no one can use it live.

[Ocean West]

It's not fair to on one hand request for feedback - and then recant and say we have to move on to other areas.

I have only been providing requested FEEDBACK about the features as they presently exist and what we can glean from the
posts you've made.

This feature issue is about trying to paint a vivid picture of what is useful to us as forum administrators and users,
and only trying to better the product for ourselves and the entire IPB community.

[Aisha]

It's not fair to on one hand request for feedback - and then recant and say we have to move on to other areas.

I have only been providing requested FEEDBACK about the features as they presently exist and what we can glean from the
posts you've made.

This feature issue is about trying to paint a vivid picture of what is useful to us as forum administrators and users,
and only trying to better the product for ourselves and the entire IPB community.

That's NOT what happened. He ASKED for feedback, and you gave it and then YOU and others insisted that it be added to 3.2 and that's WHEN he said no because he wants to FOCUS on other things. He NEVER said he's not ACCEPTING the feedback, in FACT he's saying he likes THE idea and wants TO add it just not at this time.

[3DKiwi]

Hey I'm calm and if need be I can wait until 3.3 or 3.2.1. I think with VNC there's been so much criticism of it that I would hope that IPS would want to nail it with 3.2.

Anyway things are a lot better with what we've been shown than what we currently have.

3DKiwi

[Charles]

That's NOT what happened. He ASKED for feedback, and you gave it and then YOU and others insisted that it be added to 3.2 and that's WHEN he said no because he wants to FOCUS on other things. He NEVER said he's not ACCEPTING the feedback, in FACT he's saying he likes THE idea and wants TO add it just not at this time.

Yes, that's exactly right. Brandon wants feedback of course but he's making the point that we cannot spend all day everyday just on VNC

[Ocean West]

As a software developer I know all too well about feature creep. And the over demanding customers & clients ( myself included )

If I haven't said it enough I totally appreciate IPB its staff and their efforts in making IPB truly AWESOME!

As always keep up the fine work and and at times my rant's and requests - the benefit for me only a by-product, of something much more grand.

[Tanax]

I find it absolutely hilerious that people here thinks someone is upset just because they highlight a word in capitals
Just because someone wants to put more weight on a word and highlight it in capitals to put more focus on it it does not, I repeat, it does NOT mean they are upset. So I don't get why staff here are telling people to calm down.

Now, I didn't read the entire post of Stephen but only glansed through it and it didn't come off as upset nor aggressive - no need to tell him to calm down.
I've seen this happen a couple of times now in the Feedback board.

[bfarber]

It's great to hear that it sounds like we're all on the same page.

If I had to throw out a guess, this feature will be included at some point in the near future, even if it's not 3.2.0. Like I said, we just have other things we have to get sorted out. If there is time for 3.2.0, maybe we can revisit this before release.

I find it absolutely hilerious that people here thinks someone is upset just because they highlight a word in capitals
Just because someone wants to put more weight on a word and highlight it in capitals to put more focus on it it does not, I repeat, it does NOT mean they are upset. So I don't get why staff here are telling people to calm down.

Now, I didn't read the entire post of Stephen but only glansed through it and it didn't come off as upset nor aggressive - no need to tell him to calm down.
I've seen this happen a couple of times now in the Feedback board.

Perhaps you should read his whole post then. My "calm down" reference was purely because of this line (which I did quote)

that sends my frustration factor thru the roof

It is certainly not my, or our, intention to frustrate anyone over feature inclusion decisions, especially when it's highly likely the feature will be included eventually.

[Graeme S.]

I am not a developer, so I may be very wrong when I say this, but wouldn't it be "relatively" easy to add a search function that just outputs all topics with 0 replies?