Time for new forum software ?

I don't think we agree on the way this forum should be but that is good as long as we can debate it in a civil manner. Maybe eventually we will come up with a software for the stuck in the muds and the "pierced-and-tattooed baggy pants and underwear up to yer armpits set"

Have a great weekend.

We fear change!

We fear Change!

As I understand it, forum software isn't free, so you are asking Kim, who spends the time to monitor the site & keep it running to also pony up the $$ to upgrade.

Just because something new comes along does not necessarily mean the old is deficient--remember the "New Coke" fiasco?

Kim does a great job with the site and I see no persuasive reason to change.

Is there anything new or interesting here? Are you going to check in later just to see if a new post has been added? Should this boring post pop to the top of the page every time another parrot jumps on it?

In my view, the short threads are much more interesting since the content is less likely to be general knowledge and I might learn something.

I generally skip the long threads after reading the initial post and one or two responses and never open it again. And I seldom read the long-winded posts like this one I just wrote, LOL.

Joe

Having said all that, there are too many guys here that would be too stubborn to learn the new one, so they would just leave. These same guys are some of the most knowledgable and nicest guys around. So if we have to stay in the dark ages to keep them around, I vote we do.

Yes, I am always open to new ways. When I was a commercial farmer, one of my chief advisors said my biggest fault was being 20 years ahead of my time. Just as an example, in 1975, I removed the calcium chloride from all but one of my 7 tractors and added more rubber on the ground for both traction and floatation. The one tractor was a Farmall 300 that hauled heavy wagons mostly on hard roads. In the past 10 years most on the ag industry finally caught up with me on that one.

I will look at anything new, just don't ask that guy that hasen't reveived a single responce to go to the bottom of page 8. In fact I vote to keep him on top of page 1.

Like some others have said, Kim has tried a couple of times to upgrade. Each time, some of the guys threaten to never visit and/or never post again if she did go thru with an upgrade.

It really does not matter to me one way or the other. I liked a lot of the features of the new verison she tried. And this old one works fine also.

I have been posting here about 6 years.
I'm on dial up and I visit differant boards with newer software. They all load about the same. Sometimes this one loads slower than the new ones.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Just my 2 cents.

"Why have indoor plumbing when outhouses served man for centuries?"

"Why do we need cars when horses got us from one place to another for generations?"

"Tractors? Who needs tractors? My grandfather farmed with mules so that should be good enough for me!"

How many of the preceding things were "broken" before innovation changed them?

I wonder how many of those on this forum twenty years ago said, "Personal computer. I don't need a stinking personal computer! A pen and and a piece of paper works just fine! If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" "

Brad-inTN made a valid statement voicing an opinion of his. I think he, in turn, deserves valid reasons why the forum is the way it is and not some time-worn cliche.

1. Lot of us are running old OS's and browsers on (by current standards) old, underpowered, slow computers.

2. New software nearly invariably comes with a lot of bells and whistles that 90% of users don't need, want or use. All they do is add to processor load. (See #1)

3. Not everyone buys into the idea that you MUST have the latest, most feature-rich OS and hardware. I got better things (like old tractors) to spend my money on.

4. I DO NOT WANT the "latest reply to the top of the list" feature. It's a giant PITA when you're looking for a specific post. With this software, I know that the "Wiget for a 1919 Emerson-Brantingham" post is right below the 1,293rd iteration of "Gas Prices", and will stay there.

5. Smiley faces, avatars and other bells and whistles add nothing to the useful content of these boards and regardless of what some folks think, when you're on the wrong end of 30 miles of 50 year old copper, they DO slow things down. Leave that crap for the pierced-and-tattooed baggy pants and underwear up to yer armpits set.

It is my opinion in fact that questions not getting answers are that ones that should stay front and center. Now, if your wanting to track that 20 responce thread, no problem, just click on E mail notification.

This forum has been declared by many folks as the very best one. Guess what keeps it great. It's user friendly for new folks everyday. Just yesterday there was a new guy on Farmall page, declared he learned more about tractors in 3 hours on Thanksgiving Day than he ever imagined he would.

Kim has tried several times to create a forum for you popular topic guys. They don't work. I suspect she is allready tired of the current one.

I think the other sites should change over to this style !!!!! !!!!! !!!!! ! When I first started spending more time on the computer and stumbled apon this site,I couldn't believe it. There was actually a site I could navigate with ease,loads fast,and best of all WAS FREE !!!!! !!

Happy Holidays
John

2. This software is _the best ever_ for dial-up connections and not-Windows XP. I try to be active on those other new gee wiz bang type of sites you mention, but they can take 2 minutes to load a page with all the fluff & junk on a dialup. I quickly lose inrest. My 2nd computer is an iMac, and there are several sites that simpley bomb out, will not appear on non-XP software. How rude. Those .php ones are the worst.

3. This site loads faster, & has options to not need the back-up buttom much at all. I'm not sure what you mean, total opposite opinion from me on those.

4. This software does have a few quirks. And we all have different tastes & prefrences. By far, this 'old' software has been the best preforming forum site for the last decade as I can see. It beats the heck out of those new flashy, content-less type of sites. imho.

5. Someday the powers that be will want to add more advertising, use something out of the box. Will be easier for them. I understand. But, will be an unfortunate day - again, imho. :) It will be a step backwards for many users.

--->Paul

One thing that I truely enjoy on this website is we can search your IP addy and see just how many posts you have made, even read them if a person wants too.

Your IP address returns no other posts besides this one.

Next we can also search your user name, Brad-inTN, and once again we find no other posts by this user.

From that I can pretty well be assured you'll be gone tomorrow and never post again, have never made a donation to the up keep of this website, and have never taken the time to get to know the website.

Why? Cause if you had you would know that Kim, the website owner, just tried the new style forum software a few months back, and the members here voted to keep what were using as we liked it best. Had you been here you could have voted too!

So stick around and join in as there's lively bunch here and you'll be amazed what you can learn from the knowledgeable members. I'll guarantee you there's not another website like it.

And Happy T-day to you :)

T_Bone

I doubt if you were even around when farmers went from steel to rubber on their tractors. So all you have to go on is hear say. Fruthermore I see more farmers going back to chisel plowing and even some are returning to moldboard plows.
It sounds to me as though you need to learn this soft wear rather then condem it Then maybe you could manover better.

Sometimes newer is better, but not always.

Mahalo,
doogdoog

Farmall Teen