It's 12:21 PM EST Sunday 6 June 1999. I just entered the Moderators' Forum and got quite a surprise with the new format.

I'd like to see a date on each thread at least -- a date on each response would be even nicer.

Instead of endless listings of Response to [thread subject], why not show each respondent's name (real or otherwise)?

And inexplicably when I click on any link to a thread or a response, the browser activates for a second, then says Done, but goes nowhere, the page just sits there. And odder yet: when I copy the shortcut from the same link and enter it in a new window, it works perfectly.

(I'm using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0.)

Beta testing is sort of fun, at that.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

Answers

New format (revise & extend my remarks)

Just now observed that the links actually do work -- opening the target URL in the lower window of the split screen.

Gradually getting up to speed here...

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

Tom,

I've seen that thing pop up too and I have NO idea why.

It's supposed to look like the regular forum. What I did was exit and come back in and then it was fine.

Who knows?

Diane

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

What you are discribing is the "Threads" option. Now we operate on the Q&A option, how the forum would get switched around without Diane's or Patrick's actions are interesting.

I think the thread version sucks.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

Not sure that I follow you there - both (original and here) apeear to have the same format as always; what would be the difference between the "thread format" and "ask a question" format?

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

It looks like the same Q&A mode to me too. Humm. Random mode switching?

Confusing. As I said, go out to the http://www.greenspun.com/bboard level and come back in that way.

I agree the Thread modes sucks.

Diane

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

Nope, no change in displayed format.....

Ain't trouble shooting fun? Now, can you see why I think the most severe troubles will have while people try to figure out "what's busted" and "What's trivial" - and how to fix the busted, ignore the trivial, and don't bust the "still-working".......

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

(Why am I prompted for a "subject" when replying here???)

I see what my problem was. I had pulled the divider between the two horizontal windows way down so I could see more of the subject listings. And any URL I opened was opening in the lower window, which was only minimally visible. Was blind, but now I see. Once I got used to this new format it's not as confusing as I thought.

Question remains -- who dunnit? These changes don't happen spontaneously. (I hope.)

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

That's a Phil question.

I sure donno!

Diane

-- Anonymous, June 06, 1999

It appears to be a relatively random glitch.

C

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

Easy answer Sir Chuck, but not the actual answer....computators don't do random acts of violence and mayhem....deliberate acts of negligence and ignorance? - Sure, all the time; and with the promise of many million more in the near future....., but random acts of mayhem, never.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 1999

Haven't had it happen enough to get a handle on what I did to set the switch that way yet, but it sure looks like it might be attached to a re-enter the forum from a post, .......

C

-- Anonymous, June 08, 1999