Plea to log in to the Forum when posting

Hi Folks,

I am spending a lot of time (that I don't have) merging multiple postings of the same topic back into the original topic thread. For example the Stag Axle topic is now two pages long after merging 8 different topic entries from various anonymous posters through the Stag List.

This is due to those of you who reply to a topic from the Stag List. When you reply through the Stag List/Digest, this creates a new revised topic line adding RE:[STAG] and the Forum sees it as a new topic, not to mention RE: RE:{Stag] Re:re:RE: rE [STAG]subject: replies.

This also posts as an "anonymous" post on the forum, so no one knows who you are unless you put your name in the post. We are all part of the same enthusiasts group, we know most of the people here through their contributions supporting our hobby.

There are huge benefits when you log in to the Forum.
To name the obvious ones:
* you can see all the other posts on the same subject topic in one spot, read them together to keep the focus of the subject;
* you can see photos in the posts relevant to the questions and responses;
* you have a wide range of editing tools available
* you can see who else is logged in at that moment; and send them a Private Message!
* searching for other common topics is a few clicks of the mouse;
* you have immediate access to the Technical area of the web site for reference to the parts catalog;
* you can have your responses and posts counted for total posts;
* you can add a favorite avatar;
* you can attach a file for everyone to access such as this one attached (ooooh ahhhhh such a pretty engine - sorry, you can not see it on the Stag List only - too bad!)

The detriment is that as opposed to having all the same topic post replies being stored in one subject topic, the replies are spread over several other topic posts and others may not see your post unless they go looking for all the similar posts that do get separated over time as orphan topic posts going unread.

It is like your reply to the collective group of over 1250 users has been shouted directly into a hurricane or typhoon.

I know there are those of you who are locked into the world of ASCII text characters on monochrome text only monitors, but please consider using the feature rich tools of the Forum for your replies. Overall it benefits all the other users by being able to see your reply in the same spot as the original question where everyone can read and respond to it.

Start here: [www.triumphstag.net]
click on the Stag picture, see the other features and click on Discussion Forum on the left, and click on the link on the top of that window "Please click here to ...".
If you just bookmark the Forum, I bet a lot of you never knew the TSN Web site was even attached to the Stag Forum when in fact, the Stag Forum is a subset of the TSN Web site features.

Only 5% of you are still using the Stag List, and only 12.5% of you are using the Stag Digest. This Triumph Stag web site Forum is the only one in the world that cross posts to a text based email, when as a registered user of the Stag Forum, you CAN GET EMAIL NOTICES IN TEXT of replies and subjects!

Please help do your part so all users can easily see your valuable posts and questions.

Thanks for your time.

Glenn

Glenn A. Merrell
TriumphStag.Net administrator
TTA North American Coordinator (2007-2009)
past Chairman TSC USA (2007-2009)
past TSC USA President (2001-2007)
"The BEST trophies are miles on the odometer, stone chips in the paint, dead bugs on the windshield." 8)

I have an alternate suggestion, Glenn. This interface worked, once upon a
time. Maybe instead of wasting your time patching up the results, you should
fix the interface so it works once again.

If it can't be fixed, then disconnect it.

-- Randall

No, actually I have been merging the posts together for years.

It was not a problem before because of the relatively low traffic.

But now there are over 1250 users and I am getting new requests to join that I approve daily.

So I am evaluating how necessary the cross post really is at this point.
Glenn


(reply window used)

Glenn A. Merrell
TriumphStag.Net administrator
TTA North American Coordinator (2007-2009)
past Chairman TSC USA (2007-2009)
past TSC USA President (2001-2007)
"The BEST trophies are miles on the odometer, stone chips in the paint, dead bugs on the windshield." 8)

For example, I merged your reply into the original topic.

It is possible there is a reply bug here that needs to be looked into.

Glenn A. Merrell
TriumphStag.Net administrator
TTA North American Coordinator (2007-2009)
past Chairman TSC USA (2007-2009)
past TSC USA President (2001-2007)
"The BEST trophies are miles on the odometer, stone chips in the paint, dead bugs on the windshield." 8)

I fully agree with Glenn's reasoning with regard to why it is much better to log in to the Forum when replying. I remember many posts in the past, coming from the Stag List/Digest, that were repeating what was already posted through the Forum or replying "out of sequence" of the existing Forum thread.

Miki.

tr3driver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have an alternate suggestion, Glenn. This
> interface worked, once upon a
> time. Maybe instead of wasting your time patching
> up the results, you should
> fix the interface so it works once again.
>
> If it can't be fixed, then disconnect it.
>
> -- Randall

For me the idea is to at least make the attempt to provide the best service to all users and enthusiasts here and those still using the Stag List & Digest which has served us for many years before TSN and the Forum.

I am not sure if that is 100% possible but it is at least a goal. It all depends on the member users wants within reason of a free service. There are still 60-70 folks using the Stag List, 150-160 folks (some of them duplicated in the "List" subscription) using the digest version, and about 1250 users of the TSN Stag Forum.

This simply makes be get off my duff to streamline things, I am looking into ways to automate the task if possible. It is a SQL database, so a SQL script might be able to run on a cyclic basis to automatically do the merge or on demand.

At the same time I have also found a Phorum module that can add the option for subscribers to have any update to the forum automatically emailed to them directly, along with two other features - one click photo insert and one to streamline the registration request / Terms of Service agreement process.

Glenn

Glenn A. Merrell
TriumphStag.Net administrator
TTA North American Coordinator (2007-2009)
past Chairman TSC USA (2007-2009)
past TSC USA President (2001-2007)
"The BEST trophies are miles on the odometer, stone chips in the paint, dead bugs on the windshield." 8)

For me the whole point of the stag@digest.net is that the postings
come to me in my email inbox. I do not have to do another 'log in' to
a website.

If we will be forced to log in then this makes the List the same as
the SOC forum

I have never written to the SOC forum because it is necessary to log in.

The beauty of the Stag Mailing List is that sometimes nothing happens
for days on end and then there is a flurry of activity. This
variation in posting volume is clear to sense as it manifests in
emails in my in box.

It is also the safest and most secure internet resource as all
attachments are stripped and photos have to be by way of another url.
There is no way you will ever get a virus from Stag Mailing List or
have the list hijacked by porn vendors. Your links however will get
converted into hyperlinks automatically.


The same is true of the other mailing list I subscribe to which is
about a Lotus smartsuite software, no longer supported by IBM but
there are some experts out there to assist with the obsolete yet
amazingly powerful database called Lotus Approach.




PeterH

I understand Peter's view. However I am the other way around. I prefer to visit the website and don't like my email inbox stuffed with Digest mails. I have tried the 'Unsubscribe' method but it hasn't worked.

As for the Forum. If I log in and read/reply, then close the browser, when I return (perhaps the next day) the Forum recognises me as logged in, but won't allow me to post until I have logged out and back in again. Other Stag forum websites I visit (SOC and CT) have a continuous log in unless I actually log out or delete cookies.

Not a complaint, just an observation.

Dave

Dave
To unsubscribe send and email to

majordomo@digest.net

and in the message body write

unsubscribe stag bob@foo.bar.com

replacing bob@foo.bar.com with the email address that receives
unwanted mail postings

Subject of the email can be left blank

If you have already done this and it doesn't work we must get the bug removed.



PeterH

If you are a digest recipient then its

unsubscribe stag-digest bob@foo.bar.com or other receiving email address

PeterH

Dave,

All good feedback.

To unsubscribe from the "other" lists, that is the Stag List or the Stag Digest, the email with the "unsubscribe" and the desired "List" being "Stag" or Stag-Digest" followed by the email address to remove needs to go to the email address majordomo@digest.net.

The Login active for the TSN Forum is currently on an inactivity timeout of I think 15 minutes. Yes, this is annoying even to me.
This inactivity logout is for several reasons - one for security so that if someone is logged in say at a public access computer in an airport or library, someone else can not simply open the browser from the last session, open the history file and use your access to the forum. Another reason is bandwidth traffic since we are using Krusty Servers at a very low donation basis cost, so logging off the account for inactivity helps reduce the monthly bandwidth usage.

There may be a feature I can add in the Control Panel to allow you to choose an option for the length of time you are logged on to the Forum, and also clear your login status for your browser after the period of inactivity selected expires. I'll have a look.

Glenn

Glenn A. Merrell
TriumphStag.Net administrator
TTA North American Coordinator (2007-2009)
past Chairman TSC USA (2007-2009)
past TSC USA President (2001-2007)
"The BEST trophies are miles on the odometer, stone chips in the paint, dead bugs on the windshield." 8)

Another problem with the replies coming from the Stag List/Digest is that, when they are subsequently merged with the original Forum thread, the thread is again marked as having new posts (when one logs-in) although one has already read those posts while they were separate "RE:" replies. So, it is a bit of time wasting for those who log-in to the Forum (in addition to Glenn's time spent to merge the replies). I believe a solution can be found with co-operation of all members.

Miki.

Peter,
Thanks for the detailed reply.
I started this discussion to get exactly your type of feedback to use as a gage to add features.

As I mentioned in a previous message above,

Quote
For me the idea is to at least make the attempt to provide the best service to all users and enthusiasts here and those still using the Stag List & Digest which has served us for many years before TSN and the Forum.

Since there are still a small percentage of folks still using the Stag List and the Stag Digest and who actually make posts and responses, I will continue to work on the daily or weekly merge of the anonymous postings that come in from those mail servers until I can automate the function somehow - or until the users of those sites drops to no contributors. (Any script programmers out there who want to help writing a merge script?)

The "posts into your regular email" feature that also removes attachments, fortunately I found a module I can add to provide for that option of "email All Posts" to be set by the forum user. I hope to have that installed as soon as Oliver gets it installed in my site testing area and I verify it works as advertised.
Currently a user can be selective of receiving only those posts via email they are interested in by ticking the tick box under
Options: Follow Topic - Email me about replies to this topic - located in the top of the reply editing window.
Right now I have 3980 unread emails relayed through the Stag List in my Triumphmail - Stag inbox, but I use that as a tool to make sure the links are active between the Stag Forum and the Stag List (hence the Sent from TriumphStag.NET [www.triumphstag.net] at the bottom of those messages), and to also see how often I have to go in and merge topics.

The Forum Login can be automated on your personal computer by checking the remember login option so all you need to do is open the link to the Forum. I may need to have a look at that feature setting again ...

I will continue to add maintenance reducing and feature rich user options to improve the experience for all the users, on and off the Forum.

At the same time I would like to hear from more users on both the List / Digest and the Forum sides. The service is here for all Stag enthusaists, so pipe up!

Cheers!

Glenn
TSN Admin

Peter Howells Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For me the whole point of the stag@digest.net is
> that the postings
> come to me in my email inbox. I do not have to do
> another 'log in' to
> a website.
>
> PeterH

Glenn A. Merrell
TriumphStag.Net administrator
TTA North American Coordinator (2007-2009)
past Chairman TSC USA (2007-2009)
past TSC USA President (2001-2007)
"The BEST trophies are miles on the odometer, stone chips in the paint, dead bugs on the windshield." 8)

Thanks Peter and Glenn. I have unsubscribed for now. If I feel left out I can always opt back in again

David Taylor
1974 Mk2 Carmine Red Auto

Thanks and glad it worked. I was beginning to think there might be a bug
PeterH

I agree 100% I like Email lists like this, and prefer them to site-based fora.

Phil Ethier West Side Saint Paul Minnesota USA
1973 Triumph Stag LE22439UB "uncle jack"
2004 Suburban 8.1
2005 Lotus Elise
2007 Saturn Ion 3 2.4
pethier [at] comcast [dot] net
[www.flickr.com]
[www.triumphtransamerica.org]
[www.mnautox.com]


----- Original Message -----

> From: "Peter Howells" <peter@ldpart.co.uk>
> To: "StagByTriumph" <EmailWitheld>
> Cc: stag@digest.net
> Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2010 3:37:44 AM
> Subject: Re: RE: [stag] Plea to log in to the Forum when posting
>
> For me the whole point of the stag@digest.net is that the postings
> come to me in my email inbox. I do not have to do another 'log in' to
>
> a website.
>
> If we will be forced to log in then this makes the List the same as
> the SOC forum
>
> I have never written to the SOC forum because it is necessary to log
> in.
>
> The beauty of the Stag Mailing List is that sometimes nothing happens
>
> for days on end and then there is a flurry of activity. This
> variation in posting volume is clear to sense as it manifests in
> emails in my in box.
>
> It is also the safest and most secure internet resource as all
> attachments are stripped and photos have to be by way of another url.
>
> There is no way you will ever get a virus from Stag Mailing List or
> have the list hijacked by porn vendors. Your links however will get
>
> converted into hyperlinks automatically.
>
>
> The same is true of the other mailing list I subscribe to which is
> about a Lotus smartsuite software, no longer supported by IBM but
> there are some experts out there to assist with the obsolete yet
> amazingly powerful database called Lotus Approach.
>
>
>
>
> PeterH

My .02. I like the list because it isn&#39;t yet another website that I have to camp in for half the day to keep up. If it goes &#39;all web&#39; it will be a great loss.

I find it very easy and fast to log-on to the Forum. The website opens rather fast, I click on the "Log In", click on the "Username" window (my name and the password are then loaded automatically), click on "Submit" and I'm there. Takes about 5 seconds.

Miki.

I follow the postings on my phone mostly. The web browser experience leaves
something to be desired via mobile devices.

--- On Mon, 12/13/10, M.
Stojanovic <EmailWitheld> wrote:

> From: M. Stojanovic
<EmailWitheld>
> Subject: [stag] Re: Plea to log in to the Forum
when posting
> To: stag@digest.net
> Date: Monday, December 13, 2010, 12:23 PM
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>
> I find it very easy and fast to log-on to the Forum. The
> website
opens rather fast, I click on the "Log In", click on
> the "Username" window
(my name and the password are then
> loaded automatically), click on "Submit"
and I'm there.
> Takes about 5 seconds.
>
> Miki.
>
>
-------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Sent from
TriumphStag.NET [www.triumphstag.net]

> I follow the postings on my phone mostly. The web browser experience leaves
> something to be desired via mobile devices.
>
I agree. We have something special.
This mobile aspect puts the list way ahead of the web based solutions
unless you have a blackberry or ipad or a netbook.
Personally I find netbook,ipad and blackberry too big physically.

My current mobile phone, mp3, email and camera are all in one. I just
would like the phone to be thinner and get charged wirelessly where
ever I am.
These things will come. PeterH

Miki

Yes agreed but what motivates the log on action?
PeterH

For me it would only be the ability to search all postings.
Normally I don't need to do that. I can, however, make a quick reply
'on the go' via the list.

--- On Mon, 12/13/10, Peter Howells <peter@ldpart.co.uk> wrote:

> From: Peter Howells <peter@ldpart.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [stag] Re: Plea to log in to the Forum when posting
> To: "M. Stojanovic" <EmailWitheld>
> Cc: stag@digest.net
> Date: Monday, December 13, 2010, 1:45 PM
> Miki
>
> Yes agreed but what motivates the log on action?
> PeterH

Bert sorry I meant Miki. What makes you log on Miki?

With a phone it makes noises when it needs looking at.
PeterH

> I find it very easy and fast to log-on to the Forum. The
> website opens rather fast, I click on the "Log In", click on
> the "Username" window (my name and the password are then
> loaded automatically), click on "Submit" and I'm there. Takes
> about 5 seconds.

Just for contrast, each message from the list opens for me in something like
0.05 seconds and with no clicks at all. Then if I decide I'm not interested
in replying, one keystroke (which I find faster than moving the mouse
around) deletes that message and the next one appears instantly in it's
place.

5 seconds may not seem like much, but I skim literally hundreds of messages
per day so it makes a substantial difference to me.

-- Randall

Randall
I agree
just touch the cursor right key and the next message pops up, not in
0.05 secs but in my case in 0.5 secs. Go back with cursor left
PeterH

Curious, currently running about 5:1 in responses Stag List/Digest : TSN Stag Forum users.

Please, more input from users, show support for your preferred system and offer your thoughts and opinions.

Glenn

Glenn A. Merrell
TriumphStag.Net administrator
TTA North American Coordinator (2007-2009)
past Chairman TSC USA (2007-2009)
past TSC USA President (2001-2007)
"The BEST trophies are miles on the odometer, stone chips in the paint, dead bugs on the windshield." 8)

I log-on to the Forum almost daily to see "what's going on" (like some people read newspapers daily). The fact that I use a computer at work and have one at home makes it easy for me.

To go back to the start of this thread, Glenn has submitted his "Plea to log in to the Forum" and kindly requested co-operation from all users. I think we should try to help Glenn by complying with his request as much as possible (and especially since the membership is still free) until a solution is found as to automatic insertion of the List/Digest replies into the Forum threads.

Miki.

Personally, I like the email list. I am using the forum for this post as requested. The reason I like the email is it reminds me to read the posts! If I remember (which I usually don't) I will click the link at the bottom of the email and go to the forum.
However, using it this way was pretty easy. I got the email, clicked on the link at the bottom of the page and used this website/forum to respond.
It certainly is easy enough to do. If it makes it easier for admin, then I have no issues with it.
Rand

Hi Glen,

Since you asked, I am a Stag List user exclusively. I have joined a couple
of other web site based groups, and frankly, I never think/remember to log
in and check the discussion boards. I do check email on a regular basis, so
it is easy to participate in groups that are email based - they are all
right there when I check mail. And, if you use an email client that is able
to group messages by thread, it's easy to follow a discussion, even if it
extends over many days. The fact that the email experience has seamlessly
followed me into the mobile realm is a bonus.

The perks you mentioned for the web based interface (avatars, IM, posting
tallies, etc...) aren't a big factor for me personally. Even lack of
pictures hasn't been a huge issue for me over the years.

I understand and respect your position as admin of these systems. I do hope
that the email group can continue, moving forward. I try to do my part in
keeping your work load light by not posting too often :-)

Best,
Mike Burdick
Durham, NC

PS - I would be curious to see the percentage of each group (Forum vs List)
that contribute to the discussions here. How do they compare?


On Mon, Dec 13, 2010 at 8:44 PM, StagByTriumph <EmailWitheld>wrote:

>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Curious, currently running about 5:1 in responses Stag List/Digest : TSN
> Stag Forum users.
>
> Please, more input from users, show support for your preferred system and
> offer your thoughts and opinions.
>
> Glenn
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------
> Sent from TriumphStag.NET [www.triumphstag.net]

Mike,

By all means, do post away from whatever source you use. Responses from other users only helps other enthusiasts which is the intent of these services.

Without the subscribers input to each other and actually USING the services, these lists WILL vanish, certainly if the services turn out to be a discussion group between 5-10 people as opposed to a few hundred sharing knowledge.

FWIW the numbers of users currently stack up like this as of 13 Dec 2010:

Stag List - 70 subscribers, many are TSN Forum Subscribers too.
Stag Digest - 152 subscribers
Gross Total - 222 Subscribers, some duplication

TSN Stag Forum - 920 subscribers
TSN Registry - 1199 Subscribers (852 cars registered)
Gross total - 2119 subscribers, some duplication

Once I get more replies on the subject, say over a month time frame, I can get more stats. The issue comparing Stag List/Digest to TSN Stag Forum is that many List/Digest subscribers are also subscribers on the Forum. I may have to do a list compare to get numbers of those sharing subscriptions.

So keep posting regardless of your favorite subscription, and keep commenting!

Glenn

Glenn A. Merrell
TriumphStag.Net administrator
TTA North American Coordinator (2007-2009)
past Chairman TSC USA (2007-2009)
past TSC USA President (2001-2007)
"The BEST trophies are miles on the odometer, stone chips in the paint, dead bugs on the windshield." 8)