New Forum Feature

[Bill McFadden]

Not sure how I like being busted now when surfing and lurking. Since BushCheney has made privacy passe, I guess we're all supposed to march to their tune. I enjoy my daily trips here, but when I have nothing to say, I won't say it anyway. :eek: :confused: :rolleyes:

[Lisa Cousins]

I'm pretty freaked out by it myself. I'm not sure that I want the degree of my magic-geek-ness publicly revealed. I'd rather haunt the site invisibly.

[Geno Munari]

I see that the administrators don't appear on the "visitors" and I don't think anyone elses name should be posted either. I think if you want to lurk, why not? Why change a good thing?

Pretty soon you will have the entire name list for sale?

[steve]

Won't this simply prove I am a stalker? Geez, I could've told you that without invading everyone else's privacy!

Side note-You don't have to appear online, you know? All you need to do it "logout". But then, you'll be sending the message about needing your password emailed to you because you've not typed it in for 6 months and have forgotten it.

[Ben Harris]

I think it adds a nice community-like feel.

Ben

[Richard Kaufman]

As you've no doubt figured out, only those of us who are logged in (necessary in order to post) are listed at the top. I've seen my name up there, so I assume it works for everyone, administrator or not.
I've been extremely curious to see how many people are looking at The Forum, and my guess has been about three times the number of people who've signed up and logged on. So far that appears to be right. Since we have almost 1200 members, that means around 3000 people are actually reading the forum! Quite an astounding number!
I do believe we are seeing the future unfold before us. :)

[Guest]

Or it could be people who have logged out to read the forums.

I like it because It's kinda nice to see that I'm on the forum at the same time as Ben Harris.

[Dustin Stinett]

I like the new preview option! And thanks for getting rid of the "email me" thing. I hated that (because I would forget to uncheck it).

Thanks!

[Dave Shepherd]

What am I missing? I don't see anything different this morning than I did last week.

I'm now logged on, which seems to happen automatically, via cookies, when I go to a specific forum on my home computer. But I don't see my name at the top of page, nor anybody else's name.

I presume the feature you all area talking about is similar to what used to be on the Kevin James board (which I haven't visited in some time), whereby the names of members who are logged on appears in a list on the viewing page. But it doesn't seem to be working right now, as far as I can tell (Saturday 3/30/02, 8:15 AM ET).

FWIW, I agree with those who say I'd just as soon not have anybody else know when I'm on. Particularly since I seem to get logged on by doing nothing but going to a forum, automatically.

[Terry]

As someone who belonged to GEMINI, I don't have a problem with it. GEMINI allowed one to see who was online in order to instant message them if they wanted to. It was nice to have an immediate "conversation" with another person.

My 2 cents worth.

[Dick Koornwinder]

I have to confess I didn't notice the new forum feature until I received two E-mails. One of the visitors of the forum asked me if I ever sleep (it was very early in the morning in the Netherlands) and there was also the question if the original Koornwinder Kar is still available. I was able to respond on both questions immediately with a definitely YES. I sleep on a regular base (although I took the advice of my physician not to wake up too early) and further at the moment there is not a waiting list for the Kar. :) :D So until now I don't have complaints about this new feature. And anyhow there is always the possibility of logging out. In that case I would have, like Steve, the problem to find my password somewhere.

[Brisbin]

FYI - If you don't want to be listed as a recent visitor, you can change your preference in the settings for "my profile." Personally, I enjoy seeing the names of some of our leading lights when they are in the Forum.

[Guest]

This is a case of functionality for functionality's sake, and I vote for losing it. Let me lurk in privacy until I choose to post.

Ralph

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Originally posted by Dave Shepherd:
I presume the feature you all area talking about is similar to what used to be on the Kevin James board (which I haven't visited in some time), whereby the names of members who are logged on appears in a list on the viewing page. But it doesn't seem to be working right now, as far as I can tell (Saturday 3/30/02, 8:15 AM ET).

The feature's still there. It's down at the bottom of the page, below all the forums. I should note that, on the KJBoard, you can log in and still keep your privacy. When signing in, you are presented with the question: "Privacy, do you want to appear on the active users list?" Next to that is a little checkbox that says "Don't add me to the active users list." If you check that box, you will be kept anonymous - a nice solution for all the privacy nuts out there. Personally, I don't mind having my name up there while I'm active.

-Jim
KJmagic Board

PS - I'm EXTREMELY pleased to see a "Preview Post" button now...it always bothered me that I wasn't able to see how my post would look before I submitted it.

[Bill McFadden]

". . . you will be kept anonymous - a nice solution for all the privacy nuts out there."

Thanks, Jim, for throwing us "privacy nuts" a bone (on April 1, no less). The Bill of Rights really is overrated, huh? General Ashcroft, et. al. should be proud. :p