Yes, in the same way as premium Members can be given access to certain forums. I do think we're looking for a hiding if we hid this away though.
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Many thanks for the feedback Phil. Agreed, we don't need to change that much, just add more content maybe.
Appreciate your comments about the Premium Membership. It's great that members such as yourself recognise the value of the forum and pay the tenner just for that. I'd still like to be giving you something in return. It's a little annoying that suppliers still give you the same discounts they offer but I guess that's the nature.
I've always 'felt' it's important that members know of bad experiences but I guess one supplier I get on with really well will cause issues for another. We know all too well how upset they get when they're caught with their trousers down and can cause us issues.
Maybe there's some middle-way, a confidential points based system to show how reliable they are? Uhm, I'd still get battered! Over to TrustPilot it is, let them deal with the legal issues!
Last edited by Justin; 22-03-2018 at 04:38 PM.
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Hi Justin - what about the old chestnut of moving the "similar threads" to under the posts so you don't have to scroll down everytime to read the first post as well as "similar" being secondary to the content you want to read.
Also, maybe you could make the DSF logo smaller for the same "page scrolling" reason as it takes up a lot of height space.
Also, the scrolling news banner only every talks about signing up to become "premium" so for us premium members can it be removed to tidy things up.
Paul (22-03-2018)
I can look at moving the similar posts, not sure if possible but I'll look.
Not sure I understand about the DSF logo taking top space?
I don't know how much attention folk take to to the ticker so I'll give that some thought.
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wiki section could be good way of having FAQs etc as a repository of information.
I do think £10 a year is too cheap - for the discounts and member to member business deals available, I'd pay £10 a month and it would still be worth it, and am sure I'm not the only one, although I suppose we're using the DSF discount code less and less as we are working mostly with suppliers higher up the food chain nowadays, and/or have negotiated better rates with suppliers anyways, but it comes in handy sometimes still.
It would be good to be able to @ tag other members in posts, if it would give them a notification they have been mentioned - not sure if the forum software can do this though.
I'd prefer if I'm paying a subscription to not see the adverts, as it feels like I'm paying twice paying and being advertised to/at
I tend to view the forum through Tapatalk rather than the website as something has happened since you secured the site as I have to log in every time even though I have checked the remember me box. I have also cleared the password and cache still no help. Saying that we do really need a starters section for the basic questions. Is there a way for the software to read the question and then direct them to the relevant starters section. Something along the lines of the google search that as you start typing it starts filling in the rest of the search. Hope that makes sense.
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Many thanks
Iain
Equipment used A4 Ricoh printer, HP3085 Heat Press Graphtec cutter, Jarin mug press, CJV 30-60 solvent printer and lots of help from DSF.
I tend to view the forum through Tapatalk rather than the website as something has happened since you secured the site as I have to log in every time even though I have checked the remember me box. I have also cleared the password and cache still no help. Saying that we do really need a starters section for the basic questions. Is there a way for the software to read the question and then direct them to the relevant starters section. Something along the lines of the google search that as you start typing it starts filling in the rest of the search. Hope that makes sense.
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That type of search requires sending each letter, one by one, via php Ajax calls to a search routine on the server that returns relevant results as replies to the Ajax calls. This would involve building a whole new search system as I don't think it would be easy to modify the existing system. I may be wrong though and others may have already done this before.
I used to look at www.uksignboards.com .
A few years ago they changed the layout/look and now I never go on there. They dont have much to do with t-shirts or embroidery either so I really dont miss poping in to see whats going on.
The layout and look of this forum is , for me, perfect. I know my way around and feel part of the "group". Us Old guys like things the way they are so please dont change it too much.
If its not broken then dont fix it.
Justin (23-03-2018)
Thanks Earl, I was thrown off that forum many years ago for refusing to enter all sorts of personal details they insisted on! lol.
I agree, if it aint' broke.....I think it's more about content, new ideas than the overall look of the forum. I would like to update the logo but everything runs fine at the moment anyway.
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You are never going to stop new ( or old ) users from asking the 'same old questions', and you shouldn't try to. It is a forum, not a closed group chat room, and nobody has to answer any post they don't want to. To try to restrict such questions will marginalise new users at a time they are trying to become part of the community. You will run the risk of going down the route of the dreadful 'Serif' (software) forum, where there is a small cliique of users with 30k+ posts who answer every post with a disparaging 'search the forum' remark.
The forum should be for the users, not the advertisers. Very few suppliers get such non stop bad press that they would want to leave the forum. If they are getting that level of negative comments there is either a specific or ongoing problem that needs to be highlighted, or a personal issue that needs to be addressed by the forum admin.
On the whole the forum does pretty much as it says on the tin.