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Is this goodbye?

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by apotheon

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

TechRepublic appears to have changed the form of its email alerts for discussions to which I've subscribed. This has created a few problems for me, in large part because of the interaction of the facts that:

A) I use email alerts almost exclusively as my point of entry to TechRepublic.

B) The change was poorly handled, from where I'm sitting.

The problems with how it was implemented, as I see it, are the following:

1. I don't remember any announcement that the formats of the emails would be so significantly changed. I had no idea I was about to start getting such almost unrecognizably different email alerts.

2. Every single one of my subscriptions defaulted to (X)HTML emails in the new format, despite the fact that my email alerts had previously been delivered with plain text so that I could read them easily in my text-only email client setup (which, by the way, provides excellent protection against malicious code in emails). The only way to change the alerts to plain text was to mark them as plain text and submit the changes, [b]one individual discussion subscription at a time[/b]. I'm subscribed to hundreds of discussions, and they don't seem to be in any kind of logical order that would help me pick out the most important discussions first (or even the most active).

3. The organization of the new format for email alerts is atrocious for purposes of parsing quickly and making decisions about what to read at the site. The full text of replies appearing in my inbox slows down my ability to deal with discussion activity to a point where it's effectively impossible, and assumes that I have a photographic memory for the context within which a given reply might appear.

I have never found the on-site tools for keeping up with discussions very useful for me. Now, the email alerts are suffering the same problem. I sent a message via the "Site Help & Feedback" page, to which I have not received a response. Of course, this may simply be a function of having encountered this problem with the beginning of the weekend, but I ultimately felt it was necessary -- because people have already indicated to me that they wonder why I haven't responded to discussions here at TR -- to say something publicly to explain my current, and possibly long-term, absence from TR discussions.

Jaqui, who many remember fondly here, was "forced out" by the fact that TR requires JavaScript on many pages of the site now, thus causing him to make a choice between continued participation in the TR community and using the software he prefers -- and now I'm facing a similar choice, except that in my case it's a choice between continued participating and having any time left in the day to do anything else, unless this problem is only temporary. The relative value of the two options that seem to be available to me should be fairly obvious.

Hopefully I'm not overlooking an obvious solution, and hopefully this isn't goodbye. If it is goodbye, however -- it has been a fun ride, while it lasted.

I'll try to remember to check this thread from time to time in the near future, the old-fashioned way, but don't bet money on it.

124 replies

by nentech

I do not like the form of TR's email alerts

I have chosen to to use "My Forum Posts" in "my Workspace" and use the filter

This way I can see the time and date plus who last posted to the question or discussion

The alerts are just to hard to follow

I know I havent been posting for long
But I have enjoyed reading the discussions and questions for a much longer time

Anyway I agree with you

by neon samurai

Luckily, I'm not subscribbed to enough that that "My Workplace" list of subscription updates goes too far past the limited summary display. The notice email just get trashed at the end of the day.

Actually, if I could turn off the email notice and just have My Workplace notices then I'd be set. I didn't see a clean way to simply respond to the emailed notice without going all the way into the TR site so email is just extra noise.

Using "My Forum Posts" got old pretty quick.

Using "Add to My Workspace" didn't make it past my first try when it asked to open a new project; nope, just wanted a saved link back to the article.

by nentech

from any that have had no activity after a week
Or half a week if I haven?t posted in them

I just take a quick look at the emails then delete them

You can just subscribe to any of interest you don?t even have to post

It?s by ?View all Posts?

Just to let you know

I realise you may already know that

by w2ktechman

mostly out of My Workspace and subscribed threads. At home I do not allow javascript, so I often find new threads from My Contacts (forums is blank without javascript). So often I am slow to find new stuff.

by jdclyde

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=228241&messageID=2269488

fact: the new email alerts don't give you the information you need, and too much of what you don't.

Doesn't say who did the post.
Doesn't say which discussion it was from.
Shows the entire post, so why would I ever go back to TR to read it? Trying to discourage people from coming in? Trying to turn the discussions into blog posting?

And yes, I also ALWAYS have my emails come in text. To over ride my setting like that is "disturbing" to say the least.

Goes back to my discussion asking where the discussions fall in the business plan for TR. We hear one thing from our contacts, but see another from the site in how it actually shows up and performs.

by apotheon

I was contacted about the problems I'm having with email alerts today. All of my email alerts have, evidently, been changed to plain text. I'm informed that they're changing the email alerts management page as well, presumably to provide better ability to make bulk changes (like changing all email alert formats to plain text). While discussing the changes to my email alerts, I made sure they knew to check into your issue with the text-vs.-HTML problem as well.

I've also been told that the format of the email alerts themselves will be fixed up in the near future. I have hope for the future format of email alerts. I'll wait and see.

In the meantime, I'll continue to be a bit less active in the discussions of which I was a part, because of the less-efficient means now available to me for keeping up with site activity.

by absolutely

I tried to change my message settings to text, and was sent to a cnet login page, which does not recognize the email & password I use on techrepublic ( & successfully on zdnet, last time I checked about a week ago).

Like I said, "grrrrr".

by captbilly1eye

I'm not one to bitch (well, not often anyway), but...
If I'm no longer going to receive detailed updates to discussions and questions that I subscribe to, then at least make the Updates window functionally valuable. That is, for starters, increase the default view list from 7 to at least 12 and add a tag of some kind to show those where someone responded directly to a post I made. It's too time consuming to sort through the list to see which ones have actually been 'updated' since I last checked.
I see little or no value to the current 'Alerts' newsletter as it is.

I did not have a problem with the individual email notices (sometimes many per day). But I suspect that complaints from other members along that line was what initiated the change. If that was the case, then the revamping was an error based on being reactive rather than researching.

I ditto the point concerning the hassle of resetting preferences from HTML.

I agree with what y'all have said and hope that it does turn out to be just a temporary deal. I'd hate to see it be the reason we loose some of the most active and valuable contributors.

Edited.....

I have since had the opportunity to investigate deeper by reading the many postings in similar discussions by Beth and Jay. (best example - http://tinyurl.com/yq2wdw) I've decided that I can live with the current changes. Who knows... I may even end up liking 'em. But I have a new found appreciation for what they do so I'm giving slack accordingly. Besides... for all intent and purposes, I'm a relative newcomer and should probably keep my big mouth shut. ... for now. ;)

by absolutely

"...add a tag of some kind to show those where someone responded directly to a post I made."

Maybe easier to program would be one that indicates, for each message, to whom the message replies. We can all, presumably, remember our own alias! Anyway, grrreat idea!

by deepsand

Once a sub-thread has gone linear, there's no way to tie a Reply to the proper preceding Post.

by maxwell edison

"Is this goodbye", you ask?

What in the hell are you looking for, dude? Sympathy or validation?

Sorry, not delivering. If you don't like someone else's Web site, just go away and STFU about it.

What a loser.

by jmgarvin

Apo has been a great contributer to TR and you flame him for wanting TR to work properly and maintain a decent level of usability.

What the hell is wrong with you?

by apotheon

I think he's still just unpleased with my opinions on copyright and patent law. That's the only explanation that comes to my mind that makes any sense at all for this kind of behavior.

by deepsand

Your behavior here has become egregious, and you show no sign of being either willing or able to comport yourself in an acceptable manner.

Your continued presence here now serves only to diminish the stature of TR.

Kindly do us the favor of leaving post haste.

by captbilly1eye

The Alert emails are worthless in their current state.

Simple links to posts made in direct response to a post of your own or to updated threads subscribed to makes more sense.

but, hey, what do i know?

by hal 9000

I was in Hospital for several days and was hit with the change when I was fragile and had overflowing Mail Boxes.

Personally I don't like the change as it doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason to it and everything seems messed up.

But after contacting one of TR's staff I was told that Beth has started a Discussion on this new format and given a Link which unfortunately went to a Question asking how to upgrade Windows 95 to the latest version of 95. Maybe that had some meaning to some here but it went right over my head and I couldn't find Beth's Discussion.

But if anyones interested I'm sure that Beth would just [b]Love[/b] it if we all contacted her asking where to find her discussion about the new notification. :D

When I feel a lot better I'll have a deeper look at what's happening but till then I'm prepared to let matters slide as I don't care. God I must still be really sick mustn't I? Well more than normal at least. :^0

Meanwhile if anyone contacts Beth could they please post the Link here? Pretty Please. :x

Col

by deepsand

Yeah, like we noticed that, given how quickly Discussions vanish from the Forum listings.

It's at https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=227948 .

I do hope that yours is not a serious health problem, and that you're able to get up to speed quickly.

by hal 9000

Well that's according to the quacks at least though personally I think I only had a Kidney Stone and all the drugs that they feed into me caused the resulting problems.

Anyway I've escaped the Meat Works even if I did have to carry out a 1 gallon bottle part filled with Urine and return it the next day after continuing to pee into it for another 12 hours or so. :^0

I got some really strange looks walking out of the Hospital but I couldn't help but laugh even though it did hurt but I was free so I felt really good. Now I seem to sleep for about 8 hours wake up for 3 to 5 hours and then go back to sleep. The things that I go to, to avoid doing a Stock-take or seeing any reference to Paris Hilton on TV are slightly extreme. :D

Thanks for the link Sandy I'll look into it and see what's going on though to be honest it may take a day or so depends when I'm wide awake. :0

Cheers

Col

by hal 9000

Several years ago I tried to setup a Windows 3.11 system on a 200 MMX Pentium. [b]Tried[/b] being the operative word here, OK I got DR DOS 6 loaded without a problem installed a Menu for DOS and then proceeded to install 3.11 and promptly forgot how it networked.

Well I do have a short attention span when I'm not required to actually do something and I only wanted the 3.11 as something just in case I needed it some time in the future. Needless to say after messing around with it for a while I found a 95 Upgrade CD and used that and promptly forgot about bothering with 3.11 any more. I didn't have a problem with the Dial Up Modem built into the machine but getting the thing to see the LAN was a totally different story and what's really frustrating is that I used to do this all the time when this was new as 3.11 worked better on a Network than the earlier versions with Novel Networking installed. Well I haven't needed 3.11 since so there's no problem and I do still have a DR DOS machine running that I can chose to boot into 95 if needed and run in DOS without a problem and it connects to the network without a problem. :(

Thankfully I've forgotten most of the quick fixes for those old systems I suppose that I needed to make room for some of the newer stuff that's come from M$ but for some reason I seem to remember all the Unix Commands and am constantly finding myself using them with Server 2003. Hey they work so why argue with something that works. :D

Col

by hal 9000

But if the aim to to cut back the number of posters to TR and reduce the load on their servers I think that it will do the trick.

Col

by deepsand

It's user changeable, to as frequent as Hourly; the old schedule was every 3 hrs..

by captbilly1eye

Setting it to be sent more frequently just makes the aggravation that much worse.
As it is, I think I'll just have 'em sent automatically to a spam folder for now.
It's just as quick to periodically go to My Workspace, scroll through the list and visit each post individually (quick being a relative term).

oh... BTW, this is Bitchin' not Whining regardless what you say, HAL & Absolutely. ;)

by deepsand

And, he goes out of his way to irritate old wounds, so as to ensure that they never heal. For all his talk of others needing to "get a life," one must question what his might may be, that he finds it necessary to here seeks emotional stimulation in such a manner.

by absolutely

I didn't know HAL9000 was also whining to you about your bicthin but I did always suspect there was something about that old son of an inmate that I liked besides his hilarious run-ons!

by nentech

So business as usual B-)

Now I can relax again :)

Damm I just remembered Vista :_|

by deepsand

1) It only lets me reset [b]one Discussion/Question at a time.[/b]

2) After resetting one, and after a very long wait, the entire list in re-presented in a randomly varying order.

3) Changes, from "HTML" to "Text," that have been made, remain reset or revert to "HTML" with no apparent pattern.

4) Of those that appeared to remain reset to "Text," at least some still result in an "HTML" Alert e-mail.

5) The new "Text" e-mails merely present the same garbage as the "HTML" ones; i.e., they're of no real value either.

by deepsand

I've experimented with the "Text" version, and find that, not only is it as useless as the HTML one, but there's no noticeable difference in the file sizes.

In fact, increasing the frequency of delivery increases the Total cumulative size owing to the presence of advertisements.

by deepsand

You need not worry about ODing on inmate #9818783; she's about to be replaced by Nicole Richie.

by deepsand

I've some client apps, developed under DOS & based on xBase, that are barely usable on 2K, and virtually bring XP to its knees, owing to the virtualization employed by MS to run DOS on the NT kernel.

As these apps are mission critical, and comparable Windows apps, based on SQL, are resources hogs, and cost upwards of $2-3K per seat, these apps continue to hum along nicely on Win 95/98.

by absolutely

Include one more item of meta-data: other aliases/messages addressed to same post. No problem!

by absolutely

For those of us trying to put our replies to the posts to which they refer, however, our task will also be easier -- except when we're trying to put sn53 in context, of course! Read any hopeful articles about Alzheimer's research recently?

by absolutely

Using the "feedback" tag does seem to draw the PTB, like ants to a picnic, or flies to a ...

by deepsand

which [b]does[/b] bear the "feedback" tag, at https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=228241&messageID=2269488

by absolutely

which Beth did visit, repeatedly? I had also not visited this newer thread of jd's, so I didn't notice the absence of anybody else. But, I agree, none of the aliases so far in that thread are among those I recognize as having the power to grant, revoke or withhold improvements to the site!

;)

by deepsand

Said the flea, "Let us fly."

Said the fly, "Let us flee."

So they flew through a flaw in the flu.

by nentech

We should give up the argument if were that deep in the sand

Hang on that?s you sorry should read deep in the sh*t

Humm

Maybe we need to realise some people will never get it and give up

by absolutely

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=228241&messageID=2272086

He said something about "ETA" as soon as he has one ... Low blood sugar due to hunger must be the cause of that gaffe.

by deepsand

Or,

Acronym Definition

ETA Estimated Time of Arrival
ETA E-Sektionens Teletekniska Avdelning
ETA Earthville Travel Adventures
ETA Eastern Training Area
ETA Edited to Add
ETA Eelam Tamil Association (Sydney, Australia)
ETA Eesti Teadeteagentuur (Estonian News Agency)
ETA Electro-Thermal Atomizer
ETA Electronic Target Acquisition (also sometimes abbreviated as E/TA)
ETA Electronic Tax Administration
ETA Electronic Test Automation
ETA Electronic Transactions Association
ETA Electronic Transfer Account
ETA Electronic Transportation Acquisition
ETA Electronic Travel Aid
ETA Electronic Travel Authority
ETA Electronics Technicians Association (Greencastle, IN)
ETA Electronics Test Area
ETA Elektrotechnische Apparate GmbH (Nuremburg, Germany)
ETA Elgin Teachers Association
ETA Ellenville Teachers Association
ETA Embedded Transport Acceleration (Intel)
ETA Embroidery Trade Association
ETA Emergency Tire Assistance
ETA Emergency Towing Arrangement (requirement at forward & aft ends of oil tanker)
ETA Employment and Training Administration (US Department of Labor)
ETA Energy Tax Act
ETA Energy Technology Assessment
ETA Engineering Task Assignment
ETA Engineering Technical Assistant
ETA Engineering Technologies Academy
ETA Engineering Technologies Associates
ETA Engineering Test Article
ETA English Teachers Association
ETA Entertainment Technology Alliance
ETA Environmental Transport Association (UK)
ETA EOOW Training Assistant
ETA Erosion Transport Accumulation
ETA Estimated Time for Accomplishment
ETA Estimated Transmitting Ability (cow breeding)
EtA Eternal Allegiance (fan site)
ETA Etnoteam Adriatica
ETA European Technical Approval
ETA European Thyroid Association
ETA European Tropospheric-Scatter Army (communications system)
ETA European Tugowners' Association
ETA Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Liberty; terrorist group in Spain)
ETA Evangelical Training Association
ETA Event Tracking Agent
ETA Event Tree Analysis
ETA Exception Time Accounting
ETA Executive Travel Associates
ETA Expected Time of Arrival
ETA Experimental Test Accelerator
ETA Extension Travel Adjustment (Marzocchi bicycle forks)
ETA External Tank Attachment
ETA External Tank Attack
ETA Extraterrestrial Activity
ETA Extraterrestrial Artifact

by deepsand

Clinical studies have shown that an induced coma wholly & reliably eliminates the state of confusion evidenced by those with advanced dementia.

by absolutely

then just figured it was more likely he was hungry, shouting about it, and misspelling it due to the hunger pangs. Oh well, can't be right every time. Gotta keep you guys on your toes!

by sn53

deep wrote, "Once a sub-thread has gone linear, there's no way to tie a Reply to the proper preceding Post."

My solution is to take the quoted discussion back to the root level. It is not elegant but I am much happier for it. :-)

by deepsand

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=228323&messageID=2273792

by deepsand

How very arrogant, that he should expect everyone else to follow him.

Having watched his jumping about, often consolidating his "responses" to several posts and/or posters into a single one, I am increasingly convinced that such is a tactic which serves him well, by way of making it exceedingly difficult for others to keep track of both what he's previously stated and what he has avoided addressing.

I.e., his physical posting tactics serve as obfuscation.

by sn53

abso wrote, "will make it easier for him."

If everybody did it it would make it easier for all of us.

"For those of us trying to put our replies to the posts to which they refer, however, our task will also be easier -- except when we're trying to put sn53 in context, of course!"

It should be easy to keep me in context. I quote what I am responding to to make it simple, clear, and easy. It is a habit I cultivated when I ran YAABBS way back before the Internet.

I admit it. I love asynchronous communications.

by sn53

deep wrote, "But, sn53, ...
we don't have to follow."

No. You don't.

by sn53

deep wrote, "Guess he hasn't yet figured out that you can't push a string."

But I can pull a string.

"How very arrogant, that he should expect everyone else to follow him."

I don't expect anything. I am pleasantly surprised sometimes. It is more convenient for you if you chose to follow. You get to choose.

"Having watched his jumping about..."

I attribute it to a poor piece of software. It does not do what I want it to. I could submit as you do. Or I can take the threat back to the root level and make it more convenient for everybody.

"often consolidating his "responses" to several posts and/or posters into a single one,"

Really? I am not aware that I have consolidated my responses. Wouldn't that be a clever trick since I always quote what I am responding to?

"I am increasingly convinced that such is a tactic which serves him well,"

This is actually funny.

"...by way of making it exceedingly difficult for others to keep track of both what he's previously stated and what he has avoided addressing."

Perhaps I overestimated your ability to keep up. I believe I provide more clues through quoting what I am responding to than any other poster on TR. If you are unable to follow I believe the problem is a personal one. How can I help you to overcome it?

"I.e., his physical posting tactics serve as obfuscation."

Does anyone reading what I post have difficulty following my arguments or responses?

by absolutely

"Or I can take the [b]threat[/b] back to the root level and make it more convenient for everybody."

I also don't understand what he intended to convey with this particular double entendre.

by sn53

abso wrote, "sn53, a typo? I doubt it, but..."

abso quoted sn53 "Or I can take the threat back to the root level and make it more convenient for everybody."

Really that is mildly funny. Threat or thread. My spell checker would not flag that as an error. But thread it is.

by sn53

deep wrote, "Except that you carefully pick individual sentences from different posts, .
and/or different posters, mix them all together, and throw away the rest, leaving it for others to go find & retrieve the missing pieces, and again try to get you to address them."

I believe that you know this is not true. Is this a new tactic on your part? Are you finding it so difficult to follow your own quoted passages?

"It's a tactic, one combining primarily misdirection & obfuscation, employed by sophists."

Sophistry is teaching for money. I rather like the idea. As far as your statement goes it is a prime example of the pot calling the kettle black.

by deepsand

and/or different posters, mix them all together, and throw away the rest, leaving it for others to go find & retrieve the missing pieces, and again try to get you to address them.

It's a tactic, one combining primarily misdirection & obfuscation, employed by sophists.

by deepsand

Re. your post at

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=228323&messageID=2274218

and sn53's 2 bottom posts, if he's looking for a response from me he'll have to come looking for it.

by absolutely

"Re. your post at

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=228323&messageID=2274218

and sn53's 2 bottom posts, if he's looking for a response from me he'll have to come looking for it."

Who will compromise first? The suspense is boring me.

by deepsand

Well said.

My antidote for that is to turn to more productive endeavors, those which hold the promise of a reasonable expectation of actually achieving something.

by absolutely

I attribute the humor to you. The 't' and 'd' keys are too far away for most fat-finger errors. I surmise, from your focus on topics related to security & defense, that you implemnted the irony deliberately.

I agree, it is mildly funny, whether Freudian or intentional on your part.

by apotheon

I was assured that things were being done to solve the problem of email alerts for discussions being A) HTML-only by default and B) essentially unusable even when rendered in text form. Since then, however, nothing has improved -- and, in fact, the [b]rest[/b] of my email traffic from TR (newsletters, et cetera) has also taken on a new HTML-only default format.

I started following recent activity in discussions a little bit using the "My Updates" page, which helped a bit. With the degradation of email notifications of all sorts from TR to the point where they're entirely useless to me, however, I'm now to the point where it's highly unlikely I'll join any new discussions. The mechanisms by which I found new discussions of interest to me, and by which I found interesting articles, have been destroyed.

I'll stay subscribed to everything to which I'm currently subscribed, barring glitches on the TR servers, in case the situation ever improves -- at least, for a while. Eventually, when I go through one of my periodic inbox-cleaning sprees, I'll unsubscribe if I'm still getting HTML-only notices from TR. I'll try to keep up for a while using the "My Updates" page, but the extra overhead involved in monitoring that (as opposed to the relative ease of useful email alerts) will also wear thin, and that only applies to current discussion subscriptions anyway.

So . . . I guess this is, in fact, the beginning of the end. In the meantime, I'm considering whether it's worth my time to create an IT professionals' online community elsewhere. If you have anything to say about the matter that isn't appropriate for discussion here at TR, or if you want to get my attention more quickly than you could here, I urge you to either use my peer email / private message link on my profile page here at TR or to check out [url=http://sob.apotheon.org/?p=287][b]this post[/b][/url] at my weblog.

by deepsand

The Alerts are now wholly ignored, as even the Text versions are wholly useless unless one has absolutely nothing else to do but wade through them.

Using my Updates page, I'm still trying to remain active in those Discussions in which I'm already participating; but, absent any good means of locating New Discussions of interest, I've stopped looking for such.

I've bookmarked your blog; and, when I've the time, will try to respond re. some of the issues that you there raise.

Personally, I should like to [u]not[/u] have to abandon this familiar haunt, and am hoping, though not hopeful, that the owners realize that it's taking on water and promptly effect the necessary repairs.

by absolutely

https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=217345&messageID=2207770&tag=nl.rCOMBINED

:0

by w2ktechman

As there are still too many Win users out there! :^0

You were one of those that turned me. I dont think that I had admitted it before, but your posts got me thinking about Linux and open source when I was testing early Vista betas. Because of that, I started using Linux.

Since then I have followed quite a few of your suggestions. And I feel that I am better off now than as a Win only user.

I hope to see you posting back soon. But, if not, please peer me if you do create another community, as I would be interested.

by apotheon

I have high hopes. I'm trying to avoid having expectations -- high or low -- in general.

by deepsand

By now it should be obvious that we want the option of receiving the old style Alerts, at least in function if not in form.

Is this in the offing?

by apotheon

. . . but "this week" is not likely too late, at least in my case.

I'll only know if it's "too little" when I see the final product.

by deepsand

But, I did recognize at least one as being the very [b]1st Post, i.e. the Root[/b] of the Discussion.

by beth blakely

The next set of alerts you receive will be much better.

We're still working on providing an easier interface for html vs. text, frequency, etc. We hear and recognize your issues with the new system. We're moving at the speed of business, so your patience is appreciated.

by jdclyde

You already have in your database our preference for newsletters if we want html or text, so why can't you just pull from that to apply the same to the alerts?

Once stop shopping in our profiles for our default settings.

by beth blakely

Were modeled off the old alerts. You still have to manually change them to "text" if you choose. We're working on making that easier.

by deepsand

[b]Old[/b] Alert.

Here's a quick breakdown on recent postings to threaded discussions to which
you've subscribed at TechRepublic.com. Just click on the title of any thread to
read the comment.

1. The last word on the Evolution vs. Intelligent Design debate:
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=208909&start=0

Who can complete this equation?
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=208909&messageID=2267632
posted by Absolutely at 2007-06-28 06:36:14

What, or who, is "nonsensical"?
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=208909&messageID=2267605
posted by Absolutely at 2007-06-28 06:15:06

That's about what it looks like to me.
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=208909&messageID=2267714
posted by Absolutely at 2007-06-28 07:48:51

... replaced by Microsoft Office ads. A pyrrhic victory, at best!
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=208909&messageID=2267723
posted by Absolutely at 2007-06-28 08:08:31

Why do people like you edit out the weaknesses of their assertions?
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=208909&messageID=2267726
posted by Absolutely at 2007-06-28 08:16:33

Well, let's be exact: that proof is one more requirement ...
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=208909&messageID=2267761
posted by Absolutely at 2007-06-28 08:24:04

"The real discussion is conviction and certainty."
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posted by Absolutely at 2007-06-28 08:29:28

agnostic
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posted by santeewelding@... at 2007-06-28 08:42:30

"Pink Unicorns", eh? Needed more absurdity than your own assertion offers?
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posted by Absolutely at 2007-06-28 08:52:24

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2. Real ID Act receives criticism and support
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=222010&start=0

Hate is not illegal
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posted by jdclyde at 2007-06-28 06:52:54

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---------------------------------------------

[b]New[/b] Alert.

Discussion - Real ID Act receives criticism and support

Not to mention being contemptuous of civil rights.
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:08 PM (PDT)

Discussion - No visas? No problem. No jobs.
Do you not know the difference between representation &
misrepresentation?
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:28 PM (PDT)

Concur. Lots of sizzle, but, where's the beef?
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:59 PM (PDT)

Canada now faces the same problem.
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:25 PM (PDT)

Ad hominem & non-substantive.
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:18 PM (PDT)

"Avoid" v "evade" - a distinction, in this instance, coined by tax
lawyers.
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:48 PM (PDT)

I still do not see there a championing of "open" borders.
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:14 PM (PDT)

Your point, Dan, re. the condition of the power infrastructure is
..
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:45 PM (PDT)

Then, as it's your claim to prove, such should be an easy task for
you.
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:22 PM (PDT)

Lest it be forgotten, the US created the situation ...
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Posted by deepsand | 07/10/2007 @ 03:33 PM (PDT)

Manage your alerts:
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Unsubscribe from this alert:
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=============================================

1) Note that the Old Alert

Clearly grouped Posts within Discussions, by way of [u]numbering[/u] each Discussion, whereas

the New Alert

has no such designator, or any other obvious visual cue.

2) The Old Alert

Grouped all line items regarding a given Post together, whereas

the New Alert has variable amounts of white space between items, so that it is not visually clear which items are logically conjoined.

Given the absence of clear & obvious visual cues, which the eye uses as "stops" when scanning written/printed text, much time is spent re-scanning, which is not only time consuming, but quickly becomes tiresome for the eye's muscles as well.

Additionally, The New Alert has a line reading "Unsubscribe from [u]this[/u] alert." As this is a Combined Alert, what is the meaning of "this?"

And, within the context of the New Alerts, what does "all," as in the line reading "Unsubscribe for [u]all[/u] alerts" mean?

by beth blakely

We can always count on you to point out our deficiencies right away! :-)

We're still tinkering with the template.

by apotheon

The key point for me at this time is this:

At least the alerts are minimally usable, now. That's a huge step in the right direction, and with Beth's promises that things are going to continue to be fixed, I'm hopeful.

by deepsand

Besides, I'd heard that they took away your ESP, and you're now stuck with having to communicate the old fashioned way. :-(

And, bear in mind that, when it's satisfactorily done, I'll be among the 1st to let you know. :D

by apotheon

There needs to be, at minimum, two more things:

1. a way to bulk-change subscription settings

2. a way to set defaults so that all new subscriptions comply with the user's preferences

The newsletter subscription settings page still seems to offer both of these in one fell swoop, by letting me choose either HTML or Text for all newsletters. If you have to make a choice between fine-grained control and changing configuration for all at once, choose the ability to change configuration for all at once.

by absolutely

I just followed a link to a new 'hiring practices' blog/discussion, and, as usual, was taken to the first reply to the article, not to the article. At work, I'm documenting the shortcomings in one of the primary database reporting tools we use, and I see the same pattern of insufficient testing of your own software here at TR. Being paid to work with such rubbish is one thing. Doing so without compensation, on a site purportedly directed to, and by implication created by, IT professionals, is just out of the question. Can you clean up your act within a week?