Forum

I wonder whether other forum members have noticed this. Many people who ask questions here obviously never bother to read the answer(s)? This is something the forum software indicates.

Here are two recent examples:

A.D. Riddle asks on Fri Aug 06, 2021 1:43 pm whether it is possible to change the default settings for image properties. DavidH posted an answer 3 days later — an answer which has obviously never reached A.D. Riddle because his or her last visit was on Fri Aug 06, 2021 1:43 pm; a time stamp which happens to be exactly the same time as when he (or she) posted the question!
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3835

Analogue-man asks a question on Wed Jul, 2021 12:24 pm; then logs out 1 minute later and, according to the "last active" time stamp, has not been seen since.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1008


I don't know what to think of this. I believe the few forum members who take the time to make tests and find solutions for fellow members, deserve feedback. They want to know: was the suggested solution helpful? If not, why not? Not receiving any feedback at all, shows a total lack of respect and courtesy to the people who are trying to help out here.

By the way, Is the "Last active" forum time stamp reliable?
If Mr. X was "last active" on 23.06.2021, can we then take it for granted that he has never visited the forum after June 2021?

These forums should be more active. To do my part, I've added this site to a bookmarks group I open daily. I try to contribute, figuring more traffic is a good thing.

I think I've been able to contribute. Mostly, I like Mellel and its giant-slayer potential and I like to read what writers have to say.

Amontillado wrote: ↑Sat Sep 04, 2021 11:56 pm I try to contribute, figuring more traffic is a good thing.

Hi Amontillado,

Thank you for your response, but I'm not sure what this has to do with my posting, which was about people who ask a question in the forum, then log out and disappear forever (according to the "Last active" time stamp.) Some other posters disappear after they have received 1 answer, regardless whether that answer resolved the problem or not. In this second case, other forum members often join the discussion later, but they'll never reach the original poster because he or she has already vanished into thin air.

Hey, Icelander - Sorry for the tangent. My point was activity in this forum could be a good way to get more out of Mellel and help focus development.

I can't answer your question. Disappearing after at best a partial answer is not a good way to learn.

Worse, I believe there is still a problem with the Help->Support option. I get a 701 error, which could be my ISP. The bug tracking site appears to be working.

an update, 9/12/21 - The problem with Help->Support appears fixed.

Icelander,

I think the "Last active" time stamp indicates the time someone contributes something (a post or reply) and does NOT indicate when someone last logged on or read others' posts or replies. I saw DavidH's reply to my image question shortly after he posted it. I suppose I could have left a "thank you," but I did not disappear from the face of the earth, despite what the "Last active" timestamp might indicate.

A.D.

A.D. Riddle wrote: ↑Sun Sep 12, 2021 8:01 pm I think the "Last active" time stamp indicates the time someone contributes something (a post or reply) and does NOT indicate when someone last logged on or read others' posts or replies

Thanks for looking into this, A.D.

I was actually thinking about this too. But then I checked the "Last active" time stamp of Amontillado. He had a "Last active" time stamp days after he contributed anything, so I draw the conclusion it must mean the time when a member visits the forum.

Anyway, the forum details are not reliable anyhow. I'm said to have joined 2014, but it was in fact not until 2017. This was reported to the developers and they confirmed it, but did not show any interest in fixing it.

PS
Nisus has a similar forum software. There "Last active" definitely means the time you last visited the forum.

Icelander, I don't know the answer to your question, but I've certainly benefited from your suggestions on the forum. I've tried to pass along my own suggestions now and then, seldom with any feedback. I agree, that we'd benefit from a more active forum.

laup wrote: ↑Wed Sep 29, 2021 10:03 pm I've certainly benefited from your suggestions on the forum.

Thank you for your kind words, Paul. Good to know that my attempt to help was not in vain. :–)