Organization and Reliability of these Forums

Last night, I posted this message to the AppleScript forum and elaborated slightly here:
Just a general observation: as a participant in a number of forums, several about AppleScript issues, I must congratulate Apple for running the least friendly and most likely to be broken set on the English-speaking web. An astonishing performance for a company that sells server software.
That it can't remember that I'm a member (apparently by design), that it frequently is off the air (I get more blank pages from here than any other), that after discovering that I've been logged out logging back in on another page doesn't then return me to the page I left, and that if you edit a page in Preview (at least last night) then the Post Message button doesn't work any more (and a question goes unanswered), rank among it's most annoying features.
Really, folks - why be different when the differences are negative? If others can mount easy-to-use, friendly forums that remember returning members, that are easy to navigate without returning to square "1", whose buttons work reliably, and whose postings can contain bbcode to make for easier reading, then surely Apple can.
PS: I didn't preview this because that doesn't seem to be reliable. Please excuse errata.

Hi NovaScotian,
Thank you for your feedback. It is appreciated.
I am aware of the issues you posted about. We are working to resolve them.
Regards,
Kady
Apple Discussions Host

Similar Messages

I have followed all the steps to fix this problem, but I do not receive texts on my new Galaxy 4 from iPhone users. I tried everything I was told and found in these forums. Still no luck.

I switched to Verizon in March 2014, from AT&T. I traded in my old iPhone4 for a Galaxy 4. Ever since, I am not getting text messages from anyone who has an iPhone unless they WORK for Verizon. I have deleted my phone from my apple profile and I don't own any other apple products. I switched to an Android because I was tired of Apple's proprietary ways. It seems not matter what I do, and I have done EVERYTHING suggested here on these forums. No luck. I am so frustrated. I have a very large family and almost everyone else has an iPhone. Even if they don't, I am not getting all their messages. I like the new Galaxy, but believe I have made a huge mistake switching carriers and phones, even though I hate Apple products.

Welcome to the Verizon family irishlass82! I know how important it is to stay in touch and we'll make sure that you don't regret your decision! Before trading in your device, did you turn off iMessage? In effort to correct this issue, text the word STOP to 48369.
AshleyS_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

Difficulties with auto capitalisation and autocorrect in these forums

I don't know if it's caused by my recent upgrade from iOS 7 to iOS 8.1 or changes made to these forums, but I'm now having trouble with autocorrect and auto capitalisation when I'm typing in the message text box.
Often when I start a new paragraph, it doesn't automatically change to uppercase. If I change to uppercase manually, it doesn't automatically change back to lowercase for the following letter.
If I make a mistake and delete a letter, the autocorrect suggestions behave as though the letter is still there when I continue typing.
I only see this behaviour in this forum, not on other websites and not in any other apps.
Anyone else?

pshute,
pleas give us your iDevice details so that we can get this question moved to that forum for folks eyes that may have seen this misbehavior.
1st, I see no change made here... looks and acts as I expect. My guess is that your update to iOS 8x is the culprit as there are many folks that have experienced anomalies after their upgrade/update.
Let's test... [I am on a desktop Mac running Firefox browser with no special preferences set for auto-correct or auto-CaPiTaLiZaTiOn]
As a rule, I get NO auto-cap (like in Microsoft products) - known names, the personal noun " I ", beginning of new paragrahs <-spelling mistake is on purpose**
for example... no shift key for a bit. james brown was faomous for screaming 'ow1, i feel good... i knew that i would'. lady gaga wears a meat suit
i wil now take a screengrab for an example of what I see when composing. all spelling mistakes and capitalizations (or lack thereof) here are intentional (apparently, my dictionary doesn't recognize the plural form of Capitalization) -- all 'AUTO' stuff has 'red-dot underlining'
CLICK to enlarge
ÇÇÇ

Anyone else seeing a discrepancy between IE and Firefox in these forums?

I just recently enabled my Mac account so that I can login to these discussion forums. In Firefox, I see no New Post icon. In IE, I do.
Is this a known issue? I've pored over my settings and can't seem to find the magic trick that would allow Firefox to give me the same functionality as IE7. That is quite odd. Doesn't make much sense that these browsers render these pages differently.

I need to select a "Forum / Category" before the option to post is available
Actually, you need to select a Forum, not Category, to see Post new topic.
It shows Forum/Category because the links below that are either a forum or a category.
For instance iTunes is a category and so is iTunes for Windows but Using iTunes for Windows is one of the six different forums in the iTunes for Windows category.

Most of the problems in these forums here...

Besides all the incorrect/bad English, is lack of information of which version
Forms/Reports are being run.
And even when you do ask, you still don't get a response.

Hi,
I agree with ThrashZone, delete the temp files as well as some browser history, cookies, form data, Internet Options\General\Delete...
Reset IE if possible if the above doesn't work.
Sometimes, too much traffic on your internet connection can also cause this kind issue when loading the website
You can also post in the forum for further analyzing
Forum Issues
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=reportabug
Yolanda Zhu
TechNet Community Support
HEHE!
Hope this helps some others too. I had ''played'' a little bit with the Advanced settings of IE11. The setting that restored my ability to Reply and Quote in these forums here, is this:
Enable DOM Storage
I just checked it back, and here I am!

In These Forums Here, I Cannot Reply Or Quote

HAHA!
Now, I cannot Reply or Quote on my own posts. So, I can only see your solutions for this post here. I cannot Reply or Quote.
I am using latest IE 11 with latest updates just today.
I think that I have all settings correct. I am using for the Security tab, and Internet, the Default setting. I double checked, and when I press the Custom level... button, under Scripting, Active Scripting is Enabled. Also, other sites that require
Javascript, are working normally. Like GMail for example, or another Windows site, that has the same:
javascript:void(0)
links. [http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/music-photos-video-help#music-photos-video-help=windows-7&v1h=winrttab1&v2h=win8tab1&v3h=win7tab2&v4h=winvistatab1]
So, what do I do now?

Hi,
I agree with ThrashZone, delete the temp files as well as some browser history, cookies, form data, Internet Options\General\Delete...
Reset IE if possible if the above doesn't work.
Sometimes, too much traffic on your internet connection can also cause this kind issue when loading the website
You can also post in the forum for further analyzing
Forum Issues
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home?forum=reportabug
Yolanda Zhu
TechNet Community Support
HEHE!
Hope this helps some others too. I had ''played'' a little bit with the Advanced settings of IE11. The setting that restored my ability to Reply and Quote in these forums here, is this:
Enable DOM Storage
I just checked it back, and here I am!

Does Adobe read these forums and comments?

For many years I was a Windows OS user, and I used Photoshop Elements 2. It was a little difficult to learn, but once I got the hang of it I thought it was great: simple, bright, easy and well organized. A few months ago I made the switch to Apple iMac Desktop, OSX Lion v. 10.7. I used iPhoto, but I really missed PSE. So I downloaded the trial version of PSE 10. What a disappointment.......It is a very good program I suppose, for advanced photographers, but it is no longer simple. The screens are too dark and there is too much crammed on to every screen in Organizer and Editor. The fonts are too small and the font colors do not stand out against the dark backgrounds. I wish Adobe had stuck with the white screens, large type and black fonts, but most of all I wish they had kept it simple like it was in earlier versions. I was looking for simplicity and ease-of-use, and I got what could be called "Almost Photoshop Full". I uninstalled Elements and will have to use iPhoto. I miss the days of KISS.

Yes adobe does read the forums but they don't always comment on everything and they are quite aware of the complaints about the ui colors and such in photoshop elements.
Hopefully the ui problem will be addressed in photoshop elements 11 in such a way that satisfies both those who like the dark interface and those who want a lighter interface
similar to photoshop cs6 only better.
http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/my_eyes_need_help_with_photoshop

OpenDNS and these forums

I've been using OpenDNS for a few months now, and ever since I started using it, multiple times per day when I'm on these forums, Safari will spin its wheels for a minute and then an OpenDNS error page will come up. If I just hit the back button and then click the same link a second time, it'll load just fine.
Is anyone else seeing this sort of thing? Is it a problem with OpenDNS or with the forums?

Click on TCP/IP and in the box marked 'DNS Servers' enter the following two numbers:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
(An explanation of why that is both safe and a good idea can be read here: http://www.labnol.org/internet/tools/opendsn-what-is-opendns-why-required-2/2587 /
Open DNS also provides an anti-phishing feature: http://www.opendns.com/solutions/homenetwork/anti-phishing/ )
Wikipedia also has an interesting article about Open DNS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDNS

Why do some questions on these forums begin with HT or TS and some numbers?

This is a random question that I've been curious about for a while. Some of the questions' titles on these forums begin with the letters HT and end in random numbers. Some also begin with TS... What does this mean?

I'm sorry, Allan, but those are always preseeded by the Apple symbol as in

Safari opens only these forums and other Apple pages?

I had to remove the router from my iMac last night, so I set the Network panel to work with the DSL modem only. After doing so, Safari only connets and opens the Apple forums and other Apple pages, nothing else. Also, Sotware Update won't work.
I have reinstalled the router, and right now the Network panel indicates that the network is working, and that the computer is connected to the Internet via the router and modem. It does not matter how many times I "Create A new Location" and then apply it. Safari won't work with any of the bookmarks, except for the Apple bookmarks.
I restarted the computer from the (backup) external hard drive and ran Safari from there, and it works fine. However, I followed the advise of an Apple Technician on a chat, and was told that I could drag Safari from the external HD to the internal, and replace Safari with it. I did so, and then restarted from the internal HD, placed the Safari alias in the trash, created a new alias and put it in the Dock, and used Safari. But Safari is having the same problems.
It seems that both Safari, and Software Update follow the same path from the computer to the Internet, so i am trying to figure with files in the System have screwed-up.
Do you have any ideas of what the problem with Safari may be?

I will respond to myself to keep you informed of the progress with my problems and Safari/Software Update:
1. I created another account, but again there was no change with Safari nor with Software Update. I am certain that the problem is related to Software, perhaps Preferences and such.
2. However, since I don't know enough about OS X to mess around with it, I decided to start from the LaCie external HD as I did before, and proceeded to perform a "Smart Update" with SuperDuper. Before the Smart Update, I printed the last unread e-mail in the mailboxes, since I know that SuperDuper would erase those. I backed the iMac's HD a couple of days ago, before encountering all of these problems with Safari, so all the files and applications are fresh and in good order.
3. I am replaying to myself using Safari, after I restarted from the iMac's internal HD. Safari now works as well as ever, and I am certain that Sotfware Update will work fine, too.
I hope that Apple takes notes on the problems several of us are having with Safari. Just for the records: This version of Safari is the latest in Mac OS 10.4.2. A week or so ago, I upgraded OS 10.3.9 to OS 10.4, and had quite a lot of trouble with the Network panel. Regardless of the settings to use a router and modem, or jut the DSL modem, a connection to the server could not be established, and whenever such connection was possible, Safari would only open the Apple pages, and Software Update would not work.
I ended-up erasing the hard drive and reinstalling Mac OS 10.4 three more times, for a total of four, before I could get Safari and Software Update to work. On the last attempt, the only difference from the other attempts was that this time I didn't dare use Safari until every little update was installed by Software Update. Now, please note that the problems I had then were not exactly the same, since this time Network Diagnostics passed the connection test with flying colors. The previous times, a connection could not be established 99% of the time. But even though the problems were not exactly the same, I believe that whatever happens, to Safari, FireFox (FireFox was not working), and Software Update is related to whatever path these applications follow toward an Internet connection.

Problems with Booting and Reliability

Hi all I just recently purchased an AMD 64 3400 and an MSI K8T NEO mobo. First off I have had nothing but problems. This was an upgrade from an old Athlon 1700XP and a Gigabyte board so I expected some hiccups. First I had some boot problems from the start. That ended up being a PSU problem and I am now the proud owner of an Antec True Power 550. Boot problem solved.
Next I began experiencing stability problems. It started out being a stutter here or there during the occasional gaming session. It eventually got worse. Mostly freezes no hard crashes or BSOD.
Well it got so bad that the computer would no longer POST reliably. So began the long troubleshooting process. I have had some heat issues in the past so that is where I began. I cleaned up cables, re-routed several, and added a PCI slot fan. This made a smidge of improvement and I thought that my problem was video card related as my GeForce4 4600ti is beginning to show its age but I was even having problems surfing the internet.
Well after reading several post on these forums and the AMD forums I realized that my old DDR266 PC2100 RAM may be the problem.
When I purchased the system in spring 2002 I bought 512 megs of Samsung RAM according to the chips on the stick anyways (I admit I do not know the actual manufacturer of the stick). Well this did not seem to be enough for games such as Star Wars Galaxies so I bought another stick of DDR266 PC2100 512 megs (again not sure of the stick maker but the chips are Infineon). So this is where I began trouble shooting. I swapped wo sticks for one with no luck. Then I tried swapping the sticks and I got a POST beep (beepage good!) and the computer booted. So I thought problem solved. Well it would last for anywhere between 10 minutes and several hours before another freeze.
Well today I stopped into Worst Buy and picked up a stick of Crucial PC3200. With trepidation I plugged the stick in and no POST...nothing. With the Samsung stick I am able to get a proper boot about 10% of the time.
I have seen lots of posts regarding newer faster RAM and compatibilty issues with them. I dont see any problems with older RAM. My question is: Is my problem RAM related or am I barking up the wrong tree (tree...RAM stick...get it?). Even with the newer Crucial PC3200 I am still having problems. If anyone could assist me I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.

Quote
next put ram in slot 1 and 3 if you onlly have 2 sticks.
try limiting ram speed to 333 see if that helps.
try using only one stick
disable onbaord stuff you dont need, l
i wasnt having much luck with onboard network , that was 1st to go.
ike parallel ports, if you have a usb printer,
if heat is an issue try running with case cover off.
unless your cpu cooler was not mounted well (rubed off thermal pad having trouble locking it). but i doubt that and would lead to more trouble checking , becuse you would have to remout with artic silver or something.
Well my original RAM is only 266 so the limiting to 333 wont help that. Using one stick is the only way that I can actually get the thing to boot at all but with limited reliability.
I run with the cover off constantly because I am constantly fiddling with the thing. I have taken the HSF off, cleaned it, put new paste on and replaced. My CPU temps have never been above 43 degrees celsius. I have replaced the stocker HSF with a Thermal Take Venus 12.
Thanks for the reply.

Converting Programs- Free and Reliable

I've tried Videora and Xilisoft but neither makes par! Videora has sound bugs and Xilisoft doesn't transcode but 5 minutes! Anyone got any ideas on free, simple, and reliable converters!

its not reliable of course but thers this
To use Videora iPod Convertor to convert movies for use on your iPod, consult these helpful links:
To get started: http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/iPod/
If you have questions: http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/guides.html
If you have more questions, post them here: http://www.pspvideo9.com/forums/index.php?c=8
Note that Videora iPod Convertor is a 3rd party program. If you need help with it, post your question there.
GFF

Does Adobe ever look at these forums to try to solve problems which have been reported???

Does Adobe ever look at these forums to try to solve problems which have been reported? Doesn't seem like we are getting any answers, does it??

I think the best idea is to contact the book publishers, let them know that Adobe Digital Editions is not capable of delivering their book to you, and ask in what other, more reliable formats they can provide it.

Polite use of these forums

To Apple Community Forum Moderators:
I have owned Apples for almost twenty years and periodically have found myself in need of advice on an Apple hardware issue, network compatibility, or Apple Application issue. The Apple website “recommends” that we go to these Forums for information it seems like a good idea. It has the potential to expand technical help to those of us that have a problem with using a Mac or an Apple application. However, in every case that I have accessed the Forum I have either viewed attacks by some of what I'll call the “loyal users” against others that note problems with Apple, or have been the object of nasty responses myself:
- Early on I engaged the Forum about the difficulty of getting Apples to work in a Windows Network Environment. When I got on I saw nasty comments about similar questions from other users chastising the user for being on a Windows network. Well there is little one can do about that. The institution's leadership decides on what kind of network will be used, not an individual user. To dismiss this problem is unrealistic at best and arrogant at worst.
- After Microsoft moved to Office 2007 and left Mac users in the lurch I purchased iWork based upon what users in the Forum were lauding about about the Suite and what Apple said about it. I found it limited (from what I could gain from being a new user) and sought out answers to questions I had. The equation editor (the industry standard) at the time could not be used in iWork. So I pointed this out on the Forum. I got flamed by this guy that said that this was not appropriate place to point out limitations. I pointed out that Apple Developers would be nuts not to monitor these forums so it would be appropriate to point out functional limitations for future versions of iwork. All I got from the moderator was that I shouldn't have posted it. Others in this thread were flamed because they wanted more functionality from Numbers. They were told that anyone who is serious about analysis would use another database program (Excel maybe? - they didn't identify what program that might be.)
- Just recently I sought out the Forum because I have had this laptop for two years and am having to replace my battery the second year in a row. I tried to get Apple Help on this after my first replacement and did (what I thought was) everything correct. Someone else was having a similar problem. I related my understanding of how to evaluate battery performance (cycle count), and pointed out that Apple has had a problem with defective batteries (most notably mine) and that users need to watch these metrics closely. Well apparently according to one reply post I mis-stated how to evaluate cycle count (though I think I am still correct on that – our IT people basically told me what to look for.) The reply was that I had not really read the manual on batteries. Well I did, though I could have misunderstood what the battery document was trying to say. Instead of accusing me of lying they could have elaborated on why my interpretation was mistaken.
Now in all these cases and more there are social forum communication flaws that Apple needs to be aware of. This flaw is a social pathology that is characteristic of the medium. First attacking a frustrated user is not a constructive exercise. There is a difference between a negative comment about Apple or its applications and negative comments directed toward users. A negative comment at an Apple Inc. product should not be viewed as some kind attack on all users or a violation of a misguided religious doctrine. It should be viewed as a window into a potential improvement. Apple should be “man enough” to take those graciously. This gives Apple a window into problems in either its Help Manuals or its design. Contrary to trying to stifle comments like this Apple should encourage this. (In fact after I complained about the inability of iWork to use Mathtype - Decision Sciences - an upgrade of iWork works with Mathtype.) In a similar manner Politicians in our state regularly lambast the University I work with. I don't have a problem with their attack on the Institution. It goes with the territory. I do have a problem if they focus on a particular faculty member. Apple Inc. can handle criticisms.
On the other hand the “loyal user's” attacks or nasty comments on users that are critical of Apple or frustrated users are another issue. We purchase the hardware or software and expect it to work based upon what we interpret from Apple advertising claims. It is not working the way it is advertised. We may not be accessing the computer correctly, accessing the Help Manuals correctly, using the Apps correctly, or there may be a problem with the product itself. That is why we go on these Forums. To get chastised or insulted by a “loyal user” does not solve our problem and it does not make us want to tell other people how great Macs are. (My experience with iWork pushed me to OpenOffice - which I am writing this letter in rather than Word or iWork.)
More importantly though it makes us very hesitant about engaging in this social forum about a problem we have with an App or hardware. Ultimately this could mean that many technical/business users such as myself will migrate away from Apple because they can't get the solution they need and the mere size of Apples competitors (e.g. Microsoft) means that user support is much more available. We can forego the nastiness by changing products.
Now this is not say that these issues I raise are unique to Apple Community Forums. I was just on an OpenOffice community forum and saw similar behavior so this really is a social pathology that is part of this form of communication. But moderators need to be aware of this pathology if the company wants users to rely on this medium for good advice. Apple hopefully views these forums as ways to see where they could improve products or add functionality to preserve or enhance market share as well as providing broad technical support. But moderators need to more forcefully impose politeness and gracious responses to users that may not sit well with the “loyal user” part of the community. Thanks.

Roger Coupal wrote:
However, in every case that I have accessed the Forum I have either viewed attacks by some of what I'll call the “loyal users” against others that note problems with Apple, or have been the object of nasty responses myself:
"Every" time? I waste a lot of time here and I very rarely see anything that could be construed as "nasty". I read through all of your postings and I can't find any response that could be considered "nasty" or an "attack". In one case you posted some incorrect information and a couple of people called you on it. That's life and it happens to the best of us. No need to get upset about it.
Early on I engaged the Forum about the difficulty of getting Apples to work in a Windows Network Environment. When I got on I saw nasty comments about similar questions from other users chastising the user for being on a Windows network. Well there is little one can do about that. The institution's leadership decides on what kind of network will be used, not an individual user. To dismiss this problem is unrealistic at best and arrogant at worst.
Maybe you should increase your participation. You've only posted 17 times in 3 years. If you were at Level 2 (pretty easy to reach) you would have the ability to automatically alert the moderators about any postings that violate the Apple Terms of Use. Until then, it would be better to notify the moderators via this forum about specific posting that you think are improper. Otherwise, it is just hearsay. Perhaps those postings were from known trolls or people who are otherwise "looking for a fight". People often only start posting here when they have problems and, unfortunately, they sometimes wait until they are already very angry and upset. When they start threads with an argumentative tone, it usually doesn't end well.
I can't really say much about Windows networking. All of MacOS X uses SAMBA, so if you can access it via xterm, you can access via the Finder. Maybe start a new thread with more details and keep trying. Windows networking is very complex and SAMBA is just an open-source reverse-engineering effort.
- After Microsoft moved to Office 2007 and left Mac users in the lurch I purchased iWork based upon what users in the Forum were lauding about about the Suite and what Apple said about it. I found it limited (from what I could gain from being a new user) and sought out answers to questions I had. The equation editor (the industry standard) at the time could not be used in iWork. So I pointed this out on the Forum. I got flamed by this guy that said that this was not appropriate place to point out limitations.
"Flamed"? Again, I read those messages. That was hardly being "flamed". Plus, it had nothing to do with you pointing out limitations.
I pointed out that Apple Developers would be nuts not to monitor these forums so it would be appropriate to point out functional limitations for future versions of iwork.
Sorry, but that is not correct. There is way too much disinformation here for developers at Apple to get meaningful information out of it. If people find bugs or limitations they are usually encouraged to contact Apple via the appropriate feedback channels to improve the products. That actually happened in your case.
No one outside Apple really knows if Apple does or does not read these forums. The official word is that they don't and I accept that. This is a user-to-user tech support forum. It is not a place to complain, report bugs, or suggest enhancements. There are better places for that. This discussion forum is meant to help end-users, not Apple. Apple is a big, multinational corporation with lots of money. They have people whose job it is to track down complains, fix bugs, and enhance products.
All I got from the moderator was that I shouldn't have posted it.
There was no moderator posting in that thread. You can identify Apple employee by the Apple logo under their name.
Others in this thread were flamed because they wanted more functionality from Numbers. They were told that anyone who is serious about analysis would use another database program (Excel maybe? - they didn't identify what program that might be.)
You are the one who mentioned Excel. Someone correctly pointed out that if you are already a user of advanced Excel features you might not be happy with a 1.0 application like Numbers. Excel is 25 years old. No one expects Numbers to match it for functionality. But it might be easier for casual users than Excel. Again, there was no flaming going on.
The reply was that I had not really read the manual on batteries. Well I did, though I could have misunderstood what the battery document was trying to say. Instead of accusing me of lying they could have elaborated on why my interpretation was mistaken.
They didn't accuse you of lying and they did elaborate on why your interpretation was mistaken. You provided misinformation and suggested people take their batteries in to the Apple store for a problem that doesn't exist.
Now in all these cases and more there are social forum communication flaws that Apple needs to be aware of. This flaw is a social pathology that is characteristic of the medium.
I think Apple is well aware of that. That is why they have a good system of moderation that they have been working on for several years. This forum is much better than anything you will find anywhere else. I'm sorry, but you have no idea what a true "flame" really is
First attacking a frustrated user is not a constructive exercise. There is a difference between a negative comment about Apple or its applications and negative comments directed toward users. A negative comment at an Apple Inc. product should not be viewed as some kind attack on all users or a violation of a misguided religious doctrine.
Sometimes people just want to vent. It is pretty clear when someone starts a thread where they don't really want a solution but just want to complain. I always try to give them a solution, while at the same time tearing down all their logical fallacies. Sometimes they are just frustrated and are happy to get the problem resolved. Sometimes they take the bait and keep fighting. Either I've solved someone's problem or I have provided a solution to some jerk who then won't accept it just because it came from me. Either way I'm pleased.
It should be viewed as a window into a potential improvement. Apple should be “man enough” to take those graciously. This gives Apple a window into problems in either its Help Manuals or its design.
Again, you are assuming Apple reads these forums. They don't. These forums are for your benefit, not Apple's.
To get chastised or insulted by a “loyal user” does not solve our problem and it does not make us want to tell other people how great Macs are.
I gave up evangelizing a long time ago. At this point, everyone knows about Macs. If people are too boneheaded to use Macs, I'm content to let them suffer with Windows or Linux.
(My experience with iWork pushed me to OpenOffice - which I am writing this letter in rather than Word or iWork.)
Really? Safari has really nice text editing features with a built-in spell checker. Also, what's wrong with Word? You are obviously a power user, why not use Office? Microsoft got their start with Office, which started out as a Mac program and is still one of the best Mac programs you can buy.
I was just on an OpenOffice community forum and saw similar behavior so this really is a social pathology that is part of this form of communication.
So, in other words, you just invalidated your whole thesis?
But moderators need to more forcefully impose politeness and gracious responses to users that may not sit well with the “loyal user” part of the community.
Moderators really only get involved when there are violations of the terms of use. Being polite is part of that, but graciousness isn't. I think if you continue to post and start answering questions you will soon be able to easily report postings you think are "impolite". Hopefully, when you get to that level, you will be able to better identify a true "flame".

I used to champion these forums. Now I don't give a gnat's...

I was a contributor, a corrector, a clarifier.
I'd write 1,500 words explaining every possible angle on the simplest of topics, sometimes revealing tricks to people who have far more experience with Photoshop than I do. I exercised painstaking detail in choosing the proper terminology and phrasing when answering questions, and I'd test everything to make sure what I posted was correct. I was an obsessive re-editor of my posts if I noticed the wording was wrong, or didn't flow well. I'd craft screen shot composites so clean you couldn't tell they weren't monitor images that could occur natively. I added arrows, and numbering, and translucent, colored-box paragraph backgrounds for descriptors, colors chosen for the best clarity I could muster. I'd bodge together difficult GIF animations and QT Movies if it would help a user understand a concept more completely.
I was a defender, a protector, an evangelist.
I took it personally when newbies and spammers would come in and muck the place up. I was sometimes brusque, other times gentle in trying to bring people into line with how to get the most out of their time here. I beat up on troublemakers ruthlessly, and without remorse.
I brought the "How to Get Help Quickly" mantra to this forum after reading it elsewhere, because it was the best exposition I'd ever seen on the subject of efficient information exchange.
I'd take the time to help troubleshoot forum problems.
Now, I don't give a crap about what happens to this place. I'd been hoping for the best, as I had during past attempts at major forum changes.
It's clear to me now that the planning, preparation, roll-out and fine tuning has been doomed from the start.
Every single person involved in ramming this new system through is to blame.
And I'm only one person. I'd guess there are hundreds of people who feel the same way I do.
Too bad, Adobe. You totally and completely screwed up.
I'll still visit once in awhile, because there are people here that I like.
But as for all that content I was giving away for free—and happily, I might add—and all the cheerleading I did for this place?
You can shove all that right up that gnat's arse and then go sit on your own thumbs and spin.
It feels to me like you are intentionally doing almost everything in your power to discourage the type of participation I used to revel in. From slow bug fixes and promises unkept (EFF you very much, Jive–shysters) to the mere trickle of ongoing feedback and update info offhandedly tossed to us, Adobe have become slumlords, slapping paint on a building that fails to meet standard-of-living code. Sure, there are some decent new features, but they either don't work, work only part of the time, are cumbersome, and generally regarded as so slow as to inhibit any sort of lively momentum.
I'd be ashamed and embarrassed to be the captain of this rotting ship. As a fully vested, ranking mate on this vessel, I hereby resign my commission.
You don't deserve my help anymore.

Phos, although I am answering your opening message, I'm not really addressing this message to you, but to everyone.
Almost exactly a month ago, I accepted the first important job I have been offered in more that two years. I did although it had a 30 days deadline and I knew it was very difficult, if not impossible, to complete it in that time. Well, I did manage to finish it not long ago, and one of the first things I did was to come back to my once beloved forums, full of hope of being met with some important changes introduced in these 30 days.
I am sorry to say that, so far, I have noticed only these two changes:
1. The "Report spam..." link in the stickies now points to the correct thread, not to a locked one, something I had been asking for weeks before this 30 days interlude; and
2. The problem for which I offered a suggestion in this post
http://forums.adobe.com/message/1968406#1968406
and which had received a very good solution as I reported two days later, is back here. Plus, the "Next" button doesn't work (I don't remember if it worked before the change that was reverted).
As this forum is full of so many easy to fix complaints, seeing only these two changes in 30 days -one of which can hardly be called an improvement- was really very discouraging. However, what really got me down was reading the opening post of this thread.
Those who haven't followed Phos' trajectory in these forums may think that he is making false pretences, or at least exagerating, about his contributions to these forums. I am one of those who can testify that he is doing neither.
To make it short: over these so many years trying to give whatever modest help I'm capable of in the Acrobat and Reader forums, I lost count of the times I asked Phos, somewhat jokingly, to please leave the easy questions for me to answer. Each time I saw a just published easy one, I rushed to try to answer it, only to find he had done a much better job than my attempt, and had replied a several other more recent questions in the meantime. He showed an infinite patience to answer the same questions over and over again, which I admired because I don't have it and just refered the questioner to the appropriate FAQ instead -when I did manage to post before he did.
And he did everything else he writes in his OP, never boasting about what he did and accomplished. That's why I am sorry he had to do it now, I imagine that in an attempt to put some weight to his words. Not for us, of course, but for those responsible for this unbelievably large fiasco they have so stubbornly refused to acknowledge. And we used to call a fiasco the previous one, which was nothing compared with this mess, and which was rectified!
I am afraid that I am feeling my age, and so I'm finding that the enormous effort that too many very capable users have being putting in suggestions to improve these new forums, since the last "little fiasco" until now, to be such an gigantic waste, that I also don't feel like continuing. Had I not had this 30 days interlude with no noticeable changes, I would probably have continued by inertia for much longer, hopefully waiting for the improvements that never come, but this has opened my eyes. However, just logging in, or moving from one forum to another, is so excruciatingly slow that I find I simply do not have enough time to waste in just waiting for things to happen.
I will miss the group spirit of the old forums, and the many persons I got to know and like and care for, although knowing that I would never meet them. But then, I am missing more of them everyday and, after all, such is life.
Just a final thought. It is most probably true that JC has spent this week in the moutains. I would be happy to be corrected if I'm wrong, but I would say his presence has hardly been noticed, if at all, for quite a lot longer than a week. Another one of those many not at all encouraging signs.

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