Polite use of these forums

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• What is the time used in these forums?

  One would tend to assume that the time shown in these forums (for example, the posting times) refer to the USA, although this could be wrong. However, there are (I think) four different time zones in that country. Maybe for the natives it is quite clear what "8:13 AM" means, but it is not at all clear for at least this one inhabitant of another country. Even acronyms such as EPT (I am not sure if I recall this correctly from the old forums) don't mean much to me.
  Wouldn't it be a good idea to specify in some clear way what time being used in these forums?

  Claudio González wrote:
  My reason for asking is that some things simply don't check. At the time of writing this message, the first topic in the list was the "What are forum points..." one, with 35 replies and the last one by Jhabrix 9 minutes ago. However, if I open the thread, I see that the last message is #35 (i.e., no posts have been deleted), it is posted by Jhabrix, but at 11:51 AM. As it's now a few minutes past 2 PM here, that's quite a lot more than 9 minutes...
  Claudio, it's just like I said before, all of the information produced by Jiveware is unreliable--more often wrong than not.  I'm not even joking around now.  It goes for virtually every statistic and piece of automated information here (because it's the most buggy software known to man ).  They just don't test enough, they obviously don't care, and they sure as heck can't write correctly functioning software.  The whole forum, front and backend, appears to be behave like an overengineered software mess.
  (There's a Java backend on this trash.  And Java developers wonder why everyone thinks they are incompetent... since there are so many Java devs around--being the most popular language--there's always people like the Jive script kiddies to give the ones that know what they're doing a bad name.)
  As for the time it's using, it probably syncs up to the time on Planet Jive--where even the Jives can't agree on what time it is because every answer is "correct"!

• Tapatalk app use on these forums

  I'm considering purchasing the Tapatalk app for my iPhone 4S, but I'm unsure has to if it will work on this forum (Apple Discussions forum).
  I noticed that there are a couple of posts on this subject already but these were a while back and wondered if the Apple Discussion forums were enabled for been able to be used with the Tapatalk app on the iPhone?

  Bump.

• 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.

• These forums are very, very difficult to use.

  Hi,
  I don't know where to pose these questions. I'm going nuts with these forums, specifically the InDesign forum. I've sent multiple emails to "[email protected]," but, nobody responds.
  I have to close down Safari and go back in three or four times before I can get the forum link to work. It's just dead there.
  I no longer get email notifications when someone has answered a question I posed. I have to manually go into the forum every half hour or so to see if anyone's responded. The forum used to be much "healthier" in that regard. I was always notified when I got a response from anyone.
  I opened a discussion yesterday. But, today, there's no way for me to continue or see that discussion anymore. Only the most current discussions are shown. And, there's no visible way for me to see any "old" ones.
  Thanks,
  Peter

  I use Internet Explorer 11 with Win 8.1 and do not have the problems you describe
  Most people complain about Unwanted Email notices
  Did you by any chance do as it says here to STOP notices?
  Oh... and you do not receive an actual email, you receive a notice in the orange circle to the left of your avatar picture at the top right of the forum screen
  Click your avatar picture near the upper right corner (slightly to the left of the pencil) and select PREFERENCES then set all Email Preferences to OFF and click Save at the bottom left
  AND
  Another new "feature" is that Jive7 is oriented toward social networking... so every time you start or reply to a message you are automatically added to a FOLLOW list... meaning you receive a notification of every subsequent message in that thread

• These forums are great!

  So first, the Arch guys decide to make an ideal-for-all distro, then they actually keep it current, then they keep it very current, then it's backed up by a set of very active forums?!  Too good to be true!  All you guys are very, very helpful, and are very polite.  Pat yourselves on the back, you're all supporting this great distro and the entirety of Linux in general!

  phrakture wrote:
  arooaroo wrote:I agree! These forums have been a serious factor in my continued use of Arch. I think there is a great community here.
  I hate you! I hate everyone! You all suck! errr.... wait, nevermind... yeah, community! and flowers! and love! and special things! ....
  you forgot to mention candy in a heart shaped box. 

• Excessive Political Correctness on the Forum

  The latest nonsense surrounding the forum rankings has really got me thinking about why I come here to the forum in the first place.  It's very simple really, and its not to score points, or rise up the rankings.
  I come here to do two things:  Firstly, I try to help a few folks with broadband router and connectivity problems by giving them impartial, non-partisan advice - the emphasis being on impartial.  Secondly, I come here to learn more about other areas of broadband from those who know much more about it than I do.
  Sadly, it seems that healthy controversy and debate is no longer welcome on the forum.  Nor, it seems, are technical issues which, whilst only of interest to a few, are still important to some on the forum.  Checking through the forum, it seems that some 60% of the points I have awarded over the last two weeks have now been removed from their recipients.  I'd given those points because the contributor had given something to me - either a better understanding of a complex area, a better answer than the one I would have offered, or simply because they made me smile.
  I can't play this silly game any longer.  Whilst I am happy to continue to offer impartial and hopefully useful advice - I no longer wish to participate in a ranking structure that rewards conformity and blandness over innovation and real contribution.
  So, if I should happen to help you, please don't give me any points - a brief thank you is fine - passing on the advice to someone else is even better.  I won't offer you any points either.  Better to judge us all by reputation and word of mouth than silly titles.
  "To forbid us anything is to make us have a mind for it."
  -- Michel de Montaigne, Essays, 1559

  Just to add my bit and then I'll leave it be.
  Having read all the above posts several times now, I too am "thinking about why I come here to the forum".
  I agree with what GD has written (I couldn't have put it better). I also choose to visit here to make friends and in doing so hopefully make the forum community a better place to be. I do this by having a bit of a laugh and a joke. This probably isn't the right place to do this but I feel it 'breaks the ice' plus I can stay on this forum in between 'gaps' in questions, comments and replies rather than just a passing glance. With reference to "healthy controversy and debate is no longer welcome on the forum.  Nor, it seems, are technical issues". I don't see any problem with openly discussing these types of subjects. At times members may presume that activities/actions are illegal, that is against the law so therefore it must be legal and therefore can be discussed. The way I look at it: Is it not better to post these types of comments/concerns here rather than elsewhere whereby they cannot be locked? I guess that any new visitor would be surprised to see a locked thread and wonder why it was not allowed to continue to its conclusion. I feel that the members who do award ratings to other members should remain a private matter (once you log in you can see who gave a rating). The way I see it, what is to stop me from awarding rating points to every single post? I have also noticed that regulars on the old forum don't/won't post here for several reasons. Has anybody looked at the old forums "Top users"?
  Now if the rating system could be altered to a two tier system (something similar to the old method of "helpful" and "answered" ratings) then I believe it could work better. Ratings awarded in this category would show next to the user id. Any other member that thought that the authors post was useful then a simple "other members rating" could be included on that thread/post.
  A polite note to the Forum Moderators. If anything I have written is not allowed then please edit my post as you deem necessary and please do not lock this thread. Thank you.
  -+-No longer a forum member-+-

• Some help please navigating these forums and a little discussion as well?

  There are a few questions I’d like to post, but first I need to determine how to use this newer style of user-to-user forum. Yeah, it’s been around a few years or so, but I’ve seen it take over the more traditional message board systems like v-bulletin and phpBB. Those boards were easy to navigate, as the forums, categories and topics were presented in a typical directory tree structure (even though the built-in search functions leaved a lot to be desired).
  Now the trend has shifted to formats such as this. While some retain some semblance of categories and topics (discussions), others seem to abandon this altogether in favor posts or discussions being related via tags or keywords. Google is the worst offender – forcing the user to select up to 4 pre-defined descriptors when creating a new post.
  Also confusing is how the terminology has changed. The forums are now calling topics, discussions. But they end up containing even less actual discussion on the topic and have de-volved into simple questions and answered. This is reinforced by the use of buttons to compel the original poster to designate responses as helpful or correct answers. This I would guess is in response to the myriad of answer seekers posting questions, receiving several helpful replies and never going back to say thanks, thus, the threads become all but useless for others who experience and seek out solutions to similar issues.
  The new format also usually starts out with “ask your question here” which is just another way to say, “hey, how about at least giving the search a try before asking a question that’s been covered before”.  Because many self-contained search features just don’t work, I can see why users just skip over it. But, what they may not know is that you can use Google to search a specific site. Forum, or blog which usually works pretty well. I’ve done this on a number of occasions, only to find the response as “this question has been answered here a hundred times – try searching”. If the responder is feeling generous that day, he or she may also present a link – a google search link that includes keywords.
  So, here I do see the initial ask your question box, then underneath that, a bunch of icons that represent particular products/topics. I start searches using more keywords, the reduce them If there are too many results. This gradual decline works well for Google, but here at Apple Support, I went from over 700 results to just two by eliminating all but the two mandatory keywords. I will do some more searches and post in the appropriate section, but my gut reaction is that it would be hard to believe that I’m the only person who has ever had this question.
  So, then – what’s the best and right way to use this new forum?
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  A BRIEF HISTORY OF ONLINE MESSAGE BOARDS
  I’m turning the double-nickel this year, so I’ve earned the right to gripe a bit. I don’t know everything, but for those of you youngsters, do yourself a favor a read up. If you truly are a techno-phile, you’ll find it at least somewhat interesting, at least enough to do a little research. Plus, this information isn’t all that old.
  The first online community I was exposed to was the BBS – Bulletin Board System. I had just bought my first PC, a Tandy, and the sales guy sold me a modem and gave me a number to call to connect to his BBS. I installed the modem, dialed the number and for the first time heard the annoyingly beautiful sounds of modems connecting. The, almost like “Do you want to play a game?”, text appeared on my monitor and I was hooked. The BBSes were local – to avoid long distance calls – and operated by those who could afford a second, dedicated computer and phone line. Usually, only one person could connect at a time – browse the discussion topics, leave a post to add to the discussion, check private messages (email) then log off.
  News Groups were the next form on online interaction I was introduced to. These required a special server running a dedicated protocol and a new reader, usually integrated in with an email client like Outlook Express. Each group was a specific topic – for example, Microsoft groups may have had a couple dozen or so groups covering topics like Windows 95 or networking, other commercially sponsored groups, or self-created groups. Like a BBS, you would log on, catch up on unread messages, respond to some and move on. It was in the News Groups where I learned how to program web pages to connect to a hosted database and many other things, thanks to the expertise and kindness of strangers. These groups soon became the territory of spammers, not to mention the real ugly recesses of the internet – international folks sharing “content” that the work obscene can’t even begin to describe. ISP’s soon dropped news groups from their services and they went away.
  By this time however, the world-wide-web was now in full swing. We no longer needed AOL or Prodigy to get on the Net, just an ISP and browser. Broadband was becoming available in select markets. Web-based bulletin boards sprang up all over, filling the void that the news groups left behind. They evolved, but kept to the simple structure and format for a good long while. As the cost of web hosting came down, and the availability of online databases went up, and open source application became better and more robust, anyone could incorporate a forum into their site with little time or expense.
  Social Media was on the rise. Sites came and went. From Friendster, to Myspace, then finally facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The net also settled in to a short list of other content sharing sites – YouTube, Flickr, Instagram. These took over the social discussion aspects of the online forum sites. That left the forums to take the only remaining role of software and product support – both as an extension of a company’s support solution or user-to-user help and support.
  On more than one occasion, I’ve tried to engage other users in topical and conceptual discussion in these groups, but it seems that they’ve already used their energy for that keeping up with their social media obligations. Facebook groups get lost in the multitude of pages. So end user support groups have settled into Q & A, mark the answer as correct them move on. Then another person comes along with the same question, enters it into the box, sees the first ten “pertinent” results that don’t answer the question, posts the question, and the cycle continues.
  If anyone has read this far, I commend you! Reading is fast becoming a lost art. I know it’s hard to read off a computer screen, easier on a tablet. And while I live my gizmos and gadgets, I have to still at least once in a while pick up a real book. I’m perfectly satisfied with my iTunes system with the only issue being the quality of any downloaded music. It’s better than it used to be, but CD’s have superior sound. Blu-ray Disc has superior sound and picture.
  I did purchase several books from the iTunes Book Store. But why? I could have bought them anywhere and read them in iBooks, but not the other way around. I had to sell my iOS devices. And now I can’t read my books. But that’s another story, for another day.

  Slip Jigs
  Contributors here so far are the cream of the crop...
  As an overall reaction to your treatise, I agree. I also judge that you - like me - may have some experience and skill at UX design (User eXperience - usability design, for the unwashed masses).
  First, let me commend your use of the WHITE SPACE that Apple graphic designers have so kindly provided. Looks very much like a paper page full of easy-to-read-SERIF-FONT text - it is clear you have experience with design concepts.
  As a tribute, I will post in your style - although our compose pane here is not quite WYSIWYG, I am hoping that line spacing will sort itself out, if not I will remove my attempt at bucking the system - but it may time for you to get some new optics
  you said:
  " ... v-bulletin and phpBB. Those boards were easy to navigate, as the forums, categories and topics were presented in a typical directory tree structure... "
  Agree that vBulletin, etc. WERE easy and familiar - but what is this structure but lipstick on that pig - see SITEMAP | ASC  (tt2's excellent UserTip). The digital directory tree is merely an adaption of the familiar Fileroom of old... a room for files(computer), file cabinets w/ file 'folders'(folders) and files(files). Apple in the form of Jobs/Wozniak (actually Xerox, but I won't quibble) was groundbreaking in the introduction of the GUI to the masses. [see your comment on being forced to learn a new way of working... has always been thus]
  Let me add that the lack of Apple's implementation of the stock features of "Sticky" threads - Announcements, Hot Topics, etc., is a miscalculation. The CATEGORIES above the Using ASC list of threads - "Announcements" and "Community Events" - baffle me as to their usefulness as I can see neither when I click 'em, only some "filtering" of what is in the "Feedback about Discussions" (?Feedback ?about? Disscussions?) Category.
  you further said:
  "... the trend has shifted to formats such as this. While some retain some semblance of categories and topics (discussions), others seem to abandon this altogether in favor posts or discussions being related via tags or keywords... "
  Kids these days... => iDevices (generic for handheld smarty-devices of any stripe) are responsible for the VISUAL graphic design conventions... no more teensy-weensy cursor - but BIG FAT FINGERS.
  A good suggestion to submit at Support_Feedback  might be to improve the 'Smartness' of the search capabilities by REQUIRING tags to be attached by the OP (offer suggestions if they wish) AND FURTHER, allowing other users of status to ADD tags (see your ¶ #2) - my estimation of the ACTIVE SEARCH is that it is looking for matching terms in the title of a thread, but I have no proof - anecdotal or by documentation at JiveSoftware.
  additionally you said:
  "... the use of buttons to compel the original poster to designate responses as helpful or correct answers. This I would guess is in response to the myriad of answer seekers posting questions, receiving several helpful replies and never going back to say thanks, thus, the threads become all but useless for others who experience and seek out solutions to similar issues. "
  I have no experience with other enterprise solutions, but the scuttlebutt on Jive is that it is the best in the business at Community Collaborative WorkFlow Software for Big Enterprise. We here unfortunately have been given use of a mere pittance of Jive's features. Apparently the MARKUP buttons have a really valuable purpose in the complete package of Jive workflow management. Here, merely a system for rewarding helpers. The green icon goes un-noticed by most and the OPost is likely irrelevant to most individual's issue. Regarding the latter portion, you can't change human nature. Some folks just aren't team players.
  you continued:
  "... The new format also usually starts out with “ask your question here” which is just another way to say, “hey, how about at least giving the search a try before asking a question that’s been covered before”. Because many self-contained search features just don’t work, I can see why users just skip over it. But, what they may not know is that you can use Google to search a specific site. ... "
  This particular issue of "Why do folks not go to the dadgum forum related to their device/software?" has plagued me since actively taking part here. My maladies prompted ME to go directly to the forum/sub-forum where they belonged. Clearly "My iPhone is a BRICK - how do I UN-BRICK IT?" does not belong in this forum - Using ASC - but thousands of similar questions land here - it MAY be because the DEFAULT forum for un-PRE-visited forum at SUBMIT.
  The WELCOME page has the preferred path - a "Search or ask a question" field and the teeny -> New to the Community? Start Here.  link (actually Tutorials )
  -- neither of which content does anything to coach the new user in "How Do I Use This Joint?"
  Something akin to "Pick the Device or Software in which you are interested below" might at least get the visitor to the right place to BROWSE their issue. Many folks are unable to craft a TITLE to their question that even resembles their problem, much less explain it in the bodytext.
  This is explained  in the javascript:; link "How to write a good question"  - e content of which I leave open AND hi-lited in a text file ready to copy/paste, for example:
  Quoted from  Apple's "How to write a good question"
     To help other members answer your question, give as many details as you can.
  Include your product name and specs such as processor speed, memory, and storage capacity. Please do not include your Serial Number, IMEI, MEID, or other personal information.
  Provide the version numbers of your operating system and relevant applications, for example "iOS 6.0.3" or "iPhoto 9.1.2".
  Describe the problem, and include any details about what seems to cause it.
  List any troubleshooting steps you've already tried, or temporary fixes you've discovered.
  Here is how obscure that information is
  It's almost as if the confusion is by design.
  HOORAY! - another fan of the Google workaround. I get pooh-poohed by some for even suggesting going off the reservation, but it works WONDERFULLY and is FAST AS LIGHTNING with even more useful post-result filtering.
  you concluded your evaluation with:
  " So, then – what’s the best and right way to use this new forum? "
  Learn the system just like you did when you first started using a computer instead of paper. It is what it is. I have a comfortable WorkFlow established using browser bookmarks and Add-ons + Google for all searches + email notifications to sort the wheat from the chaff. Not adopted of my choosing... but at least it's MINE!! Be advised that the SiteWare employs some "we will save you from yourself, helmet-law-like features" that may frustrate you from time to time - until you discover (or are told) how to circumvent them.
  Some definitions:
  Apple Support Communities = Bulletin Board Software Site
  Community = Forum
  Category = Sub-Forum
  Question = Thread
  Reply = Reply
  Your not so "Brief History..." is clearly a good evaluation and Executive Summary. Are you SURE you're not an interactive developer?
  best regards
  CCC

• Can anyone tell me if anyone from Apple reads these forums

  *Can anyone tell me if anyone from Apple reads these forums and does anything about the issues experienced?* I still have a faulty proximity sensor, even after the latest download. I went to the Apple Store and they told me to stop using it with the leather pouch, but it doesn't make any difference. I even tested the test models in the store and they did the same thing.
  *Has anyone been able to fix the proximity sensor fault on their phone so that it doesn't come on whilst your talking?*
  Someone please help. I loved my iphone 3G, but the iphone 4 has caused me to become so disappointed with Apple. I'm even thinking of moving to the Samsung Galaxy, which has Google Android capability, moving background wallpapers, bluetooth capability, video capability that is compatible the a variety of media players (not just Quicktime), the ability to send business cards to non-apple phones and the ability to be used as a USB drive without needing wifi or itunes.

  These Forums are mostly users talking with users, now and then you may see the grey Apple icon of an employee/genius posting and the purple Apple of a Forum host but they aren't here to pass on feedback.
  The best way to make your point is to send feedback here:
  http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

• Posting script code in these forums

  OK, it looks like there are some (new) formatting issues with these forums when people try to post their scripts. I have been using a formatter script that converts the text on the clipboard to HTML and then wraps it in a pre tag, but there still seems to be some issues with certain characters. The following script has worked for me so far (although I don't post that much) - what other scripts or methods work for you?
  <pre title="this text can be pasted into the Script Editor" style="font-family: Monaco, 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 10px; padding: 5px; width: 720px; color: #000000; background-color: #E0E0E0; overflow: auto">-- script formatter
  property TempFile : "SF_TempFile" -- a temporary work file
  property TheWidth : "width: 720px; " -- a width attribute (deprecated in HTML 4.01)
  try
  set TheClipboard to (the clipboard) as string
  set MyOpenFile to open for access ("/tmp/" & TempFile & ".txt" as POSIX file) with write permission
  set eof of MyOpenFile to 0 -- empty the temp file
  write TheClipboard to MyOpenFile
  close access MyOpenFile
  -- convert to HTML - see man textutil
  do shell script "cd /tmp/; textutil -convert html -excludedelements '(html, head, title, body, p, span, font)' -encoding US-ASCII " & TempFile & ".txt"
  -- strip the first line (<?xml ?>) and add the <pre>...</pre> wrapper
  set TheText to rest of (paragraphs of (read ("/tmp/" & TempFile & ".html" as POSIX file))) as text
  set TheText to "<pre title=\"this text can be pasted into the Script Editor\" style=\"font-family: Monaco, 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 10px; padding: 5px; " & TheWidth & "color: #000000; background-color: #E0E0E0; overflow: auto\">" & TheText & "</pre>"
  set the clipboard to TheText
  display dialog ((count TheText) as text) & " characters placed on the clipboard" with title "Script Formatted" buttons {"OK"} default button "OK" giving up after 4
  on error ErrorMessage number ErrorNumber
  display alert "Error " & (ErrorNumber as string) message ErrorMessage as warning buttons {"OK"} default button "OK"
  end try</pre>

  Hello red_menace,
  Indeed a pre-processing code like yours is always an option for us, but from my point of view, the correct solution is for the discussions' admins to disable this meddlesome formatting feature of the new fora software.
  This new feature affects not only new posts but also the existing messages in the fora, that means it has rendered quite a few useful messages totally useless. This is actually serious data loss caused by the thoughtless software. And for what?
  After all, these discussions' boards are not chat rooms where people might want some simple input methods for fancy text formattings, but technical support fora where people frequently post programming codes, computer outputs and so forth that have many reserved symbols and notation.
  I really wish they may fix this promptly.
  Best regards,
  Hiroto

• Dear Oracle: PLEASE improve the SEARCH on these forums!!!

  Subject: Dear Oracle: PLEASE improve the SEARCH on these forums!!!
  I have been getting frustrated using the search on these forums. I find the content very useful (especially as I cannot seem to find any other forums for Oracle Portal) but the search facility is very poor.
  Firstly, the Search will on search for an exact match in the body of the messages, not the subject at all! This is very annoying as people usually sum-up there question in the subject and often do not repeat the subject in the message.
  Secondly, the search looks for exact matches of your search string, so searching for more than one word become difficult. Bascially, it does only an exact match, not a word search, so forget about using keywords to search on as you would do in every other search engine and be very carful of the order of your words, you'll get a completly different set of results by swaping the order of your words... :(
  eg. Selecting "ALL FORUMS", try searching for "Customizing Change Password Page". no hits? ok try "Customizing Password" still no hits? ok try "Customizing the Password". still no hits? ok just try "customizing". You get 10 Pages of 20 (Oracle conviently puts them over 10 pages so you cannot view them all on a html page and do your own secondary search using CTRL-F). Well, this is too many, lets just try "Change Password". again 20 x 10+ pages. At least this time we've got some that also have the work customizing in the subject. If only we got here on the first search... Don't even think of adding the word "PDK" or "Example" to your search...
  I have already provided feedback to Oracle on this matter (and am still waiting for a reply). If you would also like the search improved, please also send Oracle some feedback and make this forum more useful. If enough people pester them they might think it's important enought to change. link below:
  http://otn.oracle.com/contact/htdocs/feedback.htm
  Cheers,
  Tim.
  P.S. In the meantime, does anyone know of any other good Portal forums?

  Couldn't agree more, if only the search was as good as on Metalink...

• I keep trying to get MS to fix these forums

  For the 4th time in a week MS has lost my email.  These forums are getting worse and worse to deal with and posting in the forum that is supposed to about these problems is met with a deafening nothingness from MS!
  Is there anyone monitoring this forum that can get to someone at MS that cares?
  Or does anyone at MS care?
  Lloyd Sheen

  Hi Lloyd,
  Thanks for letting us know your pain when using MSDN forums.
  I just reviewed few of your previous post about forum issues. Thanks very much for posting them which are definitely helpful for us to improve the platform.
  I do understand your feeling, and I think I will also feel bad if I encounter this kind of issues. However, I would like to let you know that the development team for forum platform is trying to make the site more useful and stable, since I've been engaged
  to collect user's feedback.
  Customer is always our first priority, so we do care about users on the platform and user experience when we working on this platform. I will send your feedback(including previous ones) to the PM who is driving this directly.
  To well manage the WPF forum, I will ask our moderators to move this thread to forum platform support queue. I will keep monitoring on this.
  Thanks again for your feedback and cooperation!
  <THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED>
  Thanks
  Alan Yao
  MSDN Community Support
  Please remember to "Mark as Answer" the responses that resolved your issue. It is a common way to recognize those who have helped you, and makes it easier for other visitors to find the resolution later.

• Browsing these forums with the iPad - Safari Crashes

  Has anyone noticed less occurance of Safari crashing when browsing these forums and upgrading to iOS 5?   I haven't done so yet, and it seems my iPad crashes Safari a lot even after emptying cookies, cache and history and browsing these forums under 3G.  Currently on iOS 4.3.1 on first generation 64 GB iPad.

  I haven't had any trouble with Safari myself (iPad 2, iOS 5.0.1) but I admit I don't use it that much because I really don't like it. I've found iCab Mobile to be an all around superior browser. I have certainly seen more than one post about Safari crashing, though.

• Kindly do not make these forums as only the game of points

  Hi all,
  Please stop mentioning commitments on the points as thread heading or as the part of threads.It sometimes mis guide the new persons in utilizing this forums.
  Even though every body interested to gain points, it does not mean that points is the only ultimate goal of these forums.
  And also think abt a while how threads on interview questions spiol the culture of the forums.
  With rgds,
  Anil Kumar Sharma .P

  This might be stretching the argument, but...
  In many cases, the answer 'original poster' wrote is not that original - it may be a code copy from his system which is his employer's IP (again weblogs containing slidesets used at customer site and then used in the blog on SDN comes to mind), a copy from SAP's documentation, a copy from OSS note and so on.
  If I really tell anyone "RSXXXX will get you the change log table name" as an answer, it might be a copy from another post, but really, do you think it was such an 'original' answer drafted by the original poster that an acknowledgement is necessary?
  An acknowledgement, where due, should be given I agree. But, many a times a URL opening something in another window (or same) for a two line answer is mere inconvenience for the questioner, compared to a cut-paste in the same thread. At least this is what is the decider for me. (If it is a small generic answer, just do a cut-paste, if it is a post where original thread needs to be acknowledged, mention the URL). In the end, your priority is to answer to help the questioner, why not make it easy by pasting it there in that thread? In the end, I would still think leaving it in poster's good-faith decision is the most practical option.
  In general, people gaming for points are not that successful (you and me have discussed at least one such poster on this board), and others on the board do figure out what they are up to. I know it stretches the moderator's work but this is the price SDN has to pay for success.
  As an example, if I ever quote Pizzaman's answer, I will mention the URL since he typically writes a well-formed descriptive answer and that effort needs to be appreciated, however if it is a two line code, I may paste it without bothering about mentioning the link.
  In the end, one needs to be somewhat detached with the points one gets, or not. We all evolve (initially the craving for points is more, and it subsides to a level later). At any point in time different SDNers are at different points on that evolution curve, thus causing such friction/debates.
  I take it philosophically, I know as a moderator you may not have that choice
  Apologies for too much free time (on my hand) causing such long posts (perils of on-the-bench life).

• Non-Arch screenshots on these forums

  I am getting tired of people lurking on the forums, not running Arch yet posting their screenshots in the appropriate (well I should rather say inappropriate) topics. There is no point - and no honour - on posting Arch screenshots on Ubuntu. That goes both ways if you ask me. Why is it people keep dropping their screenies on these forums? Is it aspiration? Is it self-illusion? I don't know. I just know I find it irritating. And I just wanted to voice it

  iBertus wrote:I posted a Windows screenshot once. Why should it matter what distro someone is using if they feel like sharing it. The end result is the same, people sharing ideas for desktop setups. The screenshot thread used to be fun and informative, not strictly governed and all uptight.
  I thought about posting a basic Windows XP picture in the April screen shot thread... you know, like one that still has the Luna theme and is disorganized with tons of icons everywhere... and maybe with a folder called porn thrown in there for good measure.
  April fools came and went before I thought about it, though.