Just venting some users' frustrations with watched content

[Guest]

Posting this here since it is indeed feedback to the company, and not a call for support per se.

We moved form vB to IPP two months ago. One of the main issues we're facing is that users feel lost and can't find their content, their watched topics etc.

Here is an example of feedback I get from my users:

From my viewpoint, the number 1 issue is Navigation. There isn't any.

Issues 2 thru 5 (in order) are the lack of:

Navigation

Navigation

Navigation and

Navigation.

Issue 6 is that so MUCH of the website is printed in pastel cream on pastel gray and pastel blue on off-white. In 3 point Arial.

Issue 7 is not having a dynamic list to current dialogues. Oh, there is a list, but it can't be "sorted" by order of how often you have posted there, and the date of your last post. I now find myself posting to a thread and then remembering a WEEK later, "whatever happened to that thread about xyz?".

Issue 8 is not being able to "flag" important posts that I want to see later, or respond to later. And then somewhere in the "content" process, display a list of flagged posts in some desired order. Of course, this is just Navigation.

Issue 9 is format. Couldn't they pick just ONE font size for posts, instead of EVERY size from 10 down to 1.5? And TOO MUCH white space. TOO MUCH WHITE SPACE!!!

[to be continued] [size="4"]IF[/size] I can ever [size="5"]FIND THIS THREAD AGAIN!!![/size]

This is his nth post on it, so I figure he's giving up soon. His notes regarding the styles is not so important here, but the rest is, IMHO, all about how IPB is not geared towards making it easy for people to follow up on what they have posted in.

As soon as people learn about the "New content" tab, half the problem is gone, but the New Content doesn't always show anything even when there is new content. Users simply have no easy access to their Watched content. The gadget on the board index is buggy, and the "Manage watched content" is for some unknown reason hidden deep within the user settings panel.

IMHO it would be a major improvement for IPB if a feature was added that let people *easily* see what's new for them, and subscribe/unsusbscribe to topics in a more intuitive way. I don't have the solution to that, but I think people are getting used to a more "In your face" Facebook way of dealing with online content that they participate in. The old forum listing isn't cutting it anymore.

The portal is difficult to set up and it does not solve this. It would be much better if the portal actually gave people this stream of information - what's new for you, your friends, how would you like it sorted, what's your priorities.

Just wanted to bring this up - I see several topics on this in these forums and maybe particularly from old vB folks like myself.

[Jυra]

They have that sidebar thing, but my forum doesn't have sidebars...

[Collin S.]

Find My Content is under your user profile, and Watched Topics are not what this user is looking for?

I've never had a problem remembering topics I want to follow, really. :whistle:

[Guest]

I've never had a problem remembering topics I want to follow, really. :whistle:

Good for you! But this isn't about you, or me, is it. This is a long-time user of my forums. And basically - the only complaint I get from my members after moving to IPB is that they can't figure out how to check for updated topics.

I've even set up a global message to let people know where they can find things. I guess it's not intuitive for people to have to click on their name in order to find a sub menu item they have to click on in order to see what's new.

And the "Watched topics" list is completely gibberish for me. None of the topics it shows are relevant.

Look at this image showing my current "Watched topics" board index gadget. Not a single topic was updated today, and none of these topics are the most recent ones updated. I can't figure out how it decides which topics to show (I sort of expect it to show the most recent activity in topics you watch).

I can't ask my users to use a feature that does not work. :)

[Taylor J]

It just keeps a list there of the ones you clicked watch topic in.

[3DKiwi]

Have to say I agree to some extent with the original poster. Things aren't as clear as they could be especially to new members of your forum. What I would like is a reworking of the View new content link so that rather then one link there is something similar to the new search options i.e. a drop down with the following options:

Show all new content (since my last visit)
Show new replies to topics I have started
Show today's topics (Yes there is a link for this now but it's hidden away at the bottom of the index page. I manually add this in next View new content)
Show new replies to topics I have posted in
Show me new replies to topics I have subscribed to
Show me all topics I am subscribed to
Show me all forums I am subscribed to
Show me my recent posts
Show me my recent topics

This would be a big help.

3DKiwi

[Guest]

It just keeps a list there of the ones you clicked watch topic in.

That may be one of it's functions. I automatically subscribe to all topics I participate in, but I rarely use the "Watch this topic" feature.

So the contents of the list I posted is a mystery to me, because I have definitely NOT clicked "watch this topic" in all of those topics, but I have participated in them.

How does the "Watched topics" gadget sort the topics it shows?

[Taylor J]

That may be one of it's functions. I automatically subscribe to all topics I participate in, but I rarely use the "Watch this topic" feature.

So the contents of the list I posted is a mystery to me, because I have definitely NOT clicked "watch this topic" in all of those topics, but I have participated in them.

How does the "Watched topics" gadget sort the topics it shows?

Good point there, but for your question I do not know :P, I rarely ever click watch this topic. I just know what topics I want to watch.

I am thinking this should be overhauled for 3.2.0.

[TackleUnderground]

I have to agree,

I use the "watch" feature kinda like a "bookmark" system to keep track of resources here on IPB, but even after a year of switching to IPB, I still have trouble finding the content, its simply NOT intuitive.
The notification system seems off also, as I make topics and am not notified whatsoever to replies.

My community still complain 1+ yr later about having trouble finding the new content, along with issues in searching.

These are core functions to any community and I hope they are being honed for 3.2

I'm almost to the point of using my browser to "bookmark" topics instead.

[PECarter]

YES! This seems like a global problem for both IPS customers and many VB Migrants, VB has a much better way of keeping track of New Content, and New Content that I have Posted in.

[G Fox]

I've discussed one aspect of this in my thread about wanting a '[url=" unread posts' feature. Just cross-linking here.
I also found this thread on a similar topic.