Birdforum.net

Sorry, but a good forum doesn't have to be like that.BF is huge and needs a lot of money to keep it going too.It is also a daunting experience for many as the Xbeebs will tell you, and not easy to follow at all when you first join.Now look at BF,s other sites  like their garden and cookery forums which are very straight forward, simple, easy to follow and inexpensive too.Some of the free sites are equally easy.

I agree things are not right here but copying Birdforum is definitely out of the question.

mpiekp said:

They have already spent on software, I would prefer they patch this one and keep their money for what it is really for.

Hi Mpie

I agree with you that the big Birdforum is a very big forum and it takes a lot of looking after...the RSPB Fourm needs to be taken as it should and savings should be made as much as possible.

The big Bird Forum is also well moderated, and that is how any forum should be run -0 zero tolerence for any bad behaviour - I have been a member since 2007 and I have learned a lot from this one Fourm alone about birds on all levels, and remain a lover of this forum to this day, and forever as far as i am concerned.

The RSPB Forum is a light weight version of BF, and it makes a change to be less serious about the love of birds too - so this Forum runs in parallel to the big Bird Fourm as far as I am concerned.- just a good for a chat about birds anyday.

Regards

Kathy and Dave

I must confess to using Bird Forum,totally different set up to this forum,the local area sections are reasonably friendly,other sections get a bit pathetic at times,the long running thread on the Rock Bunting in Yorkshire got totally stupid.There is room for at least both forums plus the others out there but I for one would not like this to go down the BF road,as I think I said elsewhere this is getting better albeit slower than some would like.

hmmm, I wondered when someone would voice there frustration that the site was tough to navigate around. On the flip side, tough words for people to swollow when they have spent so much time on improving the site. Its taken me a little while to learn where everything is, but thats the reason why you 'add' it to your favorite list. Then you can nav straight to the right pages and then return to your profile page to then move to the next.

Just my two cence.

Chappers,that's roughly what I have been doing for a while,it works for me and seems to make life easier.

I use the main Community Home Page to browse for threads I haven't read, or for my own threads, or for ones I have replied to at some stage. I also use the Activities list on the main page to follow my friends and see what they have posted. I use the little blue filters to see exactly what I want to see.

I only use the navigation tabs when I want to find an old thread or to start one myself. I do have the main forums on my favourites list, but never actually use them!

Must say I agree that this new format is taking me longer to get used to than when I started on the old one and there are still some bits I haven't found. The thing I find confusing is that not all the areas seem to operate the same pattern. For instance finding the forums under the different subject tabs is not consistant. If there are technical reasons for such inconsistencies then I feel they should be clearly sign posted.

However thanks all for your bits on this thread - very helpful!! It is a good job some of us are sticking it out it as without the users' hints and guidance I'd have given up in despair a long time ago!

Jenni

I have probably said before it's up to us to make it work as long as the annoying bits are sorted out