www.whyville.net Mar 15, 2009 Weekly Issue



Mspacman1
Guest Writer

Extreme Makeover: BBS Edition

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Last week, I went to check on the BBS of an article I wrote. I clicked the link, "Discuss this article in the BBS," and instead of seeing the usual purple background, I saw a strange place. Did I click the right link? Then I remembered that at "Meet the Makers" the City Workers said they would be updating the BBS.

I for one don't really like it at all. I think it is cluttered and confusing. I also hate that they got rid of the "Next Thread/Previous Thread" buttons; it makes going through all the threads take a lot more time.

I wanted to see what other Whyvillians thought, so I interviewed some.

Mspacman1: When did you first notice the new BBS?
Jank03: I noticed the BBS change right after it was implemented.
Drama851: I noticed first when on the old BBS I was making a post and then when I posted it all of a sudden it changed.
Kaela1221: Yesterday (3/12/09).
Ooooopppp: Wednesday, March 11th, after looking into the BBS of a Times Article.
Holiday50: I first noticed the new BBS on Wednesday night.

Mspacman1: Do you like the new BBS?
Jank03: I think it's ok. They really didn't add anything to it besides the online part. It's just a layout revamp.
Drama851: Yes it looks neater and more colorful.
Kaela1221: It seems to be very organized and neat, and has a lot more categories (definitely a plus) but we'll have to wait until I figure out how to use the new BBS before I judge it.
Ooooopppp: Yes, ooooopppp likes it a lot. The colours they used aren't too bright and my eyes are happy.
Holiday50: No I don't.

Mspacman1: If you could choose, would you prefer the old or new BBS?
Jank03: I would choose the new, but only if they would coordinate the colours better.
Drama851: Old so it would be easier for me to change threads.
Kaela1221: Right now, the old BBS. Once I have it figure out, I may or may not change my mind. We'll see.
Ooooopppp: If by the "old" one, you mean that we could have the one that we had before the previous one, then that one. But if the options were between the current one or the previous one, definitely the current one.
Holiday50: I prefer the old BBS.

Mspacman1: Does the new BBS seem or organized, or more cluttered?
Jank03: It really does look/feel a lot more cluttered. It is slightly confusing at first, but you get the hang of it.
Drama851: For me it is more organized.
Kaela1221: Definitely A lot more organized! So many more categories!
Ooooopppp: It seems to be a bit cluttered, but with the some rearranging of where some things are it would be fantastically fantastical.
Holiday50: The new BBS seems more cluttered and disorganized. I don't like how the layout and font are "larger" than in the old BBS. It's harder to find posts.

Mspacman1: If you could change something about the new BBS, what would you change?
Jank03: Definitely the colours.
Drama851: A "next thread/last thread".
Kaela1221: I would change the fact that you can't post links, or pictures, and I would make it so that you could use fonts, change the color of your text, and be able to upload a signature.
Ooooopppp: No comment.
Holiday50: To go to different pages in a thread, you have to scroll down to the bottom of the page. You should be able to do it from the top and bottom. Also, there are no "Next thread" and "Previous thread" buttons. Moreover, the thumbs up/thumbs down buttons on each post are pointless.

Mspacman1: Any last thoughts?
Jank03: Nope.
Drama851: Nope, no last thoughts come to mind.
Kaela1221: Nope. =)
Ooooopppp: What's another word for Thesaurus?
Holiday50: I do not like the colour combination.

So there you have it, some people like the new BBS, some people don't. Some say it's cluttered, some say it's more organized.

When I first saw the new BBS I noticed the "Rules and Guidelines" button at the bottom of the page. When I clicked on it, it just said; "Rules and guidelines here." Also I have yet to see a City Worker's post in the "Ask the City Workers" section of the BBS. Both of these could turn into big problems. What if someone posted something against the rules but didn't know because the so called "Rules and Guidelines" weren't there? Also the City Workers shouldn't have an "Ask the City Workers" section if they have no time to even read the BBS posts.

I really think the BBS needs to be improved drastically. I really loved the old BBS because it was simple; it was just a place to discuss articles and to get tips on writing future articles. It seems like now, all of that is gone.

This is Mspacman1, going to once again, check to see if her question on the BBS was answered yet.
*CLICK*

 

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