Can I block the "Private Forums"?

tapu · #1 12-04-2009, 06:11 AM

I'd like to be able to read "New Posts" without all the Game Room, etc., posts listed. Is that possible?

Thanks! -the tapu

adnoid · #2 12-04-2009, 08:29 AM

I don't know of a way to do that.

tapu · #3 12-04-2009, 09:08 AM

WHAT??!! I'm aghast.... What are you, French?? (ha ha just kidding)

But really... who are you and what did you do with the real Adnoid??

wfgodot · #4 12-24-2010, 08:51 PM

A year+ later, this still remains a worthy issue; in the last few months, Game Room threads have invaded New Posts like kudzu - I've seen as many as 18 out of the 25 new posts available on their first page taken up by Game Room threads, which prevent one from easily checking out what's going on, WebSleuths-wise, on-site. Many times, a quarter to a third of the content displayed on New Posts is not what I and most others come to WebSleuths for - issues involving crime - thus frustrating those of us who want to discover at a glance new and interesting threads on which we have not yet posted (and thus are not among our subscribed threads).

I have no problem with the games - have played some of them myself - but their prevalence and display on New Posts is not the best advertising for what an interesting site this is.

It would be great if Game Room threads could be considered for a separate area.

impatientredhead · #5 12-25-2010, 02:16 AM

When you log in if you go to the forum you don't want to read (games in this case) and mark only that forum read and then go to the new post button will that work?

Or that still leaves your list full, just doesn't show them as bold since you marked them as read?

The other route would be to subscribe to all the other forums (have to check every once in awhile to make sure new forums haven't been added that you are not subscribed to), I go with subscribed to the forum but no notices, and then instead of new posts I go to my subscription page, filter to show newest posts first.

Still may not give you exactly what you want, but it might be a work around?

Melanie · #6 12-25-2010, 03:55 AM

Now I don't want to offend any game room people, but I'd like an answer to this too

Help - I don't get the numbers countdown. What is that all about?

impatientredhead · #7 12-25-2010, 04:11 AM

I have no clue and I am trying to figure out how I have my settings done because I don't see that thread in new posts or in the subscription view (which of course I am not subscribed so I wouldn't see it there) but it doesn't show up in new post at all.

wfgodot · #8 12-25-2010, 12:55 PM

Just hit a new high today. At 11:54 a.m. CST, 19 out of 25 "New Posts" threads were courtesty the Game Room.

impatientredhead · #9 12-25-2010, 01:00 PM

I saw that, my magical settings were that no one was using that thread.
I don't like the new post button anymore.
And I was so happy with my new button (I read posts differently).
Marking that forum read does at least take the bold away so the new posts stand out.

wfgodot · #10 12-25-2010, 01:04 PM

Another new high (or low) just noted: 12:04 p.m. CST, 21 out of 25 new posts (84%) are from the Game Room.

It's sort of like an email-box full of spam.

gogrannypop · #11 12-25-2010, 01:18 PM

I agree, wf. It is very annoying.

impatientredhead · #12 12-25-2010, 01:19 PM

I tried ignoring a poster just to see if the filter would apply to that button, but it doesn't. Trying to find a work around. Out of 5.4 million posts 1.3 million were generated there, so there may not be a way to use the new post button effectively.

If there are unlimited active threads there it does not seem to be a way to avoid it or minimize it. I had no idea 25% of the posts here were generated there. Interesting.

A_News_Junkie · #13 12-25-2010, 01:43 PM

I hit my USER CP first - and up pops all threads that have been updated since my last visit that:
1. I have posted in
2. That I have subscribed to (do this within a thread you want to read but maybe not post in)

Then if I get done with all that -- I hit new posts to see if there is any breaking new threads or stories and it makes bypassing the games easier as I look on the right at the location first!

Hope that helps someone!

JBean · #14 12-25-2010, 01:49 PM

I just go to each forum that I am interested in and skim new posts. I do not believe I have ever used the new posts button in 6 1/2 years because it covers too many forums that I am not interested in.

Many people use the game room threads to reach their minimum post number to access features. Some people post there because they like to relax and play games. The games are ongoing and so posting is constant.

wfgodot · #15 12-25-2010, 02:04 PM

"New Posts," however, can offer a wonderful diversity of content - I'm not sure just what I'll be interested in during any given day, certainly if I don't give myself a choice by looking through what can be an infinitely handy New Posts page.

To see it strangled by a predominance of posts from one segment of the WS population is like watching a vibrant pond turn brackish due to a choking growth of underwater flora.

While I'm in effect admitting I have the attention-span of a gnat, sorting through the various forums is a bit time-consuming and thus ineffective as an online activity.

As impatientredhead points out above, it is true that Game Room accounts for a significant number of WS posts. Perhaps then, it needs its own tab on the panel above - it could surely replace either Calendar or Members List, at least in terms of my own (non-) usage of those features. Thus it might be elevated to New Posts level without clogging the viewing mechanism of non-games posting.

Cazzie · #16 12-25-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

I'd like to be able to read "New Posts" without all the Game Room, etc., posts listed. Is that possible?

IINM, the software used by WS has a feature that does just that. It's called "Forums To Exclude From View"; and if implemented, it would probably be in UserCP "Edit Options".

It gives a pop-up list of all the forums and subforums, and you highlight all the ones you want eliminated from your view (by holding the control key and clicking on the forum names), and "save changes". If implemented and utilized, no new posts from the eliminated forums will show in "New Posts" and possibly "Today's Posts", under Quick Links.

Perhaps there are good reasons why this feature is not available at WS? If so, it would be interesting to know what they are, out of curiosity.

adnoid · #17 12-25-2010, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cazzie

IINM, the software used by WS has a feature that does just that. It's called "Forums To Exclude From View"; and if implemented, it would probably be in UserCP "Edit Options".

It gives a pop-up list of all the forums and subforums, and you highlight all the ones you want eliminated from your view (by holding the control key and clicking on the forum names), and "save changes". If implemented and utilized, no new posts from the eliminated forums will show in "New Posts" and possibly "Today's Posts", under Quick Links.

Perhaps there are good reasons why this feature is not available at WS? If so, it would be interesting to know what they are, out of curiosity.

That setting applies to all users, it cannnot be customized on a per user basis. Discussed here:

Exclude forum from New Posts and Today's Posts - vBulletin.org Forum

However, I did find a modification that may work. But as it's Christmas I'm not going to work on it today:

Selective Forum Filter - vBulletin.org Forum

wfgodot · #18 12-26-2010, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Another Vivid Object Lesson

Time: 12:52 p.m. CST 26 December 2010

# of Game Room threads on New Posts first page: 13 (out of 25)
# of WS members posting on Game Room threads: 3
# of WS members online: 105

So, fewer than 3% of WS members online are dominating over 50% of what gets seen on New Posts, page one, at this time.

Just sayin', just sayin'.

WhyaDuck? · #19 12-26-2010, 02:04 PM

I personally am not exactly sure why this is a problem for people. I don't use the game room, so I just look for threads that interest me when I look at the "new posts." I have all the forums I moderate in my "User CP" because I have subscribed to those specific forums.

I can see, though, how things can get under your skin once you start noticing them and getting bugged by them. I usually just skim or skip things that bug me.

wfgodot · #20 12-26-2010, 02:16 PM

Because when, let us say, one starts a new crime thread and sees its possibility of getting noticed sinking ever lower in a blither of "Pet Names, Alphabetical Order," "A, B, C's of Famous Dead People," "6-letter edition of change 1 letter" (etc. etc. ad nauseum), and "Things that Smell A-Z," one is prone to get a bit testy about matters.

Cazzie · #21 12-26-2010, 02:21 PM

The problem as I see it is that most (if not all) of the Game threads have one-liner replies (some with only a word or 2). So the volume of posts is high, compared to non-Game threads.

It's more "hits" to page through a thread, due to more threads per page than if the Game (or any other) forum(s) were excluded. It's especially a problem for users who have slow band width, gosh forbid if they access via dialup.

Just MHO, but I think it could improve this site's speed, by not bogging it down with returning more forums' threads than each user desires. Seems like anything that would reduce system resources would be a good idea, especially for a site with as many users as WS.

I could be wrong, though.

WhyaDuck? · #22 12-26-2010, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wfgodot

Because when, let us say, one starts a new crime thread and sees its possibility of getting noticed sinking ever lower in a blither of "Pet Names, Alphabetical Order," "A, B, C's of Famous Dead People," "6-letter edition of change 1 letter" (etc. etc. ad nauseum), and "Things that Smell A-Z," one is prone to get a bit testy about matters.

I can see your point, but I am not sure most people go through the "new posts." Personally, I start with my "subscribed threads." I hope crime threads aren't being strangled by game room threads, but I usually don't miss the topics I'm interested in b/c of them.

But, again, I understand how annoyances can get at you. My personal pet peeve is when threads get bumped to the "new posts" search just because someone voted in the poll, even when they didn't actually post. That bugs me, though it likely doesn't bother many others.

wfgodot · #23 12-26-2010, 02:25 PM

I hear ya on the "voted in the poll" thing. For some reason, that irks me, too, and makes my hair greyer, lol.

My bookmark for WS is set at my subscribed threads, but I like the freedom of seeing what's new on the board - indeed, I get quite a bit of my news here, stuff I like to peruse - and New Posts is the perfect venue for that (if it's not given over to a plethora of Game Room stuff, as has been the case these last couple months).

Cazzie · #24 12-26-2010, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhyaDuck?

I can see your point, but I am not sure most people go through the "new posts." Personally, I start with my "subscribed threads." I hope crime threads aren't being strangled by game room threads, but I usually don't miss the topics I'm interested in b/c of them.

But, again, I understand how annoyances can get at you. My personal pet peeve is when threads get bumped to the "new posts" search just because someone voted in the poll, even when they didn't actually post. That bugs me, though it likely doesn't bother many others.

I do, too. And I much more rarely go to a specific forum.

I use UserCP (updated subscribed threads, and All subscribed threads) and New Posts. If I didn't use New Posts, I'd rarely find any new threads.

WhyaDuck? · #25 12-26-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cazzie

I do, too. And I much more rarely go to a specific forum.

I use UserCP (updated subscribed threads, and All subscribed threads) and New Posts. If I didn't use New Posts, I'd rarely find any new threads.

What I usually do is hit my subscribed threads, read the new posts there, and then hit the forum link at the top, i.e. "Private Forums -- Jury Room," and then go to the forum itself to look for new threads.