there goes the neighborhood :(

[buzzlightbeer]

as appreciative as i am for everything you have done,
sorry to say it, but "there goes the neighborhood" ; (
the community feeling of universe today is gone.
for me anyways...

[Fraser]

That's too bad, can you give us any specifics? It's just a larger group now, but the BABB folks are a really great bunch of people. That was one of the main reasons I proposed to Phil that we consider merging forums. I wanted our two groups of friends to get to know each other. But that takes time for you to become familiar with all the additional people. Trust me, they're great.

Are there too many conversations? Too many new people to get to know? Or do you have a problem with the forum software itself?

[Jakenorrish]

I disagree. I feel it is a bigger, bolder forum. Its bound to take time to settle in, but what pleases me most is the much larger number of people here. Better diversity is bound to lead to a wider exchange of opinions which can only be excellent. All the BA members I have had the pleasure of speaking with are well informed, and I say well done on the merger.

[crosscountry]

I'm liking the merger. There are many voices from which I can learn. But then again I'm a noob


One problem I may have is the huge number of forums. I have trouble finding all the interesting threads/stories because they are all seperated.

[Maksutov]

as appreciative as i am for everything you have done,
sorry to say it, but "there goes the neighborhood" ; (
the community feeling of universe today is gone.
for me anyways...Heh, heh, my son wants to date your daughter.

Plus I would like you and your family to come to our house for Krikðtas and enjoy the celebration. A few months from now there will be Kalëdo. Perhaps later we will then be able to celebrate Uþgavënës and Velykos, thus welcoming the spring!

Be sure that with us hard-working folk, the neighborhood property values will, as always, go up.

[Moose]

Community spirit is what you make of it.

[worzel]

One problem I may have is the huge number of forums. I have trouble finding all the interesting threads/stories because they are all seperated.I always go to "quick links" - "subscriptions" first to see any replies to any posts I've made and to get the latest on threads I've mark as interesting but for which I have nothing to contribute. Then, if I have time, I go to "New Posts" which lists all the threads in most-recently-posted-in order. I rarely bother with browsing particular forums.

[TriangleMan]

buzzlightbeer's (BLB) concerns may have some merit. The BA board appears to have been a larger, more prolific board. Just look at the top posters list, I think only 4 or 5 in the top 50 are from UT, and most posters from BA had posts removed during the merger. Oddly enough, as a BA poster, I haven't noticed a lot here that is "new" following the merger in terms of threads and discussions as most of them were BA threads. If BLB feels that UT had a small community feel then the merger would have definately impacted that perception.

[Fraser]

Things have turned out exactly like I'd expected. The Universe Today community was fairly large (4500 people), but there weren't a lot of regular posters. So people would ask a question and then get silence in return. I put a lot effort into trying to channel traffic towards the forum, but things hadn't really hit that critical mass yet.

The BABB forum had already hit critical mass. Even through they had a few thousand more members, the forum had been running for two years longer, and people had gotten longer to know each other. So it's not surprising that people from UT are feeling a little overwhelmed. It's amazing to see the first page of a forum and all the threads were updated in the last day... yikes!

But you don't have to try and stay on top of everything. You can browse through the categories, pick a few threads you find interesting and subscribe to them. You should be able to find lively conversations about the exact things that interest you.

I'm asking all the old UTers and BABBlers to make the effort to get to know each other. Jump into conversations, and get involved. In a few months, people will feel like old friends.

[antoniseb]

as a BA poster, I haven't noticed a lot here that is "new" following the merger in terms of threads and discussions as most of them were BA threads.

The main places that should be new to BA folk are "Story Comments" which is not really usable yet, but should be soon, and stuff about telescope equipment. I also think that UT brought a good number of threads to the ATM section.

In any case, I haven't experienced BLB's feeling. The BA people have been very warm in their welcome, and very respectful. More importantly to me as a moderator, everyone has been tolerant of the fact that we're still working out the moderation guidelines.

[worzel]

Rule 1 of BAUT club: there are no rules (yet).

Rule 2 of BAUT club: so just be nice :)

[Donnie B.]

Buzz, I'd like to extend a hand to you from the BABB side. What can we do to make you feel more at home?

(Do remember that this is a new place for us, too.)

Have you checked out the "Introduce Yourself" thread? It's pretty long now, but it's a pretty good place to meet and greet.

[Gillianren]

I think there's a mindset among large numbers of us that, well, we were always getting more new regulars, so adding a whole heap of 'em at once isn't all that unusual. I only glanced at a thread or two of the old UT board (aside from those I've joined since the merger), so I can't say how it felt, but I have to say, still mostly feels like home to me.

[Bilateralrope]

It's amazing to see the first page of a forum and all the threads were updated in the last day... yikes!

Yes, thats the only complaint I've had so far. Could you increase the number of threads on a page to stop that happening as I don't like going over to page 2 just to read new posts

[Matthew]

There are already 30 threads on a page.

Hopefully soon there won't be a BA community, or a UT community. Just a community. Its a nice dream, just how long?

[crosscountry]

you should have seen it when we got here.


there were only 15 per page.



I like the idea of 50..... That should be more than 24 hours of posts. (enough for the once per day people)

[worzel]

Yes, thats the only complaint I've had so far. Could you increase the number of threads on a page to stop that happening as I don't like going over to page 2 just to read new posts
You can personalize this yourself, click on "UserCP", then "Edit Options". Somewhere on that page is the number of threads per page.

[crosscountry]

I tried that.


No Change

[Fram]

You can personalize this yourself, click on "UserCP", then "Edit Options". Somewhere on that page is the number of threads per page.

Perhaps I've missed it, but I think what you mean is the number of posts per page, not the number of threads per page. Number of threads isn't an individual setting.

[worzel]

Perhaps I've missed it, but I think what you mean is the number of posts per page, not the number of threads per page. Number of threads isn't an individual setting.Oh, my bad.

[crosscountry]

I misread it too.

[The Supreme Canuck]

There are already 30 threads on a page.

Hopefully soon there won't be a BA community, or a UT community. Just a community. Its a nice dream, just how long?

As far as I'm concerned, we're there already.

[Captain Kidd]

I'll agree with TSC. I haven't seen any "camps" appearing where only UT posters post or only BABB posters post. We've integrated fairly well.

[worzel]

We've integrated fairly well.So well it's hard to differentiate us. [ I'll get my coat ]

[Fraser]

I'm actually forgetting who's who. When I see a name, I try and remember, but it's getting harder every day.

[Maksutov]

So well it's hard to differentiate us. [ I'll get my coat ]I trust that coat will cover the area under the curve. Meanwhile, watch out for any Seurat paintings, those points may puncture your neighborhood. http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/566/iconwink6tn.gif

[Captain Kidd]

Har har. :)

[Jakenorrish]

Absolutely. Hopefully we all are interested in exchanging views with respect, so lets make the most of this wonderful opportunity.

[crosscountry]

right.... the more the merrier, the more ideas the better

[Bilateralrope]

I'm actually forgetting who's who. When I see a name, I try and remember, but it's getting harder every day.
On BABB I had to look at a post to see who wrote it, however with avatars I can tell at a glance whos post it is. I still can't tell you their name unless I look for it

[Lianachan]

I had difficulty remembering who was who on the BA board anyway, outside of a small group who tended to post to the same topics as me. Most of the members here, I don't know if they're originally from UT or BA. I don't think it matters - we're all BAUT now.

I agree about the avatars helping with quick identification.

[Moseley]

Hi everyone - I am a 'new posts' reader every day and I was initially alarmed at the volume (20 pages, 19, 14) but it seems to have calmed down a bit and I have time to read them all and may post a dumb question now and then.
Looking forward to getting to know you all better and learning.

[Donnie B.]

Hi everyone - I am a 'new posts' reader every day and I was initially alarmed at the volume (20 pages, 19, 14) but it seems to have calmed down a bit and I have time to read them all and may post a dumb question now and then.
Looking forward to getting to know you all better and learning.Hi, Moseley!

You may want to repeat this post in the "Introduce Yourself" thread in the Babbling forum, if you haven't already done so.

[crosscountry]

Hi Moseley welcome.


I got a good friend named Moseley... He lives down in Texas.

[buzzlightbeer]

i am very sorry this flurry of dicussion around my comments started with no response back from me. i have been AFK and unable to get back onto the site. i will be able to rejoin this thread in a day or so. apologies for the lag after the posting. UT has always been very important to me and i would like to explain more what i mean. everything you have done fraser (and moderators ... i do have a lil fav moderator too :) forming opinions as we speak ;-) i appreciate it a lot. i will be back soon and explain more about what i am saying and do my part. as a contributor to help improve everything

BRB thank you

[buzzlightbeer]

im so used to thanking fraser and UT people. i would also like to say i do appreciate what the BA people have done too as well.

[cran]

I'm not sure about "there goes the neighbourhood", Buzz; but someone sure did a hell of a lot of remodeling while I was gone (long story ... you don't want to know...)
Fraser, is this the BA layout? ... or is this some kind of hybrid or compromise model? Just quietly, I did prefer the UT setup ... but maybe that's just because I haven't found the way to customise it to my liking yet...?

[Fraser]

It's just a new forum software, so it looks completely different. You can do all kinds of fine tuning, I think you'll really like it.

[Kaptain K]

FWIW - Those of us from BABB are having to adjust to the new software too!

[cran]

OK, I've just done a bit of tweaking with my control panel and got back some of the good bits ... like avatars and signatures and ... :D

but, really ... "senior member"? My father is a 'senior member' - he has a 'senior's card' and everything ... it gives him discounts on all sorts of goods and services ... but he's, like, seventy-something! :sad:

A few weeks ago, I was a 'globular cluster' ... with the potential to evolve into a galaxy and a 'universe' ... now I'm a 'senior member' ... what have I got to look forward to? dotage? :(

[HenrikOlsen]

Coming from BABB I've already fallen in love with the subscription feature, it's something I've missed for a long time.
Now if only I could ignore a thread as well so it doesn't show up as new...

[NEOWatcher]

On BABB I had to look at a post to see who wrote it, however with avatars I can tell at a glance whos post it is. I still can't tell you their name unless I look for it
So basically you're saying you don't have to look at it, you can see it? :dance:

But seriously... it works fine when you're familiar with a person's avatar; but I see a lot of cases where there are no avatars. Now, I'm not against the avatar, but I get more benefit in the name (some of who I also notice at a glance).

[Kristophe]

I honestly haven't noticed a single difference in the two weeks or so since the boards merged. I'm used to seeing unfamilar names at the BABB. Sometimes, I'd drop into a forum to look around, and it'd be full of people who only posted there.

The forum upgrade has been great. I love the new features, especially the Quick Reply. I'm still a little thrown off, though, by how the Quote button won't quote quotes. Sometimes it's convenient, sometimes it's not. I guess that just makes it neutrally different.

I was expecting a bigger change when the boards merged. I thought UT was a lot bigger. I guess both sides were just pretty similar to begin with. I didn't even notice a hiccup.

[Fraser]

We'll reconsider the post titles at some point. BABB had Bad Grad, Bad PhD, etc. While UT had asteroid, planet, galaxy, etc.

[NEOWatcher]

We'll reconsider the post titles at some point. BABB had Bad Grad, Bad PhD, etc. While UT had asteroid, planet, galaxy, etc.
Could that open up things like "NewbieOid", "Graduated Planet", "PhGalaxy" ?

[NEOWatcher]

Could that open up things like "NewbieOid", "Graduated Planet", "PhGalaxy" ?

Or that might conflict with the ads... (just ran across Baby Universe)

[Kristophe]

Bad Asteroid, Bad Planet, Bad Galaxy, Bad Quasar, Bad Supercluster, Bad ToSeek.

[Maksutov]

Bad Asteroid, Bad Planet, Bad Galaxy, Bad Quasar, Bad Supercluster, Bad ToSeek.Bad ToSeek! Bad ToSeek! No Google!

http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/boese/k010.gif

[crosscountry]

Coming from BABB I've already fallen in love with the subscription feature, it's something I've missed for a long time.
Now if only I could ignore a thread as well so it doesn't show up as new...
yea, the subscription feature is really nice since there are so many forums


you can unsubscribe a thread after you've subscribed. it's on the same page.

[HenrikOlsen]

I know I can unsubscribe, what I wish for is to be able to ignore a thread so it isn't listed in the list you get when clicking "New Posts".
Incidentally tracking read posts seems to be flaky:(

[ToSeek]

Bad ToSeek! Bad ToSeek! No Google!

http://www.cosgan.de/images/smilie/boese/k010.gif


No! No! Anything but that!!!!!! :eek:

[cran]

I guess there will still be some settling in...
for instance, I've lost the tracking of all my UT subscribed threads, and I'm slowly tracking them down to see if I'm due to reply anywhere...
and then there is the whole new universe of BA threads to scan through...
and all this has happened when I've had to downgrade from broadband to dial-up!
and train a new computer in the process...
sometimes, I do feel like the kid facing a neighbourhood change - "but I don't want to move into a bigger house with a swimming pool ... I like it here! All my friends are here! I'll have to go to a new school, and everything!" >pout<

[buzzlightbeer]

well cran (hey dude!) shares a lot of what i meant by "there goes the neighborhood". i really want to apologize for sending such a blunt message w/o any background thooughts. as i said i do appreciate everything.

i really feel that cran kinda puts into words what i was feeling, and maybe feelig a littlefrustrated thats how it came out. i am going to take a solid effort at getting used to the new digs :)

one thing of course is the "other stories" threads that contributed to my thoughts and comments. u see i spent most of my time in that thread. then, suddenly not able to find it, i felt like it was a whole new place. i used to love paruzing (sp :) the net looking for other stories that i could then share with the UT community...those were the discussions i really liked and was activein.

then they were all "gone"... are they? i still can't locate them. then posting a message to "about baut" (http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=29769) it wasn't even answered. so i really felt something missing.

well, as cran said, ill do my best to climatize here. and will send constructive feedback and ask questions as i go along.

again, cheers

im in london, heading home to canada tomorrow. so back online again in a couple days!

take care
Buzz

[Robert Andersson]

then they were all "gone"... are they? i still can't locate them. then posting a message to "about baut" (http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=29769) it wasn't even answered.I just put a suggestion in that thread.

[Nereid]

well cran (hey dude!) shares a lot of what i meant by "there goes the neighborhood". i really want to apologize for sending such a blunt message w/o any background thooughts. as i said i do appreciate everything.

i really feel that cran kinda puts into words what i was feeling, and maybe feelig a littlefrustrated thats how it came out. i am going to take a solid effort at getting used to the new digs :)

one thing of course is the "other stories" threads that contributed to my thoughts and comments. u see i spent most of my time in that thread. then, suddenly not able to find it, i felt like it was a whole new place. i used to love paruzing (sp :) the net looking for other stories that i could then share with the UT community...those were the discussions i really liked and was activein.

then they were all "gone"... are they? i still can't locate them. then posting a message to "about baut" (http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=29769) it wasn't even answered. so i really felt something missing.

well, as cran said, ill do my best to climatize here. and will send constructive feedback and ask questions as i go along.

again, cheers

im in london, heading home to canada tomorrow. so back online again in a couple days!

take care
BuzzBuzz, if there's something specific you're having difficulty with, and a post - e.g. in About BAUT - goes unanswered, why not PM a mod? Things have been rather hectic, with the merger and all, but they are a bit quieter now, so someone may be able to help you.

Kind Regards
Nereid
PS please don't PM me; my inbox is just about full (going through it and tidying it up is still on my 'To Do' list :( )

[mickal555]

I used to read every post on BABB...
can't do that anymore
Sad me sad me

[buzzlightbeer]

Buzz, if there's something specific you're having difficulty with, and a post - e.g. in About BAUT - goes unanswered, why not PM a mod?

yea def shoulda did that... but i still miss "other stories" forum :/

[Fraser]

Back in the UT days, there were two kinds of stories. Ones in Universe Today, and then all the others. On BABB, the other stories were just shuffled into the different sections of the forum. That's what we're doing here. If you've got a story that hasn't already been posted, then just post it up, and put a link to your source.

[ToSeek]

Back in the UT days, there were two kinds of stories. Ones in Universe Today, and then all the others. On BABB, the other stories were just shuffled into the different sections of the forum. That's what we're doing here. If you've got a story that hasn't already been posted, then just post it up, and put a link to your source.

Assuming you can beat me to it, that is. :razz:

[Fraser]

No kidding, you really keep me on my toes.

[ToSeek]

No kidding, you really keep me on my toes.

Well, I have the unfair advantage of being three time zones ahead of you. I'd be the one having the harder time if the situation were reversed. So all you need to do is move to England, or maybe Newfoundland. ;)

[Donnie B.]

Or, if you moved around the world a couple times, you could get the stories two days early! Just make sure you move from west to east... :D

[cran]

well cran (hey dude!) shares a lot of what i meant - buzzlightbeer
Hey Buzz! Rug up for Canada, man! I hear it gets cold up there!

It's probably a little easier for me, because I was a 'new kid on the UT block' much more recently - I was still settling in, when the change happened ... I think Buzz (and perhaps others who haven't spoken up here) were much more settled in (you know, they'd put up real drapes instead of old blankets on the windows - had a proper dining table and chairs, instead of camp chairs and stacked cartons, to have dinner on - had the TV remote in its proper place next to the most comfortable chair, etc) ...

but even so, it was still a disorienting experience ... more so, when we both found a number of ongoing conversations/discussions just seem to be cut off in mid-argument ... and it's not as simple as re-posting - these things have a momentum like a kid on a skateboard ... hit an unexpected pothole or fence, and it takes a while to shake yourself down and get going again... by then, all the other kids have moved on to other things...

Give us a bit of time, to get settled back in our own chairs (literally, as well as figuratively - I'm not home either at the moment), suss out the party, find the interesting conversations, and we'll wander over and join in... :)

[crosscountry]

Or, if you moved around the world a couple times, you could get the stories two days early! Just make sure you move from west to east... :D




if superman can do it, then I can too!!!!!

[CJSF]

Cran's analogy is fairly apt. I'm still getting used to digging in the whole Conspiracies forum to find Lunar Hoax posts, which used to be in one place. It's like someone rearranged your dresser drawers and you can't find your socks. Eventually, I'll probably get used to it.. but I have been told that I'm pretty resistant to change, so we'll see.

CJSF