I used to be a regular here but the changes have made it a chore. I believe this is my first post since they were made.
Hi, @partyof5! Welcome back.
Thanks!!! I’m pretty much always on this forum from my phone and it’s just not visually appealing. The white space , and double spacing of replies drive me crazy. Also it’s hard to find other forums.
I miss my CC family as I pretty much only posted in the Cafe. My last child is a senior in college!!!
Perhaps also, people should be allowed to start threads on a topic that may have been discussed before? It always takes me aback when someone immediately pops in with “we’ve already talked about that”. I think that’s a little rigid. JMO.
There’s no prohibition on that, unless the previous thread was shut down for ToS violations.
@skieurope I don’t think @VaBluebird was talking about it being a violation for the admins to shut down - it’s posters that shut it down by saying “we’ve talked about this before.”
My use is down 90%. It’s not fun here anymore. I became a Duolingo junkie instead.
Assuming that said poster is not referring to a newsworthy topic when 25 identical threads seem to open on the same day (and which we will merge/close as we find) posters cannot dictate what can or cannot be discussed on any thread. Similarly, posters cannot request that responses only come from certain users or category of users. When we see such posts, we address. If the issue is not addressed, it’s because we did not see,but will address if flagged.
metoo.
I have no problem getting to the cafe as I have it bookmarked. But once I’m here it’s like trying to read something through dirty dishwater. Nothing pops out. It’s just one big blur.
I have no patience for it.
Exactly. Sorry I was unclear. I meant from other posters. It seems to throw cold water on the topic.
Yeah, then that should not happen, and we will delete such comments when we see as such comments add nothing to the conversation, in addition to not really aligned with the principle of a welcoming community.
I’m still a latest posts reader at c c. Also do not like this font although it’s the latest thing in ux/ui as I understand it. I believe the two things that will never be replicated elsewhere are the “say it here” and “dumb reasons your kid rejected a college” threads. Also a phone user and right now I am typing with the words out of aight below my keyboard!!out of sight… clearly not a touch typist
I agree with all these comments. The site is not fun any longer. It’s too difficult to find stuff, too difficult to read for long. It still all just looks the same, like a big white piece of paper that has no noticeable markings. My participation is dramatically down. I do usually come on a few times a week, because I’m looking for news and updates in the world of higher ed. It’s relevant to what I do and I want to know what’s happening. But the thing I’m not doing much of is offering advice. I feel badly for students who post and get few responses, or responses from non-experienced users.
The changes are the worst thing that’s ever happened to this site.
I don’t think I shut down new threads. But sometimes I WILL link older discussions about the same topic because they have good info or responses in them. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that!
I’ve certainly seen this in the past, where the “thread valedictorians” as I saw them called (love that term!) attempt to control what can and cannot be posted. They think that since they started the thread, that they are in control of it. Very odd. Since the relaunch, I see less of this (of course, there are many fewer posts, period).
I’ve also seen the poster stalkers, ones who search for a certain poster or posters and then jump into threads seemingly just to engage that particular poster or posters. That has lessened, also.
-+
I too find myself not on CC as much. I did have a busy late spring with work etc so that probably didn’t help. But it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why I don’t find it as fun/enjoyable to check in when I have a spare moment. It does feel like everything is spread out - I have my Bookmarks, and I check the Latest Posts, but it is harder to go to a specific place (like XYX college forum). It’s a shame because I think of all of you as friends and I miss hearing from different posters.
Not too long ago, there there was a local sports broadcaster out here in the Bay Area named Bob Fitzgerald, super nice guy and extremely knowledgeable about everything, who got fired from his pretty popular Fitz and Brooks show. Why? He knew too much. You got the impression the only thing he cared about was that he looked smarter than you. And that’s one of the issues with this board - you have a number of posters who go into that mode. In a similar vein, many sports topics along with these topics have no right or wrong answers, many times it’s just opinions, yet they give the aura of their opinion being factual. I’ve been on this board for 18 months now and I’ve learned a lot and I love to give back to the kids, but too often you have meddlers who think that they’re more right. And that just makes it intolerable for one to really persist on this board.
The other issue with this board is the repetitiveness of the board. For many questions, I know exactly who’s going to come on and exactly know what they’re going to say, whether it’s right or wrong. At the same time, you have certain kids who ask the same question 150 times over the course of a few months. Those are the questions that need to be moderated.
I’m not yet seeing the usual big increase in student ‘chance me’ and ‘reverse chance me’ posts. There have been a few but not a lot recently. Where’d all of the slightly under qualified internationals needing financial aid who think they are getting into HYPSM if they write a good essay who don’t want to hear that they need more safeties go? Maybe because it’s still August and just because my kids have been back to school for almost 2 weeks now doesn’t mean everyone else is yet. Or maybe the students are going somewhere else.
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I’m not yet seeing the usual big increase in student ‘chance me’ and ‘reverse chance me’ posts. There have been a few but not a lot recently. ’
When my kids started the college phase of their HS careers, we attended a College Information session at the school. We (parents & kids) were clearly, and specifically cautioned against seeking info from, specifically CC. As a result, and because I’m a follower, I missed out on a lot of valuable and critical advice from CC participants.
It’s quite possible other schools caution their students against hanging out on CC, ergo the perceived decrease on ‘chance me’ students!
@momo2x2018 I doubt if you missed out on that much. If my kid followed the “advice” given here he would be at UC-Riverside now instead of at Berkeley. That’s not to say that there’s not good people on this board, it’s just that every student is unique, essays are a big part of the application process and no one knows what’s in those essays. It’s best left to the GC or parents to give the best advice.